[Jacob1000]

It has to be the RE twins.
All the contenders are exactly that.. Enough substance to actually contend for the title but for me the RE interceptor is exactly what we had been fantasizing about. (Looks, power, presence, heritage, basic safety tech etc at an accessible price)
Isn't it what we already wanted? (Read riders in India)
Yes, I'm sure it'll have it's issues and bugs that Enfields are usually associated with (maybe less of them but still present) but which bike isn't?
Leave aside the 'potential to change the market', I know that these bikes are definitely going to do that.

Also coming in a close second would be the Ather twins, plainly because of their (the company's and the product's) brilliance in relation to the Indian environment.

I would also applaud TVS for the efforts that they've taken to give the masses products that met / exceeded a lot of expectations (read Ntorq and Apache 310) and Mahindra for reviving Jawa (and being true to the essence of it).

[Ajaybiz]

Voted for RE 650 twins twin, never knew that it's going to get the highest votes.
My 2nd choice was ather but we cant vote as 2nd, 3rd choice

[petrolhead_neel]

Has to be the 650 Twins. I didn't even look at the other options as I was frantically searching for them. A part of me does feel that they should've been different options, the Interceptor and the GT. But that's alright. They're so different, yet so similar.

I am proud of Royal Enfield. They have made something which is making all of us forget about how they've neglected R&D for years now and shamelessly sold the Classics and Thunderbirds and built this whole lifestyle brand around them. These motorcycles are creating a stir worldwide, and the fact that it is essentially a bike from our shores makes me so happy.

The Thunderbird 500, when it was first launched, was refreshing. The first Continental GT, the 535 (had a HUGE crush on this when I was younger), was just a proof of what could be done if proper attention was given and what was maybe the future for Royal Enfield. The Himalayan was very promising, but was seriously flawed at launch and quite some time after that.

But these 650s are the real deal. For me, the biggest draw is that they have something which Royal Enfields have been lacking for a long time. They feel complete. And boy are they versatile. The fact that you can compare the Interceptor to both a Duke 390 and Street Twin is just amazing.

Can't wait for about 1.5 years when I finally get my license, work odd jobs and gather money to get the GT.

Neel

[sam_machine]

I was waiting for a test ride of the new jawa before putting this up. Now that I have ridden both Interceptor and Jawa 42 so my vote goes to RE 650 cc Interceptor. I was smitten over the quality of switch gears, handle grips, everything was top notch. The way it pulled and grumbled at the same time. I was in love once again. Although like everyone pointed out the positioning of gear lever, I had a nerve pulled in my left leg because of it. My foot was dangling in the air for 100 meters before my left leg came to senses again. Also taking a sharp turn is little difficult in Interceptor as compared to my 2009 electra.

Where as jawa look and feel is completely different. It has the chick look but the ride height is very low. Also the bike looks very small from behind but mind you the exhaust not at all mute. It is sufficiently loud for the kind of bike it is. Lots of quality issues in the pre-production bike. Like welding joints we're ugly and golden strips on the mudguard was already peeling out. Seat length is very small, the showroom guy who was seating on the back kept poking his beard into me.

But the JAWA will certainly touch enthusiasts heart because of its brand loyalty and purist. It was visible in crowded showrooms and people waiting for just a photo with the bike, be it young generation or the experienced one. My best wishes to both Jawa and RE they have given us some thing better to enjoy from our boring lives.

[sen2009]

I voted for the Enfield 650 Twins.

Ather will definitely be a good contender when it will come to be in real life. That's gonna be a few years from now. Jawa is also (probably) good, but nobody can say for sure at this point.

That leaves the only viable contender - RE twins.

I own a 14 year old bullet - Cast Iron, Right (wrong?!) side gear shift model. It runs butter smooth. It has never ever given me a reason to regret having it. That said, I bought it more for the image associated with it than the bike itself. Back then, I understood little more than the image of a bike.

Since long, image has been the only factor driving sales of REs. That and the awesome sounding and torque loaded cast iron engine which stayed relevant and competitive for more than 50 years. There's nothing bad in that, but I would have definitely loved to see the brand to stand on its technology innovation too.


This has happened with the Twins. This is the first world class motorcycle from India which (especially given its awesome price) will be competitive in every international market. People interested in this segment and who have never heard of RE will not need a history lesson to consider this bike for serious purchase - Europe, USA, South America, Africa, Middle East and Japan.
Maybe not Japan. That's kinda too much even for a fanboy to say.

Should the motorcycles be of good quality, these will be the two wheelers of this decade, not just this year.

I am quite optimistic that these models will open up (basically introduce) the 600+ segment for common folks in India. The touring, long distance riding people will see some serious cash leave their pockets in 2019.

I shudder to think what the good folks of Indore and Punjab are designing right now.

[nibedk]

Voted for the RE 650 twins.

The only bikes that have the potential to be market disrupting.

Reasons:

• Mouth watering prices. They may increase them later but still the twins will be extreme VFM for what they offer
• These bikes are truly the first ones from RE which are world class. Few rough edges here and there which I believe should be ironed out by the time next generation bikes come. But they can really compete in the global stage.

The Jawa bikes come a close second for me

Reasons:

• Manufacturers have stayed true to the heritage. So much that they can be passed off as ancient bikes. They should actually have been a modern take on classics
• Competition to RE bikes other than the 650 twins. I hope they have better quality control than RE

I am not a RE fan rather one who would stay away from them. But they have really surprised with the 650 twins. And Jawa for being another alternative to RE and I really want them to succeed. Competition is always good. At least it will push RE to make better bikes.

[vasanthcullen]

There were four motorcycles on this list whose launch I was waiting for with so much excitement. All of them disappointed me in some way

1 and 2. BMW G310R and 310GS

• Stupid pricing. Costlier in India(where it is made) than the US(where it is exported to, from India)
• The Apache RR310 for 1 lakh rupees less makes the pricing of these seem even stupider
• Even if I can forget the pricing and buy it for the BMW badge, I'll always feel like I've been willingly taken advantage of whenever the topic of pricing comes up

3. KTM Duke 125

• Could've been the perfect motorcycle with dual channel ABS. I just can't consider any motorcycle without it
• Price sensitive segment? Okay. Why don't you offer dual channel ABS as atleast an option? Feels like KTM is offering this single channel ABS only because of the rule mandating it. I'm never a fan of such attitude

4. Yamaha R15 V3

• Yamaha's attitude is even worse. ABS mandatory only from April 2019? Cool. That's when ABS will be offered on this bike. FZ25, Fazer250, R3 when launched initially, none of these bikes had ABS
• USD forks and ABS are offered on international versions. Yamaha removed those for India to keep costs in check. Feels like if there was no rule, none of the manufacturers would even offer ABS
• Having said all that, the way this thing looks, the MotoGP edition they launched and how this bike made so many people lose their minds(mine included) made me vote for this bike

[Black Star]

Voted for RE 650 twin, a very bold and affordable move from RE

Would have opted for JAWA but without seeing the production version and no proper test rides could not decide on it

In Scooters would opt for TVS NTORQE if an option to vote is provided category wise

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Auto Portal Two Wheeler Awards 2018 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_wLIHHK20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-5LoKDw9b4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdg9SyGdBS4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-wsyAzj8fc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8_Jrr7DaXo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMw-IjYnzzA

[GTO]

It's a clean sweep for the Royal Enfield 650! Dominating the poll with 47% of votes - and 512 BHPian votes in total - Royal Enfield takes our first ever 2-wheeler of the year award!

[gururajrv]

Originally Posted by GTO

It's a clean sweep for the Royal Enfield 650! Dominating the poll with 47% of votes - and 512 BHPian votes in total - Royal Enfield takes our first ever 2-wheeler of the year award!

It’s clear the masses are liking the new RE 650 twins. RE has made a magic on the pop!

Well done RE and congrats! I was never a fan of you before but after the honest attempt at creating twin engine and making everyone (non RE fans) fall in love with it, has changed my perception.