Indian customers always want something more. Something with more power, yet with good economy. And then there are those who want performance at a cheaper cost. Well, we know that there are bikes in the market by local manufacturers who have provided well-made bikes in the market, but still they have also created a class of their own, a class which now the Japs are trying to fulfill with their machines in the market. Yes, it is the much coveted 160-180cc class of bikes which provide more power than the regular 150cc bikes and yet provide equivalent mileage as well to satisfy the hunger of our average Indian.1. Honda Unicorn 160
2. TVS Apache 160 RTR
3. Bajaj Pulsar 180
4. TVS Apache 180 RTR
5. Honda CB Hornet 160 R
1. Honda Unicorn 160:
This bike was originally meant as an upgrade to the very popular 150cc Honda Unicorn. The new Unicorn 160 was supposed to satisfy the consumers with a better styling and a bit more power with a very small bump in price. Consumers suddenly did not have much of an option to go with the 160cc Unicorn, given the fact that the 150cc version was taken off the shelf. The bike did not get the response Honda would have had expected, yet the bike is quite the able performer.READ ALSO: New Honda CB Unicorn 160 Test Ride Review
The Unicorn CB 160 is powered by an all-new 162.71cc air cooled engine from Honda churning out 14.5PS at 8000 RPM and 14.61Nm of torque at 6000 RPM giving the bike a much better performance compared to the older Unicorn with a lot plush and relaxed ride owing to the higher cc of the engine. The bike is still the cheapest bike in the segment, yet it has not set the cash registers ringing for Honda the way they would have had expected from the Unicorn. The bike is available for INR 72,560 ex-showroom Delhi and is the cheapest bike in this segment.
2. TVS Apache 160 RTR:
The TVS Apache 160 RTR was the first bike in the market with true bred racing DNA in it with an able chassis and riding dynamics to be taken to the track. The bike is quite the handler even today, though the riding position has been a bit of bother for many. The bike has been pretty much been unchanged since its inception and still manages to sell well for the company. The engine is also pretty smooth, though you can’t really expect the kind of refinement from is as the Japs.READ ALSO: TVS Apache RTR 160 Long Term Ownership Review
The bike is powered by a TVS original 159.7cc air cooled mill churning out 15.2PS at 8500 RPM and 13.1Nm of torque at 4000 RPM. The torque kicking in quite early in the mid-range is what gives the bike its potent in performance and hence has been a hot favorite for many youngsters. The bike is retailing at INR 73,889/- ex-showroom Delhi and is the second cheapest bike in the segment.
3. Bajaj Pulsar 180:
Expect if from no one else but Bajaj to deliver true value for money product. That is what happened when they introduced the new Pulsar series with the 150cc and later with the 180cc to quench the building power thirst among the citizens. The 180cc came to the party and shook up the entire automobile scene as now there was a true performance bike in the market for a really affordable price by the standard of the market in those days.The Pulsar 180cc is powered by a 178.6cc air cooled engine with outputs of 17.02PS at 8500 RPM and 14.22Nm of torque at 6500 RPM. The bike is now old with no major engine upgradations since. But the mill is still quite capable to provide the performance it is asked from and is still quite in demand. The bike is available for INR 75,468/- ex- showroom Delhi, which is just INR 2,000/- costly compared to the RTR and Unicorn 160, yet gives 20cc of extra displacement and 3PS of more power as well. Now that is what Bajaj does.
4. TVS Apache 180 RTR:
After the success of the Apache 160RTR, TVS went on to challenge the Bajaj Pulsar 180 with its own 180cc bike, the Apache 180 RTR. Staying true to its racing breed, the Apache RTR 180 was quite the performer and was able to get some quick fan following in it, but the cost factor was always in play. TVS did bring out an ABS version of the bike which was a master stroke, but again the cost factor in play always made the difference for the bike. Consumers still go for the Apache 180, but only if they are ardent fans of it, else the Pulsar 180 is still ruling the roost here.The TVS Apache RTR 180 is power by TVSs own 177.4cc air cooled single cylinder engine with output figures of 17.03PS at 8500 RPM and 15.5Nm of torque at 6500 RPM. The bike is still being used as the first choice in beginner racing coaching and is available for the price of INR 77,519/- ex-showroom Delhi.
5. Honda CB Hornet 160R:
The idea behind the Honda CB Hornet was to give the young consumers something to go for apart from the regular premium 150cc bikes from other companies such as Yamaha and Suzuki. The Honda Hornet was meant to be a premium bike offering with the same base as that of the Honda Unicorn 160cc. The again did not pick up that well as Honda would have liked from it, but the bike is still the same in terms of performance as the Honda Unicorn 160 except for a small torque bump just to give the bike a more sportier character instead of a commuterish feel on the Unicorn.READ ALSO: Honda CB Hornet 160R Road Test Review
The bike comes with the same 162.71cc air cooled engine from the Unicorn with the same power output and 14.76Nm of torque at 6500 RPM. The bike gets revised styling, a faux carbon fiber panel on the fuel tank for a much premium look and some more styling to make it more muscular. The bike is the costliest in the list coming in fifth position in our list for the 5 most affordable bikes in the segment with the cost of INR 80,431/- ex-showroom Delhi.
If you happen to notice, coming up with the list was not much of a task since there are only so many bikes in the segment and this made us think as to why other companies have not yet forayed into the segment since all the bikes in the segment are doing so well. Well, it is the decision of the companies to make and for us to enjoy with, but it is just something to think about. So this was the list of the 5 most affordable bikes in the 160-180cc category. So if you are looking for the bike in this segment, you now have the list ready in the ascending order of cost.
By: Pratik Patole