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Honda UC3 Launched in Thailand; India Launch Soon?

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The UC3 could slot in beside the Activa e in Honda 2Wheelers India’s electric scooter line-up

Honda has launched the UC3 electric scooter in Thailand and Vietnam. Positioned as an alternative to a 110-cc petrol-powered scooter, this fixed-battery electric two-wheeler makes a lot of sense in India. Read on to know why.

Starting with the meat of the matter, the UC3 adopts Honda’s first fixed-type lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. With its optimised regenerative control and magnetic circuit design, this 3.17-kWh battery can achieve a claimed WMTC (World Motorcycle Test Cycle) range of 122 km, on a par with mid-budget Indian electric scooters like the Ather 450X and Bajaj Chetak. Honda offers the CHAdeMO DC charging standard for the UC3, with two charging options–1200 W and 450 W–for 0 to 100 per cent and 20 to 80 per cent charging times of four and nine hours, and two and five hours, respectively. 

Next, the performance; the UC3’s wheel-side motor, developed and manufactured in-house by Honda, has a peak output of 6.0 kW (8.16 hp), gets three riding modes (Sport, Standard, and Econ, along with reverse), and boasts a claimed top speed of 80 km/h. Yes, all those specs and features are identical to those on the Activa e. 

Finally, the design, which incorporates an upright, functional apron with the integrated LED headlight shared with the Activa e and QC1. Both these e-scooters also have a prominent handlebar cowl–the one on the Activa e even sports an LED DRL–with an integrated instrument cluster. The UC3’s handlebar, meanwhile, has an inset mounting, with the fixed LED instrument cluster on the apron, akin to that on the now-discontinued Honda Cliq. Its profile and hind quarters, though, have a more rounded design swooping into a low-mounted LED tail-light and indicators. 

Summing up, the UC3 makes sense in India as a fixed-battery alter-ego to the Activa e’s swappable battery persona as they’re alike in most other aspects; right down to the design of their alloys. Granted, the UC3’s CHAdeMO charging system, sparse in India when compared to the CCS2 system, is a detractor; but so is India’s fledgling battery-swapping infrastructure. However, the chief advantage Honda will have in bringing the UC3 to India is recouping the sales it has lost from breaking the link between the ‘Activa’ name and its exclusively petrol-operated connotation. Now, we just hope someone in Honda 2Wheelers India is listening.

Ducati Desmo450 MX Factory Unveiled, Gets Added Off-road Cred

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Hey, Ducati. How about a road-going naked with this 449.6-cc mill?

Ducati is widely known as a tarmac-focused bike manufacturer. After all, even the off-road capable Multistrada gets a 17-inch front wheel in some variants. So the Desmo450 MX, which the premium bikemaker launched last year, came as a bolt from the blue. And now, Ducati have launched an even more hardcore version, called the Desmo450 MX Factory.

Yes, Ducati have used the old “buy on Saturday and race on Sunday” adage in the promotional video, evident by the Ducati Corse livery, like on the MXGP machines. But the changes are more than just skin-deep. The Desmo450 MX Factory gets top-shelf componentry including upgraded Showa suspension with high-strength Ergal aluminium machined triple-clamps. And, as with a “true” race bike, the Desmo450 MX Factory gets a holeshot device that compresses the fork to improve acceleration from a standing start. 

To better handle the rigours of competition, the Desmo 450 MX Factory gets a Dark Kashima coating, a special black version of the proprietary hard-anodising process that infuses molybdenum disulfide into the aluminium on the fork outer tube, for improved sliding smoothness. This, complemented by the blue titanium oxide treatment on the fork inner tube and rear shock rod, also improves chipping resistance, so riders spend more time mud-plugging and less time worrying about dust seals.

The Factory’s 449.6-cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine, boasting Ducati’s Desmodromic timing system for a more precise valve lift, churns out the same 63.5 hp and 53.5 Nm as the stock Desmo450 MX. However, the Factory gets a full titanium Akrapovic exhaust system with a dedicated map for a fuller torque curve and improved bottom-end power. All this, coupled with the overall weight saving of 1.7 kg, brings the Desmo450 MX Factory’s weight to just 104 kg. 

The final piece of the puzzle that makes this focussed off-roader even more potent is the Com-Link Wi-Fi module, letting one connect the bike to their phone via the X-Link app. As on the stock Desmo 450MX, it allows one to modify the riding modes by modulating the throttle response, engine braking, Ducati traction control, and launch control setting. It even offers suggestions on suspension settings based on one’s weight, riding skills, and track conditions.

Now, though the chances of the Ducati Desmo450 MX Factory coming to India seem remote, the stock Desmo450 MX is set to hit our shores, likely by March 2026. That said, we reckon a price tag close to its European sticker (€12,490, or around Rs 13 lakh). Meanwhile, suitably motivated, and moneyed, enthusiasts can go for another serious off-roader: the KTM 450 SX-F, which is available for a modest Rs 10.25 lakh (ex-showroom).

VinFast Electric Scooters – Fuelling the Charge

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VinFast is set to enter the Indian two-wheeler market early next year. We were invited to Vietnam to experience everything we may expect from Vingroup, the Vietnamese conglomerate, in the near future.

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