Auto Blog

Fighting for the lesser souls

2010-04-23T16:01:00.005+05:30

Yamaha is at it again. They have launched the new YBR 110 in competition to the Honda CB twister. The bike comes with a 106 cc engine with the max power of 7.6PS at 7500 rpm. Although an ardent Yamaha fan, I think yamaha might be repeating the same mistake that they did when they started the launch of their "small blunders" like the crux. 7.6 PS at 7500 rpm is really very mediocre and torque of 7.85N.m / 6,000 rpm is not really exciting compared to the excellent power delivery of peppy CB twister engine which produces 9 bhp at more rpm(8000 rpm) than YBR but the torque is much better at 9NM at 6000 rpm. So the ride ideally should be more exciting than the YBR.

Yamaha YBR 110 Honda CB twister

Coming to the design of both the machines, the CB twister beats the YBR heads down. The YBR is nowhere as good looking as the CB twister. Looks like minor tweaks to the G5 and new sticker job for now. The test ride of the CB twister was really cheerful. Lets see how the YBR feels once I ride the newest offering from Yamaha.

Yet Another Boring Bike !!!

2010-03-04T11:44:00.002+05:30

Bajaj has re-launched the Platina 125 with some graphics changes and new powertrain. The power is 8.5 PS which seems descent. But the question is why do they need to bring these boring bikes which would never bring volumes to them ??
Maybe its just the price they are playing with. Priced at Rs36,000 (ex-showroom) its damn cheap.

Freak Alert !!!!

2010-02-15T11:24:00.003+05:30

Pic : Vicky.in

Check out the Mahindra Xylo Limousine !! This can happen only in Punjab !! Wonder whether its real though?? :)

Mahindra Concept

2010-01-07T21:43:00.002+05:30

Mahindra showcased its seriousness in motorcycle business when they showcased the sports concept which would have some serious performance. By serious I mean race performance. Its a punny 124 CC engine which produces a jaw dropping 53 bhp max power with 32 Nm of torque. The top speed is claimed to be a whooping 245km/hr.

The brembo discs confirms its altogether a race bike. :) Come on Mahindra give the race junkies something to smile about. I know im being too optimistic :O

Grande Punto Sport

2010-01-07T21:21:00.003+05:30

Fiat showcased its Grande Punto Sports with 1.3 multijet turbo diesel which produces 90 bhp @ 4000rpm with peak torque of 205 Nm @ 1750rpm.

Now when are we going to get Grande Punto abarth ?? :)

Maruti EECO Preview

2009-12-23T14:21:00.003+05:30

Courtesy: Kushan Mitra

Maruti is about to replace the age old Omni/Versa with the new EECO . Powered by 1.2 L engine which probably seems to be the new K-series engine that powers many other maruti cars now a days, it claims to deliver km/l which is pretty good for a vehicle this size. But the looks really are a let down.

Maruti To Launch New Wagon R

2009-12-17T14:45:00.003+05:30

Maruti Suzuki will be launching the new Wagon R soon in 2010. The new Wagon R will have the same engine that powers the A-Star and will be Bharat Stage IV compliant.

The engine develops 67PS of maximum power at 6200rpm and 90Nm of maximum torque at 3500rpm. The looks are kind of OK. But definitily looks better than the older Wagon R (Atleast in pics)

Honda Launches CB twister

2009-12-10T15:05:00.002+05:30

Photo Courtesy: Vicky.in

Honda Launched the all new CB twister 110. The bike produces 9bhp at 6000 rpm.
There are 3 varaints with different combinations of kick/electric start, disk/drum brakes with alloy wheels.

Priced at Rs42,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), it looks a pretty descent buy for commuters. The looks also are much better than the competition with prominant Honda badge on the tank.

New Bajaj Pulsar

2009-12-10T12:12:00.002+05:30

Two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto has launched the new Pulsar 135 cc bike priced at Rs 51,000 (ex-showroom Delhi).

The new bike, Pulsar 135 LS, is powered with a 4-valve DTS-i engine.

Bajaj Auto wants to leverage on the Pulsar name and wants to sell around 35,000 units in this market from now about 5,000 of XCD.

The world going green

2009-12-04T20:58:00.002+05:30

Huge number of "GREEN" cars were seen at the LA auto show with all the major manufacturers taking this opportunity to showcase their green cars and concepts.
Among them which grabs the eye of all of us is the Audi e-tron. Powered by Lithium ion batteries which would give it the essential charge for quite a distance its also an eye grabber for all.

Chevy Beat

2009-12-03T14:16:00.003+05:30

Remember the concept spark. Well, as we know its not a concept anymore. Here's a pic taken by overdrive magazine of the beautiful yet masculine Chevrolet "Beat". This surely witt hot things up and give the competition run for their money.

New Pulsar Teaser

2009-11-24T22:43:00.002+05:30

Bajaj auto has updated the site with a new teaser of the scoop image of the new pulsar. The new pulsar takes some design cues from the bajaj xcd 135 concept. No engine upgrades are expected though. Seems just a sticker job and some panel changes though.
Follow the story at : http://www.goodbyetraffic.in/

Major Palio Upgrade on the cards

2009-11-17T10:21:00.004+05:30

Image Courtesy: Car India

Just when we thought Palio was dying a slow death, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the FIAT palio. With major upgrades in Engine and design the new palio is a stunner and FIAT plans to keep the proce very competitive, somewhere around 3.5 L for the base model . Thats a steal for this beauty.

Bangalore Auto Show

2009-11-16T16:29:00.004+05:30

What do you expect from a BIG Auto Expo in bangalore ? Big swanky cars on display, latest models on display, skimpy damsels on cars and bikes. Instead what you get is disorganized infrastructure, extremely crowded cramped stalls, small children jumping around and on the expensive cars, no newly launched vehicles. It felt like im at reliance fresh looking to buy grocery.

On display were the vehicles running for years now and of least importance. The only cool display was from suzuki displaying an "indian" along with the busa and intruders.

There were vintage cars on display and the beetle's. On display was the soon to be launched beetle. However I believe it was a hogwash as it looked like a 2007 model.

To sum up, I dont want to write more on this as I'll end up writing more bad than good.

Harley Davidson Launches 6 models

2009-11-12T18:41:00.003+05:30

Finally the American cult chopper manufacturer Harley Davidson recently launched Six bikes in the Indian market. These models include bikes like the sportster,dyna,Softail,VRSC,Touring and CVO.

These bikes would be not as expensive as some of the other bikes those are imported as the duty is just 60% on these bikes.

For more information on these extreme machines visit harley davidson india website
http://www.harley-davidson.in

Royal Enfield's Royal Machine

2009-11-04T17:39:00.002+05:30

Royal Enfield today announced the launch of Much awaited Classics 350 and 500.

Is one of the most advanced bikes of Royal Enfield, Classic 500 features a fuel injected, 499cc, single cylinder UCE (Unitary Construction Engine) four stroke engine.

Its very powerful delivering 27PS at 5250rpm and a jaw dropping 41.3Nm of torque at 4000rpm.

The Classic 500 is priced atRs 1.25 lakh ex Delhi and the Classic 350 with the UCE comes with a price tag of approximately Rs 98,086 (ex-showroom)which I believe is a steal for these thumpers.

Norton Commando 961 set for launch

2009-11-04T12:02:00.000+05:30

Norton is launching the latest offering the 961 which is built from ground up. No Specs are available yet but it looks very very interesting project.

Here's what MCN guys got preview of:

Yamaha Attacking india Scooter Market

2009-10-09T15:06:00.000+05:30

Yamaha India is testing 3 scooters for indian markets... Lets see how their specifications are outside india

The Spark The Fino The Neo

Lets See at the respective Specifications:

SPARK - Thailand

Engine 135cc SOHC 4-valve 4-stroke water-cooled
Power 11.33 PS @ 8,500 rpm
Transmission 4-speed
Suspension Front: Telescopic fork
Rear: Monoshock swingarm
Weight 103 kg
Fuel capacity 4.0 l

FINO - UK

Engine type: Liquid cooled, 4 stroke, 3 valve single cylinder
Displacement: 49.4 cc
Bore x stroke: 38 x 43.6 mm
Compression ratio: 12.0 : 1
Maximum power: 2.30 kW @ 7,000 rpm
Maximum torque: 3.15 Nm @ 7,000 rpm
Lubrication system: Wet sump
Carburettor: Fuel Injection
Ignition system: TCI
Starter system: Electric and kick
Transmission system: V-Belt Automatic
Fuel tank capacity: 5.4 L

NEO -

49.00 ccm (2.99 cubic inches)
Engine type: Single cylinder
Stroke: 2
Power: 2.14 HP (1.6 kW)) @ 5500 RPM
Torque: 3.60 Nm (0.4 kgf-m or 2.7 ft.lbs) @ 4250 RPM
Compression: 11.4:1
Bore x stroke: 67.0 x 55.7 mm (2.6 x 2.2 inches)
Ignition: Electronic
Lubrication system: Separate lubrification
Cooling system: Air
Gearbox: 5-speed
Transmission type
final drive: Chain
Clutch: Automatic centrifugal

Kawasaki Ninja 250R comes to India

2009-10-09T11:00:00.000+05:30

Image Courtesy: Bikeindia

Finally after more than 2 years in waiting, the baby ninja hits Indian market . Producing 33 PS for class leading power, its worth a buy. The price seems to be steep at 2.69 L ex showroom chennai. But hey, you can't complain when you have no choice, can you :) ??

It also doesn't have any localized parts and is a CKD import. 2.25 would have been ideal though.

Mahindra's answer to Tata Nano

2009-06-04T16:12:00.001+05:30

Mahindra yesterday announced its plan to launch sub 1 lac car. The car would have a 400CC engine and have a top speed of 40-50 Km/hr.

A top speed of 40-50 is just impractical. The only positive that can be taken out is that it can replace auto rickshaws if its anywhere between 70-80 thousand as I think it would be because the Nano costs 95K and provides ample space with a top speed of 90 kph.

Looking at the build quality of Nano it would be very difficult to match with a 400CC engine keeping the factor the weight of components. Hope the government does not compromise with the safety of people.

Another player to lookout in this segment will be bajaj auto who plan to launch its car in 2010 or 2011.

Another Killer Blow By Yamaha India

2009-05-20T19:56:00.000+05:30

Yamaha India is riding high on the success of R15 and the FZ16. After the launch of these two category leader bikes yamaha will be launching another bike in premium segment called the "Fazer 150", that is essentially a FZ16 with front fairing like that of the Fazer 1000.

Looking at the bike. It looks identical to FZ16 from the rear.

The bike looks same as the FZ16(with a fairing), so don't expect much performance difference. Though there might be some tweaking of engine to make it a bit more sporty.

No launch dates declared yet. Expect it to be in the market in few months.

RX 100 : The legend lives on

2009-05-09T17:35:00.000+05:30

The name says it all, YAMAHA RX100. A bike youth in 1990's died to get a hand on. Fortunately I was lucky to have an RX100 in my college days. Of course stole it from my brother :). The bike was still in great condition with only 13,000 on the odo. Run and handled like dream.

It was a 1995 make in pristine condition with just a small dent on the tank. Just starting the engine gives one kick hearing the sweet firing of the single cylinder 2 stroke machine. Incredibly torquey engine . The bike would just shoot past others on the traffic signals.

Around 11 bhp for a 98cc engine is descent enough and a top speed of 110 Kmph was enough for me during those times. Felt the hunger for more speed when I started touching top speed regularly though. Wheelies were common on that machine and that too without helmet that was a very dumb thing to do. But it was the way it was back then .

Handling the bike on city roads was dream. The bike still is in my garage in stock condition and is driven with utmost care now. Incredibly reliable machine and one of the all time favorites in Indian market.

The Rx100 ERA ended in 1996 with production stop and RXG coming up , not before shipping with faulty ignition system which was replaced free of cost by the company. The RXG and RX135 never had the success like RX100.

A brief specifications of the bike :

* Engine: 2-stroke, air cooled, single cylinder gasoline.
* Displacement: 98 cc
* Gearbox: 4-speed constant mesh
* Induction: Reed Valve
* Ignition: Capacitor Discharge Ignition
* Clutch: Multiplate (4 nos) wet.
* Output: 11PS @7500 rpm (As per Workshop Manual)
* Chassis: Double cradle frame
* Wheels: Wire spoked, 2.50" X 18" front tyre, 2.75" X 18" rear tyre.
* Acceleration 0-60 km/h in 7 seconds (As per Workshop Manual) but can actually reach 60 km/h within 5 seconds.
* Top speed 100 km/h (As per owner's manual) but can actually reach 110 km/h smoothly.

Ninja 250 or VTR 250 ? which one to choose?

2009-05-08T21:21:00.000+05:30

The word is out and Honda is planning to launch its baby VTR i.e VTR 250. Knowing that its a 250 means straight comparison with baby Ninja . Very different in shapes one should say. The VTR has a naked monster like look whereas the ninja 250 is a typical sports bike.

So can the VTR 250 beat the Ninja 250 which is the most popular and the best selling bike in its segment?

Very difficult to say. The ninja with the full fairing looks much more appealing to us. The power output of ninja is also 32 PS as compared to 29 of the VTR. However the VTR is pretty light as compared to Ninja . The Ninja weighs 169 dry whereas the VTR weighs 139 only. Reviews suggest VTR handles better in city, but for motorcycle enthusiasts Ninja is the way to go.

More information can be had on MCN website

A Take on TATA NANO

2009-04-17T13:58:00.000+05:30

As the name suggests this is really a nano vehicle ! Or is it ? NO... Absolutely NOT

!The nano is a perfect example of how extreme engineering can reduce costs as well as keep the quality as well as space. I had an apprehension about the build quality of NANO myself but after looking at the quality I had all my doubts cleared. The quality of material is astonishingly good for a 1 lac vehicle. The space usage is very well crafted with the engine mounted on the back side and the boot in front. Which gives it lot of space in passenger compartment .

There is a small boot space behind the back seats, nothing special about it though. The rear seats can be folded to get a 500 liter boot which is really amazing. One worrying factor for me was that the bottom mounted engine might be damaged if the car bottoms out after overloading which is very common in India. I'm sure the engineers would have tested it though. The space inside the cabin is huge for front seats as there is minimal dash board in front.So for a tall person too it's very comfortable to sit and get out of the car. The rear seats could also comfortably seat 3 people like me or 2 persons like my FAT friend JD. Which is a good thing to see.

Pity I was not able to take a test ride as the dealer had only on piece and that too on display.

Saw a lot of criticism on youtube for NANO from foreigners for the build quality. But they would appreciate it once they get to see it . Its really an engineering marvel.

Lots of foreign manufacturers have been caught wrong footed critisizing this great machine which I really think would really change the fortunes of lots and lots of people. Not an replacement for bikes though. This vehicle would be sold for around 1.5 lac OTR which is very expensive replacement for bikes for our normal middle class. And a guy buying YAMAHA YZF-R15 wouldn't go for a NANO.

Bottom line excellent machine for upgrading from 2 to 4 wheelers for masses but definitely not a replacement of bikes.

Excellent job done by TATAS. Keep it up.