Your weekly dose of bike updates: 2021 KTM 390 Duke, New Royal Enfield Classic, Hero Xpulse and more!

New launches along with a few spy shots are a perfect recipe to an invigorating week for us two-wheeler enthusiasts. And, that’s how the last week turned out to be. From the spy shots of the 2021 KTM 390 Duke to the launch date of the Hero Xpulse 200, most of the updates got us to the edge of our seats. Here’s a quick round-up of all such stories from the last week.

2019 Honda CBR650R launched

Let’s start with the new launches which took place last week. Honda brought the 2019 CBR650R middle-weight sports tourer to our shores with a price tag of Rs 7.70 lakhs. A successor to the now-discontinued CBR650F, the ‘R’ model is sportier in terms of styling and ergonomics, it gets new features while the engine has also been reworked on. Available in colour options of grand prix red and gunpowder black metallic, the motorcycle can be bought from one of the 22 Honda’s WingWorld dealerships in India.  

Triumph Speed Twin launched

Triumph has launched its new modern classic offering, the Speed Twin, in India. The new entrant is priced at Rs 9.46 lakhs and it sits between the Triumph Street Scrambler and the Bonneville T120. Sharing its engine and chassis (in a tweaked form) with the Thruxton R, the Speed Twin takes design cues from its smaller sibling the Street Twin. However, it looks beefier and features a higher displacing 1200cc parallel-twin motor which makes 96bhp and 112Nm. The Speed Twin is available in three colour options – silver ice, korosi red and jet black.

2019 Ducati Scrambler range launched

Ducati also hosted a grand launch as it introduced as many as four 2019 models of its Scrambler range. The line-up consists of the 2019 Scrambler Icon, Full Throttle, Café Racer and the Desert Sled. The motorcycles have been priced at Rs 7.69 lakhs, Rs 8.92 lakhs, Rs 9.78 lakhs and Rs 9.93 lakhs, respectively. While the Icon is the entry-level Scrambler, the Desert Sled is the top-end model of the line-up. Each iteration carries a distinctive character in terms of styling and ergonomics. 

2019 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R announced

Kawasaki announced the entry of the 2019 edition of its litre-class sportsbike, the Ninja ZX-10R, in India. While the bike remains the same in terms of design, it now churns out 3bhp more power as compared to the previous model. The new ZX-10R belts out 200bhp from its 998cc, in-line four-cylinder motor. Moreover, the six-speed gearbox is now assisted by Kawasaki’ quick shifter-dual direction. While the pricing of the updated bike has not been announced, it can be booked for a token amount of Rs 1.5 lakhs. Bookings for the first lot of the ZX-10R is open from 26 April to 30 May 2019.  

Hero Xpulse 200 launch on 1 May

Hero is all set to launch its much-anticipated adventure motorcycle, the Xpulse 200 on 1 May 2019. The motorcycle has been spied several times over the last few months. Carrying components suitable for off-road riding, the Hero Xpulse 200 is powered by the same engine as the Xtreme 200R which is likely to be tweaked to suit the motorcycle’s purpose. In India, it will lock horns against the Royal Enfield Himalayan which is currently the most affordable adventure bike.

2021 KTM 390 Duke spied

Although the outgoing KTM 390 Duke still feels new and modern, the Austrian bikemaker has apparently started testing what is expected to be the 2021 model of the street bike. The motorcycle seems to be undergoing a major overhaul as suggest the elements such as new swingarm and chassis. Meanwhile, the dimensions of the bike also appear to be larger. Even with the significant improvements, KTM is likely to give the bike just a minor price hike in order to keep it as competitive as it is now.

New Royal Enfield Classic spied

The line-up of spy shots which emerged last week also consisted of the new Royal Enfield Classic model. The motorcycle was spotted for the second time and unlike the previous mule, this time it featured a few touring accessories. These include a pair of saddle bags, tall windscreen and a Thunderbird-like pillion back rest. Apart from a few cosmetic updates, the Classic model is also expected to get a reworked engine in order to be compliant with the upcoming emission norms.

(All prices are ex-showroom)