Five Most Exciting Parallel-Twin Motorcycles Available In India

A twin-cylinder powerplant means you could offer a healthy amount of horsepower and yet make motorcycles more accessible. While twin-cylinder motorcycles are affordable and practical, they lacked the excitement the triples and inline fours offered. There are, however, exceptions to this. We list out five twin-cylinder motorcycles you can buy in India that while being practical, should get your adrenaline flowing. Let’s start with the most affordable one first.

Royal Enfield Interceptor:

The most affordable parallel-twin unit in India is a torquey unit. However, it is not just the surge of torque that excites us but the motor’s character. On paper, it is a simple air-cooled 650cc unit that offers a modest 48PS and 52Nm. However, ride it and you realise how different the motor feels from something like the Kawasaki Z650’s parallel twin. The reason for this is the 270-degree crank angle, which gives the motor the low down performance and characteristic thrum of a V-twin motor. That makes the Interceptor feel special every time you twist the throttle.

Kawasaki Ninja 400:

While most discount the Ninja due to its high asking price, it has a special motor underneath that fairing. Its 399cc liquid-cooled motor has an oversquare configuration and a high compression ratio. Together, they help the motor deliver 49PS and 38Nm. The motor helps the Ninja 400 post some serious acceleration times (read quickest in class) and fantastic tractability as well. However, the motor impresses past 8000rpm where things start to get seriously fast quickly -- accompanied by a lovely soundtrack. The Ninja 400’s motor offers similar thrilling characteristics as the larger inline four Ninjas. 

KTM 790 Duke:

To be fair, it is not just the motor but the way that motor, electronics and the rest of the 790 Duke’s suspension components cohesively come together to offer a thrilling ride experience. The 799cc motor might be short of a cylinder or two in comparison to its rivals, but it certainly is not short of performance. It delivers 105PS and 87Nm of torque -- most of which is available between 3000 and 6000rpm. That makes the motor feel responsive at lower revs and deliver heady mid-range acceleration. The best part is the gamut of electronics that while reigning in the motor do it without being too intrusive. The rider modes can transform the motor from a tame puppy to a rabid dog in a jiffy and with minimal input thanks to the intuitive user interface. The ease with which you can ride this motor and its vast versatility makes it quite impressive.  

Triumph Thruxton R:

Triumph has really impressed with its Bonneville parallel-twin motors and the Thruxton’s 1200cc unit sits at the very top. While engine architecture is the same, the Thruxton’s motor gets a lighter crank and has its rev limit raised by 500rpm. The result is a quick-revving motor. It delivers 97PS and 112Nm of torque, but that’s not what’s impressive about this powerplant. 100Nm of that torque is available from as low as 2500rps so you are looking at very usable performance. In Sport mode, acceleration is instantaneous and the Thruxton can really hustle when given the beans. The fact that serious performance is available throughout the rev range makes this quite an enjoyable motor. 

Triumph Scrambler 1200:

Given that two motorcycles in this list have the same motor (but in different tunes) means the 1200cc parallel twin is quite a versatile powerplant. While the Thruxton’s motor has a High Power (HP) state of tune, the Scrambler 1200’s powerplant gets a High Torque (HT) state of tune. It delivers 90PS and 110Nm of torque but performance is a lot more accessible and is more spread across the rev range. The side-mounted exhausts offer a lovely ‘brap’ each time you whack open the throttle. Also, the added electronics gives it more rider modes to further personalise the ride experience.