Some months ago, Harley-Davidson officially confirmed that a new entry-level cruiser called the Sprint 440 – based on the Hero-built X440 platform – would join its line-up. Now, the company has released a teaser on social media outlining the Sprint’s silhouette, which is far more archetypal cruiser than the X440’s.
- Has a scooped-out bucket seat, teardrop-shaped fuel tank
- Same engine as the X440 but a different exhaust muffler
- Display and switchgear appear to be different from the X440s
H-D Sprint 440 teaser previews cruiser design hallmarks
Will have a revised subframe and different wheel sizes from the X440
Judging by what we’ve seen in this teaser released by the company, the Sprint 440 appears to follow the cruiser design philosophy down to a T. Starting at the front, you have a round headlight with a small plastic piece atop it (this is likely to hide all the cabling and wiring for a cleaner look). The front wheel appears to be larger than the rear wheel; this decision is likely taken to not just give the Sprint a proper cruiser stance but also make sure it has a low seat height. For reference, both X440 roadsters have a seat height of 805mm and the Sprint is almost certainly going to be lower. To ensure a low seat, there will also be a significantly reworked subframe compared to the X440s, although the front of the frame appears to have a similar design.
The shape of the tank is also far more rounded and classical, and you could compare it to something like those on the Low Rider S and Street Bob in Harley-Davidson’s line-up. The said tank flows into a single-piece, scooped-out bucket seat, which is capable of accommodating both a rider and pillion. The Sprint’s riding position also appears to be starkly different from that of the X440 duo, with a tapered and swept-back handlebar likely to result in more relaxed ergonomics. While the foot pegs aren’t visible in this teaser, expect mid-set or even forward-set ones to ensure the Sprint feels like a proper Harley from the rider’s seat.
Handling suspension duties will be an USD fork and twin shock absorbers at the front and rear, respectively. Expect them to be in a different state of tune or perhaps even units bespoke to the Sprint. That’s because we can already make out that the angle of the shocks is more supinated than the ones on the X440 models, which have ones that are mounted more upright.
Other differences on the Sprint compared to the X440 include what appears to be a different display facing the rider, a claim also reinforced by a different RH side switch cluster. This is likely a good move because the small rectangular TFT housed inside the circular pod on the X440s doesn’t exactly scream ‘premium’ to this author, especially in a class where most bikes have more sophisticated or better-laid-out displays or both. The Sprint’s mirrors, too, are conventional ones, not mounted to the bar-ends like on the X440, and the lenses, too, are the typical rounded rectangle shape seen on big Harley-Davidsons.
What is likely to be one of the few common links between the Sprint and the X440s is that all three models will continue to be powered by the same 440cc single-cylinder air/oil-cooled engine and will employ a 6-speed gearbox. Output figures for the X440 duo stand at 27hp at 6,000rpm and 38Nm at 4,000rpm, and we expect the Sprint’s engine to be more or less in the same ballpark – if not identical – but it is likely to be in a different state of tune. While the engine is a point of similarity, the exhaust muffler appears to be quite different and has a tapered design to it – somewhat comparable to that of a Honda Rebel 300.
From the teaser images, this is all that we can surmise about the upcoming Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 for now. We expect more details to keep trickling in as we inch closer to the official reveal.
