The top 5 concept motorcycles showcased at Auto Expo in the past few years
With barely 100 days left for Auto Expo 2020, here are some of the best concept motorcycles to have graced this stage in the past.
The Auto Expo has always been the platform of choice for two-wheeler makers to showcase the best of their design and R&D team’s talent. After all, lakhs and lakhs of people from India and all over the world come to see what manufacturers have in store for the biggest two-wheeler market in the world.
Over the past few years, India has seen some of the most breathtaking concepts. Some of them made it to production; others didn’t.
Here are five times when manufacturers blew our mind with futuristic concept models:
TVS Akula
The 2016 edition of the Auto Expo was an exciting battleground for manufacturers to showcase some power-packed concepts. TVS, though, caught us by surprise with the futuristic concept racer TVS Akula. The motorcycle had a carbon fibre body, upside-down fork up front, radial calliper, and a steering damper.
The Chennai-based manufacturer later introduced the production variant of the bike in the form of the TVS Apache RR 310. Powering the TVS Apache RR 310 is a 312.2 cc DOHC, four-valve, liquid-cooled, reverse inclined mill sourced from BMW G310R.
Coupled with a six-speed gearbox, the engine produces 34 PS of power and 27.3 Nm of torque. Besides that, the Apache RR 310 is suspended over upside-down fork up front and a monoshock tuned by KYB. Other features include projector headlamps, dual-channel ABS, and Michelin Street Sport tyres.
TVS has also introduced an updated 2019 edition of the RR 310 with a slipper clutch and a revised ECU and heavier bar end weights. A new glossy black colour scheme is also on offer. TVS Apache RR 310 has a ground clearance of 180 mm, 810 mm of seat height, and a kerb weight of 169.5 kg. The TVS Apache RR 310 retails at Rs 2.28 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Honda CX-02
The Japanese motorcycle maker Honda is globally known for its reliable, value for money, and performance-oriented motorcycles. However, their stint in India has been on the slower side. Their R&D team’s concept Honda CX-02 attempted to be the answer to the 'emerging need of urban Indian youth enjoying global exposure’ but is still far from reality. Said to be developed from scratch in-house, Honda 2Wheelers India’s CX-02 bears striking similarities with the Honda CB500X.
Powering this concept model was a twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled mill, which has still not seen the light of the day in India, despite being showcased way back in 2016. Honda CX-02 features a swanky LED headlamp, petal discs at both ends with Nissin callipers, and an aluminium subframe.
Besides that, Honda CX-02 concept was fitted with multicoloured all-digital instrumentation, switchable traction control, and a 160-section rear tyre. Suspension duties were administered by upside-down fork up front and a monoshock in the rear.
Honda CX-02 was also fitted with a tall windshield, sharp body cuts, a snazzy looking rear mudguard, and adventure-centric tyres. Besides that, it had the most beautiful exhaust canister we have seen in any concept or production motorcycle. However, production details are still scarce, and Honda is still busy bombarding us with Activas.
Hero Hastur
A middleweight street-naked motorcycle by an Indian manufacturer known for affordable price tags is not something one reads about every day.
Yes, we are talking about the Hero Hastur – the razor-edged sword that had the potential to give reputed middleweight motorcycle players a run for their money. At the heart of the Hero Hastur was claimed to be a 620 cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled, DOHC engine capable of producing 80 PS of power and 72 Nm of torque. The top speed was a claimed 240 kmph, which frankly is a surprise.
Besides that, Hero Hastur is fitted with a cartridge-type six-speed gearbox, adjustable upside-down fork up front, and four-piston radial callipers over twin 300 mm discs in the front. The battery too was a premium lithium-ion unit.
Also, the Hero Hastur was fitted with Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres. Sadly though, it sprinkled salt on the wounds left by the sad demise of Hero HX250R and is unlikely to make its way to dealerships anytime soon.
UM Renegade Thor
American motorcycle maker UM Global’s stint in India may seem to have come to a halt but the brand managed to bring a smile on our face at Auto Expo 2018 with an electric motorcycle concept – the UM Renegade Thor. This cruiser-style motorcycle was powered by a liquid-cooled electric motor producing 70 Nm of peak torque. Besides that, the engine also claimed maximum power output of 40.7 PS. The motor pairs with a five-speed transmission with a hydraulic clutch and a belt drive sending the power to the rear wheel.
UM’s Renegade Thor was claimed to be driven forward by a high-power lithium polymer battery, was to be offered in 3 capacities. A 27 kWh (range up to 270 km) version, a 15 kWh (up to 149 km) version and a 7.5 kWh (up to 81 km) version. Besides that, UM claimed that the UM Renegade Thor with a fast charger would take just 40 minutes to reach 80 percent of its battery capacity!
Suspension duties in the UM Renegade Thor include telescopic fork up front and twin springs in the rear. The braking system consisted of a 280 mm disc in the front and a 240 mm unit in the rear. Besides that, the front brake had a Brembo master cylinder. Adding to the safety net was a dual-channel ABS. UM even announced a price tag for the UM Renegade Thor (Rs 4.9 lakh ex-showroom) but the bike remains a dream for now.
TVS Zeppelin
TVS has been known to make performance-oriented everyday motorcycles and while most of their products have been touted as race machine-inspired, the TVS Zeppelin promised to be a different breed. In fact, the Zeppelin was positioned as a power cruiser, making it their answer to the Bajaj Avenger.
The TVS Zeppelin was claimed to be powered by a 220 cc single-cylinder unit with an Integrated Starter Generator. A 1.2 kW regenerative assist motor with 48V lithium-ion battery further added to the performance. Besides that, the TVS Zeppelin also showcased a bio-key that may not come into production.
The suspension included upside-down fork up front similar to the golden coloured unit seen in the Apache RR 310. The Rear was a monoshock unit while brakes were discs at both ends. Expect a price tag of around Rs 1.2 lakh when it launched which is supposed to happen in the next few months.
