Hero Mavrick 440 Review: Likes and Dislikes

After having co-developed a 440 platform with Harley-Davidson, it is now Hero MotoCorp’s turn to take the next step and give us Indians a true-blue Indian big bike. The Mavrick 440 should be the ideal blend in delivering Hero values - which are comfort and confidence, along with a sporty engine. However, at the same time, it is also rivalling highly aspirational names like Triumph, Royal Enfield and Harley-Davidson. Can the Hero Mavrick do enough to deliver on both fronts?

Likes: Ergonomics

The Hero Mavrick puts rider comfort first. The seating position is fairly comfortable, with a comfortable seat and tall and wide handlebars. The footpegs are also mid-set and positioned fairly low. Overall, it feels like you are in a very natural and relaxed stance while riding. This will help the rider be astride it for hundreds of kilometres without having to take a break while touring. And it should feel just as comfortable while in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 

Likes: Comfort

While the suspension components are as basic as they get, with a telescopic fork at the front and twin shocks at the rear without any gas charging, the result is quite surprising. Over bad roads, the Mavrick manages to absorb shocks and doesn't let the rider feel any jolts. Especially over unmetalled roads, it remains stable and keeps the rider insulated from the undulations under him. A big part of this is also the seat which has a thick and soft cushion. Overall, be it speed breakers, bad roads or no roads, the Mavrick will keep the rider and pillion comfortable at reasonable speeds. 

Likes: Pillion Comfort

The long single seat of the Mavrick ensures the pillion has plenty of room to sit as well. Add the backrest (an accessory that is highly advised) and the pillion feels safe and comfortable. The footpegs are not too high and the position makes you sit in a fairly relaxed manner. The suspension, even when two-up, is able to absorb jolts and keep the pillion well-cushioned over bad roads. Overall, the Mavrick should be among the best bikes for pillions in the segment. 

Likes: Engine and City Rideability

The 440cc engine has been well received in the Harley-Davidson X440 and it's the same here. There is plenty of pull at lower rpms and that, especially in the city, makes the bike feel lively to ride. The pickup feels energetic and it keeps pulling cleanly till the 6500 rpm redline – so cleanly that you often hit the limiter if you are not paying attention. While I would have liked the limiter to be a little further up, short-shifting also keeps you in the power band and overtakes are relatively easy.

The engine is also refined, with some vibes creeping in only post 4500rpm/110kmph. Given that sitting at 100kmph in 6th gear is just under 4000rpm, you will not feel them unless you are in the mood for some thrill or a top speed run. Overall, the Mavrick 440 is an excellent city bike and an impressive highway tourer. 

Likes: Price To Value Ratio

Hero’s understanding of the Indian market comes clearly through in the prices. No introductory nonsense, the prices start from Rs 1,99,000 for the base variant and Rs 2,14,000 and Rs 2,24,000 for the mid and top variant respectively. At this price, the Mavrick is not only miles more affordable than its 400+cc competitors, but also within reach of people who are looking for 250cc-350cc motorcycles. And that in itself is big plus for the Mavrick.

Dislikes: Road Presence

Regardless of the price, buying a 400cc motorcycle is an aspiration for most buyers, and most probably their first big bike purchase. And, naturally, you want it to stand out from the sea of smaller-capacity bikes. The Mavrick, though a good-looking motorcycle, is very orthodox in design and paint schemes. It is too safe a design to invoke any sort of emotion and will be lost in a parking lot. 

I also have a problem with how the paint options have been distributed. White is only available on the base variant; the two best colour options -- blue and red – are in the mid variants; and the most bland colours -- the black and matte black – are in the top variant. Any buyer paying the full sticker price should have the option to pick any colour they want! 

Dislikes: Instrument Console

Digital instrument clusters are not new. In fact, it's hard for me to think of a budget bike today which still features an analogue cluster, and a premium one which does not feature a colour TFT display. The Mavrick’s display is disappointing. It's small, has a black background and everything apart from the speed display is tiny. Also, legibility under direct sunlight is low and scratches on the console (which will eventually happen) will only make things worse. 

Verdict

While there is no hard distinction, motorcycles in our country can be classified into two: needs and wants. Personally, I think most needs can be satisfied with something close to a 200cc motorcycle and anything beyond is more of an aspirational purchase —  a want! This is the first time Hero has made a bike which very clearly is targeted towards the buyers upgrading from the ‘need’ to ‘want’. And that is where the problem is. 

The Hero Mavrick, while quite a likeable motorcycle, invokes no strong emotion in you to aspire to own it. To put it more clearly, its rivals like the Triumph Speed 400, H-D X440 and the RE Classic 350, all come with a pride of ownership. In the Brit’s case, it's the quality and finish; in the American's case, it's the looks and badge value; and in the Indian’s case, it's the legacy and the feel-good factor.

You’d get the Hero for its sense of security -- easy access to service centres, its affordability and the fact that it is an excellent rough road commuter which also keeps the pillion happy. It lacks the excitement to be a college kid’s pick, but it's certainly a family man/woman’s big bike that they will be quite happy with.