Global Gauntlet
The year 2023 has literally flown by and we are already in 2024. Interestingly, quite a few new bikes were launched last year. What’s more, they were not ordinary motorcycles; they had a certain significance to them because those bikes were made by Indian manufacturers for global brands like Harley-Davidson, Triumph, and BMW. While Hero MotoCorp, the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world, are making motorcycles for the American marque, Harley-Davidson, Bajaj Auto are producing bikes for KTM and Triumph, and TVS for BMW Motorrad. This speaks volumes about indigenous manufacturers making world-class motorcycles in India.
Then there is Royal Enfield. Under the able leadership of Siddhartha Lal, they are taking on the world’s best motorcycles with their stunning products. The first two in this line that made the world sit up and take notice were the two 650 twins, Interceptor and Continental GT 650. Now, with the new Himalayan 450, they have taken the game to another level. There was a time when we would say, ‘This is not bad for an Indian manufacturer’, but today they are busy taking on the best in the world.
The Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) Award ceremony was held last month in Mumbai. There were a number of strong contenders for the IMOTY crown, starting with two bikes from the Hero stable: the Karizma XMR and the Harley-Davidson 440X. Then there was the RTR310 from TVS, two KTMs—250 Duke and 390 Duke—two Triumph 400s, and the Royal Enfield 650 Meteor and Himalayan 450. It was the Himalayan 450 that won the IMOTY Award for 2023.
I would like to wish all our readers, fans and followers a happy New Year. Ride safe!
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
