Keeway Enters India With 250cc V-twin Cruiser And 2 Scooters

The Hungarian bikemaker has brought in the Keeway K-Light 250V cruiser, Vieste 300 maxi-scooter and the Sixties 300i retro scooter

• The Keeway K-Light 250V gets a 249cc air-cooled V-twin engine making 18.9PS and 19Nm. 
• On the other hand, the Vieste 300 and the Sixties 300i share a 278.2cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine good for 18.9PS and 22Nm.
• Bookings are open at Rs 10,000 for all the three two-wheelers.

Keeway, a bikemaker founded in Hungary and currently owned by Chinese company Zhejiang Qianjiang Motors (that also owns Benelli) has entered the Indian market with not one but three products. The company has introduced the Keeway K-Light 250V cruiser; Keeway Vieste 300 maxi-scooter, and the Keeway Sixties 300i retro scooter. Bookings are open for all the three at Rs 10,000. Pricing for all the three will be revealed next week, and deliveries will commence next month. It will be available in 45 cities initially, and the dealerships will be expanded to 100 outlets by next year.

Keeway K-Light 250V:

The Keeway K-Light 250V is the only V-twin powered small capacity cruiser in the country at the moment. Its design is reminiscent of the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob, although the design could’ve been more coherent. As expected from a typical cruiser, it gets laid-back ergonomics, complete with a wide drag-style handlebar and an accessible 715mm split seat setup. The lighting system is all-LED and the bike gets a tank-mounted semi-digital instrument cluster with a gear position indicator. It also gets dual-channel ABS and a massive 20-litre fuel tank. 

• Check out Royal Enfield Classic 350 price here
• Upcoming Yamaha bikes in India
• These Newly Launched Cafe Racers Resemble The BMW R nineT Racer

Powering the cruiser is a 249cc 4-valve air-cooled V-twin engine churning out a mediocre 18.9PS at 8500rpm and 19Nm at 5500rpm, linked to a belt drive. The twin upswept vertically stacked exhausts look very much like the ones on the Fat Bob. The engine nestles inside a double cradle frame linked to an inverted fork up front and twin rear shock absorbers. Braking is via discs at both ends. The motorcycle rolls on 16-inch alloys at both ends, and at 179kg, is fairly heavy too. It also gets a reasonable 160mm ground clearance.

Keeway Vieste 300 and Sixties 300i:

The Keeway Vieste 300 (sold as the Keeway GT270 abroad) looks every bit the quintessential European maxi-scooter replete with a long wheelbase and muscular styling with a central spine on the floorboard. Living up to its maxi-scooter genes, it gets premium quad-LED projector headlights, all-LED indicators and taillight, semi-digital instrument cluster with the brand’s connectivity system called Keeway Connect, and keyless operation. On the other hand, the Keeway Sixties 300i is reminiscent of the Peugeot Django, with a swanky retro styling, all-LED lighting with a boxy headlight design, grill-like element on the apron, and an analogue instrument cluster with a digital inset.

The two scooters share a 278.2cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine which makes 18.9PS at 6500rpm and 22Nm at 6000rpm. The Vieste 300 rolls on larger 13-inch wheels whereas the Sixties 300i gets 12-inch wheels. Underpinnings for both include a telescopic front fork, dual rear shock absorbers, and disc brakes at both ends. Interestingly, both scooters have the fuel filler cap mounted on the floorboard/central spine. 

The Keeway K-Light 250V is the only quarter-litre cruiser in the country, and the closest rival will be the Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220. The Keeway Vieste 300 also does not have a direct rival, although the Yamaha Aerox 155 comes close, albeit in a lower segment. Lastly, the Keeway Sixties 300i will be a bigger, more premium alternative to the 150cc Vespa SXL and VXL range, and is in fact the most powerful retro scooter in the country. 

While the scooters seem to be striking and feature-packed, it all boils down to the pricing and dealership reach for Keeway, if the brand has to make a sizeable dent in the market. That said, it will still command a premium, with the scooters likely to cost around Rs 2.3 lakh- Rs 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom). The V-twin cruiser could command a premium pricing of around Rs 2.6 lakh (ex-showroom). This would make it dearer than most of the bikes from Royal Enfield, Jawa as well as Yezdi.