Forget Hero’s diesel bike launch, the company never talked about the RNT150 after unveiling it at the 2014 Auto Expo as a concept…
It was 2014 when, like a small, exuberant child, Hero wanted to prove to the world that it could stand on its own, after its split with Honda. It was a big challenge for the company as terms and conditions of the joint venture prevented it from forming its own Research and Development and hence, it was completely dependent on the Jap for technology.
At the 2014 Auto Expo all hell broke loose when Hero went berserk with its show of skill. It put on display the very impressive 250cc HX250R, Leap electric scooter, out-of-the-world 620cc Hastur mid-sizer and 150cc RNT – all as concepts! The carnage continued at the 2016 Auto Expo as well.
But wait, things fizzled down and seven years later, the most powerful motorcycle that the company makes hardly pushes out 18 PS! There is no 250cc, no 620cc and no diesel bike!
Apart from the most talked about HX250R and Hastur, I believe it is the RNT that was equally exciting. If you are unaware, here are its specs and key features..
- 150cc diesel engine.
- Liquid cooling
- Turbo-charged
- 35 Nm of whopping torque at only 1600 rpm (max power of 13.5 bhp at 4000 rpm)
If that doesn’t blow your eyes out, here is more..
RNT was a 2-wheel drive bike that had an optional electric front hub motor that could offer 1.4 PS of power to the front wheels. Wait there is more…
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This front motor was controllable by a secondary throttle and it also worked independently with the regular chain drive. It had a detachable headlamp that could be used as a torch that also carried a power outlet! And all of these are official figures/features – proudly flaunted by Hero in 2014!
The motorcycle is not a reality is obviously a question. But a bigger question is – after seven years, there is nothing even remotely close to this concept from the maker – nor has even a single feature percolated to any of the production bikes.
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Funnily, after 2014, Hero has never talked about the RNT ever to the media. So, the question that I have is – was RNT a prank…?
