Launch of Superbikes in India

It’s not the destination that matters, It’s the journey… the sound of the wind whistling in your ears along with the rising howl of the powerful engines, feeling the combustion of the inline 2’s, inline 4s or the v4s under your feet while your heart beats at 120-170 bpm and the adrenalin coursing through your veins… Oh! What a rush? The rush that excites riders of past, present and future brought to you by Superbikes.

The Era of Twin-Cylinders in India

But superbikes weren’t always admired as they have been from the recent past. In India motorbikes, mopeds and motor-scooters were just a means to travel in the initial years of 1980-2000 with a segment 100-150 cc built only for the purpose of commute to complete daily chores and errands with the ease of saving time and travelling further distances.

India experienced its first sports bike with a twin-cylinder, twin exhaust, and 2 stroke engine bike in the year 1983. The Yamaha RD 350 AKA Yamaha Rajdoot 350. This marvellous machine was packed with 30.5bhp @ 6750 rpm for the Indian market with 32.3 NM torque at 6500 rpm which was capable of reaching a top speed of 150-170 kmph while weighing just 155kg.

The fall before the Rise of Sports Bikes in India

However, the Yamaha RD 350 lacked traction in the Indian market as the masses were not accustomed to such high BHP and torque. Although “RD” stood for “Race-developed” Series, It was as commonly known as “Rapid Death’ due to the rise in accidents as riders were not able to handle the bike’s raw power. Never-the –less over a period of time the Yamaha RD 350 became an acquired taste with the adrenalin rush lovers.

The Rise after the fall

The boom for the superbike industry in India began with the Popular Bollywood Movie release Dhoom in the year 2004 as the movie showcased some of the globally popular Suzuki Superbikes such as Suzuki Hayabusa 1300cc, Suzuki Bandit 1200cc and Suzuki GSR 600cc. This showcase in the movie brought about a spark in the youth of India and a craze for Superbike ignited.

Between the years 2005 to 2017, Yamaha, Honda, Benelli, Hyosung, Aprilia, BMW, MV Augusta, Triumph, KTM, Ducati, Kawasaki, Harley Davidson and many other made an entry into the market. With bikes ranging from the 200-2000 cc bike under different segments such as the cruiser, Racing Sport, Sports cruiser, Adventure sport etc. The acceptance for these High Torque machines became widespread as the riders were now more aware of the capabilities of the bikes and were more advanced in their riding styles.

Current Reigning Beast

As of 2019 the World’s fastest bike is from Kawasaki which is Ninja H2R with the displacement of 998CC and the max power of 317.1bhp@ 14000rpm and 165nm of torque @ 12500rpm. The top speed of the bike is 400kmph. The First H2R was delivered in India on March third 2019 in Pune.

There are more than 15 manufactures in India for superbike segment mode. In 2006, there were about 500 units and now it has increased to more than 8000 units as of 2016. Delhi has the largest rider base followed by Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune. Meanwhile, a steady increase in demand for Superbikes can be observed from smaller cities like Indore, Kochi, Chandigarh and others.

Current and Future Superbike Market Scenario

According to the report from “India Premium Motorcycles Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2022” by management consulting firm TechSci Research, the following chart depicts the growth of superbikes in India till date and the future prospects for the Indian Motorcycle market.

With the rise in demand for superbikes, superbike makers are constantly developing new technologies to assure the thrill lovers a safe yet exciting ride experience. Hence, we believe that superbikes are here to stay in the present and in the future bringing us exhilarating experiences like never before.