Six Best Affordable Performance Bikes in India

High-performance motorcycles needn’t only remain festooned on the walls of your bedroom. The days of unattainable, hyper-expensive imports are over as the Indian motorcycle market grows each year to accomodate more and more entry and mid-level performance bikes. Many of these are built locally and can be paid for through breezy installments.

Yamaha YZF-R3

Yamaha was one of the first International manufacturers to set up shop in India, and they’ve developed a reputation for building hard-edged track weapons. Given that their first modern, entry-level performance motorcycle – the R15, was a smashing success, Yamaha decided to up the stakes by introducing the new R3 to the Indian market.

Packing a 321cc, twin-cylinder motor, the bike puts out 41.4 bhp and is one of the smoothest units out there. Given that it’s a Yamaha, excellent quality and finish come with the territory. The fully-faired R3, although perfectly enjoyable on public roads, is particularly rewarding on a race track – it’s natural abode. If executing knee-downs and attacking corners with precision is your thing, the Yamaha is the bike you’re looking for.

Price: Rs 3.25 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi)

Mahindra Mojo

The Mojo is Mahindra’s first venture into performance motorcycling and from the looks of it, they’re heading into the right direction. Unlike the R3, the Mojo is designed to be an entry-level tourer with its upright riding position, scalloped seats and torquey, 300cc, single-cylinder engine.

Designed like a proper muscle bike, the Mojo is a handsome machine, with a large, dual-headlamp cowl up front and twin exhaust pipes at the back, making it look very muscular an wholesome in profile. It’s also got an excellent set of Pirelli tyres providing fly paper like adhesion to the tarmac, so you can dive into corners pretty fast. Built in India, the Mojo is one of the most affordable portals to performance motorcycling.

Price: Rs 1.58 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi)

Royal Enfield Continental GT

Royal Enfields were known to run primarily on charm and goodwill. No one accused them of being fast since they were seen, at worst, as relics of a glorious past, or at best, the only path to old-school, elemental motorcycling. All of this changed when the brand introduced the Continental GT café racer. Styled like café racers of the 70’s, the Conti GT is the last word in retro cool.

It’s not all about apperances either, because the Conti GT goes like stink. That earthy, 500cc RE engine has been bored out to 535cc and tweaked to give 29.1 bhp of power with 4 kgm of peak torque, making it the most powerful Royal Enfield engine ever. Bar-end mirrors, clip-on handlebars and plenty of retro charm make the RE Conti GT one of the best looking bikes in the country.

Price: Rs 1.92 lakh (Ex-showroom, Mumbai)

Honda CBR650F

Honda makes some of the finest motorcycles in the world, no two ways about it, so forgive us for being ecstatic about the new CBR650F that’s just arrived in India. Unlike the CBR600RR, the CBR650F isn’t a hardcore supersport. It’s a more comfortable sports tourer, but what sets it apart is that ultra-sophisticated in-line four cylinder engine – the hallmark of any proper Honda.

Like all Hondas, the CBR650F is a very friendly, approachable motorcycle, which feels perfectly maneuverable despite its not inconsiderable kerb weight. It’s got 85 bhp of power, so it’s not exactly benign once the throttle gates open. For all its sophistication, useability and speed, the CBR650F isn’t a cheap machine, but it certainly is one of the best.

Price: Rs 7.3 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi)

Benelli TNT 600i

Any city dwelling motorcycle enthusiast will tell you that naked street bikes are the way to go. They’re nearly as fast as their fully-faired, track bred counterparts while being a lot more comfortable and useable in everyday life. The mid-level sports naked spot isn’t too well known or populated in India, but bikes like the Benelli TNT 600i make a compelling argument in their favour.

The TNT 600i also sports an in-line four engine which puts out 83 bhp of peak power. Despite packing some seriously sophisticated components it happens to be one of the more affordable sport nakeds out there.

Price: Rs 5.15 lakh

Ducati Scrambler

The Ducati Scrambler is possibly the coolest new motorcycle in town. Simple in execution and achingly beautiful, it is the answer to al your motorcycling needs, wrapped in a veneer of retro. With four visually distinct variants, it’s practically a sub-brand for Ducati!

Powering it is an 803cc, twin-cylinder engine which produces an adequate 75bhp of power. In the Urban Enduro skin, the bike is more equipped to go off-roading, while the Classic variant gets funky looking spoke wheels and badging that resembles the scramblers of the 70’s. Whether you want to rush to the nearest café or throw some dirt around on a beach, the Scrambler is the most affordable Ducati and the coolest all-purpose motorcycle of the year.

Price: Rs 6.77 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi)