The two-wheeler industry, like always, witnessed a lot of buzz in the last week. Besides the bike launches, Honda Racing India’s big announcements and the hike in two-wheeler insurance cost grabbed our attention the most. There were more equally interesting stories in the last week and here’s a quick round-up, just in case you missed them.
Honda unveils NSF250R race bike
Honda has a several major plans related to its motorsports division in India which the company recently shared with us at an event in Chennai. Besides the strategies for the upcoming racing events, what grabbed our attention the most was the unveiling of the company’s NSF250R Moto3 bike and the announcement of a race event dedicated to this motorcycle. From the last year’s Talent Hunt, Honda had selected eight riders who will be getting down into the NSF250R Talent Cup 2019 and a few of them will be further trained to compete in the international-level Moto3 races.
Two-wheeler insurance rates to increase
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) recently increased the third-party insurance cover for most of the motorcycles and scooters in India. Effective from 16 June 2019, the hike in the premium has been set differently for each segment of two-wheelers. The highest increase in the cost has been observed in the150cc to 350cc segment which has received a hike of 21.11 per cent. Notably, motorcycles with over 350cc powerplant have seen no increase in the insurance cost. You can read the detailed report here.
Bajaj Platina 110 H Gear launched
Bajaj has launched the Platina 110 H Gear in India. The motorcycle is priced at Rs 53, 376 (drum brake) and Rs 55,373 (front disc) which is a hike of Rs 2,624 and Rs 4,621 over the standard Platina 110. For the premium, the motorcycle offers a five-speed gearbox (the standard bike gets four gears) along with an updated semi-instrument cluster which features ‘Gear Shift Guide’, besides other information. Bookings for the motorcycle have commenced while deliveries are expected to begin soon.
Vespa Urban Club launched
Vespa expanded its portfolio by launching the Urban Club 125, a model based on the Vespa Notte. It comes in four snazzy colour options which include Azzurro Provenza, Maze Grey, Glossy Yellow and Glossy Red. While it retains the traditional retro design, the blacked-out, mirrors, grab rail, wheels and brake levers give a modern touch. Meanwhile, the scooter remains similar to the Vespa Notte in terms engine and cycle parts. Vespa has priced the Urban Club 125 at Rs 72,190 (ex-showroom, Pune).
KTM 125 Duke price hiked again
KTM has increased the price of its entry-level offering for the third time sinsce its launch. Due to the soaring manufacturing cost, the 125 Duke has become dearer by Rs 5,000 and now it retails at Rs 1.30 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The motorcycle has been raking in good numbers, outperforming all its bigger siblings in terms of sales. Now, whether the sales dwindle, or the baby Duke stands its ground, it remains to be seen.
Yamaha MT-15 three new colours
Yamaha’s newest offering, the MT-15, is officially available in two colour schemes – full black and matte blue with yellow highlights. However, the naked version of the R15 V3 was recently spotted in three new colour options which is perhaps being offered by only a few dealers. These new shades include red, white and blue (glossy) which look funkier than the colours available officially. There are no other changes to the motorcycle, and it remains to be sold at Rs 1.36 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).
