Auto Expo 2023: You Can Legally Mix Alcohol And These Bikes Together

Here’s a wrap-up of all the ethanol-powered bikes seen at the auto show

As the automotive industry undergoes a paradigm shift from gas guzzlers to cleaner alternatives, many of you may think that the future is electric. Well, that might be true, but there are other options apart from electric vehicles too.

While Auto Expo 2023 did see a large number of snazzy electric bikes and swanky electric scooters, there also was a dedicated Ethanol Pavilion, which showed us that flex-fuel too stands a chance as a viable way of going green. Let’s take a quick look at all these ethanol-powered bikes.

Honda XRE300 Flex-Fuel

Seeing this dual-sport Honda bike was definitely a pleasant surprise. While it is powered by the same 291.7cc single-cylinder engine, it offers slightly better performance by producing 25.6PS and 27.4Nm. This is 1.2PS and 0.4Nm more than the standard bike, and runs on fuel with ethanol blend varying from 20-85 per cent. Check out what else this bike packs here.

TVS Apache RTR 160 4V Flex-Fuel

Think of ethanol-powered bikes, and the TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100 from 2019 immediately comes to mind. However, at Auto Expo 2023, the Hosur-based bikemaker showcased a flex-fuel Apache RTR 160 4V from Apache series which runs on a blend of 20-85 per cent ethanol. Here’s what this bike offers.

Bajaj Pulsar NS160 Flex-Fuel

This green Bajaj Pulsar NS160 can run on blended fuel with up to 85 per cent ethanol. While it gets the same 160.3cc engine, it produces 16.9PS and 14.6Nm, which is 0.3PS less than the standard bike. Head here to see more of this green Pulsar.

Yamaha Fazer FZ-15 Flex-Fuel (Brazil spec)

Team Blue too had something green to showcase at the Expo, and it was the Brazil-spec flex-fuel Fazer FZ-15 (also known as the Yamaha FZ Fi in India). This bike can run on fuel with ethanol blend varying from 20-100 per cent, and differs from the Indian-spec bike in quite a few ways. Check out all these differences here.

Suzuki Gixxer 250 FFV

A cane-juice friendly avatar of the Japanese quarter-litre naked bike, decked in vibrant shades of silver and green, clearly conveyed the Gixxer 250 flex-fuel prototype’s intention of being clean. Well, in terms of specifications, this green bike is exactly the same in every aspect as its petrol-guzzling counterpart, and runs on fuel with up to 85 percent ethanol content.

Hero Glamour Xtec Flex-Fuel

With all the big names of the Indian two-wheeler industry showcasing their ethanol-powered offerings, how could Hero MotoCorp be left behind? The brand chose its sporty 125cc commuter, the Hero Glamour Xtec, to be its torchbearer. The Glamour Xtec flex-fuel bike too is identical to the standard bike in every way, except for being one kg heavier and running on fuel with ethanol blend varying from 20-85 per cent.

All said and done, these flex-fuel bikes are a showcase of how brands are equipped to go down the flex-fuel route, which serves as the perfect middle ground between ICE vehicles and going completely electric. That said, these bikes will be viable only once flex-fuel becomes more mainstream. According to the National Policy on Biofuels, India plans on blending 20 per cent ethanol in automotive petrol by 2025.