India-bound Sub-800cc Bikes In 2019

The list includes an eclectic range such as the KTM 790 Adventure, Kawasaki Z400, 2019 Yamaha YZF-R3, Benelli TRK 251 and 752S

The Indian two-wheeler industry has come of age over the last decade and a half. Gone are the days when enthusiasts used to pine for 150cc “sports” bikes. Instead, the advent of social media has made them more aware of premium motorcycles and the joys that they offer that many are still willing to put their money down on one despite fuel prices hitting an all-time high. If this year’s EICMA show in Italy was anything to go by, expect a whole lot more of these machines to head our way soon. Here, we round up some of the most interesting ones that are likely to be launched by 2019.

KTM 790 Adventure

Although KTM is yet to confirm the launch of the 790 Adventure and 790 Adventure R for India, we’re confident that the 790 Duke-based adventure tourer will make its way here by 2019. Unveiled at EICMA 2018, the 790 Adventure and 790 Adventure R are heavily inspired by KTM’s Dakar-spec rally bikes. KTM says these bikes are a direct result of customer feedback mixed with the brand’s experience and expertise. And going by how KTM has improved the 390 Duke over the years, we have no reason to doubt them at all.

Both motorcycles share a similar design language except for certain bits and bobs. The standard model looks more touring friendly with a large windscreen, split seats, a small luggage rack at the rear and road-biased Avon tyres. The R variant, on the other hand, gets a beak-like front fender, shorter windscreen, a single-piece seat and a more off-road-friendly Metzeler Karoo 3 adventure tyres. Both ADVs are powered by a 799cc LC8c inline-twin engine which generates 95PS of power and 86Nm of torque. 

Notable features include a 5-inch full-colour TFT display, an LED headlight, traction control, off-road ride mode, cornering and off-road ABS. The R variant comes with a more sophisticated ‘Rally’ mode as well as WP XPLOR front USDs and rear monoshock. The standard variant makes do with WP APEX suspension on both ends. We expect the 790 Adventure to enter our shores by the end of 2019. When launched, expect it to give the Triumph Tiger 800 and BMW F 850 GS a run for their money.

Kawasaki Z400

The Kawasaki Z400 is essentially the naked version of the Ninja 400. We believe Kawasaki will bring this motorcycle to our market by the end of next year, probably via the CKD route. It may not be cheap, but if the response is good, and considering the potential for small-capacity premium nakeds, we wouldn’t be surprised if Kawasaki considers bringing in a heavily localised version, just like what it did with the Ninja 300. That should give the KTM 390 Duke a good competition.

The motorcycle follows the same Sugomi design philosophy that shapes the bigger bikes in the Z range. The headlights feature LED illumination while the instrument cluster is fully digital. It sports an upright riding stance thanks to the wide and easy-to-reach handlebars. This setup, coupled with a 14-litre fuel tank, should make the motorcycle a reasonably good tourer. Power comes from the same 399cc DOHC parallel-twin motor that does duty in the Ninja 400. However, the European model makes only 45PS at 10,000rpm to comply with A2 licensing norms. Expect the India-bound motorcycle to get the full 49PS at the same revs that the India-spec Ninja 400 makes. Peak torque for both the bikes stands at 38Nm at 8000rpm. The engine works alongside a 6-speed transmission with assist and slipper clutch. The motorcycle is tech-free apart from standard dual-channel ABS.

2019 Yamaha YZF-R3

The design of the 2019 Yamaha YZF-R3 is akin to the YZF-R15 V3. It’s clear that Yamaha wants to make sure their smaller capacity bikes look like their litre-class brother. For 2019, the Japanese brand has also made the R3 sportier, thanks to lower handlebars and a redesigned fuel tank that looks similar to the one on the R15 V3. The height of the tank is lower too, and this results in more room for the rider to tuck his/her head in. The new fairing houses new LED headlamps while the instrument console is fully digital. Up front, the motorcycle features new 37mm KYB upside down forks and a rear KYB monoshock. 

Power figures are unchanged and you get the same 42PS/29.6Nm from the 321cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine as its predecessor. Sadly, the 6-speed transmission continues to miss out on a slipper clutch. The front and rear discs come with dual-channel ABS as standard. Expect the India-bound bike to ditch the inverted forks in favour of a more affordable traditional fork setup. Yamaha is likely to launch the motorcycle in India by mid-2019. When launched, it will go up against the KTM RC 390, Kawasaki Ninja 300, TVS Apache RR 310 and Benelli 302R.

Benelli TRK 251

Benelli intends to launch the TRK 251 by the end of 2019. When launched, it will be the smallest-capacity ADV in its segment. It rivals the likes of the Royal Enfield Himalayan. We expect Benelli to price this motorcycle at around Rs 2.3 lakh (ex-showroom), making it around Rs 62,000 more than the Himalayan. However, the extra premium gets you a liquid-cooled engine, a massive 17-litre fuel tank and TRK 500-like styling with projector headlights, an LED tail light and turn indicators.

The 249cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled DOHC engine works in tandem with a 6-speed transmission to produce 25.8PS at 9250rpm and 21.2Nm at 8000rpm. The bike gets front and rear petal discs with dual-channel ABS as standard. Thanks to the alloy wheels, the TRK 251 is more of a soft-roader than a hardcore adventure bike that the Himalayan is.

Benelli 752S

Showcased at EICMA 2018, the 752S is likely to enter our shores in the last quarter of 2019. It will compete with the Ducati Monster 797, Suzuki GSX-S750 and Triumph Street Triple S in our market. The Benelli 752S is likely to command a price tag of around Rs 7 lakh, ex-showroom.

The distinctively aggressive Italian design of the motorcycle will appeal to a lot of Indian customers, we believe. There’s a full-LED lighting system with a projector headlight. The ergonomics is sporty but looks comfortable enough for touring. Powering the motorcycle is a 754cc in-line twin-cylinder DOHC engine that puts out 76.8PS at 8500rpm and 67Nm at 6500rpm.

The 752S is built on a trellis frame with 50mm Marzocchi inverted front forks and a rear monoshock. Bringing this naked motorcycle to halt is a set of 320mm front discs with Brembo radial calipers and a rear disc, with dual-channel ABS offered as standard. The aluminium alloy wheels are shod with 120-section front and 180-section rear Pirelli Angel ST tyres.

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