Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650

ram.iyer95 · 15th December 2018, 18:21

Voted for the RE 650 twins

Was actually in a dilemma on whether to vote for the RE twins or the Ather twins. Both are as different as chalk and cheese, but great in their own ways and equally appealing in my view. Still, went with the heart and voted for the RE twins. RE products never really interested me until these two arrived. These two are just revolutionary products for RE and I hope they get the success they deserve without any hiccups.

The Ather S450 is a different breed, a sensible purchase for urban customers. Still, you can't really go on long trips or touring with them, and for that very reason, I'd pick the RE twins here.

thumpmeister · 15th December 2018, 18:37

Voted for the RE 650 Twins, considering the impact that they have already had on the Indian bike market without a single bike out on the road. Feel that they should win this award comfortably with a huge margin.

However, fail to understand, how does the R15 & Tiger 800 feature in the list of nominees considering the parameters laid down for the Poll. Have read CD's explanation, however, agree to disagree.

Cheers

CrAzY dRiVeR · 15th December 2018, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by thumpmeister

However, fail to understand, how does the R15 & Tiger 800 feature in the list of nominees considering the parameters laid down for the Poll.

R15 v3.0 is the third generation. Entire looks redesigned, has a bigger engine from 149 cc earlier to 155 cc now and with variable valve actuation, produces 19.3 PS up from 16.8bhp. Plus the bike gets a slipper clutch. Bigger front brakes to match as well.

International versions get USD forks as well which is not there in our market for cost concerns.

Its a full generation change except the name. Looks + Engine + Transmission + Suspension + Braking. What's the confusion?

MHG · 15th December 2018, 19:47

My vote goes to Ather Energy's scooter twins. The company isn't developing anything radically different from a global standpoint. But getting all the things right in an Indian context is a huge endeavour. I like how they're bringing big VC money and tech startup culture into an otherwise very old world Indian automotive industry. Their success or failure will have big implications for future nobodies who wish to enter the Indian market and create something new in a traditional industry.

Honourable mentions: Royal Enfield 650 twins from a purely commercial and mass attraction perspective, Java Twins for the best looking motorcycles, KTM Duke 125 ABS for being possibly the "ballsiest" release (tiny engine - even smaller than then R15, big bike build), Hero Xtreme 200R for being the most "sensible" bike of the bunch if you look at how much value is being offered for the money and finally TVS Radeon for doing something interesting visually to the 100cc segment (also the mobile charger) and looking like the one bike that'd steal a few buyers from Hero showrooms.

timuseravan · 15th December 2018, 20:31

I don't think any poll was needed this year - maybe for second place?

Overall it was great year with two strong scooters - Ntor and Aether. Jawa was a great surprise as well.
But RE has hit it completely out of the park with the twins. I (and a lot of people) had sworn off RE but the Iterceptor has me rethinking it completely.
A totally deserved win!

tweaker · 15th December 2018, 21:41

Unlike the COTY nominees, the BOTY is pretty much a straightforward choice for me and that choice is the RE twins. IMO, these bikes will singlehandedly get the mass market and consequently other manufacturers into the big capacity affordable market. RE didn't have to get them out as they have been dominating the market in the 350+ cc market but they chose to not rest on their laurels and bring out a product which appeals to even the non RE fans. Though reliability is an unknown right now, these bikes really deserve the top spot this year.

maverickrider00 · 15th December 2018, 21:43

My vote is for Jawa and Jawa 42. Great retro looks with the engine to complement it. Affordable too and rider friendly as well. My experience as a hardcore motorcyclist makes me presume it would be a hoot to ride and will have a mileage of around 32 to 37 km/l in the actual world. RE 650 motorcycles come a close second but they cater to a niche category of motorcyclists who have the money, patience and passion to put up with the RE motorcycles. It is not possible overnight for a company renowned for taking the customer as granted to suddenly amend their ways. Hence I shall stick to Jawa.

CrAzY dRiVeR · 15th December 2018, 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by timuseravan

I don't think any poll was needed this year - maybe for second place?

Second place is quite interesting isn't it?

I personally had a feeling RE will win the poll, but thought Jawa might give a tougher fight considering its created some hype as well, and that it is a fresh launch with the media drives happening just now! I would also have bet Ather will give a close fight to Jawa, given its all electric identity.

But the NTorq is a real surprise - seems to have surprised many people - and sales have been rising steadily too.

Geo_Ipe · 15th December 2018, 23:42

Voted for the RE 650 twins! They've just created too much hype to be ignored and the initial impressions have been good. Being RE, long term reliability will need to be proven though.

However, the deserved winner should be the Ather twins!! Electric is the future of mass mobility, and Ather has the first mover advantage. The charging infrastructure and stuff might still be under works, but once the big boys do finally decide to go Electric, Ather would have hopefully settled down well in the market.

2himanshu · 16th December 2018, 12:56

My vote goes to TVS Ntorq as it is affordable sporty and can be a daily utility rider.

It is nice to see manufacturer trying to break free from Activa mould especially an Indian one, big cheers!

It seems like they are following footsteps of Apache here.

gvivek75 · 17th December 2018, 06:16

I voted for the nTorq both on this forum as well as with my wallet earlier this year. Coming from an Indian manufacturer and definitely head and shoulders above the Grazia and Access in the segment. Looks, performance and reliability all check boxes ticked

Another aspect that was a total pleasure was the service experience. Every time I have gone to the service center, the personal attention you receive is nothing that a Honda owner would ever get.

vigneshnr · 17th December 2018, 08:49

NTorQ from TVS is my choice. I think this has made the everyday commute more interesting with unique features. Especially the bluetooth based features.. making it almost a gadget rather than a bike.

Compared to COTY, I think this year BOTY has more interesting mix - RE Twins, Ather with electric twins, brand new 125cc bikes like Burgman, NTorQ, Duke which are unique and breaking the norms in otherwise mundane commuting with style, features and performance.

navin_v8 · 17th December 2018, 09:37

Interesting times on TeamBHP with BOTY 2018. Goes without a doubt my vote goes to RE 650 twins. What a fantastic timing and pricing by RE

IMO along with the entire team at RE the credit goes to Sid Lal for taking such a disruptive step in the Retro Classic market where any retro multi-cylinder motorcycle in India cost upwards of 6-7 lakhs. The RE 650 twins have garnered a lot of interest from the motorcycle community in India as well as abroad. Looking at the vote count I am sure RE 650 twins would become BOTY 2018 at our very own TeamBHP.

If there was an option for second vote I would've definitely voted for Mahindra Jawa motorcycles launched in India. Brilliant design and retro classic to the core.

Exciting times ahead!!

CrAzY dRiVeR · 17th December 2018, 10:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackwasp

As has always been the case, we insist there will only be ONE Team-BHP Two Wheeled Ride of the Year. Why? Simply because we don't believe in handing out an award for the "engine of the year" or "headlamp of the year" (as examples). Some award ceremonies have 25 awards to ensure there's one for each bike manufacturer (aka advertiser) in India. We have no such inclination, and will only focus on the best, most important new two-wheeler of 2018.

Meanwhile, its time for 'droom.in pre-owned auto awards'. Excited? :

Lets start with the Jury's Choice Awards First -
Commuter Bike of the Year - Bajaj Discover.
Cruiser Bike of the Year (under 500cc) - Royal Enfield Thunderbird
Cruiser Bike of the Year (Above 500cc) - Indian Chief Dark Horse
Electric Scooter of the Year - Hero Electric Optima E2
Sports Bike of the Year (Above 500cc) - Triumph Tiger 800 XCX
Sports Bike of the Year (Below 500cc) - KTM Duke
Scooter of the Year - Honda Activa

Moving to OEM winners -
2 Wheeler OEM of the year - Hero Motocorp Limited

Moving on to Best of Droom Awards -
Droom Discovery Lowest Total Cost of Ownership Bike - Hero Passion Pro
OBV Highest Resale Value Bike of the Year - Royal Enfield Electra
OBV Highest Resale Value Scooter of the Year - Hero Meastro Edge
Droom Discovery Lowest Total Cost of Ownership Scooter - Hero Meastro

Moving on to Dealer's Choice Awards -
Scooter of the Year - Honda Activa
Luxury Bike of the Year - Suzuki Hayabusa
Bike of the Year - Royal Enfield Classic

Moving on to Buyer's Choice Awards -
Luxury Bike of the Year - Harley Davidson Iron 883.
Scooter of the Year - Honda Activa
Bike of the Year - Royal Enfield Classic

SJM1214 · 17th December 2018, 10:28

RE Twins and Java & Java Forty Two are highlights of the year. All four of these motorcycles are well priced and feature-rich. Except for the Reliability of this motorcycles, everything looks amazing.

However, these motorcycles are not the winner of 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year for me. I was following the news and this thread (Ather Energy unveils the S340 Electric Scooter) of Ather Electric Scooter from 2016. I was excited about the launch of this Scooter. It kept delaying. Finally, its launched and reviews are saying that its a brilliant product.

Ather launched two e-scooters and started delivering final products to customers. That was an amazing news. Unfortunately, this news was shadowed by the glittering launches of RE and JAVA motorcycles. However, Ather Scooters deserve to be "2-Wheeled Ride of the Year".
Voted for Ather S350 and S450.

View Poll Results: Your choice?
TVS Radeon	1	0.09%
TVS NTORQ	110	10.02%
Suzuki Burgman Street	17	1.55%
Honda X-Blade	9	0.82%
Hero Xtreme 200R	2	0.18%
Duke 125 ABS	8	0.73%
Yamaha R15	38	3.46%
Ather S350 and S450	98	8.93%
Jawa and Jawa Forty Two	168	15.30%
Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and Interceptor INT 650	512	46.63%
BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS	24	2.19%
FB Mondial HPS 300	4	0.36%
Kawasaki Ninja 400	12	1.09%
SWM SuperDual T	2	0.18%
Suzuki GSX-S750	5	0.46%
Suzuki V-Strom 650XT ABS	17	1.55%
Ducati Scrambler 1100	7	0.64%
Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster	7	0.64%
Triumph Tiger 800	14	1.28%
BMW F 750 GS and BMW F 850 GS	5	0.46%
Kawasaki Z900RS	10	0.91%
Ducati Panigale V4	17	1.55%
Kawasaki H2 SX	2	0.18%
Norton Dominator and Commando	1	0.09%
Honda Goldwing	8	0.73%
Voters: 1098. You may not vote on this poll

15th December 2018, 18:21	#46
ram.iyer95 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: KA-01 / KL-09 Posts: 140 Thanked: 484 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 Voted for the RE 650 twins Was actually in a dilemma on whether to vote for the RE twins or the Ather twins. Both are as different as chalk and cheese, but great in their own ways and equally appealing in my view. Still, went with the heart and voted for the RE twins. RE products never really interested me until these two arrived. These two are just revolutionary products for RE and I hope they get the success they deserve without any hiccups. The Ather S450 is a different breed, a sensible purchase for urban customers. Still, you can't really go on long trips or touring with them, and for that very reason, I'd pick the RE twins here.
	(1) Thanks

15th December 2018, 18:37	#47
thumpmeister BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 100 Thanked: 64 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 Voted for the RE 650 Twins, considering the impact that they have already had on the Indian bike market without a single bike out on the road. Feel that they should win this award comfortably with a huge margin. However, fail to understand, how does the R15 & Tiger 800 feature in the list of nominees considering the parameters laid down for the Poll. Have read CD's explanation, however, agree to disagree. Cheers Last edited by thumpmeister : 15th December 2018 at 18:38. Reason: content revisited
	(2) Thanks

15th December 2018, 19:47	#49
MHG BHPian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: McLeod Ganj Posts: 342 Thanked: 294 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 My vote goes to Ather Energy's scooter twins. The company isn't developing anything radically different from a global standpoint. But getting all the things right in an Indian context is a huge endeavour. I like how they're bringing big VC money and tech startup culture into an otherwise very old world Indian automotive industry. Their success or failure will have big implications for future nobodies who wish to enter the Indian market and create something new in a traditional industry. Honourable mentions: Royal Enfield 650 twins from a purely commercial and mass attraction perspective, Java Twins for the best looking motorcycles, KTM Duke 125 ABS for being possibly the "ballsiest" release (tiny engine - even smaller than then R15, big bike build), Hero Xtreme 200R for being the most "sensible" bike of the bunch if you look at how much value is being offered for the money and finally TVS Radeon for doing something interesting visually to the 100cc segment (also the mobile charger) and looking like the one bike that'd steal a few buyers from Hero showrooms.
	(2) Thanks

15th December 2018, 20:31	#50
timuseravan BHPian Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Pune Posts: 608 Thanked: 1,035 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 I don't think any poll was needed this year - maybe for second place? Overall it was great year with two strong scooters - Ntor and Aether. Jawa was a great surprise as well. But RE has hit it completely out of the park with the twins. I (and a lot of people) had sworn off RE but the Iterceptor has me rethinking it completely. A totally deserved win!
	(2) Thanks

15th December 2018, 21:41	#51
tweaker BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: MUM/BLR Posts: 69 Thanked: 102 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 Unlike the COTY nominees, the BOTY is pretty much a straightforward choice for me and that choice is the RE twins. IMO, these bikes will singlehandedly get the mass market and consequently other manufacturers into the big capacity affordable market. RE didn't have to get them out as they have been dominating the market in the 350+ cc market but they chose to not rest on their laurels and bring out a product which appeals to even the non RE fans. Though reliability is an unknown right now, these bikes really deserve the top spot this year.
	(2) Thanks

15th December 2018, 21:43	#52
maverickrider00 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Darjeeling Posts: 53 Thanked: 113 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 My vote is for Jawa and Jawa 42. Great retro looks with the engine to complement it. Affordable too and rider friendly as well. My experience as a hardcore motorcyclist makes me presume it would be a hoot to ride and will have a mileage of around 32 to 37 km/l in the actual world. RE 650 motorcycles come a close second but they cater to a niche category of motorcyclists who have the money, patience and passion to put up with the RE motorcycles. It is not possible overnight for a company renowned for taking the customer as granted to suddenly amend their ways. Hence I shall stick to Jawa.
	(1) Thanks

15th December 2018, 23:42	#54
Geo_Ipe BHPian Join Date: May 2011 Location: Vellore Posts: 944 Thanked: 2,894 Times View My Garage	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 Voted for the RE 650 twins! They've just created too much hype to be ignored and the initial impressions have been good. Being RE, long term reliability will need to be proven though. However, the deserved winner should be the Ather twins!! Electric is the future of mass mobility, and Ather has the first mover advantage. The charging infrastructure and stuff might still be under works, but once the big boys do finally decide to go Electric, Ather would have hopefully settled down well in the market.
	(2) Thanks

16th December 2018, 12:56	#55
2himanshu BHPian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: A Blue Dot Posts: 141 Thanked: 755 Times View My Garage	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 My vote goes to TVS Ntorq as it is affordable sporty and can be a daily utility rider. It is nice to see manufacturer trying to break free from Activa mould especially an Indian one, big cheers! It seems like they are following footsteps of Apache here.
	(2) Thanks

17th December 2018, 06:16	#56
gvivek75 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 79 Thanked: 59 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 I voted for the nTorq both on this forum as well as with my wallet earlier this year. Coming from an Indian manufacturer and definitely head and shoulders above the Grazia and Access in the segment. Looks, performance and reliability all check boxes ticked Another aspect that was a total pleasure was the service experience. Every time I have gone to the service center, the personal attention you receive is nothing that a Honda owner would ever get.
	(2) Thanks

17th December 2018, 08:49	#57
vigneshnr BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: bangalore Posts: 198 Thanked: 181 Times View My Garage	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 NTorQ from TVS is my choice. I think this has made the everyday commute more interesting with unique features. Especially the bluetooth based features.. making it almost a gadget rather than a bike. Compared to COTY, I think this year BOTY has more interesting mix - RE Twins, Ather with electric twins, brand new 125cc bikes like Burgman, NTorQ, Duke which are unique and breaking the norms in otherwise mundane commuting with style, features and performance. Last edited by vigneshnr : 17th December 2018 at 08:54. Reason: Missed a line
	(2) Thanks

17th December 2018, 09:37	#58
navin_v8 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,239 Thanked: 1,659 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 Interesting times on TeamBHP with BOTY 2018. Goes without a doubt my vote goes to RE 650 twins. What a fantastic timing and pricing by RE IMO along with the entire team at RE the credit goes to Sid Lal for taking such a disruptive step in the Retro Classic market where any retro multi-cylinder motorcycle in India cost upwards of 6-7 lakhs. The RE 650 twins have garnered a lot of interest from the motorcycle community in India as well as abroad. Looking at the vote count I am sure RE 650 twins would become BOTY 2018 at our very own TeamBHP. If there was an option for second vote I would've definitely voted for Mahindra Jawa motorcycles launched in India. Brilliant design and retro classic to the core. Exciting times ahead!!
	(1) Thanks

17th December 2018, 10:28	#60
SJM1214 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Anand(GJ23) Posts: 1,572 Thanked: 5,951 Times	re: Team-BHP 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year, 2018. EDIT: It's the Royal Enfield 650 RE Twins and Java & Java Forty Two are highlights of the year. All four of these motorcycles are well priced and feature-rich. Except for the Reliability of this motorcycles, everything looks amazing. However, these motorcycles are not the winner of 2-Wheeled Ride of the Year for me. I was following the news and this thread (Ather Energy unveils the S340 Electric Scooter) of Ather Electric Scooter from 2016. I was excited about the launch of this Scooter. It kept delaying. Finally, its launched and reviews are saying that its a brilliant product. Ather launched two e-scooters and started delivering final products to customers. That was an amazing news. Unfortunately, this news was shadowed by the glittering launches of RE and JAVA motorcycles. However, Ather Scooters deserve to be "2-Wheeled Ride of the Year". Voted for Ather S350 and S450.
	(2) Thanks