10 NEW, upcoming adventure bikes for India

With the number of long-distance motorcycles touring enthusiasts increasing each year, the adventure bikes are becoming quite popular. With the success of Royal Enfield Himalayan in India, other manufacturers are also planning to jump in the affordable adventure bike segment. Here are ten upcoming adventure motorcycles in India.

Hero X-Pulse

Hero was the first brand in India to introduce an affordable dual purpose motorcycle in India in the form of Impulse. However, the bike was criticized for being underpowered by many. Hero showcased the XPulse concept that will be launched in India sometime in 2018. They will also showcase the concept the Auto Expo 2018.

No technical details about the motorcycle have been revealed yet but the concept model carries a lot of features. There are a bash plate and crash-guard to protect the engine. The motorcycle also gets a small fairing for wind deflection, an LED headlamp, knuckle guard, a twin seat and a high handlebar.

Benelli TRK 502

The Italian manufacturer showcased the TRK 502 adventure motorcycle during the Auto Expo 2016 and will now launch it soon. The newly developed motorcycle is powered by a 500cc, parallel-twin engine that is mated to a 6-speed transmission. The fuel injected engine produces a maximum of 47 BHP and 45 Nm of torque.

The premium looking TRK 502 gets a distinctive beak at the front, which is essentially the extended part of the front fairing. It also gets split seats, with a low seat height and an adjustable windscreen. At the front, the motorcycle gets 320 mm disc at the front while the rear tyre gets a single disc set-up of 260 mm. The motorcycle comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, and it is not designed for extreme off-roading.

KTM 390 Adventure

KTM is working on an Adventure version of the 390 Duke and the motorcycle has been spied several times while testing in its homeland, Austria. The 390 Adventure will take on the Royal Enfield Himalayan, which has seen a decent success in the Indian market.  The Adventure will get longer travel suspension, a new headlamp set-up and spoke-wheel tyres. The single-cylinder 373cc engine is expected to remain same but KTM may change the gearing or the engine tune to add a stronger low-end torque to the Adventure.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 650

Royal Enfield will soon launch the Himalayan powered by the bigger parallel twin 650cc engine. It will be launched in 2019 or 2020 depending on the market demand and development of the new bike.

The new 650cc engine produces 47 Bhp – 52 Nm against the current 411cc engine on the Himalayan that produces 24.5 Bhp – 32 Nm. The increase in power and torque will ensure that the Himalayan cruises comfortably on the highways.

Mahindra Mojo ADV

Mahindra has already opened exclusive Mojo dealerships in India. The company has said that they are currently working to develop an Adventure motorcycle based on the Mojo. Mahindra showcased the Mojo ADVconcept during the Auto Expo and may bring the production version in 2018 Auto Expo. Mojo’s engine is a lot smoother than the Himalayan and the motorcycle will be a perfect rival. It will be the same 294.72cc, liquid cooled, single cylinder engine that produces a maximum of 26.82 BHP at 8,000 rpm and 30 Nm of maximum torque.

Bajaj Dominar Adventurer

Bajaj launched the Dominar in India while keeping an eye on the Royal Enfield’s market share. However, the Dominar has not gained as much popularity as Bajaj would have liked. Bajaj earlier registered the name ‘Adventurer’ in May this year and there’s a strong possibility that Bajaj will launch an adventure version of the Dominar in the near future.

The Dominar ADV is expected to be powered by the same 373.2cc engine as the Dominar and utilize the same chassis too. The new motorcycle with Adventurer moniker is expected to make an appearance in the Indian market next year. The motorcycle will take on the Royal Enfield Himalayan in the market.

BMW G310 GS

This will be the smallest GS series from the BMW. The motorcycle has been developed by the BMW Motorrad and will be manufactured at the TVS India plant. The G310 GS will get many signature features of the GS series like the front beak, radiator shrouds, headlamp cowl and the tank design. The motorcycle will be the powered by the same 313cc, 34 BHp-28 Nm engine and will get a six-speed gearbox. The motorcycle just weighs 169.5 kg and with the GS DNA, it will be one of the best touring motorcycle available in the country.

UM ADV

UM currently offers a slew of cruiser motorcycles in the Indian market. United Motorcycles is now working to bring an Adventure motorcycle which will be powered by a 400cc engine. The engine is expected to be a V-Twin water-cooled motor. The name of the motorcycle has not been made public yet and the motorcycle is expected to be launched in next six months.

Kawasaki Versys X-300

This is the smallest adventure bike from the Kawasaki brand that has been christened as Versys X-300. The motorcycle gets many off-road friendly features. The motorcycle gets 41 mm front forks, and a Uni-Trak gas charged mono-shock at the rear.

The motorcycle is powered by the same 296cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine that powers the Ninja 300. The engine generates 38.5 Bhp – 27 Nm and gets a 6-speed gearbox. The motorcycle comes with a 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear wheels. Kawasaki is expected to price it around Rs. 4 lakh.

Suzuki V-Storm 250

Suzuki also unveiled its affordable adventure bike in the form of Suzuki V-Storm 250 after BMW unveiled the G 310 GS. The entry-level V-Strom will be a capable dual-purpose off-road motorcycle.

It will cater the Indian demand for an entry-level adventure motorcycle. The bike will be powered by a 250cc 24 BHP, 23.4 Nm engine. There will be various accessories like engine guard to protect the motorcycle from the debris during off-road trails.