Lightweight, go-anywhere motorcycles are extremely popular in India and other Asian countries thanks to their versatility, affordability, and dependability. Unlike the Western world, which mostly sees motorcycles as toys and luxuries, in Asia, motorcycles are the lifeblood of the economy, and are responsible for keeping the wheels of various industries turning.
That being said, while low-displacement commuters have become more stylish and tech-laden in recent years, they’ve continued to stay true to their utilitarian nature. Bikes like the Hero Xpulse 200, as well as the Mahindra Mojo, to name a few, have become extremely popular thanks to how versatile these platforms are. With rumors of Yamaha developing an adventure-oriented FZ-X, Honda isn’t one to sit in the sidelines, and reports from various Indian motorcycling publications suggest that Big Red is coming up with an entry-level adventurer of its own.
The new bike is expected to go by the NX200 moniker, and come outfitted with loads of off-road and touring-specific doodads. The folks over at India are expecting this bike to be the long-awaited rival to the Hero Xpulse 200–which for the most part, has remained unrivaled in the lightweight entry-level ADV sphere. Unsurprisingly, not much information about this would-be NX200 has come to surface just yet. However, speculations are rife as to just what this bike could look like, as well as the kit it’ll be sporting.
Interestingly, Honda has the CB190X, a similarly natured entry-level adventure bike specific to the Chinese market. Judging from its looks and basic componentry, it won’t be surprising if the upcoming NX200 would bear an uncanny resemblance to this CB190X. On top of this, Honda has quite a successful power plant to its disposal in the form of the 184cc single-cylinder engine found in the Hornet 2.0. Could this be the formula for the upcoming NX200? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Only time will tell exactly what Honda has up its sleeve for the growing lightweight, entry-level ADV segment in India
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Sources: Indian Autos Blog, AutoCar India