The trend of adventure-touring bikes is not new to India. Many Indian actors and actresses rode such bikes – of foreign make – to stardom. After being projected as machines that were truly out of reach of the masses, adventure-touring bikes have come a long way in the country. Seeking rejuvenation with the arrival of premium machines like the Triumph Tiger and Honda Africa Twin, they have spread themselves to newer budget points. They have got themselves closer to a point where they can appeal to the masses. Offerings like the Royal Enfield Himalayan and Hero Xpulse have got the prospect of owning an adventure-touring bike closer to riders having a tight budget to comprehend. Considered as dandy machines that could ride on the road, and off it, these bikes have come to draw the attention of young riders. Proving to be highly aspirational, adventure-touring bikes, with high ground clearance and a longer-travel suspension among other attributes, are aligning well with the exponential rise in the trend to ride on and offroad.

Not to be left out, Honda has launched the CB200X adventure touring bike at a price of INR 144,500 (ex-showroom, Mumbai). Earlier, the company had the Hornet to offer. Based on the Hornet 2.0, the CB200X is a sizeable touring-ready bike. It looks quite different from the Hornet 2.0. As an entry-level machine, it draws good attention. Introduced post much research and understanding of the buyer and user psyche, the CB200X, with its wind visor, sharp tank shrouds that connect the LED headlight to the tank and the handguards with integrated turn signal indicators, looks attractive. The pillion grab rails have been revised and are now bigger and wider. To ensure better off-road control and ride, conventional road tyres have been given a preference over knobby tyres. The thinking behind it is that conventional tyres will provide optimum grip. The new machine is available in three colour variants – Sports Red, Pearl Nightstar Black and Matte Selene Silver Metallic.

With an upright riding posture, the handlebars of the CB200X are raised. Comfortable for long-distance touring, the wind visor, although small, helps in reducing wind resistance at high speeds. A diamond-type chassis frame – it is the same as Hornet – evenly distributes the weight at the front and the rear. The kerb weight of CB200X is 147 kg. With a fuel tank capacity of 12 litres, the bike offers a riding range of between 400 and 500 km. This is subject to the nature of one’s riding style, however. Equipped with gold-coloured upside-down forks at the front and a rear mono-shock suspension, the CB200X offers a good ride and handling ability. If there are instances when the rider is made to think that he could do well with some more suspension travel, the bike does a fair job of negotiating the surfaces that come its way.

Powered by a 17 hp, 184 cc engine, the bike does 16.1 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. Keeping up with the city traffic with ease, the bike supports an easy ride over a variety of road surfaces due to its high ground clearance. Out on a highway, it does tend to ask for more power and torque. But then, find a sweet spot and the CB200X makes an easy task of riding it. Sans any riding modes that would help modulation of traction as per the surface underneath, the bike is fitted with conventional alloys. It is equipped with tubeless tyres. The front tyre specification is 110/70 – 17, and that of the rear is 140/70 -17. The 276 mm petal disc at the front and 220 mm solid disc at the rear ensure good braking ability as well. There is a single-channel ABS on the front wheel.

The upswept exhaust and tail fender of the CB200X come from the Hornet 2.0. Featuring a fully digital instrument console, which relays gear position indicator, digital clock, service due indicator and battery voltmeter, the CB200X is priced at INR 10,000 more than the Hornet 2.0. Speaking at the launch, Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President and CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, mentioned that the CB200X was designed keeping in mind the evolving lifestyle of the Indian youth. As an urban explorer, it presents a riding experience that would cajole the rider to explore. The CB200X is a perfect riding companion for daily city rides and also for short weekend getaways, he said. (MT)

 

Hero Xpulse 200 Vs Honda CB200X

In the sparsely populated sub-200 cc adventure category in India, the Hero Xpulse 200 could be considered as the direct rival of the CB200X. The 220 mm ground clearance and 190 mm front fork travel lends the Xpulse 200 great manoeuvrability on and off the road. The bike weighs 157 kg and is powered by a 17.8 bhp, 199.6 cc engine that does 16.45 Nm peak torque at 6,500 rpm. Heavier than the CB200X by 10 kg, the Xpulse 200 is priced at INR 120,000 (ex-showroom, Mumbai). It is less costly than the CB200X by roughly INR 20,000. It will be interesting, therefore, to see how the CB200X grabs the pie of the category from the Xpulse 200, especially when the buyer is expected to be highly cost-conscious. (MT)

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Bhago Mobility has partnered Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India and Honda Power Pack Energy India to launch an electric last-mile rental service for Delhi Metro passengers.

The service, named BhaGoMo – iRide, has commenced operations at ITO Metro Station, marked as the first of six hub locations finalised with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

As per the understanding, passengers will now be able to rent Honda Activa e: scooters at Gate No 3 for hourly or daily durations. The verification will occur through the Bhago app via DigiLocker, while vehicles use swappable batteries compatible with the Honda e:Swap network, which operates across 90 stations and 202 battery exchangers in Delhi NCR.

The partnership combines vehicle supply from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, battery swapping infrastructure from Honda Power Pack Energy India, and digital platform management from Bhago Mobility. The companies plan to expand the service model to additional metro networks across Indian cities.

Aditya Goyal, Founder, Bhago Mobility, said, “The ITO launch is a beginning. Together, Bhago and its partners intend to replicate the metro-hub model across the country – taking the same combination of metro-station convenience, Honda-engineered vehicles, battery swapping and AI-powered operations to metro networks and transit hubs in cities across India. The goal is simple: wherever mass transit moves people, an easy, convenient, comfortable, reliable and safe electric last-mile ride should be waiting at the gate. Bhago itself is inspired by Soichiro Honda’s philosophy Yume no Chikara – the Power of Dreams – and Sapno Ki Sawari, the Ride of Dreams, is our expression of it: world-class Japanese engineering, India’s world-class metro, and a platform that keeps the city Always On”

Mutsuo Usui, Director of Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said, “This collaboration brings together shared strengths to make electric last-mile mobility more practical and convenient for everyday commuters. It is a meaningful step towards addressing evolving urban mobility needs,”

Takuya Taniguchi, President & CEO, Honda Power Pack Energy India, said, "Battery swapping has already proven itself for commercial EV fleets – now, with BhaGoMo – iRide, we're bringing that same Honda e:Swap convenience to Delhi's daily commuters. This launch at ITO is the first step in a partnership that extends the ease of Delhi Metro travel all the way to the commuter's final destination."

Dr Amit Kumar Jain, Director of Operations & Services at DMRC, said, “DMRC is committed to strengthening last-mile connectivity through safe, convenient and eco-friendly mobility solutions. The iRide initiative by BhaGoMo will offer commuters a sustainable last-mile connectivity option while contributing to reducing pollution. We welcome this initiative and look forward to extending such eco-friendly solutions to more metro stations.”

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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, one of the leading two-wheeler manufacturers, has announced the pricing for the ADV160 and Rebel 300 models, marking the initial releases from a 10-product portfolio introduced in July 2026.

The Honda ADV160 is priced at INR 170,000 ex-showroom Bengaluru, and will be available through Honda RedWing and BigWing dealerships.

The ADV160 is powered by a 156.93cc liquid-cooled engine using FlexTech technology; the model supports fuel blends up to E85 fuel. It features a 27-litre under-seat storage area, a TFT display with Honda RoadSync turn-by-turn navigation, Honda Selectable Torque Control and front & rear disc brakes with single-channel ABS.

The Honda Rebel 300 costs INR 222,000 for the Standard variant and INR 262,000 for the E-Clutch variant ex-showroom Bengaluru. Manufactured in India, the motorcycle will sell through Honda BigWing dealerships. It is powered by a 286cc liquid-cooled engine, LED projector headlamp, TFT instrument screen with Honda RoadSync navigation and disc brakes at both ends with dual-channel ABS.

The models can be reserved for INR 5,000 through the Honda website and authorised dealerships, with customer deliveries scheduled to begin in mid-October 2026.

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TVS Motor Company has launched the TVS iQube MillionR special edition to mark reaching one million customers for its electric scooter model.

The special edition is built on the 3.5 kWh variant of the TVS iQube, which offers an IDC range of 145 kilometres. The model features an Aurora Green Dual Tone finish, revised graphics, seat upholstery and dedicated badging.

The company has increased the storage capacity from 32 litres to 35.5 litres through the addition of a front utility storage compartment alongside a USB Type-C charging port. The e-scooter comes with 118 connected technology functions.

The TVS iQube MillionR Special Edition is priced at INR 140,138 ex-showroom Karnataka. Pricing for the standard TVS iQube range begins at INR 111,310, with Battery-as-a-Service options starting at INR 59,999.

Aniruddha Haldar, Senior Vice-President – Head Commuter & EV Business and Head Corporate Brand & Media, TVS Motor Company, said, “TVS Motor has played a significant role in the scooterisation of India. Over the years, we have remained focused on creating mobility solutions that move Indian families forward, irrespective of the drivetrain, with a commitment to relevance, reliability and best-in-class quality. The 9 million achievement of TVS Jupiter and the one million milestone of TVS iQube mark significant chapters in this journey, reinforcing our focus on evolving with the needs of Indian families. In 2016, TVS Jupiter celebrated reaching one million customers with the MillionR Edition. Today, TVS iQube joins this legacy with its own MillionR Edition as its community reaches one million. I thank every customer who has placed their trust in TVS iQube. Their confidence reflects the progress electric mobility has made in India and inspires us to keep moving families forward.”

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Pune-headquartered two-wheeler and three-wheeler major Bajaj Auto has introduced the new Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 125 models with mechanical and technological updates to its most popular range.

The new Pulsar 150 carries an introductory price of INR 115,233 ex-showroom Delhi, while the Pulsar 125 is priced at INR 92,900.

First launched in 2001, the Pulsar line has recorded sales exceeding 20 million units across 40 countries over 25 years. The updated models retain the original chassis profile and fuel tank design while incorporating engineering changes to the engine, transmission, frame and suspension systems.

The new Pulsar 150 features a 149.5cc engine, which churns out 14 PS at 8,500 rpm and 13.7 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. The Pulsar 125 contains a 124.58cc engine delivering 12 PS at 8,000 rpm and 11 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. Both models feature revised gear ratios to improve acceleration, a diamond-type frame using the engine as a structural member and a nitrogen-charged emulsion monoshock unit.

Additional updates include a 5-inch TFT display with navigation mirroring, digital document storage, call alerts and music management functions. The new Pulsar introduce three riding modes (Road, Rain and Sport), low-speed traffic assist technology, LED headlamps and an Integrated Starter Generator with start-stop functionality on top variants to reduce fuel consumption.

Sarang Kanade, Chief Business Officer – Two-wheeler Business Unit, Bajaj Auto, said, “For over 25 years, Pulsar has been more than just a motorcycle. It has been the first taste of performance for generations of riders – the muscular tank, the unmistakable grunt, the rush of acceleration and the attitude that made it impossible to ignore. Pulsar has always been ‘Definitely Daring’, and that spirit remains at the heart of the brand. With the new Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 125, we have retained everything that makes Pulsar iconic while reimagining what lies beneath it. The result is a new generation of Pulsars that feels familiar in all the right ways, but is built for the riders of today.”

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