As we all know that the new breed of Indian Motorcyclists is now edging towards the "classes" instead of the "masses" which is now dominated by the KTM,Yamaha & Kawasaki.
These brands host a lot of characteristics and features which is lacking in the other Indian brands.
We are now talking about the 300-400cc range which is increasingly becoming the most popular Segment in the country as it is the best for people who want to upgrade from 200c and also for the one's who want to get a taste of beginner Sports-bikes before taking their hands on to the bigger ones.
The main characteristic is the performance which is ample and is surely unmatched as a lot of positive feedback has been received for all of these top-quality machines.
Rounding off the competition we get three bikes in this Segment which was started by the Kawasaki Ninja way back in 2010 but the Ninja was not able to replicate the huge success enjoyed by Kawasaki in other countries.On of the main reasons for this huge backlash was the price and old-school looks as the price was a hefty 3 lakhs or even more at that time which resulted in making the Honda CBR250r a worthy option as the latter was 1 lakh cheaper than the former.
Shouldn't we be talking about 2016 now ? Yes we are doing that but sometimes its better to get back in time to know which warrior was dominating and which one was on the back foot as it helps in determining that which one has made the maximum amount of gains.
Now For 2016 we have the
KTM hosts the RC and the Duke as both the bikes are on the same platform but different in overall ergonomics.Both the versions are available in 200cc and 390cc and KTM comes with abs as a standard option on the 390 versions.This manufacturer is very well known all around the world
thanks to their iconic and extreme designs specially in the naked bikes category and its very successful in rallying all around the world as they're 2015 DAKAR rally champions and that is the reason all the KTM bikes hold a very strong "Ready to Race" image which is surely reflected in the Mini versions too.All of this is impressive as the racing DNA is there in all the KTM versions and there is even a plus point and that's the price, because Bajaj owns around 47% of the KTM and thats the reason this bike was brought to India as now its manufactured in India and that too at a very competitive price.The Duke 390 is priced around 1.90 lakhs(ex-showroom) and the RC 390 is around 2.15 lakhs(ex-showroom) which makes both of them great value for money as the price is much lesser for the bikes of this caliber and it is one
of the main reasons the KTM's are getting really popular among the bikers in this segment who want more performance but not at the cost of a Maruti Alto( lolz....but a basic Maruti is around Four lakhs).The 390 KTM range is hosting two bikes as one is meant for the normal commuting and some cruising where as the other one is meant for the people who want Sports-bike looks and fun at the price which is way less than that.It has got 43bhp which is way more than what people expect in this segment and considering the fact that this bike can Sprint from 0-60mph faster than the entry level Merc's and BMW's which cost around 35-40 lakhs(approx figures......just for instance)The RC is specifically built for the track as it's the same version which is used in the Moto3 and thus it is hugely successful on the track, infact it is the fastest bike in this segment if we take all of them around the track and compare them courtesy of its lightweight chassis and its Tourquey but Powerful Engine.All of this makes it a Solid competitor for this shootout.
The next one is the Brand that is widely recognized all over the world for manufacturing one of the fastest bikes of all time and competing in every aspect of motorcycle racing and if you guys seriously want to question that then please check the 2015 MotoGP season stats and then you'll know who were the champions.Yes you guys heard it right it is Yamaha which is one of the most successful teams in a Sport which is considered to be the Pinnacle of two-wheeled racing, MotoGP and like the
all the Yamaha's which start from the YZF tag, this is called the R3. Now this Kid is the newest of all of the three which means that it'll be the most clever as Yamaha had plenty of time to look after what KTM and Kawasaki were doing in India so that they could learn from what mistakes were made by them and then make a Concrete plan to get in the front.Seems to be a good plan but did it work ? Well we cannot conclude this at the moment as everyone has not shown all of their true colors yet but in the mean time we should be lauding Yamaha for making the Prettiest bike in this Segment and the most Sensible one too.This bike produces 42bhp which is just one shy away from what the KTM Produces but the built quality of the Yamaha is way better than the KTM and it is the most mature bike here which has everything which a person would be needing at this point with no compromises.What ? did we just heard "No compromises" ? Well we have one but it's not a compromise actually, its the price which is around 1lakh more than the KTM.So if you want something good you have to pay for it, simple.
Now comes the final and the oldest dog around the block and that's the Kawasaki Ninja 300.After it's Predecessor, the Ninja 250r was declared as a Colossal flop in the Indian Motorcycle market due to its dated styling and hefty price tag, Kawasaki managed to bring another bike to India but will it fare better this time ? Lets see and Compare what this new dog has got and then we'll be able to figure that will it be able to give the new clever kids a run for their money. So right from the start the Ninja has been a very expensive bike and that's one of the main reasons it couldn't survive in the Indian market but as now it's got a fresh new styling and ergonomics, it still inherits that hefty price tag and this time the gap is wider than one would expect between the RC390 and the Ninja 300 and that's close to 1.5 lakhs.Yes its 1.5 lakhs and in all that you get a bigger fuel tank,a more mature and racy styling as compared to the unfinished looking KTM and you get high maintenance and less performance(Bitter truth :D ).This one has got 39 bhp which is 4 less than the RC and 3 less than the R3 and considering that the Ninja is the heaviest of all, it's no surprise that it's the slowest in terms of acceleration and handling as well.
This brings us to the Conclusion of this Shootout, on one hand we have the best value for money and that's the KTM but there's a lot of things that you'll be missing on it like the larger fuel tank as the KTM has only 10.5 litres where as the Kawasaki has a humongous 17 litres and you'll be missing on other aspects too like the the engine refinement as KTM is a single cylinder 373cc machine which is powerful but it's very low on mileage and refinement as well. The KTM misses out on ride quality and comfort as well and if you take the RC then it has one of the worst seats for the pillion and for the rider as well courtesy of its hard cushions which are not that comfortable when compared to the competition but considering all these it's still 1.5 lakhs cheaper than what you guys would be paying for the Ninja and R3 so guys look into your pockets and be biased( ground reality ).
The Kawasaki is one of the best looking bikes in this segment as it looks more like a Sports-bike and looks a bit bigger like the ZX-10r and it is the most efficient bike here as the engine is the smallest in displacement and it's a twin-cylinder unlike the KTM, so it has a better Mileage around the city as well the highway and has the best range thanks to its huge 17 litres fuel tank but it comes at a cost , and Yes the Big elephant in the house is the hefty price tag which is somewhere around 4 lakhs which is the price of a Maruti Alto 800 and that's a 4-seater, so if we talk about the price then Ninja is the last option as it's expensive to own and to run as well.
This brings us to the last and the newest bike in segment and that's the Yamaha R3.
The R3 is the most technically advanced bike here as it inherits the racing DNA of all Yamaha's which makes it the most neutral bike here which has the highest top speed, the best mid-range power and a great service network as well because the Yamaha has been here for a long time so unlike the Kawasaki and KTM, running this bike will not be a huge headache.
This brings us to the Final phase of this Shoot-out and it's time to decide which is the best option.
If one has a small pocket and wants more power then the KTM but at the cost of reliability,comfort,mileage,etc. so if we consider only performance then KTM is the best.
If one has a huge pocket and wouldn't shy away from spending more then Kawasaki as it's the complete package in every aspect but it comes at a huge price.
But what if someone want's a KTM and a Kawasaki both embedded into a single bike then it's the Yamaha R3 as it has got the best brakes,the most neutral chassis,the most refined motor and the built quality is the most superior and it looks Gorgeous so every time you open the throttle,it makes you feel like Valentino Rossi or Jorge Lorenzo, that's the feel of this bike.The Pricing is also the most Neutral as it's priced between the KTM and the Kawasaki and you won't feel scared while shedding your money while buying this bike as it is the best priced bike here ,yeah now every one will be posting angry comments saying that "what about the KTM ??" , "its 1.2 lakhs cheaper" ,etc. but remember guys that KTM is made in India by Bajaj that's the main reason its cheaper and it still misses out on built quality and other options.Considering this the R3 is a good buy considering that it is imported and has to go through a lot of "duties & taxes" to get into India which increases it's overall price but still it's a good value for money as you'll be getting everything that you'd expect in a bike of this caliber which makes the Yamaha R3 the winner here as Yamaha has finally understood what Yamaha fans in India were craving for and they've delivered a state of the art machine just like their first YZF model in India, the R15.
What do you think about which is the best one ?
Share your Opinions and thoughts.
Comment Below.
These brands host a lot of characteristics and features which is lacking in the other Indian brands.
We are now talking about the 300-400cc range which is increasingly becoming the most popular Segment in the country as it is the best for people who want to upgrade from 200c and also for the one's who want to get a taste of beginner Sports-bikes before taking their hands on to the bigger ones.
The main characteristic is the performance which is ample and is surely unmatched as a lot of positive feedback has been received for all of these top-quality machines.
Rounding off the competition we get three bikes in this Segment which was started by the Kawasaki Ninja way back in 2010 but the Ninja was not able to replicate the huge success enjoyed by Kawasaki in other countries.On of the main reasons for this huge backlash was the price and old-school looks as the price was a hefty 3 lakhs or even more at that time which resulted in making the Honda CBR250r a worthy option as the latter was 1 lakh cheaper than the former.
Shouldn't we be talking about 2016 now ? Yes we are doing that but sometimes its better to get back in time to know which warrior was dominating and which one was on the back foot as it helps in determining that which one has made the maximum amount of gains.
Now For 2016 we have the
KTM hosts the RC and the Duke as both the bikes are on the same platform but different in overall ergonomics.Both the versions are available in 200cc and 390cc and KTM comes with abs as a standard option on the 390 versions.This manufacturer is very well known all around the world
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| KTM Duke |
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| KTM RC |
of the main reasons the KTM's are getting really popular among the bikers in this segment who want more performance but not at the cost of a Maruti Alto( lolz....but a basic Maruti is around Four lakhs).The 390 KTM range is hosting two bikes as one is meant for the normal commuting and some cruising where as the other one is meant for the people who want Sports-bike looks and fun at the price which is way less than that.It has got 43bhp which is way more than what people expect in this segment and considering the fact that this bike can Sprint from 0-60mph faster than the entry level Merc's and BMW's which cost around 35-40 lakhs(approx figures......just for instance)The RC is specifically built for the track as it's the same version which is used in the Moto3 and thus it is hugely successful on the track, infact it is the fastest bike in this segment if we take all of them around the track and compare them courtesy of its lightweight chassis and its Tourquey but Powerful Engine.All of this makes it a Solid competitor for this shootout.
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| Yamaha R3 |
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| Yamaha R3 Boasting some MotoGP styled stripes. |
Now comes the final and the oldest dog around the block and that's the Kawasaki Ninja 300.After it's Predecessor, the Ninja 250r was declared as a Colossal flop in the Indian Motorcycle market due to its dated styling and hefty price tag, Kawasaki managed to bring another bike to India but will it fare better this time ? Lets see and Compare what this new dog has got and then we'll be able to figure that will it be able to give the new clever kids a run for their money. So right from the start the Ninja has been a very expensive bike and that's one of the main reasons it couldn't survive in the Indian market but as now it's got a fresh new styling and ergonomics, it still inherits that hefty price tag and this time the gap is wider than one would expect between the RC390 and the Ninja 300 and that's close to 1.5 lakhs.Yes its 1.5 lakhs and in all that you get a bigger fuel tank,a more mature and racy styling as compared to the unfinished looking KTM and you get high maintenance and less performance(Bitter truth :D ).This one has got 39 bhp which is 4 less than the RC and 3 less than the R3 and considering that the Ninja is the heaviest of all, it's no surprise that it's the slowest in terms of acceleration and handling as well.
This brings us to the Conclusion of this Shootout, on one hand we have the best value for money and that's the KTM but there's a lot of things that you'll be missing on it like the larger fuel tank as the KTM has only 10.5 litres where as the Kawasaki has a humongous 17 litres and you'll be missing on other aspects too like the the engine refinement as KTM is a single cylinder 373cc machine which is powerful but it's very low on mileage and refinement as well. The KTM misses out on ride quality and comfort as well and if you take the RC then it has one of the worst seats for the pillion and for the rider as well courtesy of its hard cushions which are not that comfortable when compared to the competition but considering all these it's still 1.5 lakhs cheaper than what you guys would be paying for the Ninja and R3 so guys look into your pockets and be biased( ground reality ).
The Kawasaki is one of the best looking bikes in this segment as it looks more like a Sports-bike and looks a bit bigger like the ZX-10r and it is the most efficient bike here as the engine is the smallest in displacement and it's a twin-cylinder unlike the KTM, so it has a better Mileage around the city as well the highway and has the best range thanks to its huge 17 litres fuel tank but it comes at a cost , and Yes the Big elephant in the house is the hefty price tag which is somewhere around 4 lakhs which is the price of a Maruti Alto 800 and that's a 4-seater, so if we talk about the price then Ninja is the last option as it's expensive to own and to run as well.
This brings us to the last and the newest bike in segment and that's the Yamaha R3.
The R3 is the most technically advanced bike here as it inherits the racing DNA of all Yamaha's which makes it the most neutral bike here which has the highest top speed, the best mid-range power and a great service network as well because the Yamaha has been here for a long time so unlike the Kawasaki and KTM, running this bike will not be a huge headache.
This brings us to the Final phase of this Shoot-out and it's time to decide which is the best option.
If one has a small pocket and wants more power then the KTM but at the cost of reliability,comfort,mileage,etc. so if we consider only performance then KTM is the best.
If one has a huge pocket and wouldn't shy away from spending more then Kawasaki as it's the complete package in every aspect but it comes at a huge price.
But what if someone want's a KTM and a Kawasaki both embedded into a single bike then it's the Yamaha R3 as it has got the best brakes,the most neutral chassis,the most refined motor and the built quality is the most superior and it looks Gorgeous so every time you open the throttle,it makes you feel like Valentino Rossi or Jorge Lorenzo, that's the feel of this bike.The Pricing is also the most Neutral as it's priced between the KTM and the Kawasaki and you won't feel scared while shedding your money while buying this bike as it is the best priced bike here ,yeah now every one will be posting angry comments saying that "what about the KTM ??" , "its 1.2 lakhs cheaper" ,etc. but remember guys that KTM is made in India by Bajaj that's the main reason its cheaper and it still misses out on built quality and other options.Considering this the R3 is a good buy considering that it is imported and has to go through a lot of "duties & taxes" to get into India which increases it's overall price but still it's a good value for money as you'll be getting everything that you'd expect in a bike of this caliber which makes the Yamaha R3 the winner here as Yamaha has finally understood what Yamaha fans in India were craving for and they've delivered a state of the art machine just like their first YZF model in India, the R15.
What do you think about which is the best one ?
Share your Opinions and thoughts.
Comment Below.
