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India's most fuel-efficient bikes of 2013
These five bikes could help you put a lid on your fuel expenses.
With petrol prices going through the roof we present some of the most fuel-efficient bikes to hit the Indian roads.
Over the past couple of years, India has witnessed innumerable variations in fuel prices, particularly in those of petrol. They've seen them rise up; they've seen them drop down; they've seen them bounce from one point on the monetary scale to another, and back again. And while this may sound like exaggeration at its extreme, but 'tumult' is the word that really captures the mood of the situation that two-wheeler riders have been caught up in recent times.
But, like every coin has two sides, this one is no different. While, on the one hand, this chaotic trend of petrol prices has wreaked pure havoc in the awfully strict budget plans of Indian families, on the other hand, it is this very trend that has made the country's bike and car owners so infamously obsessed with the term 'mileage'. This, in turn, has compelled the auto-manufacturers to bring in new and improved technologies to the market, work themselves to the ground to reach a point where their factories cease to chuck out machines and begin to breathe life into marvels of engineering and technology.
That is the reason why the bike market in India is brimming with choices today, with commuters, which are the best mileage providers, constituting one of the most densely populated segments. Today, buyers can choose the perfect ride for themselves from a huge assortment of models, where capacity ranges from 100cc to more than 200cc, with options available at an interval of every 5cc, and fuel-efficiency starts from 30kmpl to go up to a figure as high as 108kmpl.
From this expansive pool of bike models, we bring to you those five members that leave everyone else stammering when the question is of a good mileage return.
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India's most fuel-efficient bikes of 2013
5. Hero MotoCorp HF Dawn and Hero MotoCorp HF Deluxe
Mileage: 82.9kmpl
Renamed from CD Dawn and CD Deluxe to HF Dawn and HF Deluxe respectively, the two motorbikes that share the pedestal of the fifth ranker in our list have recently passed under the solitary reign of Hero MotoCorp from the joint alliance of Hero Honda.
With Dawn costing its buyers a sum of Rs 36,600 and Deluxe being made available for Rs 39,000, both have a fuel-economy of 82.9kmpl to offer.
The biggest USP of these two bikes, just like their countless Hero siblings, is the unmatched brand equity and excellent resale value that every Hero ride receives in legacy.
India's most fuel-efficient bikes of 2013
Mileage: 83.9kmpl
Star performer of India's fourth largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, TVS Star City, has been serving the company and the country since 2004, and after having crossed the sales mark of 30 lakh (three million) units in April 2011, last year the bike stepped out of the factory of TVS Motor Company in its 2012 version, which today occupies the fourth rank amidst the most fuel-efficient bikes of India.
Presently available for a sum of Rs 42,130, this 110cc ride prides in its attractive dual-tone colour scheme, stylish features and robust nature.
India's most fuel-efficient bikes of 2013
Mileage: 85.7kmpl
One look at our next participant and you would be fumbling for words, wondering if it is even possible for a modest 110cc motorbike to match the glamour of those boastful middleweight beasts that young bikers are so obsessed with.
A second look will answer that question with a loud and clear 'YES'.
Such is the magic of Honda that packs up a fuel-economy as impressive as 85.7kmpl, with attire as mesmerising as the one in question here, an engine as mighty as a 109cc, 4-stroke, air-cooled, 9bhp mill, and a price tag as affordable as one bearing a figure of Rs 48,048.
India's most fuel-efficient bikes of 2013
Mileage: 87kmpl
At second position stands yet another Bajaj: Discover 100T.
This particular bike is one of the youngest members of the Indian bike community, having been launched just 3 weeks back at a price of Rs 50,500.
Blessed with an outfit that has the charisma to make even the big boys of the Bajaj family feel uneasy, this freshman is the absolute epitome of the 'distinction' that its creators value so deeply. And the feature that makes Discover 100T stand worlds apart from any of its 100cc counterparts on the entire planet is the fabulous 4-valve DTS-i technology of Bajaj that works under its hood.
India's most fuel-efficient bikes of 2013
Mileage: 108kmpl
Coming from the esteemed stables of Bajaj Auto, it is the veteran Bajaj Platina that claims the throne in this domain, offering not just the best fuel-economy in the entire bike fraternity, but also one of the most affordable deals in the whole market.
Tagged with an extremely competitive price of just Rs 39,293, this 100cc motorcycle compromises on nothing on account of its exceptional affordability: be it looks, power, performance or durability.
Launched in 2006, the Platina gets driven by a 99.27cc, 4-stroke, natural air-cooled, 8.18bhp engine that comes mated to a 4-speed gearbox and a proficient hydraulic suspension system.