Usually, higher performance will make a rather big ask of your wallet, but if you are looking for respectable levels of performance on a tight budget, here’s a list of five properly quick bikes under the Rs 3 lakh mark.
All prices ex-showroom Delhi.
5. Triumph Speed 400 and Scrambler 400s
40hp, Rs 2.51 lakh (Speed 400)
Rs 2.67 lakh (Scrambler 400 X)
Rs 2.94 lakh (Scrambler 400 XC)
The Speed 400 was the first product to emerge from the Bajaj-Triumph partnership, and with its classy looks paired with modern 40hp performance, it is a unique offering in the class. Just like the RE 450s, there is also an off-road capable machine in the form of the Scrambler 400 X and Scrambler 400XC, which fall well below the Rs 3 lakh threshold.
4. Triumph Thruxton 400
43hp, Rs 2.74 lakh
Triumph has further expanded its 400cc portfolio in India with the Thruxton 400. While it is based on the Speed 400 and features cafe-racer styling, the changes don't end there – power is bumped up by 2hp and is produced 1,000rpm higher. While the chassis, suspension and braking components remain unchanged from the Speed 400, the Thruxton 400 features subtle changes in geometry and weight – it weighs 2kg more.
3. Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z
43hp, Rs 1.92 lakh
2. Husqvarna Svartpilen 401
46hp, Rs 2.92 lakh
With the new gen-2 Husqvarna models, Bajaj has solved the unique problems that plagued the earlier bikes, and we finally have the 401 with 390 Duke levels of power and performance in India. Coming in at Rs 2.92 lakh, the Svartpilen 401 is essentially a more subtle and classy 390 Duke sans some electronic features.
1. KTM 390 Duke
46hp, Rs 2.97 lakh
The 390 Duke introduced India to proper performance machinery at an accessible price, and the 2025 bike stays true to that. In fact, Bajaj has now even given the bike cruise control, which should help 390 Duke owners when they go on long tours – an occurrence that happens quite often.
Honourable mention:
RE Guerrilla 450 and Himalayan
The Guerrilla is a 450cc roadster imagined by Royal Enfield, and it is powered by the same Sherpa 450 mill as the Himalayan, making 40hp and 40Nm (the highest torque figures here). The Himalayan also receives an honourable mention because it, too, makes 40hp and 40Nm, and is priced just under Rs 3 lakh. However, their lower power-to-weight ratios, compared to other 40hp motorcycles, is why they aren't a part of this list.
