New Bike Launches In 2017: Between Rs 5-10 Lakh

Kawasaki Z650:

Expected price: Rs 5.5 lakh

The Kawasaki ER-6n is a good example of how important styling is for performance bike buyers. Despite being a versatile and easy to ride machine, the ER-6n never managed to make a mark and that can be attributed to its lack of visual appeal. Gladly though, the ER-6n has gotten a makeover in the form of the new Z650 and we must say it looks pleasing on the eyes now. It now sports a chiselled tank, which now gets similar mirror paint finish like the Ninja H2, tank shrouds, contrast colour on the frame and sharper looking headlight. Powering the new Kawasaki Z650 is a liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor churning out 68PS, which is a drop of 4PS in comparison to its predecessor. 

But the bike’s performance wouldn’t see much of a drop as the new tubular chassis has been instrumental in reducing the kerb weight of the motorcycle as well. The new motorcycle also gets equipped with slipper clutch and the saddle height is now lower at 790mm. Braking responsibilities are handled by twin disc brakes at the front and a single disc unit at the back, while ABS is standard.

Benelli Trk 502:

Expected price: Rs 5.5 – Rs 6.5 lakh

The Benelli Trk 502 has been on the wish list of several adventure-seeking bikers. The bike was unveiled at the 2015 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan. The bike has generated a lot of curiosity amongst Indian bike lovers as it will be one of the most affordable adventure tourer bikes in the market, after the Royal Enfield Himalayan. 

The Trk 502 borrows its styling cues from the Ducati Multistrada 1200, with its beaky face and twin headlamps making it a handsome-looking motorcycle. The bike comes with a massive 20-litre fuel tank, apt for those long highway trips. Suspension duties are handled by adjustable upside-down forks at the front and a monoshock unit at the rear that provides a suspension travel of 150mm at both ends. Stopping power is achieved from 320mm twin discs with two-piston floating calliper at the front and a 260mm disc with twin-piston calliper at the rear. Being an adventure tourer, the Trk 502 comes with Pirelli Angel tyres of 120/70 R17 at the front and 160/60 R17 at the back, mounted on 17-inch spoked wheels.

Power to the motorcycle is achieved from a newly developed 500cc parallel twin mill that churns out 48PS of max power and 45Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox that is assisted by a hydraulic clutch.

Kawasaki W800:

Expected price: Rs 6 lakh

Demand for easy to ride and retro-styled motorcycles has risen in the recent past. British bikemaker Triumph Motorcycles has tasted success with its retro-styled Bonneville range of bikes and so has Ducati with its new Scrambler. Kawasaki also wants to join in the action and will launch the beautiful W800 in the Indian market. The round headlamp, dash of chrome, sculpted tank, spoke wheels and the pea shooter style pipes endow the W800 with a charm that is difficult to resist. Underneath the simplistic styling lies a modern motorcycle. The Kawasaki W800 is powered by a 773cc, air-cooled vertical twin mill with fuel injection that develops 48PS of power and 60Nm of peak torque. 

For damping, the motorcycle features telescopic forks and twin dampers at the back. Braking duties are handled by a 300mm disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear. ABS has been given a miss to keep costs low. The Kawasaki W800 will square off against the Triumph Bonneville Street Twin and the Ducati Scrambler but we expect Kawasaki to undercut both its rival with respect to pricing. So, if you always desired a simple, easy to ride, retro style motorcycle with bulletproof reliability, well, the Kawasaki W800 should be in your sight.

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2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650:

Expected price: Rs 5.5 – Rs 6 lakh

The most important bike for the Japanese bikemaker in our market has undergone a cosmetic makeover which should make the new Ninja 650 more appealing to bikers. The Ninja 650 was the bike that helped establish the Kawasaki brand in the Indian performance segment and it still is among the most popular sports tourers in the country. The 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650 gets a sharper fairing and sporty looking twin split headlamps, similar to the Ninja ZX-10R, which makes it look aggressive. The rear section has been redesigned and it also gets split seats, with the saddle height being lowered which will be appreciated by shorter riders. 

Another important update on the new Ninja 650 is the revised multi-tubular aluminium frame. The new chassis has reduced the weight of the bike by a massive 19kg. Power output hasn’t increased but mid-range performance of the bike has been improved and now it is Euro 4 emission norm compliant. Braking hardware has also been improved as it gets revised callipers from Nissin and Bosch 9.1 ABS system. We expect the 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650 to be offered with ABS as standard and it would be brought in via the CKD route.

Kawasaki Z900:

Expected price: Rs 9 lakh

The Kawasaki Z800 is among the most popular bikes on sale in the middleweight performance segment of motorcycles. Despite delivering 115PS from its inline four powerplant and a competitive pricing, the Z800 had one shortcoming and that’s its high kerb weight. Kawasaki engineers addressed this issue by launching the new Z900 as a replacement with cosmetic and mechanical changes. The new Kawasaki has been put through a strict diet, resulting in a weight drop of 23kg!

The Kawasaki Z900 gets a cosmetic overhaul and its sharp lines have been evidently inspired from the evil-looking Z1000. It’s not just the styling that has been adapted as the new 948cc, in-line four-cylinder motor is also similar to its bigger sibling and delivers 125PS and 99Nm of peak torque as opposed to 112PS of the Z800. The motor is mated to a 6-speed gearbox while slipper clutch is standard. The Kawasaki Z900 also features a new trellis frame. The Kawasaki Z900 is expected to be brought in via the CBU route to our market from Thailand, similar to the Z800.

Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled: 

Expected price: Rs 8 – Rs 8.5 lakh

The Scrambler is surely an attention-grabbing motorcycle but if the attention is not enough, the Italians have the Scrambler Desert Sled to do it just right. Unveiled at the 2016 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, the Scrambler Desert Sled is a new retro-modern style dual-purpose motorcycle. Ducati has raised the mudguard, installed knobby tyres with spoke wheels, and given the rims a golden finish to make the motorcycle stand apart from its peers. 

Based on the standard Scrambler, the Desert Sled is powered by the 803cc air-cooled L-Twin motor that punches out 76PS of power and 68Nm of torque. The motor is mated to a 6-speed gearbox transmitting power to the rear wheel. For cycle parts, the bike comes with adjustable 46mm KYB USD forks at the front and a fully-adjustable KYB monoshock unit at the rear. Braking is done by discs on both ends with ABS as standard fitment on the motorcycle. 

Triumph Street Triple 800:

Expected Price: Rs 8.5 – Rs 9 lakh

Set to be officially unveiled In January 2016, the next-generation Triumph Street Triple will be more powerful and packed with a long list of features. The company has recently released a teaser video of the motorcycle which confirms that the styling of the new bike will be similar to its elder sibling, the Speed Triple. In terms of equipment, the bike will feature an all-digital TFT screen.

The biggest change, however, is the new engine that will now have a displacement of 765cc. The motor will be a liquid-cooled, three-cylinder mill that will have a power output of 110PS as compared to the international spec models (Indian spec produces 80PS though). Transmission duties will be handled by a 6-speed gearbox assisted by a slipper clutch. 

The bike will come with several goodies such as electronic throttle bodies, traction control, adjustable Showa suspension, multiple riding modes and tyre pressure sensors depending on the variant. Braking will be done by twin discs at the front and a single unit at the back. ABS will be standard across all variants.

Ducati Scrambler Café Racer:

Expected Price: Rs 9 lakh

The ideal bike for that midnight run strapped in leather, the Scrambler Café Racer captures the classic appeal of a café racer. The immediate highlights that grabs attention are the distinct ‘Scrambler’ lettering with the classic paint job in golden pinstripes. The bike gets a little cowl on the top of the headlamp unit, bar-end mirrors, clip-on handlebars that are clamped directly to the blacked out USD suspension tubes, and black anodised Termignoni exhaust pipes. The gold theme continues to the alloy wheels completing its classic look. 

The bike is powered by the same 803cc L-twin oil-cooled engine that develops 75PS of power and 68Nm of torque, and which is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The Scrambler Café Racer comes with Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres of 120/70 ZR17 for the front and 180/55 ZR17 for the rear. Braking is done by a 330mm semi-floating disc with radially mounted M4-32 Brembo callipers and a 245mm disc at the back with a single-piston floating calliper. The system is assisted by ABS as a part of the standard equipment list.

Ducati Monster 797:

Expected Price: Rs 9 – Rs 9.5 lakh

The smallest member in the Monster series from Ducati, the Monster 797 was unveiled at the 2016 EICMA motorcycle show. The bike stays true to the typical Monster styling with close resemblance to the 821. Some of the design highlights of the motorcycle are the redesigned single exhaust muffler, red frame and 10-spoke alloy wheels. The bike, however, misses out on the LED DRL’s in the headlamp unit. 

The bike borrows it engine for the Scrambler series, which is an 803cc L-twin cylinder air-cooled mill that develops 77PS in the Monster 797 and is coupled to a 6-speed gearbox unit. On the electronics part, being an entry-level offering, the Monster 797 misses out on traction control and ride modes.

For cycle parts, the bike features KYB 43mm USD forks at the front and a preload/rebound adjustable Sachs monoshock at the rear. Braking is taken care of by 320mm twin discs with Brembo M4.32 callipers at the front and 245mm single disc with 1-piston calliper at the rear. The arrangement is assisted by Bosch 9.1MP ABS system.

Triumph Bonneville Bobber:

Expected Price: Rs 9 – Rs 9.5 lakh

As the name suggest, a Bobber is a title used for performance-oriented motorcycles. These bikes had their parts stripped down to minimal for maximum weight reduction. Triumph has captured the essence of these bikes and put them together with the Bonneville Bobber. The bike comes with a chopped front fender, slashed and short exhaust mufflers, suspended saddle seat and single rear shock. Also, the bike features a loop over the rear fender, a bubble tank, discrete taillights, a custom battery box, wide straight handlebars, and lean tucked-in headlamp in order to stay true with the Bobber image.

Keeping the performance point in mind, the Bobber is powered by a 1200cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled motor with fuel injection. The motor is capable of producing 77PS of power and 106Nm of peak torque. The bike comes with KYB 41mm forks at the front and a single KYB shock with linkage at the rear. Braking is handled by disc brakes at both ends and it is equipped with electronic goodies like ABS, switchable traction control, and road and rain riding modes.

All above mentioned prices are ex-showroom (expected).