The Indian market will witness the launch of two new entry-level cruiser motorcycles in the coming months from key auto brands
Royal Enfield Classic 350 has been the indisputable leader of the entry-level cruiser segment in the Indian market for over a decade. Despite the launch of new models everynow and then by rivals brands, it has remained unaffected and sales numbers have soared even higher during a few instances. In the coming few months, the Classic 350 will get a couple of worthy contenders from renowned global brands such as Honda and Triumph. Hence, in this piece, we will talk in detail about the 2 upcoming RE Classic 350 rivals launching in the next 6 months.
1. Triumph Bonneville 400
Triumph Bonneville 400 would be launched in Q4 2026 in the Indian market. It would be the seventh 400 motorcycle in the British brand’s portfolio after the Speed T4, Speed 400, Scrambler 400X, Scrambler 400 XC, Thruxton 400 and Tracker 400. Earlier this year, the cruiser Was spotted undisguised in India in a retro look with chrome-studded crank-case and exhaust pipe while riding on wire-spoke wheels.
Triumph Bonneville 400 will be pitted against the mighty Royal Enfield Classic 350 in the Indian market. The spy images revealed that the company has left no stone unturned to make the Bonneville 400 a classic retro motorcycle with the inclusion of elements like circular LED headlamp, belly pan, teardrop-shaped fuel tank, chrome-finished rear grab rail, single exhaust pipe and lower handlebars.
The Bonneville 400 will boast of telescopic front forks in place of the Speed 400’s USD front suspension. At the rear, the bike will have twin-shock absorbers and to accommodate this setup, the brand is likely to use a new subframe and swingarm or a heavily modified version of the existing unit. At the heart, the India-spec Bonneville 400 would be packed with the new 349cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine, which was recently introduced to enjoy the lower GST benefits across the entire 400 line-up of bikes.
2. Honda Rebel 300
Honda recently previewed the entry-level cruiser in the Indian market while confirming that it will be launched in the coming months to rival the RE Classic 350. It will be locally produced in India to ensure an aggressive pricing. Adorning a bobber-inspired design and low-slung stance, Honda Rebel 300 will be launched in both Standard and E-Clutch variants.
Some of the notable features onboard the Rebel 300 will be LED projector headlamp, Front and rear disc brakes, Dual-channel ABS, TFT instrument cluster with Honda RoadSync, and turn-by-turn navigation. Sitting on a unique frame, the bobber-styled cruiser motorcycle has a low saddle height of 690 mm. It tips the scale at just 170 kg. The India-spec Honda Rebel 300 will share the 286cc liquid-cooled engine with the CB300R.
