We list the top 5 bikes and scooters set to debut here in the coming months
The coming months are going to be interesting as we have quite a few scooters and bikes set to launch in India. They range from small capacity scooters to big motorcycles. Here are our top 5 picks of the lot.
1. Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT 650
Royal Enfield will be launching the Interceptor and Continental GT 650 on November 14, just before the 2018 Rider Mania. A few Royal Enfield dealerships across India have already started accepting bookings for the new 650cc twins. Booking amount is around Rs 5,000 with deliveries expected to start by the end of November. We expect both bikes to be priced under Rs 3 lakh on-road which would make them the most affordable 650cc bikes available in India and also offer insane value.
2. Hero Maestro Edge 125
Hero MotoCorp had showcased two 125cc scooters based on their existing 110cc scooters: the Duet and Maestro Edge, at this year’s Auto Expo. Of these, they recently launched the Destini 125 scooter which carries design lines from the Duet. We expect the upcoming Maestro Edge 125 to be a sportier version of Hero’s 125cc scooter platform. It is expected to carry over the 125cc motor and features from the Destini 125 but might get some added premium features like a front disc brake to rival the likes of TVS Ntorq, Honda Grazia, Suzuki Burgman and Aprilia SR 125. Given that the Destini 125 is the most affordable 125cc scooter out there, we expect the Maestro Edge 125 to cost a few thousand Rs more and still be competitively priced. Expect the Maestro Edge 125 to be launched in the next couple of months.
3. Yamaha MT-15 and NMax 155
Yamaha had recently showcased the 2019 MT-15 in Thailand. Now sources close to the company have stated that the Japanese bikemaker is strongly considering getting the 155cc naked to India. The MT-15 is a naked version of Yamaha’s 125cc faired sportsbike: the R15 V3.0. It uses the 155cc motor and underpinnings from its faired cousin and gets advanced features like variable valve timing, slipper clutch, LED headlamp and tail lamp, and ABS. We expect the bike to come here with the now mandatory ABS so the expected price could be a bit higher at Rs 1.8 lakh. Along with the MT-15, Yamaha is expected to get the NMax 155 scooter to India as well. While it gets an advanced liquid-cooled motor abroad, we might get a different 150cc motor to keep pricing competitive. Nevertheless, given the specs and features, we expect it to be priced around Rs 1 lakh when launched here. Both these Yamaha products are expected to be launched in India by the first half of 2019.
4. Triumph Scrambler 1200
Triumph recently unveiled its flagship scrambler: the Scrambler 1200, abroad. This off-road oriented machine is based on the Bonneville but gets a lot of changes to make it capable off road. It comes in two trims: XC and XE. Both bikes get a new cradle frame long travel suspension (upto 250mm on the XE), a flat seat, 21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels with tubeless Metzeler Tourance tyres and a lot of aluminium components for off road use. Power comes from the 1200cc Bonneville High Torque parallel twin motor that gets a dedicated ‘Scrambler’ tune. Electronics include 6-riding modes (XE), cornering ABS (XE) and traction control. While both Scramblers are expected to launch worldwide on December 14, we expect the bikes to come to India by early 2019 with an expected starting price of Rs 12 lakh.
5. Hero XPulse 200
The Xpulse is a more powerful iteration of Hero MotoCorp’s now discontinued 150cc dual-purpose motorcycle, the Impulse. It gets long travel suspension at both ends with on/off road tyres and a more powerful 200cc single cylinder motor borrowed from the Hero Xtreme 200R. A production version of the XPulse 200 was showcased at the Auto Expo along with the Xtreme 200R. With the Xtreme 200R already launched, we expect the XPulse to be launched by the end of this year with an expected pricetag of around Rs 1.1 lakh.
Yamaha MT-15 image courtesy TMC blog
