We bring you the top 10 bikes that made their mark in 2016
1. TVS Apache RTR200 4V
The TVS Apache has been a popular name in the entry-level performance segment. But barring a minor cosmetic update, nothing much changed in the Apache portfolio until 2016.
TVS brought the new Apache RTR2004V at the start of the year and we will agree that the wait was worth it. The styling of the bike is more chiselled and sportier while retaining the Apache design DNA.
The standout features include LED DRLs, comprehensive digital display, off-set design elements and the clip-on bars. The biggest talking point about the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V is its new powerplant which gets the 4 valve technology.
It is offered in two variants -- carburettor and fuel injection. In the carburetted version (Keihin CV) the Apache RTR 200 produces 20PS at 8,5000rpm and 18.1Nm of peak torque.
The fuel injection (Bosch-closed loop) system has hiked the power output to 21PS at 8,500rpm and torque remains unchanged at 18.1Nm.
It is also the first TVS bike to get monoshock suspension and is offered with two tyre options.
Prices start at Rs 89,000 ex-showroom Delhi and the new TVS Apache RTR200 4V is a great option for youngsters and working executives.
2. Honda Navi
Easily the most quirky and shocking two-wheeler to be launched in 2016 has to be the Honda Navi. When it was first showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo everyone was taken by surprise as Honda which is known for its conservative styling came up with a product like Navi.
The Honda Navi is the first two-wheeler offering that has been developed by its R&D facility in India. The underpinning of the two-wheeler is that of the Honda Activa while the styling is similar to a mini-bike or popularly known as a monkey bike.
The Navi is a youth centric product for urban use and youngsters have warmly accepted it as Honda had to double its production
The Honda Navi is powered by the tried and tested 110cc, air-cooled motor as seen on the Activa generating 8PS and 9Nm of torque which is marginally higher than the Activa. Since the body panels are fibre, the Navi tips the scale at just 101kg making it among the lightest two-wheelers on sale in India.
Fuel efficiency figure claimed by Honda is in excess of 60kmpl while it gets an external fuel tank unlike the under seat unit as seen on its scooter sibling.
The Honda Navi has been priced at Rs 39,500 ex-showroom Delhi with many optional accessories on sale.
3. Royal Enfield Himalayan
Touring has been at the heart of every Royal Enfield motorcycles but in reality the bikes from the iconic manufacturer weren’t the best machines for munching miles or to ride on rugged terrain.
Taking stock of the above, the Royal Enfield Himalayan was launched. The Himalayan is the first indigenously manufactured adventure tourer bike in the country while also being the cheapest.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan has been priced at Rs 155,545 ex-showroom Maharashtra.
The design of the motorcycle is bare and minimalistic to reduce unwanted weight and also to restrict damage to the motorcycle in the event of a fall.
The Himalayan in powered by an air-cooled, 411cc single cylinder LS4 engine which makes 24.5PS of power and 32Nm of torque between 4,000 to 4,500rpm. The engine now sports overhead cams compared to Royal Enfield’s trademark push rod architecture and also gets counter balancer.
The Himalayan uses all-new cycle parts including the suspension. Upfront, 41mm conventional forks are employed, offering travel of up to 200mm.
At the back, the Himalayan uses a monoshock, which is again a first for Royal Enfield and offers travel of up to 180mm. The tyres are dual-purpose off-road tyres mounted on 21-inch spoked wheels in the front and 18-inch spoked rims at the rear.
4. Bajaj V15
The Bajaj V15 was marketed as a bike that was made from the steel of INS Vikrant -- India’s first aircraft carrier. While the marketing strategy did play a key role in creating the buzz, the main reason for its success can be credited to its pricing of Rs 62,000 ex-showroom, Delhi.
The Bajaj V15 was pitched as a 150cc commuter for the price of a 125cc bike and it soon broke into the top 10 highest selling two-wheelers in India.
The café racer inspired styling does make the V15 stand apart from its rivals. Also, the bike can be easily transformed into a single-seater with the optional rear cowl (segment first).
The raised handlebar, centre-set footpegs results in an upright and comfortable riding posture, an aspect important for commuter buyers.
Bajaj claims that the Bajaj V15 will deliver a mileage of 50-55kmpl in real world conditions which is among the best for 150cc motorcycles.
5. Suzuki Access 125
With the Honda Activa 125 dislodging the ageing Suzuki Access 125 from the top as the highest selling 125cc scooter in the country in 2015, Suzuki had to respond. And it did, by riding in the new Access 125 with cosmetic and mechanical changes in 2016.
Styling wasn’t the forte of the old Access 125 and for this purpose the new scooter gets more angular lines and a dash of chrome to make it appealing.
The new Suzuki Access 125 gets a semi-digital unit with a digital display for fuel gauge, odometer, service indicator and two trip meters. The seat can be unlocked conveniently through the ignition keyhole and there’s also a cubby hole next to the choke knob while mobile charger is an optional extra.
Powering the new Access 125 is an air-cooled motor developing 8.7PS of power and 10.2Nm of torque.
Suzuki engineers have focussed their attention to make the scooter more refined and efficient and have applied the SEP (Suzuki Eco Performance) tech on the new scooter.
The Japanese two-wheeler giant claims a mileage figure of 63kmpl. The raised handlebar means tall riders won’t be cramped for space and the new Access 125 is a good option for a buyer in the hunt of a refined, reliable and peppy scooter.
6. Hero Achiever 150
Sales of 150cc motorcycles have increased impressively with every two-wheeler manufacturer focussing on performance oriented machines, and that has meant that options for the mature buyers have shrunk. The Hero Achiever 150 is a bike targeted at mature audiences who want a comfortable and powerful bike for their daily run.
In its first avatar, the Achiever failed to garner success and was overshadowed by the Honda Unicorn. Hero feels the new Achiever 150 will turn the tide in its favour and has given it a complete overhaul.
Keeping in mind its target audience, the new Achiever 150 follows a very conservative design language with hints of sportiness and does manage to distinguish itself from the older bike.
The biggest talking point of the new Hero Achiever 150 is the inclusion of the i3S (Idle Start Stop System) technology.
The new Hero Achiever 150 also gets AHO (Automatic Headlamp On) which is also a segment-first. The instrument cluster is a twin-pod analogue unit with a separate speedometer and tachometer along with side stand indicator, fuel gauge etc.
Talking about numbers, the new Hero Achiever 150 has the same power output as its predecessor -- 13.4PS and 12.8Nm of peak torque. The new Achiever 150’s mill is BSIV-compliant and Hero claims a figure of 50kmpl in real world conditions.
Priced at Rs 61,800, the new Achiever 150 is the cheapest 150cc displacement bike on sale in India.
7. Hero Splendor iSmart 110
The Hero Splendor is a brand that needs no introduction to Indian masses. It is the highest selling motorcycle in India and despite being present for over two decades in our market it still leads the sales chart for motorcycles. But it was starting to show its age, and to address this, Hero MotoCorp rode in its first indigenously developed motorcycle -- the new Splendor iSmart 110.
The design of the new motorcycle is a good balance between sober and sporty, which should appeal to many buyers. The angular headlight inspired from the Xtreme Sports looks good and the sculpted tank adds a dose of muscle while the rear section is petite.
The air-cooled, single-cylinder motor delivers 9.4PS at 7,500rpm and peak torque of 9Nm at 5,500rpm. The new engine is also the only motorcycle in the commuter segment to be BS IV emission norm compliant and comes equipped with the i3S (idle stop-start system).
According to Hero it delivers 65kmpl in real world conditions which is among the highest in the segment.
The Rs 53,300 (ex-showroom Delhi) pricing and the humungous dealer network of Hero makes the new Splendor iSmart 110 a great option for a commuter motorcycle buyer.
8. TVS Victor
The TVS Victor was a runaway success for the Hosur-based manufacturer when introduced in early 2000 and it was endorsed by none another than the living legend -- Sachin Tendulkar. It was the only bike that came close to match the popularity of the iconic Hero Splendor but sadly couldn’t maintain the same momentum.
Reliability and quality issues alongwith the addition of new rivals meant that it slowly fizzed away from the India market. But with commuter sales gathering momentum, TVS reintroduced the Victor brand.
Design-wise, the TVS Victor is anything but the older version of the bike. Gone are the straightforward lines; and are replaced by the curves and edges that speak of a more contemporary design philosophy.
The analogue tachometer looks prominent on a neat console that also features digital displays of the speedo, the odometer, the fuel gauge and the trip meter. The 110cc three-cylinder, air-cooled motor that is good for 9.6PS and 9.4Nm is a fine-tuned workhorse with high fuel returns.
TVS claims that the 2016 Victor will deliver a real world fuel efficiency of 76kmpl if ridden sedately. The 2016 TVS Victor has been priced at Rs 49,490 for the drum variant and Rs 51,490 for the disc brake version (both prices ex-showroom Delhi).
9. Aprilia SR150
Scooters are normally associated as slow and boring but when the Aprilia SR150 was launched in 2016 it shattered that perception. It is the first Aprilia offering to be manufactured in India and also the fastest locally built scooter.
So impressed were Aprilia with its performance that they have labelled it a moto-scooter. The overall design approach for the scooter is modern with sharp lines and the styling is similar to offerings in the European market.
While the 14-inch wheels give the scooter a raised stance but there is a purpose behind those large wheels which is stability at high speeds and brilliant handling dynamics.
It shares the same powerplant as seen on the Vespa 150 but the tuning of the engine is different despite producing similar power and torque figures of 11.5PS and 11.5Nm respectively.
Many journalists managed to max out the scooter at 120kmph while Aprilia has been conservative at a claimed top speed of 95kmph.
The SR150 is among the fastest locally manufactured scooter on sale in India and the Rs 65,000 pricing makes the Italian scooter an irresistible proposition.
10. Bajaj Dominar 400
The last launch of 2016 was also the most highly anticipated one as Bajaj rode in the new Dominar 400. The new bike from Bajaj is its most powerful offering and it plans to kick-start a new affordable cruiser segment in India.
The styling of the Bajaj Dominar is modern and sporty with a mass forward design language and there are elements from the Ducati Diavel visible in its design.
The Dominar 400 is also the first bike in its segment to offer full-lead headlamp which the company says is visible from a distance of 1.5 km and it also gets slipper clutch. The powerplant is based on the KTM 390 Dukes unit but has been detuned to suit its new responsibility better.
The 373cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder motor develops 35PS and 35Nm of peak torque that has been mated to a 6-speed gearbox.
Talking about performance, Bajaj claims a top speed of 148kmph and 0-100kmph acceleration time of 8.23 seconds.
The fuel tank capacity is 13 litres and Bajaj claims a real world mileage of around 30 to 35kmpl for the power cruiser.
The Dominar 400 is also the first Bajaj bike to offer dual-channel ABS as an optional extra and it has been priced at Rs 1.36 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the base variant.
