A range of new motorcycles are set to be launched by the end of this year across different segments, which will help bring the manufacturers back on track
While the Indian automotive industry is currently going through one of the most disturbing times, the future looks bright since a host of manufacturers are planning to launch new vehicles in the country soon. This includes not only cars, but two-wheelers as well.
We have compiled a list of the five upcoming motorcycles that we simply can’t wait to get our hands on, take a read to know more about them –
1) TVS Zeppelin
While TVS does not have a cruiser offering in its line-up, the manufacturer did showcase a cruiser concept at the 2018 Auto Expo dubbed the ‘Zeppelin’. The motorcycle came equipped with a full LED headlamp along with an LED tail lamp, a long-ish fuel tank and a lowered single-piece set. TVS is expected to be launching a production-ready version of the motorcycle soon, and it will sport all the aforementioned components.
The Zeppelin concept was showcased with a 220 cc, single-cylinder, oil-cooled, fuel-injected engine, and the production-ready model could also be offered with the same powertrain. The cruiser bike will directly rival the Bajaj Avenger 220 in the Indian market, but we expect the former to carry a slightly premium price tag over the latter. TVS could price it around the Rs 1.2 lakh (ex-showroom) mark.
2) Hero Xpulse 300
As of now, the Hero XPulse 200 is the most pocket-friendly adventurer touring bike one can purchase in the country, since it is priced at just Rs 1.06 lakh (ex-showroom). While the XPulse is great at what it’s expected to do, i.e. serve as a proper tourer for new bikers, the 199.6 cc oil-cooled single-cylinder engine producing 17.8 hp power and 16.45 Nm feels too small for the rest.
With the growing trend of ADV bikes in India, Hero is likely to launch a higher capacity version of the XPulse 200. Features like a TFT digital display, smartphone Bluetooth connectivity, turn-by-turn navigation, and a full-LED headlamp will be on offer. Powering the bike could be a 300 cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled motor, mated to a 6-speed transmission. The said motor could have a power output of around 30 hp, and a 30 Nm peak torque rating.
3) KTM 250 Adventure
Just like the recently launched KTM 390 ADV, the two-wheeler manufacturer is planning to another tourer motorcycle in India, which will be a lower capacity version of the former., KTM will be using the 250 Duke’s platform for this bike, which will help the Austrian automaker price the motorcycle aggressively.
The 390 ADV’s steel-trellis frame, subframe, and alloy wheels could be carried over to the smaller motorcycle, but a few premium features like an LED headlamp, quickshifter, cornering ABS, and traction control system could be let go, in order to keep the price in check. Powering the ADV will be 250 Duke’s 248.8 cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder motor that puts out 30 hp power and 24 Nm torque.
KTM will likely price it around the Rs 2.50 lakh mark, which will help the automaker attract a wider group of audience. A launch is expected to take place later this year.
4) Royal Enfield Meteor
The Chennai-based two-wheeler manufacturer is planning to replace the Thunderbird 350 in its lineup with the Meteor 350, and undisguised spy shots of the motorcycle have been spied on test a couple of times revealing a lot of information.
The Meteor 350 will be based on the company’s new J-platform, and is expected to be offered with components like a split seat setup, split grab rails, halogen headlamp, DRL, an instrument cluster with a digital display etc. In terms of styling, the Meteor 350 retains the same silhouette as the outgoing Thunderbird, but a few changes can be seen here and there.
While the Thunderbird 350’s engine churned out 19.5 hp power and 28 Nm torque, the Meteor’s engine could produce slightly more power and torque, and be offered with a six-speed gearbox to improve its highway dynamics.
5) Suzuki 250 Adventure
Suzuki is planning to enter the ever-growing small-capacity adventurer tourer segment with a 250 cc motorcycle, and we can’t for the Japanese automaker to confirm the news! Instead of developing an all-new bike, we expect Suzuki to bring the V-Strom 250 ADV to the market, after making some country-specific changes.
Suzuki already offers the V-Strom 1000 and the V-Strom 650XT in the Indian market, but the smaller capacity ADV bike will help it attract a wider group of audience. On the styling front, the foreign-spec V-Strom 250 looks similar to both the aforementioned ADVs sold in India.
The India-spec model could make use of a slightly altered version of the Gixxer’s 250 cc fuel-injected, oil-cooled motor that is rated at 26.1 hp/22.2 Nm. On the Gixxer, the engine comes mated with a 6-speed transmission. A price tag of around the Rs 2 lakh mark is expected.