Take a look at all the bikes we expect to see in August 2023
Hero is all set to bring back an old legacy, Royal Enfield is upgrading its current legacy and Ola seems ready to take on the retro market. But wait, there’s more…
Hero Karizma XMR 210 | Hero Karizma was one of the most iconic motorcycles back in the Hero Honda days. While the motorcycle has been out of production, the Indian manufacturer is all set to bring back the legacy in a completely overhauled format. The bike has been spied testing multiple times and the design patent was also leaked online. Thanks to these, we already have a lot of details of the bike such as a fully faired body, sporty split seats, and sharp styling. The handlebar is a raised clip-on which should allow for more touring comfort. The highlight of the Karizma, however, will be an entirely new engine. This new liquid-cooled 210cc powertrain will be a first for Hero and is expected to produce around 25 hp of maximum power and 22 Nm of peak torque. Additionally, we can expect to see a full-colour TFT display complete with a number of features, thanks to the inclusion of navigation buttons on the left switchgear. With the launch of the Hero Karizma XMR 210, Hero Motocorp will go up against the likes of Bajaj and Suzuki, which have the Pulsar RS220 and the Gixxer SF 250, respectively. As for pricing, we can expect anywhere in the region of Rs 1.75 lakh, ex-showroom. (Image: Hero)
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Honda 150-180 bike | Honda is all set to bring in an all-new motorcycle early this month. Now, while details are scarce, we expect the new bike to be based on the current Unicorn 160. This doesn’t seem to be a new generation of the 160cc commuter but a sportier version of it. The teaser released by Honda just a few days ago gives us a glimpse of what to expect. For starters, what we can see very clearly is the tail light which has a very unique design. The seat seems to be split, too, though this is not shown in the teaser, the tank may have sharp cuts and creases as well as extensions to add to its sporty nature. Over on the engine side of things, there’s a chance we may see the same engine with better performance figures, but that is still a wait-and-watch. For context, the Unicorn’s 162cc air-cooled single-cylinder currently produces about 13 hp of maximum power and 14 Nm of torque. Yes, more would be better, especially since these are one of the lowest in the segment. As far as pricing goes, the Unicorn is currently priced at Rs 1.09 lakh, so the new motorcycle is expected to command at least a slight premium over that. (Image: Honda)
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Yamaha MT-09 | Yamaha is all set to bring some of its iconic big bikes to the Indian market and to kick things off, the Japanese manufacturer is getting us the MT-09. Now, this isn’t confirmed news yet, so it may not be this month at all, but the excitement is a little too much to handle. The bike was showcased to the Yamaha dealers in India alongside other heavyweights such as the MT-07 and the sportier YZF series bikes. We don’t know what spec the MT-09 will be running, so we are going to assume it is like the European market equivalent. As such the naked bike gets an 890cc liquid-cooled inline triple that churns out 117 hp of maximum power at 10,000 rpm and 93 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm. It gets all the premium equipment you could think of as well such as adjustable 41 mm upside-down forks and adjustable rear monoshock, twin 298 mm discs at the front for stopping power. Yamaha currently doesn’t have any big bikes in India and the launch of the MT-09 will signify its entry into the segment. With this, the MT-09 will go up against a range of premium motorcycles such as the Kawasaki Z900, the Triumph Street Triple RS, and even the Ducati Monster. (Image: Yamaha)
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Aether 450 S | Bengaluru-based electric scooter manufacturer Aether is all set to launch a more affordable variant of its popular Aether 450X. Suffixed with an ‘S’ instead of the ‘X’ the scooter’s design remains identical to the 450X. The company recently teased the upcoming scooter on social media but covered up the handlebars and instrument cluster with a hoodie. The new instrument cluster is expected to be a cheaper segmented LCD display to keep costs down. It will also miss out on features such as cloud connectivity, Google Maps, and even document storage. What we do not know is if the scooter will come equipped with Bluetooth connectivity. Additionally, the 450S will be powered by a smaller 3 kWh battery pack which the company claims will allow for a longer 115 km range on a single charge. The top speed of the bike, however, continues to be the same 90 km/h as the 450X. This means we will see the same 6.2 kW electric motor on the new scooter. Aether has also revealed that the 450S will cost Rs 1.30 lakh, ex-showroom as an introductory price. (Image: Aether)
TVS Creon electric | Set for a launch on August 23, the Creon is finally coming to challenge other electric scooters in the segment such as the Aether 450X and Ola S1. Of course, Creon gets a sportier stance than Ola and should attract the same audience as the Aether. Currently, TVS’s electric portfolio consists of just the iQube, which is also the second-best-selling electric scooter in India. The teaser released by the company only showcases the four vertically stacked headlamps, but the concept from the 2018 Auto Expo gives us something to look forward to. It gets a futuristic design with a twin-spar aluminium frame that covers the battery pack. The styling was sporty with a stepped-up seat and grab rails for the pillion. In terms of features, we can expect a full-colour TFT display with smartphone connectivity as well. Now, we do not have much to go on about what powers the Creon but we suspect a larger motor and battery pack than the iQube should be offered. The current expectation is a 10 kWh battery pack mated to a 10-12 kW electric motor. (Image: TVS)
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Ola S1 Classic | A little while ago, Ola CEO, Bhavish Agarwal tweeted about a new S1 scooter. There really isn’t much one can gauge from the teaser but we expect the new S1 to be designed in a retro style. This could include furnishings such as a tall windscreen, cushioned backrests and maybe some chrome elements here and there. The rest of the S1’s minimalist styling, however, should remain the same. Powering the scooter should also be the same specs as the current Ola S1 Pro. This means a 4 kWh battery pack powering an 8.5 kWh motor. (Image: Ola)
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Royal Enfield Bullet 350 | The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is finally getting its own upgrade and is expected to launch this month. Similar to what happened with the Classic, the Bullet 350 may see minimal design changes. The Bullet will soldier on with its big burly bike look complete with the age-old round headlamp, big round tank, and cruiser-like seats and seating position. The upgrade, however, comes in the form of the new J-series engine. It’s the same one that powers the host of the new RE bikes such as the Hunter 350, the Meteor 350, and even the Classic 350. The 349cc air-cooled single cylinder is capable of producing 20 hp of maximum power and 27 Nm of peak torque. What might surprise interested buyers is that the Bullet, even in its new avatar, will continue to have the thump in the exhaust, a feature every RE fan loves. The bike is scheduled to launch at the end of August and as far as pricing goes, we can expect it to be somewhere in the range of the current Rs 1.93 lakh, ex-showroom, sticker. (Image: Royal Enfield)
Stanford Masters Journalist who writes on automobiles
