Keeway Vieste 300, Sixties 300i launched in India at Rs 2.99 lakh

Keeway Motor has launched the Vieste 300 and Sixties 300i in India at Rs 2.99 lakh. Both scooters can now be booked for a token amount of Rs 10,000. The Vieste 300 and Sixties 300i share most of their components, including the 278.2cc engine. Due to their performance and pricing, they sit in a class of their own.

• Bookings open for both at Rs 10,000

• Both powered by the same 18.7hp, 22Nm engine

• No direct rivals for these two machines in our country yet

Keeway Vieste 300, Sixties 300i: mechanical overview

The Keeway Vieste 300 and the Sixties 300i are both powered by the same 278.2cc, single cylinder, liquid-cooled, 4-valve engine churning out 18.7hp at 6,500rpm and 22Nm of torque at 6,000rpm. Combined with dual-channel ABS, braking duties are handled by 240mm/220mm, front/rear disc brakes on the Vieste 300, and a 230mm/220mm, front/rear disc brake set-up on the Sixties 300i. 

While the Vieste 300 gets a 12-litre fuel tank, a 10-litre is one found on the Sixties 300i. The Vieste 300 runs on 13-inch alloys with a 110/70 front and a 130/70 rear tyre. The Sixties 300i, meanwhile, runs on 12- inch alloys at both ends. 

Suspension duties on both models are handled by a telescopic fork at the front and hydraulic shocks at the rear. Ground clearance on the Vieste 300 and the Sixties 300i stands at 135mm and 140mm respectively.

Keeway Vieste 300, Sixties 300i: features

The Vieste 300’s design screams maxi-scooter from the get-go. The large apron, tinted visor, headlamp unit with four LED projectors, LED tail-lamp and butch proportions give it the quintessential maxi-scooter look. It also gets keyless operation, something seldom found in the scooter segment in India. The three colour options – black, blue and white – are only offered in matte finish. Instrumentation on the Vieste 300 is handled by a display that has both digital and analogue elements.

On the other hand, the Sixties 300i takes an approach opposite to its maxi-scooter-styled sibling and opts to go for a more retro design. The hexagonal LED headlamp, grille on the front apron, split seats, and even down to the font, this design is decidedly more old-school in philosophy. The multi-function ignition switch is, perhaps, one of the few modern design cues here. The three colours on offer – light blue, white and grey – are, again, available only in matte finish.

Keeway Vieste 300, Sixties 300i: competition; or rather, the lack of it

At this price point and these specsheet numbers, it is hard to draw a comparison to any other scooter currently sold in India. These scooters are in a niche of their own, sitting well above the Yamaha Aerox 155 (Rs 1.37 lakh) and Aprilia SXR 160 (Rs 1.39 lakh), and much, much below the Rs 10.40 lakh BMW C400GT. At this price point, these scooters are even more expensive than something like the TVS Apache RR310 (Rs 2.59 lakh), BMW G310R (Rs 2.67 lakh) and Honda CB300R(Rs 2.77 lakh). Granted, these bikes aren’t exactly the intended competition for the Chinese-owned Hungarian machines, it does make the pricing a little harder to swallow. 

Keeway and what’s next

Keeway is a Hungarian brand formed originally in 1999, presently owned by the Qianjiang (QJ) group based out of the Zhejiang province, China. QJ is also the parent company of the Italian marque Benelli. Keeway is said to have a presence in 98 countries with a range of scooters, motorcycles and ATVs spanning anywhere between 125cc to 1,200cc. 

Keeway has also partnered up with Adishwar Auto Ride India (also a partner of Benelli). Both Keeway and Benelli will use the assembly plant as well as the network of 40 dealers across India.

For India, Keeway plans to introduce eight models in 2022. Another thing to note is that the pricing for their cruiser – the Keeway K-Light 250V – is yet to be announced, so watch this space.

What do you think of the pricing for the Keeway scooters? Let us know in the comments section below.