[Aditya]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Motorbikes!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thank you blackwasp for the thread and taking the pain to compile each and every relevant option as fair as an award poll can be, and to GTO for finally kicking off this much awaited awards for two-wheelers. Hoping to see as much participation and enthusiasm here as we witness for the COTY threads. This year especially was a bit dry in terms of new car launches, but enthusiasm is at its peak in the Team Bhp two wheeler section thanks to fresh back-to-back launches, especially from RE and Jawa.

But it's not just about the retro classics - but the whole spectrum of products saw exciting launches. Ranging from the Indian engineered, world class and all electric Ather scooters to the flagship new Panigale V4 that has already started claiming the Motorcycle of the year title from famous international publications. If the pricetag of that Panigale brings tears to your eyes, then on the other end of the spectrum we have the Yamaha R15 v3.0 for beginners to learn track riding. Same with the all electric Ather, if it feels expensive to you - you can choose from the very capable TVS Ntorq or the very comfortable Suzuki Burgman Street. Like retro classics and don't like the entry level options - there's FB Mondial HPS 300 to stand out from the crowd, Scrambler 1100 for fun, Z900RS for inline4 performance in a retro beauty and Norton range for handmade exclusivity. If classics ain't your thing and you would like to explore the country on two wheels instead - there are very capable options ranging from BMW 310GS to offroad oriented SWM Superdual T to a more balanced VStrom 650XT. Not into adventure but need to tour in pure comfort of a cruiser - there's the Triumph Speedmaster at one end and the sofa on two wheels at the other end - the Honda goldwing. If it looks like all the action is only at the premium segment - there were was the Honda Xblade and Hero Xtreme 200R for the youth, and the TVS Radeon that looks to take on the ever popular commuter segment.

This year brought options to almost every segment and every budget!

I would vote based on two main criteria - 1. The impact that particular motorcycle would bring to the automotive industry in India and 2. If I would actually consider buying one if i could. And in that way, the choices can simply be narrowed down to 3, in my humble opinion. Listing down my preferences in the reverse order -

3. Jawa - Mahindra owned Classic Legends gave a fitting tribute to the Jawa brand with the new launches, that stay as much true to the original in terms of styling as possible. Should be fairly reliable and light years ahead of the Classic 350, with the tested and appreciated mechanical base of the Mojo. The launch created a lot of hype in the market with non enthusiasts and older generations and a large section of public otherwise uninterested in biking discussions talking about it. Mahindra has a BIG winner on its hands IF it can match the looks of the product with the quality and mechanicals too.

However - it also does not bring anything revolutionary to the market I feel, specially when compared to the next two choices - though it certainly will send Royal Enfield back to the drawing board if they start stealing the numbers from Classic 350.

2. Ather S450 - This 'product’ deserves to be the first choice. I feel everything about the product is revolutionary, right from the specs to the experience, and the whole Indianness from concept to production. As a product, I’m proud to see it stand tall amongst the rest, when even the Japanese majors are shying away from introducing a competent electric vehicle in the market yet.

Why is it in second place then? The execution! Price is on the higher side, and then comes the Ather plans on top of it. Production has not been sorted yet and delivery has been stopped ever since 10 units were delivered - and this is after several months of launch. Vehicle is available only in Bangalore and the bookings have not been opened to other parts of the country. So even though it certainly is good or even better than my 1st choice listed below, I’m certainly not getting the confidence to bet on it either - neither with my own money nor as a recommendation to others - hence the second place.

Which brings up my choice for the award this year -

1. Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 -

What an irony in itself! A modern Royal Enfield! A Royal Enfield in our superbikes section would have been a joke two years back.

From twin cylinder to 650cc to Duke 390 matching performance to good retro modern looks to butter smooth clutch and gearshifts to that eye watering price tag - this Royal Enfield has everything going for it, and this is probably the product that will take the Indian market to the higher capacity multi cylinder vehicles - continuing a job of driving the market up a segment that was performed by the Pulsars, Classics, and Dukes earlier.

Sure it has its share of rough edges - but the sheer number of bookings, even in Team Bhp, specially from people who would have liked to distance themselves from the earlier Royal Enfields as much as possible, clearly shows that they have got it absolutely right this time around. And this is a product I would have surely purchased, had the circumstances presented another opportunity.

Unless any major issues start cropping up for the initial adopters - there is no stopping these 650 twins for now. 2019 is the year of the 650s - particularly the Interceptor 650!

[swami.n]

Voted for RE Twins of course. It is kind of a no competition this time.

Though the Ntorq and R15 were certainly segment benchmarks, especially the R15, which has done the unimaginable by bettering previous versions by a huge margin, there is no denying the fact that RE has just blown out anything and everything launched on 2 wheels not only in this year but in recent memory, more so with that pricing.

Never ever has such a brand, which probably has more haters that fanboys, been able to not only shut the haters, but win them over and make them book one, has happened in my memory. The twins it has to be and I don't see any other bike except maybe the Jawa(and a soft corner for Ather), even getting a considerable number of votes to even be called a runner up.

Look at the Discounts on G310 and the Street750. Just shows the kind of panic the twins have created.

Way to go Sid Lal and RE for throwing the cat among the pigeons and a big cat at that
All initial reports suggest they have done it right this time after the Himalayan Blunder :-)

[AtheK]

I will be the only one I guess voting for Ninja 400, but that is the bike of the year for me, city commuter and perfect for highway rides too. If only Kawasaki can revisit the price.

[ethanhunt123]

If we can have Triumph Tiger 800 as an option - why is Ducati Multistrada 1260 missing from this list ?

[anand.shankar]

This is a no brainer, the RE twins win hands down. There may be bigger and better bikes in that list. But a much awaited home grown mid size twin at that price point is a clear winner for me.

[MaheshY1]

This was easy. Royal Enfield all the way. They aren't for me but they are definitely revolutionary.

Unlike cars, we had plenty of action in 2 wheelers. 310 twins were the biggest turn offs but the RE twins more than healed the scars BMW had left on my mind.

Jawa 42 is another exciting offering I'm waiting to test ride. Both the TVS (Radeon and NTorq) are also potent offerings in their respective segments. Ninja 400 is another awesome bike ruined by the insane price tag.

R15 V3 is another fantastic bike I had seriously considered before settling with a used SF FI. VVT in a 150cc bike is mind-boggling. V4 and Goldwing are the other honorable mentions but nothing left me in awe like the RE twins. I not a fan of the design and I already hate the weight. I equate RE with relaxed and the INT is slightly aggressive for an RE. But there's no denying that this is easily among the top 5 most value-for-money bikes in India. This is the first RE that has the approval of my head but not of my heart.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

From twin cylinder to 650cc to Duke 390 matching performance to good retro modern looks to butter smooth clutch and gearshifts to that eye watering price tag

That'd be BMW. Did you mean mouth-watering?

Originally Posted by swami.n

Way to go Sid Lal and RE for throwing the cat among the pigeons and a big cat at that

Two big cats at once.

[Chillout]

Voted for Ather, this is completely new concept ,wherein a lot of research has gone into it. In today's scenario we need lot more electric/solar powered vehicles.

Also they did not compromise on styling or quality. Hopefully it succeeds and also sees lot more competitors getting into this market.

[a4anurag]

No brainer for this year's poll. It has to be the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

Have done four TD's so far of the Interceptor 650 and love it completely. Best bike from RE so far. Saving to get one in Orange Crush.

[RoverX]

Now this is a more interesting mix than the contenders for the COTY! My vote goes to the TVS NTorq.

Over a year ago, I posted my first-ever thread on TeamBHP about my dilemma of purchasing a new gearless scooter, when the market had really lacklustre choices. That situation has now completely changed, and how! With the advent of the Honda Grazia, Suzuki Burgman Street, and TVS NTorq, things got very exciting. But unlike the former two, which are more show than go, the NTorq possesses all the ingredients to place itself at the top of the current crop of scooters in India - tasteful styling, oodles of features, a brilliant and refined 3-valve motor that delivers great performance, a sweet exhaust note, and a fine-tuned suspension that strikes the right balance between ride and handling (the Aprilia twins do offer shattering performance and competent handling, but are crudely built and woefully under-equipped for the price).

It's not all roses, though. The fit and finish on some panels and the switchgear could be better, it sports a sorry excuse of a headlight, and the available colour choices are too limited! But for me, the pros far outweigh the cons, and I'd happily pick one today.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by ethanhunt123

If we can have Triumph Tiger 800 as an option - why is Ducati Multistrada 1260 missing from this list ?

Its a blurred line alright - taking a call between a facelift and a new model, incase of bikes like these that only evolve between generations and facelifts. Ducati 1260 was a mid life refresh of the 1200S with changes in engine and electronics - retaining the looks of the outgoing model. Significant refresh for sure.

With the Tiger 800 - it had significant update in the looks, a new TFT screen option, slightly reworked engine and revised gearing, and revised exhaust. Most media articles consider it as a major update and some as the next generation model.

More importantly - BHPians consider it as a major model change and the launch was much awaited as seen in posts on this thread - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super...-unveiled.html (2018 Triumph Tiger 800 and Tiger 1200 unveiled).

Originally Posted by MaheshY1

That'd be BMW. Did you mean mouth-watering?

My bad. Thanks Mahesh. Will request for that to be corrected.

[46TheDoctor]

My heart pulls me to vote for the new Goldwing for it being such a great bike, but i voted for the Royal Enfield 650s for bringing the powerful multiple cylinder bike experience accessible for a larger population of riders in India.

[neil.jericho]

The much anticipated Team BHP bike awards are finally here and after going through the list of nominations, Im more stumped than excited.

- To find out the winner of the The Team-BHP Two Wheeled Ride of the Year, isn’t it counter intuitive to have potentially 2 motorcycles win one award? I don’t understand how TBHPians have to vote for motorcycles that are clubbed together. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and GT 650 target two very different rider segments and have a clear price differential. From what I have heard, and this has been mirrored in the feedback that I have received from others, the sales of the Interceptor is going to far outweigh the GT650. Wont voting for both together give an incorrect perspective and winner?


The BMW G310 R and G 310 GS similarly target two very different rider segments. The BMW F 750 GS and F 850 GS are based on the same platform but the power output is substantially different 76 BHP vs 94 BHP and are separated by over 1 lakh INR in price difference. They make for an even greater case to be separated than the Royal Enfield twins. Im not too sure about the Jawa (not Java) bikes as I haven’t followed their launch too closely but I see two bikes clubbed together there.


- While the Honda X Blade 160 is technically a new model, isn’t it just a better looking CB Hornet 160R? It has the same engine, same brakes, same suspension and same transmission as the older bike. Should it really qualify?


- The Ducati Scrambler 1100 is an extension of the current Scrambler range and gets a new 1100 cc engine from the Monster, new throttle bodies, ride by wire, modifications to the trellis frame, increased wheelbase, change in rake angle, brakes etc. Now lets look at the conspicuously missing from the TBHP list Ducati Multistrada 1260S. It gets a new engine from the XDiavel that comes with variable valve timing, new ride by wire, quick shifter, lengthened swingarm and wheelbase, change in rake angle etc. But it doesn’t make the list? I don’t understand this.


- To make matters worse, the (clearly!) refreshed Triumph Tiger makes the list! The missing Ducati Multistrada 1260 makes it appear as though the poll is biased against Ducati.


- Did the updated (refreshed even?) Honda Goldwing get launched in 2018? I found this link from Zigwheels which is dated on the 5th of December 2017. https://www.zigwheels.com/news-featu...n-india/29301/ Here is a link from Overdrive dated the 6th of December 2017. http://overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/2...rs-26-85-lakh/So technically it is a 2017 launch and not be part of the 2018 list, right?

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

With the Tiger 800 - it had significant update in the looks, a new TFT screen option, slightly reworked engine and revised gearing, and revised exhaust. Most media articles consider it as a major update and some as the next generation model.

More importantly - BHPians consider it as a major model change and the launch was much awaited as seen in posts on this thread - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/super...-unveiled.html (2018 Triumph Tiger 800 and Tiger 1200 unveiled).

Let me see the above points of change wrt Multistrada 1260 vs 1200 when compared to Tiger refresh-

1. Looks - Yes. It retains the family look but a few panels did change. Same as Tiger

2. Dashboard TFT - Yes. 1260S gets a much higer res TFT screen with a completely new UI compared to 1200S.

3. Engine - Absolutely YES !! While Tiger gets only minor revision to same 800cc Triple - Multi 1260S gets a totally different 1262cc engine from XDiavel compared to 1200cc engine in previous version.

4. Gearbox / Exhaust - Yes. 1260S gets a standard up/down quickshifter as well as reworked exhaust due to different engine.

Besides all these changes - there was also a steering geometry change in new Multi as well as lengthened swingarm to increase stability.

If all these changes dont signify a new motorcycle while a TFT screen + headlamps (basically these 2 were major changes in new Tiger) make Tiger a new gen motorcycle - i dont know what Ducati has to do more.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The Ducati Scrambler 1100 is an extension of the current Scrambler range and gets a new 1100 cc engine from the Monster, new throttle bodies, ride by wire, modifications to the trellis frame, increased wheelbase, change in rake angle, brakes etc. Now lets look at the conspicuously missing from the TBHP list Ducati Multistrada 1260S. It gets a new engine from the XDiavel that comes with variable valve timing, new ride by wire, quick shifter, lengthened swingarm and wheelbase, change in rake angle etc. But it doesn’t make the list? I don’t understand this.


- To make matters worse, the (clearly!) refreshed Triumph Tiger makes the list! The missing Ducati Multistrada 1260 makes it appear as though the poll is biased against Ducati.

Exactly !!


BTW it's not that either the Tiger or Multistrada stand a chance in this poll, but not having Multi 1260S is really unfair.

PS: Also missing is the 2018 Ducati Monster 821 ... which is also a generation change from older one getting sold in India.

[Alfresco]

Voted for the Ather scooters as I feel it is the future, though I would love to ride the Jawa and see how it goes.
The Yezdi Roadking used to be the dream bike for youngsters growing up in the 70s and early 80s till Ind-Suzuki came in and set the cat amongst the pigeons.