2017 is drawing to a close and we couldn't be thankful for all the lovely scooters and motorcycles that were launched this year, making it both pleasure and privilege to bring the reviews and comparisons all throughout this year. So, it has been a very happy 2017 for us at carandbike.com and we hope that you, the reader, too had a fantastic 2017. On to the New Year, it has got us majorly excited as there are a number of mouth-watering two-wheeler launches waiting to happen. And here is our list of top upcoming premium bikes that are expected to launch in India this year.
Also Read: Top 10 Upcoming Adventure Bikes In 2018
(BMW G 310 R)Yes! It has been a long, long time in coming. But we are confident (fingers crossed) that the BMW G 310 R will finally be launched in India this year, in the first half of 2018. It is already being manufactured at TVS' Hosur plant near Bengaluru and sold in various western markets as well. The bike gets a 313 cc single-cylinder engine which makes 34 bhp and 28.4 Nm and comes paired to a 6-speed gearbox, which is the same engine as on the TVS Apache RR 310. We just hope that the enthusiasts do not lose interest in the bike till the time it is launched. We expect the price to be in the region of Rs. 2.5 lakh.
(BMW G 310 GS)Along with the G 310 R, we also expect BMW to launch the G 310 GS in India as well, hopefully with the G 310 R, which will be in the first half of 2018. Till now, it is only the Royal Enfield Himalayan, which makes its case as an affordable adventure motorcycle on sale in India. While the G 310 GS will not exactly be as affordable as the Himalayan, it will still be a lot more cheaper than your regular 800 cc - 1000 cc adventure bikes. The G 310 GS uses the same engine as the G 310 R and should be priced somewhere around Rs. 2.75 lakh - Rs. 2.85 lakh.
(Hero Xtreme 200 S)Another bike which has been in the works for the longest time. Hero MotoCorp wants to strengthen its bread and butter models first and only then will it venture out into performance models. That is our understanding at least. We believe that the Xtreme 200 S will make its debut at the 2018 Auto Expo to be held in February. The Xtreme 200 S will have its work cut out going up against the Bajaj Pulsar NS200 and the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V. Expect the Hero Xtreme 200 S to be priced just below Rs. 1 lakh.
(Hero XPulse At EICMA 2017)Enthusiasts have been craving for an Impulse with a bigger engine for a long time now and at EICMA 2017, Hero decided to give the enthusiasts just that, by revealing the XPulse Concept. The bike received quite the appreciation and our sources at Hero say that the production model of the XPulse could be launched around June-July 2018. The XPulse will be powered by a 200 cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine and make around 20 bhp of peak power. Our estimate says that the Hero XPulse could be priced around Rs. 1.2 lakh. Hero has always been aggressive with its pricing and we expect no less with the XPulse as well.
Also Read: Hero XPulse Launch Details Revealed
(KTM 390 Adventure)2018 will see quite a few affordable adventure bike launches and the one that we are very excited about is the KTM 390 Adventure. As the name suggests, the 390 Adventure will take the underpinnings and engine of the 390 Duke with a few modifications such as long travel suspension, beefed up frame, wire-spoke wheels and so on and so forth. KTM is also working on a café racer version of the 390 Duke as well, owing to the popularity of café racers globally. We expect the 390 Adventure to come to India towards the end of 2018 and carry a sticker price in the region of Rs. 2.75 lakh or so.
Also Read: KTM 390 Adventure, Scrambler Spotted Testing
(Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500X: Photo Credit: RushLane.com)Royal Enfield will be soon launch a new variant of the Thunderbird 500 and the Thunderbird 350, namely the Thunderbird 500X and the Thunderbird 350X in India. While the engine and the cycle parts remain the same, both bikes will get a new colour scheme, something on the lines of the Redditch 350 series. The bikes will be offered in dual-tone colour schemes, with a black body and the fuel tank painted in a bright contrasting colour. Other updates include blacked-out alloy wheels, Thunderbird 500X badging and tubeless tyres. The prices are expected to be around Rs. 2.1 lakh for the 500X and Rs. 1.6 lakh upon launch.
(Tork T6X)The only electric motorcycle in this list, the Tork T6X was supposed to be launched this year, but unfortunately wasn't. Interestingly, the Tork T6X is already available for pre-bookings on its website. The T6X gets a 6kW brushless DC motor. it can do 100 kilometres on a single charge, can cruise at 100 kmph and makes peak torque of 27 Nm right from the word go. It can charge up to 80 per cent on an hour's worth of charging time too. Plus it is loaded with features. The bike was first showcased in September 2016 and we were told that the introductory price will be set at Rs. 1.25 lakh. We are waiting with bated breath for the Tork T6X to be launched in India.
Also Read: Tork Motorcycles Introduces T6X Electric Bike In India
