BIGGEST motorcycle reveals at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo; Hero XPulse 200 to Honda CBR300

While the 2018 Auto Expo will see a range of high-profile motorcycle makers such as Royal Enfield, Bajaj and Ducati missing from the show, there will still be many two wheeler giants exhibiting their wares. Here are 6 of the biggest motorcycle unveils.

Yamaha R15 V3

The 3rd generation Yamaha R15 is weeks away from a launch in India. The bike looks sharper than ever before with the latest redesign, and is also expected to get marginally faster, with a bigger 155 cc four stroke, liquid cooled engine that makes 19.1 Bhp – 14.7 Nm. A 6 speed manual gearbox will be standard, and so will the class-leading Deltabox frame. The R15 V3, like its predecessor, is a bike that’s meant to be equally at home on the road and the racetrack. Expect to pay about Rs. 1.2 lakhs for this little Yamaha.

Hero XPulse

The Hero XPulse will continue from where the Impulse 150 left off. The on-off road bike from Hero MotoCorp will also be the flagship motorcycle from the two wheeler giant. It will feature a 200cc, air cooled four stroke engine with 18 Bhp-18 Nm on tap. A 5 speed manual gearbox will be standard. The bike will be carbureted, and will feature a disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear. Long travel suspension at the front and the rear, on-off road tyres and and a high ground clearance will give it off-road chops. A sub-1 lakh rupee price tag is likely.

Honda CBR 300R

Honda will relaunch the affordable CBR sports-touring bike in India, but with a bigger engine. The CBR 300R is expected to be shown at the 2018 Auto Expo. Essentially, a bigger engined bike, the CBR 300R will feature a liquid cooled, single cylinder 300cc engine. ABS will be offered for stopping duties, and the bike will feature an aggressive riding position that will let the rider tuck behind the fairing.  It’ll also look much sharper than the CBR 250 it replaces. The bike is likely to be priced near the Rs. 3 lakh mark.

BMW GS 310R

BMW plans to bite into the Indian touring motorcycle segment with the GS 310R, a bike that will be built at TVS Motors’ Hosur factory, with heavy localization. This is expected to give BMW Motorrad enough room to price the new bike very competitively. The GS 310R will operate with a 310 cc, four stroke engine with fuel injection and liquid cooling. The engine – which puts out 34 Bhp and 27 Nm – will be paired with a 6 speed manual gearbox. Long travel suspension and a high-set mudguard will be distinguishing features. A sub-3 lakh rupee price tag is expected.

Kawasaki Ninja 400R

The Ninja 400R from Kawasaki will replace the 300R as the entry-level sportsbike from the Japanese brand for the Indian market. Styled much more sharply, the bike borrows cues from the flagship Kawasaki H2 hyperbike. The Ninja 400 will also feature a more powerful 400 cc, parallel twin motor with 44 Bhp-38 on tap. A much faster machine, literally and figuratively, the Ninja 400 will be aimed at race track enthusiasts. The fully faired bike is expected to be priced at nearly Rs. 4 lakhs.

Suzuki GSX-R 250

The Suzuki Gixxer 150’s success in India is spurring the bike maker onto bigger things. The Gixxer 250 is one such offering, which is expected to be shown at the Auto Expo. Borrowing the super smooth, 250 cc parallel twin engine from the Inazuma, the Suzuki GSX-R 250 will be a bike meant to juggle road and track duties with aplomb. A sub-1.5 lakh rupee price tag will give the bike plenty of affordability.