New Motorcycle Launches and the Importance of Asia

With Honda announcing the CB1000F and the SE variant – See Straight Outta The 80s – that comes with a bikini fairing and a couple of extra trick bits – quick shifter, heated grips, radiator guard – we went looking for the other new motorcycle launches that have happened recently.

The big news in Europe is the Suzuki GSX-R1000R – details below – which will get the most headlines where we live, but by the number of motorcycles that will be sold, the big news is elsewhere.

India And The Rest Of Asia

Sub-400cc motorcycles being built in India is a very common story. Yet, there is a little more to that story than lower manufacturing costs.

Building lower-capacity motorcycles in India allows manufacturers to benefit from various export subsidies and duty exemptions for manufacturers producing larger capacity bikes for international markets.

It is a sweet deal. India gets a rich supply of sub-400cc motorcycles. They are the largest market for these bikes, by a very large margin. And in return, the manufacturer gets allowances on exporting motorcycles that are “Made in India”.

Asia Sub-400cc Motorcycle Sales in 2024

The figures in the chart below indicate BILLIONS of Great British Pounds (a Thousand Million).

To put these figures in context, the Hero MotoCorp is consistently the largest motorcycle manufacturer in India, commanding over 30% of the £16 billion Indian market. They have over 6,000 dealerships in India, with the top-tier outlets selling around 7,000 motorcycles per month, each.

The Hero Splendour is the best-selling model, often exceeding 100,000 units per month.

In 2024, Harley-Davidson sold a total of 151,200 motorcycles worldwide.

Even if every Harley was a top-of-the-line model and cost £25,000 each, Harley’s global sales by value would be less than 8% of the Asian sub-400cc market.

That isn’t a comment on quality, longevity or suitability – just the size of the market, and it is growing.

Triumph Thruxton 400

One of the most talked-about launches is the Triumph Thruxton 400. It was released in India on August 6th. It shares the same 400cc platform used in Triumph’s other bikes, like the Speed 400, Speed T4, and Scrambler 400, producing 39.5 hp and 37.5 Nm of torque.

Price-wise in India, it should be around Rs 2.5 lakh (£2,400), which puts it in the premium category for the Asian market. Nonetheless, when you look at the sales potential for sub-400cc motorcycles in Asia, this is a significant motorcycle for Triumph.

TVS Apache RTX 300

Continuing the small capacity theme, TVS – the owners of Norton – will start deliveries of the Apache RTX 300 later this month.

First seen at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Global Expo, the motorcycle uses a new 300cc single-cylinder engine, released at the MotoSoul in 2024 under the name RT-XD4.

Performance figures suggest it will deliver 34 hp and 28.5 Nm of torque.

BSA Bantam 350 & Scrambler 650

BSA Motorcycles, currently owned by Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, has launched two new BSA Bantams, a retro styled 350cc roadster and a scrambler version with a 652cc engine designed for light off-roading

The Scrambler bears a large resemblance to the Gold Star, not least of which is the engine and the performance figures.

The retro Bantam uses a 344cc single double overhead cam (surprisingly) 29 HP engine that produces 29 NM of torque. Priced at £3,500 in the UK

Perhaps not the most suitable level of performance for UK roads, it is expected to perform well in Asian countries.

Suzuki GSX-R1000R (2026)

Much more familiar territory for Europeans is the announcement of the  Euro 5+ compliant version of the iconic Gixxer, arriving in 2026.

Thankfully, none of the Suzuki engineers have had to drink decaf lattes or spend time decompressing in their safe space to bring the bike to market.

The engine delivers 192.4 hp and 110 NM of torque, and comes complete with a 6-direction IMU and a bi-directional quick shifter.

Also on the list of high caffeine tweaks and upgrades are a new crankshaft, crankcases, pistons, connecting rods, and a higher compression ratio.

There’s also a new exhaust, an updated suite of electronics (not just the IMU), and winglets – Yes, we have winglets, which we’ll never need because we don’t do more than 70mph, do we?

While other manufacturers are moving away from sports bikes, politically correct trends don’t seem to bother Suzuki.

It is a refreshing approach. If you find yourself needing to ask why Suzuki decided to build the GSX-R1000R, may I suggest you are missing the point.

It is never going to be a big seller in Asia, but the simple fact that Suzuki could build it was all the encouragement they needed. It is a brilliant attitude. Long may it continue.