Not just concept cars fail to make it to production lines; the same is true for motorcycles. While they can show the flashy ones on auto show floors for as long as possible, seeing near-production-ready examples go unproduced is heartbreaking. There are also bikes that we discussed and even tested by various businesses but did not make it to bike dealerships/enter series production. We’ll look at five interesting bikes that India never got.
5 Interesting Bikes That India Never Got
1. Hero Impulse 223
Hero Impulse was a game changer, not because of its looks, but because of its functionality. It could drive on the most dangerous roads, or no roads at all, and come out uninjured. The long trip suspension was beneficial, but the 150cc engine was severely insufficient. And knowing that Hero has a better engine that could be fitted, this was a letdown.
While the firm never released the larger engine version, a dealership in Mumbai took on the challenge and exhibited what the Impulse should have been from the start. This was a 223cc Impulse.
2. Hero Leap
The Leap is a serial hybrid scooter initially shown at the 2012 Auto Show and then again in 2014. The unique two-wheeler is powered by an 8 kW motor and a 124 cc range extender engine. Because it is a serial hybrid, Hero will only use the engine to charge the battery, as opposed to parallel hybrids, which can charge both. The Leap has a top speed of 100 km/h (when using the range extender), and with 60 Nm of torque available from a standstill, it promises to be quite useful in stop-and-go traffic.
3. Altius Scimitar
You don’t see a diesel motorcycle daily, but the Altius Scimitar wanted to change that. It was built on the Kawasaki KLR650 platform and featured a 670 cc engine with 33 horsepower and 53 Nm of torque. But it wasn’t only the engine; the bike was a true off-roader (think Impulse but more potent). It had wire-spoke wheels, sat 211 mm off the ground, had a top speed of 150+ Kmph, and could travel 653 kilometers on a single fuel tank – it was reported to return 46+ Kmpl.
4. TVS Chicane
The TVS Chicane was the 250 cc idea that the company displayed at the 2004 Auto Fair just more than a decade ago. While the Apache continued to dominate the market, the Chicane was sleek and otherworldly in appearance. With TVS entering the 200cc engine segment with the forthcoming Apache, things have come full circle.
5. TVS Taurus
Remember the B-King, which was based on a Suzuki Hayabusa? The Taurus was undoubtedly inspired by it, but it looked very cool at a 250 cc machine. Back in the day, dual disc brakes up front, a single one in the back, and a radiator up front were all novelties.
It had the potential to do wonders for the brand in the same manner that the FZ did for Yamaha. Yet, one must remember that the market, particularly the quarter-liter sector, was not as large as it is now.
