Hits & Misses On Two-wheels From The 2019 Tokyo Motor Show

The Tokyo Motor Show has always been the biggest arena for Japanese manufacturers to showcase their creations. However, this edition was far from being the gala event that we knew of. Given that the whole 2019 edition was so lacklustre, there were just a few positives to take away. What were they? Read on:

HITS

Kawasaki’s Supercharged Naked
It might not be the most powerful production naked motorcycle but Kawasaki’s supercharged tech has finally made its way on to a streetfighter, the Z H2. The same old recipe of a trellis frame with a 998cc inline four supercharged engine as the Ninja H2, the Z H2 gets street-friendly bars and pegs. This engine does pump out a little less than the Ninja H2, 200PS vs 231PS on the faired bike. One can find Kawasaki’s Sugomi styling on Z H2 as well but it does not look as striking as the Z900 or the Z1000. It should be coming to India, carrying a sticker price of Rs 22 lakh (ex-showroom).

An Inline Four-cylinder 250cc Ninja
Kawasaki didn’t hold back at Tokyo as it also showcased the Ninja ZX-25R. Rumours regarding this motorcycle’s arrival were aplenty. While there is still much to be known in terms of engine output of this inline four cylinder 250cc motorcycle, we can tell you that it is loaded with electronics and high-end components.

Made-for-India Now In Japan
Suzuki launched the Gixxer 250 and the Gixxer SF 250 in Japan at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Gixxer 250s have proven themselves to be decently sporty motorcycles for Suzuki top bosses at Hamamatsu to bring it to their shores from India.

MISS

The aforementioned three products were the stars on a dimly lit night as there was nothing more exciting for the Indian masses or for the enthusiast from Suzuki, Honda or Yamaha. There were no interesting launches or concept motorcycles shown by either of these three manufacturers. Yamaha did showcase its electric mobility concepts with two scooters but there was very little information divulged to pique our curiosity. Even Honda just showcased two electric scooters -- the Benly-e and the Gyro-e -- both of which are Japan specific models. This just leaves us to believe that all three of these manufacturers have something lined up for EICMA which will take place on 5 November, 2019.