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      Royal Enfield Meteor 350 vs Honda CB350 – Speed Comparison Test

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      Image – Abhinav Bhatt
      Is the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 faster than the Honda CB350?

      In the 350 cc segment, there are several options to choose from. Apart from the obvious Classic 350, there’s Honda H’Ness CB350 and recently launched Meteor 350. The latter two is where things may get a bit difficult to decide, since both motorcycles offer superior performance and come with a long list of features.
      To help users make informed choices, YouTuber Abhinav Bhatt has uploaded a new video that details the real world performance difference between Royal Enfield Meteor 350 and Honda CB350.
      Meteor 350 vs. Honda CB350 acceleration, speed test
      For this comparative analysis, Abhinav chose to ride the Meteor 350 and asked his colleague to ride the CB350. The primary idea was to test the performance of these motorcycles in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th gear. The test was conducted on an open highway with limited traffic.
      In second gear, both bikers started accelerating from a speed of 20 kmph. It took Honda CB350 just a few seconds to race ahead of Meteor. The latter hit the speed limiter at 70-75 kmph, whereas CB350 achieved 80 kmph in second gear.
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      In the next round, both motorcycles started at 30 kmph in third gear. For some distance, both bikes were neck and neck at a speed of around 80 kmph. CB350 eventually raced ahead of Meteor that maxed out at around 100 kmph in third gear. CB350 did 110 kmph in third gear.
      In fourth gear, both motorcycles started at 40 kmph. Now was the turn for Meteor to show its strength, as it raced ahead of CB350 almost effortlessly. However, the lead lasted for only a short distance, as CB350 eventually overtook Meteor. Apparently, CB350 has a higher top speed in 4th gear, which allowed it to overtake Meteor.
      In fifth gear, Meteor 350 emerged as a clear winner. Not only did it accelerate faster than CB350, it was also able to maintain a significant lead. After driving for quite a long distance, it was felt that CB350 couldn’t possibly catch up with Meteor in 5th gear.
      Ride experience summary
      According to Abhinav, he liked Meteor’s performance, especially in 4th and 5th gear. The level of acceleration and top speed would be very useful during long distance journeys. Honda CB350 trailed behind Meteor in 5th gear, which is probably due to its tall gear setup.
      As is evident from this video, specs may only be able to provide a basic idea about a motorcycle’s capabilities. Numbers do not necessarily determine how well a motorcycle will perform in the real world. This is especially true when we are comparing two products. When unsure, the best way to find out the better one that suits your needs is to take them out for a test ride. More

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      Honda CB350 Deliveries Cross 1k Units – Sets New Standards In Segment

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      From Sales Experience to Service, CB350 is setting new standards
      Honda H’Ness CB350 rivals the likes of Royal Enfield Classic, Meteor 350 and Benelli Imperiale 400

      Honda H’Ness CB350 has managed to woo a considerable size of audience and this can be established by its sales volume. Within its first twenty days of commencement of deliveries, Honda has retailed 1,000 units of the mid-segment retro motorcycle.
      Given its limited availability across the country, this is fairly a large number. As we all know, H’Ness CB350 is retailed only through Honda’s premium dealership chain BigWing. Also considering it is a brand new product in a segment clearly dominated by Royal Enfield, the CB350 seems to have pulled the trick.
      The Japanese brand has also revealed that demand for this bike has also spread to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities as well. Making its global debut in late September this year, this modern classic motorcycle has its genes from the brand’s legendary CB series of the 1970s. The CB350 has been developed with nine patent applications and five first-in-segment features.
      Features on offer
      Speaking of its features, it boasts of a long equipment list which includes full-LED lighting, a digital-analogue instrument cluster, contemporary and easy to use switchgear, engine start/stop switch, hazard switch, Honda traction control, Honda Smartphone Voice Control System and more.
      Honda CB350 First Service. Image – Abhinav Bhatt
      Coming to its dynamics, the CB350 is based on a half-duplex cradle chassis that rides on conventional telescopic forks at front and twin hydraulic shock absorbers at rear. Anchoring duties are handled by a 310 mm single hydraulic disc on the front and a single 240 mm disc at the rear. This is assisted by dual-channel ABS as standard. The bike rolls on 19-inch alloy wheels at front and 18-inch wheels at rear.
      In terms of powertrain, it draws its power from a 348.36cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled long-stroke engine which delivers an output of 20.8 bhp and 30 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 5-speed gearbox which comes with a slipper clutch and assist. Honda has emphasized on low-end torque in this engine which makes this motorcycle easy to ride in city commutes.
      Best in Class Experience
      Be it visiting their showroom, or the buying experience – Honda has managed to deliver best in class experience in the segment. No other OEM offers a 350cc segment machine in such an extravagant manner. From its large showrooms to well trained staff; even the after sales and service experience is much better than rivals.
      Reacting on this development, Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing said, “Customers belonging to a wide spectrum of age group starting from 18 years to 70 years have made H’Ness CB350 as their first choice. We are proud that even with our limited BigWing network, we have been able to achieve this milestone of 1000 customer deliveries in such a short period of time.”
      Honda H’Ness CB350 is offered in two variants- DLX and DLX Pro which come in three mono-tone colour options on the former and three dual-tone paint options on the latter. The base trim has been priced at Rs 1.85 lakh and the top-end trim is offered at Rs 1.90 lakh (ex-showroom). More

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      Triumph Used Motorcycles With Warranty – Now Available In India

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      Triumph Tiger
      Triumph will cover the motorcycles with unlimited kms warranty for one year from date of purchase

      Triumph Motorcycles has introduced a new premium pre-owned motorcycle program called ‘Triumph Approved’. This program is being presented via all the company dealerships in India while a dedicated website – https://www.triumphapproved.in/ is also set apart for this purpose.
      You can avail the entire range of Triumph motorcycles under this new venture. These includes the Street Twin, Bonneville, Tiger, Street Triple, etc. Every approved Triumph pre-owned bike will come in with 1 year unlimited mileage warranty, 1 year road side assistance, certified vehicle quality check, full service history and vehicle history.
      The company will also offer valid PUC along with finance options to buyers and will even facilitate transfer of ownership. Each pre-owned Triumph motorcycle will be put through a series of check lists so as to ensure that the new customer receives a genuine Triumph experience.
      Mr. Shoeb Farooq, Business Head, Triumph Motorcycles India has detailed the ‘Triumph Approved’ program and feels that this will attract new buyers into the Triumph fold, allowing them to realize their dream of owning a Triumph bike at more affordable prices. The Triumph range in India currently includes BS6 compliant bikes in the Modern Classic, Adventure and Roadster categories and comprises the iconic Rocket 3R and Rocket 3GT.
      Triumph Approved
      Upcoming Launches
      Triumph Motorcycles is also set to launch new products in India. The Trident was introduced last month and bookings have opened at a token amount of Rs.50,000. The Trident will officially launch sometime in March 2021 and will come in as a CKD unit with price expected at around Rs.7 lakhs.
      The Triumph Trident will be powered by a 660cc unit offering 81 hp power and 64 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed gearbox. The Triumph Trident will rival the Kawasaki Z650 and Honda CB650 in India.
      Globally, the company is also set to introduce a new Tiger variant. Triumph Tiger 850 Sport will be unveiled on November 17, 2020, is expected to go on sale early 2021 and has already been teased on the company website. It will be an all-new adventure-touring motorcycle and will be seen with twin LED headlamps with LED DRLs, adjustable windscreen, tall fuel tank, step up seats and wire spoke rims.
      The new Tiger 850 will draw a strong resemblance to the Tiger 900 which is currently offered in four variants. Tiger 850 will be an entry level model and will take on the likes of BMW F900XR and Yamaha Tracer 900. Triumph Tiger 850 Sport will also compete with the recently launched Ducati Multistrada 950 S priced at Rs.15.49 lakhs here. More

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      2021 Indian Motorcycle Range Launch Price Rs 15 L To Rs 44 L – Bookings Open

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      2021 Indian Scout Bobber Twenty
      Indian Motorcycle is known for heavily built bobbers popularly referred to as ‘choppers’ in the USA

      Indian Motorcycle has finally introduced its updated 2021 lineup in India along with each model’s price. A few weeks ago the American bikemaker revealed its updated lineup for 2021, however, the company has revealed the prices now. Along with this, bookings of the new bikes have also commenced.
      All bikes now comply with the latest BS6 emission norms. Interested customers can book their favourite Indian motorcycle through their nearby dealerships at a token amount Rs 2,00,000. Currently, the American brand has its dealerships in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Kochi.
      2021 Indian Motorcycle Range, Prices, Colours
      Polaris-owned Indian Motorcycle set foot in India in 2014 and since then has been offering its products as direct imports via the CBU route. In its updated range, the company will be offering all motorcycles under its wing which includes the likes of Chief, Scout, Chieftain, Roadmaster, FTR 1200 and Vintage range of bikes. In addition to these, the manufacturer has also added Roadmaster Limited, Chief Vintage Dark Horse and Scout Bobber Twenty to its latest product range.
      Scout Range
      The range starting Scout Bobber is priced at INR 15,67,367 and is available in as many as eight colours namely Thunder Black, Thunder Black Smoke, Burnt Orange Metallic, Thunder Black Azure Crystal, White Smoke, Alumina Jade Smoke, Maroon Metallic Smoke and Indy Red. Scout is offered at a price of INR 16,04,664 and is available in three single-tone colour options and four dual-tone colour options. These include Thunder Black, Deepwater Metallic and White Smoke in single-tone options.
      2021 Indian Roadmaster
      While for dual-tone options one gets to choose from Maroon Metallic over Crimson Metallic, Arizona Turquoise/Pearl White, Blue Slate Metallic/Cobra Silver, & Stealth Gray/Thunder Black. The top-end Scout Bobber Twenty has been pegged at INR 16,20,702 and is available in Sagebrush Smoke, Stealth Gray, Thunder Black Smoke and Thunder Black, colour options.
      Cruiser & Bagger Range
      The Cruiser range of bikes includes Indian Vintage and Indian Vintage Dark Horse which have been priced at INR 25,81,832 and INR 26,63,105. The former is offered in Crimson Metallic and Deep Water/Dirt Track Tan paint schemes whereas the latter comes in Thunder Black Smoke colour scheme.
      Indian Motorcycles
      Price Rs, Ex-sh
      Scout
      16,04,664
      Scout Bobber
      15,67,367
      Scout Bobber Twenty
      16,20,702
      Vintage
      25,81,832
      Vintage Dark Horse
      26,63,105
      Springfield
      33,06,094
      Springfield Dark Horse
      29,23,352
      Chieftain
      31,67,937
      Chieftain Dark Horse
      33,29,286
      Chieftain Limited
      33,54,126
      Roadmaster
      43,21,031
      Roadmaster Dark Horse
      43,14,840
      Roadmaster Limited
      43,96,093
      Going further upwards comes the Bagger range of bikes which includes Springfield, Springfield Dark Horse, Chieftain, Chieftain Dark Horse and Chieftain Limited. The Springfield and Springfield Dark Horse come at a price of INR 33,06,094 and INR 29,23,352 respectively. Whereas Chieftain, Chieftain Dark Horse and Chieftain Limited are offered at a price tag of INR 31,67,937; INR 33,29,286 and INR 33,54,126.
      Touring Range
      The Touring Range is the most premium range of Indian Motorcycle introduced till now. It consists of Roadmaster, Roadmaster Dark Horse and Roadmaster Limited and has been priced at INR 43,21,031; INR 43,14,840 and INR 43,96,093 respectively. Prices of FTR 1200 series and Challenger range of bikes are yet to be announced formally and are expected to be revealed in the coming months.
      2021 Indian Chieftain Springfield Scout More

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      2021 Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT Debuts – India Launch Likely In 2021

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      2021 Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT
      2021 Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT mid-segment ADV has been in Australia ahead of India launch next year

      Suzuki Motorcycles has launched its mid-segment Adventure motorcycle V-Strom 650 XT in Australia in its latest avatar. Barring a few minor cosmetics and the emission update, nothing major has been changed in the new V-Strom 650 XT. Visually the bike remains identical to its predecessor except for new colour options.
      The adventure tourer now gets three new colour schemes to choose from. These include a full-black paint with a red beak, white colour with gold rims on wheels and silver paint with blue rims and highlights. Visually the bike remains the same as its outgoing model.

      BS6 Powertrain Details
      A major update has been rendered to its powertrain as it complies with the latest Euro-5 emission norms. This makes its path clear for an India launch as Euro-5 norms are equivalent to BS6 standards in India.
      It still draws its power from a 645cc, liquid-cooled, V-Twin motor that produces an output of 70 bhp at 8,800 rpm and 62Nm of peak torque at 6,500rpm. These figures are almost identical to its predecessor.

      This unit is paired to a six-speed gearbox. The latest iteration of the ADV is also equipped with Suzuki’s Low RPM to assist system that essentially minimises engine stalling by automatically tuning the idle speed at low revs.
      Hardware
      Dynamics of the ADV also remain identical to the outgoing model. It rolls on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels wrapped in tubeless Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 tires. Suspension duties are carried out by 43mm telescopic forks at front and link-type preload adjustable monoshock at rear.

      Anchoring duties are relied on twin 320mm discs at front with twin-piston calipers and a single 260mm disc at rear with a single-piston caliper. It weighs an identical 216 kg in its latest iteration.
      Design & Features
      It features an eye-grabbing styling that features a stepped-up seat, a sloping fuel tank with extensions, a raised transparent windscreen and an upswept windscreen. In terms of equipment, it receives a semi-digital instrument console, a smartphone charger, an all-LED lighting setup, a plastic sump guard and handguards.

      It also gets a 12-V DC accessory power outlet. Apart from these, it also receives a bunch of electronics such as dual-channel ABS, three-stage switchable traction control as standard.
      In Australia, the new V-Strom 650 XT has been pegged at a price of AUD 13,490 which is equivalent to Rs 7.32 lakh in Indian currency. When launched in India, it is expected to carry a price tag of around Rs 7.60 lakh (ex-showroom, India) which is Rs 25,000 costlier than the outgoing model. It is expected to be launched in India early next year. More

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      Honda CB350 Owner Test Rides The New Meteor 350 – First Impressions

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      Image – Abhinav Bhatt
      Creator of some of the most viewed videos on Honda CB350, has shared his first impressions about the Meteor 350

      After posting a series of videos on Honda H’ness CB350, YouTuber Abhinav Bhatt has now got his hands on a brand new Royal Enfield Meteor 350. He will be reviewing the motorcycle in the coming days and compare it with CB350. The idea is to share key insights that will be helpful to users.
      Patiala to Delhi on Meteor 350
      The Meteor 350 used in this review is the top-spec Supernova variant in Blue colour. It belongs to one of Abhinav’s friend, who owns multiple Royal Enfield dealerships in Patiala, Punjab. The motorcycle has been given to Abhinav for around a week’s time, so that he can test it extensively just like he did with Honda CB350.
      Before starting the journey, the YouTuber provides his first impressions about the motorcycle. Meteor 350 has a low seat height, which would be useful in both city traffic as well as long distance touring. The motorcycle comes with barrel style grips and angled levers, both of which are quite comfortable. The overall comfort level is also enhanced with the sweptback handle bars.
      The instrument pod looks clutter free and information displayed is clearly visible. It displays a range of information such as odometer / tripmeter, low fuel indicator, low battery, gear indicator, ABS, and left & right turn indictors. However, it does not show fuel economy and available range, which can be accessed on Honda CB350.
      [embedded content]
      How to use Meteor 350’s ‘tripper’ navigation system is also shown in this review. One just needs to download the Royal Enfield App and follow on-screen instructions to connect their mobile phone with the tripper screen display unit. Once connected, users need to enter the details of their journey. The on-board navigation display comes handy when a user does not have a mobile holder.
      The motorcycle has been equipped with some accessories such as exhaust add-on and crash guard. There are several other official accessories offered with Meteor 350. This makes it easier to customize the ride, as per your specific tastes and preferences.
      Meteor 350 first ride
      According to Abhinav, Meteor 350 is almost completely devoid of vibrations. This is quite similar to that of Honda CB350. The seat has an ergonomic bucket design and the cushioning is also quite comfortable. The suspension is softer than CB350, something that is helpful when negotiating bumps on the road. The throttle response is pretty good and the engine delivers tractable power with good torque spread. Abhinav also seems impressed with the throaty exhaust note of Meteor 350.
      Abhinav will be posting more videos on Meteor 350 in the coming days. The info can be useful to folks who may be planning to buy a 350 cc cruiser motorcycle. More