Top Five Value-for-money Motorcycles Up to 400cc In India

We list down the best bang for your buck bikes segment wise up to 400cc

In a price sensitive market like India, value for money means everything. But, with an ever-growing two-wheeler market like ours and a plethora of options to choose from, decision making can get a bit confusing. Hence, we're listed down the top five bikes each from different segments that offer the best return on investment, starting from the smaller capacity motorcycles.

Up to 125cc - Bajaj Discover 125 

Priced at Rs 57,165 and 59,488 for the drum variant and disk variant respectively, the Bajaj Discover 125 is an exceptional value-for-money proposition. It’s the only 125cc motorcycles in its segment that compete at a price range of a 110cc bike. You also get a bigger 124.6cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled motor that generates 11PS of power at 8,000rpm and a peak torque of 10.8Nm at 5,500rpm. On the feature front, the Discover 125 gets LED DRL’s, alloy wheels and an optional front disc brake.

Up to 150cc - Yamaha R15 V3.0 

The third-gen R15 perfectly blends the riding dynamics and performance from the first and second-gen R15 to offer a bike that's advanced in every way. It features a design language that’s inspired by its elder siblings, the R6 and R1. The new gen R15 also gets a set of LED headlights and taillights, an all-digital instrument console with a gear indicator and a USB connector.

It draws power from a new 154.9cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor that makes 19.30PS and 15 Nm of torque, which is in the same ballpark as some of the bigger 200cc motorcycles in the market. It also gets a slipper clutch actuated 6-speed transmission. And if that isn’t enough, the R15 V3’s engine also gets Variable Valve Action (VVA), which improves lower end performance and top end grunt. A piece of tech that is otherwise seen in select litre-class sports bikes like the GSX-R1000R.

Up to 200cc - TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 

The Apache series has always been the go-to bike for enthusiasts looking at a sporty commuter at an affordable price point. Moreover, TVS has taken its learnings from the track and incorporated it into its road bikes, which make them so much more enjoyable to ride. To add perspective, the Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 comes equipped with an 'A-RT Slipper Clutch', which reduces clutch lever effort by 22 per cent and negates wheel hops during hard downshifts, higher footpegs which increase lean angle and dual-channel ABS which is a segment first.

The motor which comes in two versions - carburetted and fuel injected is essentially a 197.75cc motor that gets a ram-air assist. The extra inflow of air reduces the engine heat may by 10 degrees. The fuel-injected variant makes 21PS of power which is slightly more than the carburetted variant which makes 20.5PS. Both produce the same amount of torque which stands at 18Nm and come mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

The front and rear suspension setup from KYB has been race-tuned to provide track-focused performance. While the stock Remora tyres perform decently well, TVS offers stickier Pirelli tyres as an option. Dual-channel ABS is only offered in RTR 200 4V ABS R 2.0 variant.

Price -

ABS - Rs 1,10,805

Fi - Rs 1,09,705

Carb - Rs 97,005

Up to 300cc - Kawasaki Ninja 300 

With a sub 3 lakh price tag, the Ninja 300 is the most affordable twin cylinder motorcycles in the Indian market. The bike which was originally priced at Rs 3.6 lakhs (ex-showroom) recently received a massive price drop (Rs 62,000) owing to heavy localization of the motorcycle in India. To put things into perspective, the Japanese manufacturer has localized the bikes body panels, wheels and tyres which has helped curb costs, however, the chassis and engine are still from Thailand. And, that’s not a bad thing.

Speaking of the powertrain, the bike gets a 296cc, liquid cooled, parallel-twin engine that has a peak power output of 39PS at 11,000rpm and 27Nm of torque at 10,000rpm. It comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox with a slip-and-assist clutch. Fuel-tank capacity stands at 17 litres.

The Ninja 300 now gets 110/70 front and 140/70 rear MRF Zappers which are much grippier than the original IRC tyres the bike came with. On the downside though, it still misses out on ABS.

Price - Rs 2.98 lakh

Up to 400 - KTM 390 Duke 

The KTM 390 Duke has always been a power packed performer offered at a price that won't burn a hole in your pocket. And, at a price of just Rs 2.42 lakhs (All prices, ex-showroom Delhi) the second-gen Duke 390 brings a lot more to the table without compromising on its value-for-money proposition. As for the bike, it features an all-new design, a digital TFT LCD instrument console with smartphone connectivity, ride-by-wire for sharper throttle response, adjustable levers, a new all-LED headlamp and tail light and a side mounted exhaust.

Powering the bike is a BSIV-compliant 379.2cc, single-cylinder motor which gets liquid cooling. It's good to produce 43.5PS of power at 9000rpm and a peak torque of 37Nm at 7000rpm. The bike gets a 6-speed transmission assisted by a slipper clutch. Additionally, the second-gen 390 Duke gets a slightly larger fuel-tank capacity of 13.4litres.

It gets a cartridge type suspension which has compression on one side and rebound on the other. This essentially makes the bike more compliant at low speeds but still gives you sporty handling that you would expect from a Duke.

If that’s not enough, the KTM 390 Duke also features a 3-stage Bosch ABS unit - ABS On, ABS Off and, wait for it, the Supermoto mode, which turns off ABS at the rear wheel and lets you slide the rear.