7 ‘affordable’ sportsbikes coming to India soon

The Indian motorcycle market is slowly graduating to performance motorcycles. Major international motorcycle manufacturers are already increasing their dealership networks in India sensing the rise of interest in performance motorcycles. Many motorcyclists are now going for lightweight entry-level performance motorcycles, a segment that has motorcycles like Kawasaki Ninja 250R, KTM Duke 390 and Benelli TNT25. Here are 7 more such motorcycles that will launch in India soon.

TVS Akula 310

The byproduct of the partnership between BMW and TVS, the Akula is based on the naked model BMW G310R. It is will be first fully-faired motorcycle from TVS and will feature many high-tech features. The motorcycle will be powered by a 313cc air-cooled engine that also powers the BMW G310R.

The engine gets ram air technology and produces a maximum of 34 BHP and 28 Nm. It gets a 6-speed manual transmission. TVS has reportedly tested the motorcycle extensively on the track and the motorcycle will be tuned for performance on the track. The motorcycle has already been spied testing in India and will be launched in mid-2017.

Suzuki Gixxer 250SF

The motorcycle will be a more powerful version of the Gixxer 155 SF. Suzuki will unveil the motorcycle at EICMA this November following which, the motorcycle will be launched in the Indian market.

The motorcycle will be powered by a single-cylinder 250cc liquid-cooled engine with maximum power of around 28 BHP. It will get a 6-speed manual transmission. The motorcycle will compete with the likes of KTM RC 200 and will be priced around Rs. 1.7 lakh. We may also see a naked model based on the Gixxer SF 250 but that is not confirmed yet.

Bajaj Kratos 400

The most powerful Bajaj motorcycle is coming and it won’t be launched under Pulsar brand. Christened as Kratos, Bajaj showcased the motorcycle way back in 2014 Auto Expo. The Bajaj boss, Rajiv Bajaj said the Kratos will compete against the Royal Enfield motorcycles. The touring motorcycle is powered by the same engine that powers the KTM Duke 390.

Bajaj will detune the 373.2cc engine to make sure that the KTM 390 models are not affected. The motorcycle will produce somewhere around 32 BHP but the fuel efficiency will be increased. The premium offering from Bajaj will get features like ABS, telescopic front forks, rear mono shock and disc brakes at both front and rear. The Kratos is scheduled to launch within a few months time.

KTM Duke 390

KTM is working on a new model of Duke and the motorcycle has already been spied testing on Indian soil. The Duke 390 is a made-in-India product and the motorcycle is scheduled to be unveiled in the international market soon. The new Duke looks much sharper than the current model.

The looks of the new Duke 390 have been inspired by 1290 Super Duke R and it does look very aggressive. The spied motorcycle also shows the all-new and bigger LCD console of the updated model. The Duke 390 will not go through any mechanical changes and will continue to be powered by 44 BHP 373.27cc single-cylinder engine.

BMW G310R

The G310R is the product of BMW-TVS partnership and it will be BMW’s first entry-level segment motorcycle. The G310R has been caught testing in India and BMW will open exclusive BMW Motorrad showrooms in India to sell its product including the G310R.

The single-cylinder naked motorcycle is powered by a 313cc liquid-cooled engine that produces a maximum power of 34 BHP and maximum torque of 28 Nm. The BMW G310R will also get disc brakes with ABS, upside down forks, all-digital instrument cluster and will be priced below KTM Duke 390.

Benelli Tornado 302

The Italian motorcycle manufacturer is getting a lot of good response in India. Benelli has become quite a popular choice in the entry-level performance motorcycle segment. Benelli will bring in their another entry-level fully faired product in the form on Tornado 302.

The motorcycle is the fully-faired version of the TNT 300 naked motorcycle and is powered by the same 300cc engine that generates a maximum power of 37.73 BHP. The motorcycle will carry a price of around Rs. 3 lakh.

Yamaha MT-03

Yamaha launched the MT-09 earlier this year during the Auto Expo. The company will launch a lowered powered model of the motorcycle in upcoming months. The MT-03 will be a naked version of the Yamaha YZF-R3 and will come with modifications for a comfortable ride.

There will be single-piece wide handlebar and upright sitting posture that will make it an excellent choice for daily usage. The engine will be similar to the YZF-R3, which is a 321cc, parallel twin fuel injected motor. It produces a maximum power of 41 BHP and maximum torque of 29.5 Nm. The MT-03 will be a naked motorcycle and will lighter in weight than the R3, making it more fun to ride a motorcycle.

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