Touring on a motorcycle is now catching up and is fast becoming one of the most popular leisure activities. After all, the lure of open road, beautiful scenery and the charm of being away from the regular hustle and bustle is too difficult to resist. Which is why the need for a budget touring machine, which can be your primary ride for daily commutes and double up as a touring motorcycle as well. So we list out the top touring motorcycles in India, with an ex-showroom price of Rs. 3 lakh.
Also Read: Best Adventure Bikes Under Rs. 3 Lakh
The OG touring machine! The Dominar 400 was Bajaj’s first attempt at making a proper touring motorcycle, taking aim directly at the Royal Enfield’s 350 cc range. With a 373 cc single-cylinder engine, making 39.5 bhp at 8,800 rpm and peak torque of 35 Nm at 6,500 rpm, the Dominar has enough power to sit at 100 kmph+ speeds all day long. The power delivery kicks in early and stays linear all throughout which makes it a solid touring machine. Add the fact that it now comes with touring accessories such as a windscreen and mounts for your luggage, makes the motorcycle a great option if you like hitting open roads frequently. Prices start at Rs. 2.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
The launch of the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 marked a change in the company's focus towards the 350 cc motorcycle segment in India and globally. It was the first model to be launched, which was based on Royal Enfield's all-new J-platform. The Meteor 350 has been doing consistently well for RE. The 349 cc single-cylinder air and oil cooled engine makes 20.2 bhp at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. It also gets features like Tripper Navigation and accessories like saddlebags, windscreen and much more! It has a comfortable perch, meaning you can put in those kilometres on the saddle with ease. Prices start at Rs. 2 lakh approx. and go up to Rs. 2.20 lakh (ex-showroom).
Also Read: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Review
The Honda H'Ness CB350 was launched with the idea of taking aim squarely at Royal Enfield's 350 cc motorcycle range, which was further bolstered by the arrival of the Honda CB 350RS. Prices of the motorcycle start from Rs. 2.10 lakh and go up to Rs. 2.15 lakh. Honda BigWing also offers four custom accessories packs for the motorcycle, which can be used to personalise your motorcycle. The 350 cc single-cylinder motor makes 20.8 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 30 Nm at 3,000 rpm. The 5-speed gearbox can be accessed via a slipper clutch with assist function which requires less load on the clutch lever, compared to a regular clutch, which will help with long distance rides.
Also Read: Honda H'Ness CB350 Review
The TVS Apache is the only supersport motorcycle here, but it makes for an excellent touring machine too. It is fast, gets a boatload of features like a full-colour digital display, and if you are willing to pay for it, then adjustable suspension too. The 313 cc engine makes 20.8 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 30 Nm at 3,000 rpm. The 5-speed gearbox can be accessed via a slipper clutch with assist function which requires less load on the clutch lever. Plus, the motorcycle now gets four riding modes – Urban, Track, Sport and Rain. For a single rider, the TVS Apache RR 310 makes for a good purchase. The Apache RR 310 is priced at Rs. 2.72 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is the quintessential touring machine. It has been around for almost seven years now and the ADV shows no sign of stopping. The Himalayan gets a 411 cc long stroke engine which makes 24.3 bhp at 6,500 rpm and 32 Nm of peak torque between 4,000-4,500 rpm. The engine continues to be paired to a 5-speed gearbox. It may not have ballistic power, but it has good highway manners and can take on the rough stuff with ease. Its bare-bones design also means that damage is minimal should you drop the bike. There are bunch of accessories on offer for the Himalayan to make it even more road-trip worthy. One of the top picks in this list! Prices for the Royal Enfield Himalayan start at Rs. 2.16 lakh to Rs. 2.24 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Also Read: 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan Review
The KTM 250 Adventure is a good option, should you want a motorcycle that feels equally at home in the city and on the highway. It looks similar to its elder sibling, the KTM 390 Adventure. It gets a 248.8 cc single-cylinder, shared with the KTM 250 Duke. The engine makes 29.5 bhp at 9,000 rpm and 24 Nm of torque peaking at 7,500 rpm. It loves to be revved and will go all the way up to 9,500 rpm. Highway manners are good, with decent performance on offer. The 250 ADV can take on trails and rough terrain as well. It gets a decent set of features and cycle parts like USD suspension and monoshock at the rear are shared with the KTM 390 Adventure as well.
Also Read: KTM 250 Adventure Review
The Honda CB300F ticks all the right boxes that a motorcycle can, in the 300-350 cc space. It has a design that stands out, performance that is likeable and a list of features that is decent enough. The Honda CB300F is equipped with a 293 cc single-cylinder engine, which puts out 24.1 bhp at 7,500 rpm and 25.6 Nm torque at 5,500 rpm. Then, there’s a 6-speed gearbox, with a slip and assist clutch on offer. Overall, the performance, the power delivery is very, very linear and the engine has a likeable character, which will be suited for daily riding and on road trips as well. There are two variants on offer, the DLX and the DLX Pro. The former is priced at Rs. 2.26 lakh (ex-showroom) while the latter is priced at Rs. 2.29 lakh (ex-showroom).
