Comfort Wheels

The motorbike culture can be traced to as far back as the post-World War II era. As surprising as it sounds, it was the adrenaline rush of being on the battlefield that united the war veterans. Seceral decades later, the motorcycle still symbolises much of what kicked off a movement — the rush of wind in your air; riding like there’s no tomorrow. It’s a no brainer then that a host of motorcycle manufacturers are offering just that to put some of the most expensive luxury cars to shame.

Recently launched in India, the 2018 Honda Gold Wing is one of the most sought after touring motorcycles in the market. The bike is fitted with a new horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine that displaces 1,833 cc and is mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, which also offers a special low-speed ‘walking’ mode to make it easier to move the bike in and out of parking spots. The engine delivers 125 bhp of maximum power and a peak torque of 170 Nm. Packed to the brim with a 7 inch TFT colour display, an Apple CarPlay integrated infotainment system, a smart key with ignition and luggage compartment controls and couch-like-comfort seats, this two-wheeler is designed to be ergonomically perfect to ensure that the rider doesn’t get tired on long rides.

Yadvinder Singh Guleria, senior vice president – sales and marketing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India said, “The best ever Gold Wing is a complete generation leap and yet comes with an unmatched price (Rs.26.85 lakh).”

Indian Motorcycle is known for its pedigree, attention to detail, quintessential cruiser styling and refinement coupled with an easy riding experience. At Rs.28.99 lakh, Indian Chieftain captures the very essence of the company.

Pankaj Dubey, managing director and country head, Polaris India said, "With the number of HNI’s in India rising, the sales trends are shifting towards cruiser and more comfortable touring bikes. With increasing income levels, customers are willing to buy the best. We foresee that India will be one of the largest superbike markets in the next couple of decades and accordingly will be big for Indian Motorcycle too."

Moving on, BMW’s newest model BMW K 1600 B tourer is all about aesthetics — be its sheer size, comfortable seats or large windscreen. Powered with a big 6 cylinder in-line engine that delivers 160 hp 175 Nm of torque, the bike also comes with multiple riding modes that include rain, road and dynamic, and a feature called Shift Assistant Pro for clutch-less gear operation. If you’re looking for added perks, then it also comes with taction control, ABS, adaptive headlight and daytime riding light, LED fog lights, hill start control and tyre pressure control. For an ex-showroom price of Rs.29 lakh, the whole package also includes central locking, keyless riding, abundant luggage space, a high end audio system and GPS. Vikram Pawah, president, BMW Group India sums up, “The BMW K 1600 B embodies the motto of the ‘spirit of the open road.’” 

If the life on road excites you, what better than one of these creature of comforts to give you company on your next big adventure.

The writer is an editor with MotorScribes and tweets at @VikramGour