Rewind 2018: From BMW to Jawa, top 10 motorbike, scooter launches in India

From the relaunch of a legend from yesteryear to major players bringing new offerings to the market, the Indian motorcycle circuit saw it all. Here's a list of the top launches of 2018

1 / 10

Polished chrome, retro lines, the exhaust note and curves, the new Jawa perfectly captures the iconic aesthetics of the brand's heritage and personality. Classic Legends, a subsidiary of Anand Mahindra-owned Mahindra & Mahindra, on November 15 resurrected the iconic Jawa Motorcycles brand in India with the launch of Jawa and Jawa Forty Two. The company also showcased its first factory-custom Jawa Perak, which would be added to the line-up later in the future. Powering the Jawa and Jawa Forty Two is a new 293cc engine that the company claims is capable of producing 27PS and 28Nm of power and torque, respectively. Online bookings are closed and the company plans to start delivering motorcycles from March 2019. Classic Legends claims that the bikes are sold out till September 2019.

2 / 10

Royal Enfield finally launched the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 in India on November 14, 2018, putting an end to a year-long wait. Originally showcased at EICMA 2017, the bikes started a new chapter for Indian automobile manufacturers who have had an excellent ride on the retro wave in India and abroad. The bikes marked the company's entry into the middleweight motorcycle segment. While the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 comes in a classic roadster theme, the Continental GT 650 has a cafe racer styling. Developed by Harris Performance, the RE subsidiary in the UK, the retro design is built on an all-new frame that is optimised to offer better handling and comfort. The power in both the bikes is derived from a 649cc, twin-cylinder, oil-cooled engine that delivers an output of 47 bhp at 7,250 rpm and 52 Nm of peak torque at 5,250 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox that comes with a slipper clutch and has a top speed of over 160 kmph.

3 / 10

The Austrian bike-maker KTM finally unveiled the 125cc Duke in India, making it the most expensive offering in the 125cc segment. Already popular in the international market, the KTM 125 is available at all the 450 KTM showrooms across India. However, unlike the international edition which takes design cues from Duke 390, the Indian version of KTM Duke 125 shares its styling with the KTM Duke 200. The only visual difference between the 125cc and 200c Duke is the redesigned graphics while the majority of the design stays the same.

4 / 10

Yamaha Motor launched the third generation of Yamaha R15 V 3.0 with completely revamped looks, updated bodywork and engine. The bike now features VVA technology, assist and slipper clutch, hazard lamp, inverted front suspension fork, all-LED lighting system, full LCD-panel meter with shift indicator, and wider tyres.

5 / 10

The BMW G 310 GS is perhaps one of the most awaited bikes of 2018. Showcased in this year's Auto-Expo, the BMW G 310 GS and the BMW G 310 R grabbed considerable attention as an entry-level adventure tourer from BMW.

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Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd launched the much-awaited Burgman Street maxi-scooter in 2018 — a 125cc scooter, which bears the DNA of Suzuki's legendary Burgman design.

7 / 10

Called 'race edition 2.0', the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V motorcycle is a great addition to the popular RTR series from TVS. The new bike receives an all-new body frame with reworked brakes, engine, and suspension. Currently, the bike comes in three different variants – carburettor with front disc, carburettor with front & rear disc, and fuel-injected with front & rear disc. Its overall style is heavily inspired by the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V bike. The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V features similar fuel tank, turn indicators, LED headlight & taillight, and a fully digital instrument cluster.

8 / 10

The Honda Activa has been the market leader in the 110cc scooter segment with an average sales figure of about 280,000 units per month. Honda introduced the Activa 5G in 2018 that comes with new LED headlamp, digital analog meter, chrome styling and push-button seat opener.

9 / 10

Any list of Indian motorcycles is incomplete without a Hero product. Hero MotoCorp launched the Xtreme 200R, which is based on the company's existing Xtreme Sports model, recently for the high potential 200cc bike segment.

10 / 10

Ntorq is a feature-packed offering from TVS that enjoys huge popularity in the 125cc segment. The 125cc scooter has a nice sporty feel, looks great with dual toning and split grab rails and also comes with a technology platform known as 'SmartXonnet' infotainment system that features Bluetooth connectivity, navigation assist, caller ID, last parked location assist, ride stats, and much more.