Bike India

Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

Aspi Bhathena

JANUARY 2026

by Leave a Comment

For Online Subscription

Digital Subscription

Heartening Momentum

The year 2025 just flew by, but, contrary to what we thought, the pace of activities has not slowed down. We recently witnessed TVS MotoSoul and the India Bike Week (IBW). Both events had a good turnout, despite a last-minute change in venue (from Goa to the hill station of Panchgani) in the latter’s case.

The prestigious Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) Award ceremony was held last month. There were some strong contenders for the awards in various categories from most of the manufacturers in the country, except for Hero MotoCorp. The new Hero XPulse and the Hero Xtreme 250 missed their entries due to some misunderstanding. The Ultraviolette X-47 was the second runner-up, the KTM 390 Adventure was the first runner-up, and the TVS Apache RTX was the overall winner. For the first time in the history of these awards, we saw an electric motorcycle among the top three vying for the IMOTY.

The TVS Apache RTX is the first ADV by TVS, and it has been long overdue, considering that TVS is the first Indian manufacturer to have an official motocross team and a rally team. They have won many motocross and rally championships titles, and that is why it was surprising to see that the company had not yet added an ADV to its portfolio. As they say, it is better late than never. The Apache RTX looks big for a 300-cc motorcycle. Moreover, the new engine is very compact in its dimensions, considering its capacity of 300 cc. This adds to the bike looking big, as compared to the size of the engine. Looks apart, the motorcycle is built well, rides and handles well, and performs equally well. TVS’ racing experience in rallying and motocross has helped it build a very capable dual-purpose motorcycle. Even in the past, we had occasion to observe that TVS R&D had used its considerable racing experience to improve its road bikes, and, once again, the RTX is a very good all-round motorcycle from the company.

We wish all our readers a happy New Year. Please ride safely.

Aspi Bhathena

Editor

DECEMBER 2025

by Leave a Comment

For Online Subscription

Digital Subscription

More than just Festivities

This year has just flown by and I am already writing the last editorial for 2025. The activities are not slowing down even in the month of December. Last month we had the last round of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup in Coimbatore and we had a very special guest for the race, my dear friend Freddie Spencer. The insight and his knowledge of riding a motorcycle is incredible. Just after seeing the boys riding on the CCTV feed, he suggested some changes that helped them improve their riding. It was an honour and privilege for me to ride with “Fast Freddie” on the new Royal Enfield GT-R 750 that I have built. Tthe only thing I can say at the moment is that he was really impressed with the new bike compared to the GT-R 650 that he runs in the BTR (Build Train Race series in the USA).

The end of the year seems to get quite hectic with all the bike festivals, starting with Royal Enfield Motoverse. Then we have TVS Motosoul, and last, but not the least, IBW (India Bike Week). And in between all these bike festivals we have the IMOTY (Indian Motorcycle of the Year) award.

The Royal Enfield Motoverse festival is getting bigger with every passing year and, this time, there was an array of motorcycles displayed from custom bikes to accessorised ones, flat track racing, and even Moto-Polo being played for the first time in India. Another first at Motoverse was the ‘Well of Death’ which really impressed me with women riders riding in there without holding on to the handlebars and riding side-saddle. I am now looking forward to the TVS Motosoul festival.

Aspi Bhathena

Editor

NOVEMBER 2025

by Leave a Comment

For Online Subscription

Digital Subscription

Praiseworthy Début

Finally, we have an adventure sport bike from TVS Motor. It has been long overdue, as TVS has been racing motorcycles in motocross and rallying for more than 40 years. Having built off-road competition motorcycles for over three decades, the company should be best equipped to make an adventure sport bike with all its experience compared to other Indian manufacturers.

The TVS Apache RTX is big for a 310-cc motorcycle. It does not use the same engine as the RR310, and the RTR310 is derived from BMW. It is powered by an all-new engine designed and developed in-house by TVS that was unveiled at last year’s Moto Soul Festival in Goa. You will find the RTX first ride report in this very issue.

Dual-purpose motorcycles are most suitable for our country due to the poor quality of the road surface everywhere, and long-travel suspension gives some relief to the rider’s back. There is hardly a road in the country free from potholes or sharp joints between two concrete slabs. The manholes either tend to protrude by three to four inches or nestle in a hollow three to four inches below the road surface, giving the rider a severe jolt in the back. To top all these, the traffic policemen stand on the road to ask if one has re-registered the bike and paid the road tax (and the green tax for a bike that has completed 15 years), or if the bike is registered in another state. Ironically, the same policeman will not stop a family of three or four on a two-wheeler or some goons riding down the wrong way.

It is very funny. If you are talking on the mobile phone while driving a car, the police will fine you with alacrity, which is good, but a two-wheeler rider with his phone stuck between his shoulder and his ear and talking animatedly on the go invites neither a reprimand nor a punitive action.

Aspi Bhathena

Editor

OCTOBER 2025

by Leave a Comment

For Online Subscription

Digital Subscription

It’s Celebration Time

This year, Bajaj Auto celebrates 25 years of the Pulsar brand and TVS Motor 20 years of the Apache brand.

In 2002, Bajaj launched the Kawasaki 175 Eliminator. The first ride was held at their Chakan test track. At the conclusion of that ride, we were given a short ride on the Pulsar 180, the motorcycle that was going to be launched later that year. The Pulsar brand entered the market with a 150-cc and a 180-cc bike. Now we have it starting with 125 cc and going all the way up to 400 cc.

Pulsar has become a household name not only in India but all over the world.

As for TVS, which is celebrating 20 years of its performance brand Apache, we had done a track test of all its 150-cc bikes at the MMRT racetrack in Chennai, and I vividly recall the Apache frightening the daylights out of me because the bike was all over the place due to its very short wheelbase. The Apache RTR160 that followed later was a brilliant bike. Now the Apache brand has grown to 310 cc and is well known across the globe.

The two slabs of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), 18 per cent and 40 per cent, are there to show the people that the authorities have helped the ordinary man by penalizing those who can afford to buy bikes over 350 cc. On the one hand, the government says that it wants the Indian manufacturers to compete in the global market, and, on the other, penalizes the manufacturers who make bikes over 350 cc to be able to compete with the best in the world. Revenue-wise, it will not make much difference to the exchequer because the number of bikes over 350 cc sold is minuscule compared to the smaller commuter motorcycles. In our opinion, the GST Council should reconsider the 40 per cent tax on bikes over 350 cc.

Aspi Bhathena

Editor

SEPTEMBER 2025

by Leave a Comment

For Online Subscription

Digital Subscription

GST: A Vexatious Issue

The government has decided to lower the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate for motorcycles. Come 22 September 2025, there will be two rates: while motorcycles with a capacity of up to 350 cc will attract the lower rate of 18 per cent. Those above 350 cc will entail 40 per cent GST, as per the official notification from the GST Council as of now.

The idea of two slabs is not good for the two-wheeler industry. It will not encourage manufacturers to develop large-capacity motorcycles with a view to competing on the international level. As of today, only two Indian manufacturers make motorcycles with a capacity of over 400 cc: Classic Legends and Royal Enfield. Ideally, the GST for all motorcycles should be 10 per cent.

Furthermore, the cost of sub-125-cc bikes will not come down significantly on account of the imminent rule that will make the anti-lock braking system (ABS) mandatory for such motorcycles. Once the rule comes into force, it will increase the price of small bikes. In India, we have plenty of motorcycle-related norms compared to some of the other countries in the world. Instead of making things mandatory for bikes, the government would do well to concentrate on better roads and infrastructure for the people who pay one of the highest road taxes in the world.

The use of E20 fuel is going to wreak havoc, especially on old bikes that have carburettors. The corrosive nature of the alcohol-based fuel will disintegrate the rubber parts, such as rubber intake manifolds and float valves, and cause damage to the piston cylinder liner and the combustion chamber when the bike is not in regular use.

On another note, there should be a concise syllabus for schoolchildren, teaching them the dos and don’ts of traffic and instilling basic civic sense related to how to behave on a public road and obey the basic traffic rules.

Aspi Bhathena

Editor