There’s a lot of competition in the street-fighter segment in India with plenty of motorcycles.
Best Street-Fighter Bikes
Yamaha recently launched the much-anticipated MT-15. With the launch of the MT-15, the competition amongst street-fighter bikes has become even more fierce. This makes it tough for buyers to finalise upon a motorcycle when looking in the Rs. 1.2 – 1.5 lakh range. We simplify things for you with the top 5 street-fighter bikes under Rs. 1.5 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).
Yamaha MT-15
The Yamaha MT-15 was launched recently and has received a mixed response from the public. While the street-fighter is dynamically strong and feature-loaded, the R15 from the same stable proves to be more value for money. However, make no mistake, the MT-15 is by no means a bad motorcycle. The MT-15 features very unique and aggressive styling. Power in the MT-15 comes from the 155cc, liquid-cooled, 4-valve engine seen on the R15. Transmission duties are taken care by a 6-speed gearbox. The setup produces the same 19.3 PS of peak power and 14.7 Nm of torque.
The motorcycle has really good cornering capability and the acceleration is also pretty good. Keeping the price factor aside for a moment, the Yamaha MT-15 is a very capable machine. Having said that, there are other manufacturers which offer better specs at lower prices which will make it hard for the Yamaha MT-15 to garner a strong foothold in the segment. The Yamaha MT-15 is already on sale now and costs Rs. 1.36 lakhs.
Suzuki Gixxer
The Suzuki Gixxer is one of the most successful motorcycles in India. It features a true blue street-fighter design and has a really good engine. It replaced the GS150R and still remains one of the best 150cc motorcycles to buy today. The Gixxer even paved the path for a faired version of the motorcycle and a cruiser, the Intruder. Power in the Gixxer comes from the 154.9cc, four stroke, two-valve engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The setup produces 14.8 PS of peak power and 14 Nm of torque.
Suspension duties are managed by telescopic front forks and a hydraulic monoshock at the rear. The Gixxer gets a disc brake setup for both the front and rear and a single-channel ABS as well. Thanks to a light weight of just 135 kgs, the Gixxer’s handling is very agile. The Suzuki Gixxer retails from Rs. 82,607/- to Rs. 91,541/- which makes it good value for money. Overall, the Suzuki Gixxer is a great all-around package of looks, handling and performance.
Bajaj Pulsar NS 200
Bajaj launched the Pulsar NS 200 in 2012 and it was received quite well. The Pulsar NS 200 was the first motorcycle to be launched under the Bajaj-KTM collaboration. However, Bajaj discontinued the Pulsar 200 NS in 2015 (replacing it with the AS 200) only to relaunch it in 2017 as the Pulsar NS 200. The Pulsar NS 200 derives its power from a 199cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The setup delivers a power output of 23.17 HP and 18 Nm of torque.
The new Pulsar NS 200 distinguishes itself from the older one distinctively using dual-tone paint schemes. Moreover, it gets a new ‘200’ decal on the tank extension, a belly pan, rim tapes and a tank pad similar to the one on the Dominar 400. The motorcycle features telescopic front forks and a preload adjustable rear monoshock. Braking duty is taken care by a 300 mm disc up front and a 230 mm rear disc brake. It also gets a single-channel ABS now. The Bajaj Pulsar NS 200 costs Rs. 1.15 lakhs for the ABS variant.
TVS Apache RTR 200
Ever since it was launched, the sales figures have been soaring really high for the TVS Apache RTR 200 which is available in both a fuel-injection variant and a carburettor version. This way it caters to the needs of buyers with different priorities and it does the job really well. Power comes from a 197.75cc, oil-cooled, single-cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The setup helps develop 20.5 PS of power in the carb variant and 21 PS in the FI variant, both the variants come with 18.1 Nm of peak torque. It also gets the option of a slipper clutch, which is a first in its segment.
The motorcycle gets a double-cradle frame. It sits on telescopic front forks and a monoshock unit at the rear. The Apache RTR 200 gets 270 mm discs up front and 240 mm rear disc for braking. Furthermore, the motorcycle also gets a first-in-segment dual-channel ABS. However, the ABS variant is available only with the Carb version and at a premium of Rs. 1000/- over the FI variant. The top-spec TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 ABS costs Rs. 1.16 lakhs.
Honda Hornet 160R
Honda introduced the Hornet 160R in December 2015. It is based on the Unicorn 160 but has been tuned to be more performance oriented. Honda launched the Hornet 160R to target youngsters with sporty styling. The motorcycle also got a special edition a few months back to help attract even more youngsters. The special edition Hornet gets dual-tone shades of Striking Green and Mars Orange along with new graphics on the tank and rim tape to distinguish themselves from the standard model.
The motorcycle gets its power from a 162.71cc engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The setup produces 15.09 PS of peak power and 14.5 Nm of torque. It gets a diamond-type frame with telescopic front forks and a monoshock at the rear. Braking duties are taken care by petal disc brakes along with the option of a single-channel ABS. The Hornet 160R combines good performance and good fuel efficiency in a very comfortable package. Prices start at Rs. 85,229/- and go up to Rs. 90,729/-.