The last week stayed deprived of two-wheeler launches but that did not make it any less interesting. Thanks to a few spy shots and the announcement of Union Budget 2019, we were hooked on to our keyboards to report every update, major or minor. Some of these stories are worth a second read and here’s a quick round up of them.
Royal Enfield 250cc bike in the works
While we were busy ogling at the spy shots of the next-gen Classic 350, a report of Royal Enfield working on a 250cc motorcycle emerged recently. In order to tackle the declining sales and having a presence in a more affordable segment, the Chennai-based bikemaker is likely to be working on an all-new 250cc platform. The company is currently carrying out market research for this model and we believe it will make its debut by 2022.
2019 Suzuki Gixxer 155 spotted
The 2019 Suzuki Gixxer 155 was spotted once again with the pictures giving us a better insight this time. The Japanese bikemaker has given the motorcycle a major makeover. The redesigned headlamp now houses LED lights while the fuel tank and extensions look more muscular on the new version. While it gets a naked styling, the motorcycle shares its cycle parts and powerplant with the already-launched 2019 Gixxer SF 155. Expect the 2019 Gixxer 155 to be introduced in the next few weeks.
New 2020 Benelli TNT 600i spotted
The 2020 Benelli TNT 600i was recently spotted in China. The spy images revealed that the naked streetbike is set to receive a major overhaul after being the same since it was first launched in 2012. While the motorcycle looks more compact now, the instrument cluster has also been updated into a TFT unit. Although it remains the same mechanically, Benelli will upgrade the engine in order to make it Euro 5-compliant.
After launching the Platina 110 H-Gear, Bajaj is all set to introduce the CT110 in its commuter portfolio. The motorcycle sits between the CT100 and the Platina 100 with a starting price of Rs 37,997 for the kick-start model and Rs 44,352 for the electric-start variant. The CT110 was recently spied which revealed various cosmetic changes that differentiate it from the CT100. However, the most significant change comes in the form of its 115cc, air-cooled, DTS-i motor which does duty on the Platina 110 as well. This powerplant is mated to a four-speed gearbox and produces 8.6bhp and 9.81Nm.
Government increases excise duty on fuel
While the prices of fuel are already bothersome, they are set to soar higher after the recent announcement of Union Budget 2019. As conveyed by the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, both petrol and diesel prices will attract additional excise duty of Re 1 per litre. Before the application of the additional tax, the excise duty on petrol was Rs 17.98 per litre while on diesel it was Rs 13.83 per litre.
GST on electric two-wheelers reduced
The increased excise duty of on the fuel prices attracted scornful reactions. However, the reduction in GST rate on e-vehicles sounded in favour of electric-bound future of mobility. During her Union Budget 2019 speech, Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the GST on electric vehicles has been reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per cent. What’s more, the government has also decided to deduct the income tax by Rs 1.5 lakh on interest paid on the loans taken to purchase EVs.
Yamaha YZF-R15S and Fazer V2.0 discontinued
Yamaha has discontinued two models from its portfolio in India which include the YZF-R15S and the Fazer V2.0. Both the motorcycles were victims of low demand and dwindling sales figures. The move was expected as the Japanese bikemaker skipped updating both these motorcycles with mandatory ABS setup even after the deadline of 1 April had passed. Yamaha’s 150cc line-up now has four motorcycles including the MT-15, FZ-Fi, FZS-Fi and the SZ-RR.
