Expected Motorcycle Launches in India: Worth the Wait?

India is the biggest market for two wheelers and there’s more coming as all manufacturers want a piece of this pie.

The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 (left) and the Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 share the same chassis and engine, with different body styles.

(Photo Courtesy: Royal Enfield)

India is the largest two-wheeler market in the world. Some manufacturers are able to sell in millions and hence everyone wants a piece of this pie.

In the last quarter, Hero Motorcorp, India’s highest selling motorcycle brand sold about 1,47 million bikes - that is more than the complete population of Mauritius.

And there's more coming.

With bikes coming up from the likes of Royal Enfield, Hero Motorcorp and UM Motorcycles, Benelli and Hyosung are also looking to bring more ‘India-centric’ bikes to make their second innings in the market more successful than their first stint. Here are five upcoming bikes that are expected to make an entry into the market soon:

Royal Enfield 650 Twins

The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 is built on the GT 535 chassis.(Photo Courtesy: Royal Enfield)

Royal Enfield has made its own market in India. So much so that cruisers are somewhat synonymous to the Royal Enfield brand in the country now. Hence, there is always excitement around any upcoming motorcycle from this company.

To be launched in late September, the company's cafe racer Continental GT 650 and cruiser the Interceptor 650 were first seen in November 2017 at the EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan. Built on the GT 535 chassis, the Interceptor and the Continenal GT are said to be the most powerful Royal Enfield bikes till date. These two are also Royal Enfield's first parallel-twin engine models.

The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has classic cafe racer styling.(Photo Courtesy: Royal Enfield)

Both bikes will have the same underpinnings, with an air-cooled 648cc inline twin cylinder engine that is good for 47 bhp of power and 52 Nm of torque. The engine will be mated to a six-speed gearbox with a slipper (slip-assisted) clutch.

The 650 twins will be the highest displacement motorcycles the company has in India. Given the fact that the Thunderbird 500X, the company's most expensive bike is a shade over Rs 2 lakh, we expect the 650 twins to be priced above Rs 3 lakh.

Estimated Price - Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh

The Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 (left) and the Royal Enfield Interceptor INT 650 share the same chassis and engine, with different body styles.(Photo Courtesy: Royal Enfield)

Hero X-Pulse

The Hero Xpulse runs on a 199.5cc single-cylinder engine.(Photo Courtesy: YouTube)

Hero has already had a not-so-successful go at the entry-level adventure tourer segment with its Impulse.

The impulse only had a 6-year long stint in the Indian market as the bike was put to rest finally in 2017 due to poor demand.

Well, Hero is willing to have another go at this segment with its upcoming X-Pulse. The X-Pulse was also first seen at the 2017 EICMA and then again at the 2018 Auto Expo in India.

Taking away from its predecessor, the X-Pulse also comes with a focus on off-road performance with a high ground clearance, off-road tyres with deep treads and wind protection.

The bike, like the Impulse, has an upright stance and a shorter seat. Its high stance and minimal bodywork makes it look like a dirt bike, just this time around, it looks better and more raw with the round headlight, small windshield and the protection around the engine (which might eventually come as an option only).

The X-Pulse will be powered by a 200cc single cylinder engine that will put out close to 18 bhp of power.

According to reports, the X-Pulse might also come in two options - one with fuel injection and another more affordable carburettor version.  

The bike will get telescopic fork suspension at the front and a monoshock for the rear wheel. The front suspension will have 190mm of travel while the rear one will have 170mm travel. It will also get single channel ABS as standard.

Expected price - Around Rs 1 lakh.

UM Motorcycles Duty Ace

UM Motorcycles made its debut at the 2014 Auto Expo, with its Renegade Sport and Renegade Commando. Both bikes are currently in the market.

The Duty Ace will be UM's first 223cc cruiser bike in India and UM had, at the time of the Auto Expo, announced that it will be launching the bike in the first half of 2018 at around Rs 1.10 lakh. However, we are in September now and there is no word from the company yet.

The Duty Ace gets a 223cc oil-cooled engine, mated to a five-speed gearbox, offering 17PS of power and 17 NM of torque.

The Duty Ace comes with an oil-cooled 223cc engine.(Photo: The Quint)

The speedometer is digital, and you even get a gear indicator on this one.

With a kerb weight of 142 kg for the Duty Ace, UM has packed the bike with a mere 10-litre fuel tank, which in an ideal world, doesn’t really cut it. But if its claimed fuel economy of 41 Km/ltr turns out to be real, then the Duty Ace could catch on.

Expected Price - Rs 1.5 lakh (approx)

Hyosung Mirage 250

As Hyosung's first innings in India did not bear much fruit, the Korean brand is set to relaunch itself in the country with the help of Kinetic group under the Motoroyale brand.

Hyosung’s first stint in India failed as its partner brand DSK Motowheels went bankrupt, forcing an exit for the bike-maker from the market along with it.

The Mirage will be the replacement to Hyosung’s cruiser motorcycle Aquila.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

This time around, however, Hyosung will take the safer marketing route, relaunching itself with a 250cc bike – the Mirage 250. The Mirage will be the replacement to Hyosung's cruiser motorcycle Aquila.

The Mirage is reported to be powered by a 250-cc twin-cylinder engine that makes 25.8bhp of power and 21.7Nm of torque.

Both the power and torque are higher than the Aquila and the bike has been styled to adapt to modern times, as opposed to Aquila's simplistic and traditional cruiser looks.

Benelli Motobi 200

Benelli, just like Hyosung, also re-launched itself after DSK Motowheels' financial crisis. The company re-launched itself with an ambitious claim of launching 7 new models within 2018.

The Benelli Motobi 200.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@iwanbanaran)

The company showcased its Motobi 200 at the Indonesia International Auto Show this year. Now, although the bike is not a part of the company's list of new launches till the end of 2019, the motorcycle looks like something that will do well in India.

The Motobi 200 comes powered by a 197cc single-cylinder engine that puts out a total torque of 13.9Nm and is mated to a five-speed transmission. The bike has been given proper cruiser styling with huge wheels, a bulky fuel tank and a low seat.

The Motobi 200 on display at the Indonesian International Auto Show.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@bimotriutomo1) 

If Benelli brings the Motobi 200 Evo to India, it will rival the likes of Bajaj Avenger 220 and the upcoming UM Renegade Duty S and the Duty Ace.