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      Keeway Benda Cruiser Launch Price Rs 3.89 L – Royal Enfield Rival

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      Hungarian brand Keeway debuted in India with 2 scooters and a cruiser couple of months agoKeeway Benda 300cc CruiserKeeway 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 & FeaturesAlong 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.Keeway Benda 300cc CruiserBoth 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 & CompetitionComing 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.Keeway Benda 300cc Cruiser SpecsV302 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.Keeway Benda 300cc CruiserBut 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. More

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      XPulse 200 Vs CB200X – Real ADV vs Wannabe ADV

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      Hero XPulse 200 4V has been one of the best off-roaders in the country while offering decent touring abilities tooXPulse 200 Vs CB200X ComparisonOff the road, Hero XPulse 200 performed better than Royal Enfield Himalayan with double the displacement with almost double the price. It was a shiny beacon that showed that lightness and maneuverability can trump raw performance numbers.Hero tried to better it with BS6 and also, recently got a 4V head too. This 4V head gave XPulse 200, the much-needed touring ease and ability which was its only Achilles heel. But then, Honda came along and launched CB200X, a faux ADV to take on a true-blue off-road machine. Recently, Honda hiked the price of CB200X by Rs. 17,340 hurting its cause even more.XPulse 200 Vs CB200XLet’s just get the sales figures out of the equation, okay? XPulse 200 sold 4,642 units in India and shipped 2,772 units to global markets in June 2022. Honda CB200X only sold 168 units in the same month and is not exported to global markets. There is a massive gap in sales, isn’t it?See, faux ADVs have never made it big in India. Remember the AS200 (Adventure Sports) from Bajaj? No? That’s exactly my point. If it is not a proper off-roader, products marketed as “Adventure” bikes have always seen their demise. AS200 even got a KTM-derived 200cc engine that is far more powerful than CB200X’s 184.4cc engine derived from Hornet 2.0.2022 Hero Xpulse 200 4V Rally EditionXPulse 200 is a proper off-roader designed from scratch with Hero’s extensive rally experience and pedigree. While CB200X is a glorified Hornet. XPulse 200 4V displaces 15cc more and makes 1.8 bhp more power and 1.2 Nm more torque. XPulse gets a long travel suspension with 190mm travel up front and 170 mm travel at the rear. With Rally Kit, suspension travel becomes 250mm at front and 220mm at the rear. While CB200X gets just 130mm suspension travel at the front and 115mm at the back.XPulse gets off-road worthy spoked-wheels with 21” at front and 18” at the rear. While CB200X gets 17” alloys at both ends. Xpulse also gets dual-purpose tyres while CB200X gets road-biased tyres. XPulse also gets a Rally Kit that further enhances off-roading ability. CB200X doesn’t get anything of that sort because it was not designed to be taken off-road, to begin with.Engine & PricingSo, that’s it? CB200X is trash? No. Not at all. CB200X is a good highway machine with comfortable ergonomics. It gets USD forks, a fatter 140-section rear tyre, tubeless tyres and more. But for Rs. 12,000 less, Hornet 2.0 does everything that CB200X does. Pricing is what is hurting CB200X the most.Because at Rs. 1.47 lakh (ex-sh), CB200X is ridiculously overpriced and doesn’t get a 4V head, Bluetooth connectivity and navigation, off-road worthy hardware, hardcore off-road-worthy Rally Kit, and more. These are offered on XPulse 4V which costs Rs. 11,000 less and XPulse 200 2V costs Rs. 21,000 less than CB200X.I get that a few Honda fanboys won’t care about pricing. But any logical person would. Honda is known for notoriously overpricing their products and as pricing goes on increasing, Honda fanboys will be forced to jump ships. Because for the price of CB200X, one can buy a brand new XPulse 200 2V and install fully adjustable front suspension with 30-step rebound and 30-step compression and rear suspension with rebound and preload adjustability.I’m not saying that CB200X should not exist. I’m saying that it shouldn’t exist as an ADV which it isn’t. It is like Maruti calling S-Presso an SUV. As a short-distance comfy tourer with speeds below 100 km/h, CB200X is very compelling. But not at Rs. 1.47 lakh. More

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      RE Hunter 350 Stunt Capabilities Showcased – 360 Spin, Wheelie

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      As compared to other 350cc Royal Enfield motorcycles, Hunter 350 has a compact, nimble-footed profileRoyal Enfield Hunter 350 Stunt CapabilitiesTwo-wheeler manufacturers have often used stunts to highlight superior capabilities of their bikes. Some examples include Bajaj Auto, Yamaha motorcycles and more recently Ola Electric. Also fun to watch are stunts performed by amateurs and enthusiasts, who can be as creative as they want without getting restricted by any ethical concerns.In a recent video, a Hunter 350 user can be seen performing some signature stunt moves with the bike. It includes 360 degree spin and wheelie. While these manoeuvres may be quite basic, especially for a professional, what makes it worth watching is the limited space in which the stunts have been performed.What makes Hunter 350 so agile?As compared to other 350cc Royal Enfield motorcycles, Hunter 350 has a shorter wheelbase of 1,370 mm. It is also lightweight, with an unfuelled kerb weight of around 169 kg. The twin-downtube spine frame utilizes a compact design, which makes the bike a lot more maneuverable across busy city streets. 17-inch wheels work to enhance the bike’s agile character. Seat height of 800 mm ensures a low centre of gravity, which helps ensure optimal control and handling of the bike.A comfortable riding stance and advantageous rake angle are other factors that improve the bike’s capabilities. Topping it all is the powerful 349.34 cc motor that churns out 20.2 bhp of max power at 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. Being lightweight, Hunter 350 has a higher power to weight ratio in comparison to other 350cc Royal Enfield bikes with the same engine. There is ample torque, as is required for performing wheelies and donuts.[embedded content][embedded content]Hunter 350 has intuitive throttle response, which ensures quick acceleration. This is clearly evident in the video, as the bike can be seen achieving fast speeds in a limited space of just around 10 meters. The stunts are performed by Faraz Stunt Rider who is a professional stunt rider as well as a motorcycle stunt trainer.Braking setup seems to be just right, as it’s a key requirement for performing such types of stunts. Hunter 350 has 300 mm fixed disc with twin piston floating calliper at front and 270 mm disc, single piston floating calliper at rear. Dual-channel is offered as standard.Safety gear missingWhile the stunts look super smooth, the only safety gear being used is a half face helmet. Hands, elbows, torso, legs and knees are completely exposed, which increases the risk of serious injury. OEMs often have had to face criticism for their stunt advertisements, even when it was clearly stated that the stunts are performed by professionals in a controlled environment and with all safety precautions and adequate safety gear.People try to copy such stunts as it looks all too easy, not realizing the amount of practice required to perform such manoeuvres. It is strongly recommended that users don’t copy such moves, as there could be adverse consequences. More

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      French Budget Minister Announces Plan for $100-a-Month EV Leases

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      French president Emmanuel Macron has a plan to encourage electric-vehicle leases by subsidizing them so the user pays only about $100 per month. The plan, announced Sunday by French budget minister Gabriel Attal on the French news channel LCI, is based on a presidential campaign pledge made by Macron back in April.According to Bloomberg, the French government currently offers subsidies for electric vehicles with prices up to $47,000.If you are looking to lease a new electric car on the cheap, perhaps you’ll consider a move to France? Bloomberg reported on a plan from French President Emmanuel Macron to offer EV leases for as little as the equivalent of $100 a month. The plan was announced on Sunday by the Macron government’s budget minister, Gabriel Attal, on the French news channel LCI. We haven’t heard of stipulations surrounding these planned subsidies, but according to Bloomberg, current subsidies from the French government get as high as the equivalent of $6000 on vehicles priced up to $47,000. Bloomberg also reports that additional aid is available through a Cash for Clunkers–style program involving older internal-combustion-engine vehicles. More on the FrenchThe move is meant to aid low-income households for whom EVs remain largely out of reach, despite current government subsidies. Electric vehicles reportedly accounted for 12 percent of the market in France in the first seven months of the year. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the EV share of the auto market continues to grow, reaching 5.6 percent for the second quarter of 2022, Cox Automotive reported. The newly signed U.S. inflation-related legislation means that the U.S. will remove the 200,000-per-automaker-limit on subsidies and provide $7500 in tax credits. The U.S. tax credits come with stipulations based on amount of minerals used, where the minerals are sourced, and where the batteries are manufactured.A rollout date has not been set for the French plan, but Attal said the government is working to see how quickly both the vehicles and the subsidy can be available. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

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      Wild Ford Mustang Prototype Is a Test Bed For Ford's 7.3-Liter Crate Engine

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      Back in March 2022, a flurry of spy shots came out of Detroit showing a peculiar Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 prototype sporting an absolutely ridiculous hood bulge. Opinions were mixed as to what might be hiding under the hood, but now, thanks to a new video, we know.Revan Evan on YouTube got the chance to spend some up-close-and-personal time with the GT350 mule alongside a handful of Ford engineers, getting a chance to peek under that epic hood structure. Underneath? None other than Ford’s 7.3-liter naturally aspirated “Godzilla” V-8. The Godzilla motor is available in the Ford Super Duty and comes offered as a crate motor for those looking to do their own builds. Unfortunately, this mule isn’t a prototype for a new Mustang trim. Instead, it’s a test bed for Ford’s upcoming 7.3-liter V-8 and manual transmission combo package. As The Drive points out, the company already offers this package with an automatic transmission. The engineers explain that because this drivetrain runs on its own stand-alone ECU, it could be dropped into anything, from a Fifties pickup to a brand-new Mustang. The development crew picked this Shelby GT350 to use as a tester simply because they had it sitting around. The reason for that massive bulge? Well, the prototype engine has an intake that points to the sky, so engineers needed to fit a manifold that wouldn’t clear the hood shut lines. The production manifold will come with a straight-line entrance, making clearance issues a thing of the past. The more you know. More

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      Nissan Rogue Sport Leaving U.S. for Good Next Year

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      Introduced in the U.S. in 2017, the Nissan Rogue Sport will stop production in December, and sales will end here early next year.Nissan said in a memo to dealers that it can still cover the smaller end of the SUV market with the Kicks and the Rogue.The Rogue Sport is basically a renamed version of the global Nissan Qashqai, which will continue to be sold around the world. Just not in America.The Nissan Rogue Sport will soon be no more. The young-buyer-oriented subcompact SUV arrived in the U.S. in 2017 with a message from Nissan that it would add to the brand’s conquest sales. But that’s not going to last past this year. A Nissan spokesperson confirmed to Car and Driver that “As part of our Nissan NEXT plan, which is focused on prioritizing our core models and segments that bring the most benefit to customers, production of Rogue Sport for the U.S. will end after the 2022 model year.”Since the Rogue Sport is the U.S. version of the European Qashqai, we had been expecting Nissan to take the European SUV and use it as the basis for a fully redesigned Rogue Sport that would show up as a 2023 model.A memo to dealers, written by Nissan vice president Scott Shirley and published by Automotive News, said production of the Rogue Sport will end in December as Nissan focuses on higher-volume models and more electrified vehicles. “With the all-new Rogue and recently redesigned Kicks, we will continue to cover this part of [the] market effectively,” Shirley said. “We are also able to invest more resources in our current vehicle life cycles and next-generation products.”

      The pricing and feature details meant the Rogue Sport (right, below) didn’t have a lot of breathing room between the Kicks (left, below) and the better-selling Rogue. In our overview of the 2022 model year, we noted that the Rogue Sport was using outdated infotainment and driver-assistance tech, and the anemic 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine wasn’t offering any real driving excitement.

      NISSAN

      NISSAN

      Despite entering the U.S. market as a way to bring new buyers to the brand, that job ended up falling more on the shoulders of the entry-level Kicks. Today, the 2022 Rogue Sport starts at $26,255, almost $5000 more than the ’22 Kicks, which starts at $21,285. Both have Nissan’s Safety Shield 360. driver-assist tech as standard, and the Rogue Sport can also be ordered with ProPilot Assist. But ProPilot Assist and much more can be had in the Rogue, which starts at $28,445.Putting all of these factors together, it’s not surprising that the Rogue Sport is about to drive off into the sunset. Nissan said in its dealer memo that it will still sell the 2023 model year vehicle until inventory runs out in early 2023. As with most discontinued vehicles, Nissan will continue to make replacement parts and other support for the Rogue Sport. The automaker will provide these items through 2033.The Nissan Qashqai, which is sold around the world, first debuted in 2006. This model will continue to be produced and sold.
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      TVS Sales Breakup July 2022 – Jupiter, Apache, XL, Ntorq, Raider

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      TVS has posted a YoY growth both in terms of domestic sales and exports in July 2022TVS ApacheTVS Motor Company has seen increased sales in July 2022. Sales ended positively both in terms of domestic sales and exports to a total of 2,97,842 units in July 2022, up from 2,69,574 units sold in July 2022. Their recently updated electric two wheeler iQube has received added response from customers and efforts are being made to boost production and speed up deliveries. The company had sold 6,304 units of the iQube in July 2022.Total sales in domestic markets stood at 2,01,942 units in July 2022, up 15.28 percent over 1,75,169 units sold in July 2021. This was a 26,773 unit volume growth. It was TVS Jupiter that was most in demand. Sales stood at 62,094 units in the past month, up 62.51 percent over 38,209 units sold in July 2021. This was a 23,885 unit volume growth with a 30.75 percent share.TVS Domestic Sales July 2022At No. 2 was the XL which suffered a YoY de-growth to 32,116 units in July 2022, down from 49,279 units sold in July 2021. The XL commands a 15.70 percent share. TVS Ntorq sales increased by 1.60 percent YoY to 24,367 units in July 2022 from 23,983 units sold in July 2021. This was a 384 unit volume growth with a 12.07 percent share. Sales de-growth was reported for the TVS Apache down by 11.04 percent YoY to 24,222 units from 27,228 units sold in July 2021.TVS Raider at No. 5 reported sales of 16,310 units in the past month while it was followed by the PEP+ of which 9,447 units were sold last month, up 110.96 percent over 4,478 units sold in July 2021. TVS saw sales of both the Radeon and Sport dip on a YoY basis to 9,120 units and 7,836 units respectively. This was a de-growth of 3.66 percent and 27.96 percent from 9,466 units and 10,877 units sold in July 2021.TVS Sales July 2022TVS iQube has seen increased demand as has every other electric two wheeler in the market.  It has recorded a 1067.41 percent increase in sales to 6,304 units in July 2022, up from 540 units sold in July 2021. This was a 5,764 unit volume growth and a 3.12 percent share. Lower down the domestic sales list was also the Star City (4,988 units), Zest (4,844 units) and RR310 (294 units) out of which it was only the Zest that posted an 18.18 percent growth.TVS Exports July 2022TVS Motor Company exports increased 12.29 percent YoY to 95,900 units in July 2022 up from 85,405 units sold in July 2021. This was a 10,495 unit volume growth. Star City 125 was the most sold model in global markets despite a 16.62 percent YoY de-growth. Sales stood at 33,561 units, up from 40,249 units sold in July 2021 with a 35 percent share.Star City exports also fell 9.41 percent on a YoY basis to 25,208 units from 27,826 units sold in July 2021. However, sales of the Apache increased to 12,738 units in July 2022, up 11.06 percent from 11,469 units sold in July 2021. TVS Raider exports were at 7,078 units last month. Exports of TVS Sport were higher by 678.21 percent to 6,537 units, up from 840 units exported in July 2021.TVS Exports July 2022Ntorq exports increased by 58.97 percent to 4,324 units from 2,720 units sold in the same month of the previous year. TVS saw sales of both the Radeon and Sport dip on a YoY basis to 9,120 units and 7,836 units respectively. This was a de-growth of 3.66 percent and 27.96 percent from 9,466 units and 10,877 units sold in July 2021.TVS Jupiter saw an 1132.17 percent hike in exports to 2,834 units from 230 units shipped in July 2021 while Wego was also highly favoured in global markets with a 2384.78 percent YoY growth to 2,286 units from 92 units shipped in July 2021. XL exports increased by 115.34 percent to 702 units from 326 units shipped in July 2021, though TVS Victor suffered a 70 percent YoY de-growth to 480 units from 1,600 units exported in July 2021. TVS Radeon sales were at 80 units while there were also 72 units of RR310 shipped in July 2022, up from 53 units exported in July 2021. More

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      Hop OXO Electric Motorcycle Launch 5th Sep – Official Teaser

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      Hop Electric already has two electric scooters on sale named Lyf and Leo, and now the company is setting foot into electric motorcycle segmentHop OXO Electric MotorcycleIndian electric 2W market is flooded with products ranging from startups to mainstream manufacturers like Bajaj, and TVS. Even Honda is expected to crash the party in 2023 with a likely electric Activa. But what about electric motorcycles? That is a relatively less explored segment even in 2022.We kinda get it. Electric Motorcycles can’t be pitted as unisex and lacks a scooter’s practicality. But that being said, manufacturers like Revolt, Ultraviolette and Oben have set out to take their chances in one of the largest 2-wheeler markets in the world. But soon, we will see a contender in the form of Hop OXO that is set to “Change The Game” for good.Hop OXO Electric Motorcycle TeasedJaipur-based Hop Electric is set to launch OXO on September 5th aiming to redefine everyday motorcycling. In that regard, it will take on very little competition. We have seen Hop electric bike being tested for a year now and the name OXO is now official. After real-world testing, company is set to offer it on sale.Most of what we saw on test mules is also found in the teaser released by Hop Electric. It gets LED lighting all around including side turn indicators. Headlight design is heavily inspired by previous generation 150cc FZ. The differences are uncanny. Looking at the teaser, it can be said for sure that OXO will get a rear hub motor.[embedded content][embedded content]Attractive dot-pattern blue graphics are present on most of OXO’s body panels. It gets a muscular design which is further accentuated by its tank shrouds. The spokes of its alloys are a little too thick to come off as attractive. But that’s the design that Hop is going for. We can also see a split seat and the rear along with grab rails also reminds us of previous gen FZ.The street naked design looks aggressive and purposeful too. Looking at its ergonomics, it appears to be neutrally set. The handlebar is high up and footpegs for rider are centrally set. This gives its rider a relaxed and stress-free upright riding posture. This makes sure that rider is fatigue-free during his/her daily commutes.Specs & FeaturesRight now, Hop has two electric scooters, Lyf and Leo. Both of them are decently specced and OXO is also likely to be decently specced. Lyf and Leo get dual battery options and with this specification, both electric scooters can cover 120 km. Lyf has 2,000W power with a 50 km/h top speed and Leo has 2,500W power with 60 km/h.OXO is likely to get dual batteries too with 80 to 90 km/h top speed. We can also expect around 100 km of range on a single charge with a dual battery option. OXO gets telescopic suspension at front and dual shockers at the rear. Disc brakes are offered at both ends. Hop is also investing in battery swapping stations that enable batteries to be replaced within 20 seconds. More details on OXO will be revealed at launch on September 5th.  More