UM Renegade Duty Ace, Renegade Duty S India launch postponed

UM Motorcycles, the American motorcycle maker in association with UM Lohia Two Wheelers, made India debut in 2016 and currently sells four motorcycle models -- Renegade Commando, Commando Sport S, Commando Classic and Commando Mojave.

The company stepped up its game with the debut of new entry-level bikes -- Renegade Duty S and Renegade Duty Ace -- at the Auto Expo 2018 in February and the launch of the twin models were due in the festive season. However, it looks like the company has now postponed it to the first quarter of 2019.

UM Motorcycles reportedly delayed the rollout of Renegade Duty S and Renegade Duty Ace to add ABS (Anti-lock Braking System). ABS will be mandatory to all new bikes above 125cc from next year and it could take some time for UM Motorcycles to add the safety tech.

"There has been a lag in the production of the Duty Ace and Duty S, owing to the recently introduced government regulations for ABS to be included on all motorcycles from January 2019 onwards. In addition to this, we are sourcing most of our parts for the two motorcycles from India to ensure the motorcycles are priced competitively," ZigWheels quoted Rajeev Mishra, CEO, UM Lohia Two Wheelers Pvt Ltd as saying.

UM Motorcycles priced the Renegade Duty range from Rs 1.10 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) at Auto Expo 2018 while it remains to be seen whether the company will retain the same pricing at the time of launch.

Both the Renegade Duty models are powered by 223cc single-cylinder oil-cooled engine that develops 17bhp of power at 8,000rpm and 17Nm of torque at 5,000rpm, mated to a five-speed transmission.

The Renegade Duty S and Renegade Duty Ace are essentially the same bikes barring some cosmetic differences. The headlamps cowl in both motorcycles are slightly different and the Duty Ace comes with bar-end mirrors.

The Duty Ace comes in café racer styled covered pillion seat while the Duty S gets full-size seats for rider and pillion. In addition, the Duty S comes with solid matte colour options while the Duty Ace gets a sportier dual-colour option.

The Renegade Duty range comes with single-pod instrument console. An LED UM logo below the round headlamp, LED lights on all four sides, blind-spot mirrors, puncture-resistant tyres and a wider seat are the other notable additions to the Renegade Duty twins.