Hungary-based two-wheeler manufacturer Keeway has presence across Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa. The company is currently part of Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Qianjiang Group. The latter also happens to own Benelli. India being one of the largest two-wheeler markets in the world, Keeway has commenced operations here, starting with the their scooters and cruiser motorcycle.
As far as the core silhouette is concerned, the Keeway K-Lite looks like a modified version of the Bajaj Avenger motorcycle. It has resemblance to some of the Harley Davidson roadsters as well. K-Lite comes across as a no-frills bike with a largely minimalistic design. It has a retro profile, evident in the round headlamp and circular turn indicators and tail light.
Some of the key features of K-Lite include retro-styled fuel tank, side panels in metallic finish, alloy wheels, short tail section and rear tyre hugger. It has a compact exhaust pipe with perforated heat shield. In its home market Hungary, Keeway K-Lite is offered in colour options of grey and black. India too gets the same colours.
Keeway K-Lite is designed for both city rides as well as long distance cruising. Riding ergonomics appears quite comfortable with pulled-back, wide handlebar and forward-set footpegs. Seat appears to be comfy as well, although there doesn’t seem much space for a pillion rider. This is especially true in the context of long-distance cruising.
Powering the cruiser is a V-Twin air cooled 249cc motor delivering 18.7 hp @ 8500 rpm and 19 Nm torque @ 5500 rpm. Transmission is via a 5 speed unit. Drive system is via a belt.
Speaking about dimensions, it is 2230mm long, 920mm wide and 1090mm tall. Wheelbase stands at 1530mm, ground clearance is 160mm while fuel tank capacity is at 20 liters. It gets USD forks in the front, hydraulic twin shox at the rear, LED headlight and tail light, Dual ABS. Front tyre is 120/80-R16 while rear gets 140/70-R16.
New Benelli Keeway 250cc Cruiser is offered in a choice of three colours – Matte Blue, Matte Dark Grey and Matte Black. Prices are dependent on the colour option you chose. Matte Blue is the cheapest at Rs 2.89 lakh, Grey is Rs 2.99 lakh and Black is Rs 3.09 lakh. All prices are ex-sh.
At this price point and package it offers, it will be a challenging task for Keeway to match the wide fan following and affordability factor associated with Royal Enfield motorcycles. The latter currently leads the middleweight motorcycle segment with more than 80% market share.
This post was last modified on July 5, 2022 12:37 pm