Neo-retro seems to be the flavour these days in the Indian two-wheeler market, when it comes to motorcycles, as well as scooters. And while consumer interest seems to be moving up the displacement chart, it’s still focussed on 150 cc and below. And if there’s a case of a bigger, more premium scooter, than the next big thing is in the Rs. 10 lakh price bracket. This is the gap in the scooter segment that Hungarian brand Keeway seeks to address.
The Keeway Sixties 300i is one of two new scooters from the Hungarian-origin brand, which seeks to address a gap in the premium scooter segment, with a 300 cc offering. Does it have the goods to create a fan following?
The company, now owned by China’s Qianjiang Group, the parent company of Benelli, recently made its debut in India, and is offering two premium scooters. The Keeway Sixties 300i is the retro-styled model, built around the same 287 cc, liquid-cooled, four-valve engine. But does it have the goods to create a following in India, both for the product and for the little-known brand? We spend some time to get to know the Keeway Sixties 300i better to see what it has to offer.
The Keeway Sixties 300i has a unique, neo-retro design. In India, it does have that tinge of nostalgia with its Lambretta-type side panels and stance. It makes a bold, retro-flavoured statement, but comes at a price, of Rs. 2.99 lakh (Ex-showroom).
The Keeway Sixties 300i makes a bold statement, as a premium, retro-styled scooter. If you look at the stance, with those familiar side panels, the Sixties 300i certainly will remind you of the old Lambretta scooters that were sold in India till the late 1970s. The overall design and silhouette is very Italian, very European, but there are some details which make the otherwise neat design look a little busy.
The faux grille on the front apron is a nod to 1950s classic American car design. It's a love it, or hate it, kind of design, but does add some character to the scooter's face.
Up front, there’s a hexagonal headlight, with a retro shape, but it’s LED. And lower down the front apron is a faux grille, which seems to be inspired by 1950s classic American cars, like a Chevrolet Bel Air, or a Cadillac Series 62, or a Buick Roadmaster. On the front fender is what seems like a motif, designed like a bird of prey of some sort. It doesn’t appear to be a brand motif, and seems to be specific to the Sixties 300i, and not its sibling, the maxi-styled Vieste 300. But the features list quite don't live up to the Sixties 300i's premium positioning.
Part-analogue, part-digital speedometer is a nod to the retro-inspired styling, but it lacks new-age features to underscore the scooter's premium positioning.
There’s a part analogue, part digital speedometer console, offering a retro touch, with the small digital screen offering details like odometer reading, time, ambient temperature, and a fuel gauge. But sadly, for a scooter aiming at the premium end of the spectrum, there’s no other new-age features to speak of, like Bluetooth connectivity, which is available nowadays even in 125 cc scooters on sale in India. While there's a side-stand engine cut-off switch, a parking brake could have been a handy addition.
The 10-litre fuel tank is positioned below the footboard. It does save up space, and centralises the weight, but is a tad uneasy to use when refilling.
The 10-litre fuel tank has been positioned below the footboard, which also has been finished like scooters from the 1960s with horizontal lines of the floorboard. Underseat storage space is adequate, but nothing much to talk about. At best, you can store a half-face helmet and a few knick knacks, but that’s about it. On the inside of the apron, below the left handlebar, you also get a small front compartment, where you can tuck your phone in, and a USB charging slot to charge your phone on the go.
The quilt-type stitching on the seat looks nice. And the 790 mm seat height feels adequate, but the broad and wide front end makes reaching terra firma a chore. The pillion seat though lacks comfort and practicality.
There’s a split seat design with quilt-type stitching which looks good and is another nod to the retro-inspired styling. Although seat height is just 790 mm, the front of the seat is wide and broad, and even with my 5 foot 91/2 inch frame, I have to tip-toe, so those with a height of 5’7” and less will likely find it a little challenging. Ergonomics wise, the riding position takes some time getting used to, since you sit low down, but the handlebar height is a little raised.
The riding position takes some time to get used to, but the 287 cc, four-valve engine has ample performance to keep things interesting on the move.
The 287.2 cc, single-cylinder, four-valve, liquid-cooled engine certainly delivers on grunt, which is apparent the moment you get moving. And it’s got a displacement which has no real rival in the scooter segment; in numbers, the engine makes 18.4 bhp at 6,500 rpm and a respectable 22 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm.
The Keeway Sixties 300i has a strong wave of torque, and initial acceleration is impressive, with the dash to the ton being quite enjoyable.
And from the low to mid-range, there’s a strong wave of torque, which makes easy work of propelling the 146 kg Sixties 300i forward. Sixty kilometres an hour is achieved in no time, and the scooter will hit 80 kmph shoulder to shoulder with 200-250 cc motorcycles on the streets.
Initial acceleration is quite likeable and the Sixities 300i will hit the ton and more when pushed. It’s only beyond 110 kmph when it starts losing its eagerness, but will hit 120 kmph and beyond when prodded out on the open road. Low and mid-range performance is where the Sixties 300i scores, rather than top-end performance. So, it will easily do the daily commute effortlessly, and will do the occasional highway duty also effortlessly. But grunt and performance is only part of the story, what also matters is the dynamics.
Despite its long-ish wheelbase of 1390 mm, the Keeway Sixties 300i is up for some corner-carving and will not alarm you when pushed around. It's not too sporty, but offers a stable and planted feel.
With its heavy-ish 146 kg kerb weight, the Sixties 300i offers a planted and solid feel, and a sense of stability, at least in a straight line, and over smooth surfaces. It runs on 12-inch wheels, with 120/70 tyres, telescopic front suspension, and disc brakes at both ends, with standard dual-channel ABS. Around corners, the Sixties 300i remains planted, despite its long wheelbase. But it’s when you hit some broken patches, and undulations, that the Sixties 300i’s ride quality feels a little out of place.
The Keeway Sixties 300i has a slightly firm suspension set-up, but the front and rear suspension don't quite seem to match and complement each other. Ride quality is all right over smooth surfaces, but feels a little bouncy over broken surfaces, and pillion comfort is somewhat lacking.
It’s the rear suspension which bottoms out more, and pillion comfort is somewhat sacrificed. In fact, the lack of a back rest, a soft rear seat, and the rear suspension which makes the scooter feel a little bouncy, also makes you feel unsettled over broken patches, and makes it a tad uncomfortable for the pillion, if you do intend to have one aboard. The brakes with dual-channel ABS as standard, offer decent stopping power, but could have done with a little more bite and progression, considering it's a premium, performance-oriented scooter after all.
The Keeway Sixties 300i looks good, even if it's design elements are a little overdone, like the front grille. But it manages to strike an attractive pose. Its biggest strength is there's nothing quite like it, at that engine displacement and pricing. But all things considered, it still feels like an expensive proposition, which doesn't make for a convincing justification.
The main strength of the Keeway Sixities 300i is the way it looks; it’s got an attractive neo-retro flavour, and there’s nothing quite like it in the market, and at that price point. It does make a bold statement, and it will appeal to someone looking for a step-up in the scooter segment, price being no constraint. But then, you also get decent performance from other sporty scooters at a much lower price point, like the TVS NTorq 125 and the Yamaha Aerox 155, and that is when the chinks in the Sixties’ armour begin to show.
The biggest challenge for the Keeway Sixties 300i will be to find takers at its price tag of Rs. 2.99 lakh (Ex-showroom). Of course, there's nothing to rival it at that displacement, but it will also compete with a lot of performance-oriented motorcycles in a market, where value for money, performance, features and brand are all big considerations for the customer. At that price tag, the Sixties 300i could have had a few more features, and the sum of it all, still makes it lack that premium, aspirational value that could have made all the difference between a good product and a great product.
The Keeway Sixties 300i has neo-retro appeal and a sense of nostalgia-infused attractiveness. Coupled with a 300 cc engine which offers decent grunt and performance, it does has its strong points.
(Photography: Apoorv Choudhary)
