In the past six months, Harley-Davidson has gone all guns blazing in the 400-500cc motorcycle segment. It all started with the X 350, followed by the X 500, and then the Indian-made X 440. But all these seem a bit disappointing for H-D fans like us since none of them bear an iconic H-D nametag or fit the cruiser bill. Lucky for us, it looks like the bikemaker will answer our prayers soon. This is because the MoCo is whipping up yet another sub-500cc Harley, that too, one bearing the iconic ‘Nightster’ badge.
Harley-Davidson Nightster 440 Name Trademarked In India
The news comes straight from India where Harley-Davidson’s Indian partner - Hero MotoCorp - has filed a trademark for a ‘Nightster 440’. It mentions the name is for use on “vehicles; apparatus for land, air, or water”, clearly hinting at the second motorcycle under the Hero-Harley partnership. More importantly, though, the numeric suffix hints the new Nightster will be based on the now-revealed X 440.
So we expect it to boast the same 440cc, single-cylinder engine as the roadster, armed with 27 horsepower. This might seem less, but the engine’s USP is its class-leading 28 pound-feet of torque, all available from just 4,000 RPM. The power reaches the wheel via a six-speed gearbox and a chain drive. That said, don’t be surprised if Harley slaps a belt-drive system on the mini-Nightster. After all, each motorcycle in the said model line has featured belts ever since its debut in 2007.
The Harley-Davidson Nightster 440 Might Boast A Cruiser Design
Though the trademark application doesn’t reveal much, the Nightster 440 will probably be Harley-Davidson’s first sub-500cc cruiser motorcycle since the Street 500. It could bear a design reminiscent of the current-generation 975cc Nightster, ripe with a round LED headlight, low-slung stance, and alloy wheels. We also think it’d be pretty modern feature-wise since the X 440 is quite loaded itself. For reference, it boasts a TFT dash, smartphone connectivity (on top variants), auto-headlight-on sensors, and a USB port.
In similar fashion, we won’t be surprised if the cycle parts are shared between the two Indian-made bikes. Interestingly, if the Nightster 440 rides on USD forks and gas-charged shocks, it’d actually have a more premium suspension setup than its 975cc namesake. The latter has telescopic forks and non-gas-charged shocks, in case you’re unaware.
Could The Harley-Davidson Nightster 440 Set Foot In America?
Yes, we know Harley-Davidson has somewhat buried our hopes of seeing the X 440 on American streets. But the Nightster 440? It could be exactly the product that’d sell like hotcakes. Not just here, but also in Europe and Britain where license norms make entry-level motorcycles an essential commodity. So a 440cc cruiser stuffed with iconic H-D elements would be more than ideal. It would also give the bikemaker a better fighting chance against Royal Enfield–the unmatched king in affordable, old-school bikes.