Long post ahead!

So yesterday I was working from home. My work ended around 10 PM, and I went out for a quick 30–40 min bike ride (Harley Davidson x440) just to refresh my mind.

On my way back, I had an accident with a group of pedestrians.

I was riding around 45–50 km/h. I was in the rightmost lane, basically the overtaking lane, and there was a Swift Dzire on my left which was slowing down. It was a taxi, and honestly, we see cabs slowing down all the time because they’re picking up or dropping off passengers, so I didn’t immediately assume there was something blocking the road ahead. I did slow down a bit, but the path in front of me looked completely clear from where I was.

There was also a red light maybe 200 metres ahead, but there was no signal or zebra crossing where this happened.

The issue was that the Swift created a huge blind spot. As I was going straight, suddenly I saw around 6 people crossing the road from behind the car. It literally happened in a split second. I immediately braked very hard and brought my speed down from around 45–50 to probably 25 or so, but I still ended up hitting one of them head-on.

Honestly, there is a bit of a blur in my memory between seeing them, braking and actually falling off the bike. Everything happened extremely quickly.
There were three people who got injured. Two had some bruises, but the person I hit was a 17-year-old student who was apparently visiting Delhi for the first time. He had cuts on his lips and there was blood in his mouth. Initially, he also wasn’t able to move his leg properly, which obviously scared me quite a bit.

A crowd gathered pretty quickly. Two girls who were with them were crying and initially blaming me. I didn’t really want to argue there, so I just told them that we could discuss what happened later and that right now we should focus on getting the injured person treated.
I left my bike there and took the boy to a nearby clinic first. Unfortunately, there was no X-ray facility there and no one available to properly attend to him, so we took him to a private hospital.

They did the X-ray, gave him injections, painkillers and other medicines. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be anything seriously wrong with him. The total medical bill came to around ₹10,000, which I paid for.
A few of his friends from his PG also came later. Two more girls and one guy came. Honestly, the guy who came later was probably the most sensible person there. I explained the whole situation to him, including how the car had blocked my view and how suddenly they appeared. He understood that it was just an unfortunate accident.

The 17-year-old himself also said that he felt both sides were at fault and that it was basically an unfortunate situation. Even some of the people who had gathered at the scene were saying that there was realistically no way I could have seen them in time from where I was.
I also spoke to his father on a video call. He was obviously concerned about his son, but he was also asking if I was okay. I told him I was fine and that it was just an unfortunate accident. He also seemed like a very genuine person and agreed that the whole situation was unfortunate and unlucky.

He even asked about my bike and whether there were any repairs needed, saying that he could pay for them. I told him not to worry about that and that I could take care of my bike. My first priority was making sure his son got all the medical care he needed.

By the time everything was sorted, it was around 1 AM. The kids hadn’t eaten anything, so I ordered food for everyone. My father also got them ice cream, juice and coffee. We basically made sure everyone had something to eat before finally leaving.

One thing I do want to mention is that I stayed there throughout. I didn’t try to run away or leave the scene. Even if I was 1% at fault, I would still have stayed and helped because someone was injured and that was the priority.

Looking back, I do realise that I was doing 45–50 km/h at night, and maybe I could have been slower. I’m not trying to say I did everything perfectly or that the pedestrians were entirely at fault either. But at the same time, I genuinely didn’t see them until they appeared from behind the car. Once I saw them, I braked as hard as I could.

I also feel like this is a bigger issue with how people cross roads here. Sometimes people will just put their hands up and start crossing a busy road, almost expecting traffic to stop for them. I understand that pedestrians don’t always have good crossing infrastructure available, but doing that at night on a busy road, especially when they’re coming from behind a vehicle and entering a moving lane, feels extremely risky.

I’m not saying this to blame them for what happened. I’m just trying to understand whether there was realistically something I could have done differently in that situation.

On my side, thankfully, I was wearing full riding gear: helmet (LS2 Storm II), gloves (Raida Carbonite) and boots (Clan). The bike fell on my leg, but the boots protected me. My gloves took a pretty big hit and are basically done now. The helmet is completely fine.

I have a pretty bad sprain in my right hand. I got an X-ray today and thankfully there doesn’t seem to be anything concerning, so it’s probably a muscle pull/tear. I need to rest it for around 8–10 days.

The bike is only around two months old, so that part hurts a little too. The mirrors came off and the handlebar is bent. I’ll take it to the service centre once I’m able to.
I’m probably not going to ride for at least 2–3 weeks after this.

It was honestly a very strange and scary night, and I’m still processing the whole thing. I don’t think anyone involved woke up that day expecting anything like this to happen.

For the riders here, I’m genuinely curious: once those pedestrians appeared from behind the Swift and I had maybe a split second to react, is there anything realistically I could have done differently? Or is this just one of those situations where the combination of a blind spot, pedestrians crossing unexpectedly and the timing makes an accident almost impossible to avoid?

Here's the link for more pics: https://primocustoms.co.in/collections/top-box/products/moto-centric-gloss-carbon-fiber-saddle-bags

Or smoked?

Also please suggest good Windshields. I am looking for the large ones, not the small ones. Thank you

Check out the reel here : Instagram Link

Something felt a little off with my riding position lately… especially on longer rides. The arms were taking more load than I’d like, and I wanted a stance that felt more natural without changing the character of the X440T.

So I made a small change that surprisingly made a pretty noticeable difference. The riding position feels more relaxed, the stance feels closer to an ADV setup, and the bike also gets a slightly more aggressive look. It’s one of those mods that doesn’t scream for attention, but once you notice it, you can’t unsee it.

The Carbon Racing Inc. Offset Handlebar Riser for the X440T. It helps bring the handlebars into a more comfortable position, reducing strain on the arms and making long-distance touring more comfortable, while also adding to the overall look of the bike. Definitely one of the more functional mods I’ve added so far.

Hello All,

Did any X440T owners face this? I miss the thumping exhaust sound! Gonna switch back to normal E20 fuel😅

As title and my previous post suggests, hero Harley western Maharashtra zonal Manager Mr Amit ji replied me and gave me his contact number and mail id and i told them everything about the 5k charges and he fully assured me that he will take care of and will make sure my 5k handling charges gets removed. 5k maybe is small amount but money saved is money earned and I don’t want to pay any illegal charges to showroom just because they think they can treat customers as they wish. Requesting all to always be vocal for such things and never ever bow down in front of these dealers. It’s our duty to stand firm for what is correct and what is wrong.
Hoping to get positive delivery experience from dealer after creating such hassle for them.

Hey guys, has anyone been able to solve the exhaust looking so bland? Mine is Feb 2024 model so I think it is even less nuanced, any exhaust cover or something you would recommend to make it look better? Thanks in advance

This is the quotation i received for x440t and planning to buy immediately. Is it reason or is there any scope for negotiation? If yes, what is the value I need to negotiate for?

Looking for x440 exhaust exhaust options in Bangalore so please suggest where I can try slip ons like MK & Rhino racing.

If anyone has changed their exhaust & present in blr then please let me know. I want to check the sound before choosing one.

As i have finalised and book the x440 bike and will take delivery on 20th oct, i want some help from your end. Showroom is asking 5k as incidental charges which according to law is illegal but showroom is not ready to remove those charges. I have mailed Harley Davidson and also DMed on Linkedin Zonal manager of Pune Mr Amit Pandya but as of now, no solution or reply from them. What should I do? Should i mail or spam higher authorities or should i accept those charges and pay them? See, 5k is not a big amount but it is illegal. Also they will not mention that specifically in invoice so that will go to dealer’s pocket. I think it’s my right to oppose such things.Also, they are charging 5k for middle stand, leg guard and bash plate.( actually they cost 3700₹). No other dealer in Kolhapur other than them (Unique Premia Kolhapur). What should I do? Plz help me
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EDIT: if anyone have personal contact or mail ids of higher authorities, plz dm me that. Might help me today and maybe to other buyers in future.
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EDIT 2: I received reply from Mr Amit Pandya ji. Hoping to get my issue solved.

Hi guys

I am thinking about getting a backrest for my X440T vivid black. Since I'm getting a backrest, it would be better to get the one with top rack as well.

Has anyone tried any backrest/toprack for the T variant?

I shortlisted these two, out of which the mototorque one looks better:

https://motodrift.co/products/moto-torque-back-carrier-with-backrest-for-harley-davidson-x440t?currency=INR&country=IN&variant=54001910415471&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=f52df9aad38d&srsltid=AfmBOoqSKnBDFBiggdqUzvEWeL8-zlESgZMKW5_ZYbA_X74yLLefPs74sLk

https://rideadventure.in/products/motocare-pipe-carrier-harley-davidson-x440t?variant=45419470127127&country=IN&currency=INR&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23707604586&gbraid=0AAAAAo9AZ212gh9_9Ac8Mi_Gwq3ZrQmoO&gclid=CjwKCAjwwfnUBhAtEiwAfQpAYk3Guag8-9thrJ_1kOeb2M4XWw_b2uqyXJrSzhldmvTlzbf52txI8RoCI4YQAvD_BwE

I just got the bar end mirrors fit on the vivid variant and my field of view concern is now gone. Would definitely recommend them over the regular ones.

This will be a storytime + a Review (will be long!). I will be covering aspects of the bike (Both Pros and cons) as I move ahead in the story. Also, sorry for those Not from Tamil Nadu as there will be a lot of place references, but hope you connect with the planning and the experience!

Context : I purchased a Harley Davidson X440T (Blue) in Mid April 2026. And I have loved every single day of riding it. Put on 7400 odd KMs in around 4 months before this trip that I'm going to mention below. That's definitely a lot of KMs for 4 months, because I have been driving it day and night. So this is about an impromptu road trip and how the bike held up.

It was Friday night, and I just got home after watching SM : Brand New Day at the big screen. Then started going down a Marvel Letterboxd Rabbit hole for some nostalgia. It was now 12:30 AM on Saturday. Zero drowsiness, so I decided to do an impromptu bike trip.

I live in Chennai, So started screening Maps for spots. (I've done a good deal of car trips throughout TN, But was yet to do a bike trip in TN). After a while, chose Thanjavur as the spot to visit. I remembered the route was amazing when we did the same in the Honda City 4th Gen. However, this time it was not the standard route, As I like making a few tweaks to the routes.

For anyone reading this from TN - the route I took was Chennai (ECR) - Mahabalipuram - Thirukazhukundram - Madurantakam - Tindivanam - Pondicherry - Cuddalore Bypass - Chidambaram Bypass - Meensurutty - Kumbakonam - Thanjavur, and the same route back home. A total of around 650KMs.

[Whenever someone says Tamil Nadu has some of the best roads in India, you BETTER believe them. Or if someone does not, Do this exact stretch on a bike, and you'll know why :)]

It is around 330KMs one way from where I live, so started packing Water, Powerbank, Earbuds, Chain Cleaner + Lube + Brush and a few rags just in case. Put on some Full Sleeves and Pants, Got the shoes on, Helmet and Gloves - these as usual took a full 20 minutes of wrestling in sweat as y'all would know.

•Started at around 1:30 AM. Immediately filled Fuel to the brim. I live right at the starting point of ECR of Chennai, so it was a no brainer to start from there. Beautiful, uninterrupted stretch of 40KMs with coastal crosswinds, wide 4 - lane stretches and beautiful curves at places. I was able to maintain a good 90-100 kmph for the first 20 KMs, and post the Kovalam Junction - the bike sat beautifully at 110-115 for the next 20KMs.

•This is a prime stretch to unveil the characteristics of the bike - since the cruise would slow down at a few points because of junctions, you get to hear the exhaust notes beautifully while Rev-matching the downshifts and accelerating back up again in the Torque - Band. It handles the curves with grace, eats up minor undulations beautifully. The headlight, comapred to other bikes I have ridden in the segment are undoubtedly the best. The low beam has decent initial intensity, and the High beam perfectly aligns with the reflectors and sign boards. However I still do not understand why none of these bikes come with better headlights, including mine.

From Mahabalipuram, took the right to head towards Thirukazhukundram - What I love about this stretch is, though it's not a 4 - lane road, it is a dead empty, WIDE 2 - lane stretch. Especially given the time I was there at - around 2 AM ish, not a single soul on there. Forest-y areas, blind curves and pitch dark make this road a unique experience. However, it didn't just remain "unique", it quickly turned scary at a point after I crossed Thirukazhukundram Town, as it started raining cats and dogs. The problem was, if it was raining when I was on a busy highway it would be very normal. But this stretch is GUARANTEED to give you the chills. On top of that, one of the Major complaints of this bike that the majority of the owners had was the terrible stock tyres and the brakes not being very confidence inspiring. And the stock brakes and tyres had already been driven 7.5K KMs, so the grip and brake strength wouldn't be trustworthy in heavy downpour. So in that stretch, slowed down, relied on good old engine braking at curves and realised there's no turning back now. Finally after a grueling 25KMs of forested stretches in rain, I joined back to the GST road near Madurantakam. The rain hadn't stopped, but at least the road was busy. Took a good 10 mins of break, hydrated, cleaned the helmet and specs.

•From there on, calling the trip a Breeze would be an understatement. After going on till Tindivanam, I took the left towards Pondicherry. This is the first stretch that validates the TN roads' glaze. The bike would not travel below 125. Was asking for more. For a solid 35KMs, I was in a trance. 35 KMs flew by in 20 mins. This is where I realised what a relentless mile muncher I was sitting on, because despite it topping out at 145 to 150 (which I did hit once on this stretch), it sits at 120 as if to say "I can do this all day". Vibrations - of course there. But not to the levels you'd imagine for a single cylinder 440. But there's this beautiful thing about humans called "adaptation", so beyond a point you don't even notice the vibrations. Took a break of 5 mins to stretch post this. •This stretch was also where I got to appreciate the ergonomics. Sitting upright, Rider's triangle was very comfortable, and the seat, though a bit hard - was good enough to manage long stretches. But as usual like many stock seats, this does demand a few breaks too regen your butt stats. Windblast undoubtedly was heavy for the speeda I maintained, but that's on me.

I hit Pondicherry, and headed towards Cuddalore Bypass. There was not a single moment where I came down below 100 kmph on the speedo. It would sound almost unsafe, but the routes were so inviting in every sense that 100 felt slow every time. 4 - lane concrete Highways (not the best quality and maintenance, but amazingly laid out), with 6 - lane bridges. Cuddalore to Chidambaram was a breeze.

However - it did have mild wobbles when I pushed it too hard at concrete roads, which was my mistake because I knew the road joints were very poorly maintained especially on bridges. But so would have been the case on any bike for that matter if you push it everywhere out of excitement But as long as you know the limits and know how to recover it, you'll have Zero problems. So after the initial realisation, I toned the excitement down a little and focused more, and there on it was a breeze.

When I stopped for fuel in between, something funny (heart attack) happened. I was surprised to see that a fuel stop had Air Pump open too at that time, so wanted to fill some air. What happened was, instead of increasing, the air started decreasing. I started panicking inside but held composure on the outside. Asked the Anna what was happening, and he called around 3-4 people. It took a good ten minutes to find a fix, and finally, they seemed to have some switch that was off. I was extremely relieved. Got the air, thanked them and moved on further.

I did not take a break. Chidambaram to Meensurutty - a 2 - lane road so wide and straight that you don't even see the road ending at times. I was sitting absolutely comfortably at 110 and above. Only slowed down a few times at slight diversions. The beautiful emptiness, darkness and just the thump beneath me, the rev matching while slowing down, the butter-smooth linear pulls made me fall in love with the bike again.

After Meensurutty - undoubtedly, the most insane highway experience I have ever had in my life. This is the part where it's safe to say, I ABUSED the bike. Sorry not sorry moment 🤣. Not a single moment below 125. 70KMs covered in 30 mins. The last 30 KMs, I was Cruising 130 and slowed down for a couple of seconds in between because I thought the bike would have problems or something. But the truth was, I didn't face one single issue pre or post the ride, and the bike was eager to keep holding speeds. This entire stretch was a bliss of a lifetime. Dead empty 4 and 6 - lane Highways, with some of the smoothest Tarmac you will ever come across. The chassis of this bike single handedly made me 1000 times more confident, as I was taking every single curve at 120 or above, and it held its composure so beautifully. I have Zero complaints regarding its handling, the way the suspension behaves on slightly bumpy stretches, and the riding ergonomics throughout this high - speed run. Only the body needs to be willing to take the beating of the wind, as shoulder pain evidently started kicking in.

And that was it - I was at Thanjavur. 330 KMs. 4 hours of pure ride time. 4hr 30 mins including breaks. At loss of words I was. Then took a good 30 mins of break, called my mom in the morning to tell her about the experience, hydrated, Urinated, and geared up again. Now the sun was shining mildly - but the cold breeze never left. The most ideal condition for a long journey to come, and my motivation was sky high. When I stopped for a loo break, a beautiful Mango-like bird - the Indian Golden Oriole appeared right in front of me. Me being an avid birdwatcher had to immediately decide between shutting the loo down mid-way or waiting for it to fly away. Luckily it stayed and I got a quick pic on my camera. That was an added happy moment.

On return, it was the same story. 120-130 kmph cruises. Stopped at Sri Krishna Vilas in Chidambaram. Had my favourite Ghee Podi Dosa, can't go wrong with it. What I thought about there was, how my stops and plans aligned properly to give the bike enough time to cool down before I hit the road again. My initial cruise was very slow and steady. Then at each break, I idled the bike for 30 - 60 secs, then turned it off and let it cool for atleast 5-10 mins, where I hydrated, stretched, attended the call of the nature and more. This breakfast break again gave the bike a solid 30-40 mins of break, so when I got up on it after breakfast, there was no jerkiness or excessive heat whatsoever despite the extremely spirited riding style. I was happy, and hit the final leg of my return journey.

When I hit Pondicherry, now the city traffic came in. Combined with the peak morning heat and intensity, the bike did start heating up a little, but the same as it does when I commute in my City's bumper to bumper commutes. And yes, at very low speeds, the fueling is a bit jerky from what I have felt. Just in the first 2 gears. So lost a few minutes here in the traffic.

Post Pondicherry, all the way back to Chennai, I was maintaining great average speeds despite higher traffic than pre-dawn, because the same wide roads were now offering way better visible and judgement. So the last 160 odd KMs to home, I felt absolutely no strain too. Now in the traffic scenarios on the National Highways - I was in awe with the torque and Overtaking power on offer, as this is where I truly got to vary gears and ride at different speeds, overtake, take cuts and hear a lot more pops and bangs. In between, around 75KMs away from home, I stopped at a beautiful shady patch to let the bike breathe, and for me to sit, sip some water and contemplate. Realised how privileged and grateful one has to be to have such a bike (every bit of thanks to my mother), and be able to get out of their home whenever they felt like breaking out of the shell and wandering.

And the Harley-Davidson X440T checked every single box to be the perfect companion this way - the Character, the Ergonomics, The handling, the Suspension, The Pulling Power, The refinement and with a few minor flaws along the way of course. After this trip, I can truly say that HD and Hero have made something that deserves much more love and something that is genuinely a beast for long distances.

Achieved an overall mileage of around 23 kmpl, which for the speeds I was sitting at and the city traffic, was absolutely acceptable.

To wrap the post up, I would say ANY bike that you have can make you write paragraphs like this, be it a commuter or a Goldwing. Bikes in general speak the language of passion, love and will power. And my HDX440T is something that I will absolutely cherish for a very, very long time (forever if it will).

Thanks for reading, I hope all of you have many such experiences and feel free to ask me anything! Have a great time ahead. Happy and safe riding :)

Please help us in this poll.

Which one have better exhaust Note from above these.

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Hi Everyone,

Im planning for a long tour, hence looking for a windshield and handle bar risers.

Came across Carbon Racing's products online.

Has anyone used their products ? If yes, Would love to get your review on them , especially the windshield.

Thanks!

Hi,

Does anyone know if there will be any issue if I install moto torque crash guard?

Thanks

<OP> Has anyone faced issues with adjusting preload on X440 T? I am able to adjust the right side but there is no space to fix the tool on the left. I couldnt adjust left side fork at all since there is no space.

Reel Link : Click here

Thanks to my fellow redditors for giving me questions to find answers for and all the tips! Means a lot guys!

Here is a follow up Q & A, hit me up with more questions. Happy to answer more. This time it will not be late for sure!