Motorcyclist At Large

Freedom.

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:35:00 +0000

We've forgotten what you have to pay for and what's free. I was reminded of it recently and I thought I do a good deed and remind you in turn. You pay for a motorcycle. The enjoyment of riding it is free. You pay for a meal. The tingle of your taste buds is free. Are you getting my drift?

There was a time when I used to complain about how some websites I liked weren't updated often enough. I mean, they were such good reads that could the author not update it every twenty minutes or so? And then I stopped. As much as I like books, I realised that some of these sites, updated annually as they were, were still free. Whereas I was obliged to pay about a thousand bucks for each book I bought. And I bought a heck of a lot of books. I still do.

There was also a time when I used to tell people to be safer on their bikes by doing this, that and theo other. I stopped doing that as well. I realised that advice was as free as your right to use your life in any way you please.

There was, further, a time when I used to wonder how old I'd get before a manufacturer would launch a motorcycle that I could dream about, and then in rapid order, afford. And then own. And then settle down with. I stopped doing that as well. I guess wobbling around madly in love when I'm sixty will still be good enough. And the bitterness of the wait simply isn't worth the gall.

There was a time, when I used to blog heavily. Don't know why I stopped doing that. And then I realised that I used to be free. Heh heh.

New poll: Crashing constantly?

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:12:00 +0000

So, how many times a year do you tend to fall off? We'll go into how you crash after this... that one should be fun, eh?

Poll results: When do you wear your helmet?

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:02:00 +0000

I've basically nothing left to say on this subject. I am hoping against hope that the 4 per cent who don't use their helmet when touring basically never go touring and that the 35 per cent who prefer not to ride with a helmet in town essentially use public transport or their cages. As for the 14 per cent who never use a lid, my fingers are crossed that they aren't riders at all, just web traffic, passing through.

Learning to Ride

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:06:00 +0000

"How many days will it take me to learn how to ride a motorcycle?"

Wow, there's a question that stumped me. I didn't know the answer, honest. I told the young man that if he meant only the operation of the controls - clutch, brake, throttle - that would take 20 minutes. But learning to ride a motorcycle is a complex thing, no? I told him it depended on him. If he just needed to be proficient enough to get from home to work, that would sort itself in six months. But to evolve beyond that could take years!

I got to thinking about that and it's true. Unlike driving, riding motorcycles is a lot more nuanced. You need to learn a lot more to be good at it. I'm not saying these nuances don't exist for cagers, but the fact of the matter is a nuance that escapes you on a bike could kill you whereas in a car, it might mean little more than awkward looking metal, a tough session with the parents and a few rounds of insurance.

The other thing is that unlike learning to drive, learning to ride invariably depends on someone you know who is willing to teach you. Teach you all the basic points and whatever of those nuances he's figured out. And all the bad habits this person has picked up. There simply isn't a place or person you can go to learn riding from scratch in a structured fashion that aims to build you up into a serious, committed motorcyclist.

I learnt from a cousin brother of sorts, well, neighbour actually and at some level, I owe him my life and livelihood. But I don't even remember his face or name. I only recall his blue KB100, that springy feeling of a stretching throttle cable, the rising note of an urgent, if civil, two-stroke, a warm night flying by in reverse and a young heart throbbing in fascination at the experience. And yeah, I don't remember him telling me where the brakes were. Then I remember flying down a road in the Delhi IIT Campus on a brother-in-law's white Kinetic Honda. The scooter was stunned at the turn of speed - he rode it very gently - and then at the speedbreaker... both brakes pulled in hard-hard-hard and the throttle still on. And my first big air. And the strong apprehension that he will discover something broken later. Shit.

I remember riding my classmate Sachin's Yamaha RX100 down the road and being given all sorts of advice involving the battery running down if the ignition was left on for too long. I know now, that that's hogwash, but I was meticulous in the extreme with that bike's ignition. And I remember wafting about slowly on that bike too.

Then I got my Kinetic Honda and I simply cannot remember a time when the poor thing was ridden gently at all. That's the bike I realised I wanted to ride seriously. That's when the kit fixation started and that's when riding it for the sake of riding it became an obsession.

Point is that I cannot remember receiving riding advice from a serious motorcyclist until much, much later.

My riding 'style' has changed since I began riding. Rustom Patel - the motocrosser - changed my paws on levers riding style to two fingers on each lever. I remember these contributions because they're the only ones I got.

Think it's time to return the favour.
How do I do this? Ideas to rearsetblog [at] gmail. [dot] please.

Not again!

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:10:00 +0000

I received this anonymous comment yesteday

i have read the exact same review somewhere else.. either you copied from them or they copied from you... and i doubt you.. you could have at least noted that it was taken off from an another site.. its really pathetic

For this post.

I found that the whole first ride was posted verbatim at

I have to agree with the comment, this is really pathetic. But I am in no doubt at all that I did actually write that post.

Healthier Motorcyclists!

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:24:00 +0000

JC sent me this link today. I read it and liked what I read. So I thought I'd post a link here. Here's a quick excerpt.
"The group that rode motorbikes posted higher marks in cognitive function tests," Kawashima said.

The last one isn't the slow one

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:38:00 +0000

Sometimes, in traffic, you will naturally start classifying people as
slow or fast. I'm not entirely sure what goes into classifying them,
but you know as well as I do, that you do this. Without going into the
degrees of good-fast versus reckless or good-slow versus
idi-effing-ot, I was thinking about it and I realised that I consider
myself pretty quick through traffic. And for a fair amount of time,
I'm last or nearly last in traffic. Does that describe you too?

I figure that it's because my take-off from the traffic lights and
progress through traffic tends to be on the rapid side, and most of
the time, I catch up with the traffic that's ahead of me. In
traffic/transport planner terms, a group of traffic that leaves
together from a traffic light is called a platoon. Each cycle of
greens causes a platoon. Er, the point is, that I'm usually at the end
of the platoon. Doing what? Passing them, of course. And I'm sure
there's more riders like this out there.

Point? Don't automatically dismiss those at the end of the platoon,
they're probably just taking some time to get ahead. I think this
point has wider meanings that purely in traffic, but that's purely
unintended.

Pass or fail 2

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:47:00 +0000

Remember this post?

Well, I got a letter from the chaps who created it - pasted below - and they've pointed me to another little video. And once more, while it was intended for cyclists, I think it does apply to us as well. Watch it, and leave a comment about whether you passed or failed. I almost passed, I have to admit.

Here's the letter, then

My name is Martin Uttley and I work on behalf of Transport For London (TFL). We were very pleased to see your mention of our DoTheTest video on your website.

As you liked the DoTheTest video campaign we thought you might be interested in our latest cycling awareness videos Whodunnit?

We have posted them up on www.dothetest.co.uk and on YouTube. We would love to hear what you think of the latest cycling awareness videos from TFL. Thank you so much for your original post and I look forward to hearing your thoughts

Martin, the vids are great. I wish our Governments were doing as much for motocyclists' safety as you chaps are obviously doing. The new series is super. Keep up the good work, all the best and ride safe.

Hitler motorcycle spoofs on YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:53:00 +0000

Hey, I found both of these spoofs quite hilarious, so I thought I'd post a link here.

Neat Discovery Channel style video

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:53:00 +0000

Toilet training

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:29:00 +0000

Yesterday, something obvious struck me while I was emptying an overfull bladder. Wrinkle your noses all you like, but here's the situation - most men should be able to understand this easily. I'm standing above the pot and I've got my legs split up really wide. Don't know why, but there it is. At this point, let us focus only on the events occurring at the sole of my, say, left foot, although either will do nicely.

The floor of this particular loo is one of the those new-fangled textured jobs where grip is easy to find and the chances of you breaking you head in by falling in the wet are low. But, for some reason, my foot starts slipping outwards. Not being a gymnast, this immediately was a cause of concern. For once, family jewels landing with a sickening thud on the rim of the pristine but unforgiving edge of the toilet bowl is a painful image even to conjure up. And second, landing on the floor in a split would ensure that a tortured groin would put an end to motorcycle adventures for some time to come.

To recover, I tried pushing down on the sole - more weight equals more traction, remember? It worked. But then, reassured, I tried varying where the extra weight was. And in there, lay the light bulb that lit up above my head like a Diwali rocket. I found that if I put my weight on the inside edge of my foot (the arches side), the slide started again. However, the moment I used the outer edge of the foot, the left edge of the sole of the left foot, the slide was arrested with a ferocity I haven't consciously thought of before.

Now, how does that apply? Here goes.

You know that the ideal position for cornering involves you hanging off the inside, weigh on the inside peg, using the outside thigh to lock you into position etc, right? However, weighing the inside peg is the same, in effect, as exerting the pressure from the arch side of the left foot in the toilet situation. As long as traction is good and the demand for it is reasonable, the feeling is of stability. However, the moment, traction is at a premium, like in the wet, more weight on the inside will as usual, reduce lean angle, but will also provoke a slide earlier. Which is why, they tell you to weigh the outside peg in the wet, and in off-camber corners. Both are places where traction is relatively little and the pressure on the outside helps the tyre dig in harder and postpone the slide.

Yeah, yeah, all OCD disclaimers apply. And feel free to disagree, try this etc.

Just don't pee outside the bowl, ok?

Where have I been?

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:33:00 +0000

As I said earlier, it's become harder and harder to find the time to blog. I must apologise to all the regular readers who have inspired me to continue to write here.

Since August 1, 2008, the last real post until these, I've changed jobs, moved to another place and it's even busier than before. However, I'm expecting to end up with an even more pronounced online presence, as you shall see shortly. As an extension of that process, I'm considering integrating the blog, archives and all, into that 'online presence.' I'd deeply appreciate it if you could write back and tell me what you think of that kind of a move. My idea is that once the blog becomes part of my official duties, my freedom to post frequently will become less of an issue. Which means I can write more, and whenever I like. And no one can object, since it is, after all, official work.

I will, of course, endeavour to not let the 'rules' that come with an official blog to alter or curtail the freedoms this blog has enjoyed, or for that matter, the sort of content that I've posted here.

What say you?

Yamaha FZ16: First Ride

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:25:00 +0000

So you want to know how the FZ16 is , is it?

Styling
As you can see for yourself, the styling of the FZ16 was central to the project. At least that is the official line. They first created the look and the 'fitted' the engineering into the design. No, really. That is why the FZ16 runs those fat tyres, has the faux pivot plate in aluminium colour, the faux aluminiun subframe look sidepanel and all. Like they scaled the R1 down for the R15, they scaled the FZ1N down for the FZ16. Personally, I'm just happy to be looking at an Indian bike that would hold its own anywhere in the world. As is usual with Yamaha, build quality, fit and finish levels are all great and I don't get the feeling that something will rattle loose, soon or later.

Engine
This is where the actual engineering began. The FZ16's aircooled engine is significantly different from the R15. Despite much prodding, for instance, Mizuno San, the project leader refused to accept that the R15 and the FZ16 motors shared more than a bare minimum of aggregates.

Creating two significantly different engines for what is effectively the same displacement band is a significant thing. It means that Yamaha is willing to look past economies of scale and parts sharing to create motorcycles that clearly adhere to a pre-defined role. Which is why the FZ16 feels quick of the line. Not quick enough to blow your socks off, mind you, but quick enough for you to notice the performance. I've read that the top-end isn't all that great and that FZ16 is reading from the same chapter on top-end as the Unicorn, but I don't subscribe to the same school. I think the FZ16 is clearly defined as an urban tool with styling and effortless low-rev performance being the two central themes, and this the engine does. That said, it is lighter than the competition, which should fill most performance gaps that the FZ16's peers might expose. The gearbox is a regular Yamaha job - slick and I don't think too many people will complain of the FZ16 being a laggard. In fact, I'd be very surprised if despite the low-rev focus, the FZ16 didn't equal or outperform its immediate competition.

Ride Quality, Handling and Braking
Personally, going into the test drive, I was expecting the storming tyre sizes to cause much trouble. Needless to say, my confidence in Yamaha's engineers was redoubled. Not only does the FZ16 handle well, it seems not to notice the extra rubber at all. I later found one of the reasons while helping some Yamaha staffers transfer a set of spare MRF tubeless radials from one car to another. The weigh nothing. Really, with tyres that light, it's no surprise that the not only does the FZ16 feel grippy, stable and responsive, it feels happy rather than that 'anchored' feeling that overtyred bikes seem to develop.

Ride quality is stiff and sporty, though. Again, personally, I've had the privilege of riding enough bikes to know that while plush ride feels great, stiffer setups encourage you to push harder and explore the envelope more... sometimes at the expense of your back. This is a compromise I have no problem with. You, on the other hand, might. Some riders who had the foresight to lower the preload to the softest settings reported instant, and noticeable ride quality improvements. I found the setup bouncy only over the worst of the roads, where the tyres do seem to bounce up off the surface entirely. In any other situation, the ride quality never comes to the point where you will leap off the motorcycle hurling abuse. I like it, but I think this is a personal choice so you should, ideally, ride an FZ and form your own opinion. Your experience will vary.

The braking is superb. No surprise there. Fat forks offer flex-free feedback-rich braking which the fat tyres respond to really well by mashing the larger contact patch firmly into the ground. I do wish that Yamaha'd put in a set of radially mounted brakes for brag value alone... but the whole wishes-horses thing applies to that line of thought, right?

Features and other stuff
Full LCD instruments, baby! But all is not well in that department. Internationally, Kawasaki came in for all-round notoriety for the all-LCD revcounter on their Ninjas from two generations ago because of readability issues. On the other hand, Ducati are currently running a slick, large race-spec all-LCD instrument cluster on the 1098, 848 etc. So it can be done. Yamaha haven't cracked it, I must admit. The tacho readout is cluttered by lots of design elements and the effect is that gathering info off the LCD meters takes some getting used to. Only the speedo is easy to read and the surfeit of carbon fibre, orange and white stickers makes the otherwise sleek instrument cluster a bit, how shall I put it, overdone. I do also have to point out that there's a few random stickers (like 'Monocross' on the side panel that add no value whatsoever to the motorcycle's style and could easily have been skipped.

Overall
As you can probably tell, I'm as impressed with the FZ16 as I was with the R15. But, there's a catch. The FZ16 is expensive compared to the 150s it wants to beat and the question is, is that extra money worth paying. This is something you must decide for yourself. I would have no hesitation paying the Rs 6000-odd extra for the solid feel, international looks and the general competence of the motorcycle. But would you? Tell me, leave a comment.

Image from Yamaha India

Kinetic Flyte: An owner's opinion

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Here's some feedback Nomad has on the Kinetic Flyte. I thought it was interesting...

I got sick and tired waiting for a multi cylinder bike over 250cc so i went ahead and got myself a flyte last week. Nice scoot overall.

Done about 200kms and there are a few things I noticed that could have been done better.

1:Pass light switch is missing. Its a pain in the butt to turn on the light switch and back again. I dont see it lasting very long the way I use it.

2.Seat could have been a bit longer.Its a very tight fit with a heavy person behind me

3.Pickup not that good for a 125. Or maybe I feel that way because the scoot's so silent and vibe free.

4.Disk brake not available even as an optional extra.

5.Doesnt have a halogen bulb.(Kinetic, how can you be so cheap?!)

6.No engine kill switch.

7.Ground clearance is very low. The scoot scrapes its belly on bike-breakers 2 up.

8.Horn sounds like it came straight off an electric cycle.Not that it matters much because I hardly use it anyway.

9.Gray color not available.(I have a soft spot for gray!)

10.Mirrors not to my liking. Its weird moving the entire thing instead of just the mirror itself.

11.No rear brake lock like on the other scoots.Quite annoying at traffic signals and potentially dangerous when parked on a slope.

12.The petrol lock should have been separate from the bike lock. My dad always open the petrol tank when he means to lock the scoot. Its also too fiddly. I don't see it lasting too long. On the day I bought it, my dad almost broke the key in the keyhole because the lock wouldn't work :) But now we're used to it. It shouldn't be a case of getting used to something like that.The problem shouldn't even exist in the first place!

13.There should have been a mudguard for the front wheel. It throws an enormous amount of muck everywhere! I don't know how but some mud ended up on the lower front part of the seat and needless to say on my pants! But to be fair, I rode the scoot through some pretty deep water really fast.

14.Flimsy rear footrests. They just flap around when closed and dont look too sturdy.

Now on to the good stuff.

I had a Kinetic Honda prior to this and with the quality of service that I received, I made up my mind never to go for another kinetic. ever. That changed the moment I test rode the flyte. Its that good.

2.Its smooth! That could be because all other bikes/scooters I've had/have are 2 stroke and not really the smoothest either.

3.Readily available. One of the reason I went for the flyte is because the other scoots I shortlisted , access has a 45 day waiting period and the dio has a 30 day waiting period.I'm very impatient and dont want to wait 30 to 45 days for a friggin scoot!

4.I love the underseat lighting. And the huge space under the seat. Yes, a full face helmet does go in but no way in hell will the seat close. Unless I chop off 2 inches from the top of the helmet...

5.Even though it lacks disc up front, the brakes are quite good.

6. Ride quality is very good. Keep in mind that my benchmark is the old Kinetic Honda ZX. But still, compared to some bikes I've ridden, the damping is pretty good.

7.Acceleration is ok. Could have been better on account of the fact that its a 125cc. Midrange and top speed are quite good. I saw a speedo indicated 90. Yes, I'm aware that the company claimed top speed is 80. Did they mean on the speedo or true speed?

8.Quality is quite good overall.

9.Mileage:I'm sure it must be good but I havent checked. To be honest, its not really a priority for me. I'd gladly sacrifice mileage for more performance.

Overall, I'm a happy camper. This is going to be my daily ride till something serious comes along from the manufacturers.

(This is my first purchase after 12 years of waiting for something better/fasterquicker to come. And here I am, still waiting......)

Yamaha R15: 17 bhp's too little, surely

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:53:00 +0000

So, it would appear that most of you were expecting the R15 to make in excess of 20 bhp. 54 per cent, to be precise. Hmm...

I did some checking, and here's what I found.

Fact 1: It's not impossible
Yes, a 150cc engine can easily make as much as 24 bhp. But there are specific conditions under which this can happen. Producing big power means burning big amounts of fuel, producing large amounts of exhaust gases and since the bangs are bigger, literally, making a heck of a lot more noise. Which means, you, the customer has to be willing to live with a rackety, polluting motorcycle. Which you may well think is fine, but the Government doesn't. India happens to have some of tightest norms in the business, especially noise norms, which means big bangs, much as we like them, are not on menu. In fact, the R15's motor, incredibly similar to the Indonesian V-Ixion's actually makes about 1 bhp less. Blame goes squarely to the norms.

Fact 2: You probably won't like it
While we all love to harp on and on about horsepower, the truth is bhp is not all its cracked up to be. Yes, that's a pretty strong statement, but hold on a minute and lemme explain.

First of all, horsepower doesn't exist, except as a mathematical function of torque. Dynos measure torque. Not horsepower. The dyno's computer calculates the horsepower and plots the curve we so love.

Second, it is torque that really thrills you. Despite all the claims to the contrary, not more than a fraction of a percent of enthusiast buyers actually use the full potential of their motorcycle. By that I mean riding up to the redline, repeatedly, daily, purely for the enjoyment of it. Which is the sole riding mode in which horsepower comes out to play. The rest of the time, all you're enjoying is the torque curve, playing with the peak and enjoying the satisfying surge that comes with opening the throttle.

Third, and most importantly, a 25 bhp 150cc, almost by definition must make its significant torque far up high in the rev band. Which means it will require a right thrashing to produce any sort of performance. Any time you want the bike to pick up its skirts and run hard, you're going to have to suspend all mechanical sympathy and whip the poor thing. No one can ride like that day after day. Even racers can't ride like that – it is simply too stressful!

But here's the thing. Would I have been happier if the motorcycle were making 25 bhp? You bet your, um, you know.

But I understand that it isn't possible, and from what the engine designer folks (and not just at Yamaha) are telling me, a genuine 25 bhp 150 wouldn't be a pocket rocket, it would be a ticking bomb. When you light the fuse, it would explode. And there'd be nothing in it before or after the event. Big explosions like that are fun. But too many of them, strung in a row get stressful, and eventually, you simply don't want any more. I was also checking on google and I found a couple of people who were upgrading their 19-odd bhp CBR150Rs to 25-odd bhp. But the interesting thing is that both were talking about having to install a 195cc kit to make the power reasonably useful.

All right, now I'm waiting for your comments.

Buy the best, pay more...

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:33:00 +0000

Here's this awesome quote on the Arai website. Neatly says everything I try to explain when someone asks me why my helmet costs nearly Rs 20,000

What to pay?
"It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money...that is all. When you pay too little you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the things it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot...it cannot be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better. There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell for a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only, are this man's lawful prey"
John Ruskin(1819-1900), Economist

The Vardenchi Blog

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:36:00 +0000

Hello, hello, it seems my friend Akshai just started his blog about his bikes, the famous Vardenchis. Here's the link...

Why is this blog so slow to update?

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:31:00 +0000

So, many of you are wondering if I've either converted the blog into a collection of press releases, a collection of videos, or worse, just abandoned the whole damn thing. The truth is that the last one may actually be nearer to the truth. You see, the times they are a changing. My plate at office is being loaded with more and more and more stuff almost daily, The Wife wants all the attention when I am home – a fully justified claim, I might add, and after all of that, any time left over, is time left for me to read, sleep, listen to music, watch M*A*S*H episodes or The Long Kiss Goodnight... you get the picture. Seems like everyday there's four blog posts flying through my head. But my hands and eyes are busy with something else at the time. I really haven't any idea what to do about this. I love blogging, don't get me wrong, but this is what the situation is like.

Years ago, in a job far away, we learnt something about time management. I remember little but one thing stands out. They said that before you add something to your schedule, see if there's space for it. If there isn't, prioritise and eliminate something that's less important, and add the new one. Or just forget the new one, since it isn't important enough at all. I did that. My schedule is full. And I still want to blog. Screwed.

Hindsight: What did you learn?

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:25:00 +0000

In hindsight, maybe I wouldn't have done that...

How many times have you said that to yourself? It's always nearly the same. Heart beat elevated, adrenaline going nuts and in the middle of this 'oh-shit' sort of feeling, you realise that what you just did (or didn't) could have been a big one. From splaying your feet too wide on a wet bathroom floor, to a knife slipping a bit while chopping onions, or in the case of this blog's central subject, something that happened while you were out on the motorcycle.

The thing is, we don't introspect enough. No, sometimes even I, king of OCD as I am, I don't. I forget. Either to introspect, or to remember the lesson hidden in that moment.

Many of us, for instance, ride way too close to the vehicle travelling ahead of us. I know I've done it, until it was pointed out by my boss one time, a long, long time ago. And in daily riding, you might point out, it may not actually be feasible. All valid arguments, I grant. But the whole thing collapses to a shivering heap when the car ahead of you brakes hard, you react and then a patch of wet tarmac appears magically from between the car's axles. Bam! You've just had an Oh-shit moment. If you're lucky, one ding, one scratch and one apology. If you aren't, hospital ceiling, food through the tube, friendly doodles on white plaster, a crooked smile, and month and months before you can lean into a corner again.

In either case, how much time before you go out and make the same mistake again?

Note: No I am fine. This post was not inspired by a personal, er, 'tragedy' of any sort

Thunderbird Twinspark: A little late but...

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:24:00 +0000

Royal Enfield premieres the Thunderbird Twinspark; unveils the engines
of future growth

With the launch of the Thunderbird Twinspark 350cc, Royal Enfield has
engineered a progressive refinement in the art of motorcycling. Blending
the imperial with the practical, the new Thunderbird is Royal Enfield's
first - amongst a series of models - to feature the evolutionary Unit
Construction Engine.

The Unit construction engine (UCE) marks a dramatic shift in the
traditional Royal Enfield engine architecture. While the traditional
Royal Enfield engine is distinguished by an external clutch and gearbox;
in the UCE, both these elements are integrated within a common crankcase
space. Therefore, this new Royal Enfield engine is more compact and
offer benefits of reduced transmission losses, reduced friction, lower
maintenance and higher reliability. This platform literally is the
'engine of future growth'.

Addressing the enthused gathering, R.L. Ravichandran, CEO, Royal
Enfield, said, "With the launch of Thunderbird Twinspark 350cc, Royal
Enfield is absolutely primed for the entry of the UCE in the domestic
markets. By 2010, India will have other such twinspark models including
the Machismo, Electra and the Bullet 350. For the international markets,
we are currently test marketing the Bullet Electra EFI and in November
this year, the UCE 500 EFI, will be unveiled at auto shows in Cologne
and Birmingham. Not only will the new model be comparatively more
powerful, technically advanced and environment friendly but it will also
sport an authentic classic look that reflects original British
motorcycle styling. With the 500cc version of the UCE that powers the
Bullet Electra EFI, Royal Enfield becomes the first two-wheeler
manufacturer in India to produce and sell a Euro-III compliant motorcycle."

Speaking on the occasion, Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO, Eicher Motors said,
"We have been working on twinspark technology for our type of motorcycle
architecture since the late-90's and have found it suitable for
mass-production with our new engine platform. All the factors which have
made the Thunderbird the favorite that it already is have been retained
or improved in the new Thunderbird. The new Thunderbird incorporates
hydraulic tappets - which is a first in India and new lean-burn
combustion technology with two spark plugs which gives class-leading
power, torque and fuel-efficiency. Moreover, the long-stroke and engine
construction ensure that the distinctive beat and cruising
characteristic are further enhanced. Add to this the twin benefits of
improved performance and engine efficiency and you have a package that
is hard to beat in terms of pure riding pleasure and visual delight.
Undoubtedly, the Thunderbird Twinspark goes beyond the envelope of
ordinary commuting to present itself as a real motorcycle."

You've got the look!
The styling and appeal of the Thunderbird Twinspark epitomise a
'practical cruiser', chiselled to offer ride delight. Its a motorcycle
that does more than just look good on an open highway or under the
brazen tones of starry floodlights.

Let's start with the purposeful 19" front-wheel that enables the
Thunderbird Twinspark to glide over any surface. The slim-line metal
mudguard is the first splash of paint that greets the eye. A genuine
ergonomic high-rise pull back handlebar puts the control in the hands of
the lucky rider. The space between the handle and ultra comfortable seat
is engaged with a beautiful teardrop fuel tank sporting the Royal
Enfield logo as a dimensional graphic. The battery is lodged below the
seat and is flanked on either side with triangular panels tapering
around air-filters. The seat, which embosoms a graceful pillion
backrest, is not only visually inviting but also comfortably snug. The
chromed headlight is as accentuating as the urbane twin-pod instrument
cluster intact with odometer, speedometer, RPM meter, fuel gauge,
resettable trip meter, and tell-tale lights for neutral, high beam, turn
signal indicators, etc. Hydraulic pushrods accord a radical singularity
to the new Thunderbird; since valve clearance is automatically adjusted
rather than manually fine-tuned, the vehicle maintains optimal valve
timing in all situations. Moreover, features like the auto decompressor,
CV carburetor; powerful disc brakes, the all new 6-plate low effort
clutch and the highest payload for any Indian motorcycle (160 kg)
distinguish the new Thunderbird as the easiest Royal Enfield to ride.

Due to its prodigious 28Nm torque, legendary Royal Enfield solidity and
tenaciously agile dynamic behavior, the new Thunderbird can take on
anything the Indian roads will throw at it ...be it the smooth tarmac of
the golden quadrilateral or the notorious potholes of battered roads,
the pyretic plains of Rajasthan or even the freezing desolate mountains
of Ladakh.

The Thunderbird Twinspark 350cc will always be more prepared than her
rider. You bet, its got what it takes!

Honda launches CBF Stunner

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:18:00 +0000

A new Sporty Bike by Honda

Introduces first-of-its-kind features in the mass market segment -
Integrated front body cowl, Sporty split seats, Wider Tubeless tyres &
Sporty foot step holder

High performance Honda engine with 5 speed transmission

Bike to hit the market in third week of July

New Delhi, June 30, 2008: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.
(HMSI), the 100% owned 2-wheeler subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company,
Japan – the world's largest manufacturer of 2-wheelers, today unveiled
its latest offering "CBF Stunner" in the Indian motorcycle segment.
Targeted at youth, CBF Stunner's sharp and sporty look will
revolutionize the motorcycle market in the country.

HMSI, after the success of its 2 Motorcycles - Unicorn and Shine is all
set to charm the Indian youth with its high performance, sporty, stylish
motorcycle at an affordable price.

With increased choices, today's Indian youth is actively on a look out
for brands that have a high 'style & attitude' quotient. 'CBF Stunner'
inspired by CBR 1000 from Europe aptly fits into the category with its
design, high performance and style. The bike with its 'high-on-style'
features promises to provide its customers an ultimate experience of a
true Honda bike.

HMSI has since inception developed products that have set new benchmarks
in technology, performance, and styling to address the diversified needs
of its customers. Honda's all round quality has been a source of
enjoyment for its customers and the new offering CBF Stunner with its
style and performance is aimed at providing desired pleasure to young
Indian customer.

CBF Stunner will be available in three variants viz. Self Disc Alloy,
Self Drum Alloy & Kick Drum Alloy. Self Drum Alloy & Self Disc Alloy
will be available in four colours Sports Red, Pearl Sports Yellow, Space
Silver Metallic and Black while Kick Drum Alloy will be available in two
colours Sports Red & Black.

CBF Stunner would be available in the Indian market from third week of
July. The ex-showroom price of CBF Stunner in INR is as follows:

Cities || Kick Drum Alloy || Self Drum Alloy || Self Disc Alloy
Delhi || 47,070 || 49,820 || 51,655
Pune || 48,720 || 51,525 || 53,390
Bangalore || 48,395 || 51,545 || 52,980
Kolkata || 48,410 || 51,160 || 52,990

Salient features of CBF Stunner

Styling
Integrated Front Body Cowl:
An integrated front body cowl & voluminous fuel tank makes stunner look
muscular & sporty. It also enhances aero dynamism, thus providing an
unhindered moving stance to the rider.

Sporty Split Seat & Two Panel Sporty Rear Cowl
First of its kind in this category, sporty split seat not only adds to
the riding comfort but also enhances the overall appeal. Two panel sharp
rear cowl makes it look sporty.

Sporty Foot Step Holders
Sporty foot step holders reflecting Honda's racing bike DNA are
positioned in a way to give rider a sporty riding posture.

Performance

High Performance Honda Engine with 5 Speed Transmission
A new advanced and high performance 11 bhp Honda engine with 5 speed
transmission ensures an absolutely sensational ride. It gives an
excellent power at all speed ranges and provides superior initial
acceleration & overtaking pick up.

Wider Tubeless Tyres with Black Alloy Wheels.
First Time in its category, Tubeless tyres in front as well rear. This
enhances performance, better cornering & chances of sudden deflation of
tyres on punctures are reduced. 100/90 Wider tubeless tyre in rear adds
to the appeal. The 17" Black alloy wheels adds on to the sports
character of the bike.

Diamond Frame with Rectangular Box type Swing Arm
It adapts light weight diamond frame proven with high reliability on
Indian roads. The tough and flexible frame provides good stability in
harsh and daily use conditions. It is also equipped with harder and
stronger rectangular box type swing arm which helps in achieving high
stability, sporty performance and constant ground touch feeling.

240mm Front Disc Brake
Efficient Hydraulic 240mm front disc brake provides efficient braking
performance in all weather conditions and ensures stability at high speeds.

Sporty
The riding posture of the bike is sporty yet comfortable. The shoulders
and elbows are more inclined than the competition to give the rider a
perfect sporty posture. The folding step placed slightly backwards
provides sporty posture. Pillion's leg position is nearer to rider's
bottom which is more comfortable.

Convenience
The bike has small storage space under the seat which can be used for
storing small items such as gloves. The stylish console with trip meter
also provides convenience of keeping a track on the distance traveled
and mileage.

Present at launch were Mr. Kenji Kawaguchi, Operating Officer General
Manager, Planning Division Honda Motorcycle R&D Centre Japan, Mr. Shinji
Aoyama, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd, Mr.
Nobuhiko Takizawa, President, Honda R&D (India), Mr. Atsuhiko Takahashi,
Large Project Leader (CBF Stunner) Honda Motorcycle R&D Centre Japan,
Mr. Yuji Mizumoto, Assistant LPL, Honda Motorcycle R&D Centre, Japan
alongwith Mr. N K Rattan Head Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle &
Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.

Excepts from Company officials-

Mr. S Aoyama, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt
Ltd., "Honda believes and practices the philosophy of 3 joys that is
being demonstrated through our "I enjoy" campaign to deliver utmost
customer satisfaction. HMSI is committed to provide unique experience
through its innovative products and quality in every aspect of business.
The new bike being unveiled today is one of the steps to provide
exciting products at an affordable price. The bike is a reflection of
Honda's worldwide sports bikes and we hope that Indian youngster can now
enjoy Honda's sports DNA. In India we will continue to bring exciting
products and be a full line company by 2010 starting with 100cc
motorcycles and fun bikes."

Mr. Kenji Kawaguchi, Operating Officer General Manager, Planning
Division Honda Motorcycle R&D centre, Japan, "Honda is today the world's
largest motorcycle manufacturer and one of the leading automakers. India
is an important market for Honda Motor Co. Honda is committed to the
Indian market and will go all out in providing exciting products to the
Indian market. Honda has always been in forefront in strengthening
technologies for environment conservation, safety riding and enhancing
product attributes. The newer technologies like Honda's Programmed Fuel
injection – PGM-F1 and ABS (Antilock Brake System) will soon be
installed on all Honda Motorcycles worldwide soon."

Mr. N.K Rattan, Head Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India
Pvt Ltd., "CBF Stunner is Honda's answer to Youngsters desire to own a
affordable sports bike. This new bike carries Honda's Sports DNA with
Sharp, Muscular style & high performance 11 bhp Honda engine that Indian
youth expect from Honda. This bike will be available at all dealers by
third week of July for sales. Along with this new bike, HMSI's all model
sales shall touch 10 lac units in 2008-09."

Official specs for the Yamaha YZF-R15

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:17:00 +0000

Yamaha R15. 1995mm x 670mm x 1070mm. 1290mm wheelbase. 120 kg dry. 131 kg wet. 149.8cc. 10.4:1 compression. Liquid cooled 4 valve SOHC. 12 litre fuel tank. 6 speed gearbox. Steel deltabox frame. 80/90-17 tubeless front tyre. 100/80-17 tubeless rear. Monoshock rear. 17ps/8500 rpm. 15nm/7500 rpm. 140 kph top speed (60 kg rider, prone). Rs 97500 exshowroom. On sale now

Yamaha R15: Out on 12th!

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:21:00 +0000

They never learn

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:21:00 +0000

Came over the crest of a flyover as usual. Streetlights never work here and good headlights and a thorough familiarity with the road surface here are a great asset. On that night, it was invaluable. God'd been going nuts with his new camera for a while now and the repeated flashes could only mean one thing. A developing rain storm. And as we started climbing the flyover, the pitter patter began to turn into the surprisingly violent roar that's heavy rain. Through the roar of heavy drops on vinyl – yellow roof over my head – I heard the distinctive skreee-scrawshhhhhh that means a biker is down. We came over the crest into a rash of red tail lights as traffic braked hard for what looked like a snarl. I've seen snarls here before, they last a kilometre. Even as I began to dread the forty minutes it would take to get through, I saw the anonymous tail lamp of a Hero Honda Splendor leaning over like a MotoGP god. And then it was down, rider flapping uselessly along behind the bike, as both slid inevitable forward, down the slope.

For the umpteenth time, the first rains brought down temperatures, tempers and a heck of a lot of bikers. The rash of tail lamps, you see was created by at least four bikers who were down. Two Pulsars, one Thunderbird and another Splendor, apart from the one I saw tipping over. My autorickshaw driver was very much into rubber necking, but I heckled him into gently negotiating the fallen bikes – all the bikers were yelling about, 'Who the f**k dropped oil?' and seemed just a little worse for the wear – tatty shirt elbows and holed knees but nothing serious.

Oil? How would you trace the drops of oil left behind by literally thousands of trucks, SUVs and cars since what, August last year?

Further down the road, I got the rick to slow down to a slippery 35 kph, buzzing nervously along the pavement on the extreme left of the road. And I spotted at least another six bikes with bent stuff on them, parked on the side. Riders on the phones, 'Er... Honey, I'll be late... No, I fell off the bike... oil... f**ckers!'

It happens every single year, so you think they'd figure it out and learn. The first rains, wash up the oil and dirt on the road, before they wash it off. That means that first wet hour is properly lethal. Like riding on ice. On walking on a freshly polished floor wearing silk moccasins. As slippery as a freshly caught fish... The hour where it's probably safer to just leave the bike parked safely and take a four-wheeled thing home. But, no, they never learn.

I'm at Alltop

noreply@blogger.com (rearset) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:01:00 +0000

Alltop.com has added my RSS feed to this page. I've always wondered if there wasn't a, um, more elegant way to look up the latest news from my favourite motorcycle blogs. Google Reader is efficient, but it needed something more... well, when I saw the motorcycles.alltop.com page, I knew it was exactly what I needed. And I'm happy to report that my blog has also been added to that list.