Your weekly dose of bike updates: Benelli TRK 502, 2019 Honda CBR650R, 2019 Yamaha MT-09

While most of the Indian two-wheeler manufacturers remained calm last week, Benelli was the brand which stole all the limelight. It not only launched its new adventure tourer but also revealed its future plans for the Indian market. Meanwhile, Honda also created quite a stir amongst the enthusiasts. With no further ado, let’s take a brief look at the stories from last week which are worth recollecting.

Benelli TRK 502 and TRK 502X launch

Benelli launched its adventure tourer models, the TRK 502 and TRK 502X, in India. While the former is a road-biased version, priced at Rs 5 lakhs, the latter is its adventure iteration which costs Rs 5.40 lakhs. The prices are introductory and online bookings have commenced at a token amount of Rs 10,000. Both bikes are powered by a 500cc, parallel-twin engine that churns out 47bhp and 45Nm. They feature a 20-litre fuel tank and the wet weight stands at 210 kg. The Benelli TRK 502 competes against the Kawasaki Versys 650 while the TRK 502X goes up against the Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT and the SWM Superdual T. 

2019 Honda CBR650R bookings open

The pictures of the 2019 Honda CBR650R got us on the edge of our seats. Now, to the delight of the enthusiasts, Honda announced the commencement of its bookings and imminent launch. The CBR650R can be booked at Rs 15,000 from one of the Honda’s 22 Wing World dealerships across India. The pricing of the bike has not been announced yet but Honda confirmed that it will be under Rs 8 lakhs. The CBR650R will replace the CBR650F in India while taking things on the sportier side in all aspects. Powered by a 649cc, inline-four motor that churns out 98bhp and 68Nm, it will lock horns with the Kawasaki Ninja 650 in terms of displacement and styling. 

2019 Yamaha MT-09 launch

Yamaha launched the 2019 MT-09 naked streetfighter in India. Priced at Rs 10.55 lakhs, it has become costlier by Rs 16,000 over the previous version. For 2019, it has received a new colour option of white and red which will accompany the already-existing blue/black and full black trims. The 2019 Yamaha MT-09 is powered by the same 847cc, inline three-cylinder engine that pumps out 111bhp and 87.5Nm of torque. The electronic wizardry includes traction control, ABS and three riding modes. In India, it faces competition from the Triumph Street Triple 765, Ducati Monster 821 and Kawasaki Z900.

Benelli to introduce five bikes and 40 dealerships this year

Benelli has restarted its operations in India after a short hiatus and now, the company is planning to go aggressive with its expansion plan in our country. Apart from launching its adventure tourers, the TRK 502 and 502X, Benelli announced that it will introduce five more bike this year. We suspect these might be the Leoncino 500, Leoncino Trail 500, 752S and updated models of the current bikes such as the TNT 600i and TNT 300. Meanwhile, Benelli is also gearing up to expand its dealership network from the current 12 to 40 more showrooms by the end of 2019. 

Suzuki Access 125 beats TVS Jupiter in sales

The first month of 2019 saw a major transition in scooter sales in India. The Suzuki Access 125 seized the second spot from the TVS Jupiter in the list of highest selling scooters in January. While Suzuki sold 54,524 units of the Access 125, TVS managed to fetch 51,300 customers for the Jupiter which is a difference of 3,224 units. This can be attributed to the shift in preference of buyers which is now inclined more towards 125cc scooters. Meanwhile, Honda Activa continues to lead the parade with the sale of 2.13 lakh units. However, this is a drop of 12.5 per cent as compared to January 2018 when Honda sold 2.43 lakh Activas.