Racy New Sports Bikes Headed to U.S. From India

Wild new motorcycles are racing toward the U.S. from an unexpected source: India.

They're coming through Classic Motorworks, the Faribault, Minn. based importer of Royal Enfield motorcycles. Royal Enfield motorcycles have been produced in India to an original British design since 1955. Since the decline of the British motorcycle industry in England, Royal Enfields from India have been the treasured last gasp of the traditional, upright "thumper" motorcycle. Classic Motorworks will continue bringing them to an appreciative audience of vintage motorcycle buffs in the U.S. , as it has since 1999.

But the bikes they're adding are nothing like the old-fashioned, staid British motorcycle. According to Classic Motorworks President Kevin Mahoney, the new Indian sports bikes he will import this year are startlingly different.

"We are bringing in a new line of bikes this year from India. It is the TVS brand. We are starting with a 160cc sport bike (sort of) called the Apache EFI with electronic fuel injection, dual disks (brakes), and extremely clean burning engine that gets an honest 114 miles per gallon. Pretty amazing for a real motorcycle," Mahoney said.

While miles per gallon is interesting, TVS markets its Apache in India on the basis of thrills per heartbeat. In one advertising video a gorgeous spokesmodel touts the machines' speed and agility. At one point she finishes a soft drink and places the can on the ground in front of her. A charging TVS Apache rider brakes to a stop at the last second before hitting the can.

If that kind of risky business isn't for your girlfriend, get a braver one, the leggy model suggests.

Mahoney's eyes are on other attributes:

"It will also be priced pretty close to Chinese bikes yet is totally Japanese quality. The company used to be Suzuki-TVS but went its separate way several years ago. They have R-and-D facilities that would be the envy of any motorcycle company worldwide," he said.