Divyank Kushagra Bansal 
A photocopier. It’s possibly one of the most essential office items without which the professional grind seems impossible. However, we’re yet to reach the stage of advancement where a photocopier produces copies that are better than the original. It’s impossible, perhaps. But imagine – what if this was doable? Well, it certainly seems to be the case with the Harley-Davidson X440 and the Hero Mavrick 440. Those familiar with the background of the Hero-Harley story will know what I’m about to go on about.
Last year, Harley and Hero launched their first co-developed product in India, the Harley-Davidson X440. This month, Hero took the plunge into the premium 300-500cc bike segment too by launching its derivative of the X440, the Mavrick 440 – its new flagship product. Both bikes share the same powertrain (a marginal difference in the torque output – the Mavrick puts out 36Nm compared to the X440’s 38Nm) and frame, but, predictably, the Mavrick comes with a handful of changes to set itself apart.
During the media presentation, Hero took great pride in the fact that the Mavrick comes with a bespoke, all-metal body. Other than that, compared to the X440, it rides on a smaller front wheel (17-inch instead of 18), features a 38-teeth rear sprocket (instead of 39), gets conventional front forks (instead of the upside-down setup) and features negative LCD instrumentation (instead of a colour TFT display). Clearly, Hero has done some cost-cutting on the Mavrick, but there’s an upside to it – the price. With a starting price of INR 1.99 lakh, the Mavrick undercuts its Harley sibling by a cool INR 40,000. Better value for the customer, then.
Going beyond the changes, it’s safe to say that Hero has done a much better job with the visual appeal of the Mavrick than Harley with the X440. While the latter simply fails to come across as a 400+cc motorcycle, the Mavrick looks a lot more pleasing and butch at the same time. The design is not exciting by any means, despite Hero offering pretty good colour options for it, yet the simplicity of the design seems to work in its favour – nothing sticks out. It’s well-proportioned, and more importantly, commands the road presence of a 440cc motorcycle.
Once you start riding the bike though, things take an interesting turn. The bike has two distinct personalities separated by the 4,000rpm mark. Stay below it, and the Mavrick proves to be a very nice cruiser with a wide torque band – the fact that 90% of the torque is available from the 2,000rpm mark makes the Mavrick a very effortless motorcycle to ride, with just a twist of the throttle required to surge ahead in pretty much any gear. Go beyond the 4,000rpm mark, and things start to go pear-shaped. All that refinement is replaced by vibrations – they start creeping in from the footpegs, going up to the body and the handlebar as you push harder. They’re not a deal breaker but are noticeably annoying. Reaching triple-digit speeds is not a task – the bike sits at 130km/h comfortably, but the vibrations at this speed just do not allow you to be there for too long. Though Hero claims the vibrations are an inherent shortcoming of the long-stroke engine setup, their intensity is enough to mar the riding experience to an extent.
The next interesting bit was the seat. It’s a well-contoured piece that offers good support, provides a neutral riding position, and it’s shaped just right to let you push into it while accelerating hard. However, its hardness was an issue – simply put, it’s not meant for the soft-bottomed gentlemen. Thankfully, a quick chat with the Hero folks revealed that our pre-production test bikes were fitted with the wrong seats – they did not match the manufacturer’s specifications – a goof-up from the supplier’s end, reportedly. It’s a flaw that Hero has openly acknowledged and is actively working on fixing. Hopefully, it will be resolved by the time the Mavrick goes into production.
The Mavrick’s kerb weight is rated at 187kg, which gives the impression that it won’t be an easy handler. Thankfully, that’s not the case. For its mass, the Mavrick is surprisingly easy to flick into corners and offers sure-footed handling. This is largely due to a good suspension setup that strikes a near-perfect balance between stiffness and softness – it’s not stiff enough to break your back and neither is it soft enough to feel uncertain around bends. The MRF Zapper-FY2 tyres, though they offer appreciable grip, are not the best fit in my opinion – the bike can do better with softer compound tyres for a plusher ride over bad stretches of road.
Overall, the Hero Mavrick comes across as a pretty formidable package in the segment, especially when compared to its Harley stablemate’s price and aesthetics. And for someone like me, these two criteria are more than enough to draw me towards the Mavrick. If given a choice, I’d pick the Hero photocopy over the Harley original in a heartbeat!
