2020 was a dreadful year and we all certainly agree on this. The two-wheeler industry witnessed some of the worst days ever, with not even a single unit sold in the month of April. But on the brighter side, there were a few products that created a profound buzz amongst the buyers and enthusiasts alike, and it showed in the massive number of views fetched by their news stories. In case you’re wondering which are they, let’s check out the top five two-wheeler news stories of 2020, starting from the most popular ones and progressing in descending order.
Hero Splendor Plus Black and Accent launch
The Hero Splendor Plus always reserves the top spot in the sales chart and so did the launch story of its Black and Accent special edition models. These variants differentiate themselves with an all-black treatment on wheels, engine and chain cover. By paying an additional cost of Rs 899, the customer can also opt for one of the graphics available including Beetle Red, Bumble Bee Yellow and Firefly Golden. Hero has priced the Splendor Plus Black and Accent edition at Rs 64,470.
Yamaha XSR 155 Philippines launch
The Yamaha XSR 155 is one of the bikes our audience asks about a lot. Another testament of its popularity was the traffic we observed on its Philippines launch story, which stands second in this list. The XSR 155 is an interesting product for the fact that it boasts of a modern-retro styling but underneath it is the same as the modern YZF R15 V3. Drawing design inspiration from the larger XSR 700 and 900, it is based on the Deltabox frame and is powered by a 155cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine which makes 18.7bhp and 14.7Nm.
Another news which intrigued our readers to a great extent was the launch of the new KTM 200 Duke BS6. That’s because this was the first major makeover it has received since its inception in 2012. The 200 Duke now boasts KTM’s new-age styling which is identical to the previous-gen 250 Duke. Furthermore, underpinning the bike is a new split-type trellis frame, a more spacious seat, a larger 13.5 litre fuel tank and two new colour options. It is also costlier now with a price tag of Rs 1.79 lakh.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 expected launch timeline
The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 was undoubtedly the most anticipated launch of 2020. And a month before its arrival, when we wrote about its expected launch timeline, an overwhelming response was recorded for the story. The Meteor is RE’s first offering based on its all-new J platform. Cradling its dual-cradle frame is a 349cc, air/oil-cooled engine which is quite smooth by RE standards. The motorcycle is priced between Rs 1.76 lakh to Rs 1.90 lakh.
New Royal Enfield Classic 350 expected launch date
Last but not least is the Royal Enfield Classic 350 which was launched on 8 January 2020. We had speculated its launch a few days before this date and the report was read by gallops of viewers. The BS6 iteration of the bike retains the same styling as its BS4 counterpart, barring the new colour options. While the 346cc, single-cylinder engine is also majorly unchanged, it emanates cleaner gases now. Interestingly, the next-gen Classic 350 is due to be launched in a few months.
(All prices are ex-showroom)
