5 HOT, new adventure bikes all set to challenge the Royal Enfield Himalayan

The Royal Enfield Himalayan has opened an all-new segment of affordable and low-capacity adventure motorcycles in India. The motorcycle has received a great response from the market and many long-distance touring customers have gone for the off-beat motorcycle. Meanwhile, rival brands have also started working on their own models to tap the segment. In the next few months, we will see a slew of motorcycles that will be launched in the country to counter the Royal Enfield Himalayan. Here are 5 such hot, new ADV bikes.

KTM 390 Adventure

The Austrian manufacturer is working on an adventure version of the 390 Duke. The all-new motorcycle will be based on the new generation of KTM 390 Duke that will be launched early next year in India. The motorcycle will be a proper dual purpose adventure bike and the design will be inspired from the KTM Enduro R range of motorcycles. The upcoming motorcycle has just been spied with most clear pictures yet.

The 390 Adventure will get a tall windscreen that is integrated to the semi-fairing panel. The motorcycle also gets a large mudguard in the front. Other off-road friendly features include engine bash plates, high-mounted exhaust muffler, which is similar to the all-new 390 Duke, knuckle guard and off-road spec tyres. The engine will be derived from the 390 Duke’s 373cc, liquid-cooled, single cylinder unit that will generate around 43 BHP of maximum power and 35 Nm of maximum torque. It will also get different size tyres with 19-inch front tyres and 17-inch rear tyres.

BMW G 310GS

BMW is well-known in the adventure motorcycle segment with their popular GS series. The German manufacturer is very well established in the premium segment of the motorcycle. Now for the first time, the company will launch an affordable ADV motorcycle – the G310R. This bike was developed in collaboration with TVS.

Based on the G310R, BMW unveiled the adventure tourer at EICMA earlier this year. The G 310 GS gets the distinctive beak at front reminiscent to the BMW Adventure motorcycles. The motorcycle gets  an upswept exhaust and a high-seating position. There will be 41 mm inverted forks at the front and an adjustable mono-shock at the rear.

The motorcycle will also get a luggage mounting option, 12V charging socket and optional heated grips. The G 310GS will be powered by the same 313 cc, liquid-cooled DOHC 4V single-cylinder engine, which gets mounted in reverse position. The engine will generate around 34 BHP of maximum power and 27.92 Nm of maximum torque.

Kawasaki Versys X-300

The smallest Versys yet to be developed by the Japanese motorcycle giant is said to be the most practical of all the upcoming budget adventure tourers. The motorcycle is based on the Kawasaki Ninja 300, which is already available in India. The all-new motorcycle gets distinctive Versys styling but the heart of mighty Ninja 300.

Look-wise, the motorcycle gets a semi-body fairing which is very angular. The motorcycle also gets a windshield for protection from wind blasts. The engine gets protected by bash plate while other off-road and long-distance touring equipment include hand guard, top box and panniers.

There will be two variants of the motorcycle – Urban and Adventure. Kawasaki says that the motorcycle is capable enough to deliver 386 km from a full tank of fuel with the eco-mode on. The parallel twin cylinder, liquid cooled engine will produce as much as 38 BHP, with the motorcycle weighing about 170 kg.

Suzuki DL250 V-Strom

Suzuki announced the smallest V-Strom yet in the form of DL250. The small capacity motorcycle is heavily inspired by the V-Strom 1000. Even though the motorcycle has been designed for the European market, Suzuki is expected to soon launch the bike in India. The motorcycle is based on the Suzuki Inazuma and gets powered by a parallel twin 248cc engine that produces 24.7 bhp of maximum power.

The motorcycle is designed for long distance touring and gets a 17-litre fuel tank that can give the motorcycle a range of 500 km. It also gets a big windscreen, high handle bar for upright seating posture, and a wide comfortable seat for riding comfort during long distance. There is also a large LCD instrument console making readouts very easy during the touring.

Benelli TRK 502

Benelli is one of the fastest selling premium brands in India. The Italian manufacturer showcased the TRK 502 adventure motorcycle during the Auto Expo 2016. 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 formed with the extended fairing of the motorcycle. It also gets split seats, with a low seat height and an adjustable windscreen.

At the front, the motorcycle gets 320mm 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.