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Posted on Dec. 2021 13:05:00
Take a look back at some of the biggest events and hottest new launches of 2021.
1) Royal Rumble
It has been an important year for the Big Four Indian manufacturers, all of which have had impressive launches. Perhaps the most important of this year is Royal Enfield, which has rolled out its all-important 2021 Classic 350. It shares pretty much the same silhouette as its predecessor (something that has been deliberately and painstakingly done), but we’re happy to announce that it is a marked improvement over the bike it replaces, in almost every respect.
Also read: 2021 Royal Enfield Classic 350 overhaul, road test
2) A new impetus for Pulsar
With the launch of the new 250cc twins, Bajaj breathed new life into the increasingly obsolete Pulsar range. And while the bikes might not be as impressive as some Pulsars in the past, they are nonetheless very likable and worthy flagship of the Pulsar brand.
Also read: Bajaj Pulsar N250, F250 exam, test ride
3) KTM racing reviews
Arguably the most overlooked of all KTM’s model lines in India, the Race-y RC range finally received their first real new life in 2021. The update includes a completely revised chassis and a radical new look to match, among other things. The Austrian brand launched the 2022 RC 125 and RC 200 in India this year, the latter of which we have driven and you can check out our first impressions. here. The top of the range RC 390 is expected to hit our market in January 2022.
4) The hero’s innovation
Hero has done its fair share of technological advancements this year, releasing its very first 4-valve motorcycle in the form of the Xpulse 200 4V. We had the chance to try this new and improved off-roader, and you can check out our impressions here. Of course, the commuter segment is Hero’s bread and butter, so it would be impossible for the company to ignore it. And here, too, its Glamor Xtec introduced features like Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation for the very first time in the 125cc segment.
5) The thoughtfulness of TVS
TVS has made progress with its product portfolio, with a pair of impressive new offerings, as well as valuable upgrades to existing models. Its flagship motorcycle, the Apache RR 310, now offers a neat customization program with practical additions that can be made to the bike at a very reasonable cost. But the real stars of the show have been the fun new Raider 125 and the superbly sensitive Jupiter 125.
6) Yamaha’s bold move
Although it is relatively younger than our motorcycle market, the Indian scooter market is still very evolving. 2021 has really seen new shapes, sizes and approaches to scooters. Most impressive of the lot has been the Yamaha Aerox 155, which claims to be a 155cc sports scooter and rather lives up to that label. The foreign-to-India form factor helps it stand out, but the real star of the show is the liquid-cooled engine derived from the YZF-R15. To find out what it feels like to ride, head over here.
7) The promise of the revolution
In the rapidly evolving world of electric scooters, the disruptive Ola S1 Pro electric scooter aims to move the goalposts with peak acceleration, a claimed range of 181km and new features like cruise control. But 2022 will be the real test of how well this revolutionary new machine lives up to the hype created around it. You can see our first impressions here.
8) Slow recovery in sales
The remarkably strong rebound shown by the two-wheeler market in the aftermath of the first wave proved difficult to sustain, with sales figures in 2021 showing a slight increase year-over-year, but still far from levels before the pandemic. 2021 has not been without challenges, with the second wave (albeit shorter than the first) and, perhaps more importantly, the global semiconductor shortage proving to be obstacles in the way of success. sales. The good news here is that the slump in ongoing sales is largely due to a lack of supply, rather than a lack of demand, so once the supply chain has settled, it should lead the way. to a rebound.
9) an electrifying market
Despite all the difficulties this year, one pocket of the two-wheeler market that has thrived is that of electric two-wheelers. For the first time ever, E2Ws sold over 1,000,000 units in a calendar year in India, and they even did so with a month to spare. In November, the 1,16,669 units sold translated into a massive 355% year-over-year increase. And while a big chunk of that is electric scooters from Hero Electric and Okinawa that aren’t strictly locally developed, the locally born Ather scooters, TVS iQube, and Bajaj Chetak also saw a big increase in numbers. sales, indicating that our market is slowly heating up to these zero emission machines.
10) The return of India Bike Week
After a COVID-induced disruption, India’s biggest bike festival has returned with a new location, but the same old, action-packed atmosphere. Held in Aamby Valley City in Maharashtra this time around, the 2021 edition saw the launch of the Harley-Davidson Sportster S and the Honda H’ness CB350 Anniversary Edition, as well as the unveiling of the upcoming Honda CB300R compliant with BS6 standard. Kawasaki also took the stage to present its recently launched Z650RS neo-retro motorcycle.
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