DSK Benelli Launches 5 Bikes in India; Prices Start at Rs. 2.83 Lakh

The DSK Group first announced Benelli's impending arrival in India in October, 2014. And during the 2015 India Bike Week, the company announced that it will start retailing the bikes this year. Staying true to their word, DSK Benelli today launched 5 bikes - the TNT 300, TNT 600i, TNT 600 GT, TNT 899 and the TNT R 1130 - in India.

Finally bringing Benelli's 104-year-old heritage to India, the bikes are accompanied with competitive price tags. Here are the details:

TNT 300 - Rs. 2.83 lakh

TNT 600i - Rs. 5.15 lakh

TNT 600 GT - Rs. 5.62 lakh

TNT 899  - Rs. 9.48 lakh

TNT R 1130 - Rs. 11.81 lakh

The best choices which can be recommended is 300 and 600 and the pictures of them are below.

300:

600:

HYOSUNG GD 250r

The full-faired Hyosung GD250R has been confirmed for production and is expected to be launched in India by end of 2015.

Hyosung has confirmed its plans to launch a new 250cc sports bike christened as the ‘GD250R’ and the same was first showcased at the Intermot show last year. Essentially a full faired version of the India bound GD250N street-fighter motorcycle that was showcased at the Auto Expo this February, the new GD250R will go into production next year internationally and will head to Indian shores by the end of 2015. The new model shares its underpinnings with the GD250N and gets a new front fairing for an aggressive look.

The 2015 Hyosung GD250R gets sharp styling with an aggressive design language complete with twin headlights, split seats and a high tail section. In terms of mechanicals, the GD250R uses a 249cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine tuned to produce 27.6 BHP of power at 9500 RPM and 24.1 Nm of torque at 7000 RPM, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. Suspension duties are performed by 37 mm USD forks at the front, while the rear gets an offset monoshock set-up that adds to the aesthetic appeal of the bike. Stopping power comes from the single 300 mm front disc brake, while a 230 mm disc does duty at the rear. The motorcycle comes with a dry weight of 155 kgs. There is no news of ABS though.

Speculations suggest that Hyosung will be retiring the GT250R with the new GD250R. However, while the former uses a twin-cylinder engine, the GD250R uses a single-cylinder motor and we believe both the models could just co-exist in India. In addition, the single-cylinder will be relatively cheaper against the GT250R. When launched in India, the full-faired Hyosung will be competing against a plethora of offerings including the Honda CBR250R, KTM RC 200 and Kawasaki Ninja 300.

The Hyosung GD250R has been confirmed for launch in South Africa in early 2015 with a price tag of Rs. 2.47 lakhs and we expect a marginally lower price tag when it hits Indian shores. 

Yamaha’s upcoming 250cc naked motorcycle rendered

Yamaha’s upcoming quarter-litre streetfighter based on the YZF-R25 was recently spotted undergoing trials in Indonesia. Based on these spy shots, an Indonesian website has rendered the motorcycle, which is expected to be christened ‘MT-25’.

With a muscular fuel tank flanked by air scoops on both sides and an exposed frame, the MT-25 is expected to be styled along the lines of the bigger MT-07 motorcycle. Going by the spy shots, the rear section including the tail lamps and panels will very similar to the ones on the R25.

Being based on the R25’s lightweight diamond-type semi-trellis steel frame, the MT-25 is expected to share many mechanical components with quarter-litre supersports motorcycle. The MT-25 will be powered by the same 250cc parallel-twin engine that churns out 35.5bhp and 22.1Nm of torque, though it might be retuned to suit the naked motorcycle’s character.

The Yamaha MT-25 is expected to be globally unveiled in the second half of this year. It will compete with the Kawasaki Z250, KTM Duke 200 and the Benelli TNT 250. 

Royal Enfield might launch three new models in 2016

Royal Enfield recently announced its plans of setting up a new technology development centre in the UK. Now, British media is reporting that the company is planning to introduce three models based on two new platforms in 2016. 

While finer details are still sketchy, reports suggest that one of these platforms will use a 410cc single-cylinder overhead cam engine while the other will employ a 750cc parallel-twin unit. One of the three new models will use the single-cylinder platform and will be a scrambler-style model. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Chennai-based manufacturer had trademarked the ‘Himalayan’ name in Europe, and we expect this moniker to be used for this scrambler motorcycle. 

While Royal Enfiled’s current range has hit a sweet spot with the Indian audience, the company’s export numbers still are miniscule. With the aim of becoming the global leader of mid-size motorcycles, Royal Enfield has been aggressively expanding its operations and production capacity. It recently acquired a 50-acre plot in Vallam Vadagal, near Chennai, with the aim of ramping up its production capacity. The company has also hired ex-Ducati designer Pierre Terblanche and former Triumph Project Manager, Simon Warburton, to help it go global with its operations

Benelli unveils new paint scheme for their line-up

DSK Benelli has revealed the new paint scheme for their line-up of motorcycles. The bookings for the 2015 paint schemes begin on March 10 and deliveries will start from March 19.

The new body paint and sticker scheme applies to their current portfolio of motorcycles that includes the TNT 300, TNT 600i, TNT 600GT, TNT 899 and the TNT 1130R. The motorcycles will be sold in the Indian market in this livery.

DSK Motowheels made the headlines in late 2014 by announcing its plans to bring the much anticipated Benelli Motorcycle brand to India in early 2015. The company has revealed that these motorcycles with brand new colours will go on sale next month.

Maruti Swift Dzire facelift price, details revealed

Updated Swift Dzire is priced from Rs 5.07 lakh for the base petrol to Rs 7.81 lakh for top-spec diesel. (Ex-showroom, Delhi). 

Maruti gave the Swift a mid-cycle refresh late last year. Now Maruti is following suit with the Dzire facelift, which is expected to hit showrooms very soon. Bookings are already underway at dealerships all over India, with deliveries promised within two to three weeks. Although not officially launched yet, we have got our hands on the details of the changes in the new Dzire and the prices. The petrol variant now gets four trims, while the Diesel retains three trim levels. Here are the prices for the updated Maruti Swift Dzire compact sedan.
Petrol
Dzire LXi – Rs. 5.07 lakh
Dzire LXi (O) – Rs. 5.20 lakh
Dzire VXi – Rs. 5.85 lakh
Dzire ZXi – Rs. 6.80 lakh
Diesel
Dzire LDi – Rs. 5.99 lakh
Dzire VDi – Rs. 6.85 lakh
Dzire ZDi – Rs. 7.81 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi)
Maruti Swift Dzire facelift: What’s new?
External changes on the updated Dzire include a new front bumper with a larger air dam, and re-styled fog lamp inserts with L-shaped aluminum trim on its sides. The headlights get black inserts and minor re-profiling. The grille is also all new, with a thick V-shaped chrome bar on the top and a prominent Suzuki logo in the centre that sits on the honeycomb style base.
Higher variants get new-look alloy wheels and rear parking sensors, while lower trims will get new-design wheel caps that are usually installed at dealerships.  It will also get new paint shades, some of them shared with the Ciaz.
On the insides, the updated Dzire, like the refreshed Swift, gets electric folding wing mirrors, push-button start for higher trims and smart-key access. It also gets new upholstery and a better six-speaker sound system with Bluetooth connectivity. The dual-tone shades for the dashboard will be retained.

Like the updated Swift, the new Dzire is expected to get more equipment in the lower levels, with better seat fabrics, music system and other additional bits. On the mechanical front, we expect the Dzire to carry the same engines albeit with better fuel efficiency numbers.

Kawasaki Vulcan S first look review

Kawasaki has just launched the Vulcan S in international markets. Will it make it to India?

Kawasaki has recently launched its new middle-weight cruiser called the Vulcan S. This is an all-new offering from Kawasaki in its Vulcan portfolio.

Kawasaki’s Vulcan S does not have the general features seen largely on all cruisers, such as healthy doses of chrome. Quite contrary, the Vulcan S is a modern looking motorcycle which follows the new age trend that companies such as Indian have followed with its Scout and Harley-Davidson with the Street 750.

The Vulcan S is a typical mix of lime green, a lot of matt black with brushed metal used on the headlight, while the other panels follow the Ninja closely.

The Kawasaki Vulcan S is powered by a 649cc, four-stroke, parallel twin, liquid-cooled and fuel-injected power plant. This is the same motor that features on the Kawasaki Ninja 650 and the ER-6n that are sold in India as CKD units.

The engine in all probability is tuned to deliver better low and mid range torque than its sporty counter parts, because cruisers are meant to deliver better comfort rather than strong performance.