Motorcycling gives us a sense of freedom, and much of that is attributed to the power output of a motorcycle. With the technological advantage of the present day, manufacturers have been able to offer more and more powerful motorcycles at accessible pricing.
So, you are in the market for an affordable and powerful bike? Confused with the plethora of options available? Fear not, IAB has your back covered. Here’s a list of 5 most powerful motorcycles which are priced under INR 1 lakh (arranged in descending order of power output):
Hero Xtreme 200S – The most affordable fully faired bike in India
Hero MotoCorp’s accessible price tags never fail to surprise us. With 85 million two-wheelers already rolled out of their dealerships, they know a thing or two about right pricing. The Hero Xtreme 200S, priced at INR 98,400 (ex-showroom, Delhi), is the most powerful motorcycle on sale under 1 lakh.
At the heart of Xtreme 200S is a 199.6 cc air-cooled, 2-valve, carburetted mill. The engine can produce 18.4 PS of power and 17.1 Nm of torque. Suspension duties are handled by 37 mm telescopic fork up front and a monoshock at the rear with 7-step adjustable preload. Brakes include a 276 mm disc at the front with ABS and a 220 mm disc at the rear. It has a ground clearance of 165 mm and tips the scales at 149 kg.
The Hero Xtreme 200S features an LED headlamp and all-digital instrument cluster that supports turn-by-turn navigation and call alerts. Sports Red, Panther Black and Brown are the colour options.
If the requirement is an adventure-oriented model or a naked-sports model, the Hero XPulse 200 or the Hero Xtreme 200R priced at INR 94,000 and INR 90,900 respectively (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi) are suitable alternatives.
Bajaj Pulsar 180 Neon – A budget Bajaj Pulsar 220
The Bajaj Pulsar 180 Neon looks exactly the Bajaj Pulsar 220F whose price tag has crossed the INR 1 lakh mark. The product planning team at Bajaj was smart and they came out with the Bajaj Pulsar 180 Neon at INR 94,790 (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Powering the Bajaj Pulsar 180 Neon is the same 178.6cc air-cooled, DTS-i, 4-valve engine seen in the erstwhile classic Bajaj Pulsar 180. The engine can produce an identical 17.02 PS of power and 14.22 Nm of torque. The suspension setup includes standard telescopic fork at the front and 5-step adjustable twin shock absorbers at the rear. A 260 mm disc at the front and a 230 mm unit at the rear handle bring the motorcycle to a halt, and the former is governed by ABS.
The Bajaj Pulsar 180 Neon weighs 151 kg and has a ground clearance of 165 mm. It features vertically stacked twin headlamps with the lower one being a projector unit just like the Bajaj Pulsar 220F. Colour options include Black Red and Neon Orange.
TVS Apache RTR 160 4V – The affordable street racer
Styled on the lines of the RTR 200, the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is the most powerful 150-160 cc bike. It is compact and has a chiselled look which will leave an ear to ear grin on your face every time you park your bike. Pricing has been kept at INR 99,101 for the fuel injected variant, INR 93,101 for the rear disc version and INR 90,101 for the rear drum brake version (all prices ex-showroom, Delhi).
At the heart of the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is a 159.7 cc 4-valve mill with an oil cooled combustion chamber. The engine even boasts of a ram air assist function which reduces the heat map by 10 degree Celsius. It produces 16.79 PS in the fuel injected trim and 16.5 PS with a carburettor. The torque output stands at 14.8 Nm. The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V weighs 149 kg with fuel injection and has a 180 mm ground clearance.
Highlights include a Showa-tuned monoshock at the rear, optional Pirelli tyres and a fully digital instrument cluster with lap timer, 0-60 km/h timer and top speed recorder functions. Braking setup includes a 270 mm petal disc at the front with ABS (which TVS has christened as Super-Moto ABS) and a 200 mm petal disc at the rear. RR Red, Racing Black and Racing Blue are the colour options.
TVS Apache RTR 180 – Old habits die hard
The TVS Apache RTR 180 is the perfect example of the idea of not changing what sells. The bike in 2019 is pretty much unchanged from what it was back in 2009! The 177.3 cc air-cooled mill at present produces 16.62 PS of power and 15.5 Nm of torque. Back in 2009, when the emission norms were a lot more lenient, the maximum power was 17.3 PS. The short stroke engine is housed in a chassis developed by TVS Racing. The motor, though, has been known to be plagued by vibrations.
Unlike the modern bikes of today and just like the Bajaj Pulsar 180 Neon, the TVS Apache RTR 180 features twin spring-based suspension at the rear. The bike boasts of first-in-class adjustable split clip-on handlebars, adaptable brake pedal and gear levers. It even has integrated frame sliders on the engine guard. The TVS Apache RTR 180 has a kerb weight of 139 kg and a ground clearance of 165 mm. Braking setup includes a 270 mm petal disc at the front with ABS and a 200 mm petal unit at the rear.
Also Read: KTM RC125 ABS - First Ride Review
The TVS Apache RTR 180 is priced at INR 91,291 (ex-showroom, Delhi) and is available in Pearl White, Matte Blue, Gloss Black and T Grey colours.
Bajaj Pulsar NS160 – The return of the Jedi in a new avatar
Bajaj knows how to make its mark in every segment. With the rise of 160 cc motorcycles in the Indian market, it introduced the Pulsar NS160 styled on the lines of the very successful Pulsar 200NS. The muscular-looking bike has an oil-cooled powerplant with an engine displacement of 160.3 cc DTS-I twin-spark mill that develops 15.5 PS of power and 14.6 Nm of torque.
Suspension duties are overseen by a standard telescopic fork up front and a monoshock at the rear. The bike tips the scales at 145 kg and has a ground clearance of 176 mm. The chassis is a perimeter frame unit which is shared with its elder sibling. Braking duties are performed by a large 300 mm disc at the front with ABS and a 230 mm disc at the rear.
Also Read: Top 5 premium scooters on sale in India - IAB Picks
Colour options for the Bajaj Pulsar NS160 include Wild Red, Sapphire Blue and Fossil Grey. The motorcycle retails at INR 92,595 (ex-showroom, Delhi).
