Last week saw a slew of incidents taking place in the two-wheeler industry which brought in some excitement for us enthusiasts and buyers. In case you missed the most important ones, here’s a round up of the same.
Lambretta to be resurrected in India
Lambretta is set to remind us of the good old days as it will be making its comeback in India. The company announced that it will globally unveil its electric prototype at the 2020 Auto Expo. Lambretta, owned by Innocenti, also shared its plan to introduce a steel Super Lambretta, especially meant for the Indian market. It is eyeing to compete against Vespa scooters and will be setting up a facility in Mumbai that will cater to the Indian market among others.
2019 Bajaj V15 Power Up launched
Bajaj updated its 150cc commuter, the V15 for 2019 and gave it a new name. To be called as the V15 Power Up, the motorcycle now generates 1bhp more power, gets updated gear shift pattern and new graphics. It will be powered by the same 149.5cc, air-cooled, carburetor motor that now churns out 12.8bhp of power and 13Nm of torque. Moreover, the five-speed gearbox now gets one-down-four-up shift pattern. The pricing of the motorcycle remains unchanged at Rs 67,187 (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
Honda crosses 40 million sales mark
After 18 years of existence in India, Honda announced that it crossed the 40 million sales milestone in our country. While the company has struggled to fetch good numbers in the 100-110cc commuter bike segment, its Activa and CB Shine have been the best-selling products in their respective segments. The Honda Activa recently crossed the 20 million sales milestone in our country.
Jawa announces two-wheeler exchange scheme and finance tie-ups
The six-months waiting period for Jawa bikes might be too long but the company is prepping for a good foothold in the market. Jawa recently announced its exchange scheme which will let buyers exchange their used two-wheelers (any brand and capacity) for a new Jawa bike. Moreover, the company also announced the list of its national and regional finance partners for providing customers a wide variety of finance schemes.
UM to launch a line-up of motorcycles
2019 will see UM Motorcycles update its portfolio comprehensively as the brand has an array of products lined up for India. It will be bringing in a new 150cc scooter christened as the Chill which will take on the Aprilia SR150 and Vespa scooters. Then there will be a 200cc adventure tourer, the DSR Adventure 200 ABS which will have its eyes set on the upcoming Hero XPulse. A new cruiser will also be added to the company’s Renegade family with the name Regal. Powered by a 251cc, parallel-twin engine, this will compete against the Royal Enfield Classic 350 in the Rs 1.3 – 1.4 lakh price bracket. These bikes were recently spied in India and we were the first to report it.
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 elected as Indian Motorcycle of the Year 2019
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, owing to its excellent ride and handling, not just made the journalists go bonkers but it also went on to clinch the title of the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) 2019. For this title, the finalised motorcycles are scrutinized based on aspects such as value for money, design, technology, built quality, fuel economy, performance, practicality and its ability to tackle Indian roads. RE’s newest kid on the block with a 650cc, parallel twin engine, nailed it in every department.
2019 Triumph Rocket III in the offing
Triumph is working on the 2019 version of what is known to be the largest capacity production motorcycle ever – Rocket III. The motorcycle was recently discontinued and, while its 2294cc engine was already a behemoth, the upcoming Rocket III will be powered by a larger 2500cc, inline-three cylinder motor that churns out a hefty 180bhp and 230Nm of torque. Triumph will be using this platform for other versions of the Rocket III and it is expected to be unveiled in 2019.
Ducati Panigale V4 recalled
Ducati has been recalling a few of its motorcycles over the past few days and one of them is its flagship superbike, the Panigale V4. In what is reported to be the fourth recall for the superbike in 2018, 1,502 units of the motorcycle in the USA were said to be affected by issues with the cam chain tensioner. The component may loosen resulting in oil leak. No such recall has been issued for the Panigale V4 in India yet.
