World Motorcycle Day 2025: 5 Performance Bikes That Shaped The Indian Biking Scene

Imagine the Indian streets where it would just be the economisers everywhere. No emotions, just pure utilitarian offerings. Life would be so boring, then. Thank God that these bikes arrived, made us believe there is more to motorcycling than just “Fill It, Shut It, Forget It.”

Yamaha RX 100

The original rebel. Arriving in the late 1980s, this two-stroker was the perfect bike for the Indians that were seeking something rebellious, something performance-oriented, something that would keep the mummies awake late at night waiting for their kids to come back, fearing for their safety. It might have just had a small 98 cc mill, but this pesky little ruffian was a terror once you hit its powerband. It opened up the avenue for its elder sibling and the original Indian widowmaker – the RD 350 – to arrive in India. But the RX 100 is still an icon, instantly recognisable even today with its ring-a-ding-ding sound as it passes you by spraying its two-stroke fumes as cologne.

Bajaj Pulsar 220

India had to wait a good few years after the RX 100 ceased to exist. Tightening emission norms meant two-strokes were dead. There was nothing exciting until the Hero Honda CBZ arrived and soon thereafter the Bajaj Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 180 twins. And even though the Karizma soon arrived to gain the upperhand, Bajaj just put an end to any debate and gave us the “Fastest Indian” in the form of the Pulsar 220.

The original DTS-Fi version didn’t burst on to the scene. It was only when Bajaj went back to the drawing board pretty quickly and trusted the humble carburettor that it saw results. And it was the much needed spark inside the company itself that made a lot of things possible. An aspiration was born. It allowed Bajaj to think that the Pulsar could be the flagbearer of performance bikes in India. And the popularity of the 220 still remains so potent that its production had to be restarted, despite Bajaj launching the 220’s touted replacement: the 250 cc Pulsars.

However, the Pulsar brand is no longer India’s premiere performance brand, and that to a 90s kid, is just pure disappointment. Praise Bajaj then that it gave us KTM.

Yamaha R15

Before jumping to KTMs, though, the bike that made us all dream we are Valentino Rossi was the Yamaha R15. Its skinny tyres and R1-inspired looks were totally unique. It gave us the first proper taste of modern technology like liquid-cooling, a good handling chassis, sporty ergonomics and the realisation that motorcycles can easily deceive you if you just believed their spec sheets. Four impressive generations of this sportbike have only built on that idea as it remains India’s best selling full-faired sport bike. Sad then that Yamaha refuses to build on the credentials and actually treats us with some of its tasty big offerings. Even when it did give us the R3 and MT-03 in 2023, it did so begrudgingly: pricing it horribly at the start.

KTM 390 Duke

If the RX 100 and RD 350 were the performance bikes to have in the 1990s, then the KTMs were surely the ones to have in the 2010s. Explosive performance, incredible handling dynamics, high-end components and yet all of this at a price that was pretty affordable. The 200 Duke came first, giving that two-stroke-like performance that made us understand what the ‘Ready To Race’ mantra meant. However, it was the 390 Duke that truly changed perceptions, made us realise that this is a bike not to be trifled with. It demands attention, precision and skill, with the rewards being great cornering thrills and lots and lots of wheelies. And still to this day, there are hardly any motorcycles that give you that much BANG for your buck as the 390 Duke does.

Royal Enfield Interceptor 650

After the Classic 350 steadied the sinking ship that was Royal Enfield, the actual turning point for this now retro giant has to be the 650 twins with the key protagonist being the Interceptor 650. Again a motorcycle that does a lot more than its spec sheet suggests, the Interceptor fulfilled multi-cylinder motorcycle ambitions of many without any shortchanging. It remains a Royal Enfield in every sense: big, lots of metal and full of nostalgia. But it ushered in a lot of new-found character that is now found in virtually every other Royal Enfield bike. And even as it has begun feeling a bit dated in 2025, the upcoming 750 twins will surely keep that legacy going forwards.