More stories

  • in

    Honda 300cc Adventure Spied In India – Himalayan, 390 ADV Rival?

    Honda CRF300L will get tough off-road components and 285 mm ground clearance to sustain any terrainImage for referenceCurrently, Honda India is the second-highest selling two-wheeler brand in India as seen in our retail sales chart for the month of June 2022. Honda sold 2,85,691 units in June 2022 as opposed to 1,96,785 units in June 2021 with 45.18% YoY growth. The Japanese brand currently has a 25.53% market share in the month of June 2022.Honda is set to launch a new vehicle in India on 8th of August 2022. In the teaser, Honda announced that the “Formidable” is arriving in India. The word formidable made us think that it will be the Forza maxi-scooter with either a 125cc, 150cc, or 350cc powertrain. We have covered Forza maxi-scooters in detail in a previous post.Honda CRF300L Spotted In IndiaBut Honda is making the news again as a CRF300L has been spotted in a showroom in India. Honda’s CRF range refers to the brand’s motocross and dual-sport motorcycles that are built for most trails or terrains mother Earth can throw at it. They are very popular among off-road enthusiasts worldwide.We have heard about the CRF190L that is rumoured to launch in India competing against Hero XPulse 200 4V that recently got a new Rally Edition variant and a Rally Kit too. But the CRF300L being spotted at a Honda dealership in India certainly raises questions.Honda CRF300L 300cc ADV spied in IndiaHonda did a similar thing back in 2020 when they displayed a Forza 300 maxi-scooter at a BigWing dealership in Gurgaon. Four units were also sold to the public too. Maybe this is a similar drill where they want to gain market opinion and feedback regarding a product or a product category.Honda CRF300L is a handsome-looking machine for off-road purists and it gets a purposeful design too. It gets a motocross-style body along with a small squared-off headlight, up-swept exhaust, engine guard, and more. Honda CRF300L gets a 21” spoked wheel at front and an 18” spoked wheel at the rear like XPulse 200 4V and are shod with knobby tires.Specs & CompetitionIt gets non-adjustable Showa long-travel 43 mm USD forks at front and prolink suspension at the rear carving out a massive 285 mm of ground clearance. Front disc brake is 256 mm and the rear disc is 220 mm in diameter. It gets regular halogen bulbs all around and a modern LCD dashboard for instrumentation. The engine displaces 286 cc and makes 27 bhp of power and 26.6 Nm of torque. It gets a slip assist clutch and a 6-speed gearbox too. Honda CRF300L weighs around 142 kg and has a tall seat height of 880 mm. Honda has even patented the motorcycle in India.Honda CRF300L patented in IndiaWe are not sure what is the purpose of this CRF300L in India. But, if Honda ever launches it in India, it will be a strong opponent to the XPulse 200 4V Rally Edition for extreme off-roading. Because lightness is the key factor in off-roading rather than outright speed and power. In this regard, CRF300L is more powerful and at the same time, is also lighter than XPulse 200 4V Rally Edition. If we look at hardcore competitors, we have imports like Kawasaki KX and KLX series of motocross bikes with either 250 or 450 cc engines.Other competitors for softcore trail riding and other terrains, it can be comparable to Royal Enfield Himalayan, Yezdi Adventure, and KTM 390 Adventure. We can see a steep price for CRF300L if it launches in India on August 8th instead of Forza maxi-scooter.Source More

  • in

    New Hero Scooter Spied For First Time – NTorq, RayZR 125cc Rival?

    New Hero scooter is likely to be powered by the same 124.6cc engine found on Destini 125 and Maestro Edge 125 with i3S techNew Hero 125cc Scooter SpiedHero MotoCorp is currently the highest-selling two-wheeler brand in India. Hero Splendor is the highest-selling motorcycle in India as seen in our top 10 motorcycle list for the month of June 2022. Splendor alone sells more than second and third highest selling motorcycles combined and is expected to stay that way for a long time.But in the scooter market of India, Hero has not had such a grand monopoly. Because that cake is still in Honda’s kitchen where the Activa is brewed. If we look at top 10 scooter list for the month of June 2022, Activa alone sells more than second highest to ninth highest selling vehicles combined. This says a lot about the scooter market in India.New Hero 125cc Scooter – Sporty DesignHero has scooters in its portfolio that rival Honda Activa series. At the lower end of the spectrum, Hero has Pleasure which is a 110cc scooter and at the top tier, it has Destini 125 and Maestro Edge 125. But as sales figures indicate, both 125cc scooters from Hero are not in top 10.It is not that Hero’s 125cc engine doesn’t have any sauce: It does. It makes 9 bhp of power and 10.4 Nm of torque. This engine is also mated to Hero’s proprietary i3S technology which enables a stop/start feature improving fuel efficiency. It is the style, form factor and character that both the Destini 125 and Maestro Edge 125 lacked. That’s where the new sporty scooter comes into play.New Hero 125cc Scooter SpiedThanks to Shifting-Gears, a new Hero scooter has been spied under testing with heavy camouflage. This new scooter dons a much more sporty and edgy design than the current scooters on sale by Hero. It gets an LED headlight set up on the front fascia like NTorq, RayZR and Avenis instead of on the handlebar like Activa, Jupiter and Access. This gives it a sporty appeal and enhances looks further, is an interesting LED DRL pattern. It is likely to be powered by 125cc engine.New Hero Scooter – Features & LaunchIt also gets storage compartments below the instrument console like other Hero scooters and will also get USB phone charging too. This upcoming scooter gets a switchable i3S button on the right switch gear. At the rear, it gets an ‘X’ shaped LED tail-light and normal halogen turn indicators.Hero should have given a smoked effect to the tail-light cover as they did with Xtreme 160R making it look sportier. A glaring omission on this scooter according to us, is an external fuel filler cap which would drastically aid user comfort while refueling.New Hero 125cc Scooter SpiedSuspension setup is a normal telescopic unit at front and twin shockers at the rear. Hero 125cc sporty scooter might get 12” wheels that are machine cut alloys in this top-spec trim along with a front disc brake too. We can expect steel wheels and drum brakes with lower variants. We also expect Hero to give the XTec system on this scooter too. The instrumentation screen is new which is a rectangular fully-digital LCD panel with expected features like trip meters, odometer, clock, fuel-level indicator and Bluetooth connectivity with notifications and turn-by-turn navigation.Hero MotoCorp has not revealed any details about this upcoming scooter yet. But it could be launched around the festive season and is likely to be priced on par with Maestro Edge. When launched, this sporty 125cc scooter will compete with other sporty scooters like TVS NTorq, Honda Grazia, Suzuki Avenis, and Yamaha RayZR. Of these, Ntorq, Avenis, RayZR regularly feature in the top 10 selling scooter list. Hero would be aiming to eat into their share with this new 125cc scooter.Source More

  • in

    2023 Royal Enfield Bullet 350cc New Gen Spied – Walkaround Leaks

    Everything about the upcoming New-Gen Royal Enfield Bullet 350 replacing the current-gen model2023 Royal Enfield Bullet 350cc New GenRoyal Enfield Bullet needs no introduction in India. For many, it is not just a motorcycle, it is an emotion. And when this emotion is getting redesigned and reengineered, it is an absolute win for everyone.The Bullet marque is so old that even the previous two generations are familiar with it. A design so timeless and beautiful, its simple curves are mind-numbing even today. And now, this timeless beauty is set to be updated by Royal Enfield to stand the test of time even further.2023 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 New Gen – WalkaroundEver since the first set of spy shots of the Bullet 350 surfaced on the web, a lot of interest was generated among the Indian automotive purists and enthusiasts. Now, new spy shots have arrived, thanks to Bullet Guru. Not only it has been spied, 2023 Bullet 350 has been detailed in a walkaround video.Royal Enfield will retain the retro charm of the old motorcycle with its round headlight housing, twin pilot lights, round tail-light housing, round rear-view mirrors, and round indicators. The retro-styled handlebar is wide and gives the rider an upright riding posture.[embedded content][embedded content]The seat is a single-piece stepped unit like on the current-gen model and the footpegs look to be neutrally set. These features combined, give the rider a riding triangle that is comfortable for daily commutes as well as highway cruising.Most of the parts of the New-Gen Bullet 350 are expected to be the same as that of the Meteor 350. The new J-Platform underpinning the Meteor 350, is also expected to do duties on the Bullet 350. It is a double-cradle frame with the engine as the primary stress member. The front suspension will be a telescopic unit like the current-gen model. Rear suspension will be handled by a twin shock unit.2023 Bullet 350cc – Features and Launch2023 Bullet 350 will ditch the old and aging UCE (Unified Construction Engine) in favour of the new 349cc J-Series engine found in the Meteor 350. The exact power and torque figures are not known. The New-Gen model may perform exactly the same as the Meteor 350 or maybe slightly detuned to fit in Royal Enfield’s product lineup below the Classic 350.2023 Royal Enfield Bullet 350cc New Gen2023 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is expected to come with more features, compared to the current-gen model. The motorcycle will get spoked wheels. Front wheel will get a disc brake while the rear gets a drum brake. Instrument cluster of the new Bullet 350 looks similar to the current-gen model.It might miss out on the tripper navigation on the instrument cluster found on the Meteor 350. It will get single channel ABS, as seen in the current unit. Launch of the new Bullet 350 is expected early next year. It will be priced around very similar to the current Bullet prices, which is about Rs 1.5 lakh, ex-sh. More

  • in

    Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Exhaust Sound Captured – TVS Ronin Rival

    Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is expected to be the smallest, lightest and the most affordable RERoyal Enfield Hunter 350 Spied – Exhaust Sound CapturedRoyal Enfield Hunter 350 has been spied testing multiple times. Yet, the test mules don’t stop from popping up from time to time. As Hunter 350 is nearing launch, Royal Enfield seems to be hard-pressed to push the testing processes to get the product finalised for production before August 7th launch.Credits to Inigo M Sabastian, one such test mule was spotted recently. It was rigged with wires connected to testing equipment strapped to the pillion seat. The test mule was spotted cruising comfortably on a flyover. It looks production-ready with very minimal camouflage. Previous test mules also donned accessories like a windscreen, pillion back-rest and more.Hunter 350 gets all the quintessential classic motorcycle elements. Round headlights? Check. Round tail-lights? Check. Round indicators? Check. Round mirrors? Check. Upright posture? Check. You get the point.Hunter 350 Specs & FeaturesRoyal Enfield will equip the upcoming Hunter 350 with a new J-series engine that does duties on other 350cc bikes from RE. It displaces 349cc and makes 20.2 bhp of power at 6,100 RPM and 27 Nm of torque at 4,000 RPM. It gets oil cooling and is coupled with a 5-speed gearbox. Royal Enfield Hunter 350 exhaust note is captured in the video below.[embedded content][embedded content]Hunter 350 borrows its suspension setup from Meteor 350. It is a conventional telescopic fork but on the Hunter 350, it gets fork gators, hinting to us that it might be pitted as a scrambler-style bike. The rear gets twin shock absorbers. It also gets the same alloy wheel design as the Meteor 350 but Royal Enfield can change the wheel sizes on Hunter 350 or retain 19″ size at front and 17″ size at the rear.All the lights including the turn indicators will get halogens owing to its low price bracket. It gets a single-piece seat instead of a split-seat setup. Hunter 350 also gets a stubby exhaust which looks shorter in length and narrower too.Royal Enfield will equip it with disc brakes at both ends, but it is not yet known whether it will get single-channel or dual-channel ABS. We have also spotted multiple instrument clusters on Hunter 350. Some have a tripper screen while others don’t. Hunter 350 might drop the tripper screen on the final model due to chip shortage.Royal Enfield Hunter 350Royal Enfield Hunter 350 – CompetitionBut there’s something missing in the equation that Royal Enfield is typically associated with, size. Royal Enfield’s new bike gets a lean and athletic body while the rest of the portfolio looks much bigger in size. Hunter 350 doesn’t look like a big motorcycle at all. It doesn’t have the sense of substantialness that Royal Enfield motorcycles are associated with. Hunter 350 will be pitted as an entry-level offering by Royal Enfield. So, it attracts a lot of customers that are upgrading from a Pulsar 150 or something.But making it smaller will also reduce the overall weight and this will attract a lot of first-time bike buyers that would have scoffed at 185 – 205 kg weight of other Royal Enfield bikes. Thus attracting a lot more footfall into their showrooms. Hunter 350 is expected to launch on August 7th. When launched, it will compete with newly launched TVS Ronin and Bajaj Avenger 220 Cruise and Jawa 42 in genre and character. In terms of pricing, it might also compete with Dominar 250. More

  • in

    Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650cc Cruiser Exhaust Sound – New Spy Video

    While 650 twins have an athletic profile, Super Meteor 650 is all bulked up for an impressive street presenceUpcoming Royal Enfield 650cc Cruiser – Super Meteor or Thunderbird 650As rivals like Honda, Jawa and Yezdi attempt to challenge Royal Enfield’s supremacy, the company is working to strengthen its portfolio. An average of one product every quarter has been planned for launch over the next five years. This approach will also help cater to larger segment of users with varying tastes and preferences.While 350cc motorcycles like Classic, Meteor and Bullet will continue to be the primary volume generators, Royal Enfield will also be focusing on 650cc segment. One of the new offerings in this space will be the Super Meteor 650 cruiser. It could also be referred to as Thunderbird 650. Royal Enfield is working on Shotgun 650 as well, which is expected to be launched in early 2023.Super Meteor 650 – New Spy ShotsDesigned to dwarf most other bikes on the streets, Super Meteor 650 commands respect and attention with its sheer size. It has a curvy, retro profile with features such as round headlamp and rear view mirrors, tear-drop fuel tank, extra-large rear mudguard and wide rear tyre. The bike gets a horizontally placed exhaust note in chrome finish.Twin pod instrument console looks similar to that of Meteor 350. The larger pod on the left has an analogue dial along with a digital screen in the centre. The smaller pod on the right is likely to be a Tripper navigation system. Below is the latest spy video of the upcoming Royal Enfield 650cc cruiser, credit to Inigo M Sabastian. It also captures the exhaust sound of the Super Meteor 650.[embedded content][embedded content]While the bike has large proportions, the scooped-up seat will ensure easy handling even for shorter riders. Seat height can be expected to be close to that of 650 twins. Rider seat section looks wide and snug, but the relatively narrow pillion seat may not be that comfortable. This is especially true in case of longer journeys. Rider fatigue is expected to be minimal with ergonomically placed handlebar and forward-set foot pegs.Super Meteor 650 specsWhile 650 twins have standard telescopic forks, Super Meteor 650 gets USD forks at front. At the rear, the bike has twin shock absorbers. Braking setup comprises disc brakes at both ends, integrated with ByBre callipers and dual-channel ABS. While this test mule has been spotted with alloy wheels, it is possible that wire-spoke wheels may also be offered at the time of launch. The test mule can be seen with road-biased tyres.Powering Super Meteor 650 will be the 648cc parallel-twin, air-oil-cooled motor that does duty on 650 twins. It generates 47.5 PS of max power and 52 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed constant-mesh transmission.In comparison to Interceptor and Continental GT that are available at a starting price of around Rs 2.90 lakh and Rs 3.05 lakh respectively, Super Meteor 650 could be launched at a price of Rs 3.50 lakh. This will make it the costliest RE bike. But it will still be affordable in comparison to 650cc bikes offered by other brands. Next month, RE is getting ready to launch Hunter 350. More

  • in

    Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Accessories Spied Ahead Of Launch

    Hunter 350 seems to be inspired by the Triumph Street Twin premium cruiser motorcycle in its designRoyal Enfield Hunter 350 AccessoriesRoyal Enfield has had astounding success in India and the world recently – when it comes to 350cc to 650cc motorcycle segment. Their new-gen motorcycles like the Meteor are one of the turning points towards its success. Royal Enfield has also been lauded globally for its 650cc parallel-twin platform which offers incredible value.Royal Enfield has experimented with various products and categories. Launching a good product at a reasonable price seems to be the mantra. It worked wonders with 650 twins which are now very popular in India as well as in Europe and North America. Royal Enfield is expected to stick with the same strategy with upcoming Hunter 350.Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Accessories SpiedUnlike other Royal Enfield motorcycles which have a sense of size and proportions about them, Hunter 350 will be lean and athletic. Hunter 350 will be less bulky as seen in the latest spy shots. This might also be the lightest motorcycle from Royal Enfield and also most street-friendly.In these new Royal Enfield Hunter 350 spy shots, you can see the motorcycle is near-production ready. It is seen wearing interesting accessories. The one here seems to be wearing the touring pack, that includes a windscreen, pillion backrest and panniers.Royal Enfield Hunter 350 AccessoriesEven though the motorcycle has lost some mass, it hasn’t lost its retro and classic charm. It gets round headlights, round mirrors, round instrumentation and the classic, but lean fuel tank. The company is expected to launch the Hunter 350 in different styles as some spy shots of the Hunter 350 are with spoke wheels and some with alloy wheels. It also gets a single-piece seat and the ergonomics of Hunter 350 are expected to be quite upright.The suspension on the front will be a telescopic unit. At the rear, it will get twin shocks. We can expect Royal Enfield to provide dual-channel ABS as standard along with the same braking hardware from the Meteor 350.Royal Enfield Hunter 350 launch – 7th AugHunter 350 will be a entry-level motorcycle by Royal Enfield. It is likely to under-cut their current cheapest motorcycle, the Bullet 350. With the Hunter 350, Royal Enfield will target the Indian masses looking for a reasonably priced modern scrambler with decent performance on tap. Hunter 350 will get the same engine as Meteor 350 and the state of tune is not yet revealed by the company. It will be mated to the same 5-speed gearbox found on Meteor 350. Royal Enfield Hunter 350 AccessoriesRoyal Enfield is gearing up for a slew of motorcycle launches. A lot of Royal Enfield motorcycles have been spied including different variants of the Hunter 350, Himalayan 450, Himalayan 450 scrambler, new-gen Bullet 350 and Shotgun 650 to name a few.Of all these new launches, Hunter 350 is expected to be the least expensive and to act as an entry-level motorcycle into Royal Enfield’s portal. Given Royal Enfield’s pricing strategy, we expect it to be priced from around Rs. 1.5 lakh (ex-sh). In a market where a premium 125 cc street motorcycle costs Rs. 1.70 lakh (ex-sh), a cruiser motorcycle priced at Rs. 1.5 lakh, with a potent 350 cc engine is not a bad choice.In India, the 350 cc market has been dominated by Royal Enfield. But as brands like Honda and Jawa launch competitive products in this segment, Hunter 350 will make sure that Royal Enfield will retain its over 90% market share in 350 cc segment for a long time. TVS is also getting ready to launch a scrambler cruiser in the Rs 1.5 lakh range. It is likely to be be called Zeppelin, Retron or Ronin.Source More

  • in

    New TVS Ronin Cruiser First Photos Leak – Zepplin Inspired 225cc?

    TVS Ronin 225cc air-cooled single-cylinder motor is estimated to have a power output of around 20 hpNew TVS Ronin Cruiser – 225cc?First images of the upcoming TVS Ronin motorcycle have leaked online ahead of its launch on 5th July. TVS Ronin images were found on the official TVS website by Shreyas Sreedhar.While the exact displacement has not been officially revealed yet, the images reveal an air-cooled single-cylinder motor. Latest reports strongly indicate that it is a 225 cc mill. Power output is expected to be in the 20 hp range, mated to 5 speed transmission.TVS Ronin 225cc – OverviewThe TVS Ronin 225cc adopts a neo-classic bodystyle which is a crossover between a traditional low-slung cruiser and a rugged scrambler. The bodywork includes a slender fuel tank with pronounced knee indents, old-school side panels and no tailpiece. The dual-tone colour scheme and black finished engine and wheels enhances the motorcycle’s aesthetic appeal.TVS Ronin 225cc announces itself as a player in the premium segment with its sturdy gold finished inverted telescopic front forks, alloy wheels, thick tyres and a full LED headlamp which is characterized by a T-shaped LED daytime running light. The motorcycle is equipped with a single round instrument cluster and LED turn indicators.New TVS Ronin Cruiser – 225cc?We think it is a fully digital unit which is likely to incorporate mobile phone connectivity, TVS SmartXonnect system. The brown saddle, chunky exhaust canister, front and rear disc brakes are other noteworthy elements. Expect Dual ABS to be on offer.The latest TVS 225 cc motorcycle derives its inspiration from the Zeppelin cruiser concept which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2018 but there are crucial differences. For instance, the concept employed a liquid-cooled motor, spoke wheels and a full fledged tailpiece which are all missing on the production-spec model. The equipment level indicates that the motorcycle could be priced from around Rs 1.5 lakh (ex-showroom).CompetitionThis is a completely new segment of motorcycle for TVS. Their current range of motorcycles on offer are in the 100cc to 200cc range and then in the 310cc. They do not have anything in between 200cc to 300cc. The upcoming TVS Ronin is expected to sit right in between this segment.TVS Ronin 225cc could even rival Royal Enfield Hunter 350 – in price segment250cc segment is seeing a rise in demand. We have seen Bajaj taking over the 250cc segment with multiple launches under brand Pulsar, KTM and Husqvarna. Upon launch, TVS Ronin 225 could rival the KTM 250s, Husqvarna 250s and the Pulsar 250s. It could also take on the upcoming Royal Enfield Hunter 350, which is expected to launch next month at a starting price of Rs 1.3 lakh, ex-sh.Source More

  • in

    Royal Enfield Thunderbird 650cc Cruiser Spied – Or Is It Super Meteor?

    This new 650cc motorcycle will be the middle-weight cruiser in Royal Enfield’s lineupRoyal Enfield Thunderbird 650We all know that Royal Enfield is developing a 650cc cruiser based on their potent 650cc parallel-twin platform. But we also know that it will get Meteor 350-inspired cruiser design language. It was unofficially called Super Meteor 650.But Royal Enfield’s recent slip-up has revealed that the company is keen on resurrecting its bygone Thunderbird marque with this upcoming cruiser. Royal Enfield’s service page on their website mysteriously revealed the name Thunderbird X 650 in the list of all Royal Enfield bikes available to book a service schedule.Royal Enfield was quick enough to rectify this and took it off its website. But the damage was done and the internet was blessed with screenshots of the same. This makes sense too because Meteor is actually the successor of Thunderbird. And if you ask us, Thunderbird name is cooler and has much more weight than Super Meteor. Remember the Ford Thunderbird? That was a cool car with a cool name.Royal Enfield Thunderbird 650cc CruiserRoyal Enfield’s recent test mule has the 650cc parallel-twin engine with twin exhaust and is a cruiser motorcycle. Ring any bell? Yes, it might be the upcoming Thunderbird 650. We say Thunderbird 650 instead of Thunderbird X 650 as seen on Royal Enfield’s website. Because, the test mule has chrome exhausts and looking back at Thunderbird 350X and 500X, they had sporty persona with black exhaust. This could be Thunderbird 650 like Thunderbird 350 and 500 which had chrome exhaust.Royal Enfield Thunderbird 650The test mule looks production-ready and doesn’t get any camouflage too. This hints us that a launch may be closer than we’d have hoped. This test mule looks like the lower-spec variant as creature comforts like pillion backrest, windscreen, rear luggage rack and saddle stays are missing. All these were present on test mule spotted testing abroad. Royal Enfield is likely to offer these features in higher variants though just like it did with Meteor 350.The source also claims that the exhaust note had more bass than Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650. This might be due to a different exhaust system. It will borrow the same 648cc parallel-twin that does duties on Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650. Royal Enfield may retain the same throttle map or introduce a new one for this cruiser to suit its laid-back personality.Features & LaunchRoyal Enfield Thunderbird 650 test mule was spotted donning a twin-pod instrument cluster. The main unit is larger and houses an analog speedometer and tachometer and a small LCD screen within it showing trip info, fuel level and other info. Beside it, we find the tripper screen for navigation. Other features spotted on the test mule include single disc brake at both ends, USD fork setup at front and twin shocks at the rear. We expect it to get dual-channel ABS as standard.Coming to the launch, Royal Enfield has a lot on its platter right now. For starters, they have the Hunter 350 launch planned for August. Looking at the production-ready-looking test mule, we can’t help but predict that Royal Enfield might launch its middleweight cruiser by the end of this year. When launched, it might bear Super Meteor 650, Thunderbird 650 or Thunderbird X 650 name. Prices could be in the Rs 4 lakh range, making it the most affordable 650cc cruiser on offer.Source More