There has never been a better time for motorcycle enthusiasts in India than right now. With companies launching new motorcycles left right and centre I feel like a kid at a fair. The motorcycle market is so laden with products that you could get almost anything that you want.
Want a sports motorcycle, have a go at Dukes, R15s and RR310. If you want a sports commuter, you have the FZs, Hornets, Pulsars, and many more. Modern Retro which is all the rage today is seeing multiple motorcycles being launched every few months too.
As an avid motorcycle enthusiast, I am very excited about new motorcycle launches in 2022. Below are the 5 motorcycles launching in 2022 that ignite a strong will to live despite all the wrong in the world.
Royal Enfield Hunter 350
Royal Enfield is currently killing it with their motorcycles. Classic 350 owns the 350 cc category with the Meteor 350 picking up the scraps, leaving no room for other motorcycles. Himalayan has done the same in the adventure category. Now the company wants to put a stop to the current crop of modern retro motorcycles like the Honda CB 350 RS, Husqvarna Svartpilen and Yezdi Scrambler with Hunter 350.
The Hunter 350 has been spied on many occasions and given the frequency of it, the launch of the motorcycle looks very near. On the specification front, the motorcycle would be powered with a 350cc engine from the Classic 350 and would have similar brakes and ABS on it.
Looks however is where it’s at for this motorcycle. The Hunter 350 is a modern retro motorcycle that is easy on the eye and intended to don a timeless look. It has a Triumph Bonneville look which is not a bad thing at all. As they say, if you’re copying something, copy from the best.
The Royal Enfield Hunter is expected to launch around Mid 2022 and come with a price tag of Rs 2 Lakh. Personally, this is one motorcycle launching in 2022 that I am most excited about.
Triumph Bajaj
Bajaj has been trying to challenge Royal Enfield for many years. They have tried good motorcycles, Dominar 400 for example and have also gone cheeky with ads comparing Royal Enfield’s to Elephants. None of those tricks however have worked for Bajaj. They still fall way behind Royal Enfield in the above -200 cc segment.
After exhausting all of their wits, Bajaj have now turned to Triumph, the great motorcycle brand from the UK.
Triumph has been trying to enter the Indian market as well but their products are way costly for an average Indian motorcyclist. Now Bajaj and Triumph have partnered to beat Royal Enfield at their own game.
The next best motorcycle launch of 2022 is coming out of this partnership and has been spied being tested in the UK. The Bajaj – Triumph motorcycle looks like a single cylinder 350 odd cc motorcycle aimed directly at Hunter 350 and Royal Enfield to a larger extent.
This motorcycle looks very well designed and if Triumph’s quality is anything to go by, it could also be a well-built motorcycle as well. If priced right, the Bajaj- Triumph motorcycle could create a big headache for Royal Enfield in India, the only beneficiaries for which would be the customers. The expected price tag for this motorcycle is speculated to be around Rs 2.5- 4 Lakh.
Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650
It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has been the motorcycle that changed the whole course for this brand. The Royal Enfield was having a really difficult time competing with the likes of Hero, Bajaj and the new crop of Japanese motorcycles coming onto our shores prior to 2018. With ageing 350 and 500 engines that were unrefined and poorly built, Royal Enfield was on verge of collapse when they created the new 650cc twin.
With this new refined and high-quality twin-cylinder engine not only were they able to showcase their expertise but also became an internationally acclaimed motorcycle brand. The Interceptor 650 twins became bestsellers in the UK as well as in the USA. The Royal Enfield is now seen as a high-quality motorcycle brand and not one that makes cheap motorcycles.
The money and knowledge gained from Interceptor have pulled Royal Enfield out of misery and they have now become the biggest motorcycle brand from India. Their Classic 350 and Meteor 350s sales speak for themselves.
Now that they have established themselves as truly one of the best in the 350cc category, Royal Enfield has turned their eye to the 650cc class. With the intent of filling 650cc class with high-quality motorcycles, Royal Enfield is creating a cruiser with a 650cc engine from the Interceptor.
The motorcycle named Super Meteor 650 has been spied being tested on multiple occasions. It is coming along really nicely for the past half-year or so. The Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 has classic cruiser looks in the sense that it’s a laid back and powerful motorcycle.
The Super Meteor 650 is one of those motorcycles that are not to my taste but I can see people going nuts for it. I am excited for the Super Meteor 650 because it would be amazing to see Royal Enfield do the 650cc class what it did to the 350 one.
TVS mystery
TVS has been a motorcycle brand that I like a lot. It was able to successfully make a name for itself at the height of Hero’s and Bajaj’s supremacy and TVS should be applauded for that. In the recent few years, however, TVS has gone a little silent. When all the other motorcycle brands are trying to one-up each other with new launched, TVS looks content with what it has.
TVS’s last launch was a repainted Apache 310 RR and 200 4V. While those motorcycles are good for what they offer, they are also getting old. People will soon start moving onto bigger and better motorcycles and TVS will be left scraping for leftovers.
This is why TVS needs to come up with something that is as exciting as the Apache once was. I am not sure what the upcoming motorcycle from TVS would be called but I am certain that something is up with the people at Chennai based company.
Royal Enfield Scram 411
The Scram 411 is an odd motorcycle. As I have pointed out in another post, Scram 411 is not an ADV nor is it a scrambler. It is trying to do two things at once while accomplishing none at all. However, I have seen many sensible motorcycles failing miserably and many problematic ones succeeding so I would hold my judgement until this motorcycle is launched.
When it comes to the Scram 411, it is basically a barebones Himalayan with a 19-inch front tyre and without a windshield.
The Scram 411 is trying to cash on the Scrambler hype that has been created by Yezdi Scrambler recently. Although I would not be a potential customer for the Scram 411 I am still excited for its launch just to see what kind of reception it gets.
With everything that is going on in this world, COVID, Russia- Ukraine war, climate change, there are certain things that show that not all is bad with the world. These 5 upcoming motorcycles in 2022 are the ones that do that for me. What are your thoughts?
