Indian Bikes With Similar Parts And Styling: Different, But Same

We hope it wasn’t a case of “copy my homework, but make it different” for motorcycles!

Indian motorcycles have, for the longest time, been regarded as just a mode of transport. This led to very basic ‘designs’, comprising just functional panels and meters. Since the late 90s, though, motorcycle design has grown by leaps and bounds, with many distinct shapes. But some of these have unintentionally ended up being very similar. 

So here’s a list of 5 such instances, among motorcycles sold in India:

Separated At Birth?

At the outset, these two couldn’t be more different. While the TVS Raider 125 is a sporty, premium commuter, with striking looks and many first-in-class features, the Revolt RV400 is a frugal, electric motorcycle. And yet their taillights, from the composition (both are LEDs) to their angular shape, look almost exactly the same!

Imitation Or Flattery? 

The TVS Apache RTR 310 is the fifth offering from the TVS-BMW partnership. However, it’s completely different from the BMW G 310 R, its corresponding German streetfighter, which was apparent in our first ride review as well. 

But when seen from the front, the TVS bike’s resemblance to another ‘streetfighter’ – this time from Ducati – looks very clear. Not only does the RTR 310’s headlight bear a resemblance, but everything from its front panels, radiator shrouds, and even headlight cowl look like they’ve been lifted straight off the Ducati Streetfighter V2. 

That said, resemblance or not, the TVS Apache RTR 310 has the correct amount of sharp lines giving it a look that’s muscular and not polarising like, say, the KTM Duke 390. Moreover, it has many strong points, like its power-packed engine, fully adjustable suspension, and lots of first-in-class features. 

Minimalism Isn’t Without Risk 

Projector headlights aren’t a new thing; the ‘original’ Bajaj Pulsar 220 also had one. Styling them, however, isn’t easy. A way out, though, is combining them with DRLs, and giving the bike a nice ‘face’. We reckon this exact idea came to both Bajaj and Yamaha designers at the exact same time!

Now, the headlights of the Bajaj Pulsar N160 and Yamaha MT-15 V2 aren’t completely identical. The Yamaha’s headlight has some cladding and trim elements, with the angular DRLs giving it a ‘scowling’ look, in tune with Yamaha’s “Dark Side Of Japan” design theme. Meanwhile, the Bajaj bike’s headlight has a simpler, more compact overall design. And yet, if either of them approaches in the dark, it would be difficult to say which bike it is, till it passes by. 

Does ‘Hero-Honda’ Still Use Similar Parts?

We all know that Honda motorcycles entered the Indian market in the early 1980s in partnership with Hero, leading to the 'Hero Honda' brand, which stood till 2010. Another decade later, however, came two bikes with engines that were somewhat close in capacity. But an even closer resemblance was seen in their headlights.

Granted, the similarity between the headlights of the Honda Hornet 2.0 and Hero Xtreme 160R isn’t obvious, which is down to their headlight cowls. But as with the previous entry in this list, view either of these LED headlights in high beam, and it becomes quite difficult to differentiate them. 

Something Old, Something New

Right off the bat, the combination of extensive features, high-quality underpinnings, and relatively reasonable price that the Aprilia RS 457 offers, has put its rivals like the Kawasaki Ninja 500 and Yamaha R3 in a difficult spot. And we reckon that will continue to be the case till the launch of the 2025 KTM RC 390. But what does that have to do with a now-discontinued premium commuter? Well, nothing, on the ‘face’ of it; The ‘tail’light of the Honda X blade, though, looks almost identical to that of the Aprilia. 

Now, while the Honda bike’s LED design has a slightly longer middle section, the RS 457’s taillight is exactly like that of its larger-capacity siblings like the Aprilia RS 660 and Aprilia RSV4.  Besides, there is no way Honda could have imagined the resemblance when designing the X-Blade so many years ago, so we can consider this nothing but a coincidence. 

So which of these resemblances do you agree (or disagree) with the most? And are there any others that we may have missed? Tell us in the comments, so that we can bring out a ‘Part 2’ soon!