Your weekly dose of bike updates: 2020 Royal Enfield Classic 350 launch, KTM 490 Duke power figure and more!

We have entered 2020 and what could be a better start to the year than a bunch of interesting two-wheeler stories making headlines? From Royal Enfield to KTM, from Jawa to Honda, most of the manufacturers are preparing to greet us with something new and exciting offerings soon. In that case, let’s dive into the details of those five two-wheeler stories which caught our attention the most in the last week. 

2020 Royal Enfield Classic 350 launch on 7 January

The 2020 Royal Enfield Classic 350 has been spied ab umpteen number of times now. However, the phase of spy shots floating around the internet is perhaps over now as RE is expected to launch the motorcycle on 7 January. What’s more, select dealers have also started accepting bookings for the new Classic at Rs 10,000. The new model will be powered by a BS6-compliant fuel-injected motor while it also get a few cosmetic changes. These updates are likely to demand a premium of around Rs 10,000-15,000 over the existing model. 

KTM 490 Duke in the works

Going by KTM’s future product portfolio which was leaked recently, the Austrain bikemaker has pulled up its socks to introduce a whole bunch of new models. And, the one among these that we are really excited about is the 490 Duke. That’s because it will be powered by a 500cc parallel-twin engine which will be capable of producing around 60bhp, as per our analysis. To be precise, this motor will perhaps be a 497cc unit based on the 250 Duke’s mill, as per our calculations. To confirm that, we will have to wait until the 490 Duke makes its global debut which is likely to take place at this year’s EICMA show in Milan. 

Jawa Perak bobber bookings open

Bookings for Jawa’s highly anticipated model, the Perak, has begun at a refundable amount of Rs 10,000. The bobber-styled motorcycle was unveiled in November 2018 while it was launched exactly a year later at Rs 1.94 lakhs. The Perak is a handsome-looking motorcycle with a retro-inspired bobber styling. Moreover, it is powered by a 334cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor, which is slightly larger than the Jawa Standard and Forty-Two and produces more power as well. The company will accept limited bookings for the Perak in the first slot, deliveries for which will commence on 2 April 2020. 

Honda Activa 6G to be launched on 15 January

Honda has sent us a launch invite for 15 January and considering the emphasis it has put on the number ‘6’, the upcoming product will most likely be the Activa 6G. Going by the details which were recently leaked about the scooter, it will witness a slight drop in its performance, following the BS6-bound changes in its engine. Also, Honda has elongated its length which we presume is for making it more accommodating. Furthermore, the Activa 6G will also get subtle styling changes and added features. All these updates will result in a price hike, somewhere between Rs 5,000-8,000. 

Hero HF Deluxe BS6 launched

After launching the new Splendor iSmart in November, Hero has launched yet another BS6 model, the new HF Deluxe. The entry-level commuter comes in two variants including a base model with self-start and alloy wheels and a more premium version with i3S technology. While the former is priced at Rs 55,925, the latter is pegged at Rs 57,250. The BS6 model is powered by a fuel-injected motor which is claimed to be more fuel-efficient and faster in terms of acceleration as compared to its BS4 counterpart. Besides the introduction of an FI engine, the motorcycle remains unchanged. 

(All prices are ex-showroom)