Seven motorcycles for college students under Rs 1 lakh

While some of you are studying hard in a bid to make it to the top colleges of the city, others are working hard in a bid to convince their parents to get rid of that old scooter in the house for a new and stylish ride. But which motorcycles should you go for? We list seven bikes for college-goers that would not burn a hole in your parents’ pockets.

Suzuki Gixxer 155 OR Gixxer SF

Probably one of the best 150cc motorcycles in the market today, the Suzuki Gixxer has remained true to its iconic name. A game changer for Suzuki in the 150cc segment, the Gixxer 155 and its fully faired sibling, the Gixxer SF are a perfect combination of form and function. Choosing between the two is an individual choice but choose whichever and the Gixxer would not let you down.

• Displacement: 154.9 cc
• Power output: 14.8 PS
• Torque output: 14 Nm

Price

• Suzuki Gixxer 155: Rs 85,097 – Monotone colours / Rs 86,192 – Dual tone colours (On-Road Delhi)
• Suzuki Gixxer SF: Glass Sparkle Black & Pearl Mirage White – Rs 94,530 / Metallic Triton Blue (Special Motogp Edition) – Rs 96,187 (On-Road Delhi)

Honda CB Hornet 160R OR CB Unicorn

The Honda CB Unicorn 150 was the reigning champion in the 150cc segment before the Indian arm of the Japanese two-wheeler maker decided to pull the plug on the commuter and introduce its newer and relatively bigger avatar. But that wasn’t enough for the growing 150-180cc segment and that’s when Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India pulled out another 160cc commuter with a legendary tag from its glorious past, the Hornet. Both, the Unicorn 160 and the Hornet 160R use the same 162.7cc, single cylinder engine but both get a different state of tune with the latter being tweaked to deliver slightly more shove.

The 2016 Auto Expo got some good news too as Honda showcased its most successful workhorse in the Indian market, the CB Unicorn 150, indicating towards the return of the legend. It’s a matter of choice and the folks inclined towards funky styling and fun filled ride experience can opt for the Hornet 160R while others looking for a simple motorcycle can choose between the CB Unicorn duo.

• Displacement: 162.7 cc
• Power output: CB Hornet 160R – 15.88 PS / CB Unicorn 160 – 14.71 PS / CB Unicorn 150 – 13.32 PS
• Torque output: CB Hornet 160R – 14.76 Nm / CB Unicorn 160 – 14.61 Nm / CB Unicorn 150 – 12.84 Nm

Price

• Honda CB Hornet 160R STD – Rs 88,248 / CB Hornet 160R CBS – Rs 93,161 (On-Road Delhi)
• Honda CB Unicorn 160 STD – Rs 80,074 / CB Unicorn 160 CBS – Rs 85,812 (On-Road Delhi)
• Honda CB Unicorn 150 – Rs 74,958 (On-Road Delhi)

Avenger Cruise 220 OR Street 150/Street 220

The Bajaj Avenger series enjoys a monopoly in the Indian market since there is no direct competitor to these Made in India cruisers. Before this year, Bajaj Avenger was available just in the cruise form but from 2016, the Indian two-wheeler major extended this product portfolio with the addition of the new Street duo. With the new Avenger Street 150 and Street 220, Bajaj’s cruiser motorcycle portfolio is three product strong and is currently churning out a healthy sales number of over 30,000 units per month. The major thrust to the sales of the Avenger brand was provided by the new Street 150 which is the most affordable cruiser in the Indian market today.

• Displacement: Avenger Street 150 – 149cc / Avenger Street 220 and Cruise 220 – 220cc
• Power output: Avenger Street 150 – 14.54 PS / Avenger Street 220 and Cruise 220 – 19 PS
• Torque output: Avenger Street 150 – 12.5 Nm / Avenger Street 220 and Cruise 220 – 17.5 Nm

Price

• Bajaj Avenger Street 150: Rs 75,000 (Ex-showroom Delhi)
• Bajaj Avenger Street 220 and Cruise 220: Rs 85,000 (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Yamaha FZ-S OR Fazer

These are probably the two motorcycles that gave a new twist to the way we look at 150cc segment. Attractive styling, a healthy power output in its class and a ridiculously affordable price tag for the package made these premium commuters an instant hit among the Indian masses. Both motorcycles share the same engine and most body parts, however, the FZ-S is a naked roadster while the Fazer is a semi-faired motorcycle. The version 2.0 of both the motorcycles benefited from fuel injection and attractive graphics.

• Displacement: 149cc
• Power output: 13.1 PS
• Torque output: 12.8 Nm

Price

• Yamaha FZ-S: Rs 82,159 (Ex-showroom Delhi)
• Yamaha Fazer: Rs 87,305 (Ex-showroom Delhi)

TVS Apache RTR200 4V

The most powerful and fastest Apache to have rolled out from TVS’s factory, the RTR200 4V borrows several styling cues from the Draken concept that was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo. The motorcycle is available with a carburetor as well as with a fuel injected engine and both motors deliver same amount of peak torque while the peak power is slightly higher in the fuel injected version. Naught to sixty kph time too is differentiated by just 0.05 seconds. What will fit in the aforementioned budget is the carburetor version but if you can shell out some more moolah, we strongly recommend going for the fuel injected model.

• Displacement: 197.75cc
• Power output: TVS Apache RTR200 4V Carb – 20.05 PS / TVS Apache RTR200 4V FI – 21 PS
• Torque output: 18.1 Nm

Price

• TVS Apache RTR200 4V Carb: Rs 88,990 (Ex-showroom Delhi)
• TVS Apache RTR200 4V FI: Rs 1.07 lakh (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Hero Hunk

Hero updated its Hunk for 2016 and the changes were more than cosmetic. The new 2016 Hero MotoCorp Hunk, along with updated graphics, gets a new engine that has been sourced from the Xtreme. 150cc, single cylinder, air cooled engine now produces 15.6 bhp at 8,500 rpm and 13.5 Nm torque at 7,000 rpm, as compared to its predessecor’s 14.2 bhp and 12.8 Nm of torque. The new instrument console is dominated by a large, red-faced tachometer with an integrated digital window that reads out speed, time and odometer figures.

• Displacement: 149.2 cc
• Power output: 15.82 PS
• Torque output: 13.50 Nm

Price

• Hero Hunk Single Disc: Rs 69,725 (Ex-showroom Delhi)
• Hero Hunk Dual Disc: Rs 72,825 (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Honorable Mentions

Let us not forget the motorcycles which quenched the thirst for performance motorcycles before the new pocket rockets hit the shelves.

Hero Karizma

The first motorcycle to venture past the 200cc displacement barrier from Hero MotoCorp, this Roadie has proven its mettle. However, the motorcycle has somewhat lost its charm to the new crop of performance motorcycles and to itself with a design that did not go down too well in the books of enthusiasts.

Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-i

It might have been the fastest Indian but with successors and new rivals, the Pulsar 220 DTS-i seem to have lost its fan following. Bajaj may pull the plug off this ageing horse soon.

TVS Apache RTR 180

The Apache RTR 180 will continue to be sold but is no longer the flagship product from the two-wheeler maker. The new, bigger and faster Apache 200 4V is the new flagship but the 180 has calmed the itch of having a fun-to-ride machine for many years.

So that’s our list for list of motorcycles that you can buy below Rs 1 lakh. Now if you are willing to shell out more money to get something more appealing and fun to ride, we would be soon coming out with a list of motorcycles between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh that you can buy from. Meanwhile, share your views about this list with us through the comments section below.