THE GRID OF NEWS
A round-up of this month’s automotive news
MUSCLE HUSTLE
■ There’s a new cruiser in town — Benelli’s 502C. The 502C is a cruiser based around the same 500cc parallel-twin mill found on the TRK 502, 502X and the Leoncino 500 meaning it puts out the same 46.8bhp at 8500rpm and 46Nm at 6000rpm. Styling, on the other hand, is all-new and definitely inspired by a certain burly Italian. Chassis components include twin front discs, 41mm USDs, a steel trellis frame and a healthy 21-litre fuel tank. All yours for an ex-showroom price of `4.98 lakh.
HYBRIDISATION
■ Yamaha has launched the Fascino 125 Fi Hybrid and it packs a neat trick up its sleeve — a small electric motor that Yamaha calls the Smart Motor Generator (SMG). It works as an assist motor that kicks in when you accelerate from a standstill or on a slope, supporting the 125cc motor that puts out 8bhp and 10.3Nm. Apart from that, the disc brake variant also gets Bluetooth connectivity and two colours over the drum brake variant. Prices start at `70,000.
ADVENTURE AHOY!
■ BMW Motorrad has launched the updated R 1250 GS and the R 1250 GS Adventure in India with prices starting at `20.45 lakh and `22.4 lakh respectively. The highlights of the 2021 models include the addition of more standard features such as BMW’s Integral ABS, Pro riding modes including a new Eco mode and more. The 1254cc boxer engine now makes 134bhp and an identical 143Nm. There’s also the Edition 40 Years GS available, for extra moolah of course. This or a certain red Italian then?
eBIMMER
■ Remember the Definition CE 04 concept that BMW showcased last year? Well, it’s a concept no more and the production-spec CE 04’s styling stays very close to the concept. Along with the styling, it also retains the mahoosive 10.25-inch colour TFT instrument cluster. Propelling the CE 04 is an 8.9kW battery mated to a single motor and together they produce 41bhp and 62Nm bestowing the scooter with a claimed 130km range and 120kmph top-speed.
BRUTE SCOOT
■ TVS has launched the all-new Ntorq 125 Race XP at `83,275 (exshowroom). The Race XP is the first scooter in the country to offer Ride Modes. Powering the scooter is a retuned 125cc, single-cylinder mill that puts out 10bhp and 10.8Nm. Along with the ride modes, TVS has also updated the scooter with a voice assist feature that can accept up to 15 different voice commands. All these new features and more power and the Race XP also weighs 2kg less than earlier.
ON EDGE
■ Hero has launched the new Maestro Edge 125 with prices starting at `72,250 (ex-showroom). Mechanically, the scooter remains unchanged over its predecessor but what is new are its edgy graphics with a new front end at the centre of which is a new LED projector headlamp setup and a fully digital instrument cluster that supports Bluetooth connectivity enabling features such as turn-by-turn navigation notification alerts and other features such as real-time mileage, eco indicator and low fuel warning.