2021 Launches: Top 5 Motorcycles

Even though the Indian two-wheeler industry faced several hurdles in the first half of this year, the second half has been nothing short of a show of hope and resilience as several manufacturers launched a bevy of interesting motorcycles in the country. Here are our top five choices:

2021 Royal Enfield Classic 350:

Royal Enfield turned a new chapter with the next-gen Classic 350, the company’s second motorcycle under the new J-platform after the Royal Enfield Meteor 350. It was in almost every sense better than its predecessor. The motorcycle is much more refined, more feature-packed, while remaining distinctly similar to the older one design-wise. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing because its target audience values the way it looks. Royal Enfield offers the bike in different colour schemes at different price points starting from Rs 1,84,374 (ex-showroom Delhi). If you’re planning to buy one, here’s our impressions from our long-termer. 

Yamaha R15 V4:

The Yamaha R15 V3 is a feature-and performance-packed 155cc supersport in itself, and Yamaha has taken it to the next level with the launch of the Yamaha R15 V4 in September. The bike gets a new fascia that’s more aerodynamic, more premium-looking inverted fork, a revised instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity, traction control system, and even an optional quickshifter. There’s also a sporty M variant with special livery and standard quickshifter on offer. Yamaha has priced the bike from Rs 1,70,800 (ex-showroom Delhi). We took the R15 out for a spin and here’s what we think about it.  

Suzuki Hayabusa:

The 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa was by far the most anticipated big bike of the year in India. The next-gen iteration of the iconic Dhoom bike is fiercer yet approachable enough to make it friendly for less experienced riders. With a whole suite of electronic aids, sleeker bodywork and better underpinnings, the Hayabusa has become even more desirable, flying off the shelves in hours. We took the previous-gen and next-gen models out for a drag race, and here’s what happened. Those looking to know about this Rs 16.40 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) superbike’s real-world performance and dynamics, check out the road test review.

TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, RTR 165 RP:

The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V has been one of the best bikes in its segment, packed with both geeky features and performance to boot. TVS raised the bar even higher with the launch of the 2021 iteration in March with even more power as well as marginal weight reduction. Then TVS outdid itself by launching the Apache RTR 160 4V with segment-first riding modes (Urban, Sport and Rain) in October. All these updates made it a considerably better bike out in the real-world too.

If that wasn’t enough, TVS then launched a limited-edition Apache RTR 165 RP under its new Race Performance lineup. This motorcycle is by far the most powerful in its segment and in fact, its power output even supersedes the Yamaha R15 V4! Here’s a detailed analysis of the differences between this variant and the standard bike. The standard Apache RTR 160 4V retails from Rs 1,15,265 whereas the RTR 165 RP costs an eye-watering Rs 1,45,000 (both ex-Delhi).

TVS Raider 125:

TVS took its own sweet time to enter the fast-growing 125cc motorcycle segment but the wait has been well worth it as TVS launched the Raider in September this year with segment-first riding modes. Not only that, the TVS Raider also looks properly premium and sporty, and is loaded with features including a full-LED headlight, digital instrument cluster with mileage indicator. Oh, and more importantly, the engine is peppy and is impressively fuel-efficient! TVS has priced the bike at Rs 77,500 for the base variant. The Hosur-based bikemaker is also working on a variant that will come with a TFT instrument cluster with Bluetooth connectivity.