Motorcycles With the Best Looking Headlights

When we decide to purchase a motorcycle, one of the factors that influence our decision is, undoubtedly, the design of the bike. We believe that when it comes to design, the first object that will appeal to any person will be the headlight and only after that you will check the other parts to decide if the bike is appealing or not. Hence it is very important for the headlight design to look good with the right shape and size. Here we have made a list of 15 motorcycles with the best looking headlights under the 500cc category.

1. Yamaha R15 V3
   

   

   With the launch of the R15 Version 2, there was no bike in the segment which looked that good and it kinda resembled the bigger bikes as well. Just when we thought it could not get any better, Bham!!!!! Yamaha drops the curtains on the R15 V3 and it looks breathtaking, to say the least. In the face of it all, are the brilliantly designed boomerang-shaped LED headlights on either side and above everything, it looks fresh. Even now in the 150-200cc category, there is no faired bike that looks this good. Its DRLs are pretty basic but its positioning is clever and hence looks very good even with just the DRLs or with the headlight ON.

2. Yamaha MT 15
   

   

   For many years, we were under the assumption that the FZ series were the naked versions of the faired R15 models but then Yamaha said “No wait” and introduced the MT 15 which is exactly the R15 V3 without the fairing. This design of the headlight resembles the masks of the Samurai clan and Yamaha rightly markets it as the ‘Dark Side of Japan‘. After just one look at the bike, how could we disagree with Yamaha? It also looks like a Decepticon from Japan if you have the right imagination. Apart from this, it gets all the same equipment as the R15 V3 and is one of the most capable naked bikes in its segment.

3. TVS Apache RR310
   

   

   This is the only bike in the sub-500cc category that comes equipped with LED projectors and the illumination from this headlight is one of the best we have seen so far. The design of the headlight is simple yet beautiful and the nose that comes in between the projectors gives it a kind of human-shaped look(more like Toothless from the movie How to Train your Dragon especially in the black colour variant). The panels below the projectors are shaped proportionately and fit very well to make the overall design subtle and functional. The DRLs could have been better but we’re not complaining since it does not look odd.

4. Bajaj Pulsar NS200
   

   

   The designer of the Pulsar NS200 was Edgar Heinrich who was working in Bajaj after resigning from BMW and later got back to the German motorcycle manufacturer. This is the same person who helped design many notable bikes like R1100, K1200, R1150GS and R1200GS in BMW. So you know the design cannot go wrong and the alienistic look of the headlight design with those unique chin DRLs says it all. This bike has a cult following not only in India but many other countries and is famously known as the Wolf gang. The small windshield also adds some substance to the look and makes it look like a crown.

5. Suzuki Gixxer 250F
   

   

   The headlight design on the new Gixxer 250 is very Suzuki-like, which means it is sharp, edgy and yet beautiful as a complete package. The DRLs are placed on the top row and give a neat look. The complete headlight setup is LED and the tint is more white than blue which we feel is a good thing. At first glance, you might not be able to capture much but if you check the attention to details, then you will understand why it is one of the best looking headlights.

6. Bajaj Pulsar 220F
   

   

   This is a design that revolutionised the Pulsar group and even now the Pulsar 220F is one of the best budget tourers with the most ergonomic seating position and the bike has got enough power to get you cruising in triple-digit speeds for a long time. Even while touring at night, it won’t be a problem as the headlights on the Pulsar 220 got you covered. The design was very new to the Indian market and the fact that Bajaj sells this model even now is a testament to the fact that it’s still being received well. The elliptical halogen projectors illuminate the road ahead very well and the high beam is bright with a good throw. The parking lights (which are now called DRLs) are neatly placed and the overall design looks like an alien head.

7. Bajaj Pulsar RS200
   

   

   If Bumblebee from the Autobots visits India and decides to transform itself into a bike, then it would definitely look like the RS200 for sure. Of course, we are talking about the yellow variant. The DRLs resemble an eyebrow and is placed very neatly to give you the angry look of the bike. The halogen projectors are the same ones available on the KTM RC series and they are one of the best sets of headlights available in India right now. The high beam especially is very powerful and that helps a lot on the highway runs in the night but be careful not to blind the oncoming traffic.

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8. KTM Duke 390
   

   

   This has got to be one of the most radical-looking headlamps and according to us, it looks fierce and angry just like the nature of the bike. The DRLs are definitely one of the best looking among all the bikes in India. I know we have said it many times but this looks like an alien as well and yeah one of the bad ones that try to kill you. The 3 step-design has the low-beam, high-beam and another DRL bulb. Another good thing is that it looks like the bigger and meaner KTM 1290 SuperDuke.

9. Bajaj Dominar 400
   

   

   The Bajaj Dominar 400 was the first bike in India to have a full-LED setup. The design is compact and perfectly balanced as with the rest of the bike. The high beam is way too bright and has a more vertical throw than circular which is preferred, but the low beam has good throw and illumination and definitely a breeze to ride this bike in the dead of the night.

10. Kawasaki Ninja 300
    

    

    The headlight unit of the Kawasaki Ninja 300 is probably one of the oldest in this list but has aged well and the minor changes that it was given has made good improvements. It has had the Always-On Headlamp for a very long time as the European regulations made it mandatory to have the low beam ON all the time. The twin headlamp setup on the Ninja is famous and is present on almost its entire lineup from the baby Ninja 300 to the monster Ninja ZX-10R.

11. Hero Xtreme 160R
    

    

    The previous designs of the Hero Xtreme were not up to the mark except for the first CBZ Extreme in the 90s. After a very long time, the headlights on the Hero Xtreme have been updated with a new design and it definitely qualifies to be on the list of motorcycles with the best looking headlights. It looks futuristic and has a very bold outlook as well. The DRLs are present on either side of the low beam light that is present on the top, while the high beam is at the bottom. The turn indicators don’t match with the overall design though.

12. BMW G310 GS
    

    

    The most affordable Beemer in the world got an update quite recently and looks much better than the first generation. It looks good and we’re not complaining but we would have loved to see the trademark asymmetric twin headlights that are present on its bigger models. From the side profile when you look at it at a glance, it already looks like the bigger GS and that headlight design would have made it even more appealing. Nevertheless, the design looks good and we particularly like the design at the side where the indicators are placed.

13. Husqvarna Svartpilen\Vitpilen 250
    

    

    If you have got a thing for Neo-retro designs then the one on the Huskies look the best in our books. There are more bikes coming up in this segment and the one on the FZ-X looks good too but we feel this is better. The circular shape with the LED DRL running around it looks good and the LED headlights offer good illumination although we would have liked more intensity as it feels underpowered when there is oncoming traffic. Even then, with its minimalistic approach, it easily makes its way to the list of the best looking headlights in the market.

14. Yamaha R15 V4
    

    

    The latest kid in the block is the R15 version 4 and they have made it look more similar to the bigger R1 and this time they have launched the R15M as well which has the same colour scheme as the R1M. The LED DRLs look smashing and the projector headlight is situated smack dab in the centre. We are not sure if the V3 will be sold with the V4 and if that is the case, then it will be a very tough choice.

15. KTM RC390
    

    

    We have included the KTM RC series in this list only because the design is radical and has out-of-the-box thinking. It looks futuristic and very unique when compared to any bike in the Indian market. The halogen projectors offer very good illumination and are one of the best in the market. It has both throw and intensity under any circumstances and hence very helpful during the night rides.

As we said before the design of the bike is very important and every manufacturer aims at bringing in something new and unique to the market with every new product. And while we have listed 15 motorcycles with the best looking headlights, there are also some honourable mentions of course, like the Bajaj Pulsar 150, Jawa 42 2.0, TVS Apache RTR 200, Royal Enfield Meteor 350.

Note: All bikes are unique in their own way and the most important point we would like to highlight is that looks are subjective. We are not telling other bikes which are not on the list to be ugly but we have only picked the ones that we feel look good. Apart from this, if a bike fits your requirement after taking a long test drive, then please go for it.