Hero Hunk 440 review

First some context on Hero Motocorp itself, which started out as joint venture Hero Honda in 1984. Since 2001 it’s been the world’s largest dedicated motorcycle manufacturer and, having split from Honda in 2010, now has eight global plants and ambitions to sell in Europe. After launching in Spain and Italy it’s now hitting the UK through importer MotoGB, which also distributes Chinese brands like QJMotor and Voge. The Hunk 440 is its first bespoke bike, and a toe in the water ahead of a wider range to follow. At face value it’s a straightforward mid-size single-cylinder roadster in the mould of the Triumph Speed 400, Royal Enfield HNTR 350 or ’new’ BSA Bantam 350. The name might sound silly but derives from an existing Hero line-up sold in South America, the Hunk standing out for its lazier, long-stroke engine and deliberately non-retro styling. Nothing stands out as groundbreaking but the design is neat and execution exceeds expectations for the price. True, ByBre brakes and Indian MRF tyres betray the budget positioning but, overall, it’s nicely done.

The Hunk 440 is your typical, lightweight roadster designed for novice riders. Seat height is an acceptably low 803mm, being a single means it’s also nice and slim, the dog-legged handlebars fall comfortably within reach, the saddle is acceptably comfortable and the mirrors, neat, round TFT dash and switchgear are all clear and without obvious grounds for criticism. While great for novices it’s also a lightweight roadster with all the pros and cons that go with that. So, great around town, less so on the motorway. But as you’d expect.

It depends on your definition of practicality. With its lack of weight and 70mph cruising speed it’s a great learner bike and a brilliant short-haul commuter. It’s also nimble and decent fun as well, assuming you keep your expectations realistic. Flipside being it’s also too exposed, small, and lacking in performance for long distances, motorways, touring or carrying a pillion. But you knew that already. For what it sets out to do, the Hunk 440 is impressive.

The Hunk 440 is powered by a 440cc air- and oil-cooled, single overhead cam, two-valve single producing a claimed 27 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 36Nm of torque at 4000rpm. Nothing too exciting, other than to say it’s virtually identical to the motor in the Indian-market Harley-Davidson X440 also built by Hero. The power output is on a par with rivals as well, and actually better than a Honda GB350S or Enfield HNTR 350. It can’t match the Triumph Speed 400, but it also costs a lot less. It’s also got a distinct character, with the emphasis on torquey flexibility over the revs demanded by many 350 equivalents. It’s effective, even if the lazy character can feel a little pedestrian at first. Braking is a similar story with a single 320mm disc up front gripped by a ByBre caliper, a smaller one out back and ABS to keep you safe.

Again, nothing to get excited about here but perfect for the job at hand, if nowhere near more highly specced rivals like Yamaha’s twin cylinder MT-03. The Hunk’s frame is a tubular steel trellis, up front are non-adjustable 43mm inverted forks and at the rear are a pair of preload-adjustable twin shocks. Wheels are 17-inch front and rear. The budget rubber comes from Indian brand MRF and … that’s you’re lot. But just fine for its position as a budget, novice-friendly roadster and combining into a nimble, light and fuss-free ride perfectly matched to the performance. It rides OK, it steers OK, it is, well, OK. And nothing more.

This should be one of the Hunk 440’s biggest selling points, though it’s still too soon to judge bigger picture. The price gets it off to a good start, though you need to add On The Road costs to that eye-catching figure. Within the context of a launch ride we didn’t get a chance to measure fuel consumption but it should be frugal while the modest performance should be easy on tyres, brake pads, chains and so on. At the time of writing it’s too soon to judge on potential finance offers or residuals, and its bigger engine capacity might have tax and insurance implications.

Another area where it’s difficult to have any certainty as both the Hunk and Hero are completely new to the UK, and it’s also something of a budget bike. That said, Hero is a very established brand in India so is certainly no fly-by-night. The Hunk is based on the domestic market Harley X440 about which we’ve heard of no horror stories. It’s also a very under-stressed, low revving powertrain so doesn’t put many demands on its motor, and the general level of build quality and finish appears good.

Again, early days and the fact it’s a new name and clearly built to a price has to be taken into consideration. Nor is the regular two-year warranty anything to get excited about. We struggled to get anyone from the importer to commit to service schedules but would expect the usual 600-mile initial check followed by regular servicing every 4,000 miles or annually.

The Hunk 440 is a basic, budget-priced roadster. But it doesn’t feel particularly lacking kit-wise, and there are a few nice touches. The switchgear and TFT dash are smart, nicely designed and will have Bluetooth smartphone connectivity on an app for turn-by-turn nav in due course. The twin-shock rear is a little old-school but the inverted front forks compensate and there are also crash bars as standard. But that’s your lot.

If you want an entry level bike with a single-cylinder engine in the 400cc range the Hero Hunk 440 has a lot going for it, not least that price. It’s also produced by a credible major manufacturer, build quality is decent, it rides and performs OK, has some nice detail touches and should be cheap to run. It also stands out for deliberately swerving the rose-tinted nostalgia of many equivalent single-cylinder rivals, pitching itself at a more youthful market. Whether that works or not remains to be seen but it’s clear this just the start for Hero in the UK.