While the Bajaj Freedom has been stealing most of the limelight lately, a few other two-wheeler updates were also worth paying heed to. For instance, Ducati launched the world’s most single-cylinder motorcycle in India!
Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono launch
The Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono was launched in India at Rs 16.50 lakh. Its highlight is the 659cc, liquid-cooled Superquadro Mono engine. The big single makes 77.5bhp and 63Nm which earns it the title of the most powerful single-cylinder engine in the world. Ducati has also thrown in a decent set of features such as three power modes, cornering ABS, four ride modes, traction control and wheelie control.
TVS Apache RTR 160 Racing Edition launch
TVS launched the new Racing Edition of the Apache RTR 160 with a price tag of Rs. 1,28,720. That makes it the most expensive variant of the bike. Setting it apart is a matte black colour scheme with edgy red and grey streaks on the fuel tank and tail section. This is accompanied by carbon fibre, race-inspired graphics along with the Racing Edition logo. Plus, there are red alloy wheels which further accentuate its visual appeal.
Online speculations suggest that TVS is working on a CNG variant of the Jupiter 125. A project codenamed U740 is under development and is almost at the final stages. It looks like it’s a 125cc CNG scooter being built around the Jupiter 125 platform. As of now, there aren’t many details on this, but the production variant is rumoured to be launched later this year or early 2025.
A new 250cc platform is rumoured to be under development by Royal Enfield at its UK as well as India technical centre. It was in mid-2019 that the first reports about a new 250cc motorcycle from Royal Enfield surfaced. However, that project was put on hold for reasons unknown to us. Now, it looks like the company has started working on this project once again, and within a few years, we could see a 250cc bike, perhaps a Hunter, from Royal Enfield.
The curiosity around the Bajaj Freedom is profound as of now. Everywhere we went on the bike, we were bombarded with questions around the size of the CNG tank, whether it has a petrol tank, about its combined range, if it rides like a normal motorcycle, and whether it is safe. In a bid to answer these questions, we spent three days riding the bike in the city and on the highway. Click on the review link above to read about our experience.
(All prices are ex-showroom)
