Top 10 Two-wheelers That Surprised Us In 2019

It’s been an exhausting year. The two-wheeler narket in India took a turn for the worse mid-year but seems to be gaining moment once again. EICMA and Tokyo Motor show on the other hand showcased what the future of motorcycling looks like. And boy are we pumped. There were even a couple of surprises that knocked our socks off. Here are top top 10 two-wheelers that we weren’t expecting to see this year, let alone make it to production.  

Husqvarna 250 twins:

Let’s face it, we were all tricked into thinking Husqvarna was launching the 401 twins in India. What was unveiled instead was nothing short of shocking. Enter the 250 versions of the Svartpilen and Vitpilen. A strategy first employed by KTM when it entered India in 2012. Enter with a smaller displacement motorcycle, test the waters, then go big. That said, the 250 twins will be officially launched by the end of February 2020. More details here. 

KTM 250 Adventure:

Pictures of the entry-level ADV from KTM have been floating around the internet for a while now, and almost everyone expected the bike to be unveiled at EICMA 2019. Unfortunately, nothing panned out. Nonetheless, we still managed to get our hands on the bikes official specs and a couple of pictures. Stoked to see it in all its glory? Head here.

Revolt (price plan):

The Revolt RV400 and RV300 were quite surprising by themselves. But the highlight of the launch event was the monthly subscription scheme under the ‘My Revolt Plan’ that enables customers to own to bike for a nominal amount every month. We’ve explained the pricing strategy in detail for all you curious folks out there.

Ultraviolette F77:

Ultraviolette kept us in the dark ever since it began work on the F77. Dark gloomy images is all had to look at. The company finally took the wraps off the bike on November 13. What really surprised us the amount of work that went into the bike along with the attention to detail. It’s inclined more towards the performance side of motorcycling and unlike anything any Indian brand has ever come up with. A powerful motor, adequate range and impressive handling, the bike has it all. You can about our first ride impressions here.

Kymco RevoNex:

How about something right out of the Sci-Fi movie? The Kymco RevoNex sure fits the bill. It’s futuristic, smart and FAST! To put things into perspective, the bike can bolt from 0-100kmph in 3.9 seconds and achieve a claimed top speed from 0-205kmph in 11.8 seconds. It gets launch control, mechanical gears, power modes and a host of other features. What’s not to like? Head here to check it out.

Husqvarna Norden 901:

The Husqvarna Norden 901 ticks all the right boxes in every adventure enthusiasts mind. It looks gorgeous, has a parallel twin motor from KTM to back it up, packs a full colour digital instrument console with smartphone connectivity, mounting points for panniers, high-mounted exhaust and knuckle guards. It also come kitted with long travel USD forks and a monoshock from WP, both of which are fully adjustable. *Drool*

2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade:

An all-new bike with jaw-dropping looks belting out over 200PS of power while being more safer! Pretty much sums up the 2020 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade. Honda even slapped an extra ‘R’ in there which screams power! The massive air-intake between the sharp LED headlamps and the stacked aero winglets on the sides should give you the hint. There’s a lot that’s gone into the bike. If you’d like to know more about the CBR1000RR-RRRRR, click here.

Bimota Tesi H2:

Take an Italian design and slap a supercharged Japanese engine in there. That’s the Tesi H2 for you. Oh, and it comes with Bimota’s center-hub steering system, unique to the Tesi H2. A center-hub steering system doesn’t dive as much as a conventional telescopic fork. Infact, it pushes braking forces more efficiently back into the chassis of the bike rather than transferring bending forces on a pair of forks, thereby offering better stability, be it straights or corners. More about the Tesi H2 here.

Kawasaki ZX-25R:

Kawasaki is known to produce some unique but powerful bikes. The ZX-25R is one such bike. A four cylinder motor that has just 249cc of displacement. This baby Ninja harks back to small-capacity, multi-cylinder Japanese sportbikes from the ‘80s and ‘90s. While it looks like the Ninja 400, it’s a whole different animal underneath. What else does the ZX-25R pack? Head here to find out.

Hypernakeds: 

Kawasaki ZH2:

The Kawasaki Z H2 is a naked streetfighter based on the Ninja H2 that dishes out 200PS of power and 137Nm of peak torque! The intake for the supercharger is routed from the left side of the motorcycle, giving the Z H2 an asymmetric design. Flat handlebars, a low-mounted sharp LED headlight, a meaty fuel tank and the exposed trellis frame make this a mean looking streetfighter. The Z H2 also gets a comprehensive electronics suit as well as Bluetooth connectivity. It’s expected to make it to India. More details available here.

Ducati Streetfighter V4:

The stripped down Ducati Streetfighter draws power from a Desmosedici Stradale engine that produces a staggering 211PS and 123Nm. Keeping the front wheel on the tarmac are a pair of biplane winglets produce 28kg of downforce at 270kmph. It's available in two variants - standard and 'S'. The top spec version features electronic suspension as well as an electronically adjustable steering damper from Ohlins, Marchesini forged aluminium wheels and a host of electronic rider aids. The Streetfighter will be available internationally from March 2020 onwards, and should make its way to India right after. Click here for more information.

MV Agusta Serie Oro 1000 RR:

Last but not the least, the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 Serie Oro which uses a naturally aspirated inline-four 210PS motor that delivers a top speed of 300kmph! The bike features aerodynamic canard wings at the front for stability at high speeds, carbon-fibre wheels, top-of-the-line Brembo brakes and Ohlins suspension. A full digital instrument console is also a much needed change from the usual MV motorcycles. MV Agusta will only produce 300 units of the ultra unique bike. Click here for more details.