The last week was as exciting for the Indian two-wheeler market as it could get. We witnessed back-to-back launches of new motorcycles, some of them being highly anticipated ones. If you’re still unaware of them, let’s give you a quick lowdown.
Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 launch
Royal Enfield took the wraps off the Shotgun 650 in India and priced it between Rs. 3.59 lakh to Rs. 3.73 lakh. The motorcycle is available in three variants - Custom Shed, Custom Pro, and Custom Special. It is positioned between the Super Meteor 650 and the Continental GT 650 in Royal Enfield’s scheme of things. Although it is underpinned by the same chassis as the SM650, it features slightly different bodywork to complement the bobber-like styling of the bike.
JawaYezdi Motorcycles introduced the new Jawa 350 in India with a price tag of Rs. 2.15 lakh. It is a heavily revised version of the Jawa Standard and demands a premium of close to Rs. 12,000. The biggest change received by the motorcycle is the replacement of the smaller 294cc engine with a larger 334cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder mill which produces 22bhp and 28.2Nm of peak torque. This unit comes mated to a six-speed gearbox along with an assist and slipper clutch.
2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 launch
Husqvarna dropped the 2024 Svartpilen 401 on our shores. The Swedish scrambler has undergone quite a few updates in its latest generation. On the design front, the new Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 carries the same rugged appearance but with subtle tweaks. Powering the bike is a 398.6cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine and it makes 46bhp at 9,000rpm and 39Nm at 7,000rpm. Feature list is interesting with things like a ride-by-wire, traction control, Supermoto ABS, a five-inch TFT with optional smartphone connectivity, and a type-C charging port.
2024 Husqvarna Vitpilen 250 launch
Husqvarna also launched the 2024 Vitpilen 250 in India at Rs. 2.19 lakh. It is based on the new KTM 250 Duke and shares the same frame and suspension as well as the engine. Powering it is a 249.07cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes 30.57bhp at 9,500rpm and 25Nm at 7500rpm. The engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox. With the new bike, Husqvarna has managed to increase the ground clearance by 25mm to 177mm while are significant improvements to the riding position as well.
Honda launched the NX500 adventure tourer, the successor to the CB500X, at Rs. 5.90 lakh. This, however, is the introductory price and Honda is expected to raise the price after a few months. The NX500 is the only middleweight adventure tourer in Honda’s Indian portfolio, following the discontinuation of the CB500X. A look at the specifications of the Honda NX500 shows that the bike gets a 471cc, parallel-twin engine that produces 47bhp at 8,600rpm and 43Nm at 6,500rpm. It gets a six-speed gearbox with an assist/slipper clutch.
(All prices are ex-showroom)
