![]() It’s the apple on the branch that you can reach if you stand on your tiptoes and stretch, but that doesn’t mean you have to knock on your neighbor’s door to borrow a ladder. Bikes like these represent a move up from a 125cc scooter, but at the same time, it’s the kind of aspirational move that’s reasonably attainable. The segment is also experiencing significant growth. The reasons are obvious: India remains the single largest motorcycle market on the planet, with the largest population of riders in the world. (Jawa is also an active player in this segment, but its international intentions don’t seem to be quite as broad.)Īll the companies mentioned above, save Aprilia, have launched these bikes in India first, with plans to roll out into other international markets later. We also can’t forget Aprilia, because the Piaggio Group specifically talked about its intentions to launch its own mid-segment bike sometime in 2023 as well, although it hasn’t happened yet at the time of writing. Now, though, both the Triumph/Bajaj and Harley-Davidson/Hero partnerships are eagerly sidling up to the table for a slice of that sweet middleweight pie. Royal Enfield has been active in this space for some time and got itself out ahead of the curve with its 350 trio: the Meteor 350 cruiser, the Classic 350 retro-modern standard, and the Hunter 350 modern urban machine. Manufacturing partnerships are also important in terms of both resources and geography, particularly with regard to import tariffs and maintaining a desirable pricing structure to attract potential buyers. More power is good, but potentially running afoul of displacement-related taxes and/or tiered licensing restrictions (depending on the market) is suboptimal, to say the least. What if there was a secret third type of displacement, though? Something in between a 125 or 150 and, say, an 1100cc Africa Twin? Something that’s right in that 300 to 400cc range, offering just a little more oomph but not bulldozing the line into full-on Big Bike territory. Depending on local regulations, large displacement bikes may face prohibitive taxes on top of the initial purchasing expense, so you’ll likely only see those on occasion. Spend any amount of time in several Asian countries and you’ll see a veritable sea of small-displacement motorbikes, being ridden by every kind of rider you can imagine, and all reliant on their chosen two wheels to simply go about their daily lives. From an international perspective, the partnerships behind the making of these bikes make all the sense in the world. ![]()
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