2wheelsindia

Energica – An Electric Bike Which can Attain a 220 Kmph Top Speed

2011-12-02T01:43:00.001-08:00

CRP Racing, an Italian company took shape in the year 2006 which concentrates on bringing and building high performing track machines. The company started its production of Electric Bikes for World Championship TTXGP.

The company had recently announced about its new model Energica which is its first road going Electric superbike. What makes the Energica so special in today’s worls is the fcat that though this being an Electric bike, it is capable of clocking a Max. Speed of as much as 220 kmph (137 mph). With an electric motor capable of generating 100 KW of power with a top of the line chassis offering the best of the looks along with a uniqueness adding to its attribute.

The Battery of the Energica offers a range of 150 km which is 93 miles on a single full charge. This range is made possible with the power train efficiency which is close to 95 per cent. The bike is designed keeping in mind the concept and theme of ‘Evolution’ as mentioned in the company’s website.

According to a statement from the company, ‘Energica is CRP Racing’s first concept of an electric streetbike. After the success in the racing world of the eCRP, the electric competition racebike, runner up at the 2011 World Championships and European champion in 2010, CRP has decided to take to the “street” with the first 100% electric motorcycle prototype.’

In today’s world where Electric motorbike has still been in the concept stage for most of the companies, only a few have dared to bring it real. With the coming up of Energica, the electric motorbike is no longer just an example of alternative sustainable mobility, but has become a true model of high technology and design on two wheels, capable of giving you the same unique sensations as the traditional models. This is a fact for which the company needs a specially deserved appreciation.

Mentioning about the specs and technical details of Energica, the bike is powered by a PMAC synchronous motor with permanent magnets. This is the basic source of life for the Energica. The power of the bike, as mentioned above is 100 KW. Maximum Torque is 16 Kgm. The Power Train Efficiency as mentioned by the company is more or less 95 per cent.

To mention the braking system installed in the Energica,is Brembo brakes with afront double caliper radial mount single fixed calliper for the rear. The bike boasts of discs in front and rear with a dia of 310 mm in the front and 220 mm in the rear. The wheels are OZ forged aluminium ones with a dimension of 3,50″ X 17″ on the front and 5,50″ X 17″ for the rear. The dimension of tyres in front and rear are 120/70-17 and 180/55-17 respectively.

The bike has a rear monoshock suspension for the best of track handling performance and is supplied by Matris or Ohlins with adjustable length for improved suspension. The same manufacturer supplies front forks of the bike as well. Domino’s ride – by – wire throttle system is made use of in the Energica. There is a digital Multi function LED offering all the necessary details to the rider. ECIE’s innovative 100% LED lights are installed to offer best of the vision ideal enough for night rides.

To mention about the pricing if the Energica, it is priced at € 15,000 which is approx. US$ 20,000. People would be interested in paying this hefty sum of money for its eco – friendly tag which is in fact good in some way or the other.

It is indeed nice to know about new products like the Energica in the International two wheeler market which creates good hypes amongst the International biking community. Good work!

Honda to Launch Two New Products In 2012

2011-11-27T02:23:00.001-08:00

Honda is a company that is been synonymous with refined engines and trusted bikes all across the globe. The company had proved its potential in India as well with few of its best sellers like the CB Unicorn in the bike segment and the Activa in the scooter segment.

HMSI (Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India) had earlier set a target for itself of selling 2.1 Mn units in the Financial Year 2012. Now, the company is even more confident of achieving its target within the specified time.

According to one of the latest news article in Financial Chronicle, ‘While other two wheeler makers such as Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj and TVS reported fall in sales in the range of 5-15 per cent in October when compared with September this year, Honda Motorcycle managed to maintain its sales volumes with a marginal drop in sales. The company sold 178,181 two wheelers in October, against 178,146 units in September.’ This figure clearly reveals the potential of the company in the Indian market.

To take these figures forward during the FY 2012, HMSI has also planned to launch two new products in the next year out of which one will be a bike and the other a scooter. But, we’ve no clues on what category would these new products be falling under. It’s not to be forgotten that Honda Activa was indeed a game changer when coming to the scooter segment in the Indian two wheeler market.

Talking about the plans of the company, Mr. NK Rattan, Vice – President – Sales & Marketing told, “We expect this growth momentum to continue. We plan to sell 21 lakh units from our Manesar and Tapukara plant and end the fiscal FY’11-12 with an estimated 27 per cent growth over 16.56 lakh units sold in FY’10-11. We are on track to achieve this target.”

The reason for them to stay on track achieving their target is their new plant which started its operation from the month of July this year in Tapukara, Rajasthan. The first phase of this plant with an installed capacity of 0.6 million units production capacity has already been completed. With the second factory of HMSI in the same state of Rajasthan, the company intends to increase the total capacity of its production to a whooping 1.2 Mn units by the month of March 2012.

As a customer , this should rejoice every single customer of HMSI who is either waiting to het its product delivered after waiting for many long months besides satisfying the frequent customer issue of unavailability of spare parts for Honda products. Mr. Rattan said in the interview, “This shall ease out the waiting period to less than one month.”

Currently, almost all Honda products are facing a waiting period of 90 days to as much as 180 days and at times even more. This had only added woes to the customers in the recent past.

He also said the present order booking is around 60 days and the company is in a position to serve its customers faster. “Aviator and CBF Stunner are doing very well,” he added without providing any further details on the statement.

The company’s new scooter will most likely be showcased in Delhi Auto Expo which is scheduled to take place in the month of January 2011. One info we’ve got about the company’s yet to be launched bike is that it’s gonna be targeting the youth of the nation exclusively. This news makes us go crazy now. This simply means that the bike is gonna be worth the wait. But, unfortunately its only he scooter which will be showcased and not the bike. The bike will be launched only by the end of current fiscal year. The two launches is solely done with the intention of boosting the company’s sales further which enhance the HMSI in achieving their target specified above on time.

Further, to meet the growing demand o Honda’s products in theSouthern part of the country, the company has recently laid the foundation stone for its third manufacturing facility in the state of Karnataka. With its expansion from 16.5 lakh units in FY2010-11 to 40 lakh units in early half of the year 2013, HMSI hopes to reduce waiting periods for all its products in the portfolio.

Mr. Subrata Ray, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Ratings, Icra mentioned in one of his comments, “HMSI continues to maintain its leadership position in the scooters segment through its flagship brand Activa (besides Aviator and Dio) enjoying a market share of 45.4 per cent in Q2, 2011- 12.”

The figures seems really impressive for a company like Honda with ling waiting periods though its taking all necessary steps to reduce it. We just want our readers to stay with us at the time of Delhi Auto Expo as we’ll bring more insights onto these products. Do open up your discussion on the new products from Honda in the box below.

Yamaha SZ-R Test Ride

2011-11-26T05:51:00.001-08:00

It so happens in life that at times the least expected things will offer the highest level of excitement. Of course, there is nothing wrong in it. This time, Yamaha offered me such a feel. It was not with the company’s Deluxe segment bikes for India like R15 or Fazer or for that matter, even the FZ series of bikes.

This time it’s the Yamaha SZ-R which offered an exhilarating feel for me. Yamaha has always had the guts to come up with a product that tends to change the game soon after its launch.

Many of our readers in BikeAdvice were probing me to review this bike which is how the idea of choosing the Yamaha SZ begun. If I’ve to explain the ability and capability of the SZ series of bikes, this is how I need to go ahead as.

This particular series of bike had received 5 awards in the years 2010 and 2011 from various sources put together. Here is the list of it.

Bike of the Year 2010 for SZ-X by ET Zigwheels.
150cc Commuter Motorcycle of the Year 2010 for SZ-X by ET Zigwheels.
Viewer’s Choice Bike of the Year Award for SZ-X by ET Zigwheels.
Viewer’s Choice Award for SZ-X by CNBC Overdrive Awards 2011
Viewer’s Choice Award for SZ-X by NDTV Car & Bike Awards 2011

The SZ Series

The SX series of bikes from Yamaha comprises of 3 models within the bracket. The SZ, SZ-X and SZ-R are the finest range from this brand. To throw more light on the models, the SZ is the basic one among the above mentioned three. It has no disc brakes, no Electric Start and even lacks the aesthetically designed air scoop. This implies the fact that this is the least promoted variant of the entire lot.

This is in fact very similar to the LX variant in most of the Maruti Suzuki cars. Neither the dealers nor the company will promote these variants. Coming to the SZ-X, this variant boasts of an air scoop which offers it a cool look differentiating itself heavily from the bare SZ. It also has an Electric Start facility fitted onto it. Also, if you can notice this variant on road, you’ll be able to notice the fact that the body color and the air intake scoop color will be the same as against the SZ-R which is the end variant.

Coming to the one we tested which is the SZ-R, it boasts of front disc brakes, Electric start and an air scoop which differentiated itself from the body color through a paintjob. The best thing about the SZ series or with all Yamahas is the fact that all variants of SZ series comes pre fitted with alloy wheels as part of its standard package.

Reviewing a bike these days has become very similar to reviewing a car or for that matter any other four wheeler. See, we’ve even started talking about variants and the distinguishables between them. Hmmm, I’m loving it!

Market Positioning

The SZ-R finds itself positioned in a very unique manner. It gets a seat for itself in an all new segment referred to as a ‘Powerful City Commuting Bike’. I’m gonna add one word at the front which is ‘Sporty’. Indians have now stared to feel the need of a bike which is a performance bike but restricted to the need of catering commuting purpose alone.

Gone are the days when people wanted a 100cc bike which would enable transporting them from Point A to Point B and then back. It’s become a style statement to own a 150cc bike for city usage knowing the fact that you’ll never be able to recognize its potential as long as you stay under the control of traffic signals intense traffic. This need is what Yamaha took advantage of.

Looks Do Matter

The SZ-R is not one of the hottest looking chicks in the Indian market. It’s for sure, not a head – turner. But, it’s got the ability to impress you right at the first sight. The size is not macho but makes you feel that it’s nimble enough which will be ideal for commuting and for light highway drives as well. The headlamp fairing comprises of two colors.

Major area is dominated by a matte black finish which offers a classy look from the front half of the bike. The rear quarter finishes in a sharp manner which offers a decent look from the rear part as well. These two are the style quotients which best defines this bike. The sir scoops are really cool on the bike. The Grab rail is definitely a ‘turn off’ for the SZ series of bikes. Unlike most other bikes in the India market, it is designed for utilitarian purpose and to boost aesthetics at all. This could have been taken care of.

Anyways, it’s not a major drawback on the SZ-R. Let’s now get to the highlight of the SX-R. It is the muffler cover over the exhaust. It reminds me of the massive machine gun used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator. Stunning design and awesome engineering. It is in a way hotter than the R15 also. Seriously sexy man!

Engine

The powermill of this bike is same as that of FZ series of bikes. But, the engine is de-tuned for less power and for improved fuel efficiency. The engine is Air cooled, 4 stroke, SOHC, 2-Valved with a displacement of 153 cc. The engine is capable of pumping a max. Output of 12.1PS @ 7500rpm and a max. Torque of 12.8Nm @ 4500rpm. The engine is mounted to a 5 speed gearbox which is crispy to be operated and is par with the other bikes from the Yamaha stable.

Seating

The seating position is pretty upright which is not ‘The Best’ compared with its rivals in the market. But having been positioned as a commuter series of bikes, the seating and the position is nothing to grumble about in any of the aspect. I’ll have to mention the point here that SZ-R is not the bike for you if at all you expect a bike with ‘Lean Forward’ position so as to offer a catchy look as you ride your bike.

However, for highway rides and other long cruises the seat is not at all suited. For occasional rides, it just might be fair enough. The reason for the uncomfortability is because of the short gap between the seat and the handle bar. But to remind you again, this is the bike that is designed keeping the regular commuters and occasional or light highway riders in mind.

Handling & Riding Impressions

This bike is really fun to handle and the city dwellers will find it a boon to spend time with. It is very nimble to flick along the traffic to make way for itself where all its big bros get stuck. The bike is not too tall which will make handling a little tough for tall people to take control of.

The handle bar is pretty firm so that there are no vibes observed. To mention a word on the suspension, there is nothing great to specify specifically. But, the front Telescopic suspension and the rear Swingarm suspension does its function perfectly.

On the whole, you’ll be impressed with the riding impressions of the Yamaha SZ-R. The tyres are also cool enough to handle the city roads. The dimension of the front tyre is 2.75-17 41P and that of the rear is 100/90-17 55P. Both these tyres offer sufficient grip that the bike requires.

Braking

The SZ-R houses a single disc at the front and the regular drum brake for the rear. Yamaha’s brakes are always found to be very effective & impressive and the SZ-R is no exception for it. As I took the bike for a review to the NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Ltd) which is the connecting road between the Garden City – Bangalore and Sandal City – Mysore with Sharat, our new photographer as the pillion rider we had an ‘Emergency Braking’ situation which arose.

There was a guy in an Activa who was riding in front of us and all of a sudden he turned his vehicle to the right as we tried to overtake him. I was forced to brake very hard at that point to avoid hitting him and the SZ-R proved its braking potential to the fullest. I wouldn’t mind giving 100 per cent marks to the Braking aspect of the Yamaha SZ-R.

Cornering

I do know that this is an aspect worth considering for a bike like SZ which caters the need of city commuters alone. But still, there is a reason why I still write on this particular aspect.

Way back along the NICE road back to Bangalore, there was a small stretch of road which made me reminded of the racetrack in a flash. It was in the shape of ‘S’ with two stunning curves.

Though we were two in number, that stretch prompted me so much that I leaned my bike to the fullest and I both of us were really stunned on the response the SZ-R offered us in return. I leaned till the side stand gave a scratching noise and the bike was still stable. This was something I least expected from this bike.

Issues Worth Concern

However there are very few minor issues with this bike, as with every other bike. The entire fuel tank along with the air scoops on the sides are very loose that they move pretty freely if shaken. I, in fact had a doubt if that was the case only with the bike I reviewed or with all others as well.

So, as soon as I returned back my bike to the Bangalore Wheels, I tried shaking a couple of other SZ models and I found that this was the case with all bikes. This is a very minor problem which Yamaha could t to reach the showrooms. But, this could have been easily rectified. Hope it does for the ones which are in the production stage. But, note that these shakes create no unwanted vibrations as you ride it. So, you don’t get to feel anything about it till you notice this problem.

What made me dejected was the absence of ‘Engine Kill’ switch on the right side of the handle bar and the absence of ‘Pass’ switch which is very useful during night rides. These are considered to be very basic necessities and the absence of these switches brought me down greatly.

Pricing

The Yamaha SZ-R is priced at INR 56,000 (Ex-showroom, New Delhi) while the Yamaha SZ-X is priced at INR 53,000 and the base variant SZ bears a price tag of INR 49,500 while all figures mentioned here are that of Ex-showroom, New Delhi.

Colour Schemes

The Yamaha SZ-R is available in three different colour schemes namely Quality Blue, Quality Red and Quality Black. As mentioned above, all the colours on SZ-R has a pinch of grey on the air scoops and along the sides as well.

On The Whole, What Is It?

To convey in a nutshell, the Yamaha SZ-R is a Powerful Commuter as I’ve been mentioning right from the beginning of the review. Yamaha has not only found a new segment to position its bike but has also come up with this wonderful product to sustain for a long time in the Indian market.

Honda Dio Review by Alan

2011-11-24T05:54:00.001-08:00

I have been wanting to pen my review on the Honda Dio since a long time but never got the time to take good pics. Even now I don’t have any but thought of writing the review and then getting a few snaps clicked. For starters I have been thinking why I haven’t seen too many reviews of automatic scooters on BikeAdvice and realized that it could be due to 2 reasons.

One could be that they are scooters and so the reviews cant be included in a bike site. And the other could be that the scooter riders aren’t passionate enough to write reviews on their vehicles. Whatever the reason, I thought of taking the plunge and writing a review and leaving the rest to Deepak to decide if he should publish this.

In our house we have always had at least 1 gearless scooter since 1986. After the first 2 kinetic honda’s we bought an Activa when it was launched in 2000. It was a completely different experience from the KiHo’s. After a few years it was time for me to work in Bangalore and I moved the Activa here and used it for a few months before it started giving me trouble and I decided to change it.

At the time, though the Activa was still on the top of the list, I decided to go for the Dio as I was fedup with the plain jane looks. I bought my first Dio in Oct 2008 which is when Honda had made cosmetic changes to the Dio which included all black wheels and I think introduced the light pink colour. Please don’t jump to any conclusions here, mine was a deluxe blue colour “motoscooter”.

Unfortunately my scooter was stolen from my residence in March 2009. As I couldn’t do without a vehicle in a city like Bangalore, I immediately lodged a police complaint and booked myself my second Honda Dio (again blue). It was a painful 3 months of following up with the cops and Insurance company to get my amount claimed. But it happened finally.

Till now was the story of how I happened to own the Dio I presently have. It has been 2.5 years since I have this scooter and from here I will write about the pros and cons of owning a gearless scooter in a city like Bangalore.

Pros

In a city plagued with traffic jams, riding a gearless scooter is the easiest way to commute. You don’t have to bother about changing gears in slow moving traffic.
The amount of luggage you can load on the Dio (as well as other similar scooters) is quite comparable to the storage space available in the boot (or what is available of it) in the hatchbacks. This cannot be attempted on any of the bikes. My wife’s and my trips to Star Bazaar amaze us when we come back home with so many huge bags of grocery.
In the looks department, I find the Dio the best looking among all the other similar products being offered in the market. I differ with the “The Top 5 Best Looking Scooters in India” article published in June this year on Dio being the 5th best. The parrot green and purple colours available presently (though not to everyones liking) are unique and a great hit in Goa.
I have got the front glove box installed and so I can keep my raincoat handy always. The glove box is optional.

Cons

The Dio having a fiber body will be a drawback for the people wanting an all metal body scooter. But this helps in getting a slightly higher mileage on the Diocompated to the Activa.
The mileage while nothing to boast about, is decent at about 38 kmpl in city riding conditions with a pillion 90% of the time.
Being a Honda, the service centre is too busy and nowadays is not able to return the scooter the same day even if it is the first bike given for service that day.
Pillion sitting position is quite awkward. The footpegs that are not the foldable kind,make it difficult for the pillion to find the them. While the seating position is not good, it makes the width of the moto scooter less and thereby making it easier to squeeze in during traffic jams.
In case you decide to buy a Dio, it has a 2-3 month waiting period in Bangalore.

Maintenance

I used to give my Dio for free services regularly, after which I give it only when I face any problems. At approximately 14000 kms on the odo, the cost for a paid service was about Rs. 1200/- After that due to the rush at the service centre, I get the issues rectified at a local mechanic. But till now from 14k till 21.5k I only changed the engine oil once (Rs. 183) and changed the front bearings (Rs. 250 including labour).

The rear tyre has about 1mm of tread remaining, which I think will last for another 1-2k kms. I was checking if any other tread pattern is available for the Dio but haven’t been able to find one. May be someone can help me with suggestions. The battery on my Dio was weak after about a year (as you might have realized that I don’t do a lot of maintenance activities) but that automatically got sorted out as now my office has changed and I get longer stretches of road during which the battery gets charged.

I usually fill petrol for Rs. 200 and check air pressure at each visit to the petrol bunk. This helps in achieving a better mileage. I hope this review helps people make a decision on the automatic scooter to go for.

Unique Features

I am not sure if these or similar features are available on other scooters (am sure they are there on the Suzuki Access). I have not gone through the Owner’s manual fully to confirm if there is a mention of these in it.

Hand brake, there is a small lever in front of the rear brake that can help in keeping the brake lever pressed and in turn act as a hand brake. Additional hooks to lock additional helmets. These hooks are located below the seat (pics attached) and are useful to lock additional helmets or lock your helmet, in case you need to keep some other items in the under seat storage.

Hope you liked my review. Awaiting your valuable comments and feedback

Regards,
Alan

How a Bike Becomes Everything From Nothing

2011-11-19T01:41:00.001-08:00

The “Everything” mentioned in the title is from owner’s point of view and “Nothing” is from manufacturer’s point of view. I would like to add few lines wrote by our Editor-in-Chief, Mr.Deepak Raj as a reason of why bike becomes everything in a life of a biker. He says “We should really work hard and achieve what we desire. Only when we are faced with obstacles to acquire something, we know how much we really need it and we work to achieve it. When we get something easily we would never know how much we wanted it and the thing we have got does not have as much perceived value as it would have deserved.”

So let us now discuss some facts about bike manufacturing hierarchy. How companies decide to launch a bike? Which procedures work behind the designing? Which are the processes adopted for bike designing and testing?

1. Market Research

The safest way to launch any product in today’s competitive market is to have research: Research about who will be the customer, what customer likes, and what customer needs. These researches are carried out by marketing department of the companies or given to other surveying companies.

This market research also depends on type of vehicle that a company wants to introduce i.e. new segment, facelift version of previously launched vehicle, or DNA type vehicle. Market research becomes more vital when any company plans to launch a new segment. Customers are openly or circuitously got involved in this type of survey. New segment may be decided with respect to fuel economy, price tag, top speed, type of engine or type of vehicle.

Generally, market survey becomes worthless at the time of facelift launch. DNA type vehicles also don’t required detailed survey as they are small scale versions of already successful vehicles. Company develops few concepts after studying market research and finally one concept got selected by the authorities either mandatorily or by voting.

2. Sketching

Drawing or Sketching was the first language used by Homo sapiens and still used in all industries either on paper or on computer screens. It is the most productive and economical method to develop and predict any concept. Same is also applicable with automobile industry. Each and every vehicle running on the road today was a conceptualized sketch on the paper before few years.

Numbers of sketches are prepared by the designers on final concept which got selected by the authorities. Designers also have to include benchmarks of the company along with engineering aspects. Engineering aspects like dimensions, space, and feasibility of manufacturing of exterior components are considered in conjunction with aesthetics. First of all, one sketch is selected as a final product which contains overall look. After that, overall dimensions are selected according to vehicle’s segment and engineering terms. After deciding vehicle as a whole, designers start sketching each details of the vehicle like head lights, side indicators, ORVMs, tail lights, tank, seats, fairings, wheels, axles, muffler, foot rests, locking nuts etc. One more time vehicle is assembled on paper and final sketch is prepared for modelling.

3. Software Modelling

Modelling is done before starting any designing for vehicle. This provides idea about space available with engineers to design any component. It already has become very easy to prepare a model for any product with the help of softwares and robots. In the case of automobile, this process is very important and required precision. Modelling gives three dimensional judgement about vehicle.

Today’s computer technologies help engineers to prepare full model of vehicle in just few mouse clicks because modelling of individual components itself is easy with the help of extraordinary softwares along with readymade libraries. Special libraries are available for each and every component commonly used in the automobiles. Parametric facilities also help engineers to develop models very quickly. Individual teams work simultaneously to generate models of each and every component because number of parts used in vehicle is very large. Finally all the components are assembled to have complete model of vehicle.

4. Clay/ Wax Modelling

Besides soft modelling, many companies also prepare clay or wax models of vehicle. These models are used to judge the bulk and to predict aerodynamic characteristics of vehicle. Generally, clay models are prepared for expensive rides. It is just like a hard copy or printout of any softcopy from the computer.

Robots are used to create these types of model. Robots help to get precision and reduce process time. Before technical revolution in computers, this was only method used for modelling of any vehicle.

5. Designing

Designing is a complex synthesis and analysing process of forces and stresses on any component. Each and every component of vehicle is analysed with the help of softwares. Designing software works with that model which is generated in modelling software. This is done with the help of Interface facilities. Engineer has to import the ready model of component from modelling software to designing/ analysing software.

Earlier, trial and error method was used to analyse components or systems. It got disappeared quickly with technological revolution because of cost and time consumption. Manufacture had to spent lots of money at the time of failures. Analysis softwares have made this designing system very prolific and errorless. Engineer can check any component under static, dynamic, thermal, or cyclic loads and can predict component’s life.

6. Simulations

Particularly for automobiles, simulation softwares are computer logics for vehicle’s dynamic conditions. Simulation softwares can generate identical road and wind conditions which an original vehicle is going to face.

This helps engineers and designers to predict and modify any of the dynamic characteristic of vehicle before actual production. Just like analysis softwares, simulation software also reduces cost and time for testing a vehicle. Different road profiles like smooth road, bumps, pit holes etc. can be generated and vehicle model can be tested without original vehicle.

7. Testing

No one can remain dependable on softwares when safety comes into picture. Software can generate wrong results if input data differs slightly. That’s why each and every company tests it’s each vehicle before starting its production.

Generally 5 to 10 vehicles are manufactured after completing all design, analysis and simulation processes. These vehicles are used for different road tests, rollover tests and crash tests. Experience test drivers are allowed to drive these vehicles up to extreme conditions on the testing tracks. This testing period is kept long enough to get exact idea about any failures. Many a times new failure arises which is not exposed by the analysis or simulation softwares.

8. Pilot Vehicles

Spy photos which we all are watching on our website frequently, in which bike mostly remains covered with black cloths, are called pilot vehicles. Pilot vehicles are limited edition type original vehicles produced for testing purpose only. Testing of manufacturing facilities within the plant, testing of machining ease, testing of interchangeable parts, testing of material handling etc. takes place with the help of pilot vehicle.

After satisfactory modifications in plant operations, these pilot vehicles are allowed to run on road. Whole bunch of pilot vehicles is distributed between company’s local test drivers. The company collects feedbacks for different driving conditions. All the necessary modifications in vehicle get completed before final starting of production.

9. Production

Finally production starts after completing all the required modifications in manufacturing facilities. These modifications includes testing rigs, testing tracks, material handling methods, material handling racks, manpower, production of subassemblies, assembly lines, quality testing, paint shop, vendor management etc. Company announces official launch of vehicle and starts distributing fix numbers of produced vehicle amongst each dealers.

Then sales department studies the market demand through dealers. New production schedule is introduced according to demand and supply chain. Each vehicle is tested according to minimum standards decided by country’s governing body (As ARAI in India). Vehicles are distributed in different numbers to different dealers according to their regional demand.

10. Sales

At last, day comes when we are called by dealer for vehicle delivery. It is I think the most precisions moment of any biker’s life when he holds his vehicle very first time. From that instant, vehicle becomes everything in his life for which he has waited for a long time, has crossed many obstacles and has worked hard.

I hope this post will stay interesting for you all. Please share your experiences and ideas on these processes.

Bajaj Pulsar 220 vs Hero Karizma ZMR

2011-11-18T06:30:00.001-08:00

Bajaj and Hero Motocorp (Hero Honda previously), are the two pure Indian make motorcycles who have been at loggerheads continuously after Bajaj came out with its extraordinary concept, the powerful “Pulsar”. Hero Honda was no meek player either who went on to create a biking tradition with its charismatic Karizma. However, due credit does go to Hero Honda for venturing into the virgin territory of 200+ cubic capacity displacement when Bajaj was happy making the favourite “Hamara Bajaj” scooters and trying to give competition to the already established hugely successful 100cc bikes from the Hero Honda stable.

However, Bajaj is a quick learner and soon came up with a strong contender for the tall standing Karizma, the Pulsar 220. Since then, it has always been a boggling question for many as to which one is better. Which one should you buy if you want the ultimate performance motorcycle? We thought it’s time we take both and make them face head to head and see who eventually comes out victorious!

The Styling

To start, I take up the aspect of the styling since that is the first thing anyone is going to notice about any motorcycle. Add to it the 220cc class and any motorcycle lover is bound to demand fabulous styling that should make him look apart from the crowd and also make heads turn when he/she rides past! The two motorcycles I am comparing here have very different design languages. Each one has been distinctively designed to appeal to a specific sensory perception of the consumer.

The Pulsar 220 with its “wolf” like headlights looks really stylish while the Karizma ZMR with its GSX1000R inspired headlamps look menacing. Coming to the tail lights, the twin LED lights on the Pulsar 220 are the coolest ones ever seen. On the Karizma ZMR, you get one “inverted pentagon” shaped light which is LED stripped. Coming to the side stance, the Pulsar 220 has got a horizontal fairing extending from the headlights to the fuel tank. It also has a netted slot providing air flow.

The small fairing gives the bike a “naked bike” look and adds dynamism to it. The contour line on the fairing extends all the way upto the fuel tank too. The Karizma ZMR on the other hand, has got a full fairing that on which the ZMR is inscribed in a Japanese script style (inspired from the Suzuki Hayabusa). The fairing is styled excellently with the front end of it following the curve of the front wheel while the rear sporting a Z shaped design.

The ZMR with its full fairing looks mighty muscular, big and more like a “speed goddess”. Both the bikes have got a single exhaust. The exhaust tail pipe on the Pulsar 220 looks not much different from its younger siblings and has no colour which looks a bit out of place. On the other hand, the Karizma ZMR gets golden finish tail pipe which blends along well with the design. The engine, the front shockers and the inner circle of the front and the rear discs are gold painted. Both the bikes get split rear handle grips. The Karizma ZMR offers those as body coloured while they are black on the Pulsar 220.

Pulsar 220: 3
Karizma ZMR: 4

The Performance

Now let us come to the performance factor. The Pulsar 220, as evident from its name is powered by a 220 cc motor that delivers a power figure of 21.04 PS @ 8500 RPM and a healty torque figure of 19.12 Nm @ 7000 RPM. On the other hand, the Karizma ZMR is powered by the same 223 cc engine that powered the old Karizma. The 223 cc engine delivers a power of 17.6 BHP @ 7000 RPM and a torque of 18.35 Nm @ 6000 RPM.

Going by the figures alone, the Pulsar 220 is definitely way powerful than the ZMR in terms of power and in terms of torque. The Karizma ZMR may look like a speed goddess, but it is the Pulsar 220, in which the speed beast is hiding, waiting to be unleashed. Just twist the throttle and the 220’s thrust will make you go backwards in awe and surprise. The Pulsar 220 wants it to be taken seriously.

Gently input the throttle, and all will be well. On the Karizma ZMR, it is a bit more relaxed. Though it is about 1 Nm short in torque than the 220, yet the delivery is quick at the low RPM (6000 on the ZMR as compared to the 7000 on the 220) which makes it fun to drive. One of the big things separating these bikes is the kerb weight. The Pulsar 220 with its small fairing weighs 150 kg while the Karizma ZMR with all its fairings tips the scales at 159 kg making it 9kgs heavier than the Pulsar! The Pulsar outperforms the ZMR in power-to-weight ratio.

The 220 offers one of the best power-to-weight ratios because of which it gets the tag of “the fastest Indian”. Fuel delivery to the 220’s engine is through the carburettor while on the ZMR a fuel injection does that duty. The fuel delivery feels smoother in the ZMR across all rev ranges. On the 220 however, you twist the throttle suddenly and there is a lag. It is like the lull before the storm to come.

You can witness the speedometer needle surging very fast in the post-lag period. The Pulsar 220 can do the 0 to 60 kmph sprint in just about 4 seconds while the Karizma ZMR takes a bit more to about 4.7 seconds. A top speed test wasn’t possible because of too much traffic. On road, the Pulsar 220 returns a good fuel economy of 38 kmpl under mixed driving conditions while the Karizma ZMR returns about 40 kmpl.

Pulsar 220: 4.5
Karizma ZMR: 3.5

The Handling

One of the key aspects any sports bike deserves to be talked about is its handling. Sit on the bike, and you feel more close to the ground on the Pulsar 220 than on the Karizma ZMR. The Karizma ZMR will not be an ideal bike for the short people. Also, the ZMR feels wider than the 220 because of its broad fairings. The Pulsar 220 features a split-seat design which provides you with good support and makes you prepared to race anytime.

On the other hand, the Karizma ZMR features a single piece providing a comfortable seating for you as well as your pillion. On straight lines, both the bikes feel planted to the ground, but relatively the Karizma feels more planted because of its higher kerb weight. The Pulsar 220 despite its raw power feels planted because of its thicker tires. The 220 rides on 90/90 section (Tubeless) at the front and 120/80 section (Tubeless) at the rear. They are fitted to 17inch alloy wheels both at the front and back.

The ZMR rides on thinner sections, 80/100 on the front and 100/90 on the rear. However, the ZMR rides on bigger 18 inch alloy wheels. On the corners, the two show up different dynamics. The Karizma ZMR with its bulk and bigger dimensions is slightly difficult to manoeuvre with a considerable lean angle. However, the bulk coupled with the smooth power delivery gives you a confidence of solid grip that the bike maintains with the road. The 220, while is smaller in dimensions and with low kerb weight is very quick around corners.

The rev-friendly engine always entices you to throttle hard while you are exiting the corner but a slight mistake and you can lose control. The bike packs in so much power at the top-end that you need to have considerable amount of experience to master it. The ZMR uses Telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers at the front and a Swing arm with 5 step adjustable IGRS system at the rear. While on the 220, you get telescopic shocks at the front and 5 way adjustable Nitrox shock absorbers at the rear.

The suspension at the front and the back does a good job of taking care of potholes in both the bikes. However, the Karizma ZMR has got a slightly softer suspension making it good for long tours as well. The Pulsar 220 on the other hand, has a stiffer suspension which makes it not so good for long journeys but great for fast cornering. However, take both the bikes to whatever speed you like, both offer equally good stopping power according to their stature. The Pulsar 220 gets 260 mm disc brakes at the front and 230 mm ones at the rear while the Karizma ZMR gets 276 mm disc at the front and 240 mm discs at the rear.

Pulsar 220: 4.5
Karizma ZMR: 3.5

The Ergonomics

Coming to the instrument cluster, both the bikes offer good looking digital consoles. The Pulsar 220 offers an analog tachometer and a digital speedometer. The round tachometer is on the left while the digital speedometer is on the right of it. The speedo console also shows other information like the fuel level by the left side of the speed, the odometer and the trip meter at the bottom and battery, oil temperature etc at the top.

Below the speedo console are 4 round lights; the turn indicators, the neutral gear position, the hi-beam and the side stand engage respectively from the left. At the extreme right of the console, is the RESET switch. Coming to the Karizma ZMR, it sports a trapezoidal console with the analog tachometer at the bottom centre of the console. On the left is the digital speedometer below which it also shows the time. On the right is the fuel level, odo and trip meter and the alphabetic display.

On the top centre it has small 4 lamps; the engine malfunction light, the neutral gear indicator, the hi-beam and the direction indicators from the left respectively. Both the consoles are equally good, but somehow I feel that the console of the Pulsar 220 has been designed keeping the “racer rider” in mind. The large speedo and the large tacho ensure that you get to know your state without have to look closely which is not the case in the Karizma ZMR. Also the Pulsar indicates if you have the side stand engaged or not which is a good thing for many in India.

Pulsar 220: 4
Karizma ZMR: 3.5

Conclusion

The Karizma ZMR will cost you Rs. 1,02,939/- (On Road, Gurgaon) while the Pulsar 220 is Rs. 86,250/- (On Road, Gurgaon). Over such a price difference anyone will de definitely inclined to go for the cheaper alternative. However, you cannot buy a bike of this segment just by the price. Anyone should also look into what kind of usage he is going to have. If you are a ride daily for long distances then the Pulsar 220 is not a good choice for you, the Karizma ZMR definitely is! If you are a person who loves corners, then the Karizma ZMR is not the right bike for you, the Pulsar 220 is! Overall, the bikes come very close in this heated competition with Pulsar 220 gaining marginally due to its sheer focused nature on speed and handling, the two basic necessities of a sports bike and nevertheless, a bike lover!

Regards,
Joy Chatterjee

Drag king

2011-11-15T03:01:00.001-08:00

Drag king

By Abhay Verma

It’s nearing thirty years since the Yamaha RD350 came to India but even today whisper the name and a reverent hush descends. Faraway looks shine in all the gathered eyes and you can see the glowing memories of speed and performance roaring through the enthusiasts’ heads. Until the Kawasaki Ninja 250R and the Honda CBR250R came nothing has had the performance to challenge the venerated two-stroke demon.

But do these two really have the performance to beat the RD? Today is the day we find out. The odds for once are stacked against the Yamaha. It’s a thirty year old bike, parts are hard to come by, the best bikes are still a bit lashed together and ragged at the edges. And you can tune the engine all you want, but the frame and the overall capability of the motorcycle is likely to be held back by the unyielding rules of Father Time.

Today we are putting the RD to a test it has aced with contempt in the past. The cornerstone of motorcycle, nay vehicle performance, the quarter mile.

What we all wish it would do is thrash the 33PS Kawasaki Ninja 250R soundly and spank the 25PS Honda CBR250R. But secretly we also wish the RD would get beaten. In our depressingly slow-moving market (on product evolution not sales) it would be a blinding ray of hope. A milestone of progress. The end of an era, even.

So we organised the motorcycles, found an appropriately long, completely deserted piece of tarmac and charged up the batteries on our testing equipment and prayed for the rain to stay away for the duration.

Time for some action. The RD belongs to a different time, when the sounds of motorcycles were not lost in the dreary desert sand of noise emissions to borrow a phrase. It always sounded glorious but it completely overshadows the relatively meek sounds of the other two. It has presence. In the sound, in the smell of burning 2T and in the all-metal no-plastic bare-bones appearance.

The revs rise in anticipation of the start… Ready, set? Go!

Clutches were popped and it was the RD that was the first to leap ahead, front wheel desperate to leave the ground. The Ninja’s whining scream as it heads past 10,000rpm is finally audible as a note not drowned in the RD’s roar. It’s desperate to catch the blue bike just ahead. The CBR isn’t far behind, but decisively in third.

A hundred metres later, one fourth of the way, the RD is still gathering frightening momentum, its clock passing 90kmph, just 6.12 seconds since the test began. It’s older and the most obvious sign of age is the gearbox. It’s not as slick anymore and I am convinced it would be further ahead if it could shift as smoothly and quickly as the Ninja or the CBR. The Ninja is pressing its advantage. It’s 0.55 seconds behind at the 100m mark, going a 1.96kmph slower. The CBR, the sole single cylinder, the softest of the trio is still the last bike. It crosses the 100 mark 0.81 seconds behind the RD and is now 3.73kmph slower, going 86.27kmph.

The next hundred metres take much less time. The RD crosses 200 metres in 116.93kmph clearly pulling away from the other two. It’s 9.79 seconds since it blasted off and the Ninja is now a significant 8.73kmph slower and at the 200m mark it takes 10.28 seconds to get there, a half a second more. The Ninja though sounds and feels fantastic ridden like this. Watching the needle head sharply towards its 13,000rpm screaming in anger and enjoying the action is a pleasure. There’s the problem of the RD that’s inexorably pulling away, but making this Kawasaki engine sing is pure pleasure. The CBR was never meant to run this hard at the very top of its revs and it’s beginning to show. It gets to 200m in 10.55 seconds, 0.76 seconds behind the RD but it’s only going 105.85kmph. It is still in touch with the Ninja but the rider knows the Honda isn’t going to do a Seabiscuit just before the line.

Three fourths of the way down, the RD is singing. It’s entered the sweet spot that will fling it from 110 to 150kmph in one headlong rush and there’s a thick contrail of white smoke that is going to make the job harder for the clean-piped duo behind. Blue smoke, we have blue smoke. The RD blurs by the 300m mark at 127.41kmph in 12.46 seconds. This is the first time the signs of age show, though. The RD rider is worried. If he holes a piston or has a partial seizure or the famously unreliable once old Yamaha oil pump has a hiccup, it could end in disaster. A full engine rebuild isn’t worth teaching these two upstarts a lesson is it?

But you can’t back off. The Ninja is in Rossi-mode, just waiting for a mistake. It crosses 300m at 121.49kmph, nearly a second behind the RD – 13.39 seconds. The CBR, surprise, is still in the hunt, 0.37 seconds adrift of the Ninja, going 117.41 kmph. But we know from our performance testing that the Honda has only another 10-15kmph after which performance will start to flatten out.

Then the RD stamps it authority. The last hundred metres are covered in a sizzling 2.68 seconds and the RD crests the finish line at the tip of an arrow of billowing smoke. 15.14 seconds later, the RD hits 132.56kmph. From a twenty-four year old machine. In what might be considered average condition. There are stock RDs out there that would blow this one into the weeds! The rider, though, sighs in relief and rolls off the throttle. The green flash is spotted at the finish 1.12 seconds later, going 3.73kmph slower. It’s not won today but it’s a credible performance. And it’s happy in the knowledge that motorcycle performance is rarely a straight line deal. In the corners, the Ninja’s modern setup would kill the RD350 on any racetrack you choose. The CBR- shock – hasn’t given in. It gamely keeps the Ninja honest. It’s only a 0.47 seconds behind and only 4.05kmph off. For a machine not entirely focused on sport and with one cylinder less, this is a bit of a triumph.

To the furious ticking of the trio of cooling engines, smiles dance in rhythm. This is how a good morning is crafted. It’s a win-win situation. The RD is still the quickest accelerating motorcycle in the country, but it’s challengers are no longer puny or armed with jellybeans and lollipops. Serious performance is here and it’s only a matter of time before the RD’s legend properly takes its place in our history, instead on continuing to dominate our present. The era has not ended. But now we’re sure. It will soon.

Honda CBR250R vs Kawasaki Ninja 250R : Comparison

2011-11-15T02:32:00.001-08:00

After ruling the 250cc territory for over two decades, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R has finally got a challenger in the form of the new Honda CBR250R. Will it be possible for the old hand Kawasaki to hold its own against the tech-laden young Honda?

Now before we get into the battle of these quarter-litre motorcycles, let’s delve a bit deeper into the popular 250cc segment and find out why the Kawasaki Ninja 250R or previously known as the GPZ-250R until 2007 has ruled this class of bikes since it first turned a wheel back in 1983. Essentially there were two chief reasons that significantly helped the Ninja to remain on top of the game for over two decades – lack of a sporty-looking yet comfortable 250cc sports model and the global focus shifting to high capacity sport models in search of impressive lap times, almost ignoring the average road user.

This made the baby Ninja’s position even stronger in the global motorcycle market as it remained unchallenged through the ages with regular fresh updates to the engine as well as the design. The likes of the Suzuki GSX-R750 and Honda’s CBR900RR Fireblade changed the rules of the motorcycle world in the nineties and that was the era when the super-light and ultra-fast superbikes were born. With all the other motorcycle manufacturers vying for top honours in the supersports (600cc) and the superbike (1000cc) classes, the lower-end of the spectrum was totally ignored. Those who wanted to go up the motorcycling ranks gradually (and might I add, sensibly) but without having to compromise for a rather dull looking street-spec 250, for them the Kawasaki Ninja 250R was an absolute no-brainer.

Push forward to 2011 and the motorcycle industry is waking up to the importance of street-users than only focusing on trackday-goers. The recent global economic slowdown has made it difficult for many to pursue their passion for two-wheels and the obvious as well as the cheapest option is to take it to the street – a little less safe and less fun then, but for an average Joe rider it is certainly more attainable without having to disrupt the monthly budget to fit in a trackday or two. With such a seismic shift in the market trends, it is obvious that the companies will now hunt for a more street-worthy tool than a track scorcher. And when it comes to the streets, a 250cc machine is just the right thing especially for our Indian roads where any of the superbikes make very little sense and there aren’t too many affordable street-friendly middleweights on sale either, yet.

This was reason enough for us to pit two of the current quarter-litre motorcycles in the market, the veteran Kawasaki Ninja 250R which has enjoyed a strong following for over two decades the world over against the spunky young Honda CBR250R, which brings some really exciting technologies to the street like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) at a phenomenal price advantage that the Ninja cannot match up to. So will the baby-CBR bring an end to the legend of the Ninja or will the Ninja continue its reign? The results are surprising.

Round One
Let’s take a look at the new CBR’s design, which is largely borrowed from the big Honda VFR1200F with its chunky front fairing and curvy lines. Honestly, it’s a bit bland from the front, but the CBR certainly has one of the best looking rear-ends in the business. The Ninja on the other hand does not break any new records in styling but still carries a big-bike feel along with its sporty appeal of a middleweight supersport. The Kawasaki is roomier and feels plusher than the Honda, while the CBR is compact and easier to ride thanks to its 5kg deficit over the Ninja and shorter wheelbase. The size and weight difference amongst the two quarter-litre pocket rockets is instantly noticeable and the Ninja definitely feels also bigger one out of the two.

For the street it is important that the ergonomics and seating is comfy for daily use as well as hard-riding and both the bikes do a fantastic job at it. Ninja’s roominess and bigger windscreen make it a worthy long distance tourer but the CBR’s small dimensions and light-weight physique make it that more manageable in the city limits for everyday commute. City is where most of the Indian bikers will ply in and keeping that in mind, the CBR definitely is a better suited product for a larger audience. The Ninja is for the elite motorcyclist who will get on the saddle to enjoy the open roads than commute to work in style. There is nothing wrong with either of the choices – to each, his own. In simpler words, a city biker looking for a 250 will be happier with the seating on the CBR while the long distance rider or the weekend sport-rider will find the ergonomics on the Ninja that much suited.

Round Two
On paper, the two bikes might not be very closely matched with the Ninja 250R clearly outshining the CBR20R with its twin cylinder engine layout, 33PS of power output (7PS more than the CBR) and a solid top whack of 160km/h plus. But take them to the streets and the CBR250R lives upto to Honda’s traditional engineering prowess and is quite up there with the old geezer Ninja. The 0-100km/h times on both the bikes are quite closely matched with the Ninja clocking 8.1 seconds while the CBR lacking not too far behind with a 0-100km/h time of 8.6 seconds. Although there is marginally extra torque on the CBR250R – 23.8Nm as against the Ninja’s 22Nm, the Ninja still manages to outrun the Honda in the in-gear acceleration test with the green mean machine taking just 10.9 seconds in the 30-70km/h dash in sixth gear while the Honda clocking 11.5 seconds for the same test.

So on the streets in real world Indian road conditions, both the bikes are quite evenly matched and the only real place where the Ninja outdoes the CBR convincingly is in the top-end performance with an impressive top whack of over 165km/h while the CBR only managing about 152km/h. Both the bikes possess good grunt to cruise at about 100km/h but the CBR definitely feels like its doing more work there than the Ninja which doesn’t feel like its running out of breath till about the speedometer needle touches the 160km/h mark. Both motorcycles employ a six-speed transmission to put down power and the feel from the gearbox is crisp on both the machines with precisely smooth and confident gear shifts. But the clutch on the CBR does feel a bit weak to handle all the clutch-use that is needed on our Indian roads as against the Ninja’s clutch, which feels competent to tackle the oppression due to traffic and later even allow a few burn-outs to vent out the frustration and scare the poor commuters!

Round Three
We are into round three without either of the two motorcycles having lost their firm footing. That said, the longer wheel-based and heavier Ninja 250R definitely feels more composed and calm at speed than the CBR250R but it is the Kawasaki’s size and rather lavish proportions that hamper its ability to quickly turn directions especially when dealing with bumper-to-bumper traffic. On the other hand, the HondaCBR250R is a superbly versatile tool that feels compact and manageable for daily use and is extremely nimble to swiftly escape out of crowded city streets. However, the big-bike appeal or road presence that many buyers in this class would want after parting with a sizable amount of sum definitely comes from the Ninja and not the CBR.

The chassis and underpinnings on both these fully-faired machines are solidly built and have a sturdy feel to them. As robustly put together, the suspension setup on both the bikes is largely divergent resulting in very different ride experience astride each one of them. Tuned for the street and plush ride, the CBR’s rear suspension is a little too squishy and lacks the sprightly handling especially when attacking sweeping fast corners. This is where the Ninja’s expertise of all these years in the 250cc segment outclasses its rival, the CBR. Just the right suspension configuration for the street – neither too stiff to make it all bumpy nor too softly sprung to be wallowing around corners presenting the Ninja with near perfect dynamic ability for the street.

Round Four
The Ninja 250R’s experience does make a solid impact but the baby CBR does bring a lot to the table loaded with new age techno-wizardry. The most striking bit on the CBR being the Honda-patented Combined Anti-lock braking System (C-ABS) that makes the streets a much safer place for every rider aboard the CBR – young or old and newbie or expert alike. As expected then, the Honda did out-brake the Ninja, just about. In our 80-0 braking test, the CBR250R took 31.4 metres and 3.25 seconds to come to a halt. Although, I think with better rubber on the CBR than the OE-fitted Continental ContiGo tyres this time can be further dropped. However, the IRC tyres on the Ninja faired pretty well and braking performance on the five kilos heavier Ninja was not at all bad with the 290mm single petal disc upfront and a 220mm petal disc on the rear stopping the Kawasaki in 39.6metres and 3.5seconds.

Equipment wise the Honda clearly trumps the Ninja – fully digital console that is fresh and neatly done and comes with a clock. While the analogue dials on the Ninja are probably the most boring visuals on any modern-day sports motorcycle. Of course there is no clock on the Ninja! And then no pass switch either on the Kawasaki unlike the Honda but then the Ninja makes up with excellent headlight beam and spread, which is so crucial for our road conditions. Something lacking in the CBR’s fashionable and VFR1200F-ish inspired headlight design. The saddle is softer and cushier on the CBR as against the slightly hard feel of the Ninja’s seat but the pillion comfort is definitely more enhanced on the Ninja.

Round Five
Despite lack of features and equipment, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R feels much more robustly built thanHonda’s CBR250R. The fit-and-finish on the Ninja is cleaner and pronounced than in the CBR. For instance, the side-stand on the CBR feels weak and lacks solid feel to it. The welding spots around the CBR’s frame look a bit sloppily done and very unlike the standards set by Honda. Both the bikes have more or less no under-seat storage space though one could cram some paperwork under the CBR’s pillion seat if he or she is so hell-bent. But there is really not much scope. And if you are still keen on carrying stuff on the motorcycle, both the bikes offer bungee hooks on the pillion footpegs albeit on the CBR there is no place to fix the remaining two hooks of a cargo net onto the rear. The Ninja on the other hand has two separate hooks under the rear tail panel once again showing the CBR how it’s to be done.

With modern day technology and advances in manufacturing processes, most motorcycles today are well-engineered and the two entries that we have here epitomize this reality like none other. I must admit then, picking one out of these two contenders has not been an easy task. Both, the Kawasaki and Honda are indeed closely matched nearly on all counts and the pricing of the Honda CBR250R almost brings a closure to the argument. Or does it?

Winning Bell
So the Kawasaki Ninja 250R costing Rs. 2.69 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) is almost a lakh of rupees costlier than the Honda CBR250R with C-ABS costing Rs. 1.77 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and it only fairs marginally higher than the CBR in most departments – it has better top-speed, slightly quicker performance and more comfort. But why is it that the Kawasaki is so expensive despite being marginally better in performance to the Honda? Firstly, let’s get one basic fact out of the way that the CBR is locally manufactured by Honda in India while the Ninja 250R is imported as a Completely Knocked Down kit (CKD) from Kawasaki’s manufacturing base in Thailand and assembled at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan plant near Pune.

Nevertheless, that’s not the only reason why the Kawasaki demands a premium. During our comparison test, it was instantly noticeable how much more road presence, and a decidedly sportier feel the Ninja 250R offered - clearly highlighting the ‘big-bike feel’ that everyone keeps harping about all the time. A true-blue sportsbike. Nothing less or nothing more than just an absolute thrill-machine that has the go to match the show. A high-revving parallel twin motor pumping out 33PS of power at staggering 11,000rpm yet offering oodles of comfort for riders of all shapes and sizes. Not scaring them but instead helping them learn the tricks of the motorcycling trade in a swift yet enjoyable manner. The Honda CBR250R is an excellent bang-for-the-buck machine but it tries too hard to beat the Ninja 250R, which does seem a bit over-priced in contrast to the CBR but is well worth every penny spent. All it takes is just swinging a leg over the two machines back-to-back and the difference between the CBR250R’s ‘just about there’ appeal and the Ninja 250R’s ‘been-there-done-that’ aura is pressing. Our pick out of the two then is the old-hand Kawasaki which still excels at everything one would expect from a quarter-litre sportsbike. The legend of the Ninja lives on.

Husqvarna unveils the MOAB Concept

2011-11-15T02:27:00.001-08:00

Swedish bike-maker Husqvarna showcased its latest concept model, the MOAB, at this year's EICMA motorcycle fair

Swedish motorcycle company, Husqvarna, currently owned by BMW, displayed its MOAB Concept at this year’s EICMA motorcycle fair held in Milan. A modern-day take on the scramblers, the MOAB concept brings fore Husqvarna’s long-standing tradition of exciting scrambler and off-road motorcycles. Named after the legendary Mojave desert in Utah, the MOAB concept celebrates the huge turnout the desert witnesses every year. The classic-looking red fuel tank with a flat long seat is joined by the time-honored yellow number panels on the sides. Trail-riding friendly ergonomics with an upright seating posture and tall handlebars are a norm on scramblers and they make their way onto the MOAB concept as well.

The MOAB employs a progressive linkage swingarm and 17-inch wheels on both ends shod with semi-knobby tyres for off-roading. The concept is a fine mix of classic scrambler design mated to today’s technology like the upside-down front forts handling the suspension duties and the advanced 650cc motor packaged inside a perimeter frame. On the design front, the under-seat side-slung exhaust neatly carries forward the classic-scrambler style complete with a vintage-looking drilled heat shield. The paint scheme too is inspired by Steve McQueen’s iconic H400 motorcycle made popular by the charismatic actor.

Husqvarna has picked up good steam in recent times churning out impressive products and gathering solid response from the industry. With this new concept that was unveiled at the 2011 EICMA show, the brand has once again shown its expertise and class at making promising off-roading motorcycles.

HMSI Plans to Set Up Two More Plants in India

2011-11-15T02:11:00.001-08:00

India’s largest scooter manufacturing company Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (Pvt.) Ltd (HMSI) has been in news for its capacity expansion plans this year. According to livemint, the company again comes up with plans to set up two more plants in India. These new proposed plants will add another 2.5 million annual capacity.

The locations of these plants will be Gujarat and Uttarakhand. The company has already initiated talks with these two governments regarding its proposal of new plant. The company aims to set up these plants within three to four years time.

A person close to development said that “The idea is to become a leader in the Indian market in another 10 years. The two-wheeler industry is expected to double in another four years, and by 2020 it may double again. This expansion plan is keeping such demand in mind. In the longer term, HMSI aims to have a capacity of 10 million units.”

HMSI is currently working aggressively on expanding its production capacity. It started its second plant at Tapukara (Rajasthan) this year and work is going in full swing for the construction of third plant at Narasapur (Karnatak) and addition of capacity at Tapukara plant which will enable HMSI to produce 4 million units by 2013. However, this capacity is still not enough for the company which aims to become number one in Indian two wheeler market by 2020. In addition to above, Indian two wheeler market will grow at 13-15% CAGR (Compounded annual growth rate) for the next five year according to SIAM. In such situation HMSI needs at least 10 – 12 million units’ capacity by 2020, in order to rule Indian two wheeler market.

As far as new location for plants concern Gujarat is an obvious choice for any automobile company now. It’s now emerging as automobile hub of India. The state is ready to offer incentives like tax benefits and incentives if the auto company will invest 1,000 crore or more. Beside HMSI, Hero Motocorp and Bajaj Auto are also in talk with Gujarat government, for establishing new plants in state. Uttarakhand is also an important location as it has many automobile companies and auto ancillary companies’ plant.

It seems that we will have lot many announcement of new plants as every two wheeler company is working at its full capacity and they have to do capacity expansion for next year to meet rising two wheeler demand.

- Mahavir Kothari

Freeride E and 350 Freeride Preview

2011-11-14T06:04:00.001-08:00

KTM AG sports, an Austrian bike manufacture in which Bajaj Auto owns 40% share, has unveiled three new motorcycles in EICMA 2011 (69th International Motorcycle Exhibition Milan) at Milan, apart from KTM Duke 200. Duke 690, Freeride E and Free ride 350. All are special motorcycles and may find their way to India in long run. Let’s have a look at these three bikes

Freeride E: The Evolution of a Revolution

Freeriede E is a electric off road motorcycle (E stands for Electric). The Freeride E is the first production bike to use a high voltage design with 300 Volts, similar to electric cars. The engine delivers 29.5 bhp (22KW) of power with 42Nm of torque which makes this motorcycle extremely fun riding. An electric engine means there is no clutch and gearbox, just give accelerator the motorcycle will move on.

The 2.1 KW battery storage requires 90 minutes to fully charge. One the battery is fully charged it can run up to one hour. What more, you can also change your battery with other battery because of special quick change system. The battery components are 100% dust and water proofed. The bike weighs only 95 Kg which makes handling pretty easy in case the batter got discharged.

350 Freeride

Freeride E is a off road electric motorcycle whereas 350 Freeride is conventional gear and clutch engine motorcycle. It is powered with 3500 engine which has served in Motocross and Enduro competition for KTM. Basically it’s lightweight off road motorcycle. It generates 23 bhp which is enough for an off road motorcycle.

KTM has made this as high torque, lightweight off road motorcycle . It weighs only 99.5 Kg and has fuel capacity of 5.5 liter which is enough for long ride as well. Bajaj Auto may introduce Freeride in India, if Hero Impulse does good sales in India.

What do you think about the above two bikes? Leave your comment.

- Mahavir Kothari

Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE

2011-11-14T03:18:00.001-08:00

Available colors:

Racing Black

RSV4 Factory APRC SE

OVERVIEW

Website

Aprilia's domination in the World Superbike Championship has given rise to a special edition of a motorcycle that already set new standards for the supersports street bike genre: the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition is the new benchmark for the supersports segment.

Ultra-sophisticated electronic management: the APRC pack lets the rider freely adjust every single aspect of the bike's performance and handling exactly as desired.

Racing heritage

Created with the single-minded goal of being simply the best on the track and on the road, since its inception the Aprilia RSV4 has astonished the world with its looks, technology and performance. The first 65° V-4 engine ever in a sports production bike, a chassis worthy of a 250 GP, Ride By Wire, multimap engine management: all these are accomplished achievements for the Aprilia RSV4, that tops unique architecture and specs with Aprilia's signature excellent rideability brought to the next level.

But records are made to be broken. Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of the Aprilia R&D department and a very close collaboration between Racing Department and production, the Aprilia RSV4 has made a giant leap forward.

The RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition is a milestone in the history of super sport bikes. All of the racing expertise and indications gathered during the successful 2010 season of World Champion Max Biaggi were brought together in a bike that sets a new standard for future road bike development.

Unique adjustable traction control capable of self-adjusting to suit different types of tyres, wheelie control, launch control, quick shift: these are the RSV4 Factory APRC SE's new features that raise the bar in track performance even further up.

Aprilia's technological supremacy meant that every aspect of the electronic management system for the RSV4 Factory SBK, with which Max Biaggi dominated the 2010 World Superbike Championship, could be developed in house. As a result of the innovative know how developed on the circuit and the close collaboration between the team, the Racing Division and the manufacturing division, the transfer of this technology from the track to production was practically instantaneous. This is how the Aprilia people were able to turn out the fastest, most effective bike on the track, a bike whose only goal is to post the fastest lap.

State of art technology

This new technology is brought together in the APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) package, basically the state of the art in dynamic performance control, a multi-patented system that makes Superbike winning technology available to professional racing riders and hobby riders alike. All this comes in an easy to use, intuitive package.

Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE's improvements are not limited to the electronic management system. The 65° V4 engine offers improved lubrication and closer spaced gears for better acceleration. The new, lighter exhaust features an advanced butterfly valve management system to suit the Ride By Wire mapping for improved breathing and efficiency throughout the RPM range.

In addition, the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE is the first super sport bike sporting the homologated new-generation extra performance dual blend 200/55 tyres developed in collaboration with Pirelli based on the expertise gathered on World Superbike racing circuits.

All new features of the Factory Special Edition

The new features introduced in the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE in detail:

APRC Aprilia Performance Ride Control, the electronic management package including:

ATC: Aprilia Traction Control automatically adjusts to different types of tyres, with 8 settings conveniently selectable while racing from a joystick on the left handlebar without turning down the throttle;
AWC: Aprilia Wheelie Control with three settings;
ALC: Aprilia Launch Control, for use on the track only, with 3 settings;
AQS: Aprilia Quick Shift, for ultra-fast shifting without closing the throttle or using the clutch.

Dual display mode for instrument panel display: ROAD and RACE;

New exhaust is lighter and offers improved performance;

Optimised gear ratios for the utmost track performance;

Improved engine lubrication;

New, exclusive 200/55 dual blend rear tyre.

APRC APRILIA PERFORMANCE RIDE CONTROL

This is the most significant among the new features of the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC SE, a technology platform that is one step above any other systems available in the market, not yet available on all racing bikes. The transfer of know-how from racing to production has resulted in an electronic management system that is extremely sophisticated but also intuitive and very user friendly.

The APRC package uses an automotive inertial sensor platform with two gyrometers and two accelerometers allowing the ECU to recognise the dynamic conditions of the bike and adapt the engine management parameters accordingly. The rider can adjust any component of the APRC system independently at will.

ATC: the traction control system of the future
The ATC- Aprilia Traction Control undoubtedly is one of the greatest strengths of the APRC package. This is a fully innovative traction control system developed from an Aprilia patent, mainly focussed on helping the rider improve his lap times. Thanks to the inertial platform and the Ride By Wire pioneered by Aprilia, the ATC not only reduces torque when the rear wheel slips but lets the rider control tail sliding when exiting a bend, giving him a better feel for throttle control, depending on lean angle.
Aprilia ATC is quickly, easily activated from the instrument panel menu and offers 8 settings. When the ATC is enabled, the rider can change setting in an instant at any time using a joystick on the left handlebar to suit track, pavement or tyre conditions, without closing the throttle and keeping his hands on the handlebar, as in professional motorcycle racing. This way, the system can adjust to every single bend of any track so as to meet the specific requirements of any rider, including the most expert ones.
The other incredible achievement of Aprilia technology is the system's "learning capacity". Current traction control systems are designed and optimised for a single size and type of tyre. This limit frequently cancels the benefits of traction control. Aprilia Traction Control (ATC) has overcome this limit: a procedure activated by the rider enables the system to learn the tyre radius and final ratio adopted on the bike to obtain fine-tuned traction control.

AWC: stability at top acceleration
Exploiting the full power of modern superbikes down to the very last HP is every rider's dream. Aprilia's AWC (Aprilia Wheelie Control) has achieved extraordinary results. Thanks to the exclusive Aprilia patented Wheelie Detection System, the AWC is able to “tell” when a wheelie begins and ends and kicks in to smoothen wheel contact with the road. Smooth, soft wheelie management avoid harsh power cuts or pick-up, providing perfect acceleration control. Again, the AWC system is activated from the instrument panel and can be adjusted independently from other control systems choosing from three settings to better meet rider requirements.

ALC: the best holeshot
The perfect start is yet another racer's dream, because a good start frequently means you're half way towards a victory. When the lights go out, handling the huge power of modern superbikes is no easy task. Unless the bike handles it itself to offer its best starting performance. The ALC (Aprilia Launch Control) system ensures an instant start as the lights go out, applying full power to the road to assist the rider in this critical moment of the race. All the rider needs to do is give full throttle and release the clutch as he normally would and shift gears. The ALC has three settings that can be selected from the instrument panel menu, then it must be “armed” at standstill, by squeezing both traction control buttons on the left handlebar joystick at the same time.

AQS: record-breaking shifting
When you're after the utmost lap performance, you can't afford to waste even one thousandth of a second in an apparently simple operation like shifting. RSV4 Factory APRC SE is the first Aprilia bike that comes with the Aprilia Quick Shift as standard. Basically, the quick shift shortens spark advance for an instant and then gradually restores it, making for super-fast shifting with no need to close the throttle or use the clutch. The system works hand in hand with the new closer spaced gearbox to limit RPM drop during shifting for faster lap times. To optimise AQS performance, Aprilia engineers have fine-tuned power cut timing based on shifting RPM.

THE MOTORCYCLE

A combination of superior mechanical and electronic technologies can only lead to excellent rideability. "Factory" is the key word that evokes the world of racing and special bikes, for special riders who demand top sport riding performance. Select valuable materials, ultra-sophisticated suspension, APRC system, and a dedicated livery make the RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition the most cutting-edge sport bike with unsurpassed track performance.

The RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition aims to be the perfect tool for riders who demand top track performance from their bikes. Sophisticated, valuable, refined – this bike is the best in motorcycling technology worldwide. This Special Edition, born at the end of an extraordinary season in which Aprilia dominated the WSBK, tops the refined structure and mechanics of the RSV4 Factory with valuable materials, lightweight design and APRC as standard equipment to enable professional dynamic control through an easy to use, intuitive interface.

This project is designed for those who want top riding performance on the track at a price/equipment ratio unequalled in its class.

RSV4 Factory APRC SE is the RSV4 at the nth power, direct descendent of the World Superbike winner.

RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition highlights:

APRC fitted as standard
Fuel system with variable length intake ducts
Advanced exhaust butterfly valve management
3-point adjustable chassis
Öhlins fully adjustable front fork
Öhlins fully adjustable shock absorber
Öhlins adjustable steering damper
Wheel rims in forged aluminium
Carbon parts
Special Tricolour livery

THE ENGINE

While the incredible APRC system is without a doubt the most important new feature introduced with this latest version of the RSV4, there has also been a raft of significant updates made to the engine of the RSV4 Factory APRC SE improve its already legendary technical and mechanical characteristics.
Aprilia RSV4 is the only production super sport bike using a narrow 65° V four-cylinder engine with unique features. Extremely compact, as slim as a twin-cylinder to fit in an ultra-compact chassis, the 65° V4 engine was and still is the epitome of Italian engineering ingenuity.

The Aprilia 65° V4 engine specifications in short:

Engine capacity: 999.6 cc
Architecture: 65° V4
Crankcase: monobloc with integrated crankcase liners
Timing system: 4 valves per cylinder (Titanium and Nymonic) operated directly by a camshaft driven by a mixed chain/gear system, lateral timing chain, central gear train
Fuel system: Electronic injection with 2 injectors per cylinder and integrated independent Ride by Wire system for each bank. Three mappings selectable from handlebar.
Antivibration countershaft
Compression ratio: 13:1
Gearbox: 6-speed direct-control cassette type gearbox
Clutch: Multiplate wet clutch with mechanical slipper system
Electronic management: Magneti Marelli control unit managing ignition, injection and Ride by Wire system, and variable length intake ducts
APRC system for dynamic control

The narrow V architecture translates into an engine that is incredibly compact in length, offering advantages in terms of mass centralisation and an extremely high performance chassis (short wheelbase, long swingarm).
The innovative timing system (with the chain camshaft driving only the intake camshaft, which in turn drives the exhaust camshaft via a gear) has made extremely compact heads (just 250 mm at the rear of the engine) especially in the area beneath the frame spars, which are thus much narrower than would otherwise be possible.
A countershaft dampens first and second order vibrations, making the engine even smoother than a 90° V one.
The monobloc crankcase with integrated aluminium cylinder liners ensures maximum rigidity and consistent performance.

The electronic management system is another example of the 65° V4 engine's technological supremacy. Full Ride-by-Wire technology eliminates any direct connection between the throttle grip and the throttle valves, which are entirely controlled by a latest generation Marelli control unit that also controls the ignition and the 8 injectors (the 4 secondary fan pattern injectors come into play at high loads).
Each bank has a dedicated servo unit actuating its own two throttle bodies only. This means that the aperture of the throttle valves and, as a consequence, the quantity of fuel injected, can be controlled independently. This solution, applied here for the first time ever in a production bike, opens up practically infinite possibilities for power delivery control and works hand in hand with the APRC system.

The transmission has also been designed to the meet most advanced criteria to offer the maximum performance possible. To underscore the racing soul of the 65° V4 engine, it is mated to a cassette gearbox with a wet sump lubrication system (with oil in the crankcase). The wet clutch features a mechanical slipper system for optimised engine braking torque control and stability under hard braking.

The 65° V4 was one of the most advanced engines in the world at the time of its debut. The new RSV4 Factory APRC SE underwent a number of refinements and further improvements based on the world superbike racing experience with the factory bike. The new exhaust and engine mappings make for optimal power delivery. Lubrication has been improved at critical points, the countershaft runs in ball bearings rather than plain bushings and the head cooling circuit has been reviewed for optimal operating temperatures and long-term reliability.
Combustion chambers and cylinder-piston fits have also been revised for optimal engine performance. The three lowest gears are spaced closer for extra speed out of bends. The advanced exhaust butterfly valve management system improved delivery in the low rpm band and reduces emissions while preserving the engine's thrilling sound.

CHASSIS

The bike retains the unique chassis and swingarm solutions that make it the world's first “race ready” V4 superbike. In order to boost chassis performance and make it match the rider's tastes, or features of the track, Aprilia RSV4 Factory ensures a combination of adjustments that are pretty much infinite. The multi-adjustable suspensions, taken for granted on a motorcycle of this level, are combined with three chassis adjustments: headstock position and rake (through interchangeable bushings), rear end height, swingarm pin height and - introducing a new capability exclusive to this bike - the engine position in the frame.

Suspension
The Öhlins Racing upside-down fork has 43-mm diameter stanchions and is titanium nitride coated to minimise friction. The wheel travel is 120 mm. As on a racing bike, the fork allows millimetre-precise adjustment for hydraulic compression and rebound damping and spring preload.
The Öhlins Racing rear shock absorber was developed from experience learned directly on the track. It features a piggy back nitrogen canister (separate and mounted on the body of the unit) and adjustable spring preload, compression and rebound damping and length, allowing the height of the rear end of the bike to be altered to modify the set-up to suit different riding styles and tracks. Wheel travel is 130 mm.

Wheels and tyres
The effort to shed as much weight as possible and offer the best feeling led to implementation of new, ultra-light forged aluminium rims. An almost obsessive pursuit of top performance resulted in an exclusive, innovative dual blend tyre developed in collaboration with Racing Department, R&D and Pirelli. The racing sized 200/55 ZR17 tyre offers a better contact pattern in bends, shaving precious tenths of a second of lap time - a technology unique to this bike.

Componentry
A real Superbike is special not only as far as performance is concerned but also for the care it is built with. With regard to the RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition, the details say it all: no other "race ready" motorcycle has ever been built with such care and attention. The attention paid to its construction not only satisfies the desire for beauty. A motorbike built like the RSV4 Factory APRC Special Edition is in any case gorgeous, but most of all aims at achieving the goal: to win. This is why every detail was thought out to increase performance and functionality, reducing the weight and considerably increasing the product's quality and finish.

With its livery, based on Aprilia's battle colours (red and black) and with an unmistakable racing character underscored by the Italian tricolour, the RSV4 Factory APRC SE is even more exclusive and is evocative of Aprilia's triumphant victory in the 2010 SBK World Championship.

Pulsar (1st Gen): A Decade (2001-11) of Dominance

2011-11-13T18:32:00.001-08:00

Documenting the birth and evolution of Pulsar though its 10 years of eventful journey.. a look at the background, competition, memorable advertisements etc.

This month (Nov 2011) marks the competition of 10 years of existence of the Pulsar in India. This post is to summarize the story of the birth and evolution of the Pulsar, a decade (2001-2011) that has been a "Decade of Dominance" for Pulsar.

The Pulsar Decade:

[2001-2007]: Offence

[2008-2011] Defence

As a motorcycle enthusiast from India and belonging to the generation that was in their 20's at the turn of this century, the Pulsar has been more than a motorcycle to me. The Pulsar to me has been a symbol of the young emerging India, one which has a global perspective yet is still attached firmly to his roots. The Pulsar to me is a testimony of the triumph of Indian ingenuity, business acumen, engineering prowess and a never say die spirit.

The story of the current (lets call it the 1'st) generation of Pulsar can be said to be the story of the 150/180 twins. New (bigger and smaller) members have joined the family but essentially it is the story of the 150/180 brothers.

Nov, 2001: "Male" of the species is born

Background

A decade after opening up of the Indian economy in 1991, there were signs of an economy on the growth trajectory. The world discovered India as a goldmine for IT (& IT enabled) services. India was slowly but surely starting to shine.

By now the Hero Honda Splendor (launched in 1994) had successfully spearheaded the change of preference from the family scooter to the 100 cc family motorcycle.

But by the turn of the century, when I was in my twenties, there was a latent need for a stylish motorcycle on which one could commute in style.

In came the Hero Honda CBZ, a 150 cc, 4 stroke motorcycle (based on an Indonesian Honda model) which brought good stylish looks, promise of performance to the Indian motorcycle scene in 1999. The TVS manufactured Suzuki Fiero followed in 2000.

The CBZ opened up a niche.. which the Pulsar nurtured into a big segment

The CBZ was handsome looking but had an uncharacteristic Honda engine which was a bit unrefined and wasn't that fuel efficient either.

The TVS-Suzuki Fiero had a butter smooth engine but was styling wasn't great and fell short in terms of providing features like a 5'th gear, disc brake and an electric start.

The Pulsar twins were launched in Nov 2001. In spite of arriving in the market slightly late, the Pulsars decimated the sales of both the CBZ and Fiero. The "Classic" (fondly addressed as by enthusiasts) Pulsars weren't perfect. There were issues especially with the clutch and gearbox and in overall reliability. But the Pulsars made it up with aggressive pricing (the Pulsar 150 was priced Rs. 10K lower than the CBZ), features like standard front disc brakes, self start, distinctive muscular styling and an option of 150 cc and 180 cc variant.

Promotional Campaign

There hasn't been a more memorable and more powerful campaign as the "Definitely Male" campaign which launched the "Classic" Pulsars. It was the sheer marketing genius and the slickly produced commercials which ensured that no hot blooded male could ignore the "Definitely Male" Pulsar..!!

First Pulsar TV Ad: Definitely Male [2001-02]

Oct, 2003: UG – I (Upgrade 1) Pulsars go hi-tech with DTS-i

Background

Instead of resting on its laurels, the relatively young R&D of Bajaj Auto put its heads down and decided to make the Pulsar twins an even better package.

Classic Pulsars had a short wheelbase which resulted in some scary moments. To improve the handing the UG-I (Upgrade 1) got a longer wheelbase.

The simple round headlamp was replaced with a bikini fairing with characteristic twin pilot lamps. From a hooligan the bike now donned a sophisticated look.

But the most significant change in the UG-I was the adoption of the DTS-i tech. DTS-i stood for Digital Twin Spark plug Ignition. So far nobody in the world had experimented with twin spark technology on a small capacity motorcycle. The R&D team at Bajaj Auto developed this tech in house and put it in the first Pulsar upgrade.

The DTS-i version makes a spectacular entry.. brings motorcycle stunts to the mainstream limelight..!!

Promotional Campaign

The promotion of the upgraded Pulsar 150/180 DTS-i motorcycles was a spectacular visual treat. Back in 2003 motorcycle stunts had never been aired on main stream media in India. The DTS-i TV Commercial was the first induction for many Indian youths to the world of motorcycle "Wheelies" and "Stoppies".

The Spectacular Pulsar DTS-i TV Ad [2003]

Nov, 2004: UG – II (Upgrade 2) The first threat of competition

Background

Competition they say is the best aspect of an open market. Although the CBZ was on its death bed and the Fiero tried to reinvent itself as the Fiero F2 and Fiero FX, the first real threat that the Pulsars faced since its birth was a 150 cc motorcycle called the Unicorn from the international behemoth Honda.

The first motorcycle from Honda (HMSI) was touted as the Pulsar killer by many, rumors were doing the rounds that this motorcycle would have a monoshock suspension.

(none of the other Indian motorcycles of that time had a monoshock suspension system).

Despite Honda's entry.. Pulsar continued to be the image leader

Bajaj in a bid to defend its leadership position gave the Pulsar twins another upgrade. This time the bikes got 17" (so far the Pulsar had 18 " wheels) alloy wheels as standard. At that time only the Hero Honda Karizma (which had a high price tag for its time) used to offer alloy wheels.

The Pulsars also received Gas filled rear shock absorbers (something which almost every other 150 cc and above bike sports now in 2011). The 150 cc variant also got a wider 100 section tyre and the sportier "1-down, 4-up" gear change pattern like the Pulsar 180.

But when the Honda Unicorn finally hit the market it was like an anticlimax. The Unicorn was styled in a very conservative manner and in spite of the monoshock rear suspension, it couldn't hold a candle to the Pulsar's muscular handsome styling.

Meanwhile the elder sibling the Pulsar 180 got meaner with the all black "Fear the Black" avatar (something which almost every Indian motorcycle has adopted in 2011).

Promotional Campaign

The ad campaign for the UG-II wasn't as spectacular as the initial campaigns but so far Pulsar had become a house hold name and this new campaign was successful in highlighting the new features of the Pulsar.

Pulsar Airport Landing TV Ad [2005]

Oct, 2006: UG – III (Upgrade 3) Hi-tech features and revised styling keep the Pulsars a moving target for competition

Background

The Honda Unicorn finally did not really set the sales charts on fire. But there was always threat from Hero Honda (which eventually stopped its CBZ) and TVS Motor which was now free from Suzuki was trying to take a slice from the Pulsars pie in the form of the Apache 150.

In order to take the game further away from the competition, Bajaj launched the third upgrade of the Pulsar 150/180 twins.

Till now Pulsars had followed a muscular theme, this time the styling became sharper. Also the initial issues of the Pulsars like with it's jerky clutch was no longer an issue anymore.

India got it's first Digital Speedometer Display on a motorcycle, LED lit tail lamps, LED backlit switches, self cancelling turn indicators.

Ups the game with never before seen features.. retains leadership amidst a fresh wave of competition

Only very recently the competition has started to add some of the above mentioned features on their motorcycles, something which Bajaj gave the Pulsars back in 2006.

By now Hero Honda also returns with a new CBZ Xtreme which although had an extremely awkward in your face styling, did have a smooth and fuel efficient engine sourced from Honda's 150 cc Unicorn.

Promotional Campaign

By now the Pulsar was such a big brand in itself that it now longer needed expensive TV Commercial to push its sales. There were no TV Ads made to sell the third upgrade (UG-III) of the Pulsar twins..!!

2007-09: Expansion of the family (Pulsar 200, Pulsar 220F & Pulsar 135LS)

Background

So far it has been the story of the 150/180 cc Pulsar twins. With the competition launching its own 150 cc variants, it was time for Pulsar to expand its family

Since 2007 both bigger & smaller Pulsar variants have been launched (& some discontinued).

Launched in early 2007, the Pulsar 200 had a lot of India first's on a motorcycle to it's credit:

For example features like tubeless tyres, split grab rails, an o-ring sealed chain, a healthy looking 120 section rear tyre, only electric start (kick lever removed) and an external oil cooler.

In Aug-Sep 2007 Bajaj launched the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. Shown at the 2006 Auto Expo it was to become the first fuel injected motorcycle of India, till Hero Honda hastily launched the 125 cc Glamour PGM-Fi just days before the launch of the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. Apart from sharing a lot with the Pulsar 200, the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi also featured a fixed half fairing which also housed India's first projector headlamps, rear disc brakes and clip on handlebars on a motorcycle.

The Pulsars were now a very familiar sight on Indian streets.. the excitement wasn't that strong like in the initial days

By now I was a fan of the Pulsar brand and had followed its success story. It was natural for me to book the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi in the first lot. I became it's proud owner in Sep 2007.

The Pulsar 200 was fairly successful during those days, but the fuel injected Pulsar 220 had a high price tag (higher than the Hero Honda Karizma) and the initial batches did have some niggling issues. Both the Pulsar 200 and the fuel injected Pulsar 220 were eventually discontinued in 2009 but not before transferring their souls in the form of the Pulsar 180 UG-IV and a new carbureted Pulsar 220F and 220S variants..!!

Bajaj also launched a 135 cc, Pulsar 135LS, the "LS" standing for "light Sports" and that exactly what this pocket rocket is. The Pulsar 135LS has a totally new lightweight chassis and a new 4 valve per cylinder head. The 4 valve head gives a healthy top end performance and the new chassis makes the Pulsar 135LS the best handling Pulsar in the family.

Competition

Hero Honda launches another new 150 cc model (based on the same Honda Unicorn sourced CBZ Xtreme engine) called "Hunk". TVS also upgraded its Apache 150 into the Apache 160 RTR which also gets LED tail lights, Digital Speedometers, clip on handlebars & split grab rails. Later TVS follows it up with a fuel injected Apache RTR 160 Fi as well.

Two models from Yamaha India deserve special mention here: The R15 and the FZ-16 (and its variants). These models were launched in 2008 and shook up the Indian "performance commuter" segment like no other models. More about these two models and its impact posted below.

Promotional Campaign

Each of the Pulsar 135LS, Pulsar 200, Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi and Pulsar 220F were promoted by different TV Ads. Each of the TV Ads continuing the Pulsar tradition of being visual delights.

Pulsar 200 TV Ad: Freebiking [2007]

Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi TV Ad: Hamara Bajaj - Aage Nikal Rahe Hai Hum [2007]

Pulsar 135LS TV Ad: Light Sports [2009]

2009: UG – IV (Upgrade 4) Defending leadership against fierce competition

Background

Year 2008 was marked with fierce competition. Hero Honda and TVS was trying to chip away from Pulsars sales in the form of the CBZ Xtreme and Apache RTR 160. The Honda Unicorn which was/is considered as a simple and sober 150 cc, catered to its own set of audience. But the big shock came from Yamaha India in 2008.

Yamaha India dropped two bombs in the 2008 Auto Expo in the form of the R15 and FZ-16. The styling of both these bikes was years ahead of anything that was available in the Indian market, Pulsars included.

The R15 as it later turned out to be a performance biker's dream come true. With a perimeter frame chassis engineered out of Yamaha rich racing heritage, the handling of the R15 was something which no one in India had experienced on a small capacity bike. The liquid cooled 150 cc engine of the R15 was light weight and it revved sweetly to its red line. There was no Indian built bike which could beat the R15 around corners when it was launched in 2008. To top it off the R15 came with a Yamaha R1 inspired full fairing.

After the initial 6 years of fast upgrades.. Pulsar took it slow and steady for the next 4 years

The FZ-16 was about looking big, muscular, brawny. It was the muscled look of the FZ-16 (thanks to the bulging tank, thick front forks, really wide radial tyre for a 150 cc, and a plastic shroud which mimics a radiator cover) that was its calling card.

The Yamaha Twins R15/FZ-16 was like a big blow to the image and threat to the sales leadership of the Pulsar. The R15 took away the shine from the bigger Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi (Fuel injected) and the FZ-16 was direct competition to the Pulsar 150/180/200 models.

Meanwhile TVS also launched a 180 cc variant of its Apache RTR model and Hero Honda launched a Karizma variant with fuel injection and with a full fairing and named it the Karizma ZMR.

Pulsar defends its turf

Bajaj answered by removing the costly fuel injection from the Pulsar 220 thereby reducing the cost by a whopping Rs.15K and tweaking the engine for a better top speed. As a result, the Pulsar 220 became more affordable and even the R15 was the corner king, the new Pulsar 220F reinvented itself as "The Fastest Indian" in a straight line.

The Pulsar 200 was ceased and the Pulsar 180 now inherited the good looks of the Pulsar 200 in the form of the fourth upgrade (UG-IV). The Pulsar 150 also got the fourth upgrade in the form of clip on handle bars, all black paint and tank extensions.

All these seems to be defensive strategies from Bajaj Auto but somehow it worked like a charm. The Pulsar 220F has become quite popular now and the Pulsar 150/180 twins still continue to sell handsomely. According to me, the low fuel efficiency of the FZ-16 limited it's appeal in our fuel efficiency conscious country.

Promotional Campaign

The mindblowing PulsarMania TV Commercial was aired in the beginning of 2008. This particular TV commercial took the association of Pulsars with motorcycle stunting to the highest level.

In a departure from the earlier adrenaline filled advertisements, "The Fastest Indian" commercial which marked the launch of the carbureted Pulsar 220F was successful in getting the point across in a subtle but effective manner.

Pulsar TV Ad: Pulsar Mania [2008]

Pulsar 220F TV Ad: The Fastest Indian [2009]

Reasons behind the Success of the Pulsar

In 2000 if somebody said that a homegrown brand would not only outsell but go on to become a formidable brand against international giants like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and that too for straight 10 long years, it would probably would have been taken as a big joke. But that exactly is what that has happened.

Launched in Nov 2001 the Pulsar has completed its 10 years of existence in Nov 2011. There is no iota of doubt that the brand has successfully carved a place for itself in the automotive history of India. In 2011, the Pulsar has a market share of around 50% in the "commuter sports" category despite competition from Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, TVS Motor and Hero (MotoCorp).

So what is it that the Pulsar has done right to still retain leadership for 10 years? After observing the motorcycle scene of India for a decade now, the following is my take of the reasons behind the success of the Pulsar in India.

[2001-2007]: 6 years of ruthless offence

>> During the first 6 years of its existence, it was continuous and fast paced improvements, upgrades and adding new features on the Pulsars.

>> The pricing was very aggressive (in 2001 the Pulsar 150 with electric start undercut the CBZ which did not have electric start by Rs. 10K).

>> Providing a 180 cc option at a marginal price increment made sure that the brand established itself as a performance leader while the 150 cc variant was the value for money offering.

[2008-2011]: 4 years of solid defence

With competition especially from Yamaha coming in, Bajaj did its basics right.

>> Improvement in quality. Whatever small quality issues that used to plague earlier generation Pulsars were ironed out. Reliability was no longer an issue with Pulsars anymore.

>> Minor but relevant changes/upgrades: The price of the Pulsar 220 was slashed drastically by removing the Fuel Injection and even though the price of the Pulsar 180 (UG-IV) was increased slightly, it now got the handsome proportions of the Pulsar 200.

>> "Value for Money" is something with Bajaj vehicles have always been associated with. Bajaj made sure the even with Pulsars maintained the "Value for Money" proposition.

>> Association with "stunting": Pulsar has made motorcycling stunting in India synonymous with its name. Since 2009, It has sponsored a stunt reality TV series on MTV called "Pulsar MTV Stuntmania" and in 2011 has also become the official sponsors of "Ghost Ryderz", one of India's best professional motorcycle stunt group.

Promotion/Marketing has been of the highest order

Pulsar Ads have set the benchmark for automotive TV Advertisements in India. The production qualities of the ads have been so good that they won't appear out of place even in international markets.

Each of the TV Commercial videos posted in this post is a visual and sensory treat for any biker at heart. Of late Bajaj has been quite conservative at marketing and advertisement spends. Hence they make sure that whenever any promotional activity is made, it is noticed and registered by everyone.

Concluding Remarks

Just like a good fighter has to have a good offence and defence technique, the Pulsar has showed aggressive offence and solid defence during it's 10 years of existence. There is no doubt that it has become a formidable brand and legend in the history of Indian 2 wheelers.

Very soon in a couple of months time, the next generation of Pulsars will hit Indian roads. Maybe it's time for an all out offence once again..!! Like always, I'll be watching it with great interest. Looking forward to the "next decade"..

Let the games begin.

Indian Bike Sales Figures for October 2011

2011-11-12T20:07:00.001-08:00

Hero MotoCorp. the World’s No. 1 two wheeler company has posted growth of 1.35% in the month of October 2011 compared to October 2010. The company has sold 5,12,238 units of two wheeler in the month of October 2011 compared to 5,05,553 units of two wheeler sold in the month of October 2010. This is by far company’s highest ever sales till the date. On the month on month basis the sales is down by 8.02%. The company sold 5,49,625 units in the month of September 2011. Hero Honda Pleasure is continuously crossing 35,000 units a month mark. The company has reported sales of35,86,190 units for the period of April to October 2011 up by 18.53% compared to 30,25,506 units during the same period last year.

Commenting on October month figure Hero MotoCorp Senior Vice-President (Marketing and Sales) Anil Dua said, “”We have been reaching new milestones this fiscal and the highest ever October retail sales is no exception. We are delighted with the response of the customers this festival season.” The company reported over 6.5 lakhs units retails sales two wheelers in October month which is highest ever in the company history. The previous record is of 6 lakh units’ retail sales in the October 2008.

The first six months figure suggest that the company will easily achieve its 6 million units target if not exceed it. The company is also looking for establishing fourth plant which will become operational by second half of financial year 2012-13. Beside this the company is looking to expand its present capacity of 6.15 million units to 7.0 million units.

Bajaj Auto

Country’s second largest two wheeler maker, Bajaj Auto has reported growth of 6.46% in the month of October 2011. The company has sold 3,51,083 units of motorcycle in the month of October 2011 compared to 3,29,778 units in the month of October 2010. This is by far company’s highest ever monthly sales for October month in company’s history. The company lost production of 25,000 units of motorcycle due to curfew conditions at its Pantnagar plant. The company exported 1,31,948 units in the month of October 2011 up by 19.53% compared to 1,10,387 units in the month of October 2010.

On the month on month basis sales is down by 5.42%. The company sold 3,71,208 units in the month of September 2011. The company’s total sales stood at 3,95,274 units in the month of October 2011 up by 6.60% compared to 3,52,679 units in the month of October 2010. The company’s retail sales stood at 3,25,000 units of two wheeler. Pulsar and Discover did about 80,000 and 1,50,000 units while Boxer BM 150 did over 10,000 units. The company has sold 23,41,491 units of two wheeler during April to October 2011 period up by 14.69% compared to 20,41,661 units sold during the same period last year. Combined sales of brand Pulsar have crossed 5 million marks which is remarkable for Bajaj Auto.

The company is aiming to sale 4.6 million units in this financial year with 4.1 million units of motorcycle. The company is aiming to sale over a million units of Pulsars and 1.7 million units of Discover in the financial year 2011-12. The half year figure suggest that the company may do 4.5 million units in total which is 0.1 million less than its target.

TVS Motors

TVS Motors has posted de growth of 5.84% in the month of October 2011. The company has sold around 1,80,618 units in the month of October 2011 compared to 1,91,822 units sold in the month of October 2010. Total sales stood at 1,83,718 units in the month of October 2011 down by 5.92% compared to 1,95,271 units sold in the same period last year. On the month on basis the company’s sales is down by 16.26%. The company sold 2,15,690 units of two wheeler in the month of September 2011. The lower sales are attributed to 7 days plant shutdown for maintenance.

However, the company has reported retail sales of 2,50,000 units for the month of October 2011 which is by far highest in company’s history. It is also 20% higher compared to last year Diwali sales. As significant amount of inventory liquidated at dealer lever in October month, the company expect the November and December month sales in the range of 2,00,000 units. The company has sold approximately 12,97,871 units during April 2011 to October 2011 period up by 11.61% compared to11,62,861 units in the same period last year.

TVS Motors motorcycle sale is stagnating now. The company is pushing well on moped front. The company is also bullish on export front and exploring new opportunities to expand its export market. The company has set goal of selling 2.4 million units in this financial year.HMSIIndia’s largest scooter manufacturing company Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Ltd reported sales growth of 19.69% in the month of October 2011. The company reported sales of 1,78,181 units in the month of October 2011 compared to 1,48,661 units in the October 2010. On month on month basis the company’s sales remain flat. The company sold 1,78,642units in the month of September 2011.Motorcycle sale is up by 4.64% in the month of October 2011. The company sold 71,509 units in the month of October 2011 compared to 68,332 units in the month of October 2010. On the other hand Scooter sale is up by whopping 32.46%. The company sold 1,06,672 units of scooter in the month of October 2011 compared to 80,529 units in the month of October 2010. The company has sold 11,01,160 units during the April 2011 to October 2011 period up by 14.20% compared to 9,64,171 units sold in the same period last year.

As expected sales is increasing on the month on month basis now. Scooter number for HMSI has grown at the rate of 32% this month which suggests continuous capacity expansion. The higher growth rate is also attributed to continuous strong performance in scooter segment. The company has started building its third plant in Narsapur Industrial area, 52 Km away from Banglore, Karnatak to expand it’s capacity to 4 million units by mid 2013.

Yamaha India

Yamaha India has reported sales growth of 26.82% in the month of October 2011 compared to October 2010. Total sales stood at 47,240 units in the month of October 2011 compared to 37,251 units last year in the same period. Month on month basis the sales is up by 8.69%. The company sold 43,462units in the September 2011. Domestic sales stood at 38,229 units in the month of October 2011 up by 35.24% compared to 31,791 units in the month of October 2010. Export stood at 9,011 units in the month of October 2011 up by 65.04% compared to 5,460 units in the month of October 2010. During April to October 2011 the company sold 2,78,272 units up by 32.80% compared to 2,09,540 units sold in the same period last year.

Commenting on the sales India Yamaha Motor Director, Sales & Marketing, Jun Nakata said: “The festive season has played a vital role in catapulting sales for Yamaha this month. We are confident that the momentum will sustain in the long run and help us in redefining our sales graph,”

The company has recently launched version 2.0 of its flagship motorcycle YZF-R15. The company is aiming to sell 5,00,000 units in this financial year with 3,50,000 units of domestic sales and 1,50,000 units of export. The company is also planning to launch scooter in this financial year.

Suzuki Motorcycle

Suzuki Motorcycle India did not report sales figure for the month of October 2011 due to ongoing strike at company’s plant. Last year, the company sold 25,439 units in the month of October 2010. The company sold 29,094 units in the month of September 2011. Last year the company sold 1,46,157units during the period of April to October 2011.

It seems like the company may have done good sales in October month but due to strike, the production has hurt a lot.

Mahindra Two Wheelers

Two wheeler company Mahindra two wheeler reported de growth of 15.35% in the month of October 2011 compared to October 2010. Total sales stood at 17,949 units in the month of October 2011 compared to 21,204 units in the month of October 2010. The lower sales is attributed to motorcycle sales. The company sold 2,664 units of motorcycle and 18,540 units of scooters last year ire than 1.30 million units whereas HMSI sales stood at 1.10 million units during April 2011 to October 2011 period. Yamaha India, Suzuki Motorcycle and Mahindra two wheelers sold 0.27 million, 0.19 million and 0.09 million units respectively during the period of April 2011 to October 2011. It seems that the industry may grow at double digit but the growth rate will be around 10-12% for the restr 2011 period the company reported sales of 92,234 units up by merely 0.22% compared to sales of 90,034 units in the same month last year. The cumulative sales for the company have crossed a landmark figure of two and a half lakh units, with the Rodeo and Duro brands have crossed a figure of 1,00,000 units.

The company has reported massive de growth this month also in spite of dealer base expansion and promotional activities. This is clear indication that customers are moving from brand Mahindra. Moreover market leader HMSI has increased Activa production which is also taking some unit sales of Mahindra two wheelers. Going forward we will not see good growth figure if situation remains like this. The company is now looking for holistic business partnership with Yamaha to overcome this situation.

Summary

The Indian two wheeler industry’s growth rate tapered in the month of October due to the impact of so many negative factors like fuel price hike, increase in prices of two wheelers etc. The festive season did not help to increase sales. The October 2011 month has seen sales of more than 1.3 million units up by 3.77% compared to 1.26 million units sold in October 2010. The period April 2011 to October 2011 has witnessed growth of 16.27% over the same period last year. More than 8.89 million units of two wheelers sold during the period of April 2011 to October 2011 compared to 7.64 million units in the same period last year.

Hero Moto Corp the market leader is continuously posting double digit growth with robust sales each month. It has done 3.59 million units sales in the current financial year. Bajaj Auto the second largest manufacturer of two wheelers has sold over 2.34 million units in the current financial year.

TVS Motors has sold more than 1.30 million units whereas HMSI sales stood at 1.10 million units during April 2011 to October 2011 period. Yamaha India, Suzuki Motorcycle and Mahindra two wheelers sold 0.27 million, 0.19 million and 0.09 million units respectively during the period of April 2011 to October 2011. It seems that the industry may grow at double digit but the growth rate will be around 10-12% for the rest of the financial year.

At last the point is the company with more profit will give good products.

Hyosung GT650N : First Ride

2011-11-12T00:03:00.001-08:00

There is no better way to describe the hooligan that resides inside the Hyosung GT650. Real, radical, and ravishing, the newest bloke from Garware Motors has a lot more to it than its faired sibling, the GT650R

In the Indian motorcycling space, it is critical that performance and practicality blend in like a leaf-tailed gecko on a tree – either one fails to sync with the other and the result is directly visible in dropping sales numbers and wavering product value in the market. Be it the race for fuel efficient 100cc machines or the premium pocket-rocket 1000cc machines – the unspoken law remains unchanged. The mantra then is to give the best of both worlds. So when it comes to superbiking, not only in India but anywhere in the world, the domain for presenting a mix of real world use and excitement hugely lies in the hands of naked bikes, some hot enough to be termed street-fighters, which offer oodles of functionality for everyday use with just as much power to make every Monday seem like a Saturday night!

Sadly, Indian bikers have been left wanting for naked superbikes with respectable power and an affordable price tag for a long time. But things are about to change and bringing in this change is Garware Motors’ newest offering, the Hyosung GT650 – a naked iteration of its middleweight supersports offering the GT650R.

While the fully faired race-spec Hyosung GT650R is a fantastic product for the hardcore race-replica patrons, the GT650 trumps its race-spec sibling by miles on practicality and, wait for it, on excitement too! Swing a leg over this Korean-made vee-twin motorcycle and the first thing one notices is the ultra friendly riding posture that allows one to not only be confident and feel in-control but also extremely comfortable for spending long hours on the saddle. Even if the 1000cc race-replica machines might make one feel all jazzed up like a MotoGP racer, on our roads and conditions they simply end up being overtly stressful and demanding with their race-crouched riding stance and mega power delivery which quickly turns pleasure into pain whereas their non-faired cousins offer almost identical performance in a more manageable package with the comfortable riding stance and friendlier power delivery that if exploited correctly, can change untrained hands into artists of speed in a lot safer and forgiving manner.

And that is precisely what the new Hyosung GT650 does with aplomb and conviction with its welcoming stance and comforting feel from the raised handlebars and the forward shifted rider footpegs. Even though the tall-ish 830mm saddle height is identical to its racy GT650R sibling, softer rear suspension set-up on GT650 results into a lower riding stance with the rider onboard thus leading to an unperturbed riding experience. In simpler terms, the Hyosung GT650 is a one-size-fits-all package with age no bar, despite the fact that the motor has a quite wilder and gut-wrenching power delivery in line with the bike’s streetfighter temperament. As distant as the two things seem, they gel perfectly well in the GT650’s gorgeous looking trellis frame which adds so much to the bike’s overall visual appeal. A few might find the bulk of the motorcycle fairly intimidating but it’s only till one takes it out for a spin. Rolling down the streets, the kind of attention the GT650 draws is truly humbling, destroying the usual credence that only the faired motorcycles draw eyeballs. The hulk-like presence of the GT650 barely escapes any eyes on the road not to forget the rumble of the powerful liquid-cooled DOHC 90-degree 647cc vee-twin motor humming in the background leaving no stone unturned to grab complete attention.

The fantastic new front cowl on the 2012 model houses an MV Agusta Brutale inspired headlight that adds a lot of chutzpah to the naked GT650 highlighting the attention to detail on the GT650. The idea to keep the front wheel mudguard black only exercises the manufacturer’s line of thought for a good looking motorcycle and it certainly excels at its job as it underplays its presence diverting the attention onto the smart new headlight cowl. The clever play of colour does more than just bring attention to detail but also plays its part in hiding the bike’s lack of fairing but proudly showing off the massive black V-twin motor and the chunky frame along with the stylishly large exhaust unit. There is certainly not a shadow of a doubt in our minds about the GT650’s gorgeous design and head-turning abilities.

If there were any doubts, they were about the performance credentials of the machine and how much muscle the GT650 packed in its naked form. Just like when a shirtless Salman Khan is more dangerous than when he has all his clothes on! The boffins at Hyosung confirmed that the GT650 employs the same mill from the GT650R without any changes whatsoever. Firing up our own heartbeat appreciably is the prospect of a whopping 72PS of power on tap let loose at 9,000rpm and 60.9Nm of torque peaking at 7,500rpm, certainly very impressive numbers for a sporty middleweight vee-twin motorcycle. And impressive it was, but a bit too much as the docile feel of the GT650’s power delivery at lower revs quickly turned into brutal aggression when the rev needle swung up the 5000rpm mark blurring everything in sight while I gathered the last vestiges of bravery and tried to hang as best as I could on to the bars with the speedometer dial mischievously flaunting 207km/h!

The high from the acceleration was wild and convincingly mad enough like one would expect from a powerful 650cc naked motorcycle with the GT650 posting a sub 6-second 0-100km/h time! But as the rush settled down and I parked the GT650, my arms were quick to whimper thanks to the vibrations that they had to deal with while I was on my adrenaline powered flight. With the identical engine powering both the motorcycles, similar to the GT650R, the GT650’s ride experience too gets notably impinged by the vibrations from the vee-twin engine reaching the handlebars especially as the revs climb upward of 5,500rpm. But thanks to the comfier upright riding stance of the GT650, the vibes feel a lot less irritating compared to the GT650R. Trust me, it makes all the difference when it comes to feeling in control of the motorcycle since how comfortable one finds himself on a motorcycle largely determines how much in control he is. Which is what was strikingly evident in the case of the GT650 too as despite the unnerving vibes, the bike did not feel threatening or detrimental to the ride experience.

But the ergonomics share credit for the GT650’s composure with the superbly competent trellis frame that provides incredible amount of feel and feedback thanks to a fine mix of flex and rigidity. And joining the frame’s efforts is an equally skilled set of suspension bits consisting of 41mm upside down telescopic forks adjustable for rebound damping and compression on the front while the damping duties on the rear are handled by a 5-way adjustable for preload monoshock. The set-up works exceedingly well on our roads no matter where you take the GT650. This bike can take everything in its stride all the while rewarding the rider with a thrilling experience as long as he respects it and is keen to scrub off speed when he realises the engine is hitting its high notes. The lighter front end extends even more support to the overall handling with the GT650 turning in smoothly into corners demanding minimal efforts from the rider. Never did I feel the 208kg of bulk of the GT650 come in my way as I caned the GT650 on the hills surrounding Pune. I doubt I can say the same thing about the GT650R, which though equally adept at handling, certainly demanded a lot more from me with its sharp reactions to my inputs, while the GT650 let me enjoy my time astride it demanding slightly less and giving me time to also take it easy as the scenery went by.

Isn’t that exactly what a motorcycle is supposed to do? At least on the streets? Let you enjoy the saddle time to its fullest without scaring you silly unless you are one of those who are looking for it? That is what makes naked motorcycles like the Hyosung GT650 so much more fun and enjoyable to a larger audience than their race-crazy counterparts which possess zero practicality for real world use and require a race track to truly shine on. And the realism doesn’t end here. Thanks to Garware Motors, the price of the Hyosung GT650 too is going to be as real as it gets unlike the CBU-routed imports which cost millions here in India. Coming in as a CKD and getting assembled at Garware Motors’ assembly plant in Wai near Pune, the GT650 is expected to be priced at least Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 cheaper than the GT650R, placing it within the reach of many more bikers in the country.

Editor’s Assessment:

I happened to spend some quality time on the saddle of the GT650 only because I had to handle the bike for our TV shoot. What was pleasant about it was the excellent riding position, the raised handlebars and the forward shifted footpegs making for an ideal riding position which was way too curled up and also not so very upright. If that’s not there, there is a certain lightness to the steering making you give great inputs and being rewarded with lightning fast turn-ins. Mind you, this can also have you spitting on the tarmac if you go way too quick but by and large this generally tingling appeal of getting it just right on a knife edge gives you an adrenaline rush like none other and while also having you whistling in delight under your helmet visor.

I am not hesitant to state that I was uncomfortable on the GT650R with its clip-ons making me go low down and the wide girth of the fuel tank at odds with my arms and also my own considerable bulk. No problems of this kind at all on the GT650, which I think is what biking should be all about for the majority. The bike is stunning to behold, the fair ladies at BMC College and Fergusson College making Varad and his colleagues feel as if they were on top of the world when it is only the bike they are raving about! Fair play this but then this is what motorcyclists live for and the GT650 helps you at a price point not many can match.

Ducati launches its latest superbike, the Panigale 1199

2011-11-11T23:46:00.001-08:00

The highly anticipated and groundbreaking Ducati of the year makes its world debut at 2011 EICMA Motorcycle Show

And finally it arrives. Ducati’s much-awaited next-generation flagship superbike, the Panitgale 1199 that the Italian manufacturer has been teasing the world with for a long time made its world appearance at the on-going 69^th Milan International Motorcycle Show in front of several media persons. Groundbreaking and radical in every way right from its smooth flowing lines to ultra-light figure weighing just 164kg (dry), the Panigale 1199 is nothing like what Ducati has ever made before. Redefining the fundamentals of Ducati motorcycles, the Panigale’s 1199cc twin-cylinder motor is housed inside a monocoque frame and pumps out staggering 195PS of power.

This beast is not for the faint of heart, yet Ducati has done everything in their might to keep the power friendly and manageable by incorporating a host of technologies like traction control, ABS, ride-by-wire, riding modes and EBC (Electronic Brake Control). The highlight remains on to the Ducati Electronic Suspension system, which is a first of its kind electronically adjustable suspension ever employed on a production superbike. This is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and promising models to roll out of the Borgo Panigale-based factory (where the name comes from) and it also takes the honours for being the most powerful twin-cylinder engine ever made.

By taking the learnings of Ducati Corse in MotoGP and incorporating them in the right manner for road users, Ducati has done a fantastic job with the Panigale 1199. This new flagship of the Italian bike-maker is bound to give its competition sleepless nights as its maker prepares to go laughing to the bank. With a steady 20% growth in Ducati’s year-on-year sales compared to last year’s numbers, the Panigale will go a long way in helping the brand further reinforce its position in the market.

KTM Duke 200 Preview

2011-11-11T02:10:00.001-08:00

Finally, the wait for KTM Duke 200 technical specification is now over. KTM Sports AG has disclosed the technical specification of KTM Duke 200 in EICMA 2011 (69^th International Motorcycle Exhibition Milan) at Milan. Indian bike enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for KTM Duke 200, which is soon to be launched in India by Bajaj Auto (Bajaj Auto owns nearly 40% in KTM Power Sports, AG). KTM Duke 200 was launched in Malaysia and Middle East before, but the specification was not disclosed by the company.

KTM Duke 200 is designed for young and passionate bike enthusiasts. Basically, it has similar technical specification as Duke 125. But what is so special in the specification for Indian bike enthusiasts let’s have a look.

Engine and Transmission

KTM Duke 200 is powered by 199.6 cc, four-stroke, Single cylinder, liquid cooled, 4 Valve DOHC engine which generates maximum power of 25.47 bhp (19 KW) @ 10,000 rpm and maximum torque of 19.93Nm (14.7 foot-pound) @ 6,800 rpm.

The most special thing about the KTM Duke 200 is, it weighs only 126.4 Kg (278 pounds), however, this is dry weight, and the Kerb weight should be around 136 Kg. This translates into power to weight ratio of 201.5 bhp / tonne (dry weight) and 187.28 bhp / tonne for Kerb weight. By far this numbers are very much ahead compared to 118.75 bhp / tonne of KTM Duke 125 and 163 bhp /tonne of Honda CBR 250R.

Further, KTM had made this engine extremely fuel efficient in comparison to power it generates. KTM Duke 200 has got Bosch Electronic fuel injection system which ensures smooth and timely fuel delivery according to throttle response. It has got six speed transmission gear box which drives wheel via chain drive. For smoother clutch operation KTM Duke 200 is equipped with multi-disk wet clutch which is operated hydraulically. This is a nimble engine which is built to last. In short this is a powerful yet fuel efficient engine built for urban commuter by KTM .

Chassis and Suspension

Duke 200 has got the same Chromium-Molybdenum trellis frame of Duke 125 with steel sub frame. It is important to know what a trellis frame means. According to motorcycle racing research major advantages are to be gained in terms of rigidity by joint the steering head to the swing arm in as short a distance possible. A steering head is at top of the frame. The frame is made up of large number of short steel (or aluminum) tube welded together to form a trellis. It is easy to manufacture and extremely strong as well.

The front suspension is of an inverted 43mm fork which travels up to 5.9 inches (150 mm) while the rear got monoshock suspension with 5.9 inches (150 mm) travel. The Duke 200 has got wheelbase of 1360 mm which makes handling much easier. It has got 17 inch rim size. The front tyre size is of 110/70*17 while the rear tyre size is of 150/60*17 which makes road grip firm and enhances traction control.

Brakes

The duke 125 has got disc brake at both front and rear. The disc brakes were developed with world’s renowned brake company Brembo. The front has got 300 mm disc brake while the rear got 230 mm disc brake. The braking power is excellent.

Style

The styling of KTM Duke 200 has the same style of KTM Duke 125 which is inspired from its lager siblings Duke. Despite this the bike weighs only 126.4 Kg (278 pounds). It has got 11 liter fuel tank. The seat is 31.9 inches (810 mm) above from the ground. The bike got monster look with styling equally biased from all the side rather than Japanese forward bias style.

Price

It is expected to be priced around Rs.1.2 to 1.4 Lakhs. Ex-showroom in India.

KTM 200 Duke Specifications
Engine: Four-stroke Single, 4-valve DOHC
Displacement: 199.6 cc
Bore x Stroke: 72 x 49 mm
Peak horsepower: 25.5 bhp @10,000 rpm
Peak torque: 20Nm @ 6,800 rpm
Starter /Battery: Electric starter
Transmission: 6 gears
Fueling: Electronic fuel injection

Primary Drive: 22:72
Final drive: 14:43
Cooling: Liquid cooled
Clutch: Multi-disc wet clutch, hydraulically operated
Frame: Chromium-Molybdenum trellis frame, steel subframe
Front suspension: Inverted WP 43mm fork, 5.9 inches travel
Rear suspension: WP monoshock, 5.9 inches travel
Front brake: 300mm disc
Rear brake: 230mm disc

Tires front/rear: 110/70 x 17 x 150/60 x 17
Trail: 3.9 inches
Wheelbase: 53.5 inches (1360 mm)
Seat height: 31.9 inches (810 mm)
Fuel tank: 2.9 gallons (11 liter)
Dry Weight: 278 pounds (126.4 kg)

Harley Davidson FLHR Road King Price

2011-11-09T19:40:00.001-08:00

Knockout classic styling clubbed with cutting edge technology.

Harley Davidson FLHR Road King Bike Technical Details:

Engine: 1584cc Twin Cam 96, Air-cooled
Torque: 127Nm @ 3750 rpm
Fuel System: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI)
Bore x Stroke: 95.3 x 111.1mm
Compression Ratio: 9.2:1
Primary Drive: Chain, 34/46 ratio
Final Drive: Belt, 32/68 ratio
Transmission: 6-Speed
Brakes: 32mm, 4 Piston fixed front and rear
Front Forks: 41.3mm Telescopic
Rear Shocks: Air-Adjustable
Battery: 12V, 28 -amp Sealed, Maintenance Free
Headlamp: 55w low beam, 60w high beam
Front Tyre D408F: NW 130/80B17 65H
Rear D407: NW 180/65B16 81H
Fuel Capacity: 22.7 Litres
Oil Capacity: 3.8L
Length: 2,465 mm
Overall Width: 955 mm
Overall Height: 1,435 mm
Seat Height: 740 mm
Ground Clearance: 145 mm
Wheelbase: 1625 mm
Kerb Weight: 368 kg

Harley Davidson FLHR Road King Price in India: Rs. 20,45,000/- Indian Rupee (INR)

Bajaj Duke Price – KTM 125cc Bike

2011-11-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

KTM Duke is new sporty Bike with , built for performance seeking bike enthusiast @ premium price. Bajaj KTM Duke Bike is powered by Single cylinder, 4-stroke 125cc engine and offers 6 Speed transmission for improved mileage.

KTM Duke Bike features :

15 Horsepower, proven KTM design, first-class chassis, with lightweight tubular space frame
High-quality components guarantees highest levels of precision and stability
Multi-function cockpit/dashboard
Lightweight 17 inch cast light alloy wheels
Effective Disc Brakes

Bajaj Duke KTM bike technical specifications:

124.7 ccm, Liquid Cooled Single cylinder, 4-stroke Engine
Max Power: 15 PS @ 9,500/rpm
Max Torque: 12 Nm @ 8.000/rpm
Transmission : 6 gear
Clutch : Wet multi-disc clutch, mechanically operated
Bosch EFI Fuel System
Stainless steel silencer with regulated catalytic converter
Electric Start
Battery: 12V 6Ah
Front suspension: WP-USD 43 mm / 150 mm
Rear suspension / suspension travel : WP-Monoshock / 150 mm
Front brake: 280 mm Disc, Four piston, radially bolted caliper
Rear brake: 230mm Disc , Single piston, floating caliper
Tyres front: 110/70 R 17 and Rear 150/60 R 17
Fuel Tank capacity : 11 Litre
Wheel base: 1,350 mm
Ground clearance : 185 mm
Seat height : 810 mm
Kerb Weight: 124 Kg

Bajaj Duke Price in India: will be launched in December 2011…

Why ABS is Important for Bikes with Disc Brakes

2011-11-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

Disc brakes do have a tendency to get locked due to higher efficiency level of braking of the system. While in motion when the disc gets locked, the wheel starts to skid on the road disbalancing the rider. Thus tangential resultant forces comes into effect on the whole motorcycle frame. Ultimately if this tangential force is not stopped in time, it forces the whole motorcycle to slide sidewise causing the riders to loose complete control of the vehicle & fall and may cause a major accident.

ABS on the other hand acts in such a way so as to stop the wheel but not completely locking & stopping the wheel. During a braking action the rider/s moves forward, thus moving the vehicle centre of gravity towards the front end of the vehicle. Thus stopping of the vehicle with the help of front wheel is more effective than stopping of the rear wheel/s.

Considering the vehicle is running at 90 Degrees angle with the road while brake is applied, if the front wheel is locked while the rear wheel is still rotating, there is a chance of vehicle getting overturned frontways due to shift of centre of gravity (towards front) and high inertia of motion and less load on the back side of the vehicle compared to the forward forces acting on the vehicle.

Considering the same above conditions (i.e. brake is applied & front brake got locked while vehicle in motion) when the vehicle is not running at 90 degrees angle with the road i.e. the vehicle frame is having an angle less than 90 degrees with the road (in either left or right side), then a radial force will act upon the rear wheel where the radious will be the length between the centre of gravity of the vehicle at that time to the point of contact of the rear wheel with the road. This radial force will try to move the rear wheel left or right – sideways (depending upon the < 90 degrees angle the vehicle frame made with the road surface during that time – either left side of the vehicle or the right side of the vehicle). Thus the rider will find (if at all it is possible for him / her to find it) that the rear wheels tend to move sideways more compared to forward movement.

During this time the front wheel also moves the opposite direction i.e. if the rear wheel moves left wards then the front wheel will move rightways, but the movement of the front wheel will be so little compared to the rear wheel that the rider will only feel about the rear wheel & not the front wheel. All this movement will happen in motion & keeping the center of such movement at the centre of gravity – which point will also moves due to the movement of the riders body movement due to inertia. Such complex movements of the moving mass (vehicle + rider) will eventually skid the vehicle sideways & for a two wheeler the rider & the vehicle will fall causing injuries & damage due to such accident.

With the above description we can clearly understand that why ABS system is necessary for any vehicle particularly a two wheeler. Simply because to avoid locking of disc braking system as they are very efficient in braking & quickly acts in stopping the wheel.

Compared to a disc system, the drum braking system in not very effetive & can not stop the wheels as effectively as a disc brake. That means that the time taken by the drum braking system in stopping a wheel is more compared to a disc system. The main intention of a braking system is to stop both front & rear wheels in the same time. This can be achieved mechanically if both front & rear brake system are of same type ( i.e. either disc or drum). However if any one of the above system is of differnt type then the question of ABS system arises.

Moreover if you consider that the front wheel is with a drum system & rear wheel is with a disc system (which is very unlikely, as front system should be an effective one as the momentum of the vehicle works towards the front end, as described earlier), there are chances that the rear wheel will get locked & stopped while the front wheel is still running. This will also create a sidewise redial force for the rear wheels, with centre of gravity as its center & eventually the vehicle will tend to skid sideways from the rear end. Thus this will also require a ABS system for the rear wheel. But even ABS will also not save the skid in such a system as we have considered a less effective braking system in front & more effective braking system at rear. Such a system, during braking, will normally generate a big difference in wheel rpm’s during braking & will always tend to pull sideways of the rear end of the vehicle causing a disbalance.

In a front & rear drum system if you install a ABS (I do not know if there is any) it has to be purely an electronic one. Rather than a mechanical system a electronic ABS system found in todays costly cars are the right one which actually takes into account many parameters like engine speed, throttle conditions, hydraulic pump, pressure developed in hydraulic system & wheel speed etc while braking both front & rear wheels.

The topic is very complecated in nature, but I hope it enlightens you about ABS.

Modifying the rear of the Yamaha R15 V2.0 on the Original R15 might not be possible

2011-11-09T00:52:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to put the wide rear tyre of the new R15 V2.0 and the split seats on the old R15?

Proper proportions or the lack of it draws the line between “Attractive/Ugly”, “Sexy/Plain” etc. For example, “36-24-36” rings a bell in your mind, right?

Yamaha R15 Version 2.0

The human brain is sensitive to something that seems to be out of proportion. Imagine a guy with an upper body like Arnold Schwarzenegger but legs like Rajpal Yadav. Despite the never before seen “full fairing” on an affordable bike in India, I had to put the original Yamaha R15 in my “Top 10 not so good looking bike of India”.

So is it possible to modify the older R15’s rear with the current R15 V2.0?

Yamaha has more than redeemed itself by revamping the rear of the new R15. Now the Yamaha R15 V2.0 finds place in my list as one of the best looking bikes of India.

First, lets see what different in terms of proportions at the rear of the new Yamaha R15 Version 2.0

1345 mm Vs 1290 mm

Yamaha R15 'Original'

Can the 130 section rear tyre from the R15 Version 2.0 be fitted on the older R15?

The fatter and bigger wheel would require a change in the swingarm, and even if the new aluminum swingarm is somehow installed there is more probability that the handling of the bike would go for a toss due to the altered geometry.

Also along with the new tyre and swingarm, the R15 Version 2.0 also gets different sized sprockets and a new ECU which has been timed for slightly better throttle response.

Therefore it’s definitely not advised to fit the new fatter tyre of the R15 V2.0 on the older R15.

Can the raised split seats of the R15 Version 2.0 be fitted on the older R15?

Changes: Yamaha R15 Version 2.0 Vs Original R15
[Photo source: xBhp.com]

To fit the new raised and split seats, the chassis of the new R15 Version 2.0 gets a new sub-frame. As can be seen in the above photo, the older sub frame won’t provide the support for the newly designed seats of the new R15 Version 2.0.

Therefore one would need to fit the new sub frame to achieve the desired effect on an older R15.

My take:

The cost and the risk of not getting the mod job correct doesn’t justify the trouble of getting the modification done. In case someone needs the revamped rear of the R15 badly, then it would be product to sell the older R15 and buy the new R15 Version 2.0 instead.

KTM 200 Duke Official Specs Revealed

2011-11-09T00:43:00.000-08:00

200 cc, 25 bhp, 125 Kgs dry weight.. which means CBR250R equaling power but around 30 Kgs lesser weight than the CBR250R..!!

Click at the image for a hi-res image of the KTM 200 Duke

KTM has officially made public the specifications of the 200 Duke, the model from KTM which is headed for India. The peak power output of the 200 Duke has surprised most by equaling Honda CBR250R's 25 bhp..!!

The dry weight of the 200 Duke according to specs is 125 Kgs which means that the Kerb weight should not be more than 135-137 Kgs. Even at 135 Kgs the 200 Duke remains a good 30 Kgs lighter than the CBR250R (167 Kgs, Kerb weight). This could just mean one thing, twist the throttle of the KTM 200 Duke and unleash the hooligan in you..!!

Although I'll be missing the ABS, the 200 Duke should definitely be my next bike. Just hoping the KTM 200 Duke makes it to India in the same specs and is not priced more than the non-ABS Honda CBR250R (around Rs. 1.5 lakh ex-showroom)

KTM 200 Duke: Official Specifications [Source: KTM.com]

ENGINE

Type: Single-cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled
Valve Train: 4 valves per cylinder, DOHC
Displacement: 200 cc
Bore x Stroke: 72 mm x 49 mm
Starting: Electric
Transmission/Gears: 6-speed
Fuel System: Fuel Injection

CHASSIS

Type: Tubular space frame made from steel tubes, powder-coated
Front Suspension: WP, Telescopic Upside Down Forks
Rear Suspension: WP, monoshock
Suspension travel Front: 150 mm
Suspension travel Rear: 150 mm
Front Brake: 300 mm Disc brake
Rear Brake: 230 mm Rear Disc
Steering head angle 65°

DIMENSIONS

Wheel base: (1,361 ± 15) mm
Ground clearance (unloaded): 170 mm
Seat height (unloaded): 810 mm
Total fuel tank capacity: 10.5 litres
Dry Weight: 125 kg

How to Increase the Performance of Your Motorcycle

2011-11-08T07:38:00.001-08:00

As we know Indian market is fast growing market in two wheeler segment due to large amount of interest in biking and so demand due to lack of imported motorcycles. So generally people tends to change the machine from stock to high performance for either street racing, circuit racing, drag racing or for dirt purpose. Earlier some of the high performance material was not available in India due to lack of knowledge about material or because of importing it to India.

Nowadays in India there are some high performance spares available by some of the direct distributor or importers, for example K&N filters, Piper Cross, MSD Ignitions, NGK, DYNOJET, Microns, TwoBrothers etc. The material is extremely high performance but just by putting few spares you can’t increase the performance due to lack of information. The performance is depending on channels or the way you put those spares in-line. In simple language it’s a kind of computer flow chart.

In the market some people just trying to do business for money. Anyways lets talk about the high performance for Indian motorcycle. Lets start from Filter, In the market you get K&N or Pipercross, LM filters or BMC filters or whatever. When rider or mechanic installs those High Free Flow Filters they generally forget or don’t change some or the other things just to avoid complications.

High Free Flow Filters means Air without any obstruction or rather than increase in Air quantity. Stock Motorcycle comes with some particular ratio of Air and Fuel. For example if the stock has got 5:1 ratio that means 5% is air and 1% is fuel. Now consider Air with Free flow filter is 10%, people always forget to increase the fuel ratio, that means fuel should be 2%. So when you are putting High Free Flow filters don’t forget to increase the ratio of Fuel by Re-Jetting.

High or low number jets are available in the market or you can get it from some local manufacturer with accurate required numbers. Dellorto/Spaco has got jets but not suitable for Mikuni or Keihin because of thread size. In Two wheeler all Indian bikes are coming with Mikuni or Keihin carbs. So make sure about thread sizes. so after Re-Jetting next step is burning all the fuel, that means change in spark plug (NGK-Ir), change in spark plug cable (MSD Ignition Cables), High performance Ignition coil for better and high voltage for burning the fuel.

Next step after plug and it’s cable the main and priority change in Exhaust canister, which people always forget or ignore or avoid to use High Performance Free Flow exhaust canister. The reason behind Free flow high performance canister is, when the intake is increased by some amount the exhaust should also go in that ratio which stock silencers can’t do. For that reason it’s priority to change the canister from stock to high performance (TwoBrothers, Microns, etc). In all mods the channel of modifications should be in route for good performance. So this is the main flow chart for modifications in Indian Motorcycles without tinkering much and very much easy because of external changes. For ECU controlled or EFI system and Carburetor motorcycles some of the modifications are common, But EFI needs some different modification due to it’s ECU, which we need to remap for high performance.

Don’t forget to work on Lubrication for better performance. In the market you might get some high performance lubes like synthetic, semi synthetic oils. Oil is the main factor in the engine for performance, wrong oil grade can decrease the performance rapidly and might damage the motor or moving parts.

Please note: Some of the imported oils are not suitable for Indian Motorcycles, they are very good for Higher CC engines. The major lag of power starts from clutch, so wrong oil can start slippage in clutch. So make sure before you buy and pour in the motor. Now lets move on to Internal changes which I call COREPOWER.

The first change should be clutch springs, the main engine power transmission is through clutch so bad clutch springs or low tension springs kills the BHP, so use proper tension or some high tension clutch springs which should high tension than stock springs. The second step is nitriding of intake and exhaust valves and so the cam, which will reduce the wear and tear. Somehow if you are able to get titanium connecting rod, Valves then nothing like it, but sadly for Indian motorcycle it is still not available.

Anyway, so the next step in internal change which is Big Bore Cylinder. Change to higher size piston for big bore cylinder. After that next change should be Hard Chrome Plating on cylinder bore, which helps the piston for fast motion. The next step is increase in intake bore for better intake. After those changes you will definitely get high performance from your Indian Motorcycle.

Ride Safely And Enjoy Life

How to “Run In” Your Bike

2011-11-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Running in a bike is basically making sure your bike engines wears uniformly. Dont get scared! What I mean by engine wear is the piston properly bedding into the cylinder. So I shall now give a detailed guide as to how an engine should be run in.

Basically, during run in, your bike gets adjusted to your riding habits. Its sets up itself according to your throttle, braking, gear change speed, use of clutch, etc. So do not hesitate to whack in a little more fuel into your cylinder head if you are running as it is a required input for the bike to get used to you.

If you’re looking for fuel economy, dont raise it beyond 5 and a half 1000. Use the clutch smoothly, never let your engine rev by the force of the gear box. If possible, do a long run in. Go long distances during run in. Try maintaining the bike at about 3000 clicks for more than 20 to 25 kms at least! This will ensure that later your bike will give you a real solid mileage figure. Probably close to the company specifications. But keep one thing in mind, if you do such a run in, you will not be able to rip on your bike.

If you do so, you might face the following consequences:

Horrible mileage
Depressingly awful pick up and overall performance.
Reduced engine longevity and life.
Painful and irritating noises and rattles from your motor.

Things to keep in mind about economy run in:

Gear changes should be minimum.
Clutch release should be extremely smooth.
Engine should be at about 3000 rpm.
Higher gear should be used as often as possible.
Gear shift should be early.

The plus points of this run in are as follows :

Amazing mileage
Butter smooth engine and gear box.
Long engine life.
Less overheating of engine.
Tons of praises from your service guy!
Good resale value of your bike.

Petrol heads like me (which I seem to find in plenty!) will not enjoy riding their two Wheeler in the above mentioned fashion for obvious reasons! There is a way to ensure that your bike doesn’t seem sluggish at any throttle point. Running in your bike for performance is a very tedious and delicate task. If not done correctly, it could result in your bike engine showing signs of premature ageing, and uneven wear and improper bedding of piston into the cylinder.

A performance run in needs to be done accordingly:

Keep idling about 200 clicks more than normal.
Raise engine to higher rpm.
Care needs to be taken to ensure that acceleration is slow, steady and linear.
Try maintaining engine speed at about 5000 to 6000 rpm at all times.
Stick onto a gear for as long as possible.
When bike is in neutral, never idle it. But try to keep raising the engine speed to about
2500 clicks every 3 seconds by constantly flicking your wrist.

Keep in mind that the run in steps should be followed very precisely and utmost accuracy. I do not suggest this to beginners. If this type of run in is not done correctly, the consequences might be:

Poor mileage (depressingly low mileage, I mean)
All kinds of alien noises coming from your engine
The engine life may be reduced by about 50%
Smoothness is almost completely absent
Engine refinement is tossed
Power delivery is abrupt, unexpected and less harness able.
Oil leaks every now and then.

But here’s a list of the pro’s that will sure make a biker smile

No more seeing people overtake you

Linear, smooth and harnessable power delivery
Mileage is extremely satisfactory for the power out.
Easy starting with zero issues (whether self start or kick start).
Pleasurable ride quality and engine response.

So there you go. Sometimes the service manual or owners manual guides the owner to do a very soft run in. After some thinking(and research), I realized that they do this to protect their image and avoiding vehicle faults. Yes, if you do a run in according to the owners manual, the bike will be error free, but hey, todays bikes are error free however you use them, and the initial run in determines only the later functioning of the bike.

According to owners manual or manufacturers manual, it is advised that:

That the owner doesn’t raise the engine speed beyond 5000 rpm.
But the owner can frequently vary the engine speed anywhere below 5000 clicks a minute.
The owner is also advised not to go to fast on the bike as slowing down may result in very quick drops in gear and may harm he fresh gear box and clutch plates.

But it is safe and adviseable by according to me(and many auto experts and owners) to observe the following points:

You can raise the bike engine speed to about 6000 clicks
The throttle input, though, should be slow, steady and very linear
Try to prevent engine or gearbox knocking by riding in the correct gear.
Try not to stay in one gear for more than 30 seconds.
Frequently change gears
Ensure that the engine speed is not constant for long periods.
Sudden non-sustained bursts are OK as long as the rpm does not shoot beyond control – many even say that such bursts in the second 1000 km (with increasing frequency after about 1500 km) actually help to “open out” the engine and the usable rev-range better.
Gears are very tricky things to bed in properly so preferably (at least during the run in) do not let someone else ride your Bike – even if he’s very gentle, his shifting technique will be different from yours and you’ll be able to “feel” something amiss in the gears once you ride the Bike again.

That’s about it

Six Tips on Maintaining Your Bike at its Best

2011-11-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

1. Tyre Air Pressure: Ensure tyre pressures are maintained at manufacturer recommended levels. Different pressures are recommended for single seat and pillion riding, observe them to squeeze out the optimum mileage. Over-inflated tyres do result in better mileage but play havoc with the ride, handling and stability, so don’t get desperate.

2. Brakes: Both the brakes should have the right amount of free play. To check that brakes are not binding, put the bike on the main stand and ensure that both the wheels turn freely.

3. Chain: The chain should be well lubricated and have the right amount of slack. You can read more about Motorcycle Chain Maintenance.

4. Air filter: Keep the air filter clean as dusty conditions in India tend to clog up the filter in no time. Change the air filter at recommended intervals and increase the cleaning frequency in particularly dusty climes. Clutch: Should be properly adjusted and have the right amount of free play. An over tightened clutch will cause it to slip unnoticeably and increase the fuel consumption while also burning it out quickly.

5. Engine: Again regular servicing and tune-ups will keep the engine running like clockwork and reduce your petrol bills. Pay special attention to cleaning the carburettor and maintaining valve clearences. Don’t neglect the spark plug, ensure it is clean, the gap is set correctly or replace it if past its prime as it’s the most crucial link in proper combustion. Most modern bikes require the choke to be used on cold starts as they run lean to meet emission norms as well as fuel efficiency requirements.

6. Engine Oil: Engine oil should be changed religiously. The oil thickens due to carbon deposits creating drag in the movement of engine internals. Running the bike on dirty oil will not only increase fuel consumption but also reduce the life of the engine.