125-400cc

After making a sweet spot in the hearts of enthusiasts with its Ninja 300, Kawasaki had struck again with its yet another onslaught in the entry-level performance motoring, Z250. It was first launched in 2013 for the Asian markets post which the Japanese Green team gave the Z300 for Australia and Europe.

Designed and engineered on the lines of the bigger Z’s, the Z250 also promises to give the thrills of the Ninja in a more affordable package. After the Ninja 300, we were speculating that Kawasaki might launch its Z300 on our shores, but that seems out of the question at the moment. Nonetheless, we stay optimistic with this Z250 making rounds of eastern roads. It gets Euro IV compliant engine, new color schemes, and the much needed ABS. Good news is never too late.

Piaggio expands its “Vespino” footprint yet again with the GTS Super 300 and Supersport variant. While it can be said of every Vespa that the design roots generally run deep, these two rides make references to some very specific models from history in order to establish its pedigree. Classic Italian looks are always nice, but under the hood the Super packs away 21st century tech to make it a thoroughly modern machine. Safety features were a front-burner issue for Vespa, so the factory blessed the family with a double layer of stability insurance that makes the line suitable as an entry-level scooter that is capable of performing within the urban riding environment. Ready to hunt for some Easter Eggs?

Continue reading for my review of the Vespa GTS Super 300 and GTS Super 300 Sport.

Kawasaki’s “W” family has been on the world stage since 1966, and the legacy continues with the new W250. This cute little “leisure bike” packs classic charm into a small package with dated references and finishes that invoke plenty of nostalgia. Power comes from a 250 cc plant with over 15 ponies on tap and loads of fun for an entry-level rider, or one seeking to move up from small-displacement scooters. As simple as it is attractive, the W250 certainly brings something special to the market, so today I’m going to take a look at Kawi’s little retro-ride to see what makes it tick.

Continue reading for my look at the Kawasaki W250.

The Korean manufacturer has been really trying hard with having a success in our market for a long time. All their success stories, if any, have been very short-lived, and with ten models in the country, none of them have a great one to share. Blame their marketing department for not creating the hype.

But without giving up on their standing chance, Hyosung has been undergoing a rescue mission and developed a new platform for their smaller capacity motorcycles. And the first iteration from them is the GD250R. It features a single-cylinder motor and is aimed at a full faired sports segment.

We all had seen the GD250R at the EICMA in Milan a couple of years back, but we couldn’t figure out why it could not generate a considerable interest back then. Then, it was on display at the Long Beach IMS, and looking at the motorcycle in its flesh, faith seems to have gotten restored.

Vespa carries its GTS 300 scooter into 2018, and it adds a new variant dubbed the “Touring” for the rider who is looking for some stock cargo capacity and touring capabilities. As usual, Vespa maintains the classic looks and features long associated with the brand, but it has added some decidedly modern gadgetry to the mix that brings the machine right up to date. Traction control and anti-lock brakes add safety and value to help move this family up to make a bid for top-shelf status within its displacement. It will have some stiff competition from the Japanese sector, so today I want to dissect the GTS to see how it stacks up.

See my review of the Vespa GTS 300 and GTS 300 Touring.

The genie was out of the bottle for quite a while now. The Austrian manufacturer has constantly been developing new products to cater its adventurist customers with the latest developments being the 790 Adventure R and the smaller 390 Adventure. The web is now flooded with images of KTM testing their newest creation on roads, and a few grabbed our attention too.

Captured by our good folks at Motorcycle.com, we’re more than glad that KTM has come a long way from exposed frame welds, flat sheet plastic zip-tied bodywork and an information-gathering module in place of the instrument panel.

BMW Motorrad turned us on to its newest mid-size scooter, the C 400 X, at the 2017 EICMA with an amply-powered thumper that handles highway speeds and turns in a very respectable 0-60 mph time; not bad at all for a genre made up mainly of rides more appropriate for putting around campus or retirement communities.

Continue reading for my review of the BMW C 400 X.

BMW’s G 310 R roadster got a brother as it entered the 2017 model year with the addition of the adventuresome G 310 GS. The “GS” builds on the success of the “R” with a few subtle changes that shift the design toward the adventure bike end of the spectrum. Sharing the same 313 cc engine, the G 310 pair head into the low-displacement market alongside some hot competition.

Continue reading for my review of the BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS.

Founded in 2006, (RED) has managed to raise an impressive $475 million with the help of kind partners. This organization has since touched over 90 million souls and assisted them in their battle against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Being the first automotive brand to collaborate with the organization, the Piaggio Group has created the stunning (Vespa 946) RED for markets in Europe, the Pacific Area and the United States.

Piaggio steps up its backwards-leaning-trike game ahead of MY2018 with brushed up looks and a brand new 350 cc engine. The larger engine replaces the 300 and promises greater performance to go with its urbanite looks and unique front-suspension system that delivers a safe and stable ride without sacrificing the feeling of flight that makes leaning into the corners so much fun. Electronic safety features bolster the inherent stability of the Delta-trike design to make the MP3 as safe as possible, and Piaggio seems to have accomplished that with a trifecta of features that work together to provide overlapping safety nets. Think I’m overstating it? I don’t think that is possible with this ride.

Continue reading for my look at the Piaggio MP3 350.

Lance Powersports takes a stab at the cruiser market with the Cali Classic model range. Produced by the Sanyang Motor Company since 2010 and branded for Lance, the Cali falls into areas already covered by other models in the lineup, but it offers a bit of a more Western flavor in a bid to draw more of the North American market. Neither SYM nor Lance are particularly well-know entities on this side of the pond, but they might be worth a look for someone in the market for a scooter in the 50-to-200 cc range. New last year, the Cali Classic 200i replaced the 150, bringing fuel injection to the table.

Continue reading for my review of the Lance Cali Classic.

A greater deal of thought is gone into using alternative sources to power our vehicles, and one such attempt is made by the Indian start-ups that are striving for a greater cause. There has never been a better time to introduce zero-emission vehicles that cater to a larger mass of bikers and commuters alike. There hasn’t been a lot of success stories on this front, but things have now started to change for good.

India’s first avatar of an indigenously designed and developed electric motorcycle by a Pune based start-up is the first commercial zero-emission motorcycle of the country. Being the biggest two-wheeler market in the world, this was a no-brainer. Specked out with a decent battery-motor combo, the T6X is best suitable for short runs within the urban jungle.

In 2013, Aprilia launched its first mass oriented scooter, the SR Motard 50 under the "supermoto-inspired" range. This was an ‘out-of-the-blues’ decision for a superbike maker like Aprilia, courtesy of its parent company, Piaggio, thus targeting itself towards a niche younger audience. However, with the SR 150, Aprilia has widened its base and has created an all-new segment of performance-oriented scooters for the mass market buyers although it hasn’t come onto US shores yet.

Touted to be the sporty yet fun-to-ride scooter, Aprilia has launched a limited edition version of the scooter titled as SR 150 RACE for its Asian markets, which comes with some cosmetic as well as mechanical changes over its regular version. Here’s is a comprehensive review of the all-new Aprilia SR 150 Race:-

Benelli must have lost its old world charm of making machines pecked with impeccable high cap mills and is finding it difficult to proclaim its identity amidst the modern and competitive world, even more after a Chinese firm acquired it. But now, it seems like a thing of the past, more of a ‘myth’ one could say. Benelli has started showcasing us products designed by CentroStile Benelli, and slowly their reputation seems to have gotten back to its original charm albeit with entry-level machines.

The Italian marquee Benelli, which after raking in some interesting numbers with its range of naked streetfighters, has now come up with its first fully faired motorcycle in the entry-level segment, the 302R. With what is supposed to just be a ’fairing slapped on’ issue with the naked TNT 300, the 302R promises more than that.

Vespa refurbishes its venerable Sprint scooter family ahead of the 2018 model year in an effort to get even more mileage out of the name and adds an “S” model with some upgraded electronics. And why not? The Sprint has been around for half-a-century and more, and the factory made sure that the looks, however updated, pay proper homage to the original. Power comes from the “i-get” engines that produce 2.4 kW and 40 mph at the 50 cc break with 9.5 kW and 59 mph from the 150 cc mill. ABS makes a showing as well for a taste of the electronic wizardry and extra safety to meet the public’s growing expectation of same. As with all their products, the Powers That Be down at Piaggio/Vespa takes the little Vespino very seriously, so let’s dive in and see what else our Italian friends have in store for us.

Continue reading for my review of the Vespa Sprint.

If you think that Ducati made the Scramblers for entertaining the youth, you are absolutely right. But if you believe the Italians cannot entice them more than this, oh boy you are so wrong. Ducati has finally bowed down to the millennials who love doing everything through a screen. Planned out by the millennial interns at the Ducati offices, the firm has launched the most affordable Scrambler model adding to the already strong line-up of six models.

And it’s aptly called the Scrambler Hashtag. Yes, the #. What is even more brain tickling is the fact that Ducati is going to sell these bikes exclusively through a screen rather than on a showroom floor. But it isn’t as straightforward as your Amazon deliveries are and is currently made available only to the European streets.