NEW DELHI :

Calling the two-wheeler market “the heartbeat of the country” would be an understatement. Afterall, the last four years saw India selling around 20 million units per year.  Despite 2019 witnessing a downslide due to the anticipation of BS-VI emission norms, that were introduced earlier this year, and with the Coronavirus pandemic playing party pooper, the projection for 2020 has been more conservative. However, the good news is that markets are recovering faster than expected, and on that positive note, we bring you, a range of motorcycles that will be debuting in India shortly.   

BMW R18: Talk about making a sweeping statement! By bringing back a cruiser in its fold, BMW has officially fired the first salvo at Harley-Davidson. Inspired by the BMW R5 from the 1930s, this retro bike sticks to a minimal design but has plenty of chrome on offer. Taking cues from the R5, the 49mm front forks are encased in chunky looking retro-styled sleeves. The masterpiece though remains the rear mono-shock which has been cleverly concealed. 

Talking about the oversized 1,802cc engine… It is the most powerful 2-cylinder boxer engine ever manufactured by BMW! How cool is that? It pumps out a healthy 90bhp, but it is the insane 150Nm of torque that truly makes it the ‘Hercules’ of cruisers.

This classic easy rider comes with state-of-the-art features such as three riding modes — Rain, Roll and Rock, uncommon in this segment, along with traction control, cruise control, keyless ignition and plenty more. The R18 is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and you can also get a reverse gear assist as an optional feature. 

Expected to make its debut this September, in India, you can still “unofficially” book the R18 with a deposit amount of INR 1 Lakh at a BMW Motorrad dealership. Expect it to be priced in the region of INR 22-25 lakh. The R18 will go up against rivals such as the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy and the Indian Chief Dark Horse.

Ducati Panigale V2: The new Ducati V2 was first showcased at the 2019 EICMA show in Milan and is the replacement of the Panigale 959, which is no longer available in India. In terms of styling, the V2 looks like a compact version of the V4 and comes across as less intimidating. With the aggressive-looking front facia, full-LED headlights staring back at you along with the typical Ducati crafted fairing, you will not mistake it for any other bike in a hurry. 

The V2, still based on the 959’s frame, is powered by the same 955cc engine and suspension, but with some important tweaks. The Superquadro motor, now offers 5bhp and 2Nm of more torque than the 959, making a maximum power output of 153bhp@10,750rpm and 104Nm@9,000rpm. It offers three riding modes — Race, Sport, Street — and is mated to a 6-speed with quick-shifter. The new electronics suite offers ABS cornering, traction control, wheelie control, and engine brake control. The V2 also gets a new 4.3-inch colour TFT instrument panel.

The Panigale V2 is expected to arrive in India in the third quarter of this year and will be priced around INR 17 lakh. It will lock horns with bikes that might be priced in a similar range but are more powerful like the 200bhp Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, for instance.

Honda 500 Rebel: The Rebel is a retro street motorcycle with loads of attitude that will attract young buyers. The all-black Dark Knight paint job with a slight cruiser like design does make the Rebel stand out in a crowd. It’s relaxed riding posture ensures that it is can easily negotiate through city traffic. A seat height of only 690mm, makes the Rebel accessible to many riders. However, a low ground clearance of 125mm, may be a slight concern in terms of the bike scraping its bottom on our roads. Talking about the design, the Bobber styling is complemented with a simple round headlight in a die-cast aluminum mount. The bikes gets LEDs on front, rear and indicator lights. The Rebel can go from being a single-seater to accommodating your pillion rider with merely two bolts.

It’s 471cc engine is a liquid-cooled one that offers 45bhp and 43.3Nm of torque. This is the same motor that also powers the CBR500R, but Honda has remapped it and set different valve and ignition timings so that it offers a strong pull at the bottom end output. Therefore, instead of being a throttle twisting, high revving beast, it now offers a linear delivery through the rpm range. According to Honda, the Rebel returns a fuel economy of 27kmpl. 

The launch of the Rebel is expected to take place early next year and it is expected to enter our market via the CKD route. Its direct competition will be with the Harley-Davidson Street 750, which starts at INR 5.34 lakh. Honda may price it slightly below the Harley, for obvious reasons. 

Indian Challenger: The Challenger belongs to a segment of motorcycles called ‘Baggers’ that are basically long-distance tourers with saddlebags. 

The Baggers are a very unique breed when it comes to design. Take its snout-fairing for instance, easily one of its stand-out features. Then, of course, there are the motorcycle’s large proportions and comfortable ergonomics that make it distinct. The size of the Challenger can be overwhelming, not to mention its weight. (A little over 375 kilograms). However, the beauty of frame-mounted fairing bikes is that hardly any weight is put on the handlebar and fork, thereby, making them easy to maneuver, despite many of them appearing bulky. 

The Challenger’s cockpit is very similar to that of a car. It houses a pair of speakers, 7-inch touchscreen unit, 1000W music system, boasts a navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity as well as a USB port for your cell phone. Besides, it allows you to make a call via its infotainment system's louder speaker as well as receive weather and traffic condition updates. 

The Challenger’s biggest USP is Indian’s new liquid cooled 1,768cc Power Plus V-twin engine that produces a mindboggling 173Nm of torque and 120bhp of power. It also comes with throttle-by-wire and offers three riding modes—Sport, Standard and Rain.

The Challenger’s sole rival is the Harley-Davidson’s Street Glide. Expect the bike which will be making its way to our shores by December to be priced around INR 25 Lakh.

KTM Adventure 790: The last few years have seen a huge demand for adventure bikes in across segments and that is why KTM showcased the Adventure 790 at the 2019 India Bike Week last December. The Adventure’s sibling, 790 Duke, was priced at INR 8.64 lakh, when it was launched, but expect the Adventure to be more costly. The Adventure is expected to hit our shores in September and is expected to cost around INR 11 lakh.

The Adventure will be powered by the 799cc engine which also does duty on the 790 Duke. It will have a power output of 94hp and 88Nm of torque. It will be equipped with twin 320mm discs in front with radially-mounted four-piston calipers, while the rear will get a 260mm disc. A hardcore off-roader, it boasts an impressive ground clearance of 233mm. It also comes with a 5-inch TFT screen that will provide the rider with all necessary information. Besides, it will also come equipped with traction control, cornering ABS, Off-road ABS, Off-road ride mode and other such frills.

The 790 Adventure will take on the likes of the Triumph Tiger 800 range, the BMW F750 and the Ducati Multistrada 950.

Triumph Street Triple R: It is for the very first time that Triumph Motorcycles India have decided to introduce the mid-level variant of the Street Triple, the R, instead of the entry-level S version. We continue to get the top-of-line RS which is available for INR 11.33 lakh. (Ex-showroom). Keeping that figure in mind, the R spec is expected to be priced under INR 10 lakh and should make its debut this festive season. 

In terms of design, both the bikes look exactly the same with the twin bug-eye headlights and an aggressive streetfighter stance, but what distinguishes the two physically is the colour of the subframes. While the RS gets a silver one, the R comes in a red, besides the badging, of course.

Technically speaking the 765cc liquid-cooled, in-line 3-cylinder is the same engine that also powers Moto2 racing teams, but they are based on the RS version and even further tweaked. Powered by the same powerplant, the R has an output of 116bhp@12,000rpm and with maximum torque of 77Nm@9,400rpm, while the big daddy RS, churns out 121bhp@11,750rpm and 79Nm@9,350rpm.

The price difference between these two bikes isn’t solely down to power. The RS boasts of high-level parts like Showa 41 mm upside down big piston forks in front and Ohlin rear suspension, more effective Brembo M50 brake units, a 5-inch TFT screen and five riding options/modes - Road, Rain, Sport, Rider Programmable and Track. The R, on the other hand, is equipped with Showa suspension at the front and the rear, an LCD display and three riding modes — Road, Rain and Sport. The R sure makes a strong case for itself.