Top 5 India-bound bikes unveiled at Intermot 2018

The Intermot in Germany witnessed a slew of unveils over the past week. However, only a handful of these motorcycles will make it to India in the near future. Here is what the list looks like-

Triumph Street Twin

The British manufacturer has updated the Street Twin with cosmetic and mechanical changes. The major change is the retuned 900cc, parallel-twin engine that now produces 64bhp; 10bhp more than the previous model. It also gets a new seat, redesigned instrument cluster, wheels and side panels along with brushed aluminum headlamp brackets.

The brake setup has also been upgraded with Brembo 4-pot calipers for the front. Its electronic package includes ABS and two riding modes; Road and Rain with an optional tyre pressure monitoring system. The bike is likely to arrive in India early next year and compete with the Ducati Scrambler Icon.

Triumph Street Scrambler

Similar to the Street Twin, the 2019 Street Scrambler’s 900cc, parallel-twin motor also gets a bump in power output. It now puts out 64bhp and 80Nm of torque. The Street Scrambler is now equipped with new Brembo 4-piston calipers and updated cartridge forks up front. 

Cosmetic changes include new number plate panels and graphics along with a redesigned seat. Apart from the ABS and riding modes, the 2019 Street Scrambler also gets switchable traction control that has been carried forward from the older model. We can expect the 2019 Street Scrambler to arrive on our shores by June next year with a slight premium over the current model. 

2019 Ducati Scrambler range

Ducati has updated its entire Scrambler range which consists of the Icon, Full Throttle, Café Racer and Desert Sled. The bikes get new colour schemes, full-LED lighting for the headlamp and tail lamp along with an updated LCD instrument display. All four bikes get the same 803cc, L-Twin engine which now gets a hydraulic clutch.

While the other bikes continue to sport the same styling as their predecessors, the Café Racer now rides on 17-inch spoke wheels that replace the alloy wheels on the earlier bike. Ducati is likely to launch the updated Scrambler range in India in the first half of 2019. 

Suzuki Katana

The 2019 Katana is the reincarnation of the original 1981 model and is based on the GSX-S1000. It borrows styling cues from the original bike like the square headlamp, short black windscreen and distinctive nose fairing. It also gets the same red lettering and ‘Katana’ logo from the original bike. However, the 2019 model gets sharper bodywork to make it look more modern. Furthermore, it also gets LED headlamp with unique LED position lamps and a split tail lamp, also with LED lighting. 

The bike is powered by a 999cc, inline four cylinder engine that produces 150bhp and 108Nm of torque. Similar to the GSX-S1000, the Katana is equipped with a three-level traction control system and ABS as standard.  We expect the Katana to arrive on our shores sometime next year and compete with another heritage-inspired motorcycle, the Kawasaki Z900 RS.

Indian FTR 1200

The Indian FTR 1200 sports a ‘flat-tracker’ inspired design language. It gets upright handlebars and rear set foot pegs for a slightly aggressive riding posture. The bike gets a full-LED headlamp and tail lamp setup along with LED turn indicators. The FTR 1200 is available in two variants; standard, 1200 S along with a ‘Race Replica’ version based on the 1200 S. While the base version sports an all-black paint job; the 1200 S gets gold-finished forks with a black/grey and grey/red paint scheme. The 1200 S “Race Replica” gets colour scheme of black and red with the trellis frame and rear monoshock finished in red.

While the standard bike gets 4-inch analog instrument cluster, the 1200 S sports a Bluetooth-enabled 4.3-inch LCD display. It also gets three ride modes; Sport, Standard and Rain, a traction control system, wheelie control and a lean-sensitive stability control system. It is powered by a 1203cc, V-twin engine that produces 120bhp and 115Nm of torque. 

The bike is likely to arrive in India in the first half of 2019 and compete with the Ducati Scrambler 1100, BMW R Nine T Scrambler and upcoming Triumph Scrambler 1200.