The Auto Expo 2014 gave us a glimpse of the upcoming bikes in India, it’s the best time to be a rider here! Every brand, from icons like Harley Davidson to newbies like Terra Motors are fighting for a chance to serve us. The good news is that it is going to get even better in future! Below is a list of 6 upcoming bikes, to be launched in 2014 or 2015, that you simply can’t afford to miss.

1. Upcoming bikes in India: Honda CBR650F:

As I said in my last post, Honda CBR650F is a huge impetus for the Indian biking industry. It will be the largest capacity motorcycle made by Honda in India, and it is expected to be the cheapest 4 cylinder bike too. Since the bike will be exported to other countries, build quality and price should be the best for us. Below are some of the features of Honda CBR650F. 

1.  649cc inline four DOHC engine
2. 87hp at 11,000RPM, 63Nm at 8000RPM
3. 6 speed manual trasmission
4. 21 kmpl fuel efficiency
5. Fuel injection
6. 17.3 L fuel tank
7. 211 kg weight
8. Adjustable rear monoshock
9. 120 front and 180 rear tire
10. 320mm and 250mm single discs, front and rear
11. Clock in instrument cluster

Honda CBR650F looks like the perfect blend of speed and comfort to me, and might be a tourer’s delight. It is one of the upcoming bikes that I am eagerly waiting for!

UPDATE: Still now word on when this bike will be launched. Honda is doing things frustratingly slow.

2. Upcoming bikes in India: Bajaj Pulsar 400CS

Bajaj Pulsar 400CS has been a revelation and a complete surprise. We heard a lot of rumors about Bajaj launching a successor to the Bajaj Avenger, but what we got in the end is something totally out of this world. Bajaj played the clever game here, while the fairing-loving Indians were kept fixated by the Pulsar 200SS (mistaken Pulsar 400SS), the Pulsar 400CS went completely under the radar.

Gearheads generally agree that CS stands for Cruiser Sport. The Pulsar 400CS looks like Bajaj’s take on the mighty Ducati Diavel, and on the new Power Cruiser segment as a whole. The front biased rake angle is the first giveaway. The muscular styling and generally stubby look add onto that fact.

The bike is expected to be launched somewhere near the end of 2014, at around 1.6 lacs. Here are some of the speculated features of the bike:

1. 375cc single cylinder engine (from KTM Duke 390)
2. 44 hp and 35 Nm of torque
3. Oil cooling
4. Fuel injection
5. ABS standard
6. 180 kmph top speed
7. Metzeler tires (same as Duke 390)

The instrument console has to be the stand-out feature of the bike. The front console only shows RPM, trip, time and fuel. The speed and gear shift indicator are located on the fuel tank, just next to the filler cap. Not sure how practical it will be, since you will have to look all the way down to know what speed you are at, but it looks different for sure. Hope Bajaj launches it as soon as possible.

UPDATE: Looks like 400CS would only be launched in late 2015.

3. Upcoming bikes in India: Hero HX250R

This is one of the upcoming bikes that could change the fortunes of Hero Moto Corp. for good. Unveiled just before the Auto Expo and displayed there too, the HX250R has been a delight to all bike lovers, especially the ones who hated Hero for ruining the Karizma.

Developed in collaboration with Eric Buell Racing, the Hero HX250R looks unlike any Hero machine you have ever seen. Take a look below for some of the exciting features of this machine:

1. 249cc single cylinder, all aluminium, DOHC engine
2. 31 hp
3. 139 kgs weight
4. Under seat exhaust
5. Fuel injection
6. Liquid cooling
7. 6 speed transmission
8. 0-60 kmph in 3 seconds
9. Combi brakes
10. 5 step adjustable rear monoshock
11. ABS optional
12. 110 front and 140 rear tire
13. 12.9 liters fuel capacity
14. 300mm front, 220mm rear brake

Hero have definitely pulled a rabbit out of the hat with this one, and just look at that weight! 139 kgs for a full-faired bike is just crazy. Apart from the weird looking exhaust, everything else looks great.

Power to weight ratio will be stupendous, which will help a great deal in making it quick off the blocks. The huge front wind shield should really help on those high speed tours. Expected to be launched at around 1.5 lacs for the non-ABS version, this is going to be one popular bike.

UPDATE: Rumors suggest HX 250R may be launched in November 2014!

4. Upcoming bikes in India: Pulsar 400SS

Here’s another surprise from Bajaj. The bike everybody thought was a puny Pulsar 200SS, turns out to be an alien looking 400SS. With the same engine as a Duke 390, projectors and ABS, it should be sell like hot cakes as soon as it is launched.

The good thing about the Pulsar 400SS is that it isn’t just a faired version of the Pulsar 400CS, the whole thing has been built from ground up. Another good thing is that it looks totally different from the soon-to-be-launched KTM RC390, and won’t look like just a cheap sister of the Austrian machine.

We hope the bike will be launched sometime before 2014 ends. Here are some of the specifications of the bike:

1. 375cc single cylinder engine
2. Liquid cooling
3. 44 hp power, 35 Nm torque
4. ABS standard
5. Metzeler tires
6. Dual projector headlights
7. Daytime running lights
8. Fuel injection

The Pulsar 400SS will be a nice step up for the people accustomed to 250cc bikes. It will hopefully be launched somewhere below the 2 lacs mark, and should be another addition to the reliable line of Pulsars serving us from 14 years.

UPDATE: Much like the 400CS, 400SS looks like a 2015 machine. A lot of test mules have been spotted, but no official word on the real thing.

5. Upcoming bikes in India: Hero Hastur

This is the only one in the list of upcoming bikes in this article that has a 50-50 chance of being launched. Hero Hastur looks menacing, too good for production. I really hope Hero grows a pair and launches this beauty, but who knows what goes on in the minds of Pawan Munjal and party.

The Hero Hastur has a significant amount of input from Eric Buell Racing, which I don’t really mind. The super short wheelbase, stubby looks and dual projectors make it look like an oversized bee on 2 wheels. Not as futuristic looking as the Kawasaki Z1000, the Hastur has a charm of its own. Here are some of the expected features of this machine, if it is ever launched:

1. 620cc parallel twin engine
2. Liquid cooling
3. 2-to-1 underbelly exhaust
4. Dual projector headlights
5. 70 hp, 60 Nm torque
6. 180 kgs weight
7. 200 kmph top speed

The Hero Hastur will primarily be a city ripper, with touring restricted by the high speed wind blast and lack of luggage space. Even the pillion is going to have a hard time keeping his ass to the seat. But who cares for all that! What I want is a rider-focused bike, 600+ ccs and an Indian manufacturer. Expected price is somewhere around 4.7 lacs, but only time will tell.

UPDATE: As much as we would like to see this bike, there are very little chances that Hero will actually put this into production. 

6. Upcoming bikes in India: Honda CBR500R

Here’s another entry from Honda that is going to ruffle some feathers. The Honda CBR500R, built with heavy influence from the CBR600RR, is going to be once quick machine. It definitely doesn’t look as classy and raw as its 600 cc sister, but I am sure it will be every bit as quick.

A half-liter, fully-faired Honda priced at a bargain is going to be a huge hit. We Indians are suckers for fully-clad bikes, so the CBR500R ticks all the right boxes in the looks department. It will be no slouch either, with the 471 cc parallel twin engine giving it enough grunt to kill you quick. Below are some of the features of this machine:

1. 471 cc parallel twin engine
2. 47 hp, 43 Nm torque
3. 320 mm front, 240 mm rear disc
4. Optional C-ABS
5. 120 rubber front, 160 rear
6. 193 kgs weight

Yes the bike tips the scales at a tad heavy, but with the amount of pulling power at your disposal, you will hardly notice it. Top speeds of around 190 kmph should be easy to reach, with the wind shield protecting your head from the blast. Expected to be priced around 4.3-4.8 lacs, with the launch in mid 2014, the Honda CBR500R is going to make a huge impact on our industry.

UPDATE: Like the CBR650F, The 500R has also been delayed in India, no fucking idea why.

So here it is! A collection of 6 upcoming bikes that have really got me excited. If you have an addition to make, let me know in the comments. And pray with me that we see all of these beauties soon, and at obscenely cheap rates 🙂

Images from MotorBeam.com, Indiacarsbikes.in, Motoroids.com, Xbhp.com and BCMtouring.com.