IMOTY 2025: Aprilia RS 457 Bags Top Honour; Bajaj Freedom 125, Hero Xtreme 125 Emerge Runners-up

IMOTY 2025: The prestigious 18th Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) awards, often referred to as the 'Oscars' of the Indian two-wheeler industry, were presented in New Delhi. This annual event recognizes the best motorcycle launched in the past year. For 2025, the IMOTY award was presented to the Aprilia RS 457. The Bajaj Freedom 125 and Hero Extrem 125R claimed the first and second runner-up spots, respectively, completing the podium. This year's lineup featured a diverse range of bikes across various segments, including premium commuters, sport bikes, modern classic cruisers, scramblers, and street naked, catering to every type of rider.

These results were reached after a thorough evaluation of the finalists, who were carefully shortlisted by the IMOTY jury. The panel includes our Digital Editor, Manav Sinha, and Assistant Editor, Shivank Bhatt.

Also Read:  Aprilia RS 457 Review: The Hype is Real!

IMOTY 2025: New Aprilia RS 457 Finishes First Overall

The Aprilia RS 457 won the top honor, emerging victorious in a fiercely competitive field. It went head-to-head with strong contenders such as the Bajaj Freedom, Hero . These 10 finalists were picked by the highly experienced jury of IMOTY.

The Aprilia RS 457 boasts an aggressive design with clip-on handlebars, an underbelly exhaust, and split LED headlamps. Its 457cc parallel-twin engine delivers 46.9bhp and 43Nm of torque, paired with a six-speed gearbox and an assist and slipper clutch.

The Bajaj Freedom 125 features a premium design with a 125cc air-cooled engine producing 9bhp and 9.7Nm of torque. It seamlessly switches between CNG and petrol and is equipped with a 2kg CNG tank and a 2-litre petrol tank for efficiency and versatility.

The Hero Xtreme 125R combines bold styling with a 125cc engine producing 11.5bhp and 10.5Nm of torque, paired to a 5-speed transmission. It comes with telescopic forks, a rear monoshock, and braking options of front disc and rear drum or disc brakes.

IMOTY 2025: Judgment Parameters

Established in 2007, the IMOTY is India's most respected automobile award, judged by a panel of highly experienced experts from the country's leading automobile magazines. The IMOTY 2025 finalists were evaluated based on a range of criteria, including price, fuel efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, technical innovation, ergonomics, value for money, and suitability for Indian riding conditions. The vehicles were tested at the Buddh International Circuit.

Also Read: ICOTY 2025: Mahindra Thar Roxx Named Indian Car of the Year; Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Swift Finish as Runners-up

Since its inception, IMOTY has been sponsored by JK Tire. To guarantee complete transparency in the winner selection process, Deloitte has been signed up as the official knowledge partner. 

IMOTY 2025: Jury Members

This year's 17-member IMOTY jury comprised Shivank Bhatt (autoX), Manav Sinha (autoX), Rahul Ghosh (Auto Today), Aspi Bhathena (Bike India), Sirish Chandran (Evo India), Aatish Mishra (Evo India), Kartik Ware (Motoring World), Rohit Paradkar (Overdrive), Vikrant Singh (BikeWale), Kranti Sambhav (Overdrive), Abhay Verma (Turbo Charged), Pratheek Kunder (BikeWale), Joshua Varghese (Bike India), Varun Painter (Powerdrift), Arpit Mahendra (TOI Auto), Abhinav Jakhar (Auto Today) and Manaal Mahatme (Motoring World).