Suzuki Motorcycles India has finalized plans to launch Suzuki Hayabusa in India in September.

“We will launch the bike in the first week of September,” said Atul Gupta, vice-president, sales and marketing, Suzuki Motorcycle India. “The demand for big bikes is actually more of a hype. Cumulatively these bikes sell only about 400 units per annum and we don’t expect volumes as well. Along with the GXR we will probably do 150 units per annum.”

According to Suzuki, besides the 105 per cent import duty, lack of infrastructure is also a big deterrent for growth. “India is not the place for these bikes. We don’t have the roads like they have in developed countries for them and it is not fun to ride them at say 70 km per hour,” Gupta said. “We are nevertheless launching the Hayabusa because it will showcase our strength as a bike manufacturer. Moreover these are already available in the grey market so we might as well legalize them.”

Suzuki Hayabusa when launched is expected to be priced at Rs. 11 lakhs. Yamaha already sells Yamaha R1 at the similar price in India.

Earlier this week during Honda Stunner’s launch, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India’s (HMSI) President and CEO, S. Aoyama had unveiled Honda’s plan to launch Honda VFR 800 Interceptor in India, by the end of this financial year.

We take a sneak peak at the Honda VFR 800 and see what kind of impact it will have on the biking scene in India, and how it would be able to carve out a niche for itself, which at this moment isn’t being addressed by any of the motorcycles officially available in India.

Honda VFR 800 Interceptor is a Sports Touring Motorcycle i.e. it is meant for the highways with a relaxed and comfortable seating position, unlike the Sportsbikes that we currently see on the road. It’s sleek, aerodynamic bodywork is functional yet beautiful and air flowing through the windscreen’s central air vent provides cool air to the rider at low speeds and increases rider comfort at higher speeds by offering real protection from high velocity winds.

At the heart of the Honda VFR 800 is its 781cc DOHC 90-degree V-4 VTEC engine, which combines the power characteristics of both two- and four-valve cylinder-head designs. This revolutionary engine runs on two valves per cylinder below 6400 rpm, and then switches to four valves per cylinder to deliver significantly stronger low-end and mid-range torque while maintaining Interceptor’s impressive high-rpm power delivery.

43mm Honda Multi-Action System (HMAS) cartridge front fork provides enhanced handling under all riding conditions, while the Pro-Link single HMAS gas-charged shock does the duty at the rear. Ensuring that high speed touring doesn’t leads to backaches.

Honda VFR 800 is equally capable at night, thanks to its four brilliant multireflector headlights which employ two centrally positioned H4 low/high beams positioned under two widely spaced H7 high beams for brilliant nighttime illumination.

These features make the Honda VFR 800 Interceptor just the right weekend motorcycle for most, which would happily take you to majority of the weekend destination in comfort and style.

However all this comes at price, Honda VFR 800 Interceptor’s non ABS version would likely cost Rs. 10 lakhs in India, while the ABS version is expected to be priced at the same price as the Yamaha R1.

Honda VFR800FI Interceptor Specifications

Engine Type: 781cc liquid-cooled 90° V-4
Bore and Stroke: 72mm x 48mm
Compression ratio: 11.6:1
Valve Train: VTEC DOHC; four valves per cylinder
Induction: PGM-FI with automatic enricher circuit, 36mm throttle bodies and 12-hole injectors
Ignition: Computer-controlled digital with three-dimensional mapping and electronic advance
Transmission: Close-ratio six-speed
Final Drive: #530 O-ring chain
Suspension front: 43mm HMAS cartridge fork with spring preload adjustability; 4.3 inches travel
Suspension rear: Pro Arm single-side swingarm with Pro-Link single HMAS gas-charged shock with seven-position spring preload and rebound damping adjustability; 4.7 inches travel
Brake front: Dual full-floating 296mm discs with LBS three-piston calipers
Brake rear: Single 256mm disc with LBS three-piston caliper; Optional ABS (VFR800FI ABS)
Tyre front: 120/70ZR-17 radial
Tyre rear: 180/55ZR-17 radial
Wheelbase: 57.4 inches
Rake (Caster angle): 25.3°
Trail: 100mm (3.9 inches)
Seat Height: 31.7 inches
Fuel Capacity: 5.8 gallons, including 0.8-gallon reserve
Color: Silver Metallic
Curb Weight: 540 pounds (VFR800FI) / 551 pounds (VFR800FI ABS)

Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark has brought a sea of change to the Royal Enfield stable, which until a few years ago was dominated by models which had hardly seen any major change since India’s independence.

The Unit construction engine (UCE) marks a dramatic shift in the traditional Royal Enfield engine architecture. This is world away from the traditional Royal Enfield engine, which has an external clutch and gearbox. In Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark, both these elements are integrated within a common crankcase space. This makes the Thunderbird Twinspark’s engine more compact and reduces transmission loss, friction, maintenance and while at the same time being more reliable than the traditional Royal Enfield Engine.

The new Thunderbird Twinspark also incorporates hydraulic tappets - which are a first in India and combined with the new lean-burn combustion technology and twin spark plugs, give better power, torque and fuel-efficiency. The clutch in Thunderbird Twinspark has also been beefed up with an all new 6-plate one.

This makes the new Thunderbird Twinspark not only the most powerful 350cc production motorcycle in India; it also makes it the easiest Royal Enfield to ride.

Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark Specifications
Engine Type: Single cylinder, 4st, OHV, dual spark ignition engine, aircooled
Bore x Stroke: 70×90mm/346cc
Power: 19.8bhp @ 5250rpm
Torque: 28Nm @ 4000rpm
Compression ratio: 8.5:1
Carburetor: BS29/UCAL
Headlamp: 35/35W 12v halogen
Battery: 12V 14AH
Fuel tank capacity: 15.5 liters (2liter reserve)
Suspension (front): telescopic with hydraulic damping, stroke 130mm
Suspension (rear): swingarm with gas shock absorbers
Brake (front): 280mm disc brake
Brake (rear): 152.4mm drum brake
Tyre (front): 3.25×19”, 6/4PR
Tyre (rear): 3.5×19”, 6/4PR
Wheelbase: 1370mm
Overall length: 2120mm
Overall width: 780mm
Overall height: 1080mm
Minimum ground clearance: 135mm
Seat height: 775mm
Weight: 182kg (kerb)