Triumph has launched the new Thruxton 400 in India at prices starting INR 274,137, with a global release planned for later in the year.

The Thruxton 400 joins Triumph's Modern Classic line-up with the bike's chassis and suspension have been revised to provide a sportier ride. Rider technology includes switchable traction control, a torque-assist clutch, a ride-by-wire throttle, and an integrated analogue speedometer with an LCD screen. The Thruxton 400 has service intervals of 10,000 miles (16,000 km) or 12 months and comes with a two-year unlimited mileage warranty. The motorcycle is built with a new fairing housing a classic round LED headlight and has four colour scheme option – Lava Red Gloss and Aluminum Silver, Pearl Metallic White and Storm Grey, Metallic Racing Yellow with Aluminum Silver and Phantom Black with Aluminum Silver

The motorcycle features a 398cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine with a 12:1 compression ratio, producing 42 PS (30.89 kW) at 9,000 rpm and 37.5 Nm of torque at 7,500 rpm. It features a six-speed gearbox, a wet multi-plate slip & assist clutch and is equipped with a Bosch electronic fuel injection system. The motorcycle chassis is a hybrid spine/perimeter tubular steel frame with a twin-sided, cast aluminium alloy swingarm. It has a wheelbase of 1371 mm, a seat height of 805 mm and a wet weight of 181 kg. Featuring a 13-litre fuel tank capacity, the motorcycle comes with a claimed fuel efficiency of 27km per litre.

In terms of suspension, on the front it gets 43mm upside-down forks with 140mm of wheel travel, while the rear suspension uses a gas monoshock RSU with an external reservoir and preload adjustment, providing 130mm of wheel travel.

For stoppage, it uses a single 300mm fixed disc with a four-piston radial caliper on the front and single 230mm fixed disc with a single-piston floating caliper on the back, both with ABS.

Paul Stroud, Chief Commercial Officer, Triumph Motorcycles, said, “The Thruxton name is synonymous with an exhilarating ride, a focused riding position and the iconic cafe racer silhouette. The new Thruxton 400 delivers all that and more, representing exceptional value that will appeal to a younger audience who long to own a stylish motorcycle with the modern performance and premium finish of a Triumph. With its uprated engine and sportier ergonomics, the Thruxton 400 is an exciting addition to our Modern Classic range, building on the accessibility and confidence inspiring handling that has made the 400 range so popular.”

Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director, Bajaj Auto, said, “The Triumph business in India has seen tremendous momentum over the past year – from expanding our network and experience stores to a growing community of passionate riders who are engaging deeply through regular rides and events. The response to the Modern Classic 400cc range has exceeded expectations, and the new Thruxton 400 is a worthy addition. It blends authentic cafe racer styling with exhilarating performance and exceptional build quality. With this launch, we continue to offer Indian riders not just motorcycles, but iconic machines that evoke emotion and foster community.”

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Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ultraviolette Automotive has brought on board Dakar Rally racer Ashish Raorane as a specialist for the company’s development programs.

The collaboration is set to focus on key aspects of Ultraviolette's vision, including rider-centric performance, product endurance and safety.

Narayan Subramaniam, Co-founder & CEO, Ultraviolette Automotive, said, “Ultraviolette is building world’s most exciting electric performance machines and rider feedback at the highest level is core to that mission. Ashish brings a unique blend of competitive riding prowess and product expertise, stemming from the wealth of experience he has amassed from the Dakar Rallies and numerous other cross country world championship rallies. His perspective on motorcycles will contribute to future innovations from Ultraviolette as we continue to build rider centric experiences and technologies, for motorcyclists and enthusiasts.”

Ashish Raorane, said, “It’s exciting to be part of Ultraviolette’s journey at such a transformative moment in mobility. I look forward to contributing my perspective to help shape truly exceptional experiences for riders worldwide and to push the boundaries of what the future of mobility can be."

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Thumb the starter on the KTM Duke 160 and the first impression is of familiarity – those tense lines, sculpted tank and sit-in stance that signal ‘Duke’ before the wheels even turn – yet there’s also a welcome lightness to how it picks up and changes direction at parking speeds and in the first hundred metres. That easy agility is backed by a chassis brief that reads serious on paper – trellis frame with bolt-on subframe, lighter five-spoke wheels, hollow axles and geometry that’s a shade sharper than the bigger siblings – so the bike feels eager without getting nervous when the pace rises.

Within a few blocks, two things set the tone for daily life: a clutch that’s genuinely light and progressive and a gearbox that slips through ratios cleanly, letting short, tidy shifts replace the usual 160cc thrash – helped by a slipper clutch that takes the drama out of hurried downshifts when traffic opens and closes without warning.

What stands out

The Duke 160 looks and feels like a proper Duke – tense lines, sculpted tank, sit-in stance – and backs it up with a genuinely light and eager front end thanks to the trellis frame, lighter five-spoke wheels and sharper geometry. The motor’s real-world strength is tractability and in-gear urge rather than fireworks off the line; timed roll-ons of 30–70 kmph in 6.8s (4th) and 9.1s (5th) make short overtakes easy without constant downshifts, echoing the sentiment that it feels brisk between gaps more than it feels explosive from a standstill.

Braking hardware is a headline win: a 320mm front disc with braided lines and dual-channel ABS (rear channel switchable) gives bite and progression few 160s can match and it shows when hustling or panic-stopping in town.

The everyday reality

At 815mm, the seat is on the taller side for an average-height rider; those around 5ft 8in may tip-toe at awkward cambers, though the wide bar and neutral pegs help low-speed balance and leverage in traffic. The clutch and gearbox pairing is excellent – light, smooth and confidence-inspiring – so creeping traffic and quick, clean shifts become second nature within minutes of riding. Lever placement is not perfect from the crate; both the gear and brake pedals could use a quick adjustment during PDI to better match different boot sizes and ankle angles, which takes the edge off initial niggles.

Ride and features

Suspension tuning leans towards control with acceptable compliance: the Duke stays planted and keen to turn, yet retains enough travel to keep sharp edges from jarring too much in the city, though rougher patches still remind that it’s set up to feel taut rather than plush. Thermal management is a positive: a larger radiator surface area helps in slow-moving traffic and while the fan cycles in dense conditions, heat never tips into discomfort during typical urban use in this test window. The monochrome LCD with a dot-matrix pane is clear in bright light, offers all the basics at a glance and the microswitch cubes feel a cut above the class; Bluetooth navigation remains an accessory, which keeps base weight and price in check.

Verdict

Against the Yamaha MT-15 V2, the Duke 160 trades efficiency for feel: the Yamaha is lighter and significantly more frugal (users often report 50+ km/l), while the KTM bites harder on the brakes, feels more planted at the front and pulls stronger in mid-gear bursts on paper and in practice. The KTM’s 19PS and 15.5Nm edge the Yamaha’s 18.4PS and 14.1Nm and its 320mm rotor dwarfs the MT’s 282mm, but the MT-15 counters with lower kerb weight and everyday economy advantages that matter to commuters. If weekly highway runs and traffic sprints define the brief, the Duke’s chassis feedback, brake feel and roll-on pace make a compelling case; if fuel economy and a lower seat are top priorities, the MT-15 remains the pragmatic pick and price positioning in on-road terms still favours the Yamaha in many cities.

In short, the Duke 160 is not the outright quickest feeling 160 off the mark, nor the most frugal, but it is the most ‘KTM’ in the way that matters: front-end feel, braking confidence and mid-gear urge that make real-world riding more engaging and assured than the spec sheet alone suggests. It could do with lower seat options from the factory and cleaner lever ergonomics out of the box; sort those and it becomes an easy recommendation for riders who value control and character over kilometre-per-litre bragging rights.

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TVS Motor Company, a leading manufacturer of two-wheelers and three-wheelers, has expanded its TVS Raider Super Squad Edition. 

The company has introduced two new thematic options for the Raider Super Squad range with the addition of Marvel’s Deadpool and Wolverine decal options.

The new TVS Raider SSE comes a powerful 3-valve engine, which produces 11.75 Nm @ 6,000 RPM of torque. The Super Squad Edition will now also get the iGO assist with Boost Mode for enhanced acceleration and GTT (Glide Through Technology). It also features a fully connected reverse LCD cluster with more than 85 features.

It was in August 2023 that TVS Raider became India’s first motorcycle to launch Marvel-themed editions, debuting with Iron Man and Black Panther.

The new TVS Raider Super Squad Edition is priced at INR 99,465 (ex-showroom Delhi) and will be available across all TVS Motor Company dealerships.

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Royal Enfield has introduced a new Shadow Ash colourway for its Guerrilla 450 motorcycle at the ‘GRRR Nights X Underground’ event in Pune. The event, held in partnership with Tapaswi Racing, was a blend of motorcycle stunts, drag races and musical performances.

Priced at INR 249,000 (ex-showroom Chennai), the new colourway features an olive green tank with blacked-out detailing, giving the bike a more aggressive, muscular appearance. The Shadow Ash model, part of the Dash variant, also comes equipped with the Tripper Dash navigation system.

The launch event was attended by over 3,000 enthusiasts and showcased the motorcycle’s performance capabilities through high-octane stunts. Professional stunt riders, including Padma Prashanth and Anish Shetty, performed drag and drift stunts. A highlight of the night was renowned motorsport athlete Akildas T.D., who performed a gravity-defying drift showcase on the new Guerrilla 450. The Guerrilla 450 is powered by a 452cc liquid-cooled Sherpa engine.

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