The riding posture is near perfect for both touring and commuting. You sit neutral with a faint lean, not too upright, not too sporty. The seat height of 805 millimetres works well for all comers and at five feet four inches, I never felt intimidated even while inching through Goa’s December revellers and vacationers on uneven surfaces. It does not mask its weight entirely, but it distributes it well enough that manoeuvring it never became a chore. For a motorcycle that looks chunky in pictures, the T feels surprisingly manageable in person.
Where the T could have done better is braking. The front brake is extremely progressive but it lacks bite and requires a bit too much effort and distance to come to a halt. Panic braking alert is a clever feature and it proved useful during group riding, pulsing the indicators to warn riders behind, but the brake feel itself remains a weak point. Not unsafe but not confidence-boosting either.
The bar end mirrors deserve a mention of their own. Visibility is surprisingly good. The field of view is wide and natural and it takes almost no time to get used to the lower placement. At higher revs, around 5500 and above, they pick up some rattle. Nothing alarming but noticeable. This is one of those trade offs that come with sportier, slimmer mirrors and most riders will probably accept it as part of the bike’s character.
Electronic aids are easy to manage. In Road mode, switchable rear ABS is one tap away. Traction control can be toggled without digging through deep sub menus. Since our ride took place on cold early morning asphalt and mostly in a tightly controlled convoy, I could not test their intervention thresholds. Still, their mere presence makes the T feel more mature and more in line with what buyers expect at this price.
Not everything behaved perfectly. The high beam kept turning itself on, not just on my unit but on a few others from journalists I spoke with after the ride. This might be a software kink, a switch issue, or something deeper, but it is worth flagging. The instrument cluster, which now houses music controls and a few additional functions, did not get enough of my attention to comment on. Our ride plan was packed and I prioritised the mechanical feel of the bike over the gadget layer.
Fuel tank capacity stands at 13.5 litres, with a claimed WMTC figure of 30 km/l. On paper, that gives the T a respectable range for touring. Real-world numbers will depend on how much you indulge that overrun crackle and how often you find yourself sitting at higher revs on open highways.
Harley will sell all four colours of the X440 T at a single price tag of 2.80 lakh ex showroom. That simplicity is welcome. The larger question is whether the T offers enough to justify the jump over rivals that cost less and promise more performance or more equipment. This is where tone matters. This was a curated first ride in prime tourist weather on well chosen roads. The X440 T feels like a nice improvement over an already likeable motorcycle. It feels more grown up, more contemporary, more involving to ride. It also faces a tougher landscape than the one the original X440 entered.
Triumph’s 400 series has changed the expectations in this segment. Bajaj’s Dominar continues to be a value monster. Yezdi and Royal Enfield are reinventing themselves cycle by cycle. Against that field, the X440 T has an uphill task. Not impossible. Not even improbable. Just uphill.
There is also a cultural tailwind here. The success of Saiyaara did wonders for Harley India and the X440 itself, and their decision to sign its lead actor, Ayaan Pandey, makes sense in that context. It adds visibility and taps into the movie-infused momentum that boosted interest in the 440 in the first place. It is not a deciding factor for buyers, but it is part of the story.
My biggest takeaway after the Goa ride is simple. Many reviewers around me said the same thing at the end of the day. This is what the X440 should have launched as in the first place. The original remains a good motorcycle and continues on sale. The T, however, feels like the more fully realised idea. Not perfect, not aggressively priced, not a category killer. Just a better Harley for the rider who wants the brand’s emotional draw mixed with real-world usability.
That combination counts. It is the reason why, despite its rivals snapping at its heels, the X440 T stands out. It is not trying to be everything to everyone. It is trying to be a Harley you can live with every day. In that mission, it roundly succeeds.
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