The popularity of smaller displacement adventure motorcycles has been growing in India, with a large number of new models scheduled to launch in the coming months. BMW recently opened bookings for the G 310 GS, along with its G 310 R, Hero is close to launching the XPulse, and KTM also recently confirmed a 2019 launch for its 390 Adventure.
Now, UM looks like it wants to capitalise on this as well, with two of its dual-sport bikes being spotted in India. The models in the image appear to be the Hypersport and the DSR, both of which are sold in overseas markets with varying displacements. In India, we expect both to come with the 223cc engine available on UM’s upcoming Renegade Duty motorcycles as well. While that would mean a slight displacement advantage over the XPulse, output is lower on the UM, with the XPulse managing 18.4hp from its 200cc motor.
Both bikes appear to have been tweaked and are expected to be optimised for lower costs for our market. In the case of the road-biased Hypersport, it appears that the USD fork from the international version has been dropped for a conventional telescopic unit. The mirrors and seat unit also seem to be different to the international version, with a lower, scooped seat indicating the ability to better accommodate shorter riders. Listed engine output on the UM Global website is 16hp at 7,500rpm and 17.69Nm at 5,500rpm, though it is not yet known whether the Indian version will make the same figures.
The second bike in the image resembles the UM DSR II, an off-road oriented bike that comes with wire-spoke wheels (19-inch front, 17-inch rear). Here too, the USD fork seems to have been ditched for a conventional unit, along with other minor tweaks such as the mirror design. The international-spec DSR comes with a digi-analogue instrument cluster, full-LED lighting and USB charging. Once again, it is not certain how many of these features will make their way to India. Claimed output on the international DSR is 15.74hp at 7,500rpm and 16.65Nm at 5,500rpm.
Both bikes feature a disc brake at either end, along with a rear monoshock performing suspension duties. ABS will have to be standard (thanks to the already implemented norms for bikes above 125cc) but it will be interesting to see if UM goes for a single- or dual-channel unit, seeing as none of their bikes currently offer the feature.
The exhaust routing seen on the Indian bikes appears to be very similar to that employed by the international versions, with an underseat exhaust canister on the right-hand side.
If these motorcycles do make it to India, their main competition will be in the form of the Hero XPulse 200, which is also yet to be launched and is expected by the end of the year. Going by the Renegade Duty’s announced price of Rs 1.1 lakh, it’s safe to expect that these bikes should be priced closer to the XPulse (whose prices should begin at around Rs 1 lakh) rather than the Rs 1.65 lakh Royal Enfield Himalayan.
All prices ex-showroom Delhi
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
