Top 16 bike launches for 2016

1, Bajaj Pulsar CS400

Among all the new motorcycles that were showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo by Bajaj Auto the Pulsar CS400 (Cruiser Sport).was definitely the stand out motorcycle. With the new CS400, Bajaj plans to kick-start the affordable power cruiser motorcycle segment in the Indian market. The design inspiration for the motorcycle is varied; the headlamp and front fairing come across as an evolution of the Pulsar 200 NS design and so does the longer fuel tank. But, overall, the Pulsar CS 400 reminds one of a scaled down Diavel from Ducati. The end result is a motorcycle that looks stunning. Expect power output in the range of 35PS. 

Expected Launch Date: Early 2016

Expected Price: Under Rs 2 lakh 

Rivals: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

2, UM Renegade S

The new UM Renegade Sport S is its first cruiser motorcycle offering for the Indian market. According to the US manufacturer it has heavily localised the new Renegade Sports S with tyres sourced from TVS, Gabriel suspension bits and locally sourced headlamp, tail lamp and instrument console. The styling of the motorcycle has been inspired from large cruiser bikes and the Renegade S that was showcased sported stealth black paint job with contrasting orange accents. The cruiser is powered by a 279cc, water-cooled, single-cylinder fuel-injected motor churning out 26.6PS at 8,600 rpm and 22.76Nm at 6,300 rpm. The powerplant is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.

Expected Launch Date: Early 2016

Expected Price: Rs 1.7 lakh 

Rivals: Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350

3, Hero HX 250R

The Hero HX250R was displayed at the 2014 Auto Expo and has generated considerable interest among the Indian motorcycling community. The HX250R uses a 249cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that produce around 31PS power and 26Nm of torque. This lightweight and powerful quarter-litre motorcycle has been jointly developed by Hero Motocorp, America’s Eric Buell Racing (EBR), AVL (Austria) and Engines Engineering. The bike features geodesic tubular chassis that integrates the engine as a stressed member of the frame, to offer sporty riding dynamics and better rigidity. The HX250R sports 37mm telescopic fork at the front and a 5-step adjustable monoshock at the rear.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 1.5 lakh 

Rivals: Honda CBR 250R, KTM RC200

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4, Royal Enfield Himalayan

The Royal Enfield Himalayan has to be among the most highly anticipated new launches for 2016. The new motorcycle will be the first adventure offering from Royal Enfield and also a complete new powerplant. The panniers on the spy picture seem to be an optional fitment. Powering the new Royal Enfield Himalayan will be an oil-cooled, 410cc, single-cylinder powerplant pushing out around 28PS of power and 30Nm of torque. The motor will also have overhead cams instead of the traditional push rod architecture on Royal Enfield engines and is expected to freely rev to 6,500-7,000rpm. The engine will also be equipped with a counter balancer to reduce vibrations, so expect the Himalayan’s mill to be the most refined unit seen on a Royal Enfield yet. The instrument console will house an analogue speedometer, tachometer, digital display for clock, odometer and trip meter along with compass and even altimeter readings. Braking on the Himalayan will be done by disc brake on both the ends while ABS wouldn’t be offered even as an optional extra.

Expected Launch Date: Early 2016

Expected Price: Around Rs 1.7 lakh 

Rivals: None

5, TVS Apache 200

The new motorcycle will be the flagship offering from the Hosur based manufacturer and will take design cues from the Draken concept that was showcased at the last years Auto Expo. It will be powered by a 200cc displacement single-cylinder motor that will be mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The TVS Apache 200 is expected to churn out around 25PS of max power. The bike will employ telescopic front forks and monoshock unit at the back to handle suspension duties. Braking will be done by petal disc brakes and ABS will be an optional extra.

Expected Price: Under Rs 1 lakh

Expected launch: Early 2016

Rivals: KTM 200 Duke, Bajaj Pulsar 200NS

6, New KTM RC 390

KTM upped the ante as it unveiled the new KTM RC 390 with even more features at the 2015 EICMA motorcycle show. The biggest change here is the addition of a slipper clutch which was recently made available on the KTM 390 Duke. There’s also a ride-by-wire system, designed for smoother and more linear power delivery. The liquid-cooled, 373c mill churns out 43PS of peak power at 9,000rpm and 35Nm of maximum torque at 7,000rpm. At 320mm dia, the front disc brakes – developed in conjunction with Brembo - are larger, and now come with adjustable brake and clutch levers.

Expected Launch Date: Early 2016

Expected Price: Rs 2.15 lakh 

Rivals: Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha R3

7, Yamaha MT-03

The new motorcycle is basically a streetbike version of the Yamaha R3 which is on sale in India. The styling of the bike is exactly similar to its 250cc sibling, the Yamaha MT-25. The design language of MT-03 is akin to street bikes with a beefy tank, petite tail lamp, and exposed frame along with sharp and edgy lines that should please the naked bike loyalists. Yamaha boffins have also fine tuned the riding position to better suit to the street bike riding dynamics. It is powered by a 320cc, parallel-twin motor good enough for 43PS of peak power and 29.5Nm of peak torque.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Under Rs 3 lakh 

Rivals: Kawasaki Z250, KTM 390 Duke, Benelli TNT300

8, BMW G310R

The G310R is the first motorcycle to be unveiled under the joint venture between BMW Motorrad and TVS Motors. The G310R has been designed in Germany while the motorcycle will be manufactured at TVS’S production facility in Hosur. Overall styling isn’t very aggressive and the bike has been designed to appeal to the masses. Talking about engine, the BMW G310R features a 313cc liquid-cooled single cylinder motor producing 35PS of power and 28Nm of peak torque. The powerplant has been mated to a 6-speed gearbox and the motorcycle weighs 158.5kg. Braking is done via disc brake on both the ends while ABS is standard. 

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 2.5 lakh 

Rivals: Benelli TNT300, KTM 390 Duke, Kawasaki Z250

9, DSK-Benelli Tornado 302

The new Benelli Tornado 302 will be among the most popular offerings once it’s launched in India. The new bike will be the Italian bikemakers first full-faired motorcycle for the Indian market. The styling of the motorcycle is edgy and modern which will appeal to the youngsters. Talking about powerplant, the new Benelli Tornado 302 gets firepower from a 300cc, parallel-twin motor producing 36PS at 12,000rpm and 27Nm of peak torque at 9,000rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear-wheel via a 6-speed gearbox. Benelli claims that the Tornado 302 has a top speed of 170kmph which seems to be an overzealous figure. 

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Under Rs 2.5 lakh 

Rivals: KTM RC 390, Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha R3

10, Hero ZIR

Hero MotoCorp's latest 150cc scooter - ZIR was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo and it definitely grabbed the most number of eyeballs owing to its styling. It has been loaded with features such as dual projector headlamps with daylight running lights integrated in them, petal disc brakes, LED turn indicators and tail lamp, windscreen etc. It will be powered by a 157cc, liquid-cooled mill producing 14PS of power and 12.7Nm of torque. Hero claims that the ZIR can hit a top-speed of 110kmph. With the ZIR, Hero plans to revive a new segment of maxi-scooters, which was started by the Kinetic Blaze close to a decade back.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 80-90,000

Rivals: Vespa SXL 150

11, Honda PCX 150

Honda is the undisputed king when it comes to scooters in the Indian market. For 2016, the Japanese two-wheeler giant wants to take a step further and will bring in its first 150cc scooter offering- Honda PCX 150. It gets an European scooter design language which comes as a fresh breath of air in the rather monotonous design adopted by scooters in India. Powering the Honda PCX 150 is a single-cylinder, fuel-injected, 153cc motor producing 13.5PS of power and 14Nm of torque. With competitor Hero riding in the ZIR in 2016, Honda seems to have an able rival in the form of the PCX 150.

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 90,000

Rivals: Vespa SXL 150

12, Bajaj Pulsar 150NS

The Bajaj Pulsar 150 still remains the king of the 150cc segment but now has started to show its age cosmetically and mechanically. To address this issue, Bajaj will ride in the new Pulsar 150NS that was showcased in Turkey last year. It will carry forward the same design language as seen on the Pulsar 200NS. The brute streetbike styling should enable it to stand out among its rivals and also appeal to youngsters. The air-cooled single cylinder unit will be sourced from the Pulsar AS150 which is good enough for 17PS power at 9500rpm and maximum torque of 13Nm at 7500rpm.

Expected Price: Rs 73,000

Expected launch: Early 2016

Rivals: Suzuki Gixxer, Honda CB Unicorn 160, Yamaha FZ-S

13, Yamaha NMax

With its rivals planning to enter the 150cc scooter space for 2016, Yamaha is well prepared in the form of its new global scooter - the Yamaha NMAX. The styling is similar to a maxi scooter and features a European style step thru design. Powering the new Yamaha scooter is a 155cc, liquid-cooled motor producing 15PS of power and 14.4 Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear-wheel via a CVT transmission. Talking about features the scooter features a smoked out headlamp, digital instrument console, external fuel cap, telescopic forks, and 13-inch alloy wheels. Braking is done by disc brakes at front and rear.

Expected Launch Date: Late 2016

Expected Price: Around Rs 1 lakh

Rivals: Vespa SXL 150

14, Honda CBR500RR

Honda designers have paid special attention to make the bike look more visually appealing. The Honda CBR500RR 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. Hiding behind the fairing of the CBR500RR is a 471cc parallel twin DOHC 4-valve motor that is expected to have the refinement that Honda is renowned for. Power output stands at 47.6PS at 8,500rpm and 43Nm of peak torque at 7,000rpm. 

Expected Launch Date: Mid-2016

Expected Price: Rs 5.5 lakh 

Rivals: Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha R3

15, Benelli Trek 502

Many performance buyers have started to appreciate the benefits of adventure motorcycle but there is one big hitch, which is pricing. DSK-Benelli plans to fill this void in the market with the new Trek 502. Powering it is a 500cc, parallel-twin 500cc motorcycle churning out 48PS of peak power at 8,500rpm and 45Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. The gearbox is a 6-speed affair controlled by a hydraulic clutch. Fuel capacity is a mammoth 20 litres. The styling of the Trek 502 has been inspired from the Ducati Multistrada with its beaky front fairing and twin headlamps which makes it a handsome looking motorcycle. 

Expected Launch Date: Late 2016

Expected Price: Under Rs 5 lakh 

Rivals: Kawasaki Versys 650

16, Triumph Bonneville Street Twin 900

The smallest (in engine capacity) and perhaps the most popular model is expected to be the new Triumph Street Twin. It’s also the most contemporary looking, with a single part-digital instrument cluster, which looks rather modern on a classic inspired bike. Similarly, the headlight brackets have a brush metal finish, gramophone type exhausts and alloy wheels all hint at its modernistic tilt. The good modern bits like ABS, traction control, slip-assist clutch are standard across the 2016 Triumph Bonneville models. Fed by a single throttle body, the new liquid cooled 900cc motor is tuned to produce peak torque of 80Nm at as low as 3200rpm.

Expected Launch Date: Early 2016

Expected Price: Rs 6.5 lakh 

Rivals: Kawasaki ER-6n, Harley-Davidson Iron 883, Ducati Scrambler