2023 was quite a fantastic year for motorcycle enthusiasts, with a whole variety of bikes making their way to the Indian market. We saw motorcycles such as the Triumph Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X, the Harley Davidson X440, the all-new Himalayan, the KTM 390 Duke, the TVS Apache RTR 310 and a lot more! But all that is now in the past. 2024 is going to be a fresh start for the Indian automotive market, with bike manufacturers gearing up for a lot of launches throughout the year. Among all the expected launches, here are the five that really piqued our interest.
Royal Enfield showcased the all-new Shotgun 650 earlier this month. It is the fourth model in the 650 Twins platform and is based on the SG650 Concept, which was showcased at the EICMA 2021 show in Milan. The Shotgun 650 is a factory custom motorcycle that is a blank canvas for custom bike builders. The motorcycle has the stance of a bobber, with a single wide flat handlebar, mid-set footpegs and a floating single seat. Powering the Shotgun 650 is a 648 cc parallel-twin air/oil-cooled motor that made its debut with the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT650 models. Featuring a 270-degree crank, the unit is capable of producing 47bhp and 52 Nm and comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
Read More: Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 Unveiled
We had our speculations that Kawasaki was going to launch the Eliminator 450 at the 2023 India Bike Week event, but alas, that never happened. Nevertheless, we expect to see this bike arriving in India somewhere in 2024, although it's not confirmed. The Eliminator 450 is already on sale in various other markets across the world and it gets a 451 cc parallel-twin engine, which is liquid-cooled and makes around 44 bhp and 43 Nm of peak torque. The engine is paired with a 6-speed gearbox. Other features on the motorcycle include dual-channel ABS, smartphone connectivity, circular digital instrument console, slipper and assist clutch and Kawasaki’s ergo-fit tech, which enables riders to adjust the seat height and the placement of the footpegs according to their comfort.
Read More: Kawasaki To Showcase A New Motorcycle At IBW 2023
Bajaj Auto has several new launches lined up for domestic and export markets, and the company seems to be focussing its efforts on the commuter motorcycle range, which remains its bread-and-butter offering. Spy shots suggest that the brand is working on a 150 cc commuter, which could be targeted at semi-urban and rural markets. While details aren’t available, speculations suggest this is the upcoming Bajaj CT150X. While The camouflaged test mule reveals little about the upcoming motorcycle, a closer look reveals a round headlamp, a flat commuter-style handlebar with a brace, heavy-duty front forks, and a single-piece seat with a grab rail. The upcoming Bajaj CT150X could use a tweaked version of the Pulsar 150’s 149 cc single-cylinder engine. The motor develops 13.8 bhp and 13.25 Nm of peak torque on the Pulsar, paired with a 5-speed gearbox.
Read More: New Bajaj 150 cc Commuter Motorcycle Spotted Testing; Is This The CT150X?
Would you believe it? Hero is actually planning to launch its first maxi-scooter, the Xoom 160. Showcased at EICMA 2023, Hero is planning to expand its scooter portfolio beyond 125 cc scooters. The Xoom 160 gets a 156 cc liquid-cooled engine, which is different from the engine that does duty on the Xtreme 160R 4V. It makes 14 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 13.7 Nm at 6,500 rpm, healthy output for a maxi-scooter. Although the brand hasn’t revealed the complete specifications of the new scooter just yet, we expect the scooter to be launched in India sometime in the first half of 2024.
Read More: EICMA 2023: Hero Xoom 160 Revealed; First Maxi-Scooter From The Company
Kawasaki showcased two fresh middleweight models at EICMA 2023. The new Ninja 500 and Z500 are both powered by the same liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine, housed in two different form factors. The Ninja 500 and Z500 will be powered by a newly developed liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine, with the brand still yet to officially reveal its displacement and other technical specifications. It is also possible that the motorcycles will be offered with the 451 cc parallel-twin motor from the Eliminator 500, which makes approximately 45 bhp and 42 Nm or torque. However, it is also safe to assume that the engine will be retuned to put out higher power figures. In terms of design, the Ninja 500 gets similar styling cues as many other motorcycles in the Ninja range, with the twin headlamp unit up front followed by a full fairing and sleek looking taillamp. The Z500, on the other hand, gets an all-new headlamp unit with a square LED projector flanked by aggressive-looking DRLs. The rest of the Z500 is, more or less, visually similar to the Ninja 500.
