For bikers, 2019 will be quite exciting

The last year saw a lot of action in the motorcycle space. The headline-grabbing, much-anticipated launches included the first twin-engine motorcycles from Royal Enfield, the BMW G310R and G310GS that brought the big German brand to the aspirational crowd, and the Jawa comeback. The premium motorcycle space also saw a few launches, including the likes of Indian Motorcycle.

The year 2019 promises to be as hectic and launch-filled as the previous one, if not more. Benelli, Yamaha, Hero, etc, are some of the brands that are getting ready to throw their hats in the ring. A slew of bike launches across segments are in the pipeline. We bring you some handpicked ones that you may be interested in marking and checking out.

Hero XPulse 200

Those who remember the Hero Impulse know that the company was the first to give riders an affordable adventurer. However, the small engine on offer was one of the reasons it didn’t really take off. Now, Hero has put in a bigger 200 cc engine to try and woo entry-level buyers. The XPulse has been coming a while, however, having first been showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo in Delhi NCR. This year could finally see it roll into showrooms. It is said to get dual disc brakes with ABS and may cost around ₹1 lakh.

New Yamaha R3

The older version of the R3 at that time was one of the very few twin-cylinder bikes in the country and gathered a dedicated fan base. Yamaha pulled it out of the showrooms around when BS IV regulations kicked in. The latest version, said to be coming back to the country this year, will also get ABS. The engine remains the same, but some tweaks could see slight changes in power output. It will be interesting to see how Yamaha prices the new R3, given the competition it now has from the likes of the BMW G310R.

Jawa Perak

A grand launch, lots of hype, and as the company claims, sold out/booked till September 2019, Jawa had quite the comeback. Powered by a modified version of the Mahindra Mojo’s engine, the retro Jawa and the Jawa 42 brought back many fond memories. This year, Jawa will roll out the Jawa Perak, which is all set to be the most affordable bobber in the market. Stunning looks are the bike’s biggest charm, along with the iconic Jawa branding, of course. It will be priced around ₹1.9 lakh and thus be the costliest of the revamped Jawas.

Benelli TRK 502

This one has been a while coming, and its delayed launch is probably because of the partnership issues that Benelli faced in the country. While those look like they have been sorted, the TRK 502 is expected to hit showrooms early this year. The motorcycle is powered by a 500 cc, liquid cooled, parallel twin engine and makes close to 48 PS of power. Pricing could be in the ₹4 lakh to ₹5 lakh range and it looks like this motorcycle will be a worthy entrant in the mid-range adventure touring category.

Yamaha MT 15 and MT 03

Essentially naked offerings of two of Yamaha’s faired sports machines, the MT 15 and MT 03 are expected to make it to the country this year. The MT 15 will share the engine and a lot of parts with the YZF R15 V3.0, while the MT 03 is the R3’s naked sibling. The MT 03 is another motorcycle that has been expected in India for a while now, and we look forward to seeing it in dealerships this year.

New Honda CBR 650R

Honda’s well-known mid-range sports machine will don a new avatar this year, with the cosmetic changes ensuring that the bike gets a more sharply-sculpted, aggressive, and futuristic look. The engine is touted to churn out a very healthy 95 PS of power, and we look forward to riding this motorcycle on the track and the highway.

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