Top 10 upcoming bikes in India in 2018: Royal Enfield Interceptor, BMW G 310 R, Hero Xtreme 200S and others

2017 was a remarkable year for the Indian two-wheeler industry. The country has beaten China to become world's largest market for two-wheeler vehicles last year. The announcement has prompted many global automakers to seriously consider India entry.

Acclaimed motorcycles makers like Norton and SWM have already announced their plan to debut in India. The newbies will take on the established rivals like Hero, Honda, TVS, Harley-Davidson, Triumph and others here. The increasing competition indicates that the year 2018 will see many exciting bikes entering the domestic market.

Among the many bikes lined-up for this year, we have compiled a list top 10 motorcycles that the biking fraternity is eagerly waiting for.

Royal Enfield Twins (Interceptor 650, Continental GT 650)

Royal Enfield showcased its newest and flagship offerings, the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, at EICMA show in Milan in November 2017. The twin motorcycles are expected to enter the Indian market in the second half of 2018.

Both motorcycles are powered by a four-stroke, single overhead cam, air-cooled, 648cc parallel-twin cylinder engine with an output of 47bhp and 52Nm torque. The Interceptor 650 with its classic tear-drop shaped fuel-tank, twin-seat and the new wide braced handlebar is truly a tribute to the original Interceptor of the 1960s. The Continental GT 650, on the other hand, comes with cafe racer character.

Yamaha YZF-R15 Version 3.0

Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer Yamaha will launch the new YZF-R15 supersport bike in India anytime soon. The R15's new version is expected to be named YZF-R15 Version 3.0 and the model has been spied recently sans camouflage.

Apart from the obvious sporty styling updates, the biggest talking point in the new YZF-R15 is the all-new 155.1cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled four-stroke SOHC engine with fuel injection in place of the 149cc mill. The new mill will develop 19.7bhp of power 10,000rpm and the peak torque is 14.7Nm at 8,500rpm. It will come mated to a six-speed transmission.

BMW G 310 R

After a year of operations in India, BMW Motorrad is all set to launch its most affordable bike, the G 310 R in the country. The motorcycle is manufactured in association with TVS Motor Company at Tamil Nadu. Tipped to be priced around Rs 2 lakh, the G 310 R is powered by a 313cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine. The mill can churn out 33.5bhp at 9,500rpm and has a maximum torque of 28Nm at 7,500rpm, mated to a six-speed gearbox.

2018 TVS Apache RTR 160

During the launch of the Apache RR 310, TVS has confirmed that its next product in the pipeline is the new Apache RTR 160. The spy images hint that the new version of the bike will adopt a design in line with the elder sibling, Apache RTR 200 4V barring disc brake at the rear. The new model is also expected to flaunt features such as LED headlamp with pilot lamps, LED tail lamp, and sculpted and longer seat. The exhaust canister will have a dual barrel setup while the instrumentation console will come with backlit LCD display.

The 159.7 cc air-cooled engine may carry over to the new version. The mill currently produces 15.2bhp of power and 13.1Nm torque mated to a five-speed transmission.

2018 Bajaj Avenger

Pune-based automaker Bajaj Auto is gearing up to update its Avenger range of cruiser bikes in India. Reports claim new avatars of the Bajaj Avenger range will not be just mere updates but will come up with major overhauls to pitch it against its rivals including the new Suzuki Intruder 150.

The new Avenger 220 is expected to feature LED DRLs, digital instrument cluster, new fuel-tank cap and new seat along with several other features. In addition to this, the Avenger 220 Cruise may also get single-channel ABS.

Hero Xtreme 200S

Hero MotoCorp is expected to launch the Xtreme 200S in early 2018. For the uninitiated, the Xtreme 200S in its concept was one of the attractions at Hero's pavilion at Auto Expo 2016. The naked sports bike underlines Hero's know-how in the premium bike making. It will be built on a diamond frame chassis and the bike will flaunt dual-tone body colour, contrast coloured seat, mudguards and alloy wheels.

The motorcycle is expected to draw power from an air-cooled, single cylinder, 4-stroke 200cc engine that will produce a maximum power of 18.6PS at 8500rpm and maximum torque of 17.2Nm at 6000rpm.

Hero XPulse

Hero MotoCorp unveiled an adventure motorcycle concept titled XPulse at EICMA show in Milan in November 2017. The production-spec version of the same is expected to make debut in the second half of 2017. The adventure bike is expected to draw power from a 200cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine capable of developing 18.5bhp at 8,500rpm and peak torque of 17.2Nm at 6,000rpm.

The motorcycle is rumoured to have a kerb weight of just 140 kg. That will make it certainly lightweight and more usable bike for adventure biking enthusiasts. The bike is expected to enter the market with a price tag of Rs 1-1.2 lakh (ex-showroom).

Benelli Imperiale 400

Benelli, the Italian motorcycle maker may foray into the cruiser bike segment of India with the Imperiale 400 this year. The Imperiale 400 has all the ingredients of a classic bike starting from the twin-pod instrument cluster. The teardrop-shaped tank with a rubber grip, split seats and chrome bits add to the retro cruiser flavour of the Imperiale 400.

The motorcycle will draw power from a 373.5cc single-cylinder, SOHC engine with fuel injection. The mill belts out 19.4bhp at 5500rpm and 28 Nm of peak torque at 3500rpm.

Kawasaki Ninja 400

Japanese motorcycle maker Kawasaki is expected to replace hugely popular Ninja 300 sports bike in India with the Ninja 400, first unveiled at 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. In place of the 296cc engine, the new Ninja 400 gets an all-new parallel-twin 399cc mill that develops 45hp of power and 38Nm of torque. The power and torque figures are significantly up from the 39hp and 27Nm of its predecessor.

The Kawasaki Ninja 400 gets more chiselled body panels and the overall design language has been inspired by the flagship Ninja ZX-10R. It also boasts of an assist-and-slipper clutch and 310mm front disc brake upfront with Nissin ABS which is largest in its class.

Emflux One

Bengaluru-based technological start-up Emflux Motors is all set to unveil India's first electric superbike at Auto Expo 2018 in February. The electric sportbike is expected to be called Emflux One and it will be powered by a liquid cooled AC induction motor that can generate 84Nm of torque at 8400rpm. The company claims its electric bike will cover 0 to 100kmph speed in just 3 seconds. It also says high-quality Samsung SDi cells in the bike will ensure a range of 200kms in full charge, without compromising on acceleration and speed.