India’s 5 ‘SAFEST’ affordable motorcycles: TVS Apache to Bajaj Dominar

Safety is not something that is on the priority list of most two-wheeler manufacturers in India. Lenient government rules and low customer interest translates into a very few ABS-equipped motorcycles in the affordable segment in India. There are even fewer motorcycles with the slipper clutch and ABS. These two features bring down the braking distance significantly and make the motorcycles much safer. How? A slipper clutch allows the rider to aggressively downshift, without the wheel hop, and use the engine to brake properly. The use of engine braking and ABS brakes in full force brings down the stopping distance. Here are five affordable bikes on the market that come with both ABS and slipper clutch in India.

Yamaha YZF-R15

Price: 1.26 lakhs, ex-showroom, Delhi

Yamaha launched the much-awaited all-new YZF-R15 V3 earlier this year. The Indian version of the bike misses out on certain features like upside-down forks, aluminium footpegs and the sticky Metzeler tyres. The all-new bike also gets an all-new liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that produces a maximum of 19.3 PS and 14.7 Nm.

The Yamaha R15 V3 is an all-new bike that gets an all-new engine. It gets the Deltabox frame, which is available with the previous generation bikes too. The bike also gets a slipper clutch, which lets the rider downshift quickly without any rear-wheel jerk. The R15 V3 is the only bike in the segment that offers a 6-speed transmission and being a track-oriented bike, the slipper clutch helps reduce the gearshift time.

KTM 390 Duke

Price: Rs. 2.39 lakhs, ex-showroom, Delhi

The KTM 390 Duke has become quite popular in the Indian market. The 390 Duke is a value-for-money performance bike, which appeals to enthusiasts and young riders. The KTM 390 Duke is quite powerful too. It is powered by a single-cylinder, liquid-cooled 373-cc engine that generates a maximum of 43 Bhp and 37 Nm. The bike gets many high-tech features like LED headlamps, full-TFT console and more.

It also gets the important dual-channel ABS and a slipper-clutch. KTM introduced the slipper clutch in the last generation of the bike and it became the first affordable motorcycle in the country to offer a slipper clutch in India.

KTM RC 390

Price: Rs. 2.37 lakhs,  ex-showroom, Delhi

The KTM RC 390 is the full-faired sibling of the 390 Duke. The fully-faired KTM RC 390 is a track-spec bike and gets the same engine, transmission and clutch set-up as the 390 Duke. The bike is the preferred choice of many enthusiasts and amateur track riders. The slipper clutch allows the rider to even change gears while taking corners as the slipper clutch prevents wheel hops and keeps the motion smooth.

Bajaj Dominar 400

Price: Rs. 1.6 lakhs, ex-showroom, Delhi

The Bajaj Dominar comes with a long list of features that includes LED headlamps, slipper clutch, full LCD console, alloy wheels, tubeless tyres and more. The bike is marketed as a long distance touring bike and competes with Royal Enfield bikes in the market. The Dominar became the cheapest bike to offer a slipper clutch in India. The Dominar is available in two variants. The base variant does not get the ABS, while the higher-end variant gets dual-channel ABS with slipper clutch.

TVS Apache RTR 200

Price: Rs. 93,685, ex-showroom, Delhi

This is the most affordable bike to offer slipper clutch and ABS in the Indian market. The Apache RTR 200 4V looks extremely sharp with tank extensions and sleek body design. The Apache RTR 200 4V also gets LED DRLs and W-shaped grab rails. If you’re looking for an aggressive looking bike with good performance, then this is the bike for you.

The Apache RTR 200 4V is powered by a 197.3-cc, single-cylinder engine that generates a maximum power of 20.3 Bhp and 18.1 Nm of peak torque. The bike also gets an Anti-reverse Slipper Clutch (A-RT). The Apache gets sharp graphics that makes it stand out in the crowd. This is the only slipper-clutch equipped bike in the TVS line-up at the moment.