6 Upcoming Made-In-India Twin Cylinder Adventure Bikes: Royal Enfield Himalayan 750 To Norton Atlas Twins

The riding culture in India has changed over the decades. We now have people who like exploring the outdoors on two wheels. There are even groups that organise such adventure road trip experiences. Lately, we are seeing a trend where twin-cylinder motorcycles are slowly gaining popularity among buyers. Similarly, the popularity of adventure bikes has also shot up lately. They were once considered expensive, but slowly we have some brands that are offering twin-cylinder adventure motorcycles at affordable prices. Some of these bikes are actually made in India. Here we have a list of 6 such made-in-India twin-cylinder adventure bikes that are launching in the market soon.

The first bike on this list is one of the most awaited models from Indian two-wheeler giant Royal Enfield, the Himalayan 750. The bike has been undergoing tests for a very long time now. When launched, the Himalayan 750 will be the flagship adventure tourer from Royal Enfield.

The exterior design of the bike is going to be similar to what one would expect from a bike in this segment. The Himalayan 750 will also feature a completely new frame and swingarm, along with a monoshock rear suspension setup and a remote preload adjuster. The bike will get a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel setup, which will make it suitable for both touring and off-road usage.

Royal Enfield will load the bike with a TFT display, cruise control, an adjustable visor, a large fuel tank, traction control, and many more features. It would be powered by a new 750cc parallel-twin engine, which has been derived from the existing 648cc platform. This motor is expected to produce around 55 to 60 bhp and 65 Nm of torque.

TVS-owned Norton Motorcycles recently unveiled their Atlas adventure tourer motorcycle internationally. Like most adventure tourers in the segment, the Atlas also comes with a tall-boy design. The motorcycle gets a chunky or beefy-looking front end with sleek split headlamp units, LED DRLs, a transparent windscreen, partial fairings and shrouds, along with fully adjustable KYB suspension and dual 310 mm front disc brakes.

The Atlas is made for off-roading and comes with a 19-inch front wheel, longer suspension travel, and increased ground clearance. It is powered by a 585cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine that generates 69 PS and 57.5 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox, a bi-directional quick-shifter, and a slipper clutch as standard.

Norton unveiled two versions of the same Atlas motorcycle. They are both based on the same steel trellis frame, but the GT version is meant for touring and is a much more road-focused version. It comes with 17-inch wheels, while the suspension is tuned for touring and highway riding.

It is powered by the same 585cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine that generates 69 PS and 57.5 Nm of torque. Both variants offer lean-sensitive ABS, traction control, wheelie control, slide control, and cornering cruise control. Riders can select from five riding modes, including Urban, Rain, Sport, Tour, and Enduro.

BMW launched the F 450 GS in three variants in India: Base, Exclusive, and Trophy. The Trophy is currently the top-spec variant. Compared to the international version, BMW is offering one fewer variant in India. Internationally, there is a Sport variant, which sits below the Trophy and above the Exclusive variant.

The Sport variant offers Enduro footpegs, black hand guards, an engine guard, Riding Modes Pro, Shift Assistant Pro, a clear windshield, and a sport suspension setup. It misses out on the Easy Ride Clutch, which is only available in the top-end variant. This could be a good option for those who do not want the ERC feature but still want most of the other features. BMW is already producing the Sport variant in India for export markets, and it is likely to be introduced in the domestic market in the coming months.

Aprilia is expected to launch its adventure tourer, the Tuareg 457, in the market later this year. The motorcycle will come with a rugged-looking design with long-travel USD forks, a monoshock at the rear, 21-inch wheels at the front, and 18- or 17-inch wheels at the rear, dual disc brakes, a muscular fuel tank, rally-inspired styling, a tall windscreen, a long and flat seat, and more.

It will use the 457cc parallel-twin-cylinder engine derived from the Aprilia RS 457 and generate around 47 bhp and 43 Nm of torque.

KTM is also developing an adventure touring motorcycle based on the same platform. The upcoming KTM 490 Adventure is expected to feature a familiar design language similar to the brand’s existing Adventure range. The Adventure 490 will be positioned above the current KTM 390 Adventure models.

The motorcycle is expected to retain KTM’s steel trellis frame along with a tall riding position, a clear flyscreen, wire-spoke wheels, a sleek single-piece seat, an upswept exhaust, and a wide handlebar. It is also expected to come equipped with long-travel suspension, upside-down forks, and a 5-inch full-colour TFT instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity. The new 490cc parallel-twin-cylinder engine is expected to produce around 55–60 PS.