Top 5 Bikes That Made A Buzz In 2016

The year 2016, which has been very harsh on us earthlings, gave us several good motorcycle news to keep our hopes high. There were plenty of new launches this year, like the Royal Enfield Himalayan, the Honda Navi and the latest one being the Bajaj Dominar 400. However, there were plenty of others that created a buzz with their uniqueness, features and price or should I say price cuts. Here’s a list of the top five such motorcycles.

Ducati Scrambler

The cheapest Ducati that is available for sale in the country saw a huge price cut of Rs 90,000, thanks to Ducati celebrating its 90th anniversary. And guess what, the offer is still on, but only till December 31. Rush to the Italian’s dealership if you want one for yourself. 

Interestingly, the price cut was applicable to not one but all of the Scrambler variants available in the country. The Scrambler Icon is available at Rs 6.07 lakh, while the Classic, Urban Enduro and Full Throttle are offered at Rs 7.28 lakh each (prices ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Scrambler range impresses with its classic appeal laced with all the latest technology. A small fuel tank, a fat seat, lean shorty tail, high rise handle bar, a bijou instrument cluster make up for the appealing looks. Then there’s the L-twin motor with the Desmodromic valve train which is more efficient than a chain driven one. And with 76PS of power and 68Nm of torque, the bike is quite a nimble handler.

Suzuki Hayabusa

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Suzuki Hayabusa, easily the most recognised bike of the country and better known as ‘Dhoom Wali Bike’, lost a massive chunk of its price. After around 15 per cent of price cut, the Hayabusa became even more desirable, courtesy the shift from the CBU (Completely Built Unit) to CKD (Completely Knocked Down Unit) route. 

The bike is now being assembled at Suzuki’s Manesar plant at a bespoke assembly line developed solely for the Hayabusa. The bike is now priced at Rs 13.57 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) as opposed to the previous price of around Rs 16 lakh. 

The price makes it the most affordable superbike available in the country whose motor can produce more than 190PS of power. The Busa’s blubbery bodywork encapsulates a perimeter frame, inside which sits a restless 1300cc, inline four-cylinder motor. The motor’s impeccable grunt and its ability to rev till infinity make the Hayabusa a perfect bike for drag racing tuners. The only drawback could be the design, but hey, who cares when you can smoke majority of bikes in a head to head drag. 

Bajaj V15

The Bajaj V15 made its debut in the country with a tinge of patriotism. The bike used Indian Navy’s legendary aircraft carrier’s – INS Vikrant – metal. Not the whole bike, though, as the fuel tank assembly was the only component that used the metal. Nonetheless, it still makes the bike special, so much so that even Bollywood star Aamir Khan found it hard to not buy one of these. 

The V15 looks the part with its retro setup along with the unique colour combination that is offered with. A bulky tank, a short tail and curvy front visor make it quite prominent on the road. The bike draws its power from a 150cc, single-cylinder motor with 12PS of peak power and 13Nm of torque at just 5,500rpm.  

Thanks to a low seat height, wide handlebars and centre-set foot pegs, the riding posture is upright and hence quite comfortable. These make the V15 a decent commuter bike which has now become quite popular with consumers since its launch. On the downside, it’s not a corner-happy bike, however, it is still something that you can keep for a long-long time just as a memento.

Royal Enfield Himalayan

The year saw plenty of new sports bikes, commuters and scooters being launched, however, the long-awaited thirst for a budget adventure tourer was quenched only with the launch of the Himalayan. Royal Enfield introduced the bike at a competitive price tag of Rs 1.55 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) and took touring enthusiasts in the nation by storm. 

Firstly, because the Himalayan was capable of doing long distance rides just like any other classic RE cruiser. Secondly, it was able to go to places that any other classic RE cruiser can’t even think of. These two attributes contributed mainly to the Himalayan’s swift success. 

Beyond this, arrived the moment of truth – how good was the motor? For starters, pretty good. For the first time, RE has made a motor with overhead cams and it made the difference. The LS400, as RE calls it, ends up looking leaner, has lesser vibrations and a longer service period juxtaposed to the routine pushrod type RE engines. 

Further, a commendable ground clearance of 220mm along with a large 21-inch tyre at the front and fat 17-inch tyre out back gave the Himalayan an added capability of a comfortable off-roader. While a power figure of 24.5PS seems a bit less on select extreme terrains, it is just about adequate for a moderate off-road path. 

Bajaj Dominar 400

For the past few days, ever since Bajaj launched the Dominar 400, I am constantly comparing it to the bikes that are more expensive that it, but are less powerful. I have found quite a few such bikes like Mahindra Mojo, Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350/500, Honda CBR 250, RE Classic 500, and the Himalayan. It might, however, be an unfair comparison as few belong to a totally different category, but hey, who wouldn't want affordable power?

The bike is powered by a 373.3cc, liquid-cooled motor, fuel injected to produce 35PS of power and 35Nm of torque. Bajaj modestly claims that the bike can hit a top speed of 148kmph, however, a few videos of the Dominar racing a Duke 390 suggest otherwise with the speedo hitting over 160kmph!

We eagerly want to test the bike in its flesh and blood but will have to wait till January 2017. With the Dominar, Bajaj hopes to change the face of Indian cruising scene forever, something that has been dominated by the Royal Enfields.