Top Four launches so far in 2017

Top Four launches so far in 2017

The Indian motorcycle market has seen a boom in the recent years and in 2017 the country saw a number of launches. Only a few were able to make a mark on the market, we chose four such motorcycles. Read along to find out about the chosen ones.

KTM 390 Duke

The 2017 390 Duke was launched in February and the pocket rocket was a major game changer for the market as well as for KTM. The current KTM 390 Duke is an all-new motorcycle, and derives styling cues from the manic 1290 Super Duke. The bike uses a 373cc single-cylinder engine producing 43bhp at 9000rpm and 37Nm of torque at 7000rpm. 

Although the power figures remain the same, the bike now gets a ride-by-wire throttle system which eliminates the jerkiness at low revs of the outgoing model. The brakes also get an upgrade with a larger 320mm disc and switchable ABS that now has an ‘Enduro’ mode (it switches off ABS at the rear only for off-road riding). 

Along with a bigger 13.5-litre fuel tank, KTM has also added a colour TFT LCD instrument display with Bluetooth connectivity that can be controlled via buttons on the handlebar. The bike is priced at Rs 2.28 lakhs (ex-showroom) but since it carries a host of features not found on its rivals and costs nearly 30 per cent less, the KTM 390 is quite a deal! 

Benelli 302R

DSK Motowheels launched the Benelli 302R in India a couple of days ago at Rs 3.48 lakhs (ex-showroom). The bike’s pricing and features got us to include the bike in the list. To begin with, the bike has ABS as standard and also gets inverted forks. These two features are missing on its main competitors, the Yamaha YZF-R3 and Kawasaki Ninja 300, even with their higher price tag. 

The 302R has a 300cc parallel-twin engine producing 38bhp and 26Nm of torque. Although the bike is not as powerful as the main players, Benelli has pitched itself well in the Indian market with the bang-on price and necessary features. 

Kawasaki Ninja 1000

The Ninja 1000 now sports a sharper design, similar to the supersport ZX-10R, to appeal to a larger audience. The bike also features electronics like a six-axis IMU, which handles the traction control and ABS to make the motorcycle easier to manoeuvre. The Ninja 1000 is powered by a 1043cc in-line four cylinder mill which churns out 140bhp at 9,600 rpm and 111Nm of torque at 8,800 rpm. 

These are things you’ll read about in any update of any model. What you’ll probably not read is the fact that the current model’s on-road price is equivalent to the outgoing model’s ex-showroom price. This is incredible, as it makes it the first 1000cc motorcycle to be available at a price below Rs 10 lakh. 

BMW R1200 GS

BMW Motorrad made its official entry into India in April and with it, launched the R 1200 GS. The R 1200 GS uses a 1170cc boxer-twin engine mated to a six-speed transmission. It develops 124bhp of power and 125Nm of torque that is transferred to the rear wheel via shaft drive. 

The R 1200 GS is technologically advanced and boasts of features like Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), ABS Pro, Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA), LED headlights, keyless ignition and daytime riding lamps. The bike also sports a hill start control, riding modes, heated grips, tyre pressure monitoring system (TMPS) and cruise control. The R 1200 GS is priced at Rs 16.13 lakhs ( ex-showroom) while its dedicated off-roading variant, the GS Adventure is priced at Rs 17.16 lakhs (ex-showroom). 

This adventure-touring motorcycle makes it to our list as it not only is the best-selling motorcycle for the company in India (until the G310R launches, at least); it is also responsible for half of BMW’s total worldwide sales.