Some motorcycles serve as useful tools as well as memories. You can’t help but smile broadly just thinking about them. Some motorcycles continue to evoke strong feelings in you years after they have been discontinued. Here are our choices for the top five motorcycles that deserve a comeback in honor of that spirit:
How do we start discussing this bike? The RX100’s basic 98cc two-stroke engine may sound small, but it was a real thug. This light and the agile bike was the fastest bike of its kind then and was famous for its distinctive “ring-ding-ding” soundtrack.
Yamaha RX100
Motorcycle enthusiasts look down their necks whenever the RX is on, and the raw smell of its two-stroke smoker serves as the cleanest source of oxygen for their noses. We have good news if these items have made you feel nostalgic and blissful. The RX100 may be coming back, but not in the way you might have guessed. Read the full article about Yamaha RX100’s comeback here.
Hero Karizma R
The Karizma R was perfect for its era. With its 17PS and 19Nm of performance, the motorcycle’s sleek, stunning looks were almost unheard of at the time, except for the commuter mindset in favor of adrenaline. It was one of the few reasonably priced motorcycles with touring capability. As per online rumors, the Karizma moniker is reportedly being re-introduced by Hero, and that too in a liquid-cooled avatar. Read the full article about the 2024 Hero Karizma launch here.
Honda Navi
With the agility of a scooter and the posture of a motorcycle, the Honda Navi was unlike anything we had ever seen or ridden before in India. Even for a firm like Honda Motorcycle & Scooter Limited (HMSI), which is known to be conservative, Navi was quite a bold approach.
The Navi was a fun bike that defied expectations and busted preconceptions thanks to its fast motor, agile handling, and smoothness. It was not intended for people who are young and carefree. While only some were ready to shed their hesitation and embrace the new micro bike, it would be great if Honda decided to bring back this small motorcycle today, as it could have a lot of takers.
Yamaha R3
The parallel-twin engine on this one was smooth and creamy, providing ample comfort for long days in the saddle while being incredibly powerful when given a set of revs. The Japanese supersport competed favorably with the big-engined KTM RC 390 but had a fatal flaw in its pricing. When it was first launched in 2015, the bike was priced at Rs 3.25 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). And because of this and its inability to meet the BS6 norms, it was discontinued from the Indian markets in 2020. What could we possibly give Yamaha Motor in exchange for another supply of this pocket rocket?
Honda CBR150R
Honda responded to the growing popularity of the Yamaha R15 with the powerful Honda CBR150R. Nevertheless, when Honda got busy selling the Activa, the interest in the storied faired bike waned. The motorcycle was extensively redesigned in 2016 (just double-check that) and received minor updates in the following years. It will immediately compete with the Yamaha YZF R15 V4, now your best (and only) option in the small-capacity liquid-cooled supersport market thanks to its 149cc liquid-cooled engine that produces 17.1PS and 14.4Nm.
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