Top 5 Most Affordable Bikes With Slipper Clutch

A slipper clutch is a feature mostly seen on big sportsbikes but it is steadily making its way to affordable machines these days. Here are the five most affordable motorcycles in India with a slipper clutch

You might have heard a lot about motorcycles that are available with a slipper clutch function. Well, what exactly is a slipper clutch? In layman’s terms, this feature allows the clutch to slip a bit for seamless downshifts, thus preventing the rear wheel from locking up during hard downshifting. Generally, it also makes the lever action quite trouble-free. You would normally find this feature on performance motorcycles. But if you are on a tight budget and are looking for a performance motorcycle with a slipper clutch, you’ve got some choices as well. Keep on reading...

KTM RC 390 (Rs 2.43 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai):

Let’s start with the most expensive bike of the lot, shall we? Priced at Rs 2.43 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai), the RC 390 is one of the most popular sportbikes in India. And being a performance-oriented motorcycle, it gets all the top-end features you’d expect. It gets dual-channel ABS, a digital instrument cluster and a howling 373.3cc liquid-cooled engine. This motor produces 43.50PS at 9000 rpm and a max torque of 35Nm at 7000 rpm. The fully faired motorcycle also features a slipper clutch, which was first introduced in the last-gen RC 390. 

TVS Apache RR 310 (Rs 2.27 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi):

TVS took its own sweet time to develop the Apache RR 310. Launched back in 2017, the RR 310 is one of the most potent motorcycles out there. Even though it shares its underpinnings with its German cousins, the BMW G 310 twins, it’s quite affordable than them, at Rs 2.27 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The Hosur-based company has now launched the 2019 model of the Apache RR 310, which gets a new paint option and more importantly, a slipper clutch! 

Just like the Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 (quite a mouthful, isn't it?), the RR 310 also comes with an assist function. The 312.2cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine produces 34PS of peak power and 27.3Nm of torque at 7700rpm. TVS claims that it’ll do 0-60kmph in just 2.93 seconds and it has a top speed of 160kmph. How different is it from the standard model? Stay tuned to BikeDekho for our detailed review of the 2019 Apache RR310, which will go live later today. 

Bajaj Dominar 400 (Rs 1.74 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi):

Bajaj’s flagship model, the Dominar 400, never really set the sales chart on fire. But it did strike a chord with people with its value for money proposition. It gets goodies such as dual-channel ABS, USD fork at the front and a digital instrument cluster. The KTM-sourced 373.3cc, liquid-cooled engine churns out 40PS of power and 35Nm of torque. Just like the previous iteration, the 2019 Dominar 400 is also equipped with a slipper clutch and the lever action does feel lighter compared to the older bike. 

Yamaha R15 V3.0 (Rs 1.39 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi):

The R15 has been the go-to choice for people who want a fully faired performance motorcycle that’s easy on their wallets. For a bike enthusiast, it ticks all the right boxes: it looks great and performs quite well on the track as well in urban conditions. To cope with its dual nature, Yamaha has equipped it with an assist and slipper clutch for effortless gearshifts. The 155cc unit makes 19.3PS at 10,000rpm and 15Nm of torque at 8500rpm. Even though it is a 155cc motorcycle, our tests show that the R15 V3.0 is at par with the some of the 200cc motorcycles when it comes to performance. The Japanese fully faired sportbike goes from nought to 60kmph in 3.4 seconds and completes the 0-100kmph dash in 11.42 seconds.

TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 (Rs 1.1 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi):

When TVS had launched the Apache RTR 200 4V Race Edition 2.0 back in 2018, it was the first TVS motorcycle to get a slipper clutch. And at a price tag of Rs 1.1 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), it is the most affordable of this lot. In fact, it is the least expensive motorcycle in India to get a slipper clutch. The company claims that the slipper clutch on their motorcycle helps in reducing clutch effort by 22 per cent. Powering the motorcycle is a 197.75cc single-cylinder engine which delivers 20.5PS (carb) and 21PS (FI) of power at 8500rpm and 18.1Nm of torque at 7000rpm, and is paired to a 5-speed gearbox.