The ‘Make In India’ trend has been gaining a lot of traction lately. Ever since the speech given by the Prime Minister of India stressed the need for an ‘Atma Nirbhar’ economy, the movement has gathered voice and is going to hold the key in the future as far as the economy is concerned.
In relation to this, we have compiled a list of the upcoming powerful 400-500cc performance-oriented bikes which are going to be fully manufactured or locally assembled in the country.
Bajaj Pulsar RS400
The Bajaj Pulsar RS400 is a fully faired motorcycle which is likely to grace the Indian shores this year or early next year. It will be the flagship model of Bajaj once it is up and ready and design-wise, it looks quite aggressive. Mechanically, the new Pulsar RS400 will feature a liquid-cooled, triple spark 373.2cc engine with fuel injection system capable of producing 42PS power at 9,000rpm and 34.5Nm torque at 7,000rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox and it is expected to hit the top speed of approximately 165Kmph.
Expected Price: Rs 1.70 lakh(ex-showroom)
KTM 490 Duke
KTM has been planning to bring the 500cc range to the KTM lineup for quite some time. The company has taken the decision to make these bikes in India anticipating the demand for higher cc bikes from India after the COVID-19 situation. They are expecting a demand in the Low to mid-capacity bikes which makes for the pinnacle of the majority of premium two-wheelers in the market. Currently, there are no strong contenders in the 500cc segment and KTM is planning to grab this opportunity. The first in this segment should be the Duke 490.
The KTM 490 Duke will get an all-new 500cc liquid cooled-parallel twin motor having a similar engine configuration as the 790/890 parallel-twin motors. It will possibly feature slight revisions to the bodywork. Features would include all-LED lighting and a colour-TFT instrument console similar to the KTM 390 Duke. The bike is expected to arrive late next year or early 2022.
Estimated Price: Rs 3.7 lakh(ex-showroom)
Husqvarna Svartpilen & Vitpilen 401
The Husqvarna brand will sport the street siblings- Svartpilen and Vitlipen with a new 401 cc engine. Both are based on the same platforms yet are distinctively styled. They will be powered by a 373cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine that does duty in the KTM 390 Duke and RC390. It produces 43.5PS of power 37Nm of torque and is mated to a 6-speed transmission. They are expected to make the markets towards the end of this year.
Expected Price: Rs 2.8- 3.0 lakh(ex-showroom)
Honda CBR500R
The Honda CBR500R is likely to be launched in India by the end of 2020. It will be Honda’s first parallel-twin faired motorcycle to be launched in India and will go head-to-head with the Kawasaki Ninja 400. The Honda CBR500R is powered by a 471cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled motor which churns out 47.5PS at 8600rpm and 43Nm at 6500rpm. It works alongside a 6-speed transmission with assist and slipper clutch.
The CBR500R borrows styling cues from its elder brothers like the Fireblade and CBR 650F. The CBR250R was styled more in line with the VFR but the CBR500R justifies the ‘CBR’ tag, at least when it comes to the overall styling.
Expected Price: Rs 5.00 lakh(ex-showroom)
Honda CB500F
The naked streetfighter version of the CBR500R, it is powered by the same 471cc parallel twin motor as its faired cousin. It makes the same amount of power and torque too: 47.5PS at 8600rpm and 43Nm at 6500rpm. The bike gets an all-LED lighting system, fully digital instrument cluster and streetfighter styling with aggressive design lines. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission with assist and slipper clutch. It gets wide handlebars instead of clip-ons like the CBR500R and the footpegs too, are more forward set as compared to the CBR500R. It is expected to come around the same time as the CBR500R.
Expected Price: Rs 4.80 lakh(ex-showroom)
Honda CB500X
The CB500X is an adventure tourer and retains the same 471cc, liquid-cooled, 4V, DOHC, parallel-twin motor which powers the above two motorcycles. Likely to be launched by the end of 2020, the Honda CB500X will be the brand’s first adventure tourer in the country. The CB500X shouldn’t be considered as a hard-core off-roader but with its 19-inch front wheel, it could take some beating off the road and there are good chances that Honda might fully localise the ADV.
Expected Price: Rs 5.50 lakh(ex-showroom)
Honda Rebel 500
This could become the Japanese brand’s first cruiser in the country and will be powered by the same 471cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled motor, which generates 45.5PS at 8500rpm and 44.6Nm at 6000rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed transmission with a slip-assist clutch. Forward set footpegs, round headlamps and tall handlebars make the Rebel 500 a very interesting proposition. It retains the same engine with the same tuning but the riding ergonomics are completely different and are more biased towards munching miles on the highway.
Expected Price: Rs 4.50 lakhs(ex-showroom)
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Royal Enfield 400
Royal Enfield is developing a completely new platform with a new engine at its heart. This brand new motor is expected to replace the current 350cc mill and could displace anywhere close to the 400cc mark. Not much is known about this new motor but it should power the next-gen Classic, Thunderbird and some brand new motorcycles which will be introduced by the Chennai-based bikemaker.