Kinetic has been synonymous with the OG DX scooter with boxy lines that etched into the hearts of every millennial. It was simple, practical, and got you where you needed to go.
While emission norms and growing competition killed the DX, only a few might remember that Kinetic dabbled in the big bike segment a few years ago.
This happened through Motoroyale, founded in 2018 by Kinetic Group. It was a multi-brand division that officially sold a few exotic bikes in India. With this, Kinetic had in its arms, beauties from MV Agusta, Norton, SWM, FB Mondial, and Hyosung – that’s like a scrumptious exotic platter in a 7-star hotel! They really gave the then-budding Indian enthusiasts a taste of exotic bikes. But you had to have deep pockets to bring one of these beauties home. Amongst all the bikes that Motoroyale had on sale in India, here are the 5 performance bikes that we think were quite interesting:
MV Agusta F4
If there is a bike that’s a poster child for all motorcycle-enthusiasts, it’s the MV Agusta F4. Designed by the legendary Massimo Tamburini (you need to Google if you don’t know him and his works), the F4 was as fine as you’d expect any Italian beauty to be.
It had a 998cc inline-four engine with almost 200PS, and 111Nm. While the standard F4 was priced close to Rs 25 lakh (ex-showroom), Motoroyale brought in one unit (out of 25 globally) of the MV Agusta F4 RC that was priced at a whopping Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom) – back in 2017.
MV Agusta Brutale 1090RR
Another one of Massimo’s fine works of art, but this one’s a naked. And its performance was exactly as it was named – brutal.
It had a 1,078cc inline-four engine that made about 150PS and 112Nm. And this one was almost a quarter of a crore Rupees as well. Even with the fancy electronics, its raw performance made any seasoned motorcyclist soil their expensive riding gear both in excitement and in fear. The Brutale’s brutality will make you feel riding the Ducati Streetfighter V4 is a child’s play.
Norton Commando 961 Sport MK II
This Norton Commando was a limited edition bike that was priced at Rs 20.9 lakh (ex-showroom). Only 19 units came to India.
It looked the part of a proper British roadster, gleaming with chrome, and more importantly, that retro 961cc air-oil-cooled twin-cylinder engine that made 80PS and 90Nm. In a way, the Norton (and the Triumph Bonneville) were the pioneers of the British retro roadster segment in India
SWM Superdual T
As far as big singles go, the SWM Superdual T was the second bike in India after the BMW F650 GS Funduro. The ADV had a very unique design and was the only other 650cc off-road-friendly adventure bike apart from the Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT at that time.
This Italian ADV had a 600cc single-cylinder engine that pumped 54.38PS and 55Nm. Those were decent numbers but refinement was not-so-decent. It had a lot of shortcomings, which left a lot to be desired. This is especially at the price tag it came – Rs 7.3 lakh (ex-showroom).
FB Mondial HPS 300
The FB Mondial HPS300 looked like absolutely nothing else in the market. The scrambler-themed design, complete with those high-set side slung twin exhausts made it look deliciously bespoke. It’s also the most affordable motorcycle of this list, priced at Rs 3.37 lakh (ex-showroom), in 2018.
Its name was a bit misleading though, as it only had a 250cc liquid-cooled single that made 25.1PS and 22Nm. It turned out to be a little too expensive for what at the end of the day was a 250cc bike, that too from a brand that’s not as well-known in India. Pair that with the fact that you had more powerful bikes like the KTM 390 Duke and BMW G 310 R, giving it a tough time with their performance and value for money.
It’s worth noting that Motoroyale was an interesting direction in which Kinetic was heading, but the boutique brands couldn’t compete with mainstream big bikemakers. Eventually, Kinetic realised the changing two-wheeler landscape in India, especially with the advent of electric two-wheelers. In a way, it went back to its roots, fusing retro nostalgia with modern tech with the recently launched Kinetic DX EV.