IBN - Indian Biker News

Mahindra Two Wheelers launches Gusto 110 VX Special Edition at ₹52,010

2016-09-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

Mahindra Two Wheelers Limited has just launched a new special edition of their 110 cc Activa challenger, the Gusto.

The automatic scooter is the country’s first product in the segment with a unique height adjustment feature and will only be available on the top end VX variant. This edition will carry a sticker price of ₹52,010 (ex-showroom, Delhi). That’s ₹2,000/- more than the standard version.

Mechanically the scooter is powered by the same 109.6 cc air cooled engine with a maximum power 8 BHP at 7,500 rpm and a peak torque 9 NM at 5,500 rpm. The seat height is 770 mm in the higher position and can be brought down to 735 mm if the need be. Apart from the beige color panels on the fixtures/interiors and floor board, the special editions get two new paint schemes:

Pacific Matte Blue

Crimson Matte Red

Other features of the special edition include a remote flip key, find-me lamps, guide lamps, a bright halogen headlamp with LED pilot lamps, easy front kick and a handy quick storage compartment. Mahindra will also be offering the scooters on the e-commerce platform - Paytm and can be booked for an amount of ₹5,000.

Mahindra, which has been a force to reckon with in the Indian Two wheeler industry since 2008 when Mahindra and Mahindra limited took over the Kinetic Motor Company Limited. It currently has 5 Scooters in production -

Duro DZ
Flyte
Kine
Gusto
Rodeo.

TVS to launch two scooters and one motorcycle in 2013

2013-02-08T00:00:00.001-08:00

TVS Motor Company is planning to launch three new products in 2013 and this will comprise a motorcycle in the executive segment and two automatic scooters. The company is also planning to bring back the “Victor” brand via an upcoming motorcycle.

The new Victor motorcycle will be positioned between 100 and 110cc segment where majority of the motorcycle market share lies. This motorcycle is expected to have the best in class acceleration and fuel economy.

The company is also planning to launch India’s first electric scooter called the Qube. This scooter was showcased at the 2012 Delhi Auto expo. The Qube will feature two source of power, a 100cc four-stroke engine and an electric hub motor. The hybrid system charges the battery when the brakes are applied. This way the energy is used very efficiently. The rider will have an option to choose from various modes depending on the requirement. The second scooter will be powered by a 125cc engine and will compete with scooter like Mahindra Duro and Suzuki Access.

No dates have been specified for these products but we expect the company will launch the Victor motorcycle first to capture the growing 100-110cc segment.

Source - Bikewale and TVS Motor

Bajaj-KTM to launch a Husqvarna 200 by 2015

2013-02-06T02:13:00.003-08:00

Bike enthusiasts have several reasons to rejoice this year. With a multitude of launches on the horizon, no one expected to own a Husqvarna motorcycle without breaking the bank balance to naught Good news !! This will put a massive smile on the face of motorcyclists in India. Yes, Bajaj-KTM will locally manufacture Husqvarna motorcycles in India. Yes, Husqvarna will offer a 200cc bike for India. Yes, this bike could be yours in less than 2-years time. Sounds too good to be true?

KTM CEO, Stefan Pierer wants to make a motorcycle alliance just like the Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen owns 10 brands, with many vehicles using the same platform, engines, suspension, etc. This leads to low cost of development and higher profits. No wonder Volkswagen is one of the richest automobile companies in the world. So how does Mr. Pierer plan to do it? With Husqvarna under his belt, Mr. Pierer wants Bajaj Auto to manufacture Husky motorcycles in India, thereby leading to lower cost of production and higher profits.

This is what the CEO of KTM Stefan Pierer has to say about this landmark announcement.

“First Husqvarna motorcycle will be launched in India in 2 years. Proposed Husky model for India to be made at Bajaj’s Chakan plan will use joint engine platforms of Bajaj-KTM for Husky models. Joint-engine platform to be used for 125cc-200cc segment for Husqvarna,”

However, what is most important is how Husqvarna will share parts with KTM and Bajaj. The Duke 200 and Pulsar 200 NS share a lot of parts. The upcoming Husqvarna 200cc bike will use the Duke 200′s engine and could be positioned above the Duke. Thus Bajaj-KTM will offer three alternative in the 200cc segment – Pulsar 200 NS at the entry level, Duke 200 in the middle and the Husqvarna 200cc bike at the high end. The sourcing strategy will be similar too and the end result will be a more affordable motorcycle, with desirability firmly intact.

Bajaj-KTM will also develop a 125cc Husqvarna motorcycle, which will be prime-ly targeted at European customers. We can expect a 375cc motorcycle from Husqvarna as well, which would be based on the upcoming Duke 390. Thus Husqvarna and KTM motorcycle will be quite similar but with slight differences in the product and significant differences in the positioning.

Source - Motorbeam.com

Honda to launch the CB150R Streetfire in February

2013-01-30T21:52:00.000-08:00

Honda recently announced an Indian offensive, promising to launch new bikes and scooters every quarter of 2013. Staying true to their word, Honda recently introduced the Dio, Activa and Aviator scooters with revised engine technology. There’s now news the next Indian Honda is going to be the CB150R Streetfire, set for launch in just a few days, in February 2013.

The CB150R was first seen at the Jakarta Motorcycle show late last year, and is purpose built to suit Asian markets. This is a naked version of the CBR150R currently sold in India, inspired by the impressive CB1000R super-bike The CB150R houses the same engine as used by the CBR150R, a four-stroke, 149.4cc, liquid-cooled and fuel-injected engine that deploys a six-speed gearbox. Minor engine tweaks have been carried out to suit the new role, the CB150R generating 16.8bhp at 10000rpm, with peak torque being 1.33kgm at 8000rpm.

The CB150R uses a similar frame and front and rear suspension as the CBR150R, deploying a mono-shock at rear. Ergonomics are altered and upright as expected on a street-bike, for better comfort.

Complete Specifications of Honda CB150R Streetfire -

Displacement	149.4cc
Engine	149.4cc, 4-stroke
Maximum Power	17.58 Bhp @ 10500 rpm
Maximum Torque	12.66 Nm @ 8500 rpm
Gears	6 Manual
Clutch	Wet Multi Plate
Bore	63.5
Stroke	47.2
No. of Cylinders	1
Valve Per Cylinder	4
Chassis Type	Twin Tube Diamond
Cooling Type	Liquid Cooling
Fuel Tank	13.00 ltrs
Wheelbase	1305.00 mm
Electrical System	NA
Headlamp	12V 60/55W H4
Battery Type	Maintainance Free
Battery Voltage	12V
Battery Capacity	6Ah
Horn	Dual
Wheel Type	Alloys
Wheel Size	100/80-17 – 130/70-17 mm

The 150cc class is a hotly contested space in the Indian market, with every bike manufacturer putting their best foot forward in their attempt to gobble up more market share. The CB150R makes good sense for Honda to bring to India, and should prove an agile, refined and sporty motorcycle capable of urban commutes, with some measure of thrill offered on the open road.

Honda needs to price the CB150R affordably though, given the CBR150R is overpriced and we can expect them to do this by shedding the Fuel injection and Liquid Cooling for Carburetor and air cooling respectively. Nevertheless, the Yamaha FZ series will get some healthy competition now.

Source - Autocar India

Bajaj-KTM buying Husqvarna from BMW Motorrad

2013-01-30T03:11:00.000-08:00

There is speculation that the Italian bike brand, Husqvarna, is being bought by iconic Austrian brand, KTM, from its former owner BMW. KTM is partly owned by our very own Bajaj Auto.

It is said that the deal of the ownership transfer may be announced by as early as this weekend. The final negotiations for the transfer and other processes are being carried out at the moment. Exact details of the deal and exact date of the transfer are not available at the moment though.

Husqvarna had been bought by BMW from its previous owner, Italian Bike manufacturer MV Agusta, in 2008. In spite of the global economic crisis, BMW had spent quite a handsome amount to develop and improve the Husqvarna brand. Many new road bikes and off-road bikes were introduced to replace the older line-up. BMW developed bikes like the Nuda 900 which was an extremely aggressive and powerful motorcycle. The Husqvarna Nuda had decent success in the market as well.

BMW developed a special motorsport as well as a research and development division, completely renovated all the production lines and shifted many of their top engineers to Italy to design bikes for Husqvarna. But now the German automobile giant is selling the Husqvarna brand to KTM. None of the companies, Husqvarna, KTM or BMW have made any official statement about the topic, but it is said that BMW usually never comments about such news until the whole process is complete.

What this could mean to us humble Bikers in India is Bajaj's already Tech Rich Kitty getting Richer and more awesome Technology! Upcoming years are going to be very exciting for us Bikers !!

Expect more awesome generation of Pulsars in the future!
___________________________________________________________________________________

Update !! - February 1st 2013

It’s official ! Husqvarna- a former subsidiary of BMW Motorrad, has been sold to Mr. Stefan Pierer- CEO of KTM, but not to KTM. Sounds confusing right? Check out the explanation below.

Seen in the picture Mr Stefan Pierer(Left) and Mr. Rajiv Bajaj(CEO-Bajaj Auto) during the launch of KTM 200 in India

Apparently, Mr. Stefan Pierer in addition to holding post of the CEO at KTM owns a firm by the name of Pierer Industries AG and is now the official owner of the Husqvarna brand. With such an array of interlinks between Mr. Pierer, KTM, Bajaj and presently Husqvarna- it’s quite a possibility that Bajaj might get interested in the Huskys and someday you may find something like a Nuda 900R for sale at your nearest pro-biking showroom.

Source - Motorbeam.com

Piaggio to launch exciting Variants of Vespa

2013-01-25T03:10:00.000-08:00

Piaggio at the Auto Expo 2012 had unveiled the iconic Vespa with its LX125 automatic variant. Ever since its launch, The Vespa LX125 has received a positive response from the Indian market. The manufacturer is now looking forward to expand the brand’s market presence in India. Ravi Chopra, Chairman and MD, Piaggio Vehicles recently announced that the company has set a target of selling 1,00,000 units of the Vespa, which can be achieved by introducing new variants of the scooter. The new variants include a disc brake variant, a sport variant and a 150cc variant.

The new sport variant will be named as Vespa LXS125. The LXS125 will be treated with intricate design elements and new features including square headlights, red suspension rod, red taillights, black springs, semi digital console and much more.

It will be a performance oriented automatic scooter. The LXS125 will get a tweaked 125cc engine producing a maximum power output of 12 BHP mated to an automatic transmission and will boast front disc brakes.

The new variants will be introduced during this year including the 150cc variant following the same design language, without fuel injection system. Piaggio is expected to offer fuel injected scooters starting from the year 2014. We expect the manufacturer to introduce the sport variant LXS125 in a few months of time.

The Vespa LXS125 will offer limited colour options of black and white and is expected to be priced Rs. 4,000/- more than the regular Vespa LX125. The Vespa LX125 comes with a price tag of Rs. 59,661/- (ex-showroom Maharashtra).

Source - Motorbeam.com

Yamaha to Launch a Scooter for Men

2013-01-22T02:19:00.001-08:00

India Yamaha Motor is planning to launch a new scooter which is mainly targeted to male riders. The new scooter will carry design cues from the company’s latest scooter, the Ray, that was launched targeting female riders. This new scooter will sport a 125cc engine. The scooter is also expected to have very good handling dynamics.

Yamaha is expected to launch the new scooter in mid-2013. The company is focusing more on scooter market in India and is not planning to launch any new motorcycles till 2015. “Our focus is scooters. It is the fastest growing two-wheeler category in India. By 2015, the share of scooters in overall two-wheeler segment is expected to double to 40 per cent from 20 per cent at present,” said Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO and MD.

We certainly hope it looks something like this !!

More manufacturers are trying to enter the scooter segment which has seen some tremendous growth in recent times. Piaggio is planning to launch a new 150cc scooter, called the Typhoon, which is mainly targeted to young buyers. Vespa is also planning to get an upgraded version of the, the LX 125.

Source - Motoroids India

Honda Developing a Low-cost Motorcycle

2013-01-22T00:03:00.001-08:00

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) is planning to develop a low-cost motorcycle for the Indian market and challenge Hero MotoCorp in its own turf. Honda claims that this bike will be the cheapest bike to be developed by the company and is expected to be priced in the bracket of Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000. At this price bracket, this low-cost motorcycle will go in directly head to head with Hero MotoCorp’s current cheapest motorcycle, CD Dawn. Currently, Hero offers the CD Dawn at a price of Rs. 36,600. Compared to this, Honda’s cheapest offering currently in the Indian market is the Dream Yuga which sells at Rs. 44,657 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Atsushi Amataka, president, Honda Research & Development India, said: “We are examining the possibility of introducing a low-cost motorcycle for India.” He declined to give any timeline but indicated the company was looking to price the motorcycle in the Rs 30,000-40,000 price band. Honda also stated that this low-cost bike would be developed totally indigenously at the in-house R&D facility in Manesar. The Dream Yuga, launched last year has been doing very well for Honda and with the introduction of this motorcycle; Honda will be in a serious position to challenge the market dominance of Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto.

Currently, Hero MotoCorp has 7 products that are priced in the bracket of Rs. 36,000 to Rs. 51,000. With so many offerings, the company has the dominant stake of 69% in the mass commuter segment for a long time. Hero’s loss of market share to Honda is clearly evident with in the first nine months of this financial year, the company’s market share has slipped three percentage points in the commuter segment on subdued consumer demand at the entry level.

Source - Bikeadvice.in

Bajaj Auto to Re-enter Scooter market with launch of 125cc Blade

2013-01-21T21:09:00.001-08:00

Th Grapevine has been ripe since recent times with news that Bajaj Auto is working on re-entering the Indian scooter market by coming up with an automatic scooter. The Bajaj automatic scooter might be out by the middle of this year and it has now emerged that Bajaj might come out with a scooter based on the Blade 125 concept that was previewed some time ago.

Powering the Blade 125 is a 125cc-air cooled four stroke engine that features a 4 valve head. The motor is mated to a CVT transmission and safely expect the engine to get the DTSi treatment in the production spec scooter.

It is being said that the Bajaj scooter might feature the same engine that does duty on the Discover 125 ST motorcycle.

The Blade will be equipped with front telescopic shock absorbers, 12 inch wheels, digital instrument cluster, front fuel filling, front disc brake and electric start when (and if) it goes on sale.

Specifications of Bajaj Blade 125:

Engine Type	4 valve DTS-i
Engine Displacement(cc)	125 cc
Maximum Power	11.5 Bhp
Starting	self, kick
Wheel Type	Alloy
Tyre Size	Front-3.25x19", Rear-3.50x19" mm
Wheel Base	1370 mm

It may be noted that the Indian scooter segment is fast growing and we saw Piaggio introducing Vespa LX125 premium scooter last year. Also coming our way are more powerful automatic scooters from various biggies. Hence, it makes some sense for Bajaj to re-enter the scooter segment with a well sorted out product.

Source - Motoroids India

Bajaj Planning To Export The Discover 100T Motorcycle

2013-01-11T03:42:00.001-08:00

The Indian 2 wheeler giant, Bajaj Auto is planning to export its recently launched commuter-tourer motorcycle, the Discover 100T to foreign countries. If the plan is approved, the company will start exporting the 100T 4-5 months from now. This should give the product enough time to reach most of their Indian dealers and generate decent sales as well.

"Initially we are looking at the domestic market. May be after four or five months, we will be looking at exports of this motorcycle", said R Chandrasekhar, general manager (sales), Bajaj Auto. The Discover 100T will most probably be exported to Indonesia and South Africa first.

The Discover 100T is powered by a segment first 4 Valve DTS I engine of 102cc displacement that churns out an impressive 10.2 BHP of power and 9.2 NM of torque. This engine is mated to a 5 speed gearbox and sends power to rear wheels via a chain drive. Bajaj claims this bike can do a top speed of 100 km/h and also deliver a superb mileage figure of 87 kmpl. Bajaj launched the discover 100T in India at Rs. 51,979 (ex-showroom Chennai). Currently Bajaj is already exporting its models like the Pulsar and the Discover 125 and 150 to export markets like Indonesia, South Africa and Latin America. Bajaj wants to add the Discover 100T to that list too. Bajaj has planned to sell close to 45,000 units nationwide this year. Bajaj Auto would begin production of this motorcycle at its Pant Nagar plant end of this month for serving the Northern markets.

Out of the 45,000 units, the company expects 12,000 units alone to be lapped up by the Tamil Nadu since its coincidence with the forthcoming festive season. Segment wise, the Discover 100T competes with Honda’s latest offering, the Dream Yuga, Hero MotoCorp’s Passion Pro and Suzuki’s Hayate but has been priced fairly expensive owing to the state-of-the-art technology that the bike incorporates.

As reported earlier the Specifications of Discover 100T are as follows -

Displacement (cc)	102
Max Power	10.2 BHP
Maximum Torque	9.1Nm
Valves Per Cylinder	4
Ignition	DC Ignition
No Of Gears	5
Kerb Weight (Kg)	121
Wheelbase (mm)	1305
Ground Clearance (mm)	165
Seat Height (mm)	780
Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres)	10
Reserve Fuel Capacity (Litres)	3.5
Front Tyre	2.75 x 17"
Rear Tyre	3.00 x 17"
Brake Type	Drum Brakes on Front(130mm) and back(110mm)
Front Suspension	Telescopic fork with anti-friciton bush
Rear Suspension	Nitrox twin shocks with gas canister
Battery	12v, 5AH
Pass Light	Yes

Source - Bikewale and the Web

Bajaj Pulsar 375cc to be launched in 2013

2013-01-08T22:25:00.001-08:00

Earlier in 2012, Mr. Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto Ltd., announced that his company would launch an all new Pulsar in 2013 and Pulsar lovers everywhere started having wet dreams about what this latest offering would be like. Speculations and Rumors have been strife, But the bottom line is that the next Bajaj launch under the Pulsar streamer will be that of the much publicized Bajaj Pulsar 375cc performance bike.

It may be noted that Bajaj launched the Pulsar 200NS last year which came soon after the legend of our times, the KTM Duke 200 was introduced to the rapidly developing Indian bike market. It is no secret that the KTM link has been very advantageous to Bajaj in the development of the 200NS and history is all set to repeat itself with the advent of the Indian innings of the KTM 390 Duke.

As would have been guessed by now, the new Bajaj Pulsar 375 will be based on the new KTM Duke 390.

The KTM Duke 390, which is a 375cc motorcycle, was unveiled at the EICMA motor show last year and will be launched in Indian market by May 2013.

Talking of the Bajaj Pulsar 375cc variant, the big daddy of all Pulsars will share design cues with the 200NS and will become the flagship product of Bajaj Auto Limited.

Propelling the Pulsar 375 will be the re-worked version of the 375cc, single cylinder motor that powers the Duke 390. The Pulsar 375’s motor will feature a triple spark plug layout that debuted on the 200NS.

The Pulsar 375’s Engine will, however, use fuel injection instead of a carburettor setup seen on the 200NS.

The new Pulsar 375 is expected to have a power figure in the region of 38-42HP and the bike should have a genuine 160kmph top whack.

The new bike will retain the Pulsar’s value-for-money proposition and it is being said that the Pulsar 375 will come with a price tag of about INR 2 lakhs.

At this price, the new Pulsar would pose a serious threat to the CBR250 and to the more expensive Hyosung GT250R.

Bajaj Pulsar 375cc Speculated Specifications:

Engine: 4 stroke water-cooled single cylinder

Engine capacity: 373.2cc

Torque: 32Nm at 7,250rpm

Power: 41.5HP at 9,000pm

Transmission: 6-speed

Dry Weight: 142Kg

Clutch: Hydraulic operated

Fuel system: Electronic Fuel Injection

Source - Motoroids India

Yamaha India Reveals Refreshed Color Schemes for the R15 V2

2013-01-08T09:26:00.001-08:00

Seems like Yamaha R15 fans can rejoice even more now as the legendary flagship product that turned Indian Sport Biking scene upside down is now being offered in new range of exciting color schemes.

The four new Color schemes being offered are -

Racing Blue

Invincible Black

Raring Red

Thunder green

The new colors are already available in the showrooms as the older color scheme patterns have been evicted from the company’s official website itself.

Please note that apart from the refreshing color patterns nothing remains unchanged with respect to the specifications and features of the bike. The Bike still features a single cylinder 149.8 cc Engine that pumps out 16.7 bhp of power at 8500 rpm with a peak torque of 15 Nm at 7500 rpm and complemented by a butter smooth 6 speed gear box which makes weekend track days come to life.

The company believes that the refreshed color schemes will attract more buyers which Yamaha has found very successful after carrying out the same in the Fazer and FZ16 in the form of FZS.

Source - Bikeadvice.in

Fuel injected Pulsar 200 NS coming soon !!

2013-01-08T05:02:00.000-08:00

During the recent launch of Bajaj’s new 100cc motorcycle, the Discover 100T, Mr. Rajiv Bajaj confirmed that a fuel injected version of the Pulsar 200 NS will be launched in India soon. However, the company will be first launching this version of the motorcycle in Indonesia first.

Bajaj and Kawasaki have signed an agreement under which Bajaj can sell its products in Indonesia through Kawasaki’s dealership network.

The Pulsar 200NS is powered by 200cc liquid-cooled engine which produces power of 23.5 BHP and torque of 18.3 Nm. Most of the technologies are shared with the Duke 200 that helps them keep a check on cost.

Bajaj has always been in favour of giving value for money products to its consumers by keeping prices very competitive. The only fuel injected motorcycle they ever made was the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. However, they discontinued this model due to limited sales mainly due to it was Rs 10,000 premium over the carbureted version. We can expect that the Pulsar 200 NS fuel injected version will be offered for a similar premium.

Source - Bikewale

Bajaj Launches Discover 100T - A vehicle with Power of a 125cc and fuel efficiency of a 100cc bike

2013-01-08T03:39:00.002-08:00

The 100cc market is being flooded. Latest entry is by Bajaj Auto, who has launched a new 100cc bike for the mass market, laced with premium features called the Discover 100T. The new bike is powered by 102cc DTS-i engine and has a starting price of Rs 50,500 (ex-showroom Delhi).

The new Discover 100T produces 10.2bhp and 9.2Nm of torque, which the company claims is 30 per cent more than its rivals. Bajaj claims that the bike returns fuel efficiency of 87km per litre. With the new product, Bajaj is trying to offer the power of a 125cc motorcycle with efficiency of 100cc.

Bajaj already has both Platina and Discover in the 100cc segment, but neither of them are premium products. The new Discover 100T will compete with the bikes like Hero passion Pro and Honda Dream Yuga where it hopes to sell 40,000 units to 45,000 units per month.

The new bike gets features like five-speed gearbox, DC electricals, nitrogen dampers, T stand, auto choke, Electric start and alloy-wheels as standard equipment. The Discover 100T is based on the new Discover platform for an investment of just Rs five crore to Rs six crore. The company is planning to launch another product on the same platform by the end of this year.

Bajaj Claims that the 'T' in 100T stands for Touring.

Specifications of Discover 100T are as follows -

Displacement (cc)	102
Max Power	10.2 BHP
Maximum Torque	9.1Nm
Valves Per Cylinder	4
Ignition	DC Ignition
No Of Gears	5
Kerb Weight (Kg)	121
Wheelbase (mm)	1305
Ground Clearance (mm)	165
Seat Height (mm)	780
Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres)	10
Reserve Fuel Capacity (Litres)	3.5
Front Tyre	2.75 x 17"
Rear Tyre	3.00 x 17"
Brake Type	Drum Brakes on Front(130mm) and back(110mm)
Front Suspension	Telescopic fork with anti-friciton bush
Rear Suspension	Nitrox twin shocks with gas canister
Battery	12v, 5AH
Pass Light	Yes

Do you think the Discover 100T can compete well with Honda's Dream Yuga and Hero's Passion Pro?

Source - Bikewale and the Web

Mahindra Two-wheelers unveil the Pantero 110 And Centuro 110 Commuter Motorcycles

2013-01-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

After a hiatus that lasted a couple of years, Mahindra Two-Wheelers has re-introduced the erstwhile Stallio 110 commuter motorcycle in the Indian two wheeler market. However, the Stallio 110 is now renamed as the Pantero 110, and along with the new name, the 110cc commuter motorcycle gets a re-engineered four stroke engine. Mahindra Two-Wheelers originally launched the Stallio 110 in 2010, as its first commuter motorcycle in the big volume commuter segment. Months later, the Stallio 110 was pulled off the market due to gearbox issues. Ever since, Mahindra Two-Wheelers has been reworking on this motorcycle to improve reliability and refinement levels.

It’s taken Mahindra Two-Wheelers nearly two years to iron out the niggles from the Stallio 110, and while they were at it, the 110cc four stroke engine saw a comprehensive re-engineering. The 110cc engine, now called the MCi-5, gets a higher power and torque output. This engine now produces 8.5 Bhp of peak power at 7,500 rpm while peak torque is rated at 8.5 Nm at 5,500 rpm. These figures are higher than the older engine, which produced 7.2 Bhp and 8 Nm. The new engine comes with 5 ignition maps, which Mahindra TwoWheelers claims, makes it the most advanced 110cc four stroke engine in the Indian 2 wheeler market.

Mahindra claims an ARAI certified fuel economy figure of 79.4 Kmpl for the Pantero 110. Apart from the tweaked engine, the chassis has also been reworked. The chassis now weighs 1.2 kilograms lighter than that on the Stallio, and along with the lighter chassis, the Pantero 110 also gets better suspension and MRF Zapper tyres. All these measures are expected to make the Pantero 110 a better handler than before. The seat gets a wee bit longer and wider and this should make the going comfortable for bigger built riders. The styling of the Pantero remains similar to the Stallio, with the only major changes being on the stickers front.

The Pantero will be available in four different variants,

T1 (Self Start/Cast Alloy Wheels/ Digital Console)
T2 (Self Start/ Cast Alloy Wheels/ Analog Console)
T3 (Kick Start/ Cast Alloy Wheels/ Analog Console), and
T4 (Kick Start/ Spoke/ Analog Console).

The Pantero comes with 130mm drum brakes at both ends, which is par for the class. All in all, the Pantero 110 is a much improved product when compared to the discontinued Stallio 110 and with the Pantero, Mahindra Two-Wheelers will be hoping to make a mark in the ultra competitive entry level commuter motorcycle segment, which has the likes of the Hero Honda Splendor, Bajaj Discover 100 and the Honda Dream Yuga 110 dominating the proceedings.

While the Pantero 110′s price will be announced soon with sales beginning in the next few weeks, the motorcycle will be followed by another commuter motorcycle from the Mahindra TwoWheelers’ stable in the form of the Centuro 110. Essentially, the Centuro 110 is a premium version of the Pantero. While the 110cc four stroke engine remains unchanged, the Centuro gets new styling and this includes the bikini fairing. Shades of the Mojo make an appearance on the Centuro 110, with the faux frame inserts underneath the fuel tank. the Centuro gets a boat load of interesting features, stuff that makes it one of the most loaded motorcycles in the Indian commuter motorcycle market. Some of which are -

Fold-able key fob with torch - Remote Locking Enabled !!
Find me lights to locate the bike in crowded parking lots and Guide lamps that continues to illuminate as one walks away from the bike after parking it.
Anti-theft mechanism - Remote 128-bit encrypted flip-key with LED lights
Engine Immobiliser
Digital instrument cluster
Trip computer featuring Distance till empty indicator.
Service reminder
Riding mode display

The Centuro 110 will be priced higher than the Pantero and will be positioned as a premium commuter motorcycle from Mahindra TwoWheelers. The launch of the Centuro 110 will happen over the next months, along with its pricing announcement. Like the Pantero, the Centuro 110 will be sold across the country, through Mahindra Two-Wheelers dealerships.

More Updates on these Vehicles coming Soon!

Post Script - Majority of bloggers and Auto enthusiasts are criticizing Mahindra's decision to put into the Centuro 110 the gizmos, and also commenting asking them to know the difference between Bikes and Cars. I for one, appreciate Mahindra's move here. Consider having your bike stolen on the second day of ownership in a metro. Consider finding your vehicle messed with in a parking lot. So would'nt gizmos such as Engine Immobilizer and Encrypted Remote Keys be a boon for a situation like that? I think i can hear a resounding - 'Yes. It would'.

Helmets Off Series - Biker Alan Kempster

2012-09-27T11:16:00.001-07:00

Mr. Alan Kempster.. Helmets off to this Inspirational Biker/Racer..

After a Drunk Driver hit him while riding back in 1990, he had to go through an traumatic experience of having his right hand and right leg amputated.

Inspite of the disability, he has now made the world sit up, wow and be motivated by his actions behind a motorbike modified for him. Imagine riding with the Clutch/brakes, gear/brakes combination being managed by left hand and left leg respectively.. Mr. Alan Kempster has mastered this art and he races..Truly an Inspiration..

He is no longer Disabled. He is now Differently Abled..

Click below to see the video.. and be inspired..

This was a post in the exclusive series "Helmets Off" brought to you by Indian Biker News.

Kawasaki to Launch Ninja 300 !!

2012-09-09T09:38:00.003-07:00

Barely a few weeks ago, a significant redesign of the Ninja 250 was announced by Kawasaki for the Japanese Motorcycle market. The Global community of Bikers is still recovering from the gorgeousness of the new Ninja 250. And now, Kawasaki has gone in for the kill.

Kawasaki has announced a 300cc version of its entry-level, four-stroke, parallel-twin Ninja 250R !!

The 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 comes with a 296cc liquid cooled, parallel twin engine. The engine is entirely new, and although the stroke is only slightly longer, the power output of the new liquid-cooled, DOHC, 8-valve, fuel-injected parallel twin is claimed to be 39 HP @10,000 - that's roughly a 20% increase in power over the current Ninja 250, and a maximum torque of 29 Nm @ 10,000 rpm. The engine is designed to deliver powerful acceleration at higher rpm and torquey performance at low and mid acceleration. It has got Sleeveless aluminum die-cast cylinder for excellent heat dissipation. It comes with Dual Throttle valves just like the Ninja ZX-10R and ZX-6R for better performance and linear throttle response.

Both the new Ninja 250R and Ninja 300 are clearly aimed at Honda's sweet single-cylinder CBR250R which has taken significant market share from the Ninja in many important "monied" marketplaces since its release.

The ABS (anti-lock braking system) is claimed to be significantly more sophisticated, and a new more rigid diamond frame, revised suspension, a wider 140 mm rear tire, better heat management (to direct hot air away from the rider), plus a range of features from larger Ninja and ZZR models such as a ZX-10R-style floating windscreen, dual headlights similar to the Ninja ZX-6R, a ZZR1400-style fairing and wheel design, aluminum foot-pegs and a silencer shaped much more like the bigger Ninja models (and far more advanced in its design.)

There's also a completely new instrumentation package, with an analogue-style tachometer, a multi-function LCD including fuel gauge, dual trip meters, clock, and an "Economical Riding Indicator." Different colors and specifications will be available in different markets, but for now, we're aware of Pearl Stardust White, Ebony or Special Edition Lime Green liveries, and some markets will get ABS as standard, while others will get them as optional. Pricing has not yet been announced.

2013 Ninja 300 Specifications

Engine - 296 cc- Fuel Injected (Keihin) Parallel Twin

Ignition - Digital

Starting – Electric only

Lubrication - Forced lubrication, wet sump

Engine type - Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke Parallel Twin

Bore x stroke - 62.0 x 49.0 mm

Compression ratio - 10.6:1

Valve/Induction system - DOHC, 8 valves

Transmission – Wet Clutch multi-disc, manual

Frame type - Tube diamond, steel

Tyre, front 110/70-17 M/C 54S

Tyre, rear 140/70-17 M/C 66S

Suspension, front 37 mm telescopic fork

Suspension, rear Bottom-Link Uni-Trak with gas-charged shock and 5-way adjustable preload

Brakes, front Single 290 mm petal disc, Single balanced actuation dual-piston

Brakes, rear Single 220 mm petal disc Caliper: Dual-piston

Dimensions (L x W x H) 2,015 mm x 715 mm x 1,110 mm

Ground Clearance 140 mm

Wheelbase 1,405 mm

Seat height 785 mm

Fuel capacity 17 litres

Curb Mass 172 kg / 174 kg (ABS)

Maximum power 29.0 kW {39 PS} / 11,000 rpm

Maximum torque 27.0 N.m {2.8 kgf.m} / 10,000 rpm

Honda India to Launch New 125cc Scooter and 125-135CC Commuter Motorcycle by 2013-14

2012-09-04T06:55:00.001-07:00

By 2020, Honda wants to become the biggest two wheeler maker in the world, in terms of volumes, a position currently occupied by Hero MotoCorp. To achieve this goal, Honda requires a range of high volume products to be mainly sold in the Indian market, a two wheeler market which is one of the biggest in the world. The brand is all set to make a foray in the premium end of the automatic scooter market by 2013-14, when it plans to launch a 125cc variant.

Read more on this news by checking out the slideshow below..

View the slide show

Please let us know what you think of Honda Products and what this news means to you.

Dhoni Launches his own Bike Racing team, to ride in the FIM Super sport World Championship.

2012-08-28T01:25:00.002-07:00

Team India Cricket Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has always been known for his passion for bikes, launched his racing team in July which is now competing in FIM Super sport World Championship.

The championship is a support race for the World Super bike championship, which will make its debut in India in March 2013.

The team, named as MSD R-N Racing Team India, entered the 17-race championship in the 10th race at Brno, Czech Republic. It is expected to compete full season in 2013.

The team has two bikers in Florian Marino of France and Dan Linfoot of Great Britain.

Marino, a 19 year old french ridet is a four-time Superstock 600 race winner, and was a full time Honda WSS rider last year.

Florian Marino of France

Linfoot, a 24 year old british rider, had won two Superstock 600 races in 2008.

Dan Linfoot of Great Britain.

The squad has its base at Yeovil in the UK.

Team principal Amit Sandill said the they aim to popularise and grow the game in Asia.

"We are looking at it from the long term perspective. Trying to grow the sport in Asia. The sport itself is in a pretty nascent stage in Asia so this is a first step," Sandill had said at the launch of the team in July.

"Trying to get to the championship and making a kind of mark in the championship and then take the sport to India and then other countries in Asia. We would also like to start a Racing Academy. Behind all this is the passion, which comes as a bonus," he said.

According to the Web site of the team, Dhoni is part of the management, while actor Nagarjuna Akkineni has been mentioned as a Director. Nandish Domlur, a cardiac surgeon by profession, is the CEO and Mangaging Director of the team.

Source - GEARS(FB) , Business Line and The Web.

Pulsar 200 NS review by Power to the Rider

2012-08-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

This post is a Kudos to an Indian Biking Organization which in a time period of one year and one month of its operation has made a name of itself by providing no-nonsense and completely rider oriented reviews of amazing biking machines in India. Enter, Power to the Rider.

True to their name, Power to the Rider have been focusing on reviews made in a truly biker perspective which has made them a very preferred review and information site in the Indian two wheeler scene. Make up your mind after you watch this review of the mighty Pulsar 200 NS which incidentally is an anniversary review. Best wishes to Power to the Rider team. Wish u many more successful and game changing years.. :)

Yamaha Opens Bookings of Ray 125 Scooter

2012-08-19T00:57:00.001-07:00

The most awaited and the first scooter from Yamaha is finally here. Unveiled at the AutoExpo 2012 in Delhi and caught a few times testing, Yamaha has finally opened advance bookings of the scooter.

However, the 125cc scooter would go on sale later and the bookings made now would entitle you for Yamaha merchandise. Yamaha has updated their site with Ray bookings news and have not sent out any official communication in this regard yet. Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone would be the brand ambassador of the scooter.

There is also a contest wherein you need to guess the correct ex-showroom price of Ray scooter in your state and you could win a ‘Ray’ scooter for free.

Yamaha Ray would compete with the likes of Honda Activa and Suzuki Access in the Indian market and would provide a very viable alternative to these scooters considering that the product is coming from Yamaha’s stables.

We would be very much interested in the pricing policy which Yamaha would adopt and expect that the scooter will be priced somewhere around the Access125 mark.

So if you have been waiting for a Yamaha scooter, go ahead and book your scooter and play the guesstimate game here.

Credits - Bikeadvice.in

KTM DUKE 200 Gets Custom Race Livery

2012-08-13T04:21:00.000-07:00

The KTM 200 Duke's radical design and no holds barred racing intent has earned it a legion of fans in India after its launch in January this year. Now KTM has revealed a new set of custom 'Raceline' stickers to make it look even more radical. For an introductory price of Rs 4,560, these stickers are designed for the fuel tank, with WP stickers for the front shock absorbers, rear seat cowl and engine cowl, and KTM Racing stickers for the frame and rims.

Bajaj KTM Duke 200

This is sure to endear the brand even more to young bikers. KTM India's Facebook page has more than 1.5 lakh fans since it was set up earlier this year, and there are at least four active fan pages consisting of Duke owners from around the country. Bajaj had showcased the KTM bikes in India around four years ago.

The 200 Duke is one of the best 200cc bikes in the country with a best in class power-to-weight ratio of 184PS/tonne. The 4-valve single-cylinder liquid-cooled fuel injected DOHC motor produces 25PS of power and 19Nm of torque. The bike is the fastest among the 200cc crop with a blistering 0-100km/h time of 9.01 seconds and a top speed of about 136km/h. The trellis frame, short handlebars and grippy tyres make it a hoot around corners.

Check out this Duke 200 that i found at Madikeri, Karnataka with the custom sticker upgrade. Looks sweet to me. :)

Custom livery upgraded Bajaj KTM Duke 200 at Madikeri

There will be more parts added from the highly stylish KTM Power Parts range that will be made available to the KTM 200 Duke owners in the country. To further improve the ownership experience, some events will also be conducted across cities.

Source - The Web

The return of the Ninja - 2013 Ninja 650 Launched at Rs. 4.99 lakhs Ex-Showroom

2012-08-11T08:26:00.002-07:00

Well. Kawasaki Ninja certainly is in the news every other day, and it is all for great reasons.

To begin with, the Ninja 650 R is a bike with a 649 cc Parallel Twin, liquid cooled engine weighing 200 kgs and it comes spanking awesome from the Kawasaki Stable and into the Indian Market courtesy of Bajaj India. Ninja 650 R launched prior is quite an awesome machine in itself, but Kawasaki was not satified and come out with an even awesomer machine.

2012 Ninja 650R

New and Improved 2013 Ninja 650(Courtesy - Motorbeam.com)

As we can see, the new Ninja 650 is more sleeker and follows after the lines of zx-10 r like Kawasaki recently did with 2013 Ninja 250R as well. Let us find out in detail what has changed in the Ninja 650R?

First, Kawasaki Bajaj now calls the new bike as Ninja 650 without an ‘R’
The bike has got a meaner face and other cosmetic changes which you can make out from the pic posted here.
Compression ratio of the new Ninja is 10.8:1 (11.3:1 of the earlier variant)
Fuel Tank is 16 Liters as compared to 15.5liters of the earlier variant
The new 2012 Ninja 650 is 7 kgs heavier @ 211 kgs (204kg of outgoing variant)
The new Ninja is 10mm longer (2110mm) and 10 mm wider (770mm) than the outgoing variant.
Tyres on the new Ninja at the event were Dunlop. The earlier variant had leech-grip like Bridgestone Battlax. Specs and dimensions remain the same though.
According to what we were told at the launch, the new Ninja 650 gets a lot of changes on the cosmetic front (as visible) and also the engine and chassis.
The most important bit price: New Ninja is priced Rs 42,732 costlier than the outgoing variant. Earlier variant was priced at Rs.4,57,102 ex-showroom New Delhi and the new one goes for Rs 4,99,834 Ex-Showroom Delhi

New Ninja 650 Features:

Sharp dual headlamps inspired from liter class Ninjas
Retuned suspension settings
Slimmer tail cowl and sharper LED tail lamps
Higher and taller fuel tank
MotoGP inspired digital console
Thicker padded split seats
Adjustable windscreen
Petal discs
Signature mono-suspension
Comfortable seating posture

We cannot really refer to this as a updation, rather we can call it as an Upgrade. A Major one !!. and Boy !! Are we excited. :) As always, waiting for these beauties to hit the road.

Source - Bikeadvice.in

Superbike World Championship comes to India in 2013. :-)

2012-08-07T22:48:00.002-07:00

Good Day Bikers. No day is a dull day in the Biking world. The following news is proof to that concept. :)

The Superbike World Chamionship, wait for it, will be coming to India and will be held for the first time on 10th March 2013.

The Superbike World Championship (also known as SBK, World Superbike, WSB, or WSBK) is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The motorcycles that race in the championship are tuned versions of motorcycles available for sale to the public, by contrast with MotoGP where purpose built machines are used. MotoGP is the motorcycle world's equivalent of Formula One, whereas Superbike racing is similar to touring car racing.

The Superbike World Championships Logo

The championship was founded in 1988. The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities situated in many countries all over the world. Each round has two races and the results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for riders and one for manufacturers.

Europe is Superbike World Championship's traditional centre and leading market. However, rounds have been held in the United States, Malaysia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia, Qatar, and South Africa and the series plans on keeping extra-European circuits in rotation.

The Buddh International Circuit will debut on the eni FIM Superbike World Championship calendar next year. India will become the twenty-seventh country to host a round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, which in 2013 will celebrate the 26th year of its existence since it started in 1988.

Buddh International Circuit located at Delhi will be the venue for SBK 2013 India

Owners of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, Infront Motor Sports have signed an agreement with Jaypee Sports International Ltd. (JPSI) to host the Indian round of the championship at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. Scheduled to be held on March 10th 2013 at the Indian circuit, it is a four year contract running from 2013 to 2016.

Red-Bull F1 car performing the Doughnut maneuver at Buddh International circuit during 2011 Indian Grand Prix

The eni FIM Superbike World Championship will be the first ever international motorcycle road-racing series to grace the Indian shores. While car racing fans in the country have already had a taste of Formula One racing last year, next year it will be the motorcycle fans in the country who will get to witness world class level of racing with some of the biggest names from the motorcycle road-racing world slugging it out for victory.

Maurizio Flammini, Chairman of Infront Motor Sports, declared: “After meeting the promoters of Jaypee Group last year I got the feeling that I was dealing with a highly professional and powerful corporation which will guarantee the organization of a successful race in India, even though the Buddh Circuit was still under construction at the time. This impression was indeed confirmed by the outcome of the Formula 1 race held in October last year which turned out to be one of the best races of the 2011 season. We are sure that the FIM Superbike World Championship will bring added value to BIC as well as to India, and vice-versa. It will also deliver value to all the partners supporting and following our Championship and is a very important opportunity for them to expand their brands and business in Asia.”

SBK - Ready to race India. :)

Paolo Flammini, Infront Motor Sports CEO, added: “The inclusion of the Indian round in the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship calendar represents a great achievement for our series and reflects our continuous target to further extend its international presence. India today is one of the most important motorcycle markets in the world, not only in terms of existing bike sales numbers but also growth and the upgrading of the range offered to the consumer. Undoubtedly the inclusion of this event will greatly benefit all the protagonists of our series and will create significant added value for the motorcycle manufacturers.”

Speaking about the newly signed contract, JPSI Managing-Director and CEO Sameer Gaur said: “We are extremely happy to announce that besides holding the Formula One and FIA GT1 motor racing series, we will also hold a thrilling motorcycle race, the World Superbike Championship, at BIC early next year. There are many in India who are passionate about bikes. I am sure they will love to watch famed motorcycle riders compete against each other here at their own world class racing circuit.”

Source - Wikipedia, The Web, and zigwheels.com.

Bajaj launches Discover 125 ST(Sports Tourer) at Rs. 56,000 Ex-showroom

2012-08-07T01:37:00.001-07:00

The Bajaj Discover is a motorcycle brand by Bajaj Auto. The bike was first launched in the year 2004 as a 125cc variant along with a SNS suspension (Double Spring-ed Suspension) and has been instrumental for Bajaj in maintaining a good presence in the geared two wheeler commuter segments. Over the years, Bajaj has been updating the Discover brand bikes cosmetically and in a minor fashion. This year saw Bajaj Upgrading the Discover Legacy to remind us Indian Bikers what the brand has done for Bajaj and what Bajaj is now willing to do for the brand in return. And the promise of a quality product hangs really heavy in the Air. :-) .

Earlier this year, Bajaj India launched the Discover 125 ST and boy !! Has our mouth been watering just by looking at this offering. Check it out. You decide. :) .

Apparently Auto Expo 2012 at Delhi was too small an event for Bajaj to showcase these beauties and they deserved a special ceremony. ;) . We surely got to hand it over to the folks at Bajaj. They do know how to make us pine for it.

The Bajaj Discover 125 ST where the 'ST' stands for Sports Tourer comes to the market with many class firsts to its credit like the Nitrox Charged Mono-Suspension and the 200 mm Petal shaped Disc brakes. Trust Bajaj India to create an all new class to itself which is called Commuter Sports Tourer.

Nitrox charged Mono Susupension

200 mm Petal Shaped Front Disc Brakes

The Bajaj Discover 125 ST is powered by a 125cc, 4-valve, DTS-i engine which produces 13 BHP of peak power and 10.8 Nm of peak torque. According to Bajaj, the fuel efficiency will be around 65 km/l in normal riding conditions. The target competition will be Honda’s CB Shine, in which the Discover 125ST has a upper hand in the power department, thanks to the 4 valved engine.

Expectations from this beauty personified in terms of sleek metal and hot technology are really high. For one, the power and torque figures churned out for a 125 cc mill is pretty impressive. It competes closely with existing 150 cc bikes in terms of power/Torque. Fuel efficiency is also expected to be high since the engine uses 4 valves like i does in the Pulsar 135. Few other Bajaj Patented goodies thrown in makes this bike a definite head turner and something that a amateur rider would crave for when considering commuting in style.

Bajaj is following a phased launch strategy, similar to what they’re doing with Pulsar 200 NS launch. Discover 125 ST will be first offered in South India with a price tag of approximately Rs. 56,000/- (ex-showroom, Tamil Nadu).

Photo courtesy - zigwheels.com

Bajaj definitely have a winner on thier hands. :-)

Shades the Disco125ST (Fondly :) ) are available in are -

Blue

Blue-Black

Red

Red-Black

Source - The Web, torqueinduction.com and zigwheels.com.