Five 110cc executive commuter motorcycles for 2012, in India and the phenomenon of incremental motorcycling!

Is 110 is the new 100? This is the big question we’re asking today. Incremental motorcycling has been the name of the game in India. How else do you explain a span of a full decade for every 10cc increase in the engine capacity of over 80% of the Indian motorcycle market, which in other words is the commuter motorcycle market? Now, it appears that the Indian commuter motorcycle buyer is clearly looking for more than just a bare basic means of commuting. The buyer now wants a dash of style and performance thrown in to make his or her otherwise drab commute a little more exciting. So, you have a whole range of 110cc commuter motorcycles being readied up by various motorcycle makers for India’s next phase of incremental motorcycling.

2012 Honda CB Twister 110 Motorcycle

Mahindra Stallio 110:

Mahindra Stallio 110 executive commuter motorcycle

The Mahindra Stallio 110 had a troubled first coming right from the word go when angry customers returned their motorcycles for gearbox trouble. Mahindra quickly recalled the motorcycles from the market, promising to fix the gearbox. Engines Engineering, an Italian engine design company that was acquired by Mahindra a couple of years ago was drafted to fixed this gearbox and the Stallio 110 is all ready to be relaunched in the Indian market in the coming months. A minor facelift could also be in the offing given the fact that the 110cc motorcycle segment is witnessing plenty of action(read competition) in 2012.

Hero MotoCorp Passion XPro 110:

2012 Hero MotoCorp Passion XPro Executive Commuter Motorcycle

Hero MotoCorp surprised many by entering uncharted territory with the dual purpose Hero Impulse 150 dual purpose on-off road motorcycle. The world’s largest two wheeler maker though, will get back to its roots by launching the Passion XPro 110, a product that it unveiled days before the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. The Passion XPro 110 runs on a 110cc engine that Hero has borrowed off the Honda CB Twister 110. The Passion 110 represents Hero’s maiden entry into the 110cc motorcycle segment, signaling that this is where the big action is going to be in the future, more so since this move comes from industry bellwether Hero.

Honda Dream Yuga 110:

Honda Dream Yuga 110 Commuter Motorcycle

If the Honda CB Twister is too pricey and flashy for you, why don’t you try our Dream Yuga 110? That’s what Honda seems to say with the Dream Yuga 110. The Japanese motorcycle maker has been making no bones about it wanting to dominate the Indian motorcycle market and the Dream Yuga 110 is yet another step in that direction. The Dream Yuga is to the CB Twister, what the Honda CB Shine is to CB Stunner. In other words, the Dream Yuga is a watered down, bare bones commuter version of the Honda CB Twister. With all that toning down, a very competitive price is with what the Dream Yuga 110 will debut with.

Suzuki Hayate 110:

Suzuki Hayate 110cc Motorcycle

Another toned down motorcycle, with the looks of a bigger engined motorcycle is what Suzuki’s maiden 110cc offering, the Hayate 110 is. The Suzuki Hayate 110 is a four stroke motorcycle, like its name suggests with a 110cc engine. The Hayate is essentially a Suzuki Slingshot 125, with a 110cc engine. Along with a new moniker, some heavy feature reductions to pare down costs is what will help position the Hayate as a logical choice for commuters wanting to upgrade from 100cc economuters. The Hayate is expected to be launched by April 2012.

2012 TVS Victor Relaunch:

TVS Victor 110 Commuter Motorcycle used as an illustration

Last but definitely not the least, the TVS Victor 110 is the motorcycle which started it all. With all other motorcycle makers like the then-Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto fighting for marketshare in the 100cc segment, TVS Motors took the bold step of creating a brand new segment, the 110cc segment. And boy, was it a success or what. TVS Motors needs to recreate some magic now that Honda has overtaken it to become the 3rd largest motorcycle maker in India. What better a time to relaunch the motorcycle whih propelled TVS’s four stroke offerings in the first place, the Victor 110.

Though TVS won’t tell us the 2012 Victor’s engine capacity yet, we’re leaning on it to be in the 110cc class as the other launch from TVS in 2012 is a 125cc motorcycle and seldom do we have two back to back launches in the same segment by the same manufacturer in the same year. Watch this space!

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