5 Upcoming Sporty Motorcycles For Rs 4 Lakh And Under

We round up five upcoming powerful, value for money bikes in India!

The budget performance motorcycle segment in India received a shot of adrenaline after Austrian manufacturer KTM entered the market. It wasn’t surprising considering the fact that its bikes had explosive power and top-class underpinnings with a very competitive price tag. Now, a number of manufacturers are vying to rule this segment with a multitude of products. Let’s take a look at some of the highly anticipated ones that are set to be launched in the country in the near future.

Royal Enfield 650 Twins:

Royal Enfield will be launching the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 by the end of this year. The 650 Twins will be its first products that are capable of effortlessly sustaining triple digit speeds. However, the cult bike manufacturer intends to launch it in the UK before offering it here, which is likely to happen early next year. The Interceptor 650 is more touring-friendly than the Continental GT 650. But the latter is set to be the most affordable cafe racer in the country as it will be positioned below the Triumph Thruxton R.

Both the motorcycles draw power from a 648cc, parallel-twin motor that’s air-cooled with oil cooler. Mated to a 6-speed transmission with slip assist clutch, the motor generates 47.7PS at 7100rpm and 52Nm at 5200rpm. Interestingly, the redline is just 400rpm more than where the peak power is generated. However, the peak torque arrives much earlier. Expect the two motorcycles to be priced between Rs 3 lakh anf Rs 3.5 lakh.

Benelli 402S:

Benelli is set to launch the 402S early next year. The Italian bike manufacturer unveiled the power cruiser at the 2017 EICMA show in Milan, Italy. It bears a very uncanny resemblance to the Ducati Diavel. When launched, it will go up against the Bajaj Dominar 400, which is currently the only power cruiser in its segment. At its heart is a 399cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected motor that churns out 40PS at 9000rpm and 35Nm at 7500rpm.

The 402S promises to be comfortable enough for long rides, while the 16-litre fuel tank should ensure you go the distance. With a dry weight of 160kg, it is one of the lightest bikes from Benelli and should be reasonably flickable as well. The front and rear petal discs feature ABS as standard for optium braking performance and safety. Expect Benelli to launch this motorcycle at around Rs 4 lakh, ex-showroom.

Kawasaki Z400:

Last month, Kawasaki filed emission reports with the California Air Resources Board for two of its bikes, the Ninja 400 and ER400DK. The latter could be a codename for the Z400 since ‘ER’ is used to denote the brand’s naked bike range, while ‘K’ refers to the model year 2019. The Z400 will essentially be the naked version of Ninja 400.

That means it is likely to feature the same 49PS, 38Nm 399cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled motor. Since it does away with the fairing, expect the bike to be reasonably lighter than the Ninja 400, which weighs 173kg (kerb). The lighter weight should translate to better handling as well. We expect Kawasaki to localise the motorcycle heavily and launch in the country at an ex-showroom price of Rs 4 lakh. When launched, The Z400 is set to be the most powerful naked motorcycle in its segment. However, the KTM 390 Duke is likely to have a higher power-to-weight ratio thanks to its lighter weight of just 149kg (dry).

Husqvarna Vitpilen & Svartpilen 401:

Bajaj-KTM’s ambitious project of bringing in the Swedish brand Husqvarna to India is expected to happen sometime next year. Two of its products, the Vitpilen 401 and the Svartpilen 401 will debut first, and were recently spotted testing in Pune. The motorcycles are based on KTM’s popular street naked, the 390 Duke. While power and torque figures are the same as the Austrian hooligan, the USP of this motorcycle is its styling. Both bikes have minimalistic yet elegantly done design elements. The Vitpilen 401 is essentially a cafe racer with clip-ons, a sporty riding position and road-biased tyres, while the Svartpilen takes the Scrambler route with its braced handlebars, slightly upright ergonomics and knobbies. The two motorcycles are expected to be positioned as a more premium offering compared to the KTM, both in terms of marketing as well as pricing.

They get an all-LED lighting system, standard dual-channel switchable ABS, WP inverted front forks, rear WP monoshock and a multifunction digital console too. The bikes will be manufactured at Bajaj’s Chakan plant in Pune. As far as the specs go, the only Achilles’ heel seems to be the small 9.5-litre fuel tank.