Royal Enfield Concludes ArtOfMotorcycling Second Edition

Karl Haider to Step Down as Chairman of the Semperit Executive Board in 2025

Royal Enfield has concluded the second edition of its designing platform – ArtofMotorcycling. The creative platform was launched in 2020 to fuel creativity amongst the artists, creators and motorcycling enthusiasts by bringing out their love for motorcycling, the company said in a release. There was a 50 per cent jump in registrations at 15K this year, compared with the registrations last year. The jury members were leading fashion designers Shantanu and Nikhil, celebrated Illustrator Vimal Chandran and ace photographer Bobby Joshi and Royal Enfield’s community.  

This year’s top three winners were Harsh Namdeo (Bina, Madhya Pradesh), Ekant Singh (Noida) and Gautam Gajbar (Mumbai). They won an opportunity to co-create a capsule range with Royal Enfield. The next three winners -- Prashant Singh (New Delhi), Abhirath NC (Kerala) and Prathamesh Rumaji Shedge (Mumbai) -- bagged an opportunity to intern with Royal Enfield design teams. Abhirath and Prathamesh also won the rider’s choice award, chosen through a poll conducted on the brand’s Instagram page, Royal Enfield. The contest ended in a tie between the two, with Royal Enfield announcing two winners.  

Puneet Sood, National Business Head, North and West India, Nepal, Bhutan & Global Head, Apparel Business, said, “As a brand, Royal Enfield has always stood for self-expression. Our motorcycles have been the perfect canvas for customisation. The genesis of #ArtOfMotorcycling was to celebrate the ethos of exploration and motorcycling through the lens of art.
Like the first season we have received an awe-inspiring response to this season as well, with more than 15k registrations. We are very excited to note that 8 out of every 10 participants were non-Royal Enfield owners and majority participation came from small towns. The platform through the medium of art and motorcycling has indeed resulted in bringing together diverse communities, cutting across barriers like age, profession and geography.” 

Royal Enfield conceptualised this campaign to provide creators a platform to express their love for motorcycling through creative illustrations, the release said. This year’s winners will also get access to learning and collaboration opportunities at Royal Enfield in addition to having their designs featured on Royal Enfield merchandise.  

Designers Shantanu Mehra and Nikhil Mehra said, “As designers ourselves, we admire when art takes various forms of expressions. It’s inspiring to see such an overwhelming response from creative minds all over the world. We feel so honoured to be part of Art of Motorcycling with Royal Enfield and being on this immersive experience together. The way the participants have immersed their creative expression to put together their love for motorcycling is beyond impressive.” 

Bobby Joshi, founder, mentor and photographer, GoodShotz Photography Pvt. Ltd, said, “Art of Motorcycling Season 2 was a truly unique initiative and experience for me. I’m a photographer by trade and I always get a good kick out of going through visual art. The entries were not only exceptional in terms of quality, creativity, and craft but were also extremely inspiring and stimulating. I definitely had a memorable experience and journey as a jury.” 

Illustrator Vimal Chandran said, “It was an amazing experience being a part of Art of Motorcycling Season 2. As a visual artist myself, I love to see initiatives like these that promote artists of all kinds. To be a part of the initiative was a cherry on top, and I thoroughly enjoyed going through the entries.” (MT)

Royal Enfield Hosts HunterHood Street Culture In Kochi

Royal Enfield - HunterHood

Chennai-headquartered mid-sized motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield brought its street culture platform, HunterHood, to Kochi on 8 August 2026, combining music, art, skateboarding, urban sports and creative expression. The sixth edition of the event followed previous iterations in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Shillong and Lucknow.

Inspired by the Hunter 350 motorcycle, HunterHood serves as a platform for street-inspired cultures, gathering communities of artists, musicians, dancers, painters, urban sports enthusiasts and designers. Prior to the main event, Royal Enfield hosted a Community Pre-Jam on 7 August in collaboration with Loop Skatepark to engage local skaters and street communities.

The main stage featured performances from Kerala's independent and hip-hop music scene, including Tribe Mama MaryKali, Ranj x Clifr, GABRI, MC Couper, Baby Jean and Dabzee. The Community Stage presented rapper Ameekha Liyana Ansar, DJ Dsco Patrol (Nihell), street culture collective We Are The Boom and Chenda Melam percussion performances.

Skateboarding demonstrations were conducted by the Fly Squad Skateboarding Community and Kovalam Skate Club. Live graffiti, visual art and interactive installations were created on site by HH Art Spaces, Alan Pappy, Trespassers, SquidWorks, Karthik Venugopal, Samriddhi Arora and Om Chopra. Additionally, Kerala-based artist collective Trespassers completed a ten-day mural project focused on local youth culture and riding.

The event incorporated interactive workshops covering skimboarding, football, cricket, basketball and graffiti. Custom motorcycle builds were displayed by XLNC Customs, JD Customs, Garuda Machina, Kunwar Customs and Eimor Customs. The venue also featured an illuminated tunnel installation incorporating lights, Malayalam conversations and cinema dialogues to replicate the experience of riding through the city.

India Yamaha Motor Reintroduces MotoGP Editions, Updates FZ Colour Options

Yamaha India - MotoGP

India Yamaha Motor has announced the return of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Edition for the R15 V4 and MT-15 Version 2.0 motorcycle models. The release, the company says, responds to customer demand for the company's racing-livery options.

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Edition models display liveries inspired by Yamaha's racing division across the fuel tank, side panels, and tank shrouds. The R15 V4 MotoGP Edition is priced starting at INR 176,050 ex-showroom Delhi, while the MT-15 MotoGP Edition begins at INR 177,230.

Alongside the special editions, Yamaha updated colour variants across its FZ product range. The FZ-S Fi Hybrid receives an Ice Storm colour scheme, while the existing Matte Black version gets updated graphics. The FZ-S Fi line gains a Metallic Black finish.

Pricing for the updated FZ range starts at INR 129,880 ex-showroom Delhi for the standard FZ-S Fi, with the FZ-S Fi Hybrid variant priced at INR 139,200.

Studds Launches Raider Youth Full-Face Helmet At INR 1,175

Studds

Studds Accessories, one of the leading two-wheeler helmet manufacturer, has launched its latest product the Raider Youth, a full-face helmet designed for younger riders and adults requiring smaller head sizes at prices starting INR 1,175.

The release marks the introduction of a dedicated small-sized full-face model into the company's product line-up. The Raider Youth is an ISI-certified helmet that provides chin and lower-face coverage, moving beyond the open-face helmet designs that have traditionally dominated the youth and small-head-size segments in India. It is offered in two sizes: XXS (520 mm) and XS (540 mm), catering to children, teenagers and female riders or adults with smaller head dimensions.

The product features an outer shell constructed from ABS material paired with an expanded polystyrene (EPS) liner. The ventilation system uses top exhaust ports to channel airflow through the interior, while additional hardware includes a scratch-resistant quick-release visor, micro-fibre inner lining and a quick-release chin strap mechanism.

Sidhartha Bhushan Khurana, Managing Director, STUDDS Accessories, said, "Young riders today are more aware of style, comfort, and safety than ever before, and parents are increasingly seeking products that offer enhanced protection without compromising on usability. The Raider Youth has been developed to address these expectations through a purpose-built full-face design that delivers greater coverage and confidence for young riders. Its vibrant colour palette, modern styling, rider-focused comfort features, and trusted safety credentials have been brought together to make helmet usage both appealing and reassuring. We believe the Raider Youth will resonate strongly with young riders and their families while encouraging the habit of safe riding from an early age."

The initial launch comprises the Unicolor variant across 12 finish options, including solid, matte, and chameleon finishes: White, Black, Cherry Red, Flame Blue, Lavender Pink, Pastel Green, Petrol Blue, Dark Pink, Chameleon Pink, Chameleon Blue, Matt Black, and Military Green.

Anuj Dua

Hero MotoCorp, the world’s two-wheeler manufacturer, has appointed Anuj Dua as the new Chief Business Officer – Premium Segment to oversee its motorcycle and scooter operations in higher-displacement categories.

Dua brings experience from previous executive roles across Hero MotoCorp, Royal Enfield and Bajaj Auto, where he managed global product strategy, brand development and market expansion.

In his new role, Dua will manage product portfolio expansion, strategic partnerships, retail network development and customer engagement initiatives, including community events and branded merchandise across performance and lifestyle segments.

In FY2026, Hero MotoCorp expanded its product line-up through the introduction of models including the Glamour X, Xtreme 125R, Xtreme 250R, Xoom 160, XPulse 210 and the Harley-Davidson X440 T. To support these offerings, the manufacturer expanded its dedicated Hero Premia retail and service network to more than 130 stores across India. The standalone outlets feature specialised sales personnel and dedicated service bays.

Dr. Pawan Munjal, Executive Chairman of Hero MotoCorp, said, “The global mobility landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, led by rising consumer aspirations for premiumization including curated premium experiences. At Hero MotoCorp, we are responding to these transformative shifts with a future-focused strategy that combines innovation, design excellence, performance engineering and deeper customer engagement. Our expanding premium portfolio, retail transformation and motorsport initiatives are integral to this strategy, accelerating product innovation, strengthening brand aspiration, and reinforcing our position as a globally admired mobility brand which is proudly Made in India.”

At present, the company manufactures its premium range from its facility Neemrana, Rajasthan, which incorporates automated assembly lines and digital quality control systems. The vehicle platforms integrate electronic architecture supporting over-the-air software updates and rider assistance systems.

Additionally, the company utilises its Hero MotoSports division to evaluate chassis dynamics, electronic systems and powertrain durability for application across its commercial production models.