The past couple of years have seen a slew of motorcycles with engines displacing 350cc to 500cc get launched. And no prizes for guessing, a lot of them are either adventure tourers, or off-road ready motorcycles, as that’s what buyers seem to want, whether or not they’ll ride out of the concrete jungles they live in! Manufacturers are responding to the demand too, aiming to make hay while the sun shines, and we’re not complaining either. For the matter, Austrian bike maker Brixton Motorcycles who entered the country just a year ago through Kolhapur-based MotoHaus is set to launch its first adventure tourer in India too. Called the Crossfire 500 Storr, the bike broke cover internationally recently, powered by a 500cc parallel-twin cylinder engine.
Its engine displacement and configuration make the Storr an interesting proposition, as a twin-cylinder engine offers the big bike feel, which a lot of Indian buyers look for, beside which the 500cc displacement suits a wide spectrum of motorcyclists. And this will also have the Storr rival the Royal Enfield Himalayan, which while powered by a single cylinder engine, is currently the gold standard in the sub-500cc adventure tourer space. Brixton Motorcycles flew us to its global HQ in Austria to ride the Crossfire 500 Storr and we got to ride it briefly on the highway outside Vienna and around some twisties, besides a short off-roading session.
But before the riding bit I just have to talk about the Storr’s distinctive, and rather unconventional design. There is no ‘beak’ to begin with, and there’s quite a bit of design inspiration from the Husqvarna Norden 901. In fact, the fairing and round headlamp also reminded me of the first-generation Royal Enfield Himalayan! I do like the bike’s stance, especially from the front three-quarters – the tall fairing and windscreen (not to forget, the steeply angled instrument cluster display) offer the feel of a rally motorcycle. Attention to detail is excellent and fit-finish levels are impressive. I like the headlamp design too, as it integrates the Brixton logo which includes E, W, N and S denoting the four directions, and looks cool. You also get a set of round fog lamps, integrated into the fairing.
While Brixton has not confirmed the fork diameter, the KYB upside-down forks appear to be 41mm ones and add significant mass to the front end. The Storr uses a 19/17-inch wheel set up and runs on Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres, which add to the bike’s feel as a hardcore adventure tourer further, along with its cross-spoked wheels. The 16-litre fuel tank looks substantial, and I like how its design has it flow towards the rear in conjunction with the seat and upswept exhaust. Overall, the Storr is good looking, and is sure to appeal to Indian buyers.
The instrument cluster is a 7-inch colour TFT display with a matte finish which makes it readable even in direct sunlight. The screen offers a lot of information including fuel efficiency, range, tyre pressure, temperature and more in a very legible manner. It also has two buttons on one side to toggle through options and a third button on the other side, which lets you turn traction control and rear ABS off. Brixton is also offering a lot of equipment as standard which includes two small tank bags, a handlebar-mounted USB port, adjustable clutch and brake levers and even a metal bash plate – this is an excellent list!
The 486cc, liquid-cooled parallel-twin cylinder engine puts out the same 47.6PS and 43Nm as the Crossfire 500X and 500XC and has the same six-speed transmission. The engine sounds nice and the exhaust note is typical of a twin-cylinder engine and is pleasing to the ears. Acceleration is pretty linear and as you would expect of an adventure tourer, grunt at low to mid revs is reasonably strong. Acceleration gets stronger past the 4,000rpm mark and the redline sits at 8,500rpm, which helps when accelerating hard. Fuelling is crisp and throttle response is smooth which is again impressive and the engine feels smooth too, though some vibration creeps in through the footpegs and seat at around 100kmph. I also like the gearbox as gear shifts are precise, though a little too clunky.
The rider triangle and comfortable seat add to the Storr’s likeable manners further – it feels apt for long hours of riding and holding 100kmph all day long should be doable. And at 839mm, seat height is reasonable too. Standing up on the pegs and riding hard is easy too, as I discovered while riding off tarmac. A 320mm disc performs duty at the front and offers a confident feel under braking, besides which the front forks are adjustable for compression and rebound and the rear monoshock for preload and rebound, and overall ride and handling are impressive. The Storr impresses off-road particularly, by offering a confident feel and letting you push, and should make for commendable off-roading abilities despite its 209kg kerb weight, especially since you can turn traction control and rear ABS off.
Overall, the Crossfire 500 Storr is a valiant effort as Brixton’s first adventure tourer. It ticks a lot of boxes and also impresses with its performance and dynamics. The bike will go on sale in 2026 and will be priced at around ₹ 5 lakh ex-showroom, which should make it an interesting addition to the burgeoning adventure tourer space.
