BIKES BRIEFING

The Auto Expo had us surprised with some great bikes from both, mass manufacturers and local start-ups

All the interesting showcases and launches from the Expo

THE AUTO EXPO, MOST AUTO enthusiasts thought, would be rather tame this time around with a number of big manufacturers choosing to stay away. However, the bikes that were on display at the Expo, much to our delight, were rather brilliant. Here is a run-down on all that we loved at this year’s biennial.

APRILIA

WHILE EVERYONE HAD THEIR attention focused on the ‘big’ launches at the Expo, the Italian marquee stunned everyone with a display studded with some big reveals, all of which are expected to be launched in the next 12 months. Taking the cake are the RS 150 and the Tuono 150 with their 18bhp and 14Nm of torque to go along with a plethora of equipment, not to mention the styling, that leaves no doubt as to where their roots lie. And as if those weren’t enough, Aprilia, went on to unveil a bunch of new SR 125s. All of them stood out from the pack, the Storm being the real head turner among the scooters.

BMW MOTORRAD

BMW MOTORRAD LAUNCHED THE adventure tourers, F 750 GS and the F 850 GS at `12.2 lakh (exshowroom) and `13.7 lakh (ex-showroom) respectively at the Auto Expo. The bikes will take on the likes of the Triumph Tiger 800, a bike that is extremely popular in India. Both the bikes are powered by an allnew 853cc parallel-twin engine producing 76bhp and 83Nm of torque on the BMW F 750 GS and 94bhp and 92Nm of torque on the F 850 GS.

HERO MOTOCORP

SUCCESOR TO THE IMPULSE, THE XPulse gets a bigger heart in the form of a 200cc mill that produces a peak output of 18bhp and 17.1Nm. It features LED headlamps, a windshield, knuckle guards and a luggage rack. The front sits on a 21-inch wheel and it boasts of a 220mm ground clearance aluminium skid plate and an adjustable monoshock.

EMFLUX

THIS SMALL BENGALURU-BASED start-up launched what turned out to be among the stars of the Auto Expo. Their electric sportsbike, the Emflux One, grabbed eyeballs not just because of the way it looked but because of the tech and performance involved. The bike will be available starting at a price of `6 lakh – going up to `11 lakh depending upon the equipment you spec it with. The Emflux One can get to 100kmph in 3 seconds, claims the start-up.

HONDA

HONDA BROUGHT IN THEIR NEW 160cc motorcycle, the X-Blade to the Auto Expo 2018. Based on the CB Unicorn 160's platform, the X-Blade gets the same 162cc HET engine which puts out 13.93bhp and 13.9Nm of torque mated to a five-speed gearbox. The bike gets LED headlights, dual outlet port exhausts and alloy wheels.

KAWASAKI

KAWASAKI GOT THEIR BIG GUNS to the Auto Expo. The H2 SX and the H2 SX SE were launched at `21.8 lakh and `26.8 lakh, both ex-showroom. The touring variants of the H2, the SX and the SE both have close to 200 horses and are the most powerful sports tourers available.

SUZUKI

SUZUKI UNVEILED ITS STYLISH NEW Burgman Street which gets the same 125cc engine as the Access, along with the underpinnings. It gets the sharp, angular panels that are a characteristic of the Burgman range of scooters. Suzuki also unveiled the GSX-S750 that will be launched in India shortly. It is the first sub-1000cc big bike from the Japanese manufacturer to make its way to India and the second locally made superbike (CKD), after the Hayabusa.

TWENTY TWO MOTORS

ONE OF THE SURPRISING SIGHTS at the Expo this year was hitherto unheard brand, Twenty Two Motors. The start-up brought its first product, 'Flow' to the masses. The bright, stylish scooter has a sticker price of `74,740 (ex-showroom) and it offers a host of features, some previously unheard of in a scooter in India. The electric scooter has a range of 80km and with the aid of a fast charger it can be charged to 70 per cent in an hour. It gets a top speed of 80kmph. It has a reverse gear, cruise control, hill assist and a drag function – where the scooter moves at speeds up to 5kmph so that you can drag it in case of a puncture.

TVS

THE TWO CONCEPTS THAT WERE present at the stall, the Zeppelin and the Creon, were among the head turners at the Expo. The Zeppelin is a power cruiser with a neo-retro look and is powered by a 220cc engine. It is mated with TVS patented Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) and gets a belt drive. It comes with sharp headlamp section with an integrated HD cam, 41mm USD forks, 17inch spoke wheels with Pirelli Sport Demon tyres and dual-channel ABS unit. The Zeppelin also gets a 1200W regenerative assist motor with 48V Li-ION battery. The Creon on the other hand is a smart electric scooter concept focused on performance. TVS claims that it will accelerate from 0-60kmph in 5.1 seconds and have a range of 80km on one full charge. The Creon gets an all-digital display unit and boasts of cloud connectivity, three custom riding modes, regenerative braking, park assist, anti-theft safety, GPS navigation and geofencing.

YAMAHA

YAMAHA LAUNCHED THE YZF-R15 V3.0 and the new YZF-R3 at the Auto Expo 2018. The R15 will retail for `1.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The bike looks sharper than before and the twin headlamps upfront along with the redone front make it look much more like its elder sibling, the R1. The 155cc, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, four-valve, fuel-injected engine produces 19bhp at 10,000rpm and 15Nm of torque at 8500rpm. The R3 now gets stickier Metzeler M5s and dual channel ABS and will retail for `3.48 lakh (exshowroom, Delhi).