Automotive technology has come leaps and bounds in the 21st century both for passenger vehicles and two-wheelers. One of the most innovative technologies to have been included in motorcycles in the past decade is a quickshifter. While the need for a quickshifter originated at the racetrack, it gradually transitioned into road-legal performance motorcycles and now slowly trickling down to mass-premium models.
A quickshifter allows clutchless gear changes on a motorcycle. By momentarily cutting ignition or fuel delivery during an upshift (and sometimes blipping the throttle for downshifts), it unloads the gearbox, enabling seamless and rapid gear changes without the rider needing to engage the clutch lever, enhancing performance and riding experience.
Here is the list of five most affordable motorcycles on sale in India that come with quickshifters, either uni-directional or bi-diectional units.
1. Yamaha YZF R15 V4/R15 M
Price: Rs 1.85 lakh to Rs 2.12 lakh (ex-showroom)
Yamaha R15 range is one of the most loved entry-level sports bikes in the country. It is also the most affordable motorcycle in India to offer a quickshifter. Yamaha offers the quickshifter as a standard offering across all variants including the standard, the MotoGP Edition, and the M-spec variants. The R15 is powered by a 155cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that churns out 18.1 bhp and a peak torque of 14.2 Nm. This engine is paired with either a 6-speed gearbox with a slip and assist clutch.
2. Husqvarna Vitpilen 250
Price: Rs 2.22 Lakh (ex-showroom)
Owned by KTM and built by Bajaj Auto in India, Husqvarna motorcycles may not be very popular on Indian roads but they offer good performance at a decent price tag. The new Vitpilen 250 launched last year gets a uni-directional quickshifter as a standard fitment. The Vitpilen is powered by a 248.8cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled that kicks out 30.57 bhp at 9,500rpm and 25Nm at 7,500rpm. It is paired with a six-speed gearbox with a slip and assist clutch.
3. KTM 250 Duke
Price: Rs 2.30 lakh (ex-showroom)
Built on the same platform and sharing the same components as its Husky sibling, the KTM 250 Duke received massive upgrades last year including a quickshifter. However, the difference here is that the KTM offers a bi-directional quickshifter with the 259 Duke. It gets the same 248.7cc, liquid-cooled engine with the same output as the Vitpilen 250.
4. TVS Apache RR/RTR 310
Price: Rs 2.67 — 3.00 lakh (ex-showroom)
TVS offers a bi-directional quickshifters on its flagship Apache models — RTR 310 and RR 310. However, the quickshifters are offered as optional extras and not a standard fitment. Both motorcycles are powered by a 312.2cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled motor that dishes out 35bhp at 9,700rpm and 28.7 Nm at 6,650rpm. This engine is paired with a six-speed gearbox with a slip and assist clutch.
5. KTM 390 Duke / Husqvarna Svartpilen 401
Price: Rs 2.97 lakh (ex-showroom)
Based on the same platform, both KTM 390 Duke and Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 share almost the exact same equipment which includes a bi-directional quickshifter as a standard fitment. Powering the street naked bikes are the same 399cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that makes 44.25 bhp and a peak torque of 39 Nm. This motor is paired with a a six-speed gearbox and a slipper clutch.
