2016 Auto Expo: Top 5 motorcycles to look out for

1, UM Renegade S

The new UM Renegade Sport S is its first cruiser motorcycle offering for the Indian market. According to the US manufacturer it has heavily localised the new Renegade Sports S with tyres sourced from TVS, Gabriel suspension bits and locally sourced headlamp, tail lamp and instrument console. The styling of the motorcycle has been inspired from large cruiser bikes and the Renegade S that was showcased sported stealth black paint job with contrasting orange accents. The cruiser is powered by a 279cc, water-cooled, single-cylinder fuel-injected motor churning out 26.6PS at 8,600 rpm and 22.76Nm at 6,300 rpm. The powerplant is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.

Expected Price: Rs 1.7 lakh 

Rivals: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350

2, Hero HX 250R

The Hero HX250R was displayed at the 2014 Auto Expo and has generated considerable interest among the Indian motorcycling community. The HX250R uses a 249cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that produce around 31PS power and 26Nm of torque. This lightweight and powerful quarter-litre motorcycle has been jointly developed by Hero Motocorp, America’s Eric Buell Racing (EBR), AVL (Austria) and Engines Engineering. The bike features geodesic tubular chassis that integrates the engine as a stressed member of the frame, to offer sporty riding dynamics and better rigidity. The HX250R sports 37mm telescopic fork at the front and a 5-step adjustable monoshock at the rear.

Expected Price: Rs 1.5 lakh 

Rivals: Honda CBR 250R, KTM RC200

3,BMW G310R

The G310R is the first motorcycle to be unveiled under the joint venture between BMW Motorrad and TVS Motors. The G310R has been designed in Germany while the motorcycle will be manufactured at TVS’S production facility in Hosur. Overall styling isn’t very aggressive and the bike has been designed to appeal to the masses. Talking about engine, the BMW G310R features a 313cc liquid-cooled single cylinder motor producing 35PS of power and 28Nm of peak torque. The powerplant has been mated to a 6-speed gearbox and the motorcycle weighs 158.5kg. Braking is done via disc brake on both the ends while ABS is standard. 

Expected Price: Rs 2.5 lakh 

Rivals: Benelli TNT300, KTM 390 Duke, Kawasaki Z250

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4, DSK-Benelli Tornado 302

The new Benelli Tornado 302 will be among the most popular offerings once it’s launched in India. The new bike will be the Italian bikemakers first full-faired motorcycle for the Indian market. The styling of the motorcycle is edgy and modern which will appeal to the youngsters. Talking about powerplant, the new Benelli Tornado 302 gets firepower from a 300cc, parallel-twin motor producing 36PS at 12,000rpm and 27Nm of peak torque at 9,000rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear-wheel via a 6-speed gearbox. Benelli claims that the Tornado 302 has a top speed of 170kmph which seems to be an overzealous figure. 

Expected Price: Under Rs 2.5 lakh 

Rivals: KTM RC 390, Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha R3

5,Honda CBR500RR

Honda designers have paid special attention to make the bike look more visually appealing. The Honda CBR500RR sports a sharp looking twin headlamp while the fairing has been chiselled on the lines of the larger Honda CBR 1000RR. The bike features LED headlamp and tail light which add a dose of aggressiveness to the overall design. Hiding behind the fairing of the CBR500RR is a 471cc parallel twin DOHC 4-valve motor that is expected to have the refinement that Honda is renowned for. Power output stands at 47.6PS at 8,500rpm and 43Nm of peak torque at 7,000rpm. 

Expected Price: Rs 5.5 lakh 

Rivals: Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha R3