It's that time of the year again when you, dear viewer, have the power in your hands. Yes! The carandbike Awards are back and so are the much-awaited Viewers' Choice Awards that let you choose for your favourite car or two-wheeler, and also stand chance to take the winner home. This time, the Viewers' Choice Awards are further divided into several categories including Car of the Year, Motorcycle of the Year, the all-new Tech/Gadget of the Year and Scooter of the Year. In this story, let's take you through each of the nominees in the 2021 CNB Viewers' Awards: Motorcycle of the Year category. Take a look.
Also Read: 2021 CNB Viewers' Choice Awards: Scooter Of The Year Nominees
The Hero Xtreme 160R is one of the best-looking motorcycles from Hero MotoCorp right now
The Hero Xtreme 160R has turned out to be quite the revelation from the company. The new Xtreme 160R marks a significant step for the brand and won us over with its good looks, excellent handling, rider comfort and fuss-free engine. The bike draws power from a 163 cc single-cylinder motor with 15 bhp and 14 Nm of peak torque on offer. The Xtreme 160R manages to make a mark in the hotly contested 160 cc premium motorcycle segment and competes head-on with its closest rival - the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V.
Developed by Honda India, the H'Ness CB 350 matches the segment benchmark making for a close fight in the modern-classic space
The modern-classic segment is a hot space globally and until this year, we didn't realise how much potential Honda could bring here. That new Honda H'Ness CB 350 hits all the right notes with its retro-themed styling, likable design language, excellent build quality, and a friendly 350 cc engine. Barring that name intended to denote royalty, the CB 350 is an extremely potent offering and is off to a good start as well in the market. It's also sold via Honda's premium BigWing Dealerships that makes it an exclusive buy. Interestingly, the Honda H'Ness CB 350 has been designed and developed by Honda India with inputs from its Japanese headquarters, which makes this motorcycle all the more special.
The Honda Hornet 2.0 gets a new engine, new chassis, and competes with rivals from the 200 cc segment as well
Honda 2Wheelers India revamped its Hornet premium commuter this year, aptly called the Hornet 2.0. As the name goes, this is the second coming for the Honda Hornet that gets a completely new frame underneath, a larger engine, and better on-road manners. The new Hornet 2.0 gets a sharper design language that looks muscular and racy, but the riding ergonomics are relaxed and friendly. The fat gold-finished front forks surely grab a lot of attention and so does the X-shaped taillight. Power on the Honda Hornet 2.0 comes from the 184.4 cc single-cylinder motor with fuel-injection that develops 17.03 bhp and 16.1 Nm of peak torque. The muscular profile and sporty handling make it a likable motorcycle in its class as it takes on heavyweights like the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V and the Bajaj Pulsar NS 200.
The KTM 390 Adventure is a value-friendly package and an excellent all-rounder
The KTM 390 Adventure was nearly half a decade under development and finally arrived in showrooms in 2020. The adventure tourer shares its underpinnings with the 390 Duke but borrows its design from the larger KTM adventure motorcycles. The bike offers a more relaxed riding position, softer suspension set-up, and improved pillion comfort. Unlike the international-spec version, the India-spec 390 Adventure comes with alloy wheels that allows for better touring coupled with mild off-roading. The adventure tourer does come with switchable ABS, ride-by-wire, traction control, and more. Power on the KTM 390 Adventure comes from the 373 cc single-cylinder engine that develops 43 bhp and 37 Nm of peak torque, while paired with a 6-speed gearbox.
