Top 10 Bikes From EICMA Heading To India

1, 2017 KTM 390 Duke:

Undoubtedly the most important bike to make its debut at the 2016 EICMA in the Indian context has to be the new KTM 390 Duke. Given the performance and features the older bike delivered for its asking price made the 390 Duke a popular choice with Indian bikers. The more aggressive and sporty styling of the 2017 KTM 390 Duke will be appreciated by the youngsters and not to forget the LED twin-split headlight which is a segment first feature. Other goodies on the motorcycle includes ride-by-wire throttle, full TFT dash, and an optional MY RIDE multimedia interface. 

Power figure remains unchanged as the 373.2cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine delivers 44PS but the motor is now Euro 4 compliant. The bike now features a steel fuel tank, and capacity has been increased to 13.4 litre from 11 litre. The frame of the 2017 KTM 390 Duke is also new to improve the handling performance but the new bike is heavier by 10 kg (149kg kerb weight) than its predecessor. The front suspension has been made stiffer while the ground clearance has risen to 185mm. The new KTM 390 Duke features larger 320mm dia front disc (300mm dia on the older model) brake sourced from Bybre while dual-channel ABS has been carried forward. 

2, BMW G 310 GS:

When the BMW G 310 R was unveiled last year, it was evident that the German bikemaker will launch an adventure version of the same. And BMW didn’t disappoint us by showcasing the G 310 GS at EICMA. The new motorcycle will be built by TVS Motors in India similar to its streetbike sibling. The BMW G 310 GS isn’t a hard-core off-roader like the Royal Enfield Himalayan, but is more suited for tarmac. It does feature 19-inch front wheel but it isn’t spoke but alloy and get shod with Metzeler Tourance dual-purpose tyres.

The styling of the new motorcycle is in sync with the larger capacity GS bikes with stubby front beak, radiator shrouds, headlamp cowl and bulbous tank design. The exhaust muffler is upswept for better clearance. It also gets full LCD instrument console while it tips the scale at 169.5kg. Braking is done by disc brakes on both ends while ABS is standard. The new motorcycle shares the 313cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder motor with G 310 R that delivers 35PS of power and 28Nm of peak torque. Power will be transmitted to the rear-wheel via a 6-speed gearbox. 

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3, Kawasaki Versys-X 300:

It seems every major bikemaker is planning to add a low displacement and accessible adventure tourer to its portfolio. Kawasaki also unveiled the new Versys-X 300 at the motorcycle show. The new motorcycle employs the same 300cc motor as seen on the Ninja 300 but gets new frame and cycle parts for its off-road exploits. The styling is all-new with tall screen, quarter fairing, spoke wheels and long travel suspension to endow it with quintessential dual purpose motorcycle stance. The bike will be offered in two additional accessory variants - ‘Versys-X 300 Urban’ which gets tank pad, hand guards, centrestand and a 30 litre topbox. Even though the 300cc motor is same as seen on the Ninja 300, we feel it would be tuned for better low-end performance. For some bashing off the tarmac, the frame is suspended on long-travel 41mm telescopic fork up front, and a Uni-Trak gas charged monoshock at the rear. The adventure bike rides on IRC Trail Winner dual purpose tyres. Slipper clutch is standard and so is ABS to safeguard the rider from sticky conditions.

4, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401:

Husqvarna fans in the Indian market should rejoice as the iconic brand will be entering the Indian market in 2017. The Swedish two-wheeler brand is owned by KTM which has a manufacturing facility in India and the 2017 Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and the Svartpilen 401 will be built in our country. Both the motorcycles are based on the 2017 KTM 390 Duke which also made its debut at EICMA 2016. The name 'Vitpilen' stands for 'White Arrow', while the 'Svartpilen' means ‘Black Arrow,’ so both comes with their respective colour codes. Both the Husky motorcycles have a neo-modern café racer styling and it does look unique.

The Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 is more road-specific and has an aggressive riding posture with clip-on handlebars. The Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 gets a more relaxed riding posture with flat handlebar and dual-purpose tyres for trail riding. The braking hardware, suspension setup and ABS on the new Husqvarna duo is shared with the 2017 KTM 390 Duke. The motor is also the same unit as seen on the KTM delivering 44PS of power. The Husqvarna Vitpilen 401 and Svartpilen 401 will be positioned as premium motorcycles over the KTM 390 Duke. 

5, Benelli Leoncino:

The DSK-Benelli brand has been warmly accepted by Indian bikers with positive sales figure. The Italian brand wants to maintain this positive momentum and will launch the new Benelli Leoncino in the Indian market in 2017. The Benelli Leoncino will be offered in two variants – standard and trail. The styling of the Leoncino is simplistic and retro which we must say is visually appealing. The design highlight has to be the Lion of Pesaro which sits atop the front mudguard. 

The Leoncino Trail will have 19-inch dia front (17-inch on standard), spoke wheels and off-road tyres for trail riding. The Benellli Leoncino will be powered by a new 500cc displacement liquid-cooled, parallel-twin motor that delivers 48PS of power and 45Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and abides by Euro 4 emission norms. Suspension duties are handled by USD front forks and monoshock at the back. ABS will be standard and the bike weighs 186kg. Saddle height is 820mm for the Leoncino Trail, while the Standard model is more accessible at 785mm. 

6, Kawasaki Z650:

The Kawasaki ER-6n is among the few bikes that can be used as a daily runner in our two-wheeler market. It has a punchy motor for being a good mile muncher on the highway and it isn’t shy to confront mountain twisties. Despite the above, the ER-6n didn’t sell much in the Indian market and that can be credited to its ugly styling. Gladly Kawasaki has addressed this shortcoming by riding in the Kawasaki Z650 (ER-6n in India and few other markets) at the 2016 EICMA motorcycle show. The new Kawasaki Z650 is a much better motorcycle than its predecessor with sharp lines and the mirror-paint finish similar to the Ninja H2 adds to the cool quotient. 

The update is ground up, including a new tubular chassis which debuted on the new 2017 Kawasaki Ninja 650. The new frame has also helped in reducing the weight of the new bike by a massive 19kg. 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 new mill is Euro 4 emission norms-compliant. 

7, Honda CBR650F:

Japanese bikemaker Honda updated its middle-weight offering, the CBR650F at EICMA 2016. Now one will not find much visual differences between the new motorcycle and its predecessor as the motive was to update the powerplant and make it Euro 4 emission norm compliant. The 649cc, inline-four motor has been tweaked to produce more 4PS which takes the total power output now to 90PS and also the mid-range performance of the bike has been improved. The gear ratios have been revised which has made the new CBR650F accelerate faster.

According to the Japanese two-wheeler giant it is almost three bike lengths ahead in a 400m drag in comparison to its predecessor. Cycle parts have also been updated and the new Honda CBR650F features new 41mm Showa Dual Bending Valve (SDBV) fork which has improved ride quality and also handling. At the back end is a preload-adjustable monoshock, mounted direct to the die-cast aluminium swingarm. Braking hardware has also been updated with revised two-piston Nissin front calipers and two-channel ABS is standard. 

8, Triumph Street Scrambler:

Triumph went retro at EICMA 2016 as it launched the new Street Scrambler. The new motorcycle is the latest addition to the Street Twin family which consists of the T100 Bonneville, T100 Black, Street Cup café racer and the standard motorcycle. The Street Scrambler has been developed for trail riding and for this purpose gets equipped with longer rear shocks, wider set of handlebars, bash plate, 19-inch dia front wheel, 17-inch spoke wheel at the rear and Metzeler Tourance dual-purpose tyres. The design highlight of the new Street Scrambler stainless steel exhaust which look brilliant. 

Despite the retro styling, the Street Scrambler is a modern bike and switchable ABS, traction control and USB port for charging. Powering the motorcycle is the same water-cooled, 900cc parallel-twin motor as seen on the standard bike. The mill churns out 55PS and does justice to the “high torque” moniker by developing 80Nm of peak torque. 

9, Ducati Monster 797:

Ducati made the Monster range more accessible to bikers by riding in the new Monster 797 at the popular motorcycle show in Milan. The bike retains most of the styling rudiments as seen on the Monster 821 which isn’t a bad thing in our opinion. Few design distinguishing elements are the redesigned single exhaust muffler, red frame, 10-spoke alloy wheels and the missing LED DRL’s. 

The Monster 797 gets powered by the same air-cooled, 803cc, L-Twin motor as seen on the Scrambler. The mill pushes out 77PS and the engine is mated to a 6-speed unit. Ducati hasn’t given electronic aids to cut cost but the new Monster 797 does get ABS. Seat height is also low at 805mm mostly to better suit Asian riders and it weighs 193kg. The tubular steel trellis frame is suspended on KYB 43mm USD fork, and preload/rebound adjustable Sachs monoshock at the back. 

10, 2017 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade:

Honda chose EICMA 2016 as the destination to ride in the base version of the next-generation CBR1000RR Fireblade. The new CBR1000R becomes much sharper with respect to styling and gets LED headlights. Among the most noticeable changes is that the new motorcycle is 15kg lighter than its predecessor while power output has risen by 11PS. The inline-4 motor now pushes out 191PS and 116Nm of peak torque. Another drawback of the older CBR1000RR Fireblade was that it didn’t have any electronic aids. 

The new motorcycle has been equipped with 5-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that manages the ABS system, 9-level Honda Selectable Torque Control traction control (HSTC), Throttle By Wire (TBW), Rear Lift Control (RLC) and Wheelie Control. And there’s more, three ride modes (Street, Circuit and Mechanic), five levels of power delivery and three levels of engine braking control. As you figured out, the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade is packed with electronic goodies. The frame has been made lighter to improve handling dynamics while it also sports Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD). Instead of Ohlins, the 2017 Honda CBR1000RR gets equipped with Showa 43mm Big Piston Fork and braking hardware has been provided by Tokico.