The Indian motorcycle market has almost unimaginable sales numbers, with the market inching forward to an all-time high of 20 million units sold in a single year. There are literally hundreds of models and variants making up these massive volumes, and while many of them are incredible successes, some bikes slip under the average buyer’s radar. This is a list of five bikes under Rs 2 lakh (ex-showroom) that we believe deserve more success than they currently get.
1. TVS Ronin (Rs 1.35 lakh-1.75 lakh)
Available in three variants with two colours each.
The TVS Ronin’s sales have been picking up over the past few months and this is partly due to an aggressive entry-level price that makes it the most affordable bike on this list. Our past experience with the Ronin in our standalone review and against the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 show that it is an enjoyable, comfortable and relaxed motorcycle to ride. The engine sounds good, power delivery is very smooth and the overall comfort is good. The Ronin’s unusual/awkward style and its initial price positioning against much more popular RE bikes meant that it faced a hard time in its first couple of years on sale. However, its popularity is now growing – and it deserves to – because we believe this is one of the nicest urban-oriented motorcycles at this price point.
2. Pulsar N250 (Rs 1.51 lakh)
Available in one variant and three colours.
It has been nearly four years since the new Bajaj Pulsar N250 was launched in India and the bike’s success has been relatively muted. This (and the now discontinued semi-faired F250) were meant to be a replacement for the ever-popular Bajaj Pulsar 220, but slow sales forced Bajaj to put the 220 back on sale.
The 250cc Pulsar’s relatively subtle design as well as its relatively simple oil-cooled motor and 5-speed gearbox are some of the reasons behind its low acceptance. However, if you can look beyond that, the new age Pulsar is a big improvement over its predecessor. The Pulsar 250 has a smooth engine, punchy performance and nimble yet confident handling, and it is a great all-rounder for a reasonable price. A recent update in 2024 also increased its appeal with the addition of a fully digital display and a USD fork. Click here to read our review of the latest Bajaj Pulsar N250.
Honda CB300F (Rs 1.70 lakh)
It is available in both standard and Flex Fuel guise for the same price.
On paper, the Honda CB300F doesn’t seem very exciting with its 24hp air/oil cooled engine but this bike punches above its weight and is the quickest in this group from 0-100kph – just 7.94 seconds when measured with our Vbox. Fuel efficiency is not bad either with the bike returning an overall figure of 35kpl in our tests. Like many Hondas, the performance and efficiency is thanks to a low kerb weight – 153kg makes it the lightest bike here.
The main drawback with this bike is that its engine produces vibrations above 6,000rpm. Its success was also limited due to a high initial price, but now, priced at Rs 1.70 lakh ex-showroom, this Honda makes for a great option for someone looking for a quick, comfortable and easy bike for city usage. Honda also offers it with an E85-compliant engine for the same price.
4. Hero Karizma XMR (Rs 1.81 lakh-2.01 lakh)
Available in three variants and five colours.
The Hero Karizma XMR was born to take on the highly popular Yamaha R15 V4, and it offers more power than the Yamaha at a lower price. What made us prefer the Karizma over the Yamaha in our comparison was not just the performance-to-value ratio but also the fact that the Karizma has a much more comfortable riding position. Hero recently also updated the bike with a USD fork on the top two versions. Downsides to the Karizma are that its overall quality and fit/finish is not as good as the Yamaha and it does not have the same desirable brand value. However, the Karizma does a good job of being a fast, fun and usable sport bike at an appealing price.
5. Triumph Speed T4 (Rs 1.99 lakh-2.03 lakh)
Available in one variant with five colours.
The Triumph Speed T4 just about fits in this list price wise, but it certainly deserves a place here because this is an underrated motorcycle. The Speed T4 makes some obvious sacrifices over the Triumph Speed 400, including suspension, brakes and tyres, but the biggest change for most will be the drop from 40hp to 31hp from its 399cc, liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine. While this doesn’t look good on the spec sheet, we have found that the Speed T4 is still a quick performer while also managing to have a more relaxed and tractable nature than its sibling. We find that this engine is a better suit for a bike like this. The downsides with the Speed T4 is that its suspension is not as good as the 400 and Bajaj will hopefully update that in the future. Another issue was that the price gap to the Speed 400 was not big enough when it was first launched. However, Bajaj has recently slashed the price and the Speed T4 is now about Rs 45,000 more affordable, which makes it a very appealing proposition.
