Top 5 Newcomers And Their Launches

Amidst the presence of all the big marquees, some new and lesser known two-wheeler manufacturers also made their official debut at the Auto Expo 2018. Today we take a look at some of their products.

1) Cleveland CycleWerks

The Ohio-based two-wheeler manufacturer specializes in designing and assembling small displacement, retro-styled inexpensive motorcycles. The company made its official debut at the Auto Expo 2018 by unveiling not one but four motorcycles - the Ace Scrambler, Ace Deluxe, Ace Cafe Racer and the Misfit 250. Along with this, the company also showcased the Cleveland Heist.

Both the motorcycles are powered by the same 229cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine, which makes 15.4PS of power at 7000rpm and 16Nm of torque at 6000rpm.

The Cleveland Ace is available in three different variants - Scrambler, Deluxe and Cafe Racer. The Misfit 250, on the other hand, is a retro cafe racer. The company plans on bringing the motorcycles via the CKD route and assembling them in their Pune plant, which should bring the costs down considerably.

2) Aftek Motors

Aftek Motors, a Lucknow-based company, showcased its entire lineup of motorcycles at the Auto Expo 2018. All the bikes in the lineup are manufactured in China. The lineup includes the Knight Rider 170cc, Scorpion 200cc, Skipper 125cc, Royal+ 110cc, the Turbo 170cc and the Zontes R-250.

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The company plans on launching the motorcycles this March with price tags ranging from Rs 44,000 to Rs 1.75 lakh (ex-showroom). Aftek Motors will open dealerships in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Gujarat this year.

The Aftek Zontes R250 is the company's flagship motorcycle. It gets a bigger 249cc single-cylinder, oil-cooled engine which delivers 24.4PS of power and 23Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed gearbox. According to the company, it can achieve a top speed of 145kmph. In terms of features, it gets LED headlamps, LED taillights and a digital instrument cluster.

3) Menza Motors

The Model One wasn't the only electric superbike that was showcased at the Auto Expo 2018. Menza Motors, a Gujarat-based automobile company, launched its first product, named the Lucat, priced at Rs 2.8 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Lucat sports a cafe racer-inspired design with minimalistic bodywork and 17-inch spoked wheels, clip-on handlebars and a single seat saddle. However, customers can opt for a double-seat configuration or have the entire bodywork done up in carbon-fibre. The company states that the motorcycle is highly customizable and everything apart from the frame and chassis can be changed. In addition to this, the company also offers a total of 77 colour options to choose from.

In terms of features, it gets an LED headlamp, a large touchscreen tablet-like instrument console with advanced connectivity and interactive features, and keyless ignition. Powering all this is an air-cooled brushless DC motor which makes 24PS of power and 60Nm of torque. Taking this into consideration it is safe to say that the motorcycle has the dynamics of a 200cc motorcycle but offers close to the performance of a 650cc bike.

The battery used here is a 72V lithium-ion unit, which allows a range of 100km in the city on a single charge. Normally, it takes four hours to juice it from 0 to 100 per cent. However, through fast charging, you can achieve 95 per cent charge in just 45 minutes.

You can either buy the Lucat for the full price or lease it for Rs 3880 per month. Bookings are set to begin from February 14th, and it will only be sold through the manufacturer’s e-commerce platform.

4) Emflux Motors

The focus of this year's Auto Expo was heavily on electric vehicles, and as expected we saw many electric companies making their debut. Among these, the one which attracted the most attention was Bengaluru-based electric motorcycle startup Emflux Motors who unveiled its first ever electric bike, the Model One.

In terms of design the Model One packs the aggression of a litre-class sports bike, with its leaned forward position, low-set handlebars and rear-set footpegs. Its appeal is further bolstered by a single-sided swingarm. The Model One is packed with all sorts of electronic goodies, including a 6.8-inch TFT instrument cluster, GPS navigation, Bluetooth and bike-to-bike connectivity.

Powering the Model One is a 60kW liquid-cooled AC induction motor which produces 81.5PS of power and 84Nm of torque at 8400rpm. It can achieve a (claimed) top speed of 200kmph and sprint from 0 to 100kmph in just 3 seconds. In comparison, the Triumph Street Triple RS, which retails for Rs 10.5 lakh (ex-showroom India), takes 3.59 seconds to cover 0 to 100kmph.
All of this is powered by a Samsung-made lithium-ion battery, which claims a range of 200kmph and a charge time of 0 to 80 per cent in just half an hour. If the Model One’s claims are even remotely close, we might get a pretty good value for money motorcycle next year.

5) Twenty-Two Motors

Auto Expo 2018 also saw Twenty Two Motors throwing their hat into the electric two-wheeler mix. They launched their first ever electric scooter, the Flow, for a price of Rs 74,740 (ex-showroom Delhi).

The Flow comes with a set of interesting features such as smartphone connectivity and a built-in geofencing feature which cuts off the power supply of the scooter via a mobile app if a theft is detected by the owner. Along with this, it also comes with different riding modes for extracting optimum performance out of the battery and electric motor, and features LED head and tail lights, cruise control, hill assist and a reverse mode.

Powering the Flow is a DC motor which produces 2.8PS of power and 90Nm of torque, making it one of the most powerful scooters in India. The motor is powered by a lithium-ion battery that can be fully recharged in 2 hours. However, the company claims the scooter can cover a distance of 20km on a 10-minute charge. The Flow has a total range of 80km and a top speed of 60kmph.