Top 8 neo-retro motorcycles under Rs 3 lakh

The term neo-retro is a bit of an oxymoron, yet somehow the Indian market has wholeheartedly embraced them since Royal Enfield floated the idea in the form of the Classic 350 in 2009. Since then, the segment has largely been defined by the brand as well, but now, there’s competition; thankfully, they’re all different in their own ways and have distinct characters. So, if you’re especially fond of the segment, here’s what you can bring home for under Rs 3 lakh.

All prices mentioned are ex-showroom, Delhi

Honda CB500

Starts at 2.75 lakh

Although Honda had announced the CB500 in July this year, the prices were revealed only in late September with deliveries expected to start in October for the alloy version. The CB500 was a pleasant surprise from the Japanese brand and is considered to be Honda trying to fill in the void left by the erstwhile Royal Enfield Classic 500. It has a 501cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine with 28.1hp and 43.3Nm. Honda is expected to keep the features identical to the 350 line-up with the step-up in power figures as the biggest difference.

The price mentioned above is for the version with alloy wheels, but there are two more versions available with tubeless, cross-spoke wheels. The version with single colours will set you back Rs 3 lakh, with the top-end striped-tank version coming in at Rs 3.02 lakh, barely stepping outside the price range. Currently, the CB500 operates in a segment of its own, with the nearest comparable rivals being the Harley-Davidsons and the Royal Enfield 650s on either side.

Triumph Bonneville T4/T40

Starts at Rs 2.55 lakh

This is the latest entry to the category, with Triumph launching the duo on October 6. While the Bonneville T40 debuted internationally, the British manufacturer has introduced the Bonneville T4 exclusively for India. The T40 is the most feature-packed motorcycle in this list with a new 4-inch TFT display, ride-by-wire, five ride modes, slip-and-assist clutch, corner-sensitive ABS and traction control, as well as cruise control, all as standard. Its 349cc engine is the only other liquid-cooled mill in the list too, with 29hp and 31.2Nm. It’s also the most-expensive 350 in the list at Rs 2.80 lakh.

If that price made you wince a bit, that’s where the Bonneville T4 comes in. It has simpler styling and colour options, no cruise control or corner-sensitive systems, and three ride modes for Rs 25,000 less. Bookings are now open for both, with the T40 deliveries starting in November this year; T4 admirers will have to wait till January next year to get one for themselves.

While not exactly neo-retros, Triumph also has the Speed 400 and Speed T4 which are, by the brand’s own definition, modern classics. In the Speed 400, the 349cc engine makes 37hp and 32Nm, and in the Speed T4, the unit makes 29hp and 31Nm. The Speed T4 comes in at Rs 2.10 lakh, making it the most affordable Triumph 400 (with a 349cc engine) you can buy. There’s also the Tracker 400 at Rs 2.43 lakh, but with flat-tracker aesthetics, it is more of a niche motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson X440

Starts at Rs 2.35 lakh

Launched in 2023, the X440 was Harley-Davidson’s crack at making a mass-market motorcycle. Built with quite a bit of help from Hero, the X440 looks to transfer the famed V-twin experience with an air-cooled single-cylinder engine, at a cost palatable to most Indians. The X440 is powered by a 440cc engine with 27hp and 38Nm. Feature-set is once again on the slim side, but if you’d like the best of Harley 440s, the X440 T offers ride-by-wire, traction control, and turn-by-turn navigation via its 3.5-inch TFT display.

The X440’s looks, availability, and price continue to be its biggest challenges, but anyone who’s ridden one agrees that it’s a great, soulful motorcycle.

Jawa 350/42 FJ

Starts at 2.02 lakh

The historic Czech brand was brought back by Mahindra’ Classic Legends in 2018, with the Jawa (Jawa) and the 42. In its latest guise, the 350 and the 42 FJ share the same 334cc engine, although in different states of tune. The 350’s engine makes 22.57hp and 28.1Nm, whereas the 42 FJ’s engine makes 29.2hp and 29.6Nm. The 350 keeps the authentic retro experience intact with a mostly analogue instrument cluster with no smartphone connectivity. The 42 FJ slightly builds up on it with an exclusive ‘All Stars’ design – which it shares with the 42 FJ and the 42 Bobber – and a fully digital instrument cluster, but doesn’t move the figurative needle much forward from there.

Yezdi Roadster

Starts at Rs 2 lakh

Yezdi is the second brand revived by Classic Legends after Jawa, who then revived the British Classic BSA. The Roadster appears to share the 334cc engine with the 42 FJ with identical 29.2hp and 29.6Nm. However, the Roadster is slightly more accessible than the FJ with a 790mm seat height (versus 797mm). That and their different approaches to the retro design should help you zero in on your choice.

Honda CB350

Starts at Rs 1.95 lakh

Honda looked at the Royal Enfield’s 350s and raised the stakes with its own 350cc line-up of motorcycles. Like Royal Enfield, Honda also offers different flavours of the same formula. The standard CB350, the CB350C that turns up the nostalgia factor even more, and the CB350RS that borrows Scrambler aesthetics and is touted to be the most modern option of the line-up.

All models share the same 348.36cc engine with 20.7hp and 30Nm of torque, but there are minor changes in the kerb weight, tyre sizes and fuel tank capacity; explained in more detail here. The Hondas match the features offered by the others by way of smartphone connectivity, but Honda offers the safety net of traction control as standard, across all variants.

Jawa 42

Starts at Rs 1.85 lakh

Despite the similar sounding names, the Jawa 42 is treated as a different motorcycle and is powered by a different 294.7cc engine that makes 27.3hp and 26.8Nm. It’s currently only offered with the ‘All Stars’ styling. However, features-wise nothing has changed on the 42 compared with the 42 FJ. The three Jawas have two of three liquid-cooled engines in this list.

Royal Enfield 350s

Starts at Rs 1.37 lakh

As we said at the beginning, Royal Enfield continues to define the segment, despite facing intense competition from brands like Honda and Jawa/Yezdi for the past few years. Gone are the days where you only had the Bullet 350 and the Classic 350. Today, you can choose from five different 350s. Like a cruiser? Get the Meteor. Want a Bobber? Get the Goan Classic 350. Mostly commuting? Get the Hunter 350.

There’s not much left to be said about the Royal Enfield 350s, they’ve stood the test of time for a reason and assuming your understanding of retros isn’t misguided, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy riding one, no matter which version of it you choose. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call this segment Royal Enfield’s bread-and-butter since they dominate the UK-Indian manufacturer’s sales charts consistently.

Irrespective of your choice, you’ll get the same 349cc engine with 20.2hp and 27Nm. The feature-set is pretty slim, but that’s par for the course for the segment. Most of these motorcycles now have a Tripper pod for turn-by-turn navigation, a slip-and-assist-clutch and a type-C USB port.