Small-capacity motorcycles, and by that we mean usually the ones under 300cc, absolutely rule the roost in the Indian market. But as many bikes of this sort as we get in the country, there are still quite a few of them that are available in South East Asia and even Europe which are simply not available here.
Some of these are really interesting motorcycles, which would feel right at home in the Indian market. Yet, bike makers here have made the choice of keeping them away from us for a multitude of reasons. So, while we aren't going to dwell on exactly why this is so, we thought it might be fun to see what we're missing out and pick five of our favourite small-capacity bikes that we would love to be able to buy in India.
DISCLAIMER: Manufacturers have absolutely no plans to launch any of the bikes from our list in India, and that seems unlikely to change anytime soon. Although, we think it would be absolutely brilliant if they did launch them.
Suzuki V-Strom 250
Honestly, we were conflicted between this and the Suzuki GSX-250R as both share the same 248cc parallel-twin motor (from the Inazuma). However, as much as we love the GSX-250R's scaled down sportsbike looks, this 25hp motor just doesn't cut the mustard for sporty thrills. So, we think this powerplant is best suited to the V-Strom 250's adventure-touring orientation. It has a peak torque figure of 23.4Nm, however Suzuki claims that the motor has been optimised for better low and mid-range torque – exactly what one expects from an adventure tourer. However, this V-Strom has been made with tarmac use in mind. It sports 17" cast-alloy wheels at both ends shod with road-going tyres. It's not superlight either, boasting a kerb weight of 188kg. But the emphasis on comfortable two-up touring is clear and the company claims a range of nearly 500km from its 17-litre fuel tank. To top things off, the rider's seat height is an accessibly low 800mm, and the bike gets wide handlebars along with a tall flyshield. Suzuki also offers pannier and tail box options for the V-Strom 250. Disc brakes at both ends along with ABS are offered as standard. With this small adventure bike scene in India about to hot up with the addition of the BMW G 310 GS and the KTM 390 Adventure to the trend started by the Royal Enfield Himalayan, the V-Strom 250 might just be a great addition. Just don't hold your breath for it though!
Power: 25hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 23.40Nm at 6,500rpm
Price: TBA (in Europe)
Honda CBR250RR
If the standard single-cylinder Honda CBR250R is like a smaller version of the sport touring VFR1200, then the new CBR250RR is akin to a scaled down full-fat CBR1000RR Fireblade superbike. This 250RR is powered by a 249.7cc, eight-valve liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor, which, thanks to its very short-stroke nature, makes 38.7hp of peak power that comes in at a sky-high 12,500rpm. The motor is quite high-tech too, as it gets a ride-by-wire throttle and even features three riding modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) which change the bike's power delivery characteristics. The 250RR is built around a trellis-type frame and sports some high-end suspension components such as upside-down forks at the front and a linked monoshock at the back connected to an aluminium swingarm. That, combined with a kerb weight of just 168kg (for the ABS-equipped model), it's clear from the get-go that this is a motorcycle that was designed with handling in mind. It's quite a striking looking thing as well, although the sleek, stacked LED headlight and DRL design is a bit polarising. But the rest of the sharp, sculpted form of the bike is undoubtedly very attractive. Honestly, we think this would be a great competitor to the likes of the KTM RC390 and we'd love to pit these two bikes head-to-head on a racetrack. Unfortunately, HMSI doesn't seem interested in giving us that chance.
Power: 38.7hp at 12,500rpm
Torque: 23.3Nm at 11,000rpm
Price: IDR 68.9 million (approx. Rs 3.35 lakh)
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
