250cc-300cc Aprilia India-bound!

Piaggio MD reveals Aprilia’s plans to launch a motorcycle in this displacement range 

• Aprilia had earlier showcased the RS 150 and the Tuono 150 at the 2018 Auto Expo.
• However, with the Indian performance two-wheeler market moving towards a higher displacement, the brand figured it doesn’t make sense to launch products in the 150cc segment.
• Hence, the brand now reportedly plans to launch bikes in the 250cc-300cc range.
• Aprilia’s parent company Piaggio also plans to launch an India-specific Vespa in the future.

Piaggio's Managing Director Diego Graffi has revealed that its daughter brand Aprilia is shying away from the 150cc motorcycle segment and will instead launch bikes in the 250cc-300cc category. This comes on the back of the Indian performance motorcycling segment moving towards a higher displacement. Hence, launching a 150cc motorcycle at this point may not be a sound business idea. 

Speaking to a media house, Graffi added that the brand will take some time to launch the bikes. So, expect Aprilia to launch the bikes only by early-2021. That said, Aprilia could unveil the concept version at the 2020 Auto Expo in February. As far as the pricing is concerned, Aprilia may want to retain its premium quotient in the segment and may price the bikes slightly north of Rs 2 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Considering the sporty demeanour of almost all of Aprilia’s products, the upcoming motorcycles are likely to carry either the RS or the Tuono moniker. Even though the mid-capacity segment is predominantly ruled by Royal Enfield, the upcoming bikes from Aprilia will cater to a different set of audience, particularly those who crave performance and premium-ness. Expect the upcoming bikes to feature a modern liquid-cooled engine and premium underpinnings such as inverted fork, monoshock, and disc brakes with dual-channel ABS as standard. 

The upcoming Aprilia motorcycles will certainly be a notch above the current crop of 250s in the country. Expect the performance levels as well as the fit and finish of the upcoming bikes akin to the Honda CB300R. That said, the motorcycle is likely to be manufactured in India, presumably at Aprilia’s plant in Baramati, Maharashtra. 

Since the upcoming bikes will be premium, performance-packed offerings, they will compete against the KTM 250 Duke, Honda CB300R, BMW G 310 R and the TVS Apache RR 310. Additionally, Piaggio is also reportedly working on an India-specific Vespa scooter, which is scheduled to be launched in the next financial year. While details are scarce at the moment, Piaggio is likely to launch the scooter in mid- to late-2020.

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