IMOTY 2025: The Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) 2025 awards, often called the Oscars of Motorcycles, recognized the top motorcycle in the Indian market. This annual event highlights achievements in design, performance, innovation, and value, attracting contenders from various segments. The 2025 competition was highly competitive, reflecting shifting trends among Indian riders. A panel of automotive experts judged the entries, reinforcing the awards' reputation as a benchmark for the industry. Since its launch, JK Tire has been a consistent supporter of IMOTY.
In this article, we explore the winners, contenders and all the highlights from events.
IMOTY 2025: Winner
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. The Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) awards recognizes the best motorcycle launched in the past year.
Also Read: IMOTY 2025: Aprilia RS 457 Bags Top Honor; Bajaj Freedom 125, Hero Xtreme 125 Emerge Runners-up
The Aprilia RS 457 claimed the top honour at IMOTY 2025, standing out in a field of strong contenders, including the Bajaj Freedom 125 and Hero Xtreme 125R. The finalists were meticulously selected by the experienced IMOTY jury.
The Aprilia RS 457 features an aggressive design with clip-on handlebars, a sleek underbelly exhaust, and split LED headlamps. Powered by a 457cc parallel-twin engine, it delivers 46.9bhp and 43Nm of torque. This powertrain is paired with a six-speed gearbox and an assist and slipper clutch, ensuring smooth performance.
The Bajaj Freedom 125 combines premium styling with practicality. Its 125cc air-cooled engine generates 9bhp and 9.7Nm of torque. The bike offers dual-fuel functionality, switching between CNG and petrol, and includes a 2kg CNG tank and a 2-litre petrol tank for enhanced efficiency.
The Hero Xtreme 125R blends bold aesthetics with performance. Its 125cc engine produces 11.5bhp and 10.5Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The bike features telescopic forks, a rear monoshock, and braking options with a front disc and either a rear drum or disc.
IMOTY 2025: Contenders
This year's IMOTY 2025 finalists include motorcycles from various segments, such as premium commuters, sport bikes, classic cruisers, scramblers, and more. The selection offers options for riders across different preferences. The expert IMOTY jury, including Digital Editor Manav Sinha and Assistant Editor Shivank Bhatt from autoX, shortlisted the top 10 contenders. The winner will be announced in January.
- Bajaj Freedom
- Hero Xtreme 125R
- BSA Goldstar 650
- Bajaj Pulsar N125
- Hero Mavrick 440
- Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450
- Royal Enfield Bear 650
- Triumph Speed T4
- Aprilia RS 457
- Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z
IMOTY 2025: Scoring System
Established in 2007, the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) is India's most recognized motorcycle award. Judged by experts from top automobile magazines, it evaluates motorcycles based on price, fuel efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, innovation, ergonomics, value for money, and suitability for Indian roads. This year's finalists were tested at the Buddh International Circuit.
Also Read: ICOTY 2025: Winners, Contenders, and Everything Else You Need to Know
The IMOTY scoring system is designed for fairness. Each jury member has 25 points to distribute across at least five shortlisted motorcycles, with no model receiving more than 10 points. Equal scores for the top two are not allowed to ensure clear rankings.
Deloitte tallies the points after jury evaluations. Final results remain confidential until the awards ceremony, maintaining the credibility of the process.
IMOTY 2025: Juror Member
The IMOTY Jury was composed of experienced automotive journalists, experts, and industry professionals. 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).
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