10 game-changing motorcycle launches of 2018, & why; Hero XPulse to Yamaha R15 V3

2017 has been a great year for bike enthusiasts in India. The arrival of bikes like all-new KTM 390 Duke and the TVS Apache RR 310S has kept the enthusiasts quite busy. In 2018, we are set to get a lot many more game-changing motorcycles. Here are ten.

Hero XPulse 200

Why is it important? Hero will re-introduce the cheapest dual purpose bike in the market.

Hero launched the Impulse in India a few years back but due to the puny engine, it did not gain much popularity among the enthusiasts. Next year, Hero will launch the XPulse in the market. Hero showcased the XPulse concept that will be launched in India sometime in 2018. The bike is expected to be showcased at the Auto Expo 2018.

The bike is expected to be powered by the same 200cc engine that will power the Xtreme 200. The bike generates a maximum power of 18.2 Bhp of peak power and 17.2 Nm of peak torque. No details have been confirmed by the manufacturer yet.

Bajaj Avenger 180

Why is it important? Cheapest cruiser bike in India

Bajaj already offers the cheapest cruiser bike in the market in the form of Avenger 150. However, Bajaj will replace the bike with a more powerful version while still keeping it cheapest in the market. Bajaj is now planning to launch the Avenger 180, that will be launched to compete with the Suzuki’s newly launched Intruder 150.

The bike will be powered by a 178.2cc engine that also powers the Pulsar 180. It has a maximum power output of 17 Bhp and peak torque of 14Nm. It will get a five-speed transmission. Suzuki Intruder currently retails at Rs. 98,00 while the Avenger 180 is expected to get a price tag of around Rs. 85,000.

TVS Apache RR 310 Race Spec

Why is it important? Taking Indian motorcycle racing to the next level

TVS recently launched the Apache RR 310 that gathered the attention of many enthusiasts in the country. TVS confirmed the launch of a race-spec Apache RR 310 later this year. The bike will get a more powerful engine and it will also get a longer list of equipment. TVS will also put the Apache RR 310 in the One Make race series and will give the opportunity of young Indian motorcycle racers to participate on show their skills on an international level.

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BMW G310R

Why is it important? Cheapest BMW money can buy!

The BMW G310R has been co-developed by TVS and BMW. The bikes are currently manufactured in TVS’s Indian facility and are being exported to the foreign markets. The German brand will showcase the bike at the Auto Expo. The motorcycle has been developed with TVS and it will take on the likes of highly successful KTM 390 Duke in India. The BMW G310R will be made in India at the TVS plant and will be exported from here to the foreign markets.

The G310R will draw power from a 313cc, single cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with twin overhead camshafts. The motorcycle produces a maximum of 33.6 BHP of power but weighs only 158 kg, which results in a very good power to weight ratio. The engine is a reversed cylinder design that will give it a better centre of gravity and fun to ride.

Royal Enfield Interceptor

Why is it important? First Royal Enfield bike to touch 160 km/h. Also, cheapest parallel-twin engine

Royal Enfield showcased the Interceptor at the EICMA 2018 alongside the Continental GT. The Interceptor will be a brand new, all-new bike that will be powered by a new 650cc, twin-cylinder, air-cooled four-stroke engine. The engine produces a maximum of 47 Bhp – 52 Nm and will get fuel injection. There is a six-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheel. It is expected to get an ex-showroom price of around Rs. 3 lakh.

Tork T6X

Why is it important? India’s first electric powered smart motorcycle

The Pune-based firm has unveiled India’s first fully-electric motorcycle. The motorcycle will be powered by Li-ion battery and will have a maximum range of 100 km. The batteries charge to full in about 2 hours and Tork says that the battery attains 80% of charge in just one hour. The company is also working to install charging stations in the Pune city first and then the motorcycle will be launched in the other major cities of the country. The is expected to make a public appearance at the 2018 Auto Expo.

Suzuki GSX-R250

Why is it important? First parallel-twin engine in the segment

After the success of the Gixxer SF in India, Suzuki is now planning to launch a bigger version of the bike. Suzuki will mark its entry in the 250cc segment with the GSX-R250. The bike looks much sharper and sportier than the Gixxer SF and looks heavily inspired from the flagship GSX-R1000. It is powered by 248cc, parallel-twin engine derived from the Inazuma. It has been re-tuned to produce a maximum of 24.7 bhp and 23.3 Nm torque.

Yamaha YZF-R15 V3

Why is it important? Most affordable track spec bike in India

The much-awaited Yamaha YZF-R15 V3.0 will be launched soon. The bike has already been spotted in the Indian dealerships. Yamaha launched the all-new R15 in the international markets last year but the Indian launch got delayed. The Indian version of the bike will miss out on a few features to keep the cost down.

The bike will not get Upside Down (USD) front forks, IRC tyres and few other cost-cutting measures like steel footpegs instead of aluminium. The ABS also seem to be missing from the spy pictures of the bike.The new R15 is powered by a new 155cc engine that generates 19.1 Bhp – 14.7 Nm. With the number of cost-cutting measures on the bike, it seems that the bike will be undercut the KTM RC200 in the market.

KTM RC 390

Why is it important? India best, affordable track tool

KTM will soon launch the 2018 version of the KTM RC 390 in India. The bike has been already spied and the launch is expected to be soon. The bike is expected to get fine-tuned improvements based on the customer feedback. The bike gets different set of tyres from Metzeler, however, the brand of the tyres could not be confirmed due to the dark image.

UM Hypersport

Why is it important? Cheapest supermoto bike in India

The UM will soon launch Hypersport in India, which is a supermoto bike with a lightweight body and dual-purpose tyres. The is quite lightweight and measures below 150 kg on the scale. UM is expected to power the bike with a 300cc or above engine and put a price tag of around Rs. 3.5 lakh, ex-showroom. We can expect the bike to be present at the Auto Expo 2018.