Honda is reportedly working on a new 200 cc motorcycle platform for India. Citing unknown sources bikewale says that the new platform will be utilised to offer a street naked motorcycle, a faired motorcycle and an adventure-oriented motorcycle.
The first Honda 200 cc motorcycle will reach showrooms by early 2021. A new 200 cc range of motorcycles will allow Honda to take on the likes of Bajaj Pulsar RS200, Bajaj Pulsar NS200, and TVS Apache RTR 200 4V in India and many other emerging markets. Expect the new 200 cc motorcycles to get the usual bells and whistles like LED headlamps, digital instrumentation and possibly even connectivity with smartphones.
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Details about the powertrain are sketchy at the moment but the engine is claimed to be an air-cooled unit producing 20-23 PS. Such outputs will put the new Honda 200 cc motorcycles fairly in the performance zone of the competition. Honda will also have to focus on localisation to make position the motorcycles competitively.
At present, the CB Hornet 160R as the most premium Honda product made in India. The company had showcased the CX-01 concept Auto Expo way back in 2014. We wouldn’t be surprised if Honda’s Indian R&D team takes the CX-01 as a starting point for the 200 cc range. After all, the CX-01 was developed indigenously by Honda’s Indian R&D wing.
Offering a new 200 cc adventure-oriented motorcycle will be a significant asset for Honda in India. The segment got a taste of the action first with the Bajaj Pulsar 200AS, but the bike failed to garner volumes and was later discontinued. Today, the segment caters to the demand with the lone wolf Hero XPulse 200.
[Source: BikeWale]
