Are challenging weekend gateways makes you bear with a week full of daily commutes?  Want to turn your adventure tourer dreams into reality without much of a wait? Then this is the article for you, where we introduce you with most accessible adventure bikes available in India.

In terms of sales numbers, India is one of the biggest two-wheeler markets in the world. But sadly in terms of product diversity, it always has been a commuter focused market. Last decade did bring in some changes and diversity though. Many international brands flooded our market and brought in a large spectrum of mean machines riding on two wheels. From cruisers, adventure bikes, tourers, high-performance track-oriented bikes, dirt bikes to multi-purpose motorcycles, everything is on offer now. But all these bikes and their parent brand received lots of love and fanfare which never reflected in sales figures. The simple reason being the lack of accessibility of these machines to common man, but not anymore.

1. Hero Xpulse 200

Hero Xpulse 200 Adventure

India’s favourite and highest-selling two-wheeler maker, Hero Motorcorp, is well known for its commuter offerings. But bucking the trend they launched some different products too. Latest of which is Xpulse 200, which claimed the title of being Most Affordable Adventure motorcycle of the country on the day of its launch. Xpulse grabbed everyone’s eyeballs because it retailed at price starting at Rs. 97,000 only. Which is almost half of the price of the next most affordable adventure motorcycle the Royal Enfield Himalayan. The engine powering this 200 cc motorcycle produces a power of 18.1 horses @ 8000 rpm with a torque of 17.1 Nm @ 6500 rpm, in its carb and fuel-injected avatar. It is equipped with long-travel suspension, robust swing-arm, up-swept silencer facilitating big ground clearance and dual-purpose tyres on both ends.
Hero Xpulse 200 has all the necessary mechanical and cosmetic elements to pose as a strong beginners Adventure Motorcycle offering in the market, with the only major weak-point being inadequate power. This can be seen as best special-purpose motorcycle around Rs. 1 lakh mark.

2. Royal Enfield Himalayan

Royal Enfield Himalayan Sleet Adventure

 

Launched in 2016, Royal Enfield Himalayan is an adventure offering from world’s longest-running two-wheeler brand. Himalayan was the only affordable adventure tourer in the country, till Hero Xpulse 200 was launched. This motorcycle not only introduced a new body style but also brought in an all-new 411 cc engine for the company. The new fuel-injected mill produces 24.5 bhp and healthy torque of 32 Nm.  Led by Pierre Terblanche, the RE design team put in all the visual weight and proportions to make Himalayan a proper adventure offering. Key highlights of Himalayan are 21-inch front and 17 inch rear spokes wheel setup, long travel (180+ mm) suspension, dual-purpose tyres, carriers to hold accessories like panniers / additional fuel tanks. Interestingly part analogue – part digital instrument panel, houses a compass, altimeter and a temperature gauge which further accentuates its nature. The BS-IV, ABS-equipped, FI variant is priced at Rs. 1.80 lakhs when BS-VI variant is yet in pipeline. If there is no budget constraint, then RE Himalayan is the perfect bike you should take on your off-roading encounters as a beginner.

3. BMW G 310 GS

BMW G310 GS Adventure

The most affordable BMW adventure tourer ranks up third in this list with its sticker price of Rs. 3.49 lakhs. As a part of their technical tie-up with TVS Motorcycles, one of the first product BMW launched is an adventure tourer. This itself explains the market demand which exists for this segment. G 310 GS is an off-road friendly version of G 310 R which is their naked streetfighter. Both bikes are powered by single-cylinder 313cc, fuel-injected, water-cooled motor. This rev-happy powerhouse is capable of producing 33 bhp @ 9500 rpm and 28 Nm @ 7,500 rpm. Although this engine doesn’t share BMW’s boxer engine pedigree, it still has pretty good performance on tap. The claimed top speed for this machine is 143 km/h.
If you ever dreamt of owning a BMW moniker in your garage this is the perfect motorcycle to start with. The company claims it to be a daily commuter which can also take you to your adventurous weekend gateways.

4. Kawasaki Versys X-300

Kawasaki Versys X 300 Adventure

Kawasaki is one of first international motorcycle manufacturers to show commitment toward Indian market. Versys X-300 comes as a result of that commitment to fulfil the need of the hour. This bike can easily overwhelm you with its dimensions and big-bike feel. Company has not skimped on anything while designing this quarter little adventure tourer. Kawasaki offers this bike in a single fully accessorized variant. Some key features of this bike are the slipper clutch, non-switchable dual-channel ABS, twin-cylinder FI engine, 41 mm USD front forks with adjustable pre-load, digital instrument console and 12V charging socket. This Kawasaki is powered by 296 cc twin cylinder engine producing 38.7 bhp @ 11,500 rpm and a torque of 25.7 Nm @ 10,000 rpm. All this adds up to give this bike a heftier price tag of Rs. 4.69 lakhs.
If you want to have a feel of proper, well built and big adventure tourer then Kawasaki Versys X-300 should be on your list. Though not so competitive sticker price and below-par performance may be a deal-breaker for some.

5. Benelli TRK 502X

Benelli TRK 502

Benelli had a pretty good start in the Indian market with TNT 300 and TNT 600i. After establishing themselves in the market, the company started widening its portfolio quite aggressively. Part of that expansion spree was the launch of TRK series. Benelli launched TRK 502 and 502 X in the year 2019 of which 502 X is an adventure tourer we would be focusing on. Launched at a price of Rs. 5.5 lakhs, this Benelli offers the feel of full size adventure tourer in terms of its dimensions. Powering this monster is 500 cc twin cylinder FI engine which produces 46.8 bhp @ 8500 rpm and torque of 46 Nm @ 6000 rpm and sounds insane like all other Benellis. But all this performance get bogged down by the weight of this bike, which is 235 kg. In addition to this, the bottom end performance of this engine is not so encouraging as well. Still, it has pretty decent ride quality on offer and does off-road duties very well too.
If you want full-size adventure tourer which you wish to take on long strides, although, at a steady pace, this Benelli could suit your need quite well. Past hiccup with their Indian partner has affected its on-ground operations a bit and slowed down its network expansion plans, which could be worrisome.

(All prices mentioned above are ex-showroom Delhi)

3 Comments

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  • Hello Ajoy!
    Yes you can call Yamaha Fazer 250 just a tourer. But this article is about adventure tourers and hence it is not included here.

  • Why you don’t include Yamaha fazer250.
    I think this byke is also tagged as tourer .

  • Heto motocorp are a disaster.
    No spare parts.
    Terrible customer service and useless mechanics.
    Hero are an insult to all motorcycle riders.
    Never again.