Hero Karizma
The Hero Karizma came upon as a fresh breeze of change for the Indian two-wheeler consumers. In the form of the Hero Karizma, they finally had a performance motorcycle that had both the show and go. The quarter fairing, large headlamps, chiselled tail section and beefy exhaust muffler made the Hero Karizma adorn many bedroom walls. Another reason for the success of the Hero Karizma was its motor, the 223cc motor churned out 17PS of power and 18.5Nm of torque which meant the Hero Karizma could achieve the 0-60kmph dash in less than four seconds. Apart from being powerful, the Honda engine was refined and reliable making the Hero Karizma an able touring motorcycle also.
Bajaj Pulsar 220
The Bajaj Pulsar had made an impact on the Indian two-wheeler scene by delivering a good performance motorcycle at an affordable price tag. However the Indian two-wheeler scene was revolutionised the day the Bajaj Pulsar 220 was launched in our two-wheeler market. If the Hero Karizma was a gentle breeze, the Bajaj Pulsar 220 was a hurricane. The Bajaj Pulsar 20 DTS-Fi made its debut in 2005 making it the first Indian motorcycle to be equipped with fuel injection, oil-cooler, projector headlamps, clip-on handle bar, dual disc brakes and tubeless tyres. In the form of the Bajaj Pulsar 220, Indian consumers finally had a performance motorcycle with all the bells and whistles while being priced so competitively that even college going students could afford it. Bajaj later chucked the fuel injection in favour of carburettors; this move not only hiked the power output but also made the bike even more affordable. It's been almost 10 years since its launch and the Bajaj Pulsar 220 remains as invincible as ever and truly among the most historic motorcycles to grace the Indian tarmac.
Honda Activa
At a time when all the two-wheeler manufacturers were closing down their scooter operations, Honda made their foray into the Indian market with a scooter. Many industry gurus felt that Honda was committing a big blunder by entering the almost dead Indian scooter segment but how wrong were they. 15 years down the line, the Honda Activa not only dominates our scooter market but it also became the highest selling two-wheeler in India on a few occasions thereby cementing its place in the Indian two-wheeler history. The main reason for the success of the Honda Activa was its simplicity and ease of use which made it hugely popular among the fairer sex. Honda has also been constantly tweaking the powerplant and with the HET technology it claims the Activa returns 60kmpl to a litre of fuel which is phenomenal for an automatic scooter. The new additions to the Activa family (Activa-i and the Activa 125) mean that it isn't going to give up its crown soon.
Hon
a CB Shine
Honda was going great guns with the Activa in our two-wheeler market. But the Japanese two-wheeler giant knew that it required a motorcycle to reel in the sales numbers although the Honda Unicorn was doing well. Instead of entering the highly competitive 110cc segment, they jumped into the 125cc market with the Honda CB Shine. The new 125cc motorcycle wasn't radically different from many other 125cc offerings with its simple and functional styling. What made the Honda CB Shine click was its engine which delivered a good mix of power and frugalness with a dash of refinement and reliability. All these factors combined beautifully to make the Honda CB Shine a great success with more than 30 lakh units on the road which makes it the highest selling 125cc motorcycle in India. The Honda CB Shine is also the Honda Motor Company, Japan's number one selling motorcycle across the company's two-wheeler operations worldwide.
Yamaha R15
Many an eyebrows were raised when Yamaha launched the R15 in the Indian two-wheeler market. The full fairing styling was readily accepted but the fact that it was powered by a 150cc engine wasn't warmly welcomed. But with the Yamaha R15, the Japanese two-wheeler giant made the Indian consumers understand the value of power-to-weight ratio. Although it was powered by a 150cc, single-cylinder motor, the liquid-cooled and fuel injected engine pumped out 17PS of power and 15Nm of peak torque which were decent numbers. What really made the Yamaha R15 stand apart was its 131 kerb weight and the six speed transmission which allowed the bike to achieve top speeds above 130kmph. Another aspect of the Yamaha R15 which was noteworthy was its handling dynamics. The Delta Box frame endowed the Yamaha R15 with brilliant handling performance and it was the perfect track tool for Indian two-wheeler enthusiasts. The Yamaha R15 was a stepping stone into the world of Japanese performance machines and it still does so.
KTM 390 Duke
The KTM 390 Duke has to be the next big revolution in the Indian two-wheeler market since the Bajaj Pulsar 220. Consumers got access to USD forks, ABS, Metzeler tyres as standard offerings for the first time. But what really made the KTM 390 Duke make an impact is the 373cc motor developing 43PS of power and 35Nm of torque along with the cutthroat pricing. This endowed the KTM 390 Duke sprint from 0-100kmph in less than 6 seconds, finally Indian consumers could lay their hands on a performance bike without shelling out a fortune and the KTM 390 Duke opened the flood gates of performance biking in our country. Such is the capability of the KTM 390 Duke that under the capable hands of a skilled rider it can run circles around many superports offerings costing six times more than it and having almost thrice its power output.
Royal Enfield Classic 350
One of the major reasons for the aspirational value of the Royal Enfield motorcycles was its retro charm. The Chennai based two-wheeler manufacturer hiked it further in the form of the Classic 350 with its old-school styling and few years down the line it is the highest selling Royal Enfield motorcycle in the country. The 350cc motor also became hugely popular among the Bulleteers owing to the adequate power it had on offer along with decent fuel efficiency which made it the popular choice for bikers as a touring machine.
Hero Splendor iSmart
The Hero Splendor has been an absolute icon with respect to our two-wheeler industry so when the next generation of the Splendor was being launched a lot was riding on Hero MotoCorp's back. Hero took the aid of technology to meet these expectations and equipped it with a start-stop technology. The start-technology on the Hero Splendor iSmart is a simple yet effective way of increasing fuel efficiency. Once you engage neutral while stopping at a red signal, the engine shuts off automatically after 5 seconds. Instead of restarting the motor, the rider has to depress the clutch lever as he would do normally shift the gear and the powerplant jumps back to life. Instead of hiking the fuel efficiency of the 97.2cc engine, Hero engineers concentrated on reducing the wastage of fuel and this has resulted in the bike returning a claimed 102.5kmpl. Hero claims the Splendor iSmart is the most fuel efficient bike in the world.
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