For Classic 500, anything upwards of mid-range in the rev band would make the motorcycle vibrate like crazy. The Harley is the complete opposite.
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Introduction
I have been using a 2012 Classic 500 for almost 12 years. For the past few years, I considered replacing it with another motorcycle, but none of the new bikes were to my liking at that time.
Despite taking long test drives of multiple bikes in the 3 to 4L price point, I found out none of the motorcycles offered the low-end torque and character of a 500cc long-stroke engine. This was the reason I couldn’t find myself replacing my classic 500 with any of the new bikes.
When the Harley Davidson X440 was launched I booked it on launch day itself for the sole reason of similar engine specs to my Classic 500. Since the booking was refundable I thought I’ll decide about the purchase later after taking a thorough test drive. I had booked the mid-variant red colour.
Finally, after months of waiting test drives started, and I got one at Kochi Harley Davidson. I expected the motorcycle to be similar to my classic in terms of power and torque delivery, dynamics, and vibrations. But boy was I wrong!
It was an absolute gem on a motorcycle. I decided right after the test drive to buy this motorcycle.
(I’m skipping the test drive impressions since all key points are listed in my ownership impressions in this article itself)
After getting the booking issue sorted out (written in another thread), my booking was finally transferred to the newly opened Hero Premia dealership (Koyenco Premia).
Hero Premia experience
Since this is the first Hero Premia Dealership I’ll briefly explain the experience there as well.
It’s similar to what Maruti did with Nexa but offers a much more premium experience. The dealership was right beside the normal Hero dealership in the same building complex.
After stepping into the Premia dealership, it felt like a proper premium place.
Unlike normal Hero dealerships, this place had a modern interior, the showroom floor was spacious and had very good parking in the front.
A couple of Harleys, Vida e-scooters, and Karizmas were on display. The behavior of the staff too was polite and professional.
Since this bike would be used by multiple members of my joint family, we had taken 4 test drives in total. The bike was taken home and office to get the pillion’s (non-riding members) opinion too.
When visiting the dealership while sorting out the related paperwork, I was never kept waiting.
If Hero manages to maintain similar quality with other upcoming Premia dealerships, it will be quite useful in penetrating the premium segment that’s currently dominated by Royal Enfield.
The first service is due at 750km, I’ll update you regarding the service experience after it.
Delivery was also hassle-free. I took delivery at 7 pm along with family members. Staff at the dealership kindly waited as their closing time was 6 pm.
Got a normal studds half-faced helmet with Harley Davidson X stickering. Funnily it also had the Vida lettering on it.
Initial impressions
Since I was replacing the classic 500 with this, it would be my point of reference.
For Classic 500, anything upwards of mid-range in the rev band would make the motorcycle vibrate like crazy and make me dial down on the throttle. The Harley is the complete opposite. Most of the rev band is usable without serious vibrations. The engine feels comfortable even in the higher range of the rev band. This made me use the peak torque quite often.
The second thing that impressed me was how well the motorcycle was hiding its weight. I was zipping through traffic quite easily. In my home city, I was able to take familiar corners at significantly higher speeds and confidence than on the classic 500.
The brakes also felt decent. The lever weight wasn’t very heavy like my old classic. I felt the motorcycles diving a bit more than I liked under heavy braking. However, this wasn’t annoying in any way.
A tall seating position and wide handlebar meant the ergonomics were on point. My height is 6’1 for reference. Though I didn’t have any complaints about the classic 500 in this regard, Harley’s ergonomics felt better for my frame.
I went across some rough roads and the bike handled it well. Major credit for it goes to the rear suspension. Many people dissed at the gap between the rear fender and the tire. If the bike had this rear gap lowered, then the ride quality would deteriorate. Function over looks always.
The exhaust sound is very unique and quite likable. It’s very raspy and natural. Also, something that is difficult to explain in words is that there is a slight hint of the “potato potato” sound the bigger Harleys are known for. This resemblance is noticed the most when we hear the exhaust sound indoors when someone else is taking the bike out and at times when we are riding wearing a full-face helmet.
When riding with a full-face helmet, a lot of mechanical noises get filtered out and clear character-full sound enters your ears.
The exhaust sometimes pops during downshifting.
A tall 6th gear means cruising is effortless on this motorcycle. even at 120kph, I didn’t feel like the motor was overly stressed. There were some vibrations at that 120kph point though. But they’re well within comfort limits.
The instrument cluster looks good and all data shown on it is easily legible.
It has a gear shift indicator. I didn’t see it getting mentioned in any online reviews. The bike also can show instantaneous fuel economy.
Even in the afternoon sun, the display was easily legible.
I haven’t tried out the turn-by-turn navigation yet, so I’ll reserve my opinion on it for now.
The headlights are really good. I’ve upgraded my Nexon EV’s headlights to full HID units and my Figo’s to LEDs. Generally, I hate stock LED lights as they are fixed and offer poor brightness.
Harley on the other hand, offered incredible headlights. The colour temp. is around 5800K.
The low beam cut-off is clean and it has a nice intense spread. Even when opposite traffic is using high beams or when you’re driving at speeds, the road is very visible. The high beam is very good, even on dusty highways.
I had opted for mid variant red colour. In sunlight, it appears blood red colour. But when in a shaded area it appears close to maroon colour.
See the photos below.
The paint quality felt decent.
Being a 1st lot bike I expected a few niggles, but there were none.
Inside the city I’m getting around 28kpl FE and on highways I’m getting around 34kpl. This data is based on my 300+ km riding in the first few days.
Now coming to the things I didn’t like about the bike or something to be kept in mind.
Cons
- Horn: This bike feels substantial on the road. But the horn feels like it was plucked from a splendor. It sounds so weak and lifeless that it makes me use the horn far less than usual. If the warranty remains intact I’ll change it to a better one.
- Parking space: Taller proportions and a wider handlebar mean this bike takes significantly more parking space than my classic 500. Since the front garage is shared with Innova Hycross, this is a small problem for me.
- Lack of attention to detail: With Triumph setting a new benchmark in this area, all other manufacturers should significantly improve their attention to detail.
- The cable management is better than test-drive pre-production bikes. But still, Hero and Harley could’ve neatly tucked these cables through the underside of the handlebar. When we look down at the instrument cluster while riding, this becomes a visual disturbance. Attached is a photo of a pre-production bike, on my bike they had zip-tied the bottom two cables together, making it a bit tidier.
- Difficult to maneuver in heavy traffic: This bike hides its weight once we get going. But in heavy crawling traffic, I felt quite unpleasant to manage this motorcycle. Maneuvering through gaps at crawling speeds was a bit tricky. I enjoyed this motorcycle the most on open roads.
Others
- No owner’s manual was received, not even a soft copy. I was told by the dealer that once they receive it, they’ll pass it on to me.
- The HD Connect app doesn’t allow one account to be logged into multiple phones. This becomes a problem when multiple family members are using it.
- Weirdly Harley didn’t mention anything regarding the engine break-in period.
- I could notice the heat coming from the engine onto my right calf. It wasn’t annoyingly hot, but it was definitely more than my Classic 500.
- I always used the heel shifter on the classic. I miss it on the Harley. In Harley’s favour, not a lot of modern bikes come with it though. Don’t know the reason why.
Conclusion
To me, motorcycles are not a tool for commute, but a hobby for leisure rides.
When I’m riding any motorcycle it’s never about just getting from point A to B. It’s about all the sensations I get to experience while riding. The low-end torque pull, raspy exhaust note, pops when downshifting, the wide handlebars and knees out driving posture…all the checkboxes are getting ticked for me.
Earlier my motorcycling was limited to occasional Sundays only.
But this Harley is making me find an excuse to ride it if weather and time permits.
I thoroughly enjoy driving this motorcycle. In just 4 days I’ve put in more than 300kms into it.
The pros easily outweigh the cons for me.
Looking forward to a proper long ride on this Harley Davidson.
I will update this thread with long-term ownership at intervals.
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