UM Motorcycles To Launch New Bikes By Early 2018

The upcoming bikes are a scrambler and a cafe racer, both based on the Renegade, and a dual-purpose motorcycle

UM Motorcycles recently launched the Renegade Classic and Renegade Commando Mojave in the country. At the launch, we had a word with some senior UM officials who confirmed plans to bring in three bikes by the 2018 Auto Expo. Of these two bikes, the scrambler and the cafe racer will be based on the Renegade series. The third bike will be a new dual-purpose motorcycle.

UM is working on a scrambler version based on the Renegade cruisers currently sold here. The bike will use the Renegade frame which is expected to be strengthened for off-road use. It is expected to get long-travel front forks and twin gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear. Other scrambler bits like a high-mounted exhaust, flat seats and underbody bash plates should make their way to the new motorcycle. The bike is expected to come with spoked wheels and dual-purpose tyres with a larger diameter front wheel. The upcoming scrambler motorcycle will make its world debut at the 2017 EICMA motorcycle show later this year.

The cafe racer is expected to get clip-on handlebars and a detachable pillion seat hump. Suspension travel is expected to be less on the cafe racer as well, owing to its primary on-road use.

Both bikes are expected to be powered by the same 280cc liquid-cooled mill that currently duty on the Renegade cruisers. The 279.5cc single is expected to come in the same state of tune as the cruisers currently sold here, producing 25.15PS at 8500rpm and 23Nm at 7000rpm.

UM’s other upcoming bike will be a dual-purpose machine from its international lineup. While they have not divulged any details on this bike, it will most likely be the Hypersport. The UM Hypersport test mules have been seen testing in India for a while now and UM has recently launched it in Nepal too. Now, having a plant in Pantnagar in Uttarakhand, closer to the Indo-Nepal border, it would make sense for UM to manufacture and export the Hypersport from here.

The UM Hypersport is a mini supermoto with a lightweight body and road-spec suspension and tyres. The bike comes with disc brakes at both wheels and weighs a scant 144kg (dry). While the bike is sold overseas in 150cc, 200cc and 223cc guises, that won’t be the case for India. UM officials told us that the India-spec bike will be powered by a motor with a displacement above 300cc. We speculate the new engine will have a displacement between 350-400cc and most likely be a V-twin motor. With a focus on off-road usage, the Hypersport could possibly get long-travel forks and dual purpose tyres. It is likely to be priced above Rs 3 lakh (ex-showroom).

UM currently has a manufacturing facility in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, with a manufacturing capacity of 3000 bikes per month. It is planning to set up another factory down south. UM currently has 70 dealerships across India and plans to expand its dealer and service network further across tier II and tier III cities soon.