While most of the major manufacturers have shut operations due to the spread of Coronavirus, the last week still witnessed a host of noteworthy happenings in the two-wheeler industry. If you were busy reading only Corona-related news during the last six days, here’s a quick round up of the important two-wheeler updates.
BS6 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, Continental GT 650 launched
Royal Enfield launched the BS6-compliant versions of its flagship models, the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, in India. Following the BS6-bound updates, both bikes have witnessed a price hike of around Rs 9,000. They have also started arriving at dealerships while select dealers have commenced deliveries of the bikes. Royal Enfield recently announced that it has cleared its entire BS4 inventory ahead of the 1 April 2020 deadline and the bikes available in showrooms are all BS6.
Benelli Imperiale 400 BS6 launching next month
Despite temporarily shutting down operations due to COVID-19 pandemic, Benelli plants to start rolling out BS6 models from April. The first motorcycle to receive the update will be its modern-classic offering, the Imperiale 400. Keeping it unchanged in terms of styling, features and cycle parts, Benelli is likely to update only the engine. The motorcycle competes against the highly popular Royal Enfield Classic 350 and retails at Rs 1.79 lakh. The BS6 model of the Imperiale 400 will be slightly more expensive that its BS4 counterpart.
Hero Xtreme 160R listed on official website
Hero MotoCorp has listed the Xtreme 160R on its official website hinting at its imminent launch. The company had unveiled the motorcycle in February when it hosted a grand launch of multiple BS6 offerings. The Xtreme 160R draws styling inspiration from the Xtreme 1.R concept which was unveiled at the 2019 EICMA show in Milan. It features a 160cc, fuel-injected engine and gets modern features such as full-LED lighting and fully-digital instrument cluster. Expected to be priced around Rs 90,000, it will go up against the Suzuki Gixxer, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V and the Yamaha FZ V3.
Hero XPluse 200 BS4 available with attractive offers
In an attempt to clear out the remaining BS4 stock of the XPulse 200, Hero MotoCorp dealers are offering as much as Rs 12,500 cash discount on its ex-showroom price. The motorcycle costs Rs 99,500 (carbureted) and Rs 1.07 lakh (fuel-injected). With the launch of the BS6 model, the price of the XPulse 200 is likely to increase by Rs 8,000. Besides the alterations in the engine for more constrained emissions, the motorcycle will remain as it is.
Major brands suspend operations due to COVID-19 pandemic
The ongoing Coronavirus outbreak across the globe has disrupted operations of various two-wheeler manufacturers. As directed by the government, the companies have temporarily shut down their dealerships and suspended production facilities as it is important for everyone to maintain social distance in order to bring the pandemic under control. The list of two-wheeler brands which have halted operations include Ducati, Hero MotoCorp, Jawa, Yamaha, Suzuki, TVS, Benelli and Harley-Davidson.
(All prices are ex-showroom)
