Yes! 2020 hasn't been the kindest year for the Indian automotive industry. Although the year definitely stood out for motorcycling enthusiasts with a bunch of premium motorcycles launched throughout the year and that too across segments right from modern classics to adventure bikes and everything in between. BMW Motorrad launched four all-new motorcycles while Triumph and Ducati had three launches each. Honda too launched the updated Africa Twin Adventure Sports, which gets a new engine. So here's a list of the top premium motorcycles that were launched in India this year. All prices mentioned in the story are ex-showroom, Delhi)
Also Read: Top Scooter Launches Of 2020
(The BMW F 900 R is a naked sport bike and is priced at Rs. 9.9 lakh)
BMW decided to step into the happening naked middleweight segment with the new F 900 R, priced at Rs. 9.9 lakh. It goes up against motorcycles like the Triumph Street Triple R, KTM 790 Duke and the Kawasaki Z900. The BMW F 900 R has the right amount of muscle needed from a roadster. The exposed engine, fat rear tyre and the aggressive stance give it solid presence. The contrast side panels, sculpted fuel tank and the gold forks add even more muscle. What tops off the design is the headlamp with dual crescent shaped LEDs in the middle! The motorcycle gets an 895 cc parallel-twin engine which makes 105 bhp at 8,500 rpm, with peak torque of 92 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The F 900 R does the 0-100 kmph sprint in 3.7 seconds.
(The BMW F 900 XR can do the 0-100 kmph sprint in 3.6 seconds)
Along with the F 900 R, BMW also launched the F 900 XR, which is a sport-touring motorcycle. It gets the same engine as the F 900 R but a different design. It is primarily meant to be ridden on tarmac. It is based on the same chassis as the F 900 R but gets different panels and slightly different riding dynamics along with a taller ride height, thanks to a taller seat. The F 900 XR is also longer and wider than the F 900 R along with having a bigger windscreen. The F 900 XR does the 0-100 kmph sprint in 3.6 seconds. Prices for the BMW F 900 XR start at Rs. 10.5 lakh.
Also Read: BMW F 900 R, F 900 XR Launched In India
(The 2020 S 1000 XR gets few design changes, new bodywork, all-LED lighting and new electronics)
The other sport tourer that BMW launched was in 2020 was the new-gen S 1000 XR, based on the S 1000 RR. It is priced at Rs. 20.90 lakh and comes as a completely built unit. Visually, the 2020 BMW S 1000 XR gets some design changes, with the front fairing, body panels and even fuel tank design updated to give it the new look. The headlight design is also all-new and now gets full LED lighting all around. The 999 cc, in-line four-cylinder engine is based on the BMW S 1000 RR, and on the XR is tuned for a better low and mid-range than outright top-end performance. The engine delivers an output of 165 bhp at 11,000 rpm and peak torque of 114 Nm at 9,250 rpm. Acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph is rated at just 3.3 seconds, with a top speed of over 200 kmph.
Also Read: BMW S 1000 XR Launched In India
The BMW R 18 looks gorgeous, from any angle you look at it)
The fourth premium model for 2020 from BMW Motorrad was the BMW R 18, a cruiser motorcycle. The motorcycle comes in two variants - the standard version and the First Edition, the former is priced at Rs. 18.90 lakh while the latter is priced at Rs. 21.90 lakh (ex-showroom). It is imported into India as a completely built-up unit (CBU). It gets retro styling elements like a circular headlamp, wide handlebars, an exhaust pipe finished in chrome, spoked wheels and more. The regular model of the R 18 is a blacked-out version while the first edition unit gets more white pinstripes and chrome. The bike gets by a 1,802 cc boxer-twin, air-cooled & oil-cooled engine. The engine is capable of making 89.75 bhp at 4,750 rpm and developing a peak torque of 158 Nm at 3,000 rpm.
Also Read: BMW R 18 Review
(The design of the Panigale V2 is inspired by the Panigale V4)
The Ducati Panigale V2 was the first BS6 Ducati model to be launched in India. It replaces the 959 Panigale and is priced at Rs. 16.99 lakh. The design has been re-worked to a large extent. The Panigale V2 actually now resembles its elder sibling, the Panigale V4. The fairing has been redesigned and the headlamp cluster has been slightly tweaked as well. The other substantial change is that the Panigale V2 now gets a single-sided swingarm. Panigale V2 gets a 955 cc super-quadro L-twin motor that makes 155 bhp at 10,750 rpm and has a peak torque output of 104 Nm at 9,000 rpm. The electronics package includes 6-axis IMU, traction control, wheelie control, and cornering ABS. Also included is a bi-directional up/down quick-shifter as well as engine braking control. There are three riding modes on offer, which are Race, Sport and Street. The settings for each riding mode can be adjusted via the new 4.3-inch TFT instrument console.
Also Read: Ducati Panigale V2: All You Need To Know
(The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport Pro gets a lowered handlebar, bar-end mirrors and Ohlins suspension)
Ducati India launched the BS6 Scrambler 1100 range in India with prices starting at Rs. 11.95 lakh and going up to Rs. 13.74 lakh for the Scrambler 1100 Sport Pro. The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Pro gets a new two-tone colour scheme called 'Ocean Drive' along with a new dual exhaust on the right, new number plate holder and new livery too. The new Scrambler 1100 Pro also gets a retro touch in form of a 'X' motif on the round headlight. The steel trellis frame and rear Aluminium sub-frame have been blacked out. The engine specifications on Scrambler 1100 Pro remain the same as the regular Scrambler 1100, which is a 1,079 cc L-twin engine that makes 85 bhp at 7500 rpm and 88 Nm of peak torque at 4,750 rpm. The motor is paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The Scrambler 1100 Pro models get traction control, cornering ABS and three riding modes - Active, City and Journey,
(The 2020 Ducati Multistrada 950 S is priced at Rs. 15.49 lakh)
The Ducati Multistrada 950 S BS6 was launched at Rs. 15.49 lakh. It was the third BS6 model from Ducati this year, after the Panigale V2 and the Scrambler 1100 range. The Multistrada 950 S gets a BS6 compliant engine and updated electronics. The fairing design on the motorcycle was updated last year and it now looks similar to its bigger sibling, the Multistrada 1260. The engine stays the same on the 2020 Ducati Multistrada 950 S with power coming from the 937 cc L-Twin, liquid-cooled motor. The power and torque outputs stay the same too, which are 111 bhp at 9,000 rpm and peak torque of 96 Nm at 7,750 rpm. The bike gets four riding modes - Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro. Each mode can be programmed to have different settings for the ABS and traction control. The adventure touring motorcycle can be bought with both cast-alloy and spoked wheels.
Also Read: 2020 Ducati Multistrada 950 S Launched In India
(For 2020, the Africa Twin got an updated engine along with new features and styling)
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) launched the 2020 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin in March 2020 with prices starting at Rs. 15.35 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The new model comes with a new, bigger, parallel-twin engine displacing 1,084 cc which puts out 101 bhp at 7,500 rpm and 105 Nm of peak torque at 6,250 rpm. The motorcycle looks slimmer and is heavily loaded with more technology and new connectivity features. The Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin Adventure Sports version has also undergone an overhaul for 2020 and gets a revised fairing, lighter frame and a 25-litre fuel tank. The new Africa Twin gets four default riding mode options - Tour, Urban, Gravel and Off-Road, and two more additional, and customisable rider modes. The new Africa Twin goes up against the Tiger 900 and the BMW F 850 GS.
(The Triumph Tiger 900 is available in two variants, GT and Rally)
One of the big launches in the premium ADV segment was the Tiger 900, which replaced the Tiger 800 in India and globally as well. The prices for the Tiger 900 start at Rs. 13.70 lakh. The new Tiger 900 was launched in three variants in India. These are the GT, Rally and Rally Pro. Triumph has done well to offer a new motorcycle ground up, which is significantly better than the old model in all departments. The GT is road-biased and meant for touring while the Rally and the Rally Pro is off-road biased and gets more equipment to tackle tough terrain. The triple cylinder engine now displaces 888 cc and it makes 94 bhp at 8,750 rpm along with 87 Nm at 7,250 rpm. The six-axis inertial measurement unit sends information to the cornering ABS, traction control, ABS, and all the modes can be adjusted to varying degrees. There is ride-by-wire on offer too along with multiple riding modes. The top-spec Tiger 900 Rally Pro gets six riding modes, which are Road, Rain, Sport, Off-Road, Off-Road Pro and Rider. The 7-inch TFT screen is a new unit too and riders can connect their smartphone and access their calls/messages along with navigation as well.
Also Read: Triumph Tiger 900 Review
(2020 Triumph Street Triple R is priced at Rs. 8.84 lakh)
Triumph Motorcycles also launched the 2020 Street Triple RS and the 2020 Street Triple R in India. The RS is priced at Rs. 11.33 lakh while the R is priced at Rs. 8.84 lakh. The Triumph Street Triple R uses the same 765 cc, in-line three-cylinder engine as the RS, but has a marginally lower state of tune. The Street Triple R makes 116 bhp at 12,000 rpm as opposed to 121 bhp at 11,750 rpm as seen on the RS but the peak torque output stands at 79 Nm at 9,350 rpm, which is similar to the output on Street Triple RS motorcycle. The Street Triple R gets a slightly different rake and trail as well when compared to the Street Triple RS. n terms of features, the Street Triple R misses out on features such as TFT instrument console and instead gets a part digital part analogue console, like the previous generation models. The colours and graphics on the 'R' model will be different as well.
(The Triumph Rocket 3 GT is priced at Rs. 18.4 lakh)
We round off our list of top premium motorcycles with the behemoth from Triumph, the Rocket 3 GT. Triumph launched the Rocket 3 GT in India at a price of Rs. 18.4 lakh. It sells along-side the Rocket 3 R, which was launched last year. While both models get the same engine, there are few cosmetic differences along with few added features on the Triumph Rocket 3 GT. The seat height of the Rocket 3 GT is 23 mm lower than the Rocket 3 R and weighs 3 kg more than the Rocket 3 R at 294 kg. For example, the Rocket 3 GT gets heated grips as standard along with adjustable footpegs for the rider and the pillion and an adjustable backrest as well. The flyscreen on the GT is different too. Additionally, the Rocket 3 GT gets pulled back handlebar. The Rocket 3 GT gets a 2,500 cc, in-line three cylinder engine that puts out 165 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 221 Nm of peak torque at 4,000 rpm. It is the biggest engine on any production motorcycle in the world and even the peak torque output is the highest on any production motorcycle in the world. The Rocket is a shaft driven motorcycle and it gets a six-speed gearbox with a bi-directional quick-shifter.
Also Read: Triumph Rocket 3 GT Launched In India
