Motorcycle Mayhem Of The Week: Vespa Notte 125, 2018 Honda Activa-i, Aviator launched; Royal Enfield Classic 500 Pegasus Sold Out In Record Time, And More!

A lot happened this past week in the world of two-wheelers, especially in India. The week witnessed quite some launches though they weren’t as eagerly anticipated as the ones last time, at least for the enthusiasts. There’s also been some interesting developments with Bajaj Auto and Hyosung for the Indian market. Here’s everything summarised in one story:

Something big is brewing at Bajaj Auto & Hyosung:

In a bid to take on the competition more effectively and aggressively, Bajaj Auto shared an internal circular about their restructuring plans. In a first, the Pune-based auto major has appointed a Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) who will be overlooking the brand’s key businesses. Rakesh Sharma has taken up this position, and managers of the Motorcycle Business Unit, Intra-city Business Unit, Auto Finance Business of Bajaj, Export Business Unit (EBU), Probiking Business Unit and the newly setup Urbanite Business Unit will report to him. Here’s everything you need to know about the restructuring.

Hyosung has been struggling for some time now, and its erstwhile Indian partner DSK Group’s downfall only added fuel to its woes. However, things are looking much better now as Kinetic Group’s Motoroyale has taken over sales and even after-sales service for Hyosung motorcycles in India. You can read more about what’s going to happen to the dealerships, and other information of the takeover here.

Honda’s minor updates:

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Honda India updated two of its long-standing scooters, the Activa-i and the Aviator, for 2018. Highlights of the former includes colour schemes and 4-in-1 lock switch, while the latter now comes with a full-LED headlamp, new colour scheme, apron-mounted hook and an additional hook below the seat. Mechanically, both the scooters remain unchanged.

Royal Enfield Classic 500 Pegasus sold out in record time:

The record-setting sale of the Classic 500 Pegasus is a true testament of the fervent demand for such limited-edition Royal Enfields. All the 250 out of 1000 units allocated for the country got sold out online in under 178 seconds! The motorcycle is inspired from the Flying Flea, a lightweight military bike that did duty in World War II. There are only aesthetic changes while the powertrain and mechanical underpinnings have been kept the same as the regular Classic 500. You can read about the bike’s pricing and other notable features of the motorcycle here.

ISI Helmets to get lighter under new norms:

ISI-compliant helmets can now weigh no more than 1.2kg, as proposed by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Moreover, the new ruling states that the riders need to use helmets designed for motorcycle riding only, in a bid to deter them from wearing helmets that are meant for other purposes. This ruling will make helmets safer as the inertia would be less than heavier ones. However, it remains to be seen how helmet makers strike a balance between quality and cost. You can read about the finer print about the new ruling here.

New launches:

At the lower-end of the spectrum, Vespa launched its most affordable retro scooter, the Notte 125. Draped in matte black, the scooter looks more subtle than the other brightly coloured, expensive but only slightly more feature-laden Vespas. You can read more about the scooter’s features, pricing and rivals here.

On the other hand, BMW Motorrad launched their most expensive product in India, the HP4 Race, at Rs 85 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). For the same price you could get a fully specced BMW 6 GT on the road! Unfortunately, the HP4 Race is not road-legal and is meant for the racetrack only. Here’s why the bike costs so much.