2015 ZigWheels Awards: Premium Bikes (Below 10 lakh) Nominees

Call them rides for the not-so-well-heeled, or rides for the well heeled beginner, or rides for the relaxed well-heeled, either which way, the premium bikes below Rs 10 lakh segment is booming in India. This year alone saw the following five new motorcycles being introduced in the country, and it is our job now to pick the best of this lot.

Honda CBR650F

The largest displacement motorcycle to be assembled by Honda in India, the CBR 650F made its first public appearance in the country at the 2014 Auto Expo and generated a lot of curiosity among two-wheeler enthusiasts. At its launch, its price tag of Rs 7.30 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) gave enthusiasts a bit of a sticker shock – blame that on Honda’s inability to localise its parts effectively - but the CBR 650F is still a noteworthy package. The bike houses a 649cc, liquid-cooled, in-line-four motor pumping out 87PS at 11,000rpm and 63Nm at 8,000rpm, paired to a six-speed transmission. Dont let the “CBR” moniker fool you, this is more of a sports tourer than an out and out supersports bike like the CBR 600RR, and that’s fine with us.

Ducati Scrambler

Ducati’s least expensive offering in the Indian market, the Scrambler has been a runaway success for the Italian exotic brand who took a gamble when they decided to enter into this slightly lower rung of motorcycles. With a sticker price of Rs 6.38 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Scrambler severely undercuts its rivals by a big margin, not to mention that it looks totally different from the norm. Powered by the same 803cc L-twin unit as the one on the Monster 795, it makes about 76PS of power and 68Nm of torque, which means it is as fun on the road as it is on your wallet.

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Benelli TNT 600i

DSK-Benelli unveiled a slew of new motorcycles this past year, and the TNT 600i is one of their bestselling models. With its sleek Italian design and a 600cc inline 4-cylinder engine that makes 85PS of power and 54.6Nm of torque, it has got quite a lot going for it. Up front the TNT 600i sports upside down forks while at the back it has been fitted with a preload-adjustable monoshock. Braking duties are performed via twin 320mm discs and a single 240mm disc at the front and the rear respectively. The Benelli TNT 600i will set you back by Rs 5.15 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Benelli TNT 600GT

The touring-biased version of the 600i, the Benelli TNT 600 GT comes with a humongous 27 litre fuel tank to ensure that you keep on riding till the horizon and beyond. The powertrain is still the same: a  600cc inline 4-cylinder engine that makes 85PS of power but with slightly higher torque figure of 55 Nm. At 223 kilos, it isn’t exactly the most manoeuvrable of bikes, but then again, which gran turismo is? At Rs 5.62 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) it is also quite a bit more expensive than its naked sibling, which is understandable considering the additional goodies it has to offer.

Benelli TNT 899

Moving up the DSK-Benelli food chain, you have the TNT 899, an angry Decepticon-like streetfighter with all the right curves in the right places. Unlike its previous two siblings, it is powered by an inline-triple engine: an 899cc affair that churns out 122PS and 88Nm. These are considerably higher numbers than the 899’s peers, and the rest of the package isn’t too shabby either. Marzocchi USD forks, ZF Sachs monoshock, beefy Pirelli tyres, wavy disc brake rotors, Brembo callipers, the TNT 899 has a lot going for it. With an ex-showroom price of Rs 9.48 lakh (Mumbai), the Benelli TNT 899 just barely manages to get into contention in this category of premium bikes below Rs 10 lakh.