Harley-Davidson X440 T Long-term Review: 1,000km Touring Report

Gallery Introduction Things We Liked Things We Didn’t Like Conclusion

Introduction

The Harley-Davidson X440 T has been in BikeWale’s long-term fleet for a little over two months. It has been my daily rider, be it commuting to the office or the occasional highway jaunt. But with the onset of monsoons in the western parts of Maharashtra, I decided to take it on a 1,000km round trip to the coastal regions of Southern Konkan. The idea was to test the X440 T on long national highways and narrow B-roads, while also exploring the beauty of Konkan during this time of the year.

And during this ride, I realised that there are quite a few things to like about this Harley, but it also needs a few improvements that could make it an even better touring motorcycle. Let’s start with the things we liked.

Things We Liked

Harley-Davidson X440 T Right Front Three Quarter

Performance – The Harley-Davidson X440 T's strongest suit is its engine performance. The engine's long-stroke, torque-heavy nature suits the motorcycle's character perfectly. This makes it ideal for touring, as the strong mid-range allows you to easily sustain triple-digit speeds for long durations without bother or effort. On the long open stretches of NH66, or even on the twisty B-roads, I could easily ride the torque wave to overtake vehicles without shifting through the gears. The lazy, unhurried character of the 440cc motor eggs you on to take it slow and enjoy the scenery, rather than pulling the throttle to the stops.

Ergonomics – As I found out during the ride, the X440 T has comfortable ergonomics. The rider’s triangle is comfortable, and you sit in a commanding riding position. The ergos are comfy enough to spend long hours in the saddle, but the same cannot be said about its seat. More on that later.

Brakes – The brakes are another strong point of the X440 T. They aren’t as sharp or strong as some of the naked streetfighters, but they work well for the bike’s intended purpose. The brakes offer good bite and progression, which makes it easier to slow down the motorcycle in case of an emergency.

Lighting – The X440 T easily has one of the better lighting setups in the sub-500cc segment. The multi-projector LED headlight offers good illumination for a stock headlamp. It lights up the road ahead quite well in dry conditions, and the headlamp intensity, spread, and throw are good as well. That said, although the setup is quite usable and far better than the competition, it can’t be your only source of illumination for multi-day touring, especially in mixed riding conditions.

Things We Didn’t Like

Harley-Davidson X440 T Left Rear Three Quarter

Ride Quality – The X440 T’s ride quality is its weakest link in an otherwise good motorcycle. The front is too soft and easily bottoms out over rumblers, stepped joints, or around sudden dips, which were aplenty during my Konkan ride. Meanwhile, the rear suspension is marginally on the firmer side, and there is a noticeable disconnect between the front and the rear. The softer front feels unsettled over undulations as speeds increase.

Seating comfort – While the ergonomics are well-sorted for touring, the same can’t be said about the bike’s seating comfort. The seat is narrower in profile, and it rises steeply, resulting in you sitting closer to the tank. This translates into less support for your posterior over longer distances. Furthermore, the seat has softer cushioning, which means your backside starts hurting sooner than expected. A wider seat with a less aggressive step-up and firmer cushioning could help immensely on longer multi-day rides.

Luggage Mounting – The hallmark of a good touring motorcycle, apart from its performance and ride comfort, is its ability to haul luggage. The X440 T loses some brownie points here as it has limited options to mount luggage on it, especially if you are someone who prefers tail bags over saddlebags. It lacks mounting points to hook the straps of a tail bag.

Harley-Davidson X440 T Left Front Three Quarter

You need to run the straps under the rear mudguard to secure the bag. While this ‘jugaad’ works perfectly, you run the risk of scratching the tail panels (as in our case), and there’s also a possibility of damaging the indicators or the straps snapping off due to high-intensity impacts over road undulations at speed. Moreover, Harley doesn’t sell any official accessories that could improve its luggage hauling ability. That said, you can mount tank bags without issues.

Conclusion

The Harley-Davidson X440 T makes a strong case as a highway tourer, thanks to its relaxed, torquey engine, comfortable ergonomics, capable brakes and excellent lighting. However, its touring ability is held back by the unsettled ride and an uncomfortable seat over long distances. Limited luggage-mounting options are another drawback for extended trips. Despite these shortcomings, the X440 T’s effortless performance and laid-back character make it enjoyable on long highway rides.