India's bike market gets a fresh lease of life with new launches

The motorcycling world has been a witness to a lot of action in the past few months. A flood of bikes have entered the Indian market in different segments. Here's a look at the prominent ones in the premium segment

JAWA 300

22 years after closing its operations in India, the 90 year old Czech brand Jawa launched its latest bike in the Indian market on November 15. The Jawa 300 cc motor bike reintroduces the brand in the country. Mahindra has acquired the license to produce and sell Jawa bikes in India. The new Jawa bikes will be sold under Classic Legends Private Ltd. It tries to preserve the identity of the original 250 cc bike. This one has a 300 cc four stroke motor. It builds on the brand's classic appeal. It has a six-speed gearbox.

Jawa 300's price in India is Rs 1,64000

JAWA Forty Two

The Jawa 42 is the most affordable model by Jawa in its second innings in India. It is powered by a 293 cc single-cylinder engine. The engine has been designed and developed in India and Italy.

Priced at Rs 1.55 lakh It is the most affordable model by Jawa.

Royal Enfield Continental GT 650

This one is a next evolution of the GT line. The all new 648 cc engine is simple and easy to maintain.Eighty per cent of the torque is available as low as 2500 RPM which is why there is no need to change gears frequently. The use of 4 valves per cylinder increases the engine efficiency. For the first time Royal Enfield has used a 6 speed gearbox.

It is priced at Rs 2.05 lakh

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

The Royal Enfield Interceptor is the most affordable twin-cylinder motorcycle in India. It boasts of an all-new 648cc parallel twin, counterbalanced engine. It has a street bike appeal. The chassi, brakes and suspension have a modern feel and the brakes are single discs at both ends

The price range begins at Rs 2.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

KTM 125 Duke

In the 125 cc commuter segment, this one comes as a breath of fresh air. To keep costs in check the bodywork is borrowed from the 200 Duke. It has also borrowed the digital instrument console from the 200 Duke. Powering this bike is a 124.7cc single-cylinder motor. It also boasts of a 6-speed transmission which is a first in this segment. The mechanical components are also similar to the 200 Duke. It is also the heaviest bike in its segment. It competes with bikes in the higher segments.

The on-road price is Rs 1.18 lakh
 

Kawasaki Versys 650

Kawasaki has launched the 2019 version of the Versys  650. There are not many substantial changes to the existing model apart from the metallic grey paint scheme on the fuel tank. Earlier the bike was available on in metallic black and this green rimmed version is a welcome change.

It is priced at Rs 6,69000 ex-showroom