The last week was as eventful as it could get with as many as seven new two-wheeler launches taking place in India! These came from brands like Honda, Bajaj, Royal Enfield, and Kawasaki. We also covered an interesting story about one of KTM’s new upcoming platforms. If you are still unaware of these developments, here’s a quick round-up.
2023 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, Continental GT 650 launch
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 finally received their long-due updates last week. The changes include the incorporation of new alloy wheels, adjustable levers, refreshed switchgear, emission-related changes to their engine, a USB charger, and new colour options. Simultaneously, the prices of these bikes have received considerable increment. Click on the story link for detailed information.
2023 Bajaj Pulsar NS160, NS200 launch
Bajaj also updated its portfolio by launching the new 2023 iterations of the Pulsar NS160 and Pulsar NS200. The only change these bikes have received on the hardware is the inclusion of USD forks and Grimeca brakes in place of telescopic forks and ByBre brakes, respectively. The rest of the aspects of these bikes have remained unaltered, except for the introduction of new paint schemes and a hike in their ex-showroom prices.
To take on the ever-successful Hero Splendor Plus, Honda has rolled out its smallest commuter motorcycle yet, the Shine 100. It’s mainly targeted at tier 2 and tier 3 cities where people look for a rugged and frugal daily workhorse. It boasts a simple design, runs on a 100cc single-cylinder air-cooled motor, and rides on 17-inch alloy wheels with telescopic forks, dual springs, and drum brakes. The Honda Shine 100 is pegged at Rs 65,000.
2023 Kawasaki Z900RS, Versys 1000 launch
In the big bike segment, the 2023 Kawasaki Versys 1000 and Z900RS were the two new entrants. While the latter re-entered India after a hiatus, the former just received the ‘2023’ prefix, a new colour option, and a DC socket as standard. The Z900RS, meanwhile, is based on the Z900 street bike but boasts gorgeous retro-inspired styling. It’s priced at Rs 16.47 lakh while the bigger Versys 1000 is cheaper at Rs 12.19 lakh.
KTM’s 650cc platform under development
KTM is working on a new motorcycle platform derived from the famous 790cc parallel twin. In one of this recent interviews, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer talked about a wide range of products, but the most crucial revelation was that of a new 650cc-690cc platform which is being developed by KTM and manufactured in India by Bajaj at its Chakan plant. Get all the information on the same by clicking on the story link.
(All prices are ex-showroom)
