5 Upcoming Bike Launches In August

Last month was pretty hot and happening as we witnessed new launches ranging from the TVS Ronin, BMW G 310 RR to brand unveils such as Zontes and MotoMorini. Now, August is looking even hotter with five new two-wheeler launches:

Royal Enfield Hunter 350

Expected Price: Rs 1.7 lakh (ex-showroom)

The third bike on Royal Enfield’s J-platform is for sure arriving this month, and it aims to be the lightest, sportiest and the most affordable bike amongst the three. Leaked homologation documents have indicated that the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 has a shorter wheelbase and is lighter and more compact in other aspects as well when compared to the Royal Enfield Classic 350.

The motor is likely to make the same output figures as the Classic. But as we have seen on the Meteor and Classic, minor internal tweaks make for a varied riding experience. Hence, all signs indicate that the Hunter could be a great city-friendly bike.

New Honda Bike

Hot on the heels of the Hunter 350 will be a new product from Honda. Now, the launch invite is a bit cryptic with only ‘Formidable’ written on it. It also says Honda Big Wing, so a small bike or scooter is ruled out completely. While we thought it might be the Forza 350 or the CRF300L, which we managed to spot in Bangalore, it is neither of those. What it might actually be is a new bike between 300 and 500cc, likely to be based on the CB350 platform.

Given that the H’ness CB 350 is meant to be a Classic rival, this new Honda 350 will take on the Meteor 350 or the Hunter 350.

2022 Bajaj Pulsar N150

Expected Price: Rs 1.10 lakh (ex-showroom)

After launching the Bajaj Pulsar N160 in June, the brand could launch the modern avatar of the iconic Pulsar 150 this month. The new Pulsar N150 will be more or less similar to the N160 in most manners except for a few lower spec bits like the headlight, which may not be LED but instead a halogen projector. The hardware could also be similar to that of the N160 single-channel ABS trim. So expect it to have a slimmer fork, smaller brake and maybe even slimmer tyres. 

The motor will be downsized from the N160’s mill which, as we found out after our first ride, was a peach of a motor. The smooth and tractable nature was a delight and that should bode well for the 150 as well; not to forget, it will also be quite frugal.

Hero XPulse 200 4V:

Expected Price: Rs 1.30 lakh (ex-showroom)

The Hero XPulse 200 has been loved by enthusiasts all over the country, but the XPulse 200T? Not so much. Hero hopes to change that with the launch of the XPulse 200T 4V. In fact, the updated bike was spotted in a production-ready avatar recently. It’s got a small retro-looking flyscreen, gaitered forks, and possibly the same four-valve engine as the adventure bike.

While the underpinnings are likely to be intact, we really hope Hero tunes the suspension, as the current-gen model feels a little too firm. That said, we would’ve really liked it if Hero had brought out a supermoto based on the bike that was shown at the EICMA a few years ago.

TVS iQube ST Price Announcement

TVS really upped its game with the launch of the updated iQube Electric scooter; and this month, the brand could announce the pricing of the top-of-the-line ST variant. The ST variant comes with faster charging, a massive 33-litre underseat storage, smarter instrument console and a bigger battery with better range. You can check out more details here.

Launches from Zontes and Moto Morini

Both Zontes and Moto Morini marked their arrival into the Indian market last month with several new product announcements. Zontes will be bringing its 350cc lineup in India, and that includes a naked, neo-retro bike, sports tourer and an adventure tourer. On the other hand, Moto Morini will be bringing in its 650cc lineup that includes an adventure bike, a scrambler and a neo-retro motorcycle. Stay tuned for more details as both brands will likely be launching their products this month.