Classic cruisers are in many ways the essence of motorcycling, they may not have the fancy looks of a superbike, the agility of a naked-sport or even the breakneck acceleration of a hypersport, but they do capture the imaginations of riders. Up until this point the retro-cruiser has been a runaway success in the market. Literally creating a segment space that could well be the summation of all other cruisers in the market. Now the rest of the world wants a piece of the pie, here’s a list of cruisers with their sights set on India for 2018. Of course, Sid Lal led Royal Enfield will also have a say in this with two new twin-cylinder motorcycles on the list, but will it be enough for them to keep control of the segment. That is something we will only be able to tell you next year until then, check out these motorcycles.
Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster
We got our first taste of the Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster at the 2017 edition of the India Bike Week. While it’s an extrapolation of the Bobbers platform, sharing the sames wheelbase, the Speedmaster gets varied angles in terms of rake and better steering geometry. Although the rear mono-shock is shared between the two. The Speedmaster will be powered by the Bonnie’s 1200 cc parallel-twin motor that makes an amiable 77 hp at 6100 rpm, and pretty meaty torque band that delivers 106 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. Which Triumph claim is 10% more than the T120. Although it does make sense to note that the Speedmaster weighs in at 245.5 kgs, a whole 21kgs more than the T120. The Speedmaster is also likely to get two rider modes, traction control and cruise control. We expect it cost around 10 lakhs once launch in the first half of 2018.
Royal Enfield Continental GT Twin and Interceptor
The Twins ! from the RE garage that took over the news just ahead of EICMA and 2017 India Bike Week, the Continental GT Twin and the Interceptor 650 mark the company’s return to twin-cylinder motorcycles. The last one they built was the North American -exclusive interceptor which made it to the markets in the 60s. The Interceptor is a throwback to the highway cruising interceptor motorcycle from the 60s, banking hard on the retro charm. It gets a rounded headlamp and a flat-bench seat. The Continental GT Twin is a rehash of the existing Conti-GT cafe racer. Both bikes however will be sharing a heart, a new 648 cc air-cooled, Single Overhead Cam (SOHC fuel injected parallel twin that is expected to make 47 hp at 7100 rpm and 52 Nm of torque at as low as 4000 rpm. We expect Royal Enfield to bring the bikes to India in the third quarter of 2018 and price them to the tune of 3.3 lakh to 3.9 lakh.
Kawasaki Z900 RS
The Kawasaki Z900 RS is expected to make its India debut at the 2018 Auto Expo next year. The motorcycle gets its power from the same 948cc, an inline-four cylinder engine that runs the company’s Z900 streetfighter. The engine is good for churning out respective power and torque figures of 111 hp and 99 Nm. The motorcycle gets features like an ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), traction control and a slip-assist clutch. The Kawasaki Z900 RS is equipped with 41mm inverted forks at the front along with a monoshock at the rear. The instrument cluster of this motorcycle gets an analogue unit along with an LCD screen that shows other information.
Benelli Imperiale 400
Italian motorcycle manufacturer Benelli had showcased its Imperiale 400 at the 2017 EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy last month. The bike will most likely be displayed at the 2018 Auto Expo as the main challenger to the Royal Enfield 650 twins. The Benelli Imperiale is powered by a 373cc, air-cooled, single cylinder engine mated to a five-speed transmission setup. The fuel injected motor develops respective power and torque outputs of 19 hp and 28 Nm. The Benelli Imperiale has been fitted with disc brakes at both ends. An Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) comes standard. The bike gets a proper retro classic styling and a lot of chrome has been used to take the visuals up a notch.
Norton Commando
A few days back, Norton and Kinetic Group announced their joint venture to develop and sell Norton motorcycles in India. One of the first motorcycles that will be sold under the JV will be Norton Commando. The said motorcycle sources its power from a 961cc, parallel twin engine, churning out 79 hp of power and 90 Nm of torque. The gearbox is a five-speed unit. The motorcycle has been assisted with hi-spec Ohlins upside down forks up front along with an Ohlins monoshock at the rear. As far as braking duties are concerned, the bike gets high-end Brembo callipers.
