5 new ADVENTURE bikes to look forward to: KTM 390 Adventure to Hero XPulse 200

The Indian two-wheeler market is maturing with time and, in recent years, the market has seen an increasing demand for adventure motorcycles. The Royal Enfield Himalayan took advantage of the situation and quickly made its mark in the segment. Now there are many manufacturers waiting to launch their products in the much-in-demand segment. Which are these highly-awaited adventure bikes that will be launched soon in India? Let’s find out!

KTM 390 Adventure

Scheduled launch: 2019

The KTM 390 Adventure is the latest bike that has been announced for the Indian market. The Austrian company has been testing the 390 Adventure, based on the 390 Duke, for a long time now and it seems that the product is almost production-ready. No details of the bike have been revealed yet, but from the picture of the prototype we can make out a few features.

The design of the 390 Adventure will be inspired by the higher capacity KTM adventure bikes. It gets long travel suspension and spoked rims. The engine will be the same 373-cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder unit that generates 44 Bhp and 37 Nm.

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BMW G 310 GS

Scheduled launch: July 2018

The BMW G 310 GS is a much-awaited bike in the Indian market. After showcasing the upcoming bike at the 2018 Auto Expo, BMW has finally announced that they have started taking official bookings of the bike. The G 310 GS is based on the G 310 R naked bike that will be launched at the same time too.

It will be the powered by the same 313-cc, 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.

Hero XPulse 200

Expected launch: September 2018

The Hero XPulse 200 is another much-awaited bike that will become the most affordable adventure bike in the country after its launch. The XPulse comes after a few years of discontinuation of Hero’s first adventure bike, the Impulse.

The XPulse was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo and it gets advanced features, such as an LED headlamp and ABS. It will ride on a 21-inch front wheel and an 18-inch rear wheel and will offer plenty of ground clearance. The bike gets the same underpinnings of the Hero Xtreme 200R and the 200-cc engine from the bike. Hero is expected to re-tune the engine for a stronger low-end.

Benelli TRK 502

Expected launch: End-2018

The Italian manufacturer has become quite popular in the country due to its competitive prices. Benelli showcased the TRK 502 adventure bike at the 2016 Auto Expo and will launch it later this year. The newly developed motorcycle is powered by a 500-cc, 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 a 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.

Suzuki V-Strom 250

Expected launch: Early-2019

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 to the Indian demand for an affordable adventure motorcycle. The bike will be powered by a 250-cc, 24-BHP, 23.4-Nm engine. The bike will come with various accessories, such as an engine guard to protect the motorcycle from debris during off-road trails. The same engine will also power the upcoming Suzuki GSX250R.