Two-wheeler news recap of the week - 16-21 September 2019

The Indian automotive industry is going through a major slowdown. Manufactures were hoping to get relief with a GST cut to get things. However, the government continues to ignore the signs of a slowdown and has once again used a cello tape measure to fix things. Manufacturers though are still upbeat for the upcoming festive season. Here’s all that happened in the two-wheeler market this week:

Aprilia GPR 250 unveiled in China

The Aprilia GPR 250 has been unveiled in China. The bike uses a 249.2 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine borrowed from the CFMoto 250NK. Coupled to a 6-speed gearbox, the engine can produce 26.5 PS of power and 22 Nm of torque. Besides that, the Aprilia GPR 250 has a kerb weight of 150 kg! That’s surprisingly light for a 250 cc sports motorcycle.

Making this possible is a lightweight frame and aluminium swingarm. Suspension duties are taken care of by an upside-down fork up front and a monoshock rear. Brakes on the Aprilia GPR 250 include discs at both ends assisted by dual-channel ABS.

There has been no official announcement on an Indian launch of Aprilia GPR 250, however, Aprilia has been known to be interested in bringing motorcycles in the engine displacement range of 150 cc to 250 cc.

Also Read: Aprilia Storm 125 vs. Aprilia SR125 – Specs and Features Comparison

TVS Ntorq 125 Race Edition launched in India at INR 62,995

TVS has launched a new Race Edition of its popular sporty 125 cc scooter Ntorq 125. The scooter is retailed in new three-tone combination of matte black, metallic black and metallic red colour. Besides that, the TVS Ntorq 125 Race Edition gets a new LED headlamp and LED daytime running lights. The scooter also gets hazard lights which can be controlled by a red switch.

At the heart of the TVS Ntorq 125 is a 124.79 cc air-cooled, 3-valve mill. This engine can squeeze out 9.4 PS of power and 10.5 Nm of torque. Targeted towards GenZ customers, the TVS Ntorq continues to flaunt digital instrumentation with smartphone connectivity via Bluetooth. This allows the scooter to display call alerts and turn by turn navigation on the display.

The Race Edition is priced at a premium of nearly 3,000 over the standard disc brake variant. TVS has so far sold more than 4 lakh units of the Ntorq 125. The company has also introduced the Scooty Pep Plus in new colour options - Coral matte and Aqua matte.

Also Read: TVS Jupiter Grande with SmartXConnect Bluetooth system launched in India

Polarity Smart Bikes unveil 6 personal mobility vehicle prototypes

The Indian start-up Polarity Smart Bikes has took the electric vehicle route to unveil 6 pedal-assisted cycles. Starting at INR 38,000 (ex-showroom), these electric cycles will be retailed in two trims, namely Sport and Executive. The flagship Polarity S3K has a price tag of INR 1.10 lakh (ex-showroom) and boasts of an 80-volt battery. It has a 3 kW electric hub motor which can propel it to a top speed of 100 km/h!

All Polarity Smart Bikes have a claimed range of 80 km which is enough for an average, day to day, personal mobility vehicle. The bikes have a kerb weight of 55 kg and their batteries come with a 3-year warranty. Besides that, Polarity Smart Bikes can be charged for 1,000 times. The pedal-assisted electric cycles also boast LED headlamp, coloured digital instrumentation, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity.
Deliveries of Polarity Smart Bikes begin in the first quarter of 2020.

Also Read: Exports of made-in-India Peugeot electric scooter begin

Bajaj Dominar, Pulsar and Avenger range get a price hike

Just ahead of the festive rush, Bajaj Auto has increased prices of several products. The flagship Bajaj Dominar 400 now has a price tag of INR 1.92 lakh which is a rise of INR 10,001. Despite this recent hike, the Bajaj Dominar 400 remains incredible value for money motorcycle. Where else will you get a 40 PS motorcycle with slipper clutch, upside-down fork, LED headlamp and radially mounted front calliper at less than INR 2 lakh?

The price rise in the Bajaj Pulsar and the Bajaj Avenger range isn’t too massive. The hike has been in the range of INR 998 to INR 1,696. Details on the price hike on Bajaj Pulsar and Bajaj Avenger can be found in the table above. However, the prices for the Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon and Bajaj Pulsar 150 Neon has remained unchanged.

Also Read: 2019 Bajaj Dominar 400 First Ride Review

KTM 790 Duke Indian launch confirmed for 23 September 2019

It’s finally happening! The Austrian motorcycle maker KTM is launching the 790 Duke on 23 September 23 2019. This street naked motorcycle will compete against the Triumph Street Triple, Kawasaki Z900, Ducati Monster 821 and Yamaha MT-09. KTM has loaded the 790 Duke to the gills.

The KTM 790 is powered by a 799 cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine. Coupled to a 6-speed gearbox, the engine produces 105 PS of power and 87 Nm of torque. The KTM 790 Duke offers four riding modes – Sport, Street, Rain and Track. Electronic rider aids include wheelie control, traction control (switchable), ABS (with Supermoto mode), cornering ABS and Motor Slip Regulation (MSR). Besides that, the KTM 790 Duke also gets a slipper clutch and a bi-directional quick shifter.

KTM’s latest and most powerful motorcycle in India will be its most expensive product yet with a price of around INR 8.5 lakh (ex-showroom).

Also Read: KTM 790 Duke brochure leaked ahead of launch

Honda releases new teaser for upcoming 2020 Honda Africa Twin

Japanese motorcycle maker Honda has released a new teaser video confirming that the 2020 Africa Twin will break cover on 23 September 2019. Like the outgoing model, it will be retailed in two variants (Standard and Adventure). Moving away from the old 998 cc mill, the Africa Twin will adopt a bigger 1,084 cc engine with the MY2020 update. This powerplant will produce 101 PS of power, up from 94 PS.

Several rumours suggest that the 2020 Honda Africa Twin will get direct injection which will help it reduce tailpipe emissions. Gearbox options will be a manual and a DCT unit. We expect only the latter to make its way to India. The wheels will be a 21-inch unit at the front and an 18-inch unit at the rear.

The 2020 Honda Africa Twin will get an LED headlamp, tall windscreen and possibly a new TFT instrumentation display. Other features will include riding modes and multi-level traction control.