A Lowdown On This Week’s Two-Wheeler News Stories

This week’s news cycle saw new motorcycles being launched, a variant being discontinued and a surprise from Royal Enfield. Check them out below:

Motoverse 2023

Royal Enfield finally launched the all-new Himalayan 450 at Motoverse 2023 (formerly called Rider Mania). Check out the pricing details in our launch story. We have already ridden the adventure bike, check out our review here.

At the same festival, Royal Enfield unveiled a custom version of the upcoming Shotgun 650 Twin. While it’s a single-seat bobber, Royal Enfield has also made sure it can easily accommodate a pillion seat or a luggage rack.

EV News

Bengaluru-based Orxa Energies launched the much-awaited Mantis electric motorcycle this week. It is powered by a liquid-cooled motor and has the second highest range in India.

Ather Energy’s CEO, Tarun Mehta, confirmed that the EV maker is working on launching a family scooter (likely by mid-2024) and a more powerful variant of the 450X in early 2024. 

Yamaha R3 and MT-03

Finally, we have an India launch date for the Yamaha R3 and the MT-03! At first, both motorcycles will come via the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route and probably via the CKD (Completely Knocked Down) route later on, depending on the demand. 

Bajaj Pulsar N160

Our dealer sources confirmed that the Bajaj Pulsar N160 single-channel ABS variant has been discontinued. As such, all the colour options now come with dual-channel ABS as standard. 

Next-gen Husqvarna Vitpilen 250

The next-gen Husqvarna Vitpilen 250 was spotted testing this week. The bike looks much larger and beefier than the current-gen bike and shares a lot of parts with the KTM 250 Duke.