Honda has recently filed a design patent for the CRF190L in India. While it does not ascertain the launch of the motorcycle in the country, it does seem like a plausible alternative to the Hero Xpulse 200. So, let us tell you everything that you need to know about the Honda CRF190L.
Design
Taking hints from the Africa Twin CRF1100L, the CRF190L is a proper adventure motorcycle, unlike the CB200X that is available in India. It rides on spoke wheels with dual-purpose tyres. And even though it uses a conventional-looking front fender unlike the Xpulse 200, the CRF190L still looks purposeful. That said, it also sports a tall windscreen, a long seat that tapers towards the fuel tank, and a single, high-mounted exhaust. The tail rack, which is offered as standard, completes the look.
Performance
The Honda CRF190L is powered by a 184cc, air-cooled engine – the same engine used on the CB200X and Hornet 2.0 that are sold in India. While this motor churns out 17.03bhp on the latter, it offers 15.5bhp and 15.7Nm torque on the CRF190L. In comparison, the Xpulse 200’s 199cc, single-cylinder, oil-cooled mill has 17.8bhp and 16.45Nm to offer. However, the CRF190L has an upper hand with its mere 145kg kerb weight, making it 12kg lighter than the Xpulse 200 tips the scales at 157kg.
Dimensions
Let's get down to some more numbers. Apart from being light, the CRF190L also has ample ground clearance to give. 241mm to be precise. Additionally, the adventure motorcycle's 180mm travel might be 10mm lesser than what the Xpulse 200 has to offer, but is good enough. And even though its 830mm seat height seems tall on paper, the shape of the fuel tank and the tapering seat is likely to make it accessible to a wider audience.
Price expectation
As we mentioned earlier, patent filings do not always result in those motorcycles or scooters being launched in India. However, Honda really seems to have an opportunity here since the only adventure-touring motorcycle under Rs 2 lakh is the Hero Xpulse 200. That brings us to the pricing. To put things into perspective, the Honda CB200X costs Rs 1.45 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), and compared to the CRF190L it gets premium parts like USD forks, petal discs, and slightly more power as well. With these factors, we can expect the motorcycle to cost lesser than the CB200X, around Rs 1.30 lakh- Rs 1.40 lakh. With that said, only time will tell how Honda plans to position this product in the Indian market.
