Kinetic Motoroyale Launches Three New Brands In India

FB Mondial, SWM and Norton motorcycles to be sold alongside Hyosung and MV Agusta under Motoroyale’s multi-brand dealership outlet

Kinetic seems to be heading in the same direction as Piaggio, which currently sells its sub-brands like Vespa, Aprilia and Moto Guzzi under one roof called the ‘Motoplex’. This will help Kinetic tap into different market segments without having to open different dealerships for specific brands. Under the multi-brand dealership christened ‘Motoroyale’, Kinetic will sell bikes from SWM Motorcycles, FB Mondial, Norton, Hyosung and Italian exotics from MV Agusta, which are already on sale.

Norton Commando 961

Motoroyale launched the limited-edition variant of the Norton Commando 961 Sport and the Dominator in India. The bikes are exclusively made for India and are limited to 37 units (19 Commandos and 18 Dominators). This limited edition version of the two bikes feature the customer's name embossed on the motorcycke and a special number allocated to them. The Commando gets a hand-painted British flag on the fuel tank while the Dominator comes with an aluminium tank. Motoroyale has priced the Commando at Rs 20.99 lakh and the Dominator ar Rs 23.7 lakh (both ex-showroom, pan-India).

Powering the Norton Commando is a 961cc, parallel-twin engine which produces 80PS of power and 90Nm of torque. It is mated to a 5-speed transmission.

The bikes employ a double-downtube frame with 43mm Ohlins USD fork at the front, which comes with preload, compression and rebound adjustability. At the rear, the Commando gets twin 36mm Ohlins TTX shocks with adjustable ride height, preload and compression, while the Dominator uses an Ohlins fully-adjustable monoshock. Braking duties are handled by twin 320mm disc coupled with four-piston Brembo calipers and a single 220mm disc with Brembo twin-piston caliper at the rear.

These bikes go up against the BMW R nineT (Rs 17.45 lakh) and the Triumph Thruxton R (Rs 10.09 lakh).

SWM Superdual T

SWM Motorcycles maybe a relatively unknown brand in India. However, it has a vast portfolio of classics, supermoto, enduro and ADVs, one of which is the 600cc adventure bike named Superdual T, which has been launched In India. It’s priced at Rs 6.8 lakh for the base variant and 7.3 lakh for the fully tricked out version. The Superdual T is more road-biased while the Superdual X, which is offered in various international markets, is an off-road variant.

The surprisingly light (165kg dry) adventure tourer uses a Husqvarna-sourced 600cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor as its heart. It pumps out 57.10PS of power and 53.5Nm of torque.

As for features, the bikes comes equipped with a tall windscreen, full-digital instrument console and dual-channel ABS. Additionally, the dual-purpose bike comes with long-travel suspension, dual-purpose tyres and fitment points for hard panniers.

The bike uses a double-cradle frame as its chassis and is paired with 45mm USD forks in the front with rebound adjustability. The rear gets a fully adjustable monoshock. A single 300mm disc at the front and a 200mm disc at the rear take care of braking duties, with dual-channel ABS as standard. It’s 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel come wrapped in dual purpose tyres. Fuel tank capacity stands at 19 litres, which is on par with its competition. However, its tall seat height of 898mm might be an issue for short riders.

It goes up against the likes of the Kawasaki Versys 650 (Rs 6.69 lakh), Suzuki V-Strom 650XT (Rs 7.46 lakh) and the upcoming Benelli TRK 502 (expected price Rs 5 lakh).

FB Mondial HPS 300

FB Mondial has launched the HPS 300 which, oddly enough, houses a 250cc motor. The 249cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor churns out 25PS of power and a peak torque of 22Nm, mated to a 6-speed gearbox.

The HPS 300 reminds one of cafe racers and scramblers as it manages to strike the right balance between the two. It features a single offset-mounted circular digital pod, a scrambler-type exhaust, an engine cowl and knobby tyres.

In terms of mechanicals, the HPS 300 gets 41mm upside-down forks at the front and twin gas charged shocks at the rear. Anchoring the bike is a single 280mm front and 220mm rear discs, which come with dual-channel ABS as standard. The HPS 300 gets 18-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels, which come shod with 100 section front and 130 section rear knobby tyres.

The FB Mondial HPS 300 priced at Rs 3.37 lakh and competes against the Cleveland Misfit (Rs 2.49 lakh), BMW G 310 R (2.99 lakh) and the KTM 390 Duke (Rs 2.42 lakh).

Hyosung Aquila Pro 650

After parting ways with DSK Group, the South Korean motorcycle manufacturer has teamed up with Kinetic and intends to continue operations in India.

The manufacturer has re-launched the mid-displacement power cruiser, Hyosung GV 650 ABS at Rs 5.55 lakh. It’s powered by a 674cc, liquid-cooled, 90 degree V-twin engine that makes 75.02PS at 9000rpm and 62.1 Nm of torque at 7500rpm. It comes mated to a 5-speed transmission.

Under the skin, the bike uses a perimeter cradle frame suspended from conventional telescopic forks up front and a twin shock absorber setup at the rear. Braking duties are handled by a twin 300mm discs coupled with four-piston calipers at the front and a single 270mm disc mated to a twin-piston caliper at the rear. Dual-channel ABS now comes as standard.

The GV 650 goes up against the likes of the Harley-Davidson Street 750 (Rs 5.86 lakh), Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 (both expected to be priced below Rs 3 lakh).

Hyosung also showcased its quarter-litre sports bike, the GT250R priced at Rs 3.38 lakh. It’s essentially the same 249cc, twin-cylinder motor that churns out 28Ps of power and 22.07Nm of torque. It will compete with the Yamaha R3, Kawasaki Ninja 300, Benelli 302R and the KTM RC 390.

MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR

This Italian masterpiece on wheels has been officially launched in India at Rs 18.99 lakh. The MV Agusta Brutale 800 RR competes against the Triumph Street Triple RS (11.13 lakh) Kawasaki Z 1000 R (Rs 16.10lakh), Ducati Monster 1200 (20.10 lakh). Granted, the Brutale is an 800cc Super Naked but its power output and price point has it competing with bikes way above its weight category.

The bike is draped with the perfect blend of red over black and houses a much more powerful inline-three motor when compared to the standard engine that powers the MV Agusta Brutale 800, which is priced at Rs 15.59 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, pan India).

The 798cc, inline-three, liquid-cooled mill now produces 142PS of power at 12,300rpm and 87Nm of peak torque at 10,100rpm. It comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox that’s assisted by a quick-shifter for clutchless up and down shifts. Alongside the power bump, the Brutale 800 RR also features a couple of electronic aids that helps keep the bike sane. What you get is a ride-by-wire throttle, four different rider modes and an 8-level adjustable traction control system. Additionally, the Brutale 800RR receives an 8-way manually adjustable steering damper.

In terms of mechanicals, it uses a tubular steel trellis frame with Marzocchi upside-down forks up front with preload and rebound-compression damping adjustments. The rear features a Sachs monoshock with full adjustability. Anchoring the bike are twin 320mm disc coupled with Brembo four-piston calipers at the front and a single 220mm Brembo disc brake at the rear.