Hungarian brand Keeway debuted in India with 2 scooters and a cruiser couple of months ago
Keeway has launched Benda V302 C in India today and the main highlight of this motorcycle is its price tag which starts at Rs. 3.89 lakh for Glossy grey, Rs. 3.99 lakh for Glossy Black and 4.09 lakh for Glossy Red (all prices ex-sh). C in V302 C means cruiser and it sits above the recently launched K-Light 250V cruiser.
Owing to its cruiser genre, it aims at providing a quintessential cruiser-bike feel to its customers. While doing so, it also has to look the part as well. Hungarian brand Keeway has stuck to a typical cruiser bike look and at the same time, has created enough distinctions to be easily recognisable as a V302 C.
Keeway Benda V302 C – Design & Features
Along with scooters like Sixties and Vieste 300, Keeway is expanding its portfolio further. V302 C seems to be the culmination of two companies, Keeway and Benda. Together, they have created a handsome machine that doesn’t get a single ounce of chrome like typical American cruisers and choppers. The mostly black machine comes off as unique and sporty. Which will appeal to a lot of young buyers.
It gets LED lighting all around. All lightings including headlight, are round which gives V302 C, a modern retro-classic feel. The engine bay is blacked out and gets a large vertical radiator for its liquid cooling setup. It gets a stubby single-piece seat that looks very comfy for the rider and not so much for a pillion.
Both cylinders of this V-twin engine get separate exhaust headers that merge into a single exhaust unit that is finished in black and looks extremely classy. The teardrop fuel tank that takes 15L also looks classy. Speedo console is a circular LCD unit with gear positioning indicator.
Specs & Competition
Coming to the heart of the matter, Keeway Benda V302 C gets a liquid-cooled 298cc V-twin engine that has 4V per cylinder and a SOHC for both cylinders. It makes around 30 bhp at 8,500 RPM and 26.5 Nm at 6,500 RPM. This engine is coupled to a 6-speed gearbox and the wheels are driven via a belt drive.
But does the name 302 ring any bell in your mind? Yeah, we’re talking about QJ’s 300cc platform that is likely to come to India as Benelli 302S. Both Benelli and Keeway are QJ’s subsidiaries. But Keeway Benda V302 C is a V-twin while Benelli 302S is a cheaper parallel twin. Also, V302 C’s engine has a longer stroke owing to its cruiser nature.
V302 C is built on a cradle chassis and it gets telescopic forks at front with 120mm travel and dual shockers at the rear with 42mm travel. Disc brakes are offered at both ends with a 300mm disc at front and a 240mm disc at the rear. It gets a 16” alloy wheel at front with 120/80-16 rubber and a 15” alloy wheel wrapped with a fat 150/80-15 rubber at the rear.
Owing to its cruiser nature, it has a long 1,420mm wheelbase and a low 690mm seat height. With 158mm ground clearance and 175 kg of wet weight (dry weight is 167 kg), Keeway Benda V302 C is very manageable in Indian conditions. At Rs. 3.89 lakh (ex-sh), it still can’t beat Royal Enfield Interceptor 650’s value.
But V302 C offers a V-twin engine and a silky smooth belt drive that Interceptor doesn’t. It is all about the feel with cruisers like this. So, if you wanted a V-twin with a belt drive that offered a little more performance than K-Light 250V, this is it. Look no further.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
