2016 Auto Expo: Honda to showcase some exciting two-wheelers

Honda had a great year in 2015 as it launched the successor for the iconic Unicorn in the form of the new Honda Unicorn 160. Then it was the turn of the Honda Livo, a new premium commuter motorcycle while the mildly face lifted version of the popular Honda Activa was also introduced. Then came the late entrants to the party in second half of 2016 – Honda CB Hornet 160R and the Honda CB Shine SP. It also commenced CKD operations in India by riding in the Honda CBR650F. For 2016, the Japanese two-wheeler giant plans to maintain this momentum with a slew of new launches. For the 2016 Auto Expo, Honda has lots of goodies in store for us. The star attraction will be most likely the Honda PCX 150 scooter. With the new offering, the Japanese manufacturer will enter the 150cc scooter segment which only has the Vespa 150 duo currently. The Honda PCX 150 is a step-through offering with a European scooter design language. Powering the Honda PCX 150 is a single-cylinder, fuel-injected, 153cc motor producing 13.5PS of power and 14Nm of torque. 

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) also plans to give a new lease of life to the Aviator by plonking the 125cc motor from the Activa 125 and give it a cosmetic update to distinguish itself from the standard scooter. The air-cooled, single-cylinder engine delivers 8.7PS of peak power and 10.1Nm of peak torque. We feel the new Honda Aviator 125 to get design influences from the Honda Lead scooter which is on sale in Southeast Asian markets. Another highlight at the Honda stall will be the Honda CBR 400R motorcycle. Honda designers have paid special attention to make the bike look more visually appealing. The Honda CBR 400R sports a sharp looking twin headlamp while the fairing has been chiselled on the lines of the larger Honda CBR 1000RR. The bike features LED headlamp and tail light which add a dose of aggressiveness to the overall design. 

The bike features an all-digital instrument console. Hiding behind the fairing of the CBR400R is a 400cc parallel twin DOHC 4-valve motor that is expected to have the refinement that Honda is renowned for. Power figures have not been revealed as yet but expect it to be around 45PS while torque figure of around 37 Nm. Being a twin-cylinder offering, expect the Honda CBR 400R to be significantly cheaper than the Honda CBR 650F which is on sale in India. The Honda CBR 400R will most likely be the second motorcycle to be locally assembled in India with an expected launch by late 2016.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Given the rising popularity of adventure performance bikes in India, Honda too has decided to jump into this segment. At the 2016 Auto Expo we can see the Africa Twin being unveiled for the first time in our country. It features flat, wide bars with hand guards and ample dash space to house a sat nav. A comfortable seat height of 870mm coupled with high fly-screen too reasserts the motorcycle’s long distance intentions. Honda has also managed to keep the bike’s weight and dimensions in check. Where the BMW R1200 GS and the Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 look bulky and intimidating, the Africa Twin maintains a tall and slender stance. 

The bike is powered by a 998cc parallel twin motor compared to the 52 degree V-twins on the older XRV bikes. It makes 95PS of max power at 7,500rpm and 98Nm of peak torque at 6,000rpm.The gearbox is a 6-speed unit and Honda will also be offering an updated version its 6-speed dual clutch automatic that does duty on the VFR1200F. The gearbox will come with a D and three ‘S’ modes. In addition the adventure bike will also come with ABS and a three stage traction control as a part of an electronics package. Both the systems can be turned off completely though the ABS can only be fully deactivated for the rear wheel only. Expect it to be priced around Rs 12 lakh with a possible launch by late 2016 and the adventure bike would be brought in as a CBU offering.