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Because this magazine is yours. Because we salute your spirit, your passion and your enthusiasm. Because we know that we are nothing without you. Send us your pictures, so that we may put them here, before everything else, and express our gratitude to the love and admiration you have bestowed on us. Thanks a lot, bikers!
are with us till issue #50! U_August09.indd 6
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CONTRIBUTORS SAEED AKHTAR ROAD TRIP 150CC BIKES
ON SIX WHEELS To BIKE INDIA Issue 050 September 2009 Last week I was riding in town when four motorcycles with pillion riders were racing with each other in peak rush hour traffic, overtaking cars and buses from the left and also going between two vehicles which were traveling in opposite directions. Showing total disregard for others, they could have caused a serious accident involving other road users who also happened to be senior citizens. This sort of behavior gives motorcycling and motorcycle riders a bad name. You don’t achieve anything by riding fast on public roads and endangering other people’s lives. I would like to suggest to these road side Romeos that they should get on to the racetrack and prove their ability if they have any. Yamaha is one manufacturer who gives its R15 owners a chance to ride their motorcycles on the racetrack by organizing races. This gives people a chance to ride their motorcycles on a racetrack in a safe and properly
supervised environment. We at BIKE India always like to promote biking in the right manner and riding your motorcycle on a racetrack will definitely improve your riding skills as it makes you a better rider on the street as well. People who race and ride motorcycles on racetracks are normally very cautious on the road and don’t have anything to prove on public roads. It is the wanabe racers who are the dangerous lot trying to prove to people how fast they can ride.
PEOPLE WHO RACE AND RIDE MOTORCYCLES ON RACETRACKS ARE NORMALLY VERY CAUTIOUS ON THE ROAD AND DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO PROVE ON PUBLIC ROADS As the roads in India improve more and more people are taking road trips around the country. Touring on motorcycles is getting popular. It is not necessary to have imported 600 or 1000cc motorcycles to go for a long ride. You can also go touring on a 100cc bike if you have a likeminded group of friends. Finally, all I want to say is enjoy your biking safely and responsibly.
Saeed Akhtar leads three slightly different 150cc bikes down the scenic west coast for a weekend of corner carving and nature gazing Photography: Sanjay Raikar
AND A PRAYER 76
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ROLAND BROWN FIRST RIDE AGNI X01
ELECTRIC DREAMS Roland Brown lays his hands on the Agni X01, winner of this year’s Isle of Man TTXGP
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T’S A STRANGE FEELING; THERE’S no doubt about that. As I gently wind open the throttle approaching the apex of the tight, right-hand turn, the tall red racebike slows momentarily, then accelerates with a smoothness and lack of sound that make riding it feel like nothing I’ve experienced on two wheels before. Moments later I’m charging down the circuit’s back straight, with only a slight whine audible above the wind. My head is tucked behind the screen as much as I can manage given the bulky lump where the petrol tank would normally be. But there’s certainly no petrol tank on this bike, the battery-powered Agni X01 that won the TTXGP on the Isle of Man in June. The X01 is respectably quick without being particularly powerful or exciting, especially by the standard of TT-winning racebikes. Even so, it’s a real thrill to be riding the machine on which Rob Barber made history by winning the first ever international race for zero emission bikes. No other bike on the Isle of Man dominated its event to the degree that the X01 did that inaugural TTXGP. And by lapping the Mountain circuit at an average of 140km/h, it alerted many people to the potential of electric bikes. A couple of months later the X01 looks very much at home as it is wheeled out of the Agni van at the compact but well laid-out Rye House kart track, just north of London (the circuit where Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton began his career). The No.12 race plate and TT scrutineers’ stickers on its fairing nose are still in place, though the red paintwork is chipped in places because the bike was knocked over during one of several functions at which it has been displayed since its victory.
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Apart from that large, angular cover above where the petrol would normally live (this hides the electrical controller), the Agni bike looks relatively conventional. Unlike some of its more expensively produced and totally hand-built rivals in the TTXGP, the X01 is based on a production bike, Suzuki’s GSXR750. Instead of a 749cc four-cylinder engine, it has two cylindrical Agni electric motors, one poking out of the fairing on either side, and connected by a shaft running between them. Linking the motors so directly was a key feature in reducing friction, as was its creator Cedric Lynch’s decision to use a thin, non oring 428 drive chain from a motocross bike rather than the Suzuki’s heavier 520 chain, which he estimates would have cost several horsepower. Lynch, the London-born, ponytailed electric bike pioneer, works for Agni, which has bases in London and Gujarat in India. He designed the motor, which was also used by several rival teams. Minimising friction losses was important because the X01 doesn’t have huge amounts of power to play with. Each of its motors revs to 5000rpm and has an output of just over 20bhp (15kW) for sustained use, giving a total of 40bhp. The bike can produce over 70bhp, but only in short bursts because that level of output would soon overheat the motors and drain the battery. The “battery” consists of 42 individual 3.7V lithium polymer cells, arranged in parallel pairs, then linked in a series of 21 pairs. The cells are crammed in between the GSX-R’s aluminium frame spars. They contributed almost half of the bike’s total cost of UK £18,000, and are the main limiting factor in its performance. “The bike was designed to do 38 miles, and it was spot on,” says Lynch. “It was just starting to
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For all those who missed Roland Brown last month in our anniversary issue, fret not because the Brit is back doing what he does best - evaluate the latest superbikes exclusively. Well, this time, he goes a step ahead and rides an electric superbike - the Isle of Mat TTXGP winner, the Agni X01. Flip to page number 62 to see how he felt riding a noiseless, smokeless superbike.
RAMNATH CHODANKAR
Welcome to the future
FEATURE 25 YEARS OF NINJA
This is the moment motorcycling entered the modern age
IT’S DECEMBER 1983. THE VENUE IS Laguna Seca, California, USA. The event: the world press launch of the new Kawasaki GPZ900R. But that’s no journo in the saddle, it’s Jay ‘Pee Wee’ Gleason, legendary drag racer, about to demo the new superbike in public for the first time. In the ’80s Jay (he’s since dropped the PW moniker) was THE man to hire if you were a factory wanting to know just how fast your bike was in the quarter mile. In truth, the new 900R (the Ninja name wasn’t adopted until 1984) was so phenomenal, Pee Wee Herman could have been the rider. The 900R’s template-setting, liquid-cooled, 16v four was good for 242kmph and low 11sec quarters. The world would never be the same again.
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The lightest, shortest and youngest member of the BIKE India team got a chance to ride with the seniors to the West Coast beaches of south India. Into his second month with us, not only did he turn out to be a fine rider, Saeed also bowled us over by delivering a superbly crafted travel article with enough dosage of humour and mystery to keep readers glued. Read the young lad’s first real story for the magazine on page number 76.
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ASPI BHATHENA EXECUTIVE EDITOR
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One of the most experienced hands at the InDesign software in the industry, BIKE India’s Art Director, Ramnath aka Shailesh is always more than eager to join in for travelogues. That is exactly what he did this month and once back from the biking holiday, spent time spearheading all the major features including taking responsibility for designing the cover story. And of course, the cover too!
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CONTENTS
18 NEW METAL
2010 Harley Davidson range
Royal Enfield Bullet Classic
REGULARS
Mahindra Two Wheelers plans
06 You!
Yamaha’s turbo diesel bike
14 LETTERS
Bonneville turns 50 years old
TVS Neo for India?
ISSUE 050 SEPTEMBER 2009
16 TECHNO MAIL 18 IGNITION 32 MOTOWARE Design: Ramnath Chodankar Photography: Kawasaki Press
IGNITION
24 BUZZ
34 READERS’ PAGE
DSG’s Superbike showroom
36 new products
2010 Auto Expo dates
42 hero honda ride safe
11th Raid de Himalaya
46 motomaiden
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FEATURES 48 BAJAJ DISCOVER 100 cover feature
Discover gets yet another variant. Does the swirl magic work here as well?
53 NINJA TURNS 25 cover feature
The Kawasaki Ninja brand is a quarter of a century old. We take a sneak peek into its history
62 AGNI X01 RIDDEN Roland Brown gets up close cover with the fastest electric feature motorcycle at this year’s Isle of Man TT 67 KTM 990 SM-T VS RIVALS Can the new Super Motard Tourer prove its mettle among its competition?
76 1500KM ROAD TRIP DOWN SOUTH After days of endless work, it was time we took a break, in style! 86 YAMAHA FAZER RIDDEN Is this just a FZ with a fairing? We ride the new tourer offering from Yamaha
BACK END 94 MOTOGP GERMANY 98 MOTOGP gREAT BRITAIN 104 WSBK BRNO 105 INDIAN SPORTS 106 GBU
88 SUPERBIKE GROUP RIDING We spend a weekend astride the mighty Hayabusa 90 800cc INDIAN CHOPPER Build from the groud up, we bring you a crazy crafted 800cc chopper from Dehradun
Think you know all about Bikes ?? SMS ‘BIKE’ to 55456 & find out! Exclusively for Idea subscribers Charges Rs.3/ SMS
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LETTERS
STAR LETTER wins a 1-litre pack of Motul 300V
BIKE India’s biggest fan!
From: Kartik Jetley, New Delhi
August is one of the most important months for me - my father’s and girl friend’s birthdays come in this month and so does yours. This is my first letter to you guys and I wish the teams of BIKE and CAR India a very happy fourth birthday. Kudos to you guys for bringing out 250+ pages (both magazines) every month without fail and that too with interesting and mind blowing articles. I have loved some of the recent scoops like the Bajaj Pulsar 220 and the TVS Apache RTR 180 tests to name a few. I also feel that Indian companies should start getting affordable big bikes like the XRE 300 from Honda. I also appreciate Bajaj for their committment towards getting the Ninja 250R to India as well as the KTMs. Why don’t you guys take out a combo offer for subscribing to both
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Cornering Enthusiast From: Billick Ralte, Lucknow Your anniversary special was awesome as always and almost as good as the Isle of Man Shootout issue (July ‘09), if I am honest. I turned straight to the ‘Cornering Lesson’ by Vale and I found it absolutely interesting as it shows how much technology/electronics have changed the art of bike racing. A few
the magazines? It would be great for people like me who aspire to get into this field some day. I also want you to increase the pages of the magazine so that I can spend more time reading it. There is a lot to say and a lot more to discuss but I guess I will have to keep it short. Also, if I do win the Star Letter award, please don’t send me a Motul can as I don’t own a bike yet. Instead, how about sending me a six month subscription of BI as I have to purchase your magazine each month with my limited pocket money. Once again, Happy Anniversary guys!
weeks back I was watching a WSBK round and immediately got a deja vu feeling when I saw the rear wobbling under braking, power sliding mid-corner and power wheelies on the exit. I don’t know what kind of electronics they use but it sure reminds me of the unforgiving 500s where the most talented, boldest and strongest used to win. It is getting kind of boring to see just stoppies
STAR LETTER
Readers like you keep us going each month! Going through hundreds of e-mails makes us realize that our efforts are not going to waste. Well, we will send you the Motul oil can - keep it on your study table as a token of appreciation from us. Plus, not a six month, but a full year’s subscription is coming your way as well.
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KNOW SOMETHING THAT THE OTHERS DON’T? BIke India welcomes the views of its readers. Pen down any witty, logical or informative idea that hits your brain, and mail it to: Bike India, Next Gen Automotive, 401B, Gandhi Empire, 5th Floor, 2 Serene Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune - 411 040, India. Fax: +91 20 26830465 or email bikeindia@nextgenpublishing.net Don’t forget to write your full name and address!
chocolate heroes
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The first dumb rider obviously has no regard for safety, either his or the people around him on the road. Clad in sandals, we wonder if he continued and crahsed into the camera guy as well! The second dud here seems to be pushing his luck too far on a modded TVS Apache. What if the front tyre skids away from the tree branch? The Pulsar stunter, without any riding gear seems to be testing his luck. We hope all three survived to see themselves here.
and wheelies in the ‘Your Pics’ section. How about a decent knee-down cornering photo or a 40 degree-lean-corner-exit-power-wheelieKevin-Schwantz-style photo or a one-handpower-slider-Reuben-Xaus-style photo from the stunters. In the 0-100-0 shootout, I read that the R15 nose dives a lot under braking as demonstrated with a picture, but I can’t think of any bike which wouldn’t nose dive when braked hard with the rear off the ground with 100 percent of its weight plus the weight of the rider all on the front wheel as in the picture. Eagerly waiting for the next issue. Taxing issues From: Sudesh, Coorg In almost every BI issue, we read about buying superbikes and the heavy taxes the Indian government is imposing on the entry of these bikes. This is happening since the time your magazine was launched but till today no one has tried to find a solution. I am 37 years old and I would like to own a superbike before I die. This is the dream of most Indian middle class bike enthusiasts, however, shelling out Rs 14 lakhs is not a joke. I want BI to start a movement against the ‘lagaan’ that the authorities are imposing on superbikes. Let them protect the Indian bike manufacturers by imposing 200 percent taxes on imported bikes below 500cc. It will take another 50 years for a local manufacturer to build 500cc bikes with four cylinders. My suggestion is to create a fund and let all diehard superbiike fans donate money. I request BI to contact all the companies in India who are all selling superbikes on behalf us and request them to donate to the fund. With that money let us file a PIL in the court against the higher taxes imposed on superbikes. We have a right to know why they are imposing higher taxes and we will fight for the reduction of the taxes. In other countries, these superbikes are selling around Rs 5-6 lakhs. If it is the same here these bikes will sell like hot cakes. Of course, the government will also benefit with more revenue from the higher sales volume. Great point. We have been in regular touch with bike manufacturers and infact carried an article on the same some time back. The manufacturers are supportive, but at the same time, we are told the Government is too stubborn and doesn’t want to lend a helping hand at all. And this we feel is a big shame.
the right riding gear From: Praveen Shekhar, via email I have an axe to grind with Harry from Chandigarh in your August issue. I can understand his plight on bikers becoming strikers and graduating to more wheels than two. If he means a helmet as riding gear, I totally agree with him. But if his idea of being dressed to ride means being attired from crown to toes in a Rs 1 lakh plus outfit, which I don’t think every true-blue biker can afford, then he’s got the wrong thought in his head. I think a rider’s caliber has more to do with the total kms he’s crunched rather than the type or number of vehicles he’s got. Over the years, I’ve owned an Ind-Suzuki, an RD, two Kinetics, a Dio and a souped up RX-135. I’ve done 2 lakh km on one of the Kinetics with a Shogun 110 bore ported with K&N alone. I don’t think I have to say how much I would have clocked on the RX! About the guys on their imported CBRs and Busas, a majority of them might not even be average riders. Harry is right about the fact that all said and done, you don’t need a superbike to hit the highway. Love for the ride and Hamara Bajaj can take us a long way. Racing account From: Chaitanya Muralidhar Surve, Ratnagiri
First of all, happy birthday to BIKE India! I would like to share my first racing experience. To participate in the Rolon Championship, I bought an Apache RTR rear disc, Alpinestars SP1 leather suit, S-MXR boots and DSG gloves. I reached Kari Motor Speedway around 4.30 pm so the practice session was over for that day. The next morning, the Group D practice session started. Since it was the first time I was riding with all that gear, I couldn’t ride very well. In both sessions, I was finding it difficult to change gears and apply breaks. On Saturday during qualifying, I just managed a 13th place finish out of the total 14 riders. In the first and second races, I finished 11th out of 15 riders. I am satisfied with my result as I learnt a lot from this experience. Please feature more information on WSBK Championship and a poster of Valentino Rossi.
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Q&A R15 high lift camshaft
Got a question or a problem? We’ve got the answers Write to: Q&A, BIKE INDIA, 401B Gandhi Empire, 2 Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411 040. Or email us at: bikeindia@nextgenpublishing.net
in addition to a bigger carburetor. Lightening the crankshaft would also provide better acceleration. Upgrading R15’s tyres I have a YZF-R15 and want to upgrade the tyres of my bike (especially the rear tyre) with the FZ16’s tyres. Is it possible? Also tell me the difference it will make in the bike’s performance. Peter, via email
I am a R15 owner and a regular reader of your wonderful magazine. I’d like to install the high lift cam shaft offered by Yamaha. Will it have any adverse effects on the bike’s mileage and bottom end power? Will the camshaft last for a long period without unnecessary maintenance? By how much could my mileage vary if I install the component? Akhil V. - Kerala
The wide tyres of the FZ will necessitate a wider rim too. Performance is sure to suffer with such tyres because of the increased drag. Two-stroke into a four-stroke?
There’s no gain without pain, as the saying goes. With the high-lift cam, you might experience about five percent drop in mileage but, frankly, it all boils down to your riding style. There will be a slight drop in the bottom end performance as well. Reliability won’t be a problem with adequate maintenance. Bullet performance upgrades I own a Bullet Electra 350 CDI of 2003 make. My bike runs well but on highways I’m not too happy with the top speed it manages. I heard from one of my friends that I can change the carburetor to a bigger 32mm one as well as try to replace the air filter with a K& N one, my top speed and pick up should be good enough. Please advice. Pls advise if I can have 32mm carb put on my bullet and also the air filter and will it show good top end speed. Krishna, via email You can go ahead with the modifications but if you really want noticeably better performance then you need to port the engine, install bigger valves and a free flow exhaust system
Uncommon parts
I have acquired an old Honda CB 250 twin cylinder from my uncle some time ago. After a trial start, my mechanic heard some trouble from the engine side and hence decided to open it up. He found one piston badly cracked. So I need to replace it. Where can I find engine parts for this model? I don’t know its manufacturing year. I have its engine and chassis numbers which are as follows: Engine No. CB250E6039549 and Chassis No. CB250 6022878 How can I find it’s VIN and hence its engine part number? Or was there no VIN system during those years? Rushabh Shah, via email There used to be a garage in Mumbai called Central Garage where you could procure such hard to find parts. Unfortunately, they have closed down now. You can try the David Silver Honda Motorcycles Spares’ UK website at www.davidsilverspares.co.uk. All the best!
I want to know the difference between two- and four-stroke bikes. Can we turn a two-stroke engine into a four-stroke? I want to modify my two-stroke 1997 150cc Bajaj Chetak to a four-stroke one with electronic ignition. I also want increase its power and place a rpm meter. Can it be possible? I also want to replace the front and rear drum brakes with disc brakes. Rohan Kumar, via email A two-stroke engine is poles apart from a fourstroke. For details on the difference between them please refer to our previous issues or google the web. It is impossible to transform a two-stroke into a four-stroke. Get a better bike instead.
NEW BIKE FOR A LONG TRIP I recently got myself a new Yamaha Fazer. The bike has clocked just 400km but now I am shifting my house from Pune to Bangalore. I don’t want to send my bike via a cargo service for the fear of it getting damaged. Is it okay to ride a new bike for such a long distance? Aksah, via email Get the first service done immediately before undertaking the ride. It is perfectly fine for you to ride all the way down to Bangalore. Don’t over-rev or overstrain the engine on the highway. Keep speeds around the 80-85km/h mark and we don’t see a reason why a new Fazer won’t make it through the 830km trip.
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Electra Glide Ultra Limited
Street Glide Trike
Road Glide Custom
Fat Boy Lo
Harley-Davidson unveils its 2010 lineup The iconic manufacturer hopes to recapture the imagination of prospective buyers
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H-D heads full throttle towards 2010 with an exciting new range of cruisers
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arley-Davidson have unveiled nine souped up cruisers as part of their 2010 lineup. This perhaps is the most expansive new product rollout in the history of the company. Though the US-based motorcycle maker is going through a financial crunch with international demand of its lifestyle cruisers dropping due to the global meltdown, the introduction of these new models highlights H-D’s ambitious future plans. With this step, the cult motorcycle maker hopes to reach out and inspire H-D loyalists across the globe. The Electra Glide Ultra Limited model is the big daddy of Harley-Davidson’s Touring line. The twin cam 103 engine offers unmatched performance coupled by standard equipment items which were previously offered as accessories on regular H-D Touring models. The menacing and lean new Road Glide Custom model flaunts the merged exhaust system (two bend pipes merging into one exhaust). The slammed suspension and 18-inch front wheel add to the cruiser’s mean look.
The new Street Glide Trike blends the hot-rod, stripped down styled with the three-wheel category. This new 2010 threewheeled beauty inspires confidence and is designed for long haul luxury and loaded with custom Street Glide style. The Wide Glide returns with a loaded Tommy Gun exhaust, black laced wheels, short rear fender and a black thin rod sissy bar that remains true to the old-school chopper style with the comforts of a modern bike. To quench your burning desire to ride, you can also opt for the optional flame paint scheme. Bad is the new good. The new Fat Boy Lo accentuates the darker side dressed in Black Denim with Satin Chrome. This fat, dark and strong low rider is the new heavyweight on the road. Harley-Davidson CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) showcases four new limited edition models for 2010. These custom bikes flaunt lavish details and are powered by an adrenaline pumping 110 cubic-inch Screamin’ Eagle V-twin - the largest displacement V-twin offered by Harley-Davidson! The Softail Convertible offers the best of both the worlds, be it a comfortable cross country ride or a quick urban jaunt. Street Glide’s low and lean profile is enhanced with hand painted pinstripe flames and gold leaf graphics. A definitive hot rod bagger! The Ultra Classic Electra Glide and Fat Bob models are given new show stopping styling for 2010 with a new paint job and custom details.
Wide Glide
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IGNITION
NEW METAL
Bullet Classic spied in Bangalore Our reader manages to click the 500 Classic on trial in India
Royal Enfield might very well launch the Bullet Classic at the upcoming 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi
W
EREN’T BULLET LOVERS IN INDIA A LITTLE PISSED OFF WHEN the company decided to launch the bike’s latest Classic variant abroad first? Well, here is a piece of good news for them. BIKE India reader from Bangalore sent us these pictures which were taken a few days ago at one of the company’s authorized workshops. The Indian version, which we believe will be launched at the upcoming Auto Expo in Jan ‘10, will sport a similar look as the UK models. It will also sport the same EFI (fuel injected) 500cc UCE engine with twin-spark technology. Brilliant!
The 500 Classic has a top speed of around 130km/h (true) and can cruise happily all day long at 110km/h. We are told that the bikes that were being shown to customers in Bangalore had two different exhausts as well as two different seating positions. Royal Enfield will also be looking at launching the Machismo 350 and 5S Electra with twin-spark and EFI at a later stage. We are told that the test bikes are on a round in different cities like Delhi, Pune, Chennai, etc. So, what are you waiting for? Make a beeline for the nearest Royal Enfield showroom today.
Mahindra to launch three new products soon Two launches this month will help the company establish itself in the two-wheeler market
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AHINDRA TWO-WHEELERS HAVE CHALKED OUT AN aggressive plan for the next six months in order to gain a firm foothold in the Indian twowheeler segment. The company is already selling four scooters in the country – the Kine, the Flyte, the 4S and the Nova. In fact, the Flyte has registered sales of more than three thousand units per month already. The scooters remain technically unchanged from the Kinetic days but the real show for Mahindra will start from this month onwards. It is learnt that the company is on the verge of launching two new products followed by another all-new machine later this year. While we cannot divulge more details at this moment, we can firmly say that with Mahindra’s expertise and the right usage of the current sources, these new products will surely pave the way for the company’s success in the coming few months. The firm will take help from its Italian design house, the Grafica Ricerca Design S.r.l for designing its new products. Our sources also state that the company is looking at various options to offer the Indian youth a choice of modern, powerful machines but this may take a while. Mahindra will concentrate on the SYM portfolio for the moment and hence they have scrapped the Blaze for now.
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Yamaha set to surprise bikers again Forget the Fazer 250 and the scooters, here is the real thing
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IKE INDIA HAS LEARNT THAT YAMAHA India is close on the heels of launching one of the fastest production bikes in the world. Yes, as shocking as this may sound, we have confirmed reports of the Japanese manufacturer planning to roll out a new motorcycle in the country which will be
Any guesses about the bike under the cover? Shoot a mail to us asap
based on its DNA concept of style, design and tremendous performance. The bike is slated to be launched officially around the upcoming festive season. At this moment though, we can’t share more details on the model or its price. Contrary to the rumours floating on the internet across websites and biking forums,
Yamaha is not getting the 250cc Fazer to India any time soon. There are many reasons for this. The first being that the current single cylinder motor of the Fazer or the YBR250 sold abroad will not meet the strict Indian emission norms. Secondly, the high sticker price that the bike might end up commanding will hardly lure hundreds of buyers towards it every month. For instance, the R15 is doing around 1,500 units per month and the company doesn’t see a market for a 250cc bike in India, yet. The same goes for launching scooters in the country. When we spoke to a highly placed official, he dismissed off all the rumours with a smile stating that as of now, they are only gauging customer feedback and at least for this calendar year, there will be no scooter launches in the country. Watch our next issue for a complete lowdown on the new bike due for its Indian debut very soon.
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IGNITION
Bonneville turns 50 Triumph celebrates 50 years of the legendary Bonneville from 21st to 23rd August, 2009
T
HE BONNEVILLE BRAND took birth back in 1959 when the legendary British motorcycle marque, Triumph named its sporting new model to commemorate the breaking of the motorcycle speed record at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The company is celebrating 50 years of the motorcycle by hosting a range of events and entertainment programs along with the launch of a special edition Bonneville. The 50th year anniversary limited edition Bonneville T100 sports the same colours as the one that was initially launched in the market 20 years ago. The bike has been painted in two-tone Meriden Blue/Exotic Orange colour resembling the first Bonneville. While this modern bike shares the styling of its 50 year old namesake, the
bike sports a modern chassis and a fuel injected twin cylinder 865cc engine. Only 650 of these bikes have been manufactured and each one gets a unique numbering indicating its limited availability. Apart from the limited edition bike from the Triumph stable, the Triumph Owners Motorcycle Club is hosting a range of events for proud Bonneville customers. These events include a display of the customers’ bikes and a contest amongst them for various classes including Best Single Down Tube T120, Best Duplex T120, Best Unit Construction T120, Best Oil In Frame T120, Best Meriden T140, Best Devon T140 and Best Hinckley Bonneville. Music and other entertainment programs will continue till late night during show days.
Triumph celebrates its golden jubilee year with a classic limited edition bike
TVS Neo might be coming home
Is TVS planning to carve a niche in the step-through segment or has the duck shaped bike migrated for a change of weather?
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EVERAL READERS HAVE SPOTTED A STEP-THROUGH bike being vigorously tested near the BangaloreHosur highway. The bike in question is the TVS Neo, which the company is already selling like hot cakes (ducks) in bebek loving, Indonesia. Since its inception, the bike’s entry in India has been anticipated by industry gurus and bike enthusiasts alike. The Indonesian version of the TVS Neo is powered by an 110cc engine that can churn around 8.5bhp. The bike features a Dual Clutch System which offers an option between manual gears or an automatic transmission. Add to it the bike’s practicality bit - extra storage space under the seat can accommodate a helmet. TVS will be making certain modifications so that the bike is better suited for
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our torturous roads. Moreover, the firm will give the bike a fresh new look to make it more appealing for the not-yetimpressed Indian buyers. The south India based firm hopes to revive the stepthrough segment which hasn’t seen any major launches post the Bajaj M-80 and the Hero Honda Street - at least none that have captured our imagination. TVS Motors is aggressively planning to revamp its two-wheeler lineup by launching a ‘big’ scooter in the near future along with a new Scooty. Keep ‘em coming. The more the merrier, we say.
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IGNITION
BUZZ
Dreambikes opens in Pune The new dealership will initially provide high end Suzuki bikes
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SHOWROOM EXCLUSIVELY FOR multi cylinder Suzuki bikes was recently inaugurated in Pune. It will provide buyers with the Suzuki Hayabusa and Suzuki Intruder to start off with. Aptly named Dreambikes, the dealership will supply motorcycles coming through the Complete Built-up Unit (CBU) route only. Apart from selling these insanely fast motorcycles, Dreambikes will also provide after sales support and spares required for these bikes. The dealership has also set up a modern state-of-the-art workshop in Pune. However, customers outside Pune need not worry since technical support and service will be made available across the country.
Dreambikes has been previously associated with a handful of production houses for the supply and support of superbikes for Bollywood movies like Dhoom and Dhoom 2. Apart from motorcycles, Dreambikes also deals in international riding gear from Alpinestars. The complete range of Alpinestars including jackets, gloves, race suits, etc. will be made available by the dealership to make sure that every biker in the country is as safe as possible while enjoying his/her biking hobby. Dreambikes also promises to provide aftermarket performance parts like exhausts for high end motorcycles very soon for the performance crazy biker souls.
BIKE India Magazine, 401B, Gandhi Empire, 5th Floor, 2 Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411 040. INDIA Tel: +91-20-32930291 / 2 Fax: +91-20-26830465 Email us at: bikeindia@nextgenpublishing.net EDITORIAL Executive Editor Aspi Bhathena Assistant Editor Bunny Punia Copy Desk Monica Thakkar Editor At Large Navroze Contractor MotoGP Editor Mat Oxley Art Director Ramnath S Chodankar Senior Designer Ravi Parmar Designer Ajit Manjrekar Assistant Designer Varun Kulkarni Senior Correspondent Sarmad Kadri Staff Writers Sridhar Chari, Adhish Alawani, Ajay Joyson, Saeed Akhtar Staff Photographers Sanjay Raikar, Sawan S Hembram Production Executive Dinesh Bhajnik Administrative Executive Roshni Bulsara Contributors Nikhil Raghavan, DPPI, Marc Willing EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Hoshang S Billimoria Aspi Bhathena Navroze Contractor ADVERTISING Regional Mktg. Mgr. Ellora Dasgupta (North & East) Regional Mgr. A. Mageshwaran (Tamil Nadu & Kerala) Asst. Mgr. Advertising Chanchal Arora (Delhi) Area Advt. Mgr. Niladri S Majumder (Mumbai), Pramod Udupa (Bangalore), Y. Lingeswaran (Chennai) Sr. Response Executive Vidya Venkatesan (Mumbai), Sachi Kumar (Delhi), GROUP ART DIRECTOR & PRODUCTION IN-CHARGE Atul Bandekar
2010 Auto Expo dates announced
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ELEBRATING ITS SILVER JUBILEE YEAR, the 10th Auto Expo will be held from the 5th to the 11th of January, 2010. the event takes place every two years at the Pragati Maidans in New Delhi. It is the biggest automotive show in India and one of the largest in Asia. Spread over an area of 1,40,000 square meters, the show will witness participation from 2,100 small and big automotive companies from over 25 countries. Log on to www.autoexpo.in for more.
BIKE INDIA MARKETING OFFICE MUMBAI: NEXT GEN PUBLISHING LTD. 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai – 400016, India Tel +91 22 43525252 Fax +91 22 24448289 BIKE INDIA REGIONAL MARKETING OFFICES: NEXT GEN PUBLISHING LTD. 24 & 30 Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, Okhla, New Delhi - 110020, India Phone +91 11 42345678 Fax +91 11 42345679 NEXT GEN PUBLISHING LTD. # 903, 9th floor, ‘B’ Wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road, Bangalore -560001, India Phone +91 080 66110116
Raid kicks off in October 2009
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NEXT GEN PUBLISHING LTD. Chandan House, 3rd Floor, Mithakhali Six Roads, Ahmedabad - 380006, India Tel +79 40008000
It is slated to be the highest altitude rally ever HE ELEVENTH RAID DE HIMALAYA rally, the toughest automotive event in India and one of the most grueling events in the world, will kick off on the 7th of October, 2009. This time, the rally is also said to be the highest altitude event ever and will pass through one of the most isolated and extreme terrains in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The route will start from Shimla, passing through Manali, heading to Leh before a detour to the Spiti Valley. The rally will also see motorcyclists slogging it out in
Contributors to Ignition
the remote areas of Rangdum and Padum before finishing at Leh on the 12th of October. However, given the extreme nature of the event and the unforgiving weather conditions, the route and the schedule might witness a change in case of heavy snowfall. The last date for entries is 21st September however, it will attract late fee charges bumping up the total entry fee to Rs 19,500. Confirming your participation by 31st August will help you save Rs 4,500. For more information, log onto www.raid-
de-himalaya.com
Adhish Alawani, Ajay Joyson, Bunny Punia, Saeed Akhtar, Sarmad Kadiri, Sawan Hembram
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ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Marzban Jasoomani
SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION National Manager Circulation & Subscription K Srikanth Asst. Circulation Manager Operations Sanjeev Roy Asst. Circulation Manager Kapil Kaushik Subscription Supervisor Sachin Kelkar Tel +91 22 43525220 Fax +91 22 24448289 PUBLISHER Khushroo Bhadha Published by Khushroo Bhadha Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Printed by Khushroo Bhadha Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd Floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Aspi Bhathena
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SPECIAL FEATURE MY FLYTE OF STYLE
My Flyte My Style Here’s more concrete testament on the Flyte - straight from its proud owners
SANGRAM THOMBRE JUNIOR COLLEGE STUDENT Having procured his driving license just as he turned 18, Sangram had his dream-come-true moment when his parents promised to buy him a new motor vehicle. However, this young man’s spirits dampened when he realized that it was not a supersports bike (oh boy!) but a gleaming new Mahindra Flyte (sensible parents). One ride on the Flyte and Sangram was all upbeat again. He now hardly leaves his Flyte behind, be it the daily ride to college and
back or those Saturday night bashes or even those lovely dates. “The dates turn out to be very interesting with the Flyte,” he says. “Let them ride and sit pillion. That’s the mantra and the girls love it too.” Sangram also appreciates the generous underseat storage adding, “When there is light rain I can keep my science record books tucked away and be assured they don’t turn into modern art books”. With the fun and peace of mind that the Mahindra Flyte has given him, not to forget the ever increasing dates, Sangram looks like one happy teenager.
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Rebecca Lairenlakpam IT Professional Meet Rebecca, an IT professional working with Tech Mahindra. She starts her day like many of us, with that inevitable commute to work. And when it comes to Pune’s frenzied traffic, which can only be described as a living example of Brownian motion, Rebecca trusts nothing but her petite Mahindra Flyte. Compared to the Kinetic Zoom that she owned
earlier, Rebecca finds her new companion an utter delight to ride around. Be it the scoot’s smooth and peppy 125cc mill, its nimble handling, its front refueling system (which she absolutely adores) or its sleek and trendy styling, this IT professional just cannot find enough words to describe her Flyte. “I’m a total shopaholic,” admits Rebecca “and I find the Mahindra Flyte just perfect to haul all my bags that are usually big!” she adds with a cheeky smile. We couldn’t agree more.
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IGNITION
Bunny Punia
From the saddle
Dressing up for the Indian weather Do you really feel like being geared up from head to toe while riding? While we at BIKE India always promote the culture of safe riding but I personally feel there are a few instances that are exceptions to wearing a full set of riding gear. Of course, in India’s tropical weather, I don’t promote wearing full leathers every time you ride a bike for a spin to the nearest market or to the newsstand to pick up a copy of this magazine, except of course when you are doing track days. The simple reason is that you would most probably end up ruining the expensive suit with all that regular sweating, the salts from your body leaving a mark inside the suit forever and soiling it within a couple of rides. I feel the same goes for wearing heavy jackets while city riding, at least up north in India in summers. Last month I was in Delhi for a few days and had the mighty Hayabusa (a big thanks to Suzuki) for company throughout the weekend. I had a blast riding it around the city and out on the open highways (flip to page number 88 for more) but there is another story attached to the whole experience. Being used to the fantastic Pune weather lately, I was in for a shock when the 40 degree Delhi heat hit me. I had come well
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prepared with my riding gear – a lid, a pair of riding gloves, a jacket and boots – to pick up the bike from a dealer at 5 pm on Friday. What followed for the next hour and 25km of riding to my home has to be one of the most demanding and grueling rides of my life. I was literally bathing in my own smelly sweat in minutes. The heat was too much to bear and on top of that the 200PS mill of the ‘Busa was blowing hot air directly onto my legs and thighs. I was hardly averaging 25km/h in Delhi’s rush hour traffic and was probably looking like a dud wearing all that gear. To be frank, all that sweating and feeling hot and suffocated inside the jacket was robbing me of energy as well as concentration on the road. By the time I got back home, I was physically drained and completely drenched! The whole purpose of wearing riding gear for safety seemed to have been futile. I mean, I would prefer being fresh on board and be able to concentrate properly on the road instead of taking a sauna bath on two-wheels in the name of safety, feeling irritated and losing concentration on the road – at least for this kind of weather and while riding in the city. Don’t
take me wrong budding bikers, safety is paramount but what if one of us ends up biting the dust due to a lack of concentration because of all that suffocating heat and feeling uneasy clad in full body riding gear? A good lid, elbow guards and a decent pair of riding gloves, in my personal opinion, are enough for short hot weather riding stints in cities. And if you still want to be geared up even for the minutest of rides, invest in a mesh jacket with air vents. Regular readers will also recall my plans for a European motorcycle trip that I shared with you guys in these pages some months back. First of all, thank you to all those who wrote in to wish me luck. Secondly, a big hug to all my bosses for understanding
and supporting me for this ride of a lifetime. Well, it seems all that endless planning, phone calls and exchanging a hundred emails with a certain manufacturer has finally paid off. By the time you are done reading this magazine, I will be on my way to the Himalayas of Europe. Yes, Alps it is. The time has come to experience them first hand I guess. And yes, the Autobahns should help quench my thirst for riding a motorcycle with the throttle pinned to the max. Not to forget another huge surprise that I shall be sharing with you guys in the next issue. As for the bike I will be riding, there is a big enough hint in the following pages somewhere! b.punia@nextgenpublishing.net
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IGNITION
Glynn Kerr
Guru Glynn
Motorcycle Art
A bike can make a bold or a restrained statement depending on its colour and graphics scheme The brain reads simple blocks of colour to generate an overview, but to read detail, the eye has to focus on one element and blur the rest. For instance, it will be more difficult to pick out single book from a row on a shelf because the surrounding visual information is much more complex. You’ll first notice the spines with the strongest colours, even though they may not be the largest books. In the same way, loud and complex motorcycle graphic schemes will make the bike stand out from the crowd, but it will also make it harder to read to actual forms. To decorate is to disguise. If you look at a single-colour Ducati 1098 for example, you will take in the bodywork forms fairly quickly, especially as the more complex mechanical components are blacked out. The “R” version has some subtle graphics which mostly compliment the surfaces, although the Tricolore takes it about as far as the eye can handle while still being able to read most of the body forms. By the time we progress to the Bayliss or Hayden replica graphics, the eye is fully occupied concentrating on the colour blocks, and more or less gives up trying to read the surfaces. There’s only so much information the brain can process at a time.
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A colour split is visually much stronger than a change in surface, and our brain looks first for those graphical outlines to identify objects in the periphery of our vision. In more primitive times, this helped warn us of predators outside our immediate centre of attention, although in the modern world, we now have an information overload full of competing distractions. This makes it harder to concentrate on any one subject - think how difficult it is to find any specific feature on most commercial websites. Colourful animated pop-ups capture your attention much easier than that small static caption you’re searching for, and webmasters frequently reposition everything to make you to hunt around. The first impression is more attractive because it looks fresh and fun, but actually extracting the information you need becomes more difficult. As motorcycles have become more complex, designers have further amplified the visual impact by using colouring to emphasise certain components. Springs, brake callipers, disk carriers and even spark plug cables all compete for attention. Considering the intricacy of modern bodywork design, the volume of visual data your eye is trying to cope with is enormous. Add a few colour splits and
applied graphics, and the bike explodes into a confusion of information, which in most cases, is precisely the desired effect, The impact adds to the intended aggression, although some more amateur attempts can simply end up looking a jumbled mess. There is no right or wrong here - it’s just a question of what the designer is trying to achieve, whether that’s an in-house graphics specialist or
an individual personalising their own bike. Whether the graphics are used to play up or down the visual impact on production models usually depends on the target customer. Traditionally, the wilder colour schemes are favoured by a younger, more energetic and extroverted character, while mature riders usually prefer a more conservative
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5 1, 2, 3, 4. The RC142’s two-year restoration was exquisitely detailed
Lichtenstein
5. Over thirty years ago, BMW set a precedence with their Art Car series - here, the 320i Group 5 race car by renowned artist Roy
6, 7, 8, 9. Over sixty artistic celebrities displayed their individual graphical creations during the recent Love Cub 50 Project
and understated look. Not always though - a new motorcycle can also be seen as a mid-life crisis crutch, where extended youth is the very goal. Likewise, bolder graphics tend to apply to certain models over others, with the stronger multi-colour schemes being prominent on sports bikes, and single or more subdued hues applicable to tourers and commuters. Again, there are exceptions, such as Ducati’s “Dark” series and some vivid Harley-Davidson tourers. Initially, multi-colour graphics were seen as the prerogative of Asian manufacturers, with staunchly European companies like BMW shunning lurid decals for many years. But this has now become pretty international, thanks in part to Aprilia who showed us how to do it with class. And there’s nothing like a set of bright new colours to liven up long-in-the-tooth models, which has led to some unlikely combinations in the hope of a few extra sales before the plug is finally pulled on a production run. Graphic design has become a highly specialised sub-division of styling, with a heavy reliance on market analyse to ensure the various options meet their intended target customers. That said, there is always room for inspiration, even from higher up the cultural ladder. Back in the 1970s, BMW commissioned a few top artists, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol included, to
decorate some of their sports and racing cars. The idea was started by Le Mans driver Herve Poulain, who persuaded his friend, artist Alexander Calder, to develop a paint scheme for his 1975 entry, a BMW 3.0 CSL. The results were pretty impressive, and certainly made the cars stand out from the crowd on the circuit. Perhaps this idea was behind Honda’s recent initiative to invite over sixty prominent actors, artists, musicians, and sports personalities to modify a Super Cub in line with their own personal interpretations. Again, the modifications were limited to colour and graphics, so any hopes of strange mutations with a CB-X transverse six were dashed. Pity - it would have been interesting to see what Jesse James, Roger Goldammer and Roland Sands would have made out of a more open brief. But that seems to be the opposite of Honda’s intentions, as the rather cheesy title “Love Cub 50 Project” suggests. Instead, this event offered an excuse to emphasise all the positive aspects of the little Honda, on which, according to the company motto, you still meet the nicest people. No room for outlaw custom bikes here. The exhibition was displayed at the Mori Arts Centre Gallery in the heart of Roppongi, Tokyo’s commercial and entertainment centre, from June 26 to July 5, 2009. It also supported various UNICEF activities, which
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perhaps explains the somewhat unsophisticated nature of some of the designs, a few of which appeared more befitting for a duvet cover than a motorcycle. Fortunately there were also some inspired exhibits, actor Takuro Tatsumi and photographer Daido Moriyama producing two of the more notable examples. As the names suggest, this was a predominantly Japanese display, so perhaps it had more significance to the domestic audience. For viewers in the west, much of the point seems to have been lost in translation. As for a belated celebration of the Super Cub, without which there would be no Honda today, the euphoria was notable by its absence. It’s 50th anniversary last year passed with less fanfare than one would have expected, but as a functional transportation device rather than a lifestyle, it’s probably like trying to celebrate the BIC biro or the
folding umbrella. Of far greater interest was the presentation of Honda’s recently restored RC142, which represents motorcycling art devoid of the need for applied decoration. Racing inevitably reduces everything to a pure minimum, which simultaneously reveals its own inherent beauty. The RC142 was originally developed with no consideration towards aesthetics whatsoever, and yet despite that (or indeed because of it) it exudes a certain perfection all its own. Later racing Hondas were arguably more stylish, but the RC142 has a simplicity that is refreshingly honest. Given the choice between that and a Super Cub with an artiste’s painting on it, there’s no doubt which one I’d prefer to have parked in the foyer. If you throw Lichtenstein’s BMW into the equation though, the choice might be just a little harder...
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IGNITION
MOTO WARE
Don the Belkin bag and iPod case while on the move, make a style statement with Oakley shades and spend quality time at home with must watch biker movies
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01 BELKIN BAG
Belkin has recently introduced its range of laptop bags and we review the Larchmont here. Made of lightweight and durable material, the bag features two zip pockets in the front with a scratch resistant fabric for safely storing your cell phone or MP3 player. It also sports a removable zippered pouch for your laptop accessories, adjustable and padded shoulder straps and a handle that makes it easy to carry it around. Plus, the bag is available in various colour options to suit your taste. Price Rs 2,788.
02 TRAIL OF GLORY
Trail of Glory is the story of Valentino Rossi’s journey from being the son of a motorcycle racer to being one of the most successful motorcycle racers ever. The DVD takes us through the various stages of Rossi’s racing career right from where it all began in karting and also includes some of his best and toughest encounters at MotoGP. It shows us the kind of dedication he put in and the amount of hardships he faced on his path. A must watch for every motorcycle enthusiast.
03 BELKIN ARMBAND
Belkin offers a variety of classy and utilitarian cases for the iPhone and the iPod. What we have here is the armband featuring a transparent pocket for holding your iPhone/ iPod allowing the user to easily navigate through the device. An adjustable Velcro band ensures that the armband fits one and all. A small pocket for a key next to the device holder comes in handy when you go out jogging and have no pant pockets to hold that small house key. Price: Rs 1548
04 OAKLEY SUNGLASSES
Oakley ANTIX sunglasses provides a perfect balance between street sophistication and an outspoken attitude. With the Oakley OIL RIG you get the right blend of art and attitude in a single pair of shades. Both the Oakleys sport a continuous lens of pure PLUTONITE® fitted in the lightweight O MATTER® frame. The HIGH DEFINITION OPTICS® ensure great visual clarity and impact resistance. Multiple lens options are available for both ANTIX and OIL RIG.
05 ONE MAN’S ISLAND
One Man’s Island is a documentary which takes us through a man’s obsessive pursuit to fulfill his boyhood dream of racing. Mark Gardiner, a successful Canadian advertising creative director, quit his job, packed his bags and set off for the Isle of Man at the age of 46 in January 2002 with two purposes in mind: to race the TT and answer the question, why go racing? Watch the film to see how he unfolds the answers. September 2009
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IGNITION
readers’ page
your trips Who are we? Dinesh Gadkari Bikes : Hero Honda CBZ-Xtreme
A solo road trip gave Dinesh enough time to enjoy the bike, the scenery enroute and also India’s heritage and the beautiful monuments on the way
Trip Log : I started from home at 4.30 am and rode via BadlapurKarjat-Khopoli-Pali to Vakan Phata. After taking a small break for tea and snacks, I started riding towards NH17. After Chiplun, I rode nonstop to Sawantwadi, reaching at 2.30 pm. Lunch was at Bhalekar mess and the total distance I covered so far was 520km. On the second day, I traveled via Amboli Ghat-BelgaumDharwad-Hubli-Gadag-Koppal to
reach Hampi at 3 pm covering 380km. On day three, before starting from Hampi, I asked a couple of locals about the condition of the roads ahead. It is always wise to do so even if you have a map. Someone told me Bellary road is pathetic and another kind person suggested I go via KamlapurRaichur-Mantralayam-EmignurKurnool-Srisailam. The Raichur highway was superb and I was
cruising at 100km/h on my CBZ Xtreme. Kurnool to Srisailam too was a thrilling experience with very few vehicles on the road. When it started raining, I stopped at a dhaba with 60km to go and resumed my journey a half hour later. I reached Srisailam at 9.30 pm after covering 460km. Unfortunately, there was no lodge available for a single person as it is a Naxalite area that requires police
permission. Therefore, I went to a temple to relax but could not get any sleep. Though I left Srisailam at 4.00 am on day four, I could not get past the check post as it opens only at 6.00 am. Once it opened, I took the route from ShadnagarChevala-Sangareddi-ZahirabadBadlapur. I covered a total of 902km in 22 hours nonstop with only a halt for oil change at Solapur. Overall, it was an amazing experience.
YOUR STUNTS net, with the subject line, ‘Your Stunts’.
SEND US YOUR PICS! Get digital. Email your pictures to bikeindia@nextgenpublishing.
(Clockwise from top left) : Vidit Goel on the Karizma performing a simple stoppie. Anurag once again finds space here - a one hander basic wheelie with a pillion on the Karizma followed by a one hander stoppie on the Pulsar. Rinil shocks us with a 12 0’clock wheelie on the puny little Bajaj Caliber. However, those sandals really don’t go well here. Team mate Murali shows off a high chair wheelie on the Pulsar 200 - great stuff. Prajay Bikram Shah sent us this snap all the way from Nepal. The bike seen here is a Hartford VR-200H. For all those wanting to send us their stunt pictures, please make sure you send unedited, high resolution pics only!
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your trips Who are we? Bhushan and Navnit from torquehub Bikes: Royal Enfield Machismo 500cc
Trip Log : It was late in the evening when we set off for this journey from Mumbai and a halt on the Baroda-Ahmedabad highway at 3.00 am saw an end to the first day. On day two, with more than 700km to cover, an extremely hot climate, a nearly blind guy (I slept on my specs last night) and an aim of reaching Jaisalmer on the same day, we were being highly optimistic. The maximum we could ride without halt was 90km because the heat made us stop for water time and again. We reached Jaisalmer by midnight.
On day three, we chanced upon the sand dunes where the virgin sand has actual ripples without any trail marks. By midnight, we pitched our tent bang in the middle of the sand dunes. Soon after, heavy winds started blowing with generous amount of sand entering the tent and we had to wear our helmets to sleep. While we were having lunch on day four, the place around us turned red in colour and then there was complete darkness. People were roaming around with torches at 4.00 pm in Jaisalmer on this very day, the
This is what a true bike adventure is all about. Sleeping in tents, getting stuck, playing with a huge monitor lizard and relishing open roads 15th of June, 2009. We had just witnessed a sandstorm. The ride to Longewalla was one of the best rides because of the rains which followed the storm. The sand had settled, the air was clean and the sun was about to set. Open roads stretched for miles together with barren desert on both sides. We reached the Longewalla checkpost by 7.00 pm. It was a completely different feeling being there and we were mesmerized by the history of this place. We chatted with the men because of whom we sleep safe back home. With a heavy heart we set off for Jaisalmer. On day five, we headed for Jaipur. Riding with my modular helmet open, enjoying the breeze, I hit the brakes the moment I saw something crawl on the road. I was a bit late but I tried my best, and a huge monitor lizard had succumbed to death under the bike’s front tyre. It was 3 feet in length, heavy and massive. Due to heavy rains, we decided to halt at
Jodhpur. We reached Jaipur on day six and the next day we set off for Mumbai at 7.00 am. 20km before Udaipur it started raining again, but this time, we felt as if someone was pelting stones at us. To our surprise we saw ice cubes on the road. We lifted a piece to be sure whether it was really ice in the middle of the desert. By night the rain grew worse and was accompanied by lightning. We halted at a lodge on the highway and decided it is wiser to ride at 90km/h in the daylight rather than 40km/h at night getting drenched. Day eight was the last day of the ride. We reached Mumbai by evening and were overjoyed by this great sense of achievement. We faced extreme heat, heavy rains, hailstorm, sandstorm, killed a monitor lizard, rode with both riders nearly blind (I broke my specs and Navnit’s headlamp had wiring issues), met our men at the border, rode on amazing highways - what a ride!
(Clockwise from top left) : This has to be one of the best stunts ever from Stunting Hooliganz. Another members rolls the R15 on the rear wheel. Darvish and Amith from Outlawz perform on the YBX while team-mate Arjun lofts the Karizma for a 12 o’clock wheelie next to a train!
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IGNITION
NEW PRODUCTS
BIKER
MUST-HAVES Navigate while touring with Garmin’s GPS, get some sage advice for improving your biking skills and enjoy awesome action from the TT Mountain Circuit
ISLE OF MAN TT 2009 OFFICAL REVIEW DVD Somehow missed your chance to witness the legendary Isle of Man TT this year? Now relive the agonies and ecstasies the legendary race has to offer. The Isle of Man TT 2009 Official Review DVD, produced for the first time by North One Television, provides almost four hours of breathtaking action footage as records tumble in every single class. The DVD also includes all the practice week action including the glorious new lap record (unofficial) of Cameron Donald and also his TT ending practice crash. Bonus features include the historic lap by Rossi and an interview with the renowned ‘Voice of Motorsport’ Murray Walker. At Rs XXX, this one is a definite collector’s item.
ZŪMO ® 400 Motorcyclists finally get a fantastic GPS tailor made for a biker’s requirements in the form of the Garmin zumo 400. This GPS unit features an interface which can be used by motorcycle users with their gloves on. This comes as the most important feature since the tourers are always going to have their gloves on while riding. Preloaded street maps and a sunlight-readable screen make it even easier for the biker to read the GPS while riding. The waterproof navigator comes with a motorcycle mount to make it extremely easy to carry the GPS in front of you while riding.
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DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO BETTER RIDING The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has launched an all-new biker manual, ‘How to be a Better Rider - Advanced Motorcycling, the Essential Guide’ written by staff examiner Jon Taylor and Motorcycles Titles Editor Stefan Bartlett. The manual uses graphics and images to illustrate how to deal with tricky situations, for example, the right technique for bend assessment. The guide also has an eight page explanation on urban riding coupled with guidance on blind spot assessment. This definitive manual, for approximately Rs 790 plus postage and packaging, is useful for all riders irrespective of their level of skill and experience. Place your order on the website: iam.org.uk.
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IGNITION
RIDE SAFE
Concern for other road users City commuting is a major part of our riding and we share public roads with thousands of other fellow riders, drivers and even cyclists. Let’s keep our devilish spirit for racing on tracks aside and be responsible riders on public roads
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IGNITION
RIDE SAFE
Lane discipline The foremost rule of thumb is to observe lane discipline. (Bikers hold the number one position in breaking this rule on the road.) It’s understandable that you have a powerful, agile machine between your legs but that doesn’t mean you own the road and can cut across lanes wherever you find a gap.
Observing lane discipline results in a smooth moving traffic. Besides, cutting through traffic in a zigzag fashion can make other road users lose control over their vehicles. It also leaves you cursed by many. Crossing the midline of a two-way road is also not recommended under any circumstances. And this rule applies when
you turn right at any square or T-junction. Instead of taking the shortest possible turn by crossing over to the right lane, go for a bigger turning radius and stay on the left, all the way to the left lane of the next road. This way you will have a better judgement of any incoming vehicles while saving others from panic.
vehicle and the side wall. It may be noted that overtaking is simply prohibited on bridges. Some bikers also try to overtake buses from the left even at bus stops. Such moves must be avoided for safety of self as well as bus passengers. If you are really in a hurry and have to overtake slower moving vehicles, follow these steps. Firstly, your bike must have enough throttle response to overtake
the vehicle ahead within a considerably short span. Turn on your right indicator and slightly shift to your right to scan for any possible obstruction ahead. If clear, zip ahead to overtake, maintain this speed, turn on left indicator and slowly come back to the left lane. Avoid instant lane changing in front of the overtaken vehicle so that you don’t panic its driver.
Overtaking Many a times, bikers overtake other vehicles from the wrong side, at wrong places and wrong times. For instance, overtaking on a blind curve or a two-way bridge is strict no-no. Similarly, one must avoid overtaking any vehicle from the left side. An unaware driver of such a vehicle could push you out of the road. Even worse could happen on a bridge where you could be sandwiched between the
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Right of way Riding responsibly also implies observing rules when there is no signal or traffic police to control you. Such scenarios call for the right of way which defines who should get a priority. At a roundabout, any vehicle coming from the right (that has already entered the circle) has the right of way. Such vehicles should be
given priority to exit the roundabout. Ideally, you should slowdown before entering such an uncontrolled circle and turn on the right indicator if you have to go right. Pause and give way to any vehicle(s) on your right that has/have already entered the roundabout, slowly move ahead to turn right and maintain
that speed until you exit the roundabout. At such junctions, giving way to denser traffic will unclog the situation. If you are cruising at a comfortable speed, stick to the left so that faster vehicles may overtake you the right way.
using footpaths at crowded red signals. This must be avoided as the footpath is only meant for pedestrians. Similarly, bicycle lanes must be left for cyclists only. Night riding within city limits calls for low beam use only and never a
high beam which can blind oncoming riders. Be responsible citizens on public roads by giving way to ambulances, fire brigades and not honking near hospitals, educational institutions, etc.
violating traffic laws. Therefore, it is we who should take corrective measures towards being responsible road users and citizens. Following traffic laws should be second nature to a biker. The same goes for knowing what road signs mean and adhering to them
- like no horn zones! We should also be kind to other roads users especially the elderly and the fairer sex. Making use of the slightest gap in traffic is another thing we should stay away from. All these measures will help one become a better and safer motorcyclist.
Common road sense Safe riding begins with some common road sense. While understanding various road signs is vital, it’s also important to be considerate towards other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. It’s not rare to see motorcyclists
Editor’s Note It is common for citizens to look down upon bikers and often term them as being rowdy. But you cannot blame them as it is us, the bikers, who end up committing silly mistakes in everyday riding thus endangering ourselves or other road users and often
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MOTOMAIDENS
T
HE NUMBER OF WOMEN who ride superbikes in our country can be counted on the fingers on one hand. Hence it is an honour for us to feature Ambika Sharma, a lady who is accustomed to riding a Honda CBR600RR supersport machine. Biking is a passion she inherited from her father. It came as no surprise to her family when Ambika started riding a Bullet as soon as she was tall enough for her feet to reach the ground while she perched on the saddle. After fifteen long years and tens of thousands of kilometers under her belt, this fiery and independent gal holds her own in a traditionally male dominated arena. Ambika dabbled with a few 100ccs before settling for an Enfield 535cc before upgrading to a Honda. She is immensely enjoying her current machine and will upgrade to a higher capacity machine but has no immediate plans to do so. Born in January of 1979, Ambika stands head and shoulders above the regular crop of women (and a lot of men) at 172 centimeters. With full riding gear, standing next to her mean blue and white 115bhp machine easily capable of going at nearly 250km/h, she cuts a pretty imposing figure. Has she ever crashed? “Motorcycling
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comes with a certain risk. If you are biking, you have to get used to the idea that you can crash”, she says confidently as she hits 200+ km/h on her bike on the highway. A member of the Group of Delhi Superbikers (GODS), Ambika often ventures out with them for rides in and around town whenever she is not riding solo. It goes without saying that she attracts plenty of attention on the road. Although the usual reaction she gets is that of shock and awe, there have been times when she has been challenged to drag and race by other male riders. She takes such unpleasant incidents in her stride and deals with them calmly. Riding a supersports requires not just skill but also great responsibility towards oneself and others. Ambika has amply demonstrated that responsibility by riding Bullets for fifteen years and now by riding a supersports bike for over a year. Her choice of a 600cc and not a litre class itself demonstrates her ability to take mature decisions. She does not let her desires take her overboard but prefers to move ahead with calculated and surefooted steps. It is evident that Ambika is not just a pretty face riding just another motorcycle. Behind that disarming smile and gentle
eyes hides a steely determination that has got her where she has come. Through sheer hard work, she has accomplished a lot in her professional life as well. Currently stationed at the helm of affairs at Jagran Solutions as National Head she has been instrumental in making the company one of the leading activations agencies in the country. Ambika is truly a woman of today with a career that is going great guns as well. Next on Ambika’s agenda is learning how to stunt on a motorcycle. This lady knows no boundaries and is very capable of achieving all that she sets out to do. A multifaceted woman, Ambika also pursues other hobbies like designing graphics for motorcycles. She designed and implemented the graphics on a Hayabusa for a friend of hers and the effects were stunning to say the least. An inspiration for other budding women bikers in the country, Ambika has the last word as she states, “Whether for biking or for any other less traveled road that you may set your heart on, just go get what you want. For at the end of the road it will be a better, fun filled, well achieved life. As far as biking goes it’s a ride of a lifetime, every time …”
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Challenging Limits Monica Thakkar profiles a lady who has stormed the male bastion of motorcycling with ĂŠlan Photos: Krishnendu KES
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ROAD TEST DISCOVER 100
FRONT: Bajaj has retained the same styling of the Discover at the front
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TAIL: A new tail lamp for the Discover DTS-Si is the only visible cosmetic change
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THE COMEBACK HERO Bajaj returns to the 100cc bike segment with the new Discover 100 DTS-Si. Adhish Alawani rides it to see if it delivers what it takes to be the perfect commuter Photography: Sanjay Raikar
A
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BAJAJ announced their exit from the 100cc motorcycle market in India. The Pune based auto giant pulled out of this segment claiming that it was time India graduated from 100cc to 125cc machines as entry-level motorcycles. However, with other manufacturers still minting money from the 100cc bikes and the entry-level commuters still proving their potential in the market, it would have been unwise for Bajaj to stay out of the competition any longer. As a result, the company made a comeback to the 100cc class with a new machine – the Discover 100 DTS-Si. We all know that Bajaj makes a bike, then makes another one with the same name and a slightly different engine and then goes further ahead to make one more with the same name
and a marginally bigger/smaller capacity engine than the other two. Discover 100 DTSSi can be termed a result of this trademark process. The company first introduced the Discover a few years ago with an 112cc engine and then came the Discover with a 125cc mill. Recently, they also launched one with a 135cc motor and now what we have here is a 100cc Discover. So what is the point that the company wants to prove with their latest 100cc offering? A long distance commuter is what the company claims the new bike is. With all due respect, I decided to judge the bike the way the company is portraying it. I filled in exactly two litres of fuel in the bike when it came to reserve and decided to munch as many kilometres as the bike could manage till it came to reserve again. That would give me a fair idea
as to how much the bike can run in say about a hundred rupees worth of fuel. Though the 100cc motorcycles are meant for the city, I decided to take the highway first for my long distance ride. Almost 40km later, I came back to the city wondering if the bike had any negatives at all. The seat is flat and comfortable, the handlebar is upright and the footpegs are spot on for a commuter. The Discover feels a bit muscular for a 100cc bike which is a strong positive from the point of view of the Indian market. The motorcycle rides on Eurogrip’s three inch section rear tyre giving a fair feedback even on the corners. However, it was unable to inspire enough confidence on wet surfaces. Another 25km in the city traffic were enough to make me believe that there are quite a lot of reasons to buy a
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ROAD TEST DISCOVER 100 GEAR CHECK Rider: Adhish Alawani Helmet Jacket Gloves Shoes
DTS-SI V2.0: The new version of the DTS-Si engine has repositioned spark plugs
100cc motorcycle like the Discover 100 DTSSi. The most important reason is, of course, the fuel gauge needle which was still hanging around the same spot where it was 65km ago. There was hardly any fatigue that had crept in my body after over an hour’s riding, thanks to the gas shocks at the rear. The Discover has a reasonable midrange lending it fairly good tractability in the traffic. Does a commuter need anything more than that? I reckon not. So what is it that makes the Discover 100 such a fuel efficient and ‘long distance’ bike? Bajaj has introduced the second version of the DTS-Si engine in the new Discover. The two spark plugs, which were earlier located next to the intake and exhaust, now find place at 90 degrees to the intake and exhaust resulting in
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KBC VR-2 DSG Nero Spidi Strada Reebok
CONSOLE: The twinpod console hosts the speedometer, odometer and fuel gauge
better combustion of fuel. Not only does this improve the fuel efficiency of the bike but also increases the peak power output. Though performance hardly matters when it comes to commuters, it is worth appreciating that the Discover is the quickest to accelerate from 060km/h in its class and also boasts of being one of the fastest 100cc bikes currently available in the local market. Another very important factor contributing to the bike’s better fuel efficiency and top whack is the fivespeed gearbox offered by Bajaj on the Discover. The fifth cog makes sure that you are comfortably cruising at speeds over 70km/ h on the highway and deriving a good economy at the same time. Apart from these commuter elements, Bajaj offers some more
features that make the bike a worthwhile buy. You get an electric starter, alloy wheels, autochoke, LED tail lights and pilot lamps as standard on the Discover. So does it mean that the bike really has no downsides? I fear not. After riding the bike for over 200km now, the typical Bajaj vibes from the engine were observed. On examination, we found that the engine is rubber mounted which tries to cancel out the vibrations but doesn’t succeed to a great extent. Though this is the only factor that separates the Discover and the ‘perfect commuter’ from each other, it would really be wrong to say that Bajaj hasn’t delivered what they portrayed. At almost 79kmpl overall fuel efficiency, the Discover 100 DTS-Si definitely qualifies as a ‘long distance’ bike.
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OVERALL 1111 Bajaj Discover DTS-Si ROAD TEST # 76 PRICE Rs 45,115 (OTR, Pune)
Height 1087mm
GENERAL DATA
Saddle Height 800mm
AT ALMOST 79KMPL OVERALL FUEL EFFICIENCY, THE DISCOVER DTS-Si DEFINITELY QUALIFIES AS A LONG DISTANCE BIKE
Ground Clearance 165mm Wheelbase 1305mm Length 2040mm
Width 682mm Kerb Weight 115kg Battery 12 V / 5.0 Ah, Analogue speedometer, odometer
FUEL ECONOMY
11111
Overall* Highway City Fuel Tank Capacity(usable) Range *is 75% city riding and 25% highway
78.5 kmpl 86 kmpl 76 kmpl 8 litres 628 kms
ENGINE
1111
Type Displacement Bore x Stroke Valvetrain Comp Ratio Fuel supply Max power Max torque Power To Weight Ignition Starting
4-st,Single cylinder, air-cooled 94.38 cc 47mm x 54.4mm SOHC, 2-valve/cylinder 9.8:1 Carburetor - Keihin FIE PTE 16 7.7PS@7500rpm 7.85Nm@5000rpm 66.95 PS/ton Digital CDI Electric+Kick
TRANSMISSION
1111
Clutch Gears Gearshift Pattern Primary Drive Final Drive
Wet, Multiplate 5-speed 5-down Gear Chain
CHASSIS
1111
Type Suspension (Front) Suspension (Rear) Brakes (Front) Brakes (Rear) Tyre (F/R)
Single downtube Telescopic, Fork travel 130mm Nitrox, wheel travel 110mm Drum, 130mm Drum, 110mm 2.75 x 17” / 3.00 x 17”
PERFORMANCE 120
1111
ACCELERATION
100 80
19.70
60
8.51 3.92
40 20 0
1.39 TIME, SECONDS 0
2
4
6
8
Standing Quarter Mile (0-400m) ROLL - ON 30-70 km/h MAX SPEEDS IN GEARS 1 2 3 4 5 BRAKING* 60km/h to standstill 80km/h to standstill
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12
14
16
18
20
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23.57s@81.79km/h 3rd 4th 5th NA 12.36 18.03 True Speed Indicated Speed 31.33km/h 38km/h 48.99km/h 56km/h 67.06km/h 75km/h 82.15km/h 89km/h 88.34km/h 99km/h 24.68metres / 2.84s 42.55metres / 3.76s
Performance testing by Adhish Alawani
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8/18/2009 5:43:01 PM
Welcome to the future
FEATURE 25 YEARS OF NINJA
This is the moment motorcycling entered the modern age
IT’S DECEMBER 1983. THE VENUE IS Laguna Seca, California, USA. The event: the world press launch of the new Kawasaki GPZ900R. But that’s no journo in the saddle, it’s Jay ‘Pee Wee’ Gleason, legendary drag racer, about to demo the new superbike in public for the first time. In the ’80s Jay (he’s since dropped the PW moniker) was THE man to hire if you were a factory wanting to know just how fast your bike was in the quarter mile. In truth, the new 900R (the Ninja name wasn’t adopted until 1984) was so phenomenal, Pee Wee Herman could have been the rider. The 900R’s template-setting, liquid-cooled, 16v four was good for 242kmph and low 11sec quarters. The world would never be the same again.
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FEATURE 25 YEARS OF NINJA
25 years of the Ninja
Kawasaki is perhaps the most emotive of the four Japanese bike manufacturers, and few model lines have captured the imagination quite like the Ninja series. Even non-motorcyclists understand what a Ninja is. These are 20 of the most important bikes from a quarter of century of the Ninja – here’s hoping for another 25….
1984: GPZ900R 908cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 115bhp, 250kmph This is where it all started – the first Ninja, although Kawasaki only used that name in the States. The GPZ debuted the liquid-cooled, inline-four engine and was the fastest bike in the world at the time, yet managed to stop and turn corners properly. It laid the basic principles for today’s sports bike.
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19851: GPZ600R
1986: GPZ1000RX
592cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 75bhp, 225kmph
997cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 125bhp, 258kmph
One year after the 900R defined the modern superbike, the GPZ600R created the supersport 600 class, effectively, and killed the air-cooled 550cc machines of the day. Lightweight (fairing made of ABS and PBT plastic), sharp handling and a screaming engine set a template for the class still used today.
The GPZ1000RX used an enlarged version of the 900R engine for more power, but the ponderous chassis let it down. The older 900R was provided on the launch for backto-back testing, but journalists shunned the new bike. The 900 stayed in production well after the 1000 was deleted.
1988: ZX-10
1989: ZXR750 H1
999cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 137bhp, 266kmph
749cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 107bhp, 258kmph
The ZX-10 was a precursor to the world-beating ZZ-R1100, and shared many of its attributes. Big and comfy, this bike wasn’t a supersports machine, but chomped miles at high speed. The engine owed a lot to the earlier GPZs, but with design improvements churned out 137 horses.
While the sexy Honda RC30 wooed wealthy 750cc buyers, the head-banger ZXR and its World Endurance-styling lured the rest of us. Hard suspension, an uncompromising riding position, a revvy motor (from the GPX750) and amazing frontend feel morphed the Ninja philosophy closer to today’s bikes.
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FEATURE 25 YEARS OF NINJA
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1990: ZZ-R1100 C1
1990: ZZ-R600 D1
1052cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 138bhp, 277kmph
599cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 100bhp, 258kmph
Meddling politicians were trying to bring in a 100bhp limit, so Kawasaki restricted the ZZ-R to 125bhp. But the cure was simple – ZXR750 carb tops gave the slides full range of movement, and the record-breaking power and speed was unleashed. Re-styled D-models came without the castration.
Kawasaki entered the 1990s with a new 600 derived from the ZZ-R1100. Like its larger counterpart, it was the fastest bike in its class. John Reynolds won the British Supersport championship on one. It stayed in showrooms until 2008, selling as a budget all-rounder and a capable sports tourer.
1991: ZXR400 L1
1991: ZXR750R
398cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 65bhp, 227kmph
749cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 120bhp, 261kmph
Ten years before 600 supersport bikes became true race bikes on the road, the ZXR400 was already doing so. Uncompromising in its attitude, the howling 400 was one of the best sports bike you could buy if you were in the mood to ride it hard – and capable of leaving more powerful bikes behind.
In a bid to match the limited-run, race-special Honda RC30 and Yamaha OW01 in racing, Kawasaki released a race production ZXR750 model with a close-ratio gearbox, flatslide carbs, an aluminium fuel tank and better suspension to provide a better basis to build a race bike.
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1994: ZX-9R B1
1995: ZX-6R F1
899cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 139bhp, 274kmph
599cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 105bhp, 258kmph
Kawasaki was caught out by Honda’s lithe but powerful Fireblade. Its range had sharp 750s, fast but heavy ZZ-Rs, but nothing to compete directly with the Blade. The ZX-9R was supposed to be the answer – but the chassis couldn’t match the Blade. Later models redressed the balance.
Honda had set the supersport 600 standard for fast, able but slightly rounded machines. Kawasaki was the first to introduce a harder edge to the middleweight class with the ZX-6R. It had a screaming top-end, minimal midrange and typical Kawasaki hard suspension.
1996: ZX-7R P1
1999: ZX-7RR
748cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 126bhp, 266kmph
748cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 126bhp, 266kmph
The ZX-7R was dynamically behind rival 750s, but we loved it anyway. The styling and stark, simple paint schemes grabbed your attention, the front-end feel is legendary and although it was a bit heavy, it rode well on the road. It lasted until 2002 unchanged before emissions killed it off.
Kawasaki wanted to win WSB. The ZX-7RR had flatslide carbs, a close-ratio gearbox, an adjustable swingarm pivot, different suspension, better brakes and a stiffer frame. It never won a title, but it took race wins and Chris Walker narrowly missed the British Superbike title in 1999.
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FEATURE 25 YEARS OF NINJA
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2000: ZX-12R A1
2002: ZZ-R1200 C1H
1199cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 185bhp, 300kmph
1164cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 160bhp, 282kmph
Kawasaki lost its world’s fastest bike title in the 1990s, and the ZX-12R was built to win it back. A powerful motor and aerodynamic bodywork was the key. Most speed tests put Suzuki’s Hayabusa ahead of the Kwak, and a year later the Japanese manufacturers agreed to limit bikes to 300kmph.
The ZX-12R took the ZZ-R 1200’s place as a flagship bike, allowing the ZZ-R to assume a more natural role as a fast, sports tourer. It was good, but never recaptured the success of the 1100 because the ZX-12R was gaining a deserved reputation for speed and agility.
2002: ZX-6R A1P
2003: ZX-6R B1H
636cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 116bhp, 266kmph
636cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 125bhp, 269kmph
What to do when your 600 is lagging behind in sales? Kawasaki’s answer was to cheat – adding an extra 37cc whcih also resulted in a power increase across the rev range without adding any extra mass or raising the price. The 2002 ZX-6R was a well-rounded bike already and the extra grunt made it even better.
After years of lagging behind rivals with overweight, slightly soft sports bikes, Kawasaki hired Mazda MX-5 designer Shunji Tanaka to revamp the brand – the lighter and sharper looking 2003 ZX-6R with more power and agility instantly returned Kawasaki to building fast, light, sharp and utterly bonkers sports bikes.
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2004: ZX-10R C1H
2006: ZZ-R1400
998cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 175bhp, 296kmph
1352cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 187bhp, 300kmph
Following on from the revamped ZX-6R, the ZX-10R used the same formula but with the frightening speed a litre bike brings. The ZX-10R wheelies of its own accord at any point up to 225kmph or puts down arcs of tyre rubber out of corners at will. This bike was scarily fast and required a rider with balls of steel to explore its limits! Since then, it has evolved to become even madder.
The ZX-12R never captured the imagination like the ZZR1100, and the later ZZ-R1200 couldn’t either. Kawasaki reinstated the ZZ-R’s flagship position with the all new ZZR1400, giving it the same qualities of huge power, turbinesmooth delivery and comfort. A wheel-spinning monster and sedate tourer, the ZZR or the Ninja ZX-14 was finally able to give the Hayabusa a run for its money.
2009: ZX-6R P9F 599cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four, 134bhp, 274kmph The B1H ZX-6R put Kawasaki back in contention in the supersport class, but development lagged behind rivals. More midrange, Big Piston forks and a better overall package means Kawasaki is once again competing with the best in the supersport class it invented 24 years ago. September 2009
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FEATURE 25 YEARS OF NINJA
2008: Ninja 250R 249cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin, 30PS, 150kmph The smallest Ninja got a major revamp last year. New body design and running parts have completely transformed the baby Ninja. However, it is powered by the same twin cylinder 249cc motor which in itself isn’t a bad thing. This bike will be hitting Indian roads soon and at around Rs 2.5 lakh, the Ninja 250R will be a rider’s first step into the world of fully faired imported bikes in India. We can’t wait anymore!
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FIRST RIDE AGNI X01
ELECTRIC DREAMS Roland Brown lays his hands on the Agni X01, winner of this year’s Isle of Man TTXGP
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T’S A STRANGE FEELING; THERE’S no doubt about that. As I gently wind open the throttle approaching the apex of the tight, right-hand turn, the tall red racebike slows momentarily, then accelerates with a smoothness and lack of sound that make riding it feel like nothing I’ve experienced on two wheels before. Moments later I’m charging down the circuit’s back straight, with only a slight whine audible above the wind. My head is tucked behind the screen as much as I can manage given the bulky lump where the petrol tank would normally be. But there’s certainly no petrol tank on this bike, the battery-powered Agni X01 that won the TTXGP on the Isle of Man in June. The X01 is respectably quick without being particularly powerful or exciting, especially by the standard of TT-winning racebikes. Even so, it’s a real thrill to be riding the machine on which Rob Barber made history by winning the first ever international race for zero emission bikes. No other bike on the Isle of Man dominated its event to the degree that the X01 did that inaugural TTXGP. And by lapping the Mountain circuit at an average of 140km/h, it alerted many people to the potential of electric bikes. A couple of months later the X01 looks very much at home as it is wheeled out of the Agni van at the compact but well laid-out Rye House kart track, just north of London (the circuit where Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton began his career). The No.12 race plate and TT scrutineers’ stickers on its fairing nose are still in place, though the red paintwork is chipped in places because the bike was knocked over during one of several functions at which it has been displayed since its victory.
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Apart from that large, angular cover above where the petrol would normally live (this hides the electrical controller), the Agni bike looks relatively conventional. Unlike some of its more expensively produced and totally hand-built rivals in the TTXGP, the X01 is based on a production bike, Suzuki’s GSXR750. Instead of a 749cc four-cylinder engine, it has two cylindrical Agni electric motors, one poking out of the fairing on either side, and connected by a shaft running between them. Linking the motors so directly was a key feature in reducing friction, as was its creator Cedric Lynch’s decision to use a thin, non oring 428 drive chain from a motocross bike rather than the Suzuki’s heavier 520 chain, which he estimates would have cost several horsepower. Lynch, the London-born, ponytailed electric bike pioneer, works for Agni, which has bases in London and Gujarat in India. He designed the motor, which was also used by several rival teams. Minimising friction losses was important because the X01 doesn’t have huge amounts of power to play with. Each of its motors revs to 5000rpm and has an output of just over 20bhp (15kW) for sustained use, giving a total of 40bhp. The bike can produce over 70bhp, but only in short bursts because that level of output would soon overheat the motors and drain the battery. The “battery” consists of 42 individual 3.7V lithium polymer cells, arranged in parallel pairs, then linked in a series of 21 pairs. The cells are crammed in between the GSX-R’s aluminium frame spars. They contributed almost half of the bike’s total cost of UK £18,000, and are the main limiting factor in its performance. “The bike was designed to do 38 miles, and it was spot on,” says Lynch. “It was just starting to
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FIRST RIDE AGNI X01 cut down on power as Rob finished the race. He could probably have got another five miles, but at gradually diminishing speed.” The team considered using three motors, and a larger chassis that could carry the extra batteries to power them. “We planned a Hayabusa chassis with rear panniers to hold more batteries,” says Arvind Rabadia, who runs Agni with younger brother Hasmuk. “But Rob said the handling would suffer, and that a GSX-R750-based bike would be faster even if we couldn’t get as many batteries in. He recommended the GSX-R because that was what he was used to, and I think he was right.” Like Barber’s conventional racebike, the X01 uses standard Suzuki suspension parts with internals modified by specialists Kais to cope with a bike that weighs 215kg, roughly 40kg more than the GSX-R. Due to the bulky controllers it is also top-heavy, which was obvious even when I was pushing it around. Apart from that and the tall screen it looked and felt a bit like a slightly scruffy track-day bike as I threw a leg across the thinly padded race seat and glanced down at the bare cockpit. For my test the batteries were fully charged, and there was no need for the voltmeter that had been zip-tied to the top yoke in the Isle of Man. Barber used this to keep a check on the remaining power as he progressed through the TT lap, but as I was not planning to ride the 60.7km distance of a TT lap, it was not necessary today. Instead, Arvind turned on the ignition, located in the middle of the big red emergency-stop button in the tailpiece, a TTXGP requirement in case the voltage had to be cut following a crash.
Then I simply flicked the handlebar killswitch to “on”, and twisted the throttle to set the X01 pulling effortlessly forward with a slight whining sound from its motors, and a gentle whirring from the drive chain. Initial pick-up was modest, partly due to all that weight. But the bike shot effortlessly down the start-finish straight, seeming to accelerate harder until suddenly it was time to brake for a sharp left-hander. As I cautiously got to know both the bike and the slightly damp-in-places track, it was easy to understand why Barber had enjoyed riding the X01 so much — and that wasn’t just because it was the quickest bike in the race. Lapping the tight and narrow track without making more sound than a typical milk float was a curious feeling, especially as there was no gearbox or clutch to worry about. But most sensations were still those of a normal bike. There was still plenty to concentrate on, and handling was reassuringly neutral despite the high centre of gravity. The bike had been set up to produce torque in direct relation to throttle opening (an electric motor’s torque output does not vary with revs, in the way that a combustion engine’s does). Its throttle response could have been better, though. There was just a bit of play in the action, as though a cable needed tightening. And when I initially wound the throttle back at
the apex of a bend, the bike slowed slightly, due to the regenerative braking system (similar to that used by Formula One cars), which gave the battery a small charge each time. It felt a bit like turbo lag, and was soon replaced by a very linear feel. On my test, with this modest amount of performance, the lag wasn’t a problem. Rob Barber had obviously coped at the TT, too, as he won by over three minutes. But there was plenty of room for finetuning; not surprisingly given that Cedric built the bike in a couple of months. “I needed to take the tops off the controllers, which we bought from China, but I didn’t dare do it before the race in case there was a problem,” he said. At the TT the bike was speed-trapped at 164km/h on the Sulby straight in practice, and went slightly slower at the same point in the race, because Barber had ridden harder and used more power early in the lap. I didn’t match that speed because the Rye House circuit was too twisty, and the bike’s gearing had been reduced with a 72- instead of 63tooth rear sprocket. The bike was still pulling hard at about 100km/h when I reached the right-hander at the end of the main straight. Braking power from the GSX-R750’s fourpot Tokico calipers was typically impressive, and so was the suspension, which was reasonably soft (the Isle of Man’s Mountain circuit is notoriously bumpy in places) and
THE TEAM IS PLANNING TO DEFEND ITS CROWN AT NEXT YEAR’S TWO-LAP TTXGP WITH A NEW MACHINE THAT WILL BE FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE REFINED
The electric motor also gets support from the regenerative braking system Team Agni has its roots in Gujarat, India
This is what the dummy fuel tanks holds
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Brakes taken from the GSX-R750 perform well
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The Agni X01 has proved that the future of electric motorcycles holds great promise
L to R: Arvind Rabadia, Cedric Lynch and Hasmuk Rabadia
SPEC SHEET Agni X01 Engine type Batteries Maximum power Transmission Front suspension Rear suspension
Front brake Rear brake Front wheel Rear wheel Front tyre Rear tyre Rake/trail Wheelbase Seat height Range Dry weight
Two Agni electric motors, connected by horizontal shaft 42 x 3.7V lithium polymer cells, 77V total 70bhp in bursts; 40bhp sustainable Chain final drive, no gearbox Usd telescopic, Kais internals, adjustments for preload, compression and rebound damping Single shock, Kais internals, adjustments for preload, compression and rebound damping Four-piston Tokico calipers, 310mm discs Twin-piston Tokico caliper, 220mm disc 3.50 x 17in; cast aluminium 5.50 x 17in; cast aluminium 120/70 x 17in Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa 180/55 x 17in Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa 24 degrees/97mm 1400mm 810mm 65km (approx) under race conditions 215kg
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FIRST RIDE AGNI X01
Rob Barber with the other runner-ups at the podium
coped very well with the bike’s weight. The motors gave almost no engine braking but I could use the front brake into the turns, confident that the front Diablo Supercorsa would cope. Cornering performance was otherwise good and seemed fairly unexceptional, except when my knee-slider touched down with a loud scritch that emphasised the bike’s lack of noise. Refuelling the bike not with a top-up of petrol, but by plugging it into a mains socket, would have seemed more strange — and appealing, given the low cost. A full charge takes up to seven hours, although using a heavy-duty plug would allow the charger to be turned up from 25 to 35 amps, reducing time to nearer four hours. I finished the test impressed by the X01 and pleasantly surprised by its performance and relatively normal feel. On reflection I’m not sure why I was so surprised, especially at this
circuit. After all, electric go-karts are quite common, and the ones I’ve driven have been just as much fun as petrol-engined karts. On a tight track that doesn’t require big horsepower, an electric bike provides more than enough performance to be enjoyable. Agni have certainly proved that an electric bike can be quick and fun to ride, and the team is planning to defend its crown at next year’s two-lap TTXGP with a new machine that will be faster, more efficient and more refined. Given that the X01’s top speed is only just over 160km/h and its range barely 60km, there is clearly still a long way to go before electric superbikes come close to matching conventional ones. But electric vehicle technology is moving very fast. The X01 is more than a history making race winner; it’s the forerunner of an exciting new world of high-performance motorcycling.
Electric Bikes on the Charge The success of the TTXGP, and the impressive performance of the leading machines, has given a big boost to the image of electric bikes. And although even the race-winning Agni X01 can’t come close to matching a modern superbike for either speed or range, recent developments suggest that roadgoing electric superbikes might be much closer to reality than most people suspect. Already, the car world is surging ahead with an array of high-tech models set to be released in the next couple of years, backed up by an infrastructure that is rapidly being established to meet their needs — in some parts of the world, at least. Existing hybrid cars including Honda’s Insight and Toyota’s Prius from Japan are being joined by newgeneration hybrids such as the Volt from revitalised US giant Chevrolet. Fully electric cars set to go on sale next year include the Nissan Leaf, an affordable Japanese hatchback, and the sleek Model S from Californian pioneers Tesla. These cars, like the Agni X01, use the latest lithium batteries, which are several times more powerful and long-lasting than their lead acid predecessors. Now the race is on to develop the next generation of even better batteries. “There are rumours of batteries under development that would hold five times as much energy,” says Cedric Lynch. “They are rumoured to have a special surface on the plates: tiny silicon whiskers
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with a very large surface area in relation to their volume and weight, so active materials can be coated onto them. Because they are very flexible they won’t break.” Rapid developments seem inevitable, given the growth of the worldwide battery industry. “The main makers of lithium ion batteries are in China and South Korea,” says Lynch. “There are about 20 makes of Chinese batteries that anyone can buy, which is helping development of electric vehicles. American, European and Japanese battery firms are working with the big manufacturers but seem worried about putting batteries on the market in case someone has an accident and sues.” The balance of global battery power could shift following President Obama’s announcement on 5 August that the US government is investing $2.4 billion on 48 projects related to advanced battery technology and infrastructure for electric vehicles. Battle has clearly been joined for dominance of a revitalised, more environmentally friendly auto industry. Although motorcycle manufacturers are trailing behind, things are starting to happen. Piaggio has just launched the MP3 Hybrid, and several American firms are leading the way with fully electric bikes and scooters whose performance is continually improving. Motorcycling looks set to benefit from advances in the four-wheeled world — hopefully with some spectacular new models within the next few years.
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THE TEST 3600
THE Words Simon Weir Pictures Mark Manning
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ELCOME TO THE 360° TEST. The idea is simple – we take a key new motorcycle and examine it from every angle. How does it compare with the model it replaces? How well does it accomplish the job for which it was designed? And how does it fit into the motorcycle market? We’ve assembled a panel of six benchmark bikes that embody what’s best in their class. As well as putting our test subjects into perspective, our benchmarks will answer the bigger questions: would a sports tourer be a better buy than a big sportsbike? Is a 600 more practical than a litre bike on the road? Does swapping a sportsbike for a trailie make sense? So even if you don’t want the new model we’re testing, the 360° Test will help you buy the right bike next time you’re in the market. THE KTM 90 SM-T TEST STARTS OVER THE PAGE
THE BENCHMARK BIKES
THE BIG TRAILIE BMW R1200GS
THE SPORTS TOURER THE LITRE SPORTSBIKE THE BIG STREET BIKE THE SPORTS 600 THE MIDDLEWEIGHT TRIUMPH SPRINT ST HONDA FIREBLADE YAMAHA FZ1 FAZER SUZUKI GSX-R600 SUZUKI GLADIUS 650
Definitive dual-sport bike British world-beater
Fast, focused, lightweight Brawny all-rounder
The real-world 600
Friendly, agile, frugal
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Reader Matt Carson on the 990SM-T leads Simon Weir
Gulp. Suddenly, all the engaging tomfoolery of the supermoto was available – but with a 100bhp motor that would hit 135mph and cruise all day at 100mph. The 950 Supermoto was an instant hit. More than just a scaled-up dirt bike with a set of 17in wheels, this was a properly thought out road bike and, crucially, a really well built one. In last year’s RiDER Power survey it was ranked fourth overall. Of course, it still wasn’t entirely practical but it was as close to practical as it gets with a high bench saddle, an over-the-front riding position and no wind protection. But this year KTM unveiled the Supermoto-T (the T standing for Travel). Slightly lower, stepped, two-person seat, generous luggage rack as standard and a small, beaky cowl with screen and brush guards. This is a supermoto that’s
been built for the real world. Living with the SM-T shows just how practical it really is. The enlarged 19-litre tank goes 130 miles between fill-ups when commuting. The broad rack takes luggage while leaving space for a pillion. The screen works and cuts windblast on open roads, low-speed manners are impeccable and it’s good around town. All in all, it’s a very easy bike to live with. It’s almost possible to forget that, lurking just beneath the surface, is the original, loopy big supermoto. It’s coming to the fore now, though. I’m with KTM 950 Supermoto owner Matt Carson, comparing the two bikes. One of the key differences is the motor as, in order to get through the tight Euro III emissions tests, the SM-T is equipped with the 999cc fuel-injected version of the LC8. The
OWNER’S VIEW Matt Carson loved his KTM 660SMC – but it wasn’t enough. The 950SM was the answer. So what does he make of the 990 SM-T? “I know it sounds like some kind of advert, but you can definitely feel the DNA. The SM-T’s still very much a KTM. There were points where I could almost have forgotten which one I was riding – apart from the noise, of course (Matt’s bike has fruity Akrapovic exhausts). In comparison the SM-T sounds somewhat bland. “The SM-T is really easy to ride. It’s exciting, comfy and fast. There’s not much in it, but the 990 does feel like it maybe has a bit more… it’s certainly plenty fast enough, especially when you’re going for quick overtakes. “I did actually find it a little more comfortable to sit on than my bike. I think the seat’s slightly narrower as well as being a bit lower. It reminded me of the 690 Supermoto more than mine. “But I didn’t look at it and fall in love. Styling is subjective, but to me it looks a bit generic – if you took the stickers off, it could almost be a Japanese bike. If you’re going to spend this much money on a bike then it’s got to be perfect, and for me that definitely includes the way it looks. “If you wanted a more roadfocused bike than the 950, I’m not sure why you’d get this rather than the Super Duke. There’s not a lot between the 950 and the Super Duke as it is, though that is another naked bike. They’re all narrow, fast, and have good handling – the SM-T does everything the others do, but it does do more. It’s the kind of bike you could ride to France on. But the looks are enough to swing it – it’s just not for me. I use my bike mostly at the weekends so I don’t need it to be an all-rounder, so the 950 is better for me as it scratches my particular itch.” Base model comes with a miniminalist supermoto-style mudguard on the front wheel There is a rack on the 950SM but, as with the rest of the bike, it’s much more stripped back than the SM-T version If you think the SMT dash is basic, think again. The 950SM has just a speedo, a trip, a temperature gauge and light cluster
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THE TEST 3600
990 SM-T V E R S U S 950 SM KTM’s original big-twin supermoto has become a cult classic – but does the new Travel model gain much-needed practicality at the expense of the original’s character? 68
T
HE IDEA OF A SUPERMOTO could never be called practical: take a dirt bike, fit road wheels, ride like a loon, have a hoot. For a while, it almost looked as if large numbers of sportsbike owners worried about spiralling speeds would swap to supermotos to protect their licences. But it soon became obvious that while getting nicked for a three-figure speed was less likely, a steady diet of cheeky wheelies and stoppies was actually riskier for both licence and bodily wellbeing. Besides, the vibey single-cylinder motors and tiny tank ranges of the first supermotos inevitably frustrated anyone coming from bigger, faster bikes. Then in 2005 somebody at KTM had the bright idea of sticking their then-new LC8 V-twin into a bigger supermoto chassis.
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THE TEST 3600 More power, a bigger tank and a lower seat make the SM-T a great all-rounder
SHOULD I TRADE UP?
“BOTH BIKES ARE CAPABLE OF LETTING THEIR HAIR DOWN AND STRUTTING THEIR STUFF NAKED ON THE TABLE” fuelling is pretty smooth, though at low revs it’s not quite as silky as the carburetted 950. However, the 990’s a more efficient lump and produces a peak of 115bhp, with a handy 97.5Nm of torque – all of which is felt at the back wheel as I chase Matt down a twisty, bumpy B-road. Although the 990 makes more power than its sibling, the main difference is the slightly greater urgency with which it reacts to a cracked open throttle. It’s not much, but the 950 takes a fraction of a moment longer to really put its head down. Once moving, though, both bikes really get a shift on. Thankfully, both also have excellent brakes – radially mounted Brembo calipers gripping beefy 305mm front discs. They can haul it up from silly speeds in a trice for any corner, but this highlights the difference
SPEC SHEET Engine Power Torque Top speed Transmission Wheelbase Fuel tank Wet weight Seat height
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950 SM
990 SM-T
942cc 96bhp 87Nm 217kmph 6-speed 1510mm 17.5 litres 205kg 865mm
999cc 115bhp 97.5Nm 217kmph 6-speed 1505mm 19 litres 215kg 855mm
between the two bikes’ chassis: the front forks. The Supermoto has long-travel forks while the SM-T has externally similar upside-down WP forks, but the internals have a shorter range of movement for a more road-focused range of travel. The front-end dive under braking is quite pronounced on the Supermoto, but the SM-T dips its nose in a much less enthusiastic fashion and behaves more like a conventional road bike. Off the brakes and throwing the bike into a turn, there’s nothing to separate the two models. Both have wide, flat bars that make fast turns easy and both bikes feel stable at big lean angles – hugely confidence inspiring. That confidence is used when powering over crests gets the front ends going light. The SM-T may well be the sensible sister, but there’s no doubting that these bikes are very closely related. And both are capable of letting their hair down and strutting their stuff naked on the table. If all you need is a machine that will deliver constant, high-pulse-rate entertainment, then the Supermoto may be the one for you. Over short distances the extra windblast the exposed riding position exposes you to isn’t really noticeable and the higher, less tapered seat doesn’t get uncomfortable. And used prices on 950s are solid, but still represent good value – ’05 bikes can be had for as little Rs 2.80lakh privately, though a dealer will want more like Rs 4lakh for clean 2006 bike. On the other hand, if you know you’ll spend a few full days in the saddle, the SM-T has the edge: slightly larger tank, slightly more power, slightly more wind protection, slightly more comfortable. Only slight advantages in each area, but they all add up. For a truly practical and still madly entertaining supermoto, there really is only one bike to choose – the SM-T.
It’s not so much trading up as trading sideways. In performance terms, the SM-T is very close to the SM – yes, the fuelinjected 990 motor is fractionally more powerful and useable than the carb’d 950 engine, but certainly not by enough to make it worth trading up for. If you were looking to trade anyway and loved the SM but wanted a screen and brush guards – popular accessories for the SM – the SM-T is the logical choice. It has the essential supermoto character, but with added practicalities. The SM-T asks bigger questions of people considering buying a new 990SM. If you want the full supermoto experience, that’s still there. But if you want a bike that’s more of an all-rounder, if you’re likely to do a few big trips or take a pillion regularly, the SM-T has the original Supermoto beat from every angle. And it’s still as mad as a box of frogs in party hats when you want it to be.
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990 SM-T THE MOORS VERSUS
How well does the new KTM stand up to a long-distance trip on challenging roads – and against the most polished big trailie of them all, the BMW R1200GS?
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TRINES MOOR. I EXPECT you’ve never heard of it – I hadn’t until I was shown it by a friend. It’s a narrow strand of the lumpiest, twistiest asphalt you could ever hope for, winding its way north along the edge of the Peak District National Park. When I’d rattled and rolled my way across it for the first time on a BMW R1200RT tourer, taking in the stunning views, I’d forgotten about the bike I was riding and had one thought: I wanted to ride this road on another BMW – the GS. And now I am. I’ve taken the BMW R1200GS from photographer Weeble, giving him the keys for the KTM 990 SM-T in return. Turning onto Strines Moor from Snake Pass, I can feel my grin broadening, my anticipation rising. Unfortunately, as we thunder through the first two lumpy turns, I
“TOP SPEEDS ARE EFFECTIVELY IDENTICAL, IT’S THE WAY THEY GET THERE THAT FEELS SO DIFFERENT, ESPECIALLY ON TIGHT ROADS”
see Weeble sitting up straighter in the saddle – looks like his anxiety is rising. “That rear shock feels really soft on the bumpy stretches,” he explains. “Especially compared with the forks, which feel pretty firm. The front end’s simply awesome compared to the GS’s Telelever front end.” I like the set-up as it soaks the bumps up well but still doesn’t squat on the power. Still the plush WP suspension on the KTM is fully adjustable, so it should be possible to tweak it if it’s that much of a problem. “No, it just takes a bit of getting used to after the GS,” he says. “The back of that’s about perfect but the front’s too soft.” He’s dead right there. It’s not helped by the slightly remote feeling from the Telelever front end. Weeble’s bike has the optional
Electronic Suspension Adjustment with three settings for preload (solo, pillion, pillion and luggage) and for damping rates (sport, normal, comfort). Easier to adjust than the KTM – just press a button and it’s done – but ultimately less precise. After those first few corners, it’s clear that Weeble’s adapted to the KTM and he’s pressing on enthusiastically. “When you get used to it, the handling makes you want to attack every corner. And that engine’s a riot,”
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THE TEST 3600
990 SM-T IN DETAIL
Front end is great: powerful Bremos, light Marchesini wheels and upside-down WP forks
View from Holme Moss dwarfs even the GS and SM-T. They’re closely matched on the road
Brush guards come as standard. Handy for sparing fingers, windchill and for killing flies
Tail rack provides a broad, stable platform for luggage without denying the pillion a seat
Clear digital speed with clock and trip, big tacho and light cluster. Pity there’s no fuel gauge
Suspension is plush, fully adjustable and very controlled. Travel is shorter than 950SM
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he adds with a naughty glint in his eye when I catch up with him. The KTM’s 75° V-twin certainly makes the BMW’s 1170cc boxer twin feel a little ponderous in comparison. The GS puts out a modest 102bhp, though it still manages to develop a beefy 108Nm of torque. Top speeds are effectively identical – 217kmph for the KTM, 219 for the BMW. But it’s the way they get there that feels so different, especially on tight roads like Strines where speeds are relatively modest. The KTM is faster-revving and lighter – especially when not burdened with a huge luggage set full of heavy cameras, like Weeble’s GS – and that gives it a greater sense of urgency. The clutch is lighter as well and the throttle response much crisper. On these lumpy, gravel-strewn hairpins it’s easier to get at the KTM’s power. There’s not much in it, though. The GS hustles its way across the rough terrain without fuss, hopping over crests, pitching into the corners with gusto and galloping off down the straights after the Austrian upstart. The BMW is incredibly light on its feet and
so easy to ride, which is surprising for such a big bike – and the GS does feel considerably bigger than the SM-T, though without the BMW’s boxes the two bikes are very similarly proportioned. As we get on the bigger, smoother, more open A6024 from Holmfirth, heading out over the dramatic moorland of Holme Moss, the GS really comes into its own – the ride quality is plush and it flows through bends rather than charging at them. It’s serene where the SM-T is intense. The SM-T still devours the road with ease, but somehow it’s all just a little bit easier on the GS. On the motorway back home, the GS gets the upper hand on the comfort stakes with a slightly better seat and a much better screen. “The KTM screen’s rubbish,” grumbles Weeble. “The controls and the cockpit are all really well sorted and properly thought out. I like a gadget or two and you don’t get much for your money with the KTM.” That’s true, but the gadgets are what really pushes the price up on the Rs 7.53lakh BMW – heated grips cost Rs 15,700, the on-board trip
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“Living with the SM-T shows just how practical it really is”
You may wonder how Weeble took the pics and appeared in them as well. The answer is… he didn’t. We were joined for the day by reader Jamie Phipps, who acted as a (slightly thinner) body double for Weeble in the pics. We went to the Peak District, passing through Chesterfield and the Hope Valley, clipping Snake Pass before turning north across Strines Moor. From Holmfirth we headed south again.
Both great on trips that require stops for Yorkie bars. KTM is more thrilling, GS has the better screen
computer Rs 9800 – and that’s before things like ABS (Rs 71,600), traction control (Rs 20K) and the ESA (Rs 45K). Never mind the luggage, which is costly if you miss out on one of BMW’s offers. Fully loaded, Weeble’s bike costs Rs 9.14lakh. The GS is a lot of bike for the money, but that’s a hell of a lot of money for a bike. Suddenly the Rs 7.67lakh KTM is starting to look like a steal. Creature comforts and ride quality are the other main differences between the two bikes. It’s hard to split them on handling or performance – they’re different but still comparable. It’s that indefinable, hard-toput-your-finger-on quality of character that separates them. If you haven’t ridden a GS, it’s easy to imagine it as some big, heavy, almost agricultural chuffer – in fact it’s a refined, agile, quirky and thoroughly engaging bike. “It’s the way it comes together as a package,” says Weeble. “It doesn’t excel at any one thing but it all just works.” It’s a polished, laid-back, supremely capable machine that will take everything you throw at it, without ruffling a feather.
WHERE WE WENT
The KTM by contrast is a more urgent, involving bike to ride. It’s still refined, competent and highly capable – but it’s more likely to rouse your inner hooligan than the BMW. It’s one of those should-know-better bikes that happily breaks its routine of relentless polished excellence to let you indulge in life-affirming silliness. In fact, it
might egg you on a little. Which of these two is best depends on how you ride and what you want to do with it. For Weeble, the all-round brilliance of the GS can’t be eclipsed. For me, the SM-T’s slightly more stripped-down blend of practicality and an intense, involving ride is unbeatable. But they’re very, very close.
SPEC SHEET Price Engine Power Torque Top speed Transmission Frame Wheelbase Rake/trail Fuel tank Average economy Wet weight Seat height
KTM 990 SM-T
BMW R1200GS
Rs 7.67lakh (in UK) 999cc 8v dohc 75º V-twin 115bhp @ 9250rpm 97.5 Nm @ 7000rpm 217kmph 6-speed, chain chromoly steel trellis 1505mm 24.4º/109mm 19 litres 15kmpl 215kg 855mm
Rs 7.53lakh basic, Rs 9.14lakh (in UK) as tested 1170cc 8v sohc boxer twin 102bhp @ 7500rpm 108 Nm @ 5750rpm 219kmph 6-speed, shaft alloy subframes, load-bearing engine 1507mm 23.7º/101mm 20 litres 14.5kmpl 229kg 870mm
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THE TEST 3600
990 SM-T VERSUS FI H R O E N B D LA A D E
H P T M S I U I NT TRPR S
W S M G B 00 12 R
FZ YA 1 MA FA H Z A E R
THE MARKET
990 SM-T
Skinny trailie? Lanky all-rounder or jacked-up sports tourer? Or just a sensible swap for a sportsbike – where does the SM-T fit into the bike market?
THE LITRE SPORTSBIKE
THE SPORTS TOURER
Rs 7.85lakh (In UK) + 999cc inline four + 165bhp + 199kg + 290kmph
Rs 6.46lakh (In UK) + 1050cc inline triple + 125bhp + 210kg + 258kmph
HONDA FIREBLADE The Fireblade beats the SM-T… on outright speed. The Blade’s engine is obviously faster in a straight line and is just way too powerful for the road, especially when I never seem to get above third gear. The surge of acceleration compared to the Vtwin is outstanding. The SM-T beats the Fireblade… on the road. The fun and huge grin factors that can be had on the SM-T are far greater than the Blade, especially on bumpy B-roads, where the SM-T just excels beyond belief with it’s forgiving suspension. The Brembo brakes are just as good as the Blade’s and the riding position is much more forgiving. In my opinion the KTM ticks all the right boxes and many more – it’s an awesome bike. AUSTIN SMITH
TRIUMPH SPRINT ST The Triumph ST beats the SMT… for providing a complete, grown up, conservative package. It’s cheaper and the price includes panniers which are are bigger than KTM’s offerings. It manages further on a tank and for me it’s also a better riding position for covering long miles. Oh – and letting you keep your licence and sanity. The SMT beats the Sprint ST… at being mental. It’s able to do everything the Triumph can do but while having a total hoot at the same time. Handling is so much more focused once you’re used to it and the brakes are competition sharp. The engine is a peach, with power from everywhere giving complete flexibility. The riding position is good if you like upright, which also promotes endless wheelies, stoppies and general tomfoolery. MATT HULL
IT’S TRICKY TO PIN DOWN EXACTLY where the SM-T sits in the biking world. We ran it against the GS for its long-distance test, as their common semi-off-road heritage suggests that the highly evolved German big trailie is the closest bike to the SM-T. Yet you could argue that this new KTM is less of a trailie and more of a half-faired all-rounder – so how does it compare with FZ1 Fazer? Or what about the Sprint ST – which after all is another bike that is built specifically to carry passengers yet still delivers a sporty ride. And if you were to jump onto the SM-T from a big sportsbike, what would you make of it? That’s the point of the 360° Test – to look at the SM-T not only in relation to the bike that it came from or against the benchmark in its market sector, but also to understand how it compares with other types of bikes you might consider as alternatives. Our benchmark bikes embody the best qualities of their sectors, so if you want to know whether a sports tourer might suit you better than a touring supermoto (or whether you actually need a Fireblade), this is the only place you’ll find out.
WHERE WE RIDE THEM We use the TT all our riders know well, to provide comparable roads for this test.
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THE BIG STREET BIKE
THE BIG TRAILIE
VERDICT
Rs 6.80lakh (In UK) + 998cc inline four + 148bhp + 226kg + 250kmph
Rs 9.04lakh (In UK) + 1170cc boxer twin + 102bhp + 203kg + 210kmph
The SM-T doesn’t out-GS the GS. But it does something almost more impressive: it provides an alternative that isn’t merely a watered-down GS. It’s a tall, supremely competent all-rounder but it remains true to its roots. For all its practicality, it’s still very much a supermoto – as focused and as thrilling to ride as the 950SM from which it’s descended. If you think the GS would be perfect if it wasn’t so sensible, this could be the bike for you. It bears comparison to the Fazer as a taller all-rounder. Even getting off a bike as mind-blowing as the Fireblade, it doesn’t disappoint. Yes, speeds are lower – which could be a good thing – but the fun factor isn’t diminished. However, while it works as an alternative to a Sprint, it isn’t a substitute. Buying an SM-T is as much of a move away from sports tourers as choosing a Blade would be. One thing’s clear: whatever you’ve been riding, it’s likely the SM-T is a bike you’ll enjoy. Try one if you can.
YAMAHA FZ1 FAZER
The FZ1 Fazer beats the SM-T… for power. That LC8 twin is good, but it feels pretty puny compared with the Fazer when this 150bhp beast is wide open and howling. That also translates into speed – on roads with a decent surface, anyway. The Fazer is fast in a way the SM-T can only dream of being. Also, it has ABS if that appeals. The SM-T beats the Fazer… for comfort. The riding positions are similar, but the KTM is taller and more spacious – plus it has a comfier saddle, though the two bikes’ screens are similarly (in)effective. The KTM’s suspension is plusher and better damped, which make it better on bumpy roads. The brakes are better too. They do lack the ABS option but that doesn’t bother me. I just like the extra power and feel of the SM-T’s Brembos. Simon Weir
BMW R1200GS
The GS beats the SM-T… for comfort. The screen actually works and the suspension’s plusher. The luggage capacity is huge but the GS is still really easy to ride and rock solid, even when pressing on. The controls are better thought-out and there are more features. I know a lot of them are expensive optional extras, but I like my gadgets. It’s a real, grown-up bike and the whole thing just works. Awesome. The SMT beats the GS… for grunt. The GS needs another 10bhp and it’ll be perfect. The SMT’s gearbox is slicker – mine isn’t bad for a GS, but it’s still a bit notchy. The KTM’s handling is pretty good too, especially that front end. I’m not sure it’s actually better than the GS, but the suspension feels much firmer. Mark Manning
The Tommy Cooper Memorial Society relive another classic joke. How’d he do it, Jamie? Just like that...
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ROAD TRIP 150CC BIKES
ON SIX WHEELS
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Saeed Akhtar leads three slightly different 150cc bikes down the scenic west coast for a weekend of corner carving and nature gazing Photography: Sanjay Raikar
AND A PRAYER September 2009
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ROAD TRIP 150CC BIKES PROLOGUE “How the hell did we wind up like this? Why weren’t we able to see the signs that we missed…” crooned Nickelback front man Chad Kroeger somewhere near my left ear forcing me to cut short my slumber and see exactly where we had wound up. It was a hotel room which looked like, well, any other hotel room. But the sounds and smells fleeting in from the partly opened window were unlike anything we were used to. Birds chirping in an alien language, smells of spices and freshly caught fish and the all pervading sound of something being mercilessly squashed to a pulp at regular intervals. Switching off my cell phone alarm, I stumbled to the window and looked outside. It can’t be possible. We were in a hotel room perched perilously close to the ocean. What if a tsunami had decided to grace us with its presence while we were asleep? The last I remember was that we went to sleep in Belgaum yesterday. Or was it today?
It doesn’t get any better than this. Pristine landscapes,three new bikes and no traffic. Heaven!
CHAPTER 1: THE PLOT After spending God knows how many days cooped up in the office for the anniversary issue, the boss literally got fed up with us and had to order us to go out and get some fresh air. Four of us (the maddest four) trooped out of the office, took the lift to the parking bay, took three bikes the TVS Apache RTR 160 FI, the Hero Honda Hunk and the Honda Unicorn (Bunny hid the fourth bike’s key but justice shall prevail) and took off without any fixed destination. When we reached the first intersection, someone asked, “So, where do we go from here?” Blank looks all around followed by much scratching of heads. A religiously inclined staffer (forgot who he was) suggested a trip to Murudeshwar Island. Thinking that the happy gods would pave our roads with MotoGP grade concrete, order the sun to shine benignly on us and nuke all living things around the blind curves, we immediately agreed. Besides, Sanjay, our shutterbug, has his domicile in Karwar where we intended to spend the night. The three of us - Ramnath, Varun et moi were so busy conjuring up visions of pleasant rides through sylvan countryside that we did not pay any attention to the fact that the trip meant riding for 1500km in less than three days. CHAPTER 2: THE START After agreeing to meet at Koregaon Park at 04.00 pm and commence our journey from there, all of us rushed to our places and picked up whatever bare essentials we needed. In most cases it consisted of a toothbrush and a spare pair of jeans. Ramnath and Sanjay carted their belongings in backpacks while Varun and I shared a saddlebag. Getting out of Pune, Varun took a wrong turn and we had to continue till what used to be the Khambatki
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Toll Plaza without him. Due to the trusty nature of the Unicorn motor, we entrusted it with the saddlebag for the entire length of the trip. The NH-4 we were riding on, being part of the golden quadrilateral, was in pristine condition and maintaining triple digit speeds proved not too difficult. Strong crosswinds were a bother, though. Belgaum finally came up at 10. 30 pm and we checked into the Hotel Sanman, fatigued and bleary eyed. After a quick change of clothes, we trooped downstairs for dinner and beer. We ordered mackerel. It was the first of the countless fish varieties we were to consume in the coming few days. Then we started debating the finer points of mackerel vis-à-vis silverfish. When Varun announced, in a voice half the restaurant could hear, “I ride better when I’m drunk,” I decided it was time to plug in my headphones and go for a walk. CHAPTER 3: BELGAUM TO KARWAR We had trouble waking up the next day and by the time we wrapped up and were ready to move, it was already 9. 00 am. While Sanjay got busy with his Canon, the rest of us wolfed down some essential grub and got onto our bikes. I chose to ride the RTF-Fi for this section since I overheard them saying that the coming ghat section was pure biker heaven. And the RTR did not disappoint. The sporty riding position meant that the rider doesn’t have to wrangle the bike into the corners. The short wheelbase endows the RTR with the agility and the litheness of a cat. She turns effortlessly and maintains her line without much input from the rider. The fuel injection tech has given the bike a really good throttle response which made overtaking a pleasant chore even at speeds above 80km/h. Refinement, which was an issue with earlier Apaches, is much improved too. The Anshi Ghat National Park, home to melanistic leopards and elephants, amongst other fauna, lay in our way but what got our attention was the superb twisties it harboured. This 340 square kilometre park is pure cornering heaven and coupled with the steep slopes, it gave a really invigorating workout to all the bikes. However, the sound of three bikes being revved to their limits scared most of the animals away and Sanjay had to contend himself with shooting spiders and other creepy crawlies. He’s got a future with Nat Geographic but the way he was pushing his beloved Hunk, I fear he won’t be switching jobs very soon. Hunk! What a name. But in all fairness, this has got to be Hero Honda’s sexiest bike yet. The golden coloured GRS suspension is set a bit too firm while the light front end meant that we could tip her into corners without much fuss . The CBZ-Xtreme engine, renowned for its
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like a scene from a tim burton movie,the ghostly beams of oncoming vehicles emerge and then disappear into the mist again
Railways? Nah, not when we have the power of two wheels
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ROAD TRIP 150CC BIKES
Aww...c’mon Varun. It’s not really your cup of tea
Shailesh applies Fair & Lovely even as the aunty tries to hide her smirk
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Ahhh...the heavenly aroma of sea water fishes dried in the sun
Stop showing off! Tarzan never wore a leather costume,neither did he carry backpacks
Come closer dude,we’re on camera. And for God’s sake, try to imitate my smile
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THIS IS WHERE THE KALI RIVER JOINS THE ARABIAN SEA NEAR THE TOWN OF KARWAR
C’mon you snails.That corner yonder shall prove which one of us has got the biggest balls
What in God’s name is that? A sign pointing both ways in a language alien to us
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Second Opinion
brimming torque curve, comes in handy while taming uphill ghat sections too. Ample pulling power is always at hand on the Hunk and a twist of the wrist suffices to propel you forward with urgency most of the time. The Unicorn, despite being an accomplished bike in every way, tends to be overlooked in most group tests simply because it is getting rather too long in the tooth. The first bike in India to feature a monoshock, it has got a firm yet a very comfortable ride. The smooth-asbutterscotch engine is its biggest trump card, especially as one tends to get fed up of buzzy motors over long distances. As with most Hondas, fit and finish is top notch and reliability is a given. Through some of the bumpy sections of the ghats, it displayed remarkable composure and we all loved it for that. Chapter 4: Karwar to Murudeshwar After the spirited riding in the ghats, we reached Karwar before schedule and crashed into the aforementioned hotel. After depleting our marine resources for the third time, we ambled towards the seashore while Sanjay left us for his home. We spent hours staring at the foaming sea, entrenched by the waves rolling towards the shore. In the waning light, the waves looked like gigantic snakes, rushing past us to confront each other. Reluctantly, we retired to our rooms and fell asleep watching a horror movie on the telly. The next day, we had a sumptuous breakfast of traditional South Indian fare at Sanjay’s house with his family. Then we set off along the coast for Murudeshwar. We managed to complete the 100-odd kilometers within three hours with a puncture on the Hunk thrown in for free. So much for a holy trip! The coastal town, much to our dismay, turned out to be a heavy tourist destination. The Murudeshwar temple has a history that dates back to a few centuries but the biggest attraction, the Lord Shiva idol is relatively new. And when we say biggest, we mean literally. The idol towers 123 feet into the sky
The underdog surprised us. I had always heard Aspi and the others appreciating the Unicorn for its fine qualities. This ride completely changed my perception towards these three bikes. The RTR 160 Fi smoked the other two on the highways but once the bad roads and ghats started, the Hunk and the Unicorn took the lead. When the going got really tough, the Unicorn stood out. The mono-shock suspension simply cannot be matched by the other bikes. Add to it the smooth engine and punchy midrange and the other two bikes suddenly start feeling out of place for a ride like this.
Varun
Ramnath
I have been using the Apache for almost two years now. My long term bikes have been the 160, then the 160 Fi and now the 180. The bike which always impressed me in the city, however, let me down a bit on this trip. The Hunk and the Unicorn felt better but the top end punch of the RTR had the others biting dust. I loved the Unicorn for its suspension and butter smooth engine and would opt for this bike any day for touring than the other two. The Hunk also scores over the RTR 160 Fi when it comes to seat comfort and smoothness. But for me the Unicorn wins hands down.
Ah sir! You must be sweating in that leather costume.How about an IDIAL icecream?
and is the tallest Shiva idol in the world. After gazing in awe for quite sometime at the temple towering over the mini peninsula we retreated to the Naveen beach resort restaurant, an equally imposing structure but catering to somewhat less spiritual cravings. Built entirely on the sea, the restaurant offered an excellent view both of the sea and the temple. For those who are planning on an overnight stay look no further than the attached resort of the same name. After witnessing an impromptu rainfall, all our machismo took flight and rushed back Irony doesn’t get better than to the warmth of the Sai International. this.The Hunk suffered a Chapter 5: The Anti-climax We had to be back behind our desks on Monday morning and that meant covering more than 550km in a single day - not all the roads national highways. Harebrained, yes, but our unflappable designers and photographer decided to give it a try anyway. So we tanked up our bikes at Karwar at 10. 00 am and noticed that the Hunk was consuming a lot more fuel than it ought to – bad tuning I reckon. First the puncture and now this, the Hunk seemed to be under an evil curse but the two others were chugging along just fine. When we reached the famous Amboli Ghat section, the rains started pelting down really hard and we had a tough time negotiating the blind curves with the visibility narrowed down to a few metres (believe it). The sheer natural beauty of the area was offset by the throngs of half naked revelers who had come in Taveras and Innovas for witnessing the beauty but apparently were deriving more enjoyment from destroying it. After a few final photos we got on the highway to Pune and finally we could stretch our throttle cables to the limit once again. A white Fabia driven by some boy racer gave us some entertainment as we diced through slow moving traffic together. I rushed into a fast decreasing left-hander on full steam and had to clamp down the anchors hard while at full lean but, even then, the RTR was unflappable. Thank god for twin discs! We finally reached Pune at 2. 00 am in the morning without any mishap in the entire trip.
puncture on the way to the Murudeshwar temple.
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EPILOGUE
The West Coast is one of the world’s ‘Ten Hottest Biodiversity Spots’, harbouring over 5000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species and 179 amphibian species including 325 globally threatened species (Wikipedia, guys). Karwar is a place of great beauty, renowned for its marine cuisine, seaport, Oyster Rock lighthouse and, recently the newly established Naval Base. There are spectacular views of the sea wherever you turn and the ambience gets magnified a thousand fold in the waning evening sun. The gigantic Shiv idol at Murudeshwar and the towering temple on the hill of Kanduka Giri testifies the sheer power of religious belief. The twisties at Amboli Ghat enveloped in the clouds, is the stuff every biker dreams are made of. The Anshi National Park that we rode through was teeming with exotic flora and fauna (from the noises) though we could spot only the odd assortment of bonnet macaques and some creepy crawlies. Seems the RTR FI’s sound scared them off. The sound of the FI echoed through the woods, sounding far
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sweeter than any Stradivarius inside my Sparx, especially with the visor down. Ah yes, the bikes. Although this was not intended to be a shootout in any form, the bike that all of us coveted towards the end of the trip was the Honda Unicorn. It might be the oldest of the trio here but the overriding smoothness of the Unicorn is the trait that is appreciated the most over long distances. Regular readers might have noted that Ramnath and Varun were part of the Ahmednagar trip last month. And yet, the fact that they were more than enthusiastic for this 1000-odd km trip speaks volumes about their biking souls. Separated from their iMacs, Photoshops and all the digital whizbangery, they are genuinely fast sport bikers. In normal times, every one of us would have craved for the RTR’s lithe handling and power delivery but here the tables were reversed and the Unicorn beat it squarely. The Hunk inherits the heart of the Unicorn in a sportier package but loses points, to an extent, on the comfort factor that is so important while chewing up the miles.
Hooray! We are amidst the clouds. Balle Balle Gangsta rap style at the Amboli Ghats! India September 2009
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GEAR CHECK
GEAR CHECK
Rider: Ramnath Chodankar
Rider: Saeed Akhtar
Rider: Varun Kulkarni
Helmet Jacket Gloves Boots
Helmet Jacket Gloves Boots
Helmet Jacket Gloves Boots
KBC VR-1X DSG Falcon DSG Puma street shoes
GEAR CHECK Sparx S-07 Technik Chicane DSG Moto Mesh Woodland
KBC Master YLW KRP Blizzard Meshtex Angels Racing B-Zero Adidas
besides being A biker heaven, The anshi ghat (part of the anshi national park) is home to a variety of exotic flora and fauna
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FIRST RIDE YAMAHA FAZER
Spirited Tourer
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Can a 150cc bike be good for touring? Bunny Punia has the answer
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n June ’09, the FZ series accounted for 45 percent of the total sales of Yamaha in India. The bike has been significantly responsible for changing the face of the company in India. The new FZ-S that was launched some months ago got a tremendous response from youngsters. Continuing on the success of the FZ series, the Japanese giant rolled out yet another variant of the 150cc bike – the Fazer. The company has followed the philosophy of cloning their best selling international products lately. The R15 is inspired by the R1, the FZ16 by the FZ1 and now the little 150cc touring machine apes the 1000cc Fazer sold abroad. Essentially a FZ with a quarter fairing, the Fazer oozes appeal and looks more like a high capacity machine. It’s surprising how the inclusion of just a quarter fairing can completely change the way a bike looks. The fairing, with twin headlamps and a small pilot lamp in the center, is claimed to be wind tunnel tested. Visually, you can’t notice any other changes though and the bike imparts a macho and sophisticated look, no matter which angle you see it from. Once you swing a leg over the machine and hold the handlebar, you realize the seating posture has changed. It’s a lot more comfortable now – a welcome change from the aggressive seating position of the FZ and should do well in fulfilling the requirements of a capable touring machine. The handlebars have also been raised and are responsible for making the rider feel comfortable over long stints. Powering the Fazer is the same 153cc engine which churns
out 14PS of power with 13.6Nm of torque. The bike in this avatar gains a few kilos but that doesn’t affect the performance much. Of course, most tourers would have preferred a more powerful engine but this one still doesn’t disappoint. At an indicated 80km/h, the engine is spinning at around 5800rpm with enough juice in reserve for overtaking traffic. The Fazer might not keep up with bigger bikes on the highways, but it has all the other elements that a budding long distance biker would seek. As mentioned earlier, the comfortable saddle, the ergonomic riding position and the new fairing that deflects a good part of the wind away from the rider are positive traits. Another change we noticed has been the inclusion of dual horns, a very helpful feature while passing heavy commercial traffic. The new Fazer is available in four colours: Electric Blue, Midnight Black, Lava Red and Flaming Orange and is available at an ex-showroom price of Rs 72,000. The bike might seem expensive for a 150cc machine but there is a lot more being offered keeping aside the powerplant. The company is betting heavily on it and is pushing the model aggressively with their new ‘touring spirit’ campaign. With the number of Fazers being seen on the roads, we think its working well. Over the past two to three years, we have seen a growing trend among young bikers in India – that of heading out on weekends and exploring new places. Most of these riders don’t see these rides as a race against time but more as a leisure experience and this is where the Fazer fits in perfectly. So, where are you heading out this month?
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RIDE ‘BUSA FOR A DAY
A DAY OUT WITH Bunny Punia takes the Suzuki Hayabusa on a date with eighteen other superbikes in New Delhi
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AVING GROWN UP SPENDING WEEKENDS chasing superbike groups in Delhi, it was always a dream for me to ride along with them someday. Being good friends with the founder of one of India’s biggest superbike groups also meant that it wasn’t long before I would be riding neck to neck with the finest superbikes that grace our Indian roads. I was visiting my hometown Delhi for a weekend last month when suddenly the idea of realizing my childhood dream popped up. I have ridden various superbikes (both the legal as well as the grey market ones) but I have never had the opportunity to ride in a group of big bikes. All it took was a call to Suzuki and they were more than happy to arrange the big momma of all bikes – the Suzuki Hayabusa GSX-R1300 for me. The last time I rode this bike was way back in December 2008 when we got it for an exclusive test in Pune. The Group of Delhi Superbikers (GODS) usually ride out every Sunday on the NH-8 (DelhiJaipur highway) for a quick run to Aravali resorts for breakfast and back. Being the summer, 6 am was the meeting time on the beautiful multi-lane Gurgaon expressway. Within ten minutes, the meeting point was beaming with no less than nineteen superbikes which also meant traffic on the busy NH-8 literally came to a halt - a reason enough for us to start our ride. The
sound of nineteen big machines starting off together with aftermarket exhausts screaming out erotic sounds was nothing short of ecstasy. I decided to be at the back, following the group, seeing the line of bikes zigzag through traffic and finally hitting the open highways with the speedometer needle sitting on the wrong side of 100km/h for miles and miles. The Hayabusa has to be the world’s best sports tourer and even at an indicated 150km/h, the motor was literally lazing around at just 5000rpm. We reached our breakfast point soon and the next hour was spent discussing the ride’s events with fellow bikers and having a word with one of India’s leading golfers, Jyoti Randhawa as well as with this month’s Motomaiden, Ambika Sharma. After a quick photo-op, we all started back for Delhi but the group soon broke up which also allowed me to spend more time with the big ‘Busa, appreciate its finer points and indulge in high speed touring whenever the road allowed. I also took a detour to meet a few more biking fellows of xBhp with a Yamaha MT-01, Kawasaki 636 Ninja and Honda 954RR for company. But as expected, the mighty Suzuki stood out. The world’s fastest production machine has an aura that none of the other bikes can match. The two days I spent with this legendary bike have to be one of the most enjoyable biking moments of my life.
THE BUSA IS THE MOST FAMOUS SUPERBIKE IN INDIA TODAY. NO WONDER, IT ACCOUNTED FOR SIX OUT OF THE TOTAL BIKES PRESENT 88
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H THE FALCON tch a glimpse of lhite, you can ca 6 am, next to If you are a De at ay nd Su y er t ev the GODS almos mp on the Gurgaon highway pu rti Mu iv Sh the
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BORN WILD
Modified desi choppers are a regular feature in our magazine, but this one’s got the dope to justify its mammoth road presence reckons Bunny Punia
CUSTOM CRAFT STEEL RHINO
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F
rom time to time we at BIKE India have featured various customized bikes, usually choppers, created by our readers. Some of the designs have been radical and creative enough to be on par with work done by experienced professionals in this field. Most of the local custom built motorcycles we have spoken about so far have sported lavish cosmetic elements and graphic treatments, however, the engine has remained more or less stock. Well, all this changed a few months back, when we received a mail from an avid reader who mentioned a completely redesigned motorcycle that frankly not only looked great but also boasted of plenty of new innovations. Most importantly, it sported an engine potent enough to justify the bike’s mammoth look. Dee-zane Pamei, a native of Manipur, currently living in Dehradoon is the mastermind behind the brute chopper you see on these pages. It all started when Dee-zane customized his Royal Enfield Bullet and lovingly named it the Steel Rhino. The outcome was a roaring success but the only thing lacking was raw outright power. This gave birth to the idea of placing an engine from the Maruti 800 into an altogether new bike with a different concept. It took a year for him to plan the bike and another thirteen months to complete the project with the help of his small team of hard working and creative guys. Since they wanted to make sure that as few parts from imported bikes as possible were used, they came up with indigenized ideas instead. For instance the four shock absorber front suspension amazes us! The team is proud to have handcrafted the entire bike as visible in these pictures and so are we. 1. A body part gets the welding treatment
weeks that turned into months!
6. The fuel tank was hand crafted
2. Power comes from an old three cylinder 796cc Maruti 800 motor
4. The front end looks beefy, thanks to the unique four shock absorber setup
3. The project involved a step-by-step approach which meant days turned into
5. Grinding to smoothen out the engine mounting points
7. Left to right: The men who made this bike come to life - Tayyab, Dee-zane, Adil, Aslam and Shahzeb. The four guys are part of a workshop called ‘Engineering Redefine’ which is run by Shahzeb
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CUSTOM CRAFT STEEL RHINO
Dee-zane Pamei
Power comes in the form of a 796cc three cylinder Maruti 800 engine which is cleverly mated to a six-speed gearbox taken from the Yamaha RD350. The Steel Rhino weighs over a quarter of a ton but with all that power, the bike manages to clock around 185km/h on the speedometer with a 17 tooth rear sprocket. Shifting to a smaller 14 tooth one pushes the speed to beyond 200km/h! The power is laid down on the tarmac via typical cruiser style fat 170mm rear and 140mm front tyres. The huge 24-litre tank gives the bike a range of close to 400km in city riding. Dee-zane claims that though this bike is
heavy and rides on fat tyres, once on the move, it is relatively easy to maneuver it in traffic. Dee-zane and his team’s efforts seem to have paid off as the Steel Rhino looks like a typical Yankee chopper. It is imposing and has a massive road presence. If you are in Dehradoon or passing through the town, don’t forget to stop by Mula Building and have a look at this bike. What makes this unique motorcycle even more special is that it is a product of a team that is not professionally into making choppers. Dee-zane and his team truly deserve a huge applause for their astonishing creation.
Dee-zane, a member of the Rongmei community from the Naga tribe is the brains behind the bike. Originally from Manipur, he decided to dedicate his creation as a gesture of respect to the Rhino which is an identity of the local people from the North-East. A marshal art specialist, Dee-zane lives in Dehradoon and spends his free time with orphans and less privileged kids
At first look, you will mistake it for a big bore Yankee chopper. The fat tyres, the chunky fuel tank, the big exhaust and the unique front suspension - the 800cc inhouse designed Steel Rhino urges you to get astride it and ride lazily on open roads
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MotoGP - GERMANY
FIAT YAMAHA’S CONTINUES Pedrosa may have squeezed out his first win of the year at Laguna but at the Sachsenring, it was Rossi and Lorenzo dominating practice, qualifying and the race on their YZR-M1s Report: Mat Oxley Photography: Adhish Alawani
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S DOMINATION S O
nce again it was the Jorge and Vale show, the M1 duo fighting for the win down to the wire. This time Rossi won by 0.099 seconds, Lorenzo very nearly beating the world champ to the line after a strong exit from the final corner. The race was tight. Rossi got the holeshot and led most of the 30 laps, but Stoner ran strong in the mid-stages to lead for ten laps and Lorenzo got in front for three laps in the closing stages. Meanwhile Pedrosa was always in with an outside chance, the Repsol man setting a new lap record on lap 25 as he tried to improve on third place. No one else was in the frame. Rossi made a real effort to escape when he
retook the lead from Stoner on lap 17. He managed to put the Aussie between himself and Lorenzo but not for long and from then on it was a straight Yamaha duel to the finish. A few laps later Lorenzo was already having a look for a way around his team-mate. Rossi seemed to have things pretty well covered, then on lap 26 Lorenzo slipped ahead at the tricky dead-slow and off-camber first corner. But you never know with Rossi. He’s a wily fox and maybe he let the youngster ahead to gauge his strengths and weaknesses for the inevitable last-lap showdown. With two laps remaining Rossi returned the compliment, out-braking Lorenzo into turn
one, then at the start of the final lap Lorenzo made a valiant attempt to ride round the outside at the same corner but that was never going to work. Anyway, he stayed close enough to have a chance at the final two medium-speed lefts. Lorenzo didn’t quite have what he needed to attack on the brakes into those corners without risking a blue-on-blue disaster. “We set the bike up to be strong on the brakes,” that’s why Jorge couldn’t get past,” revealed Rossi’s crew chief Jeremy Burgess. “That was another great battle with Casey and with Jorge,” said Rossi. “It was fun but hard, and interesting too because Jorge used a harder rear tyre. Near the end I made a good
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MotoGP - GERMANY Casey Stoner did manage to lead for a while before Rossi took control of the race
Lorenzo exchanged places with Rossi a couple times before settling for a second place in the end
Colin Edwards, ahead of Melandri and Hayden initially in the race, had to be content with a ninth place Nicky Hayden still tries to figure out the Ducati
800CC CLASS position Rider 1 Valentino ROSSI 2 Jorge LORENZO 3 Dani PEDROSA 4 Casey STONER 5 Alex DE ANGELIS 6 Toni ELIAS 7 Marco MELANDRI 8 Nicky HAYDEN 9 Colin EDWARDS 10 James TOSELAND 11 Loris CAPIROSSI 12 Niccolo CANEPA 13 Chris VERMEULEN 14 Mika KALLIO 15 Gabor TALMACSI
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Timing 41’21.769 41’21.868 41’24.668 41’31.995 41’43.291 41’52.621 41’53.070 41’53.495 41’54.634 42’05.695 42’19.144 42’22.308 42’25.414 42’25.924 41’22.338
attack and on the last lap I was very fast where it mattered.” For the second time, in as many days, Lorenzo had to pretend he was happy with second. “The main thing is that we are learning and improving,” he said. Pedrosa might have had a better chance if he hadn’t had left-side front-grip issues which gave him a few scares. Team-mate Dovizioso had the same problem, the left side of his Bridgestone front badly shredded. Stoner looked good, running tighter lines than Rossi and comfortably sweeping into the lead at turn 12 on lap seven. However, he was never able to shake off Rossi and then he had a big moment in the closing stages. “I was catching Valentino and Jorge, then I had a problem with the rear which started sliding really quickly, I was lucky to stay on the track,” said Stoner, in better shape than in previous races. De Angelis ran a lonely race to fifth, by far his best result since he took sixth place in Qatar. Team-mate Elias made it a great day for team owner Fausto Gresini by coming home sixth, having started from last on the grid.
Hayden should have done much better than eighth behind Melandri but he ruined his whole weekend in the first few corners, slipping to 14th. “I threw away everything we worked for, got in turn one hot, lost the rear and got roughed up,” said Hayden, who had crashed at speed during morning warm-up. “I got too excited, first time I could see the front this year.” Edwards finished a second down on his compatriot. “It was a weird race and I had a similar problem to the last few races,” he said. “It feels like I’ve got a load of weight on the rear pushing me into the corners, so I can’t turn.” Tech 3 team-mate James Toseland was tenth, well ahead of Capirossi, Canepa and Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki), the Aussie riding in serious pain after a big highside on Friday. Kallio struggled with his finger injury and tyre woes, taking 14th ahead of last finisher Gabor Talmacsi (Scot Honda) who scored his first MotoGP point. Dovizioso retired with five laps to go, blaming an electrical problem. De Puniet went down at turn 11 on lap one, the right side of his tyre obviously not warm enough after the track’s sequence of five left-handers.
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250CC CLASS position Rider
Timing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
27’11.034 27’11.513 27’11.562 27’11.900 27’12.294 27’17.006 27’19.755 27’19.796 27’30.210 27’38.984
Marco SIMONCELLI Alex DEBON Alvaro BAUTISTA Hiroshi AOYAMA Hector BARBERA Hector FAUBEL Aleix ESPARGARO Thomas LUTHI Raffaele DE ROSA Roberto LOCATELLI
250cc race Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) put himself back in the world title hunt with an impressive win in tricky conditions. The race was stopped after one lap due to rain and restarted over a shortened distance, on a mostly dry track. The Italian overcame early leader Alex
Debon (Aprilia) to score his second win of 2009 which went some way to making up for three earlier DNFs. Simoncelli is still some way behind series leader Hiroshi Aoyama (Scot Honda) who got beaten for third by title rival Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia).
125cc race Spaniard Julian Simon gained the upperhand in his 125 title duel with Aspar Aprilia teammate Bradley Smith, taking a dominant win while Smith crashed out. Simon led from start to finish to win by nine seconds – an eon in 125 GP terms – to extend
his points lead. Smith ran off the track on the first lap, then crashed trying to fight back. Third Aspar rider Sergeo Gadea took a lonely second to move past Smith on points. Juan Olive (Derbi) won the battle for third after Marc Marquez (Red Bull KTM) fell at the final turn.
125CC CLASS Position rider
timing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
39’57.337 40’06.752 40’14.896 40’14.924 40’17.077 40’18.115 40’18.245 40’35.558 40’35.771 40’37.422
Julian SIMON Sergio GADEA Joan OLIVE Nicolas TEROL Pol ESPARGARO Sandro CORTESE Andrea IANNONE Danny WEBB Dominique AEGERTER Tomoyoshi KOYAMA
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THE UNDERDOGS HAVE THEIR DAY It was the strangest podium of the season as all four title hopefuls fell victim to the perilous conditions in one way or another. Colin Edwards came from 15th to snatch the second place from Randy de Puniet, finishing just 1.3 seconds off his first elite class victory while Andrea Dovizioso took a courageous win in treacherous, drizzly conditions Report: Mat Oxley Photography: DPPI
T
here are few more perilous things to do on a racetrack than ride a MotoGP bike on cold slicks. But that’s what everyone did at Donington, apart from the Ducatis who took the bizarre gamble of starting on rain tyres. Drizzle fell intermittently through the British GP, making for the worst possible conditions. “It was right in the middle – very bad on slicks and very bad on rain tyres,” explained Rossi. Winner Dovizioso’s lap times – varying by 14 seconds from lap two to 30 – illustrated how much conditions changed as the rain came and went. Two of the early leaders crashed, both after touching damp white lines at the edge of the track. Toni Elias led the first two laps and then fell at high-speed while still in the leading group. Then on lap nine race leader Lorenzo touched a while line braking into the final hairpin. Two inches too wide and it may yet cost him the world title. That put Rossi in the lead, with Dovizioso right behind, the pair circulating together, feeling for grip. Rossi found out just how treacherous the conditions were when he slid off at two-thirds distance as he turned left into the Foggy Esses. But the last third of the race was anything but easy for new leader Dovizioso. Like everyone he was struggling especially in the lefts
because most of the track’s left-handers were wet, allowing the left side of the tyres to cool off disastrously. And all the while de Puniet and Edwards were inching closer. Dovizioso’s lead shrank from eight seconds to 1.6 seconds with three laps remaining, but his pursuers were riding the ragged edge just as much. The Texan and the Frenchman battled back and forth during the final laps, Edwards grabbing second at the last corner. Dovi’s victory ended a galling run of three DNFs (two crashes, one mechanical). “It’s a fantastic feeling to win my first MotoGP race because this is the top series in the world with the best riders,” said the former Donington 250 and 125 GP winner. “Conditions were so difficult. It was like three different races – riding hard at the start when it was nearly dry, following Valentino as it got wetter, and then judging the pace once I was in front. I rode well in every section and managed the very tricky situation, so it’s really satisfying, and important for my confidence after the last three races.” Edwards was the man of the race. He was still only 13th after seven laps. “I ran a front tyre I hadn’t even tried,” he said after his first podium of 2009. “The race started and everyone was going, I was like ‘where the hell are you all going,
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MotoGP - Great britain XXXXarting fourth on grid, Barbera had to battle it out before taking the top podium spot
Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet scored their best individual results of the season by finishing second and third respectively Lorenzo’s sliders kissed the tarmac as the Spaniard braked hard on a wet patch leading to a crash
Colin Edwards rode brilliantly from the back to finish on the podium Tony Elias led the race for a while before becoming the first victim of the damp track
Rossi crashed from the lead, picked up the bike, restarted from 11th and finished fifth to showcase the class of a champ
man?’ I’m just trying to get a feel for the track. Then I started working my way up. There was a point where the rear got cold and I had some big moments, then it got warm again, then it started raining again, so the left tyre got cold like ice. I was trying to go down the straightaway on the left side of the tyre, making a big arc just to get some heat into the tyre.” De Puniet was just happy to get his first podium with his hard-up LCR team. “When Edwards was catching me it gave me the chance to reduce the gap on Dovizioso, but it was too late and too dangerous to try to win,” he said. Alex de Angelis (San Carlo Honda) made it three RC212Vs in the top four, the Italian seven seconds behind de Puniet. Rossi recovered from his rare error to take fifth, passing local hero Toseland on the final lap. He regretted his error, but not that much. “I was racing to win and I made a mistake,” he said. “Because of this
100
approach I have won a 101 GPs. If I rode more safely today then maybe I would have got second place, but also maybe I would have won 30 less GPs by now!” There was no doubt that Rossi was lucky not to damage his M1 in the fall. Melandri was the first rider home who had changed to his ‘wet’ bike. He took seventh, 13 seconds behind Toseland, and just ahead of rookie Niccolo Canepa (Pramac Ducati) who scored his best result so far. Canepa overcame a tentative Pedrosa in the final laps. Mika Kallio (Pramac Ducati) and Suzuki duo Capirossi and Vermeulen were the only others to change bikes, coming in tenth, 11th and 13th respectively. None of their lap times improved substantially after they had swapped bikes. Stoner and Hayden were at the back, burning their rain tyres to destruction on the mostly dry track, the Aussie also burning his championship hopes.
800CC CLASS position Rider 1 Andrea DOVIZIOSO 2 Colin EDWARDS 3 Randy DE PUNIET 4 Alex DE ANGELIS 5 Valentino ROSSI 6 James TOSELAND 7 Marco MELANDRI 8 Niccolo CANEPA 9 Dani PEDROSA 10 Mika KALLIO 11 Loris CAPIROSSI 12 Gabor TALMACSI 13 Chris VERMEULEN 14 Casey STONER 15 Nicky HAYDEN
Timing 48’26.267 48’27.627 48’27.867 48’35.225 48’47.889 48’48.732 49’01.551 49’05.036 49’08.379 49’12.112 49’19.457 49’38.582 49’46.665 49’25.241 49’43.835
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Andrea Dovizioso turned out to be the best rider of the day. He held onto his nerves when everyone was crashing and pushed when it mattered to take the victory in the tough British GP
Stop Press: Rossi wins at Brno
Valentino Rossi continued to increase his lead in the title run as he emerged victorious in the Czech GP after Lorenzo crashed out of the lead with five laps to go. The battle between Rossi and Lorenzo had been going on throughout the race with Lorenzo leading and Rossi pressurizing his team-mate at every other corner. Lorenzo finally gave in to the charging Vale as he crashed out while trying to push harder than he could in a left hander. Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa came home second while Toni Elias stood on the final spot of the podium.
championship position Rider 1 Valentino ROSSI 2 Jorge LORENZO 3 Casey STONER 4 Dani PEDROSA 5 Colin EDWARDS 6 Andrea DOVIZIOSO 7 Randy DE PUNIET 8 Marco MELANDRI 9 Loris CAPIROSSI 10 Chris VERMEULEN 11 Alex DE ANGELIS 12 Toni ELIAS 13 James TOSELAND 14 Nicky HAYDEN 15 Mika KALLIO 16 Niccolo CANEPA 17 Sete GIBERNAU 18 Yuki TAKAHASHI 19 Gabor TALMACSI
Team Fiat Yamaha Team Fiat Yamaha Team Ducati Marlboro Team Repsol Honda Team Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Repsol Honda Team LCR Honda MotoGP Hayate Racing Team Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP San Carlo Honda Gresini San Carlo Honda Gresini Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Ducati Marlboro Team Pramac Racing Pramac Racing Grupo Francisco Hernando Scot Racing Team MotoGP Scot Racing Team MotoGP
points 212 162 150 135 112 107 80 79 77 72 68 63 62 57 34 32 12 9 8
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MotoGP - Great britain
250cc race Hiroshi Aoyama took the win in tricky conditions. The race started on a drying track, all but one of the 26 starters using rain tyres. The Scot Honda man took the lead and steadily pulled away, but as the track dried the rain tyres started to deteriorate and Aoyama came under pressure from title rival Alvaro Bautista (Aspar Aprilia). His third victory of 2009 extended his lead to 15 points over Bautista. Mattia Pasini (Toth Aprilia) finished third, 36 seconds down, despite sliding off at the Melbourne hairpin. He beat fellow Italian Marco Simoncelli (Gilera) by six tenths. 250CC CLASS position Rider
Timing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
45’17.516 45’23.239 45’53.677 45’54.292 45’58.934 45’59.454 46’14.999 46’17.491 46’32.368 46’34.443
Hiroshi AOYAMA Alvaro BAUTISTA Mattia PASINI Marco SIMONCELLI Mike DI MEGLIO Alex DEBON Raffaele DE ROSA Hector BARBERA Thomas LUTHI Hector FAUBEL
125CC CLASS
102
Position rider
timing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
9’12.301 9’12.691 9’15.373 9’18.510 9’21.810 9’23.512 9’23.873 9’26.004 9’26.402 9’27.723
Julian SIMON Simone CORSI Scott REDDING Nicolas TEROL Takaaki NAKAGAMI Luis SALOM Lorenzo ZANETTI Dominique AEGERTER Efren VAZQUEZ Pol ESPARGARO
125cc race Julian Simon (Aspar Aprilia) won the five lap 125 GP which replaced the initial 13 lap race, stopped due to rain. MotoGP rules state that any 125 or 250 race that doesn’t last two-thirds distance must be annulled and replaced by a new race. But some paddock people argued that it doesn’t make sense to replace a 13 lap race with a five lap race.
Simon extended his title lead after beating Simone Corsi (Fontana Aprilia) by 0.4 seconds. Last year’s British 125 GP winner Scott Redding (Blusens Aprilia) was third. Fellow Brit and Simon’s main title rival Bradley Smith crashed out for the second race running, sliding off on the first lap while leading.
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Address:
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Battery for new generation bikes
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SPORT
WSBK Ben Spies takes the top spot on podium as he closes on Haga in the race for the title
SPIES INCHES CLOSER TO THE TITLE A victory in race two after crashing in race one puts the American just seven points behind championship leader Haga Report Adhish Alawani, Photography: DPPI BRNO Race one: Ben Spies got a blow in the first race at Brno as Fabrizio crashed into him in a fast left hander leading to a DNF for both the riders. With two of the race favourites out of the race, it was Biaggi who took the honours of climbing to the top spot of the podium. Biaggi almost rode a lonely race as he took his first victory of the season in the Czech Republic WSBK round. Hanspree Ten Kate Honda team’s Carlos Checa and Jonathan Rea took the second and third spot on the podium respectively. Troy Corser made BMW happy as he came home in fifth, the best result for the German manufacturer so far in the season, after leading the race for a couple of laps initially.
Max Biaggi races towards the first victory of the sesason
Race two: It was a great comeback for Ben Spies who rode his Yamaha R1 across the finish line in race two at Brno in the first place after crashing out in race one earlier. This puts the American ace just seven points behind the championship leader Noriyuki Haga. Spies’ eleventh victory of the season was not all that easy with Biaggi charging on throughout the race and finally settling for the second spot. Fabrizio took the final spot on the podium. Ten Kate pair Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa took the fourth and fifth finish respectively. Noriyuki Haga rode amazingly well as he fought Tom Sykes, Byrne and Smrz in the final few laps to take the sixth spot.
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J K Tyre Championship ‘09
Flag to Flag Rajini, Alok and Sumit stand out in Chennai Report and Photography: Ajay Joyson
T
he MMST racetrack at Sriperumbudur, Chennai on August 2 played host to the fourth round of the 2009 JK Tyre National Racing Championship. With heavy rains lashing Chennai on the Friday before the race weekend, everyone at the track had their fingers crossed. Thankfully the weather was just perfect - sunny cloudless skies. In race one of the 600cc Experts category, K Rajini of Red Rooster Racing took the top honours as he completed the eight lap race in less than 15 minutes leading from flag to flag. Praveen Keerthi on the CBR finished second trailing by nearly seven seconds while Rohit Giri, also from Red Rooster Racing, completed the top three podium positions. The podium finishers for race two remained unchanged, but this time Rajini on his R6 proved his mettle once again by lapping the 3.710km MMST track in just 1:49.940 seconds. Alok Sashidar took a comfortable win in race one of the 1000cc category by finishing in 15:36.772 seconds while Vikram V and Sanjay Kumar came second and third respectively. Alok was all smiles as he crossed the chequered flag once again in race two ahead of Vikram and Sanjay. In race one of the 600cc Novice category, Sumit Lucas took the chequered flag as he bought home his Honda CBR in 15:35.518 seconds. Balaji KV riding an R6 and Balavijay on a CBR came second and third. India’s only lady motorcycle racer, Alisha Abdullah could only manage fourth, just 0.120 seconds adrift of Balavijay’s time. The podium places for race two remained unchanged.
The grid lineup before the start of the superbike race on day two
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BI BUY-BOOK NEW NEWBIKES BIKESMOTORCYCLES MOTORCYCLES
MOTORCYCLES BAJAJ AUTO
Mumbai-Pune Road, Akurdi, Pune Maharashtra - 35 www.bajajauto.com
Platina
11111
Top Speed: 89.5km/h Tested: MAY ‘06 We Say: Reasonably decent looks mated to the CT100’s frugal genes. Also See: Hero Honda Splendor NXG, TVS Star City, Yamaha Alba
Platina (KS)
Price 38,350
Discover DTS-Si
CC 99.27
Ps/rpm 8.2/7500
Nm/rpm 8.05/5500
FT 13
G 4
SH 805
WB 1277
WT 112
0-60 9.91
KMPL 72.25
SH 800
WB 1305
WT 115
0-60 8.51
KMPL 78.5
Top Speed: 88.34km/h Tested: Sep ‘09
11112
We Say: Good commuter, high frequency handlebar vibrations. Also See: HH Splendor NXG, TVS Star City Discover 100
Platina 125 11112
Price 45,115
CC 94.38
Ps/rpm 7.7/7500
Nm/rpm 7.85/5000
FT 8
G 5
Top Speed: 87.05km/h Tested: NOV ‘08 We Say: The small big bike from Bajaj. 125cc heart in a 100cc bike, the Platina 125 offers a lot for your money Also See: Hero Honda Splendor NXG
Platina 125
XCD125 DTS-Si 11112
Price 44,455
CC 124.58
Ps/rpm 9.53/7000
Nm/rpm 10.85/5000
FT 13
G 4
SH 790
WB 1275
WT 113
0-60 7.65
KMPL 69.5
WT 113
0-60 8.05
KMPL 68.5
Top Speed: 89.69km/h Tested: OCT ‘07 We Say: Not as nifty a performer as we would have expected. Great commuter though. Also See: Hero Honda Splendor NXG, Hero Honda Super Splendor, Honda Shine
XCD 125 (ES)
XCD135 DTS-Si 11111 1111
Price 47,305
CC 124.58
Ps/rpm 9.53/7000
Nm/rpm 10.85/5000
FT 10
G 4
SH 790
WB 1275
Top Speed: 104.7km/h Tested: MAR ‘09 We Say: Nifty performer compared to XCD125, but stiff suspension has compromised the ride quality Also See: Yamaha Gladiator, TVS Flame, Suzuki Zeus, Honda Shine
Price XCD 135(Drum, Kick ) 48,445 XCD 135(Drum, ES) 50,660 XCD 135(Disc, ES) 52,865
CC 134.6 134.6 134.6
Ps/rpm 10.2/7500 10.2/7500 10.2/7500
Nm/rpm 11.58/5000 11.58/5000 11.58/5000
FT 10 10 10
G 5 5 5
SH 810 810 810
WB 1275 1275 1275
WT 116 116 116
0-60 5.96 5.96 5.96
KMPL 63.5 63.5 63.5
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
106 106
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All the data and comments you need before you go out to buy a bike for yourself Discover 135 11112
Top Speed: 107.2km/h Tested: SEPT ‘08 We Say: Gain some, loose some. More power, less efficiency. No clear advantages of going in for this one. Also See:Hero Honda Splendour NXG, Hero Honda Super Splendor, Honda Shine
Discover (Drum) Discover (Disc)
Pulsar 150 DTSi 11112
Price 54,195 57,345
CC 134.21 134.21
Ps/rpm 13.10/8500 13.10/8500
Nm/rpm 11.88/6500 11.88/6500
FT 10 10
G 4 4
SH 798 798
WB 1305 1305
WT 133 133
0-60 5.93 5.93
KMPL 60 60
Top Speed: 113.64km/h Tested: DEC ‘06 We Say: Good fusion of performance, efficiency and looks. Cycle parts could be better built. Also See: HH CBZ X-treme, Honda Unicorn, Suzuki GS150R
Pulsar 150
Pulsar 180 DTSi 11112
Price 65,265
CC 149.01
Ps/rpm 14.09/8500
Nm/rpm 12.76/6500
FT 15
G 5
SH 785
WB 1320
WT 137
0-60 5.51
KMPL 55
Top Speed: 117.5 km/h Tested: JUN ‘09 We Say: Great performace, stunning looks and the good ’ol edgy box. Great value though. Also See: TVS Apache RTR 160, TVS Apache RTR 180
Pulsar 180
Price 68,560
CC 178.60
Ps/rpm 17.05/8500
Nm/rpm 14.22/6000
FT 15
G 5
SH 785
WB 1345
WT 147
0-60 4.98
KMPL 51
WB 1350
WT 152
0-60 4.7
KMPL 42.25
Top Speed: 132.5km/h Tested: JUL ‘09
Pulsar 220 DTSi 11112
We Say: More power at lesser price translates into great value for money. Also See: Hero Honda Karizma R, TVS Apache RTR 180, Yamaha YZF R15 Pulsar 220
Price 70,000
CC 220
Ps/rpm 21.04/8500
Nm/rpm 19.12/7000
FT 15
G 5
SH 795
Top Speed: 109.58km/h Tested: NOV ‘07
Avenger 200 DTSi 11112
We Say: Powerful and torquey, great combo of style and value. Pillion seat should have been more comfortable. Also See: Royal Enfield Thunderbird Avenger 200
Price 72,485
CC 198.80
Ps/rpm 17.51/8000
Nm/rpm 16.78/6000
FT 14
Your display here to grab the most eyeballs
G 5
SH 710
WB 1475
WT 152
0-60 5.90
KMPL 37
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
September 2009
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BI BUY-BOOK NEW BIKES MOTORCYCLES HERO HONDA
34, Community Centre, Vasant Lok, Vasant Vihar New Delhi - 110 057 www.herohonda.com
CD Dawn 11121
Top Speed: 84.9km/h Tested: NA We Say: All the Hero Honda qualities for cheap, and stop cribbing Also See: TVS Star, Yamaha Crux S, Bajaj Platina Price 36,317
CD Dawn
CD Deluxe 11111
CC 97.20
Ps/rpm 7.4/8000
Nm/rpm 7.50/5000
FT 10.5
G 4
SH 790
WB 1230
WT 107
0-60 14.20
KMPL 68.82
Top Speed: 92.90km/h Tested: JAN ‘07 We Say: There! You cribbed again. So here’s your all new bikini fairing. Also See: Hero Honda Splendour NXG, Hero Honda Super Splendor, Honda Shine
CD Deluxe
Splendor Plus 11111
Price 40,224
CC 97.20
Ps/rpm 7.4/8000
Nm/rpm 7.50/5000
FT 10.5
G 4
SH 790
WB 1230
WT 107
0-60 14.20
KMPL 72.75
FT 10.5 10.5
G 4 4
SH 775 775
WB 1230 1230
WT 117 117
0-60 12.30 12.30
KMPL 59.72 59.72
Top Speed: 82.50km/h Tested: NA We Say: Perfect commuter if you can do with the looks. Also See: TVS Star Sport, Yamaha Alba, Bajaj Platina
Price Splendor Plus (Spokes) 43,579 Splendor Plus (Alloys) 44,583
Splendor NXG 11111
CC 97.20 97.20
Ps/rpm 7.40/8000 7.40/8000
Nm/rpm 7.20/5000 7.20/5000
Top Speed: 96.92km/h Tested: JULY ‘07 We Say: The best seller just got better looks but at a higher price. Also See: TVS Star Sport, Yamaha Alba, Bajaj Platina
NXG (Alloys)
Passion Plus 11111
Price 44,583
CC 97.20
Ps/rpm 7.70/7500
Nm/rpm 7.60/60000
FT 10.3
G 4
SH 785
WB 1230
WT 107
0-60 10.73
KMPL 77
FT 12.8 12.8
G 4 4
SH 775 775
WB 1235 1235
WT 117 117
0-60 12.30 12.30
KMPL 59.72 59.72
SH 775
WB 1265
WT 117
0-60 7.50
KMPL 78.4
Top Speed: 85.3km/h Tested: JULY ‘06 We Say: A Splendor will save you three grand. Also See: Yamaha Alba, Bajaj Platina
Passion Plus Passion Plus Pro
Super Splendor 11111
Price 47,455 49,948
CC 97.20 97.20
Ps/rpm 7.50/8000 7.50/8000
Nm/rpm 7.20/5000 7.20/5000
Top Speed: 98.9km/h Tested: NA We Say: Splendor hops onto the ‘executive’ bandwagon. Also See: TVS Victor GLX 125, Yamaha Gladiator, Bajaj Discover 125
Super Splendor
Price 50,446
CC 124.70
Ps/rpm 9.13/7000
Nm/rpm 10.35/4000
FT 12
G 4
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
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Glamour
Top Speed: 94.9km/h Tested: SEP ‘05
11111
We Say: The Glamour actually looks much better than the Super Spendor. Worth the extra dough. Also See: Baja Discover 125, TVS Victor GLX 125, Yamaha Gladiator Price 51,972 53,324
Glamour (Drum) Glamour (Disc)
CC 124.70 124.70
Ps/rpm 9.13/7000 9.13/7000
Nm/rpm 10.35/4000 10.35/4000
FT 14.6 14.6
G 4 4
SH 775 775
WB 1265 1265
WT 129 129
0-60 7.40 7.44
KMPL 72.74 72.74
Top Speed: 100.2km/h Tested: AUG ‘06
Glamour FI 11111
We Say: Fl, digital speedo, efficiency commuter, better throttle response. Buy only if the extra money doesn’t hurt! Also See: Bajaj Discover 125, Yamaha Gladiator, TVS Victor 125 Price 61,633
Glamour (Disc)
CC 124.7
Ps/rpm 9.13/7000
Nm/rpm 10.35/4000
FT 14.6
G 4
SH 775
WB 1265
WT 125
0-60 8.80
KMPL 80.75
FT 12.4
G 5
SH 800
WB 1290
WT 134
0-60 6.25
KMPL 57.5
FT 12.4
G 5
SH 795
WB 1325
WT 146
0-60 5.08
KMPL 51
WT 143
0-60 5.55
KMPL 60.25
WT 150
0-60 4.70
KMPL 43.42
Top Speed: 110.8km/h Tested: NOV ‘06
Achiever
11111 1111
We Say: Every bit a Unicorn, except for the ride quality. Also See: Bajaj Pulsar 150, Honda Unicorn, Suzuki GS150R Price 60,138
Achiever (ES)
Hunk
11112
CC 149.1
Ps/rpm 13.4/8000
Nm/rpm 12.8/5000
Top Speed: 107.16km/h Tested: DEC ‘07 We Say: Stunning looks, efficient engine and good performance. Also See: Bajaj Pulsar 150, Honda Unicorn, TVS Apache Price 64,275
Hunk (ES)
CC 149.2
Ps/rpm 14.4/8500
Nm/rpm 12.8/6500
Top Speed: 110.8km/h Tested: NOV ‘06
CBZ XX-Treme 11111 1111
We Say: Pricey but much better than the CBZ and the Achiever. Too skinny at the front. Also See: Bajaj Pulsar 150, Honda Unicorn, TVS Apache Price 64,591
X-Treme (ES)
Karizma R 11111
CC 149.2
Ps/rpm 14.4/8500
Nm/rpm 12.8/6500
FT 12.4
G 5
SH NA
WB 1325
Top Speed: 125.8km/h Tested: NA We Say: The most well-rounded performance bike around. Spares are an issue though. Also See: Bajaj Pulsar 200 DTSi, Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi Price 81,069
LEGEND
Karizma
y
apacit
bic c C- Cu
C
wer
Ps/
eak po rpm- P
Peak /rpm-
Nm
torque city
FT- Fu
capa el tank
CC 223
Ps/rpm 16.9/7000
Nm/rpm 18.3/6000
FT 15
a SH - S
eight ddle h
SH 795
WB 1355
)
se (mm
ars
. of ge G - No
G 5
(mm)
eelba B- Wh
W
(Kg) weight b r e K WT-
Your display here to grab the most eyeballs
ation
cceler
/h) A -60(km
0
iency
el effic
Fu Kmpl-
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
September 2009
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BI BUY-BOOK NEW BIKES MOTORCYCLES HONDA MOTORCYCLES & SCOOTERS Plot 78, Sector 18, Gurgaon(Haryana) 122 001 www.honda2wheelersindia.com
Shine
11112
Top Speed: 100.4km/h Tested: MAY ‘06 We Say: Short ratios make it really quick through gears. Top speed could have been better with taller gearing. Also See: Hero Honda Glamor, TVS Flame, Yamaha Gladiator
Price Shine (Drum, Spokes) 46,817 Shine (ES, Drum, Alloys) 52,427 Shine (ES, Disc, Alloys) 54,405
CBF Stunner
CC 124.6 124.6 124.6
Ps/rpm 10.4/7500 10.4/7500 10.4/7500
Nm/rpm 10.9/5500 10.9/5500 10.9/5500
FT 11 11 11
G 4 4 4
SH 790 790 790
WB 1265 1265 1265
WT 122 122 122
0-60 7.04 7.04 7.04
KMPL 78.75 78.75 78.75
FT 10 10 10 10
G 5 5 5 5
SH 790 790 790 790
WB 1271 1271 1271 1271
WT 129 129 129 129
0-60 6.57 6.57 6.57 6.33
KMPL 61 61 61 66
Top Speed: 100.8 Tested: SEP’08
11112
We Say: A worthy competitor to the Gladiator. Also See: TVS Flame, Yamaha Gladiator CBF (KS, Drum, Alloys) CBF (ES, Drum, Alloys) CBF (ES, Disc, Alloys) CBF FI (ES, Disc, Alloys)
Unicorn
11112
Price 56,009 57,574 57,955 72,846
CC 124.7 124.7 124.7 124.7
Ps/rpm 11.15/8000 11.15/8000 11.15/8000 11.76/8000
Nm/rpm 11/6500 11/6500 11/6500 11.2/6250
Top Speed: 111.3km/h Tested: DEC ‘06 We Say: One of the smoothest mills around. Great ride-handling combo. Almost indestructible. Also See: Bajaj Pulsar 150, HH CBZ X-treme, HH Achiever, Suzuki GS150R
Unicorn
CBR1000RR 11112
Price 64,070
CC 149.1
Ps/rpm 13.5/8000
Nm/rpm 12.8/5500
FT 13
G 5
SH 790
WB 1340
WT 146
0-60 6.10
KMPL 58.92
Nm/rpm 112/8500
FT 17.7
G 6
SH 820
WB 1410
WT 199
0-60 3.4
KMPL 15
Nm/rpm 100/8000
FT 17
G 6
SH 825
WB 1445
WT 217
0-60 3.7
KMPL 16
Top Speed: NA Tested: Jun ‘09 We Say: NA Also See: Yamaha YZF R1, Suzuki Hayabusa
CBR1000RR
CB1000R
11112
Price 14.46 lakh
CC 999
Ps/rpm 178/12000
Top Speed: NA Tested: Aug ‘09 We Say: NA Also See: Yamaha MT-01, Suzuki Intruder
CB1000R
Price 11.13 lakh
CC 999
Ps/rpm 125/10000
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
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KANDA MOTORS
43, Shanivar Peth, Nav Maharashtra House, Pune 411 030 www.kandaex.com Top Speed: 82.8km/h Tested: JAN ‘06
Mission 100 11111
We Say: Surprisingly well built for a Kandaa though lack of power is nagging. Also See: Bajaj Platina, TVS Star, HH CD Deluxe Price 35,200
Mission 100
CC 100
Ps/rpm 6.6/7000
Nm/rpm 6.45/5000
FT 12
G 4
SH 760
WB 1320
WT 115
0-60 11.27
KMPL 67.25
ROYAL ENFIELD
Tiruvottiyur High Road, Tiruvottiyur, Chennai-600 019 www.royalenfield.com
STD
11111
Top Speed: 100.1km/h Tested: NA We Say: Too old and too slow for this day and age but do you have an option? Also See: No options, as there are no alternatives to a Enfield but an Enfield itself! Price 83,291
350 STD
Electra 5S 11111
CC 346
Ps/rpm 18.3/5000
Nm/rpm 32/3000
FT 14.5
G 4
SH 760
WB 1370
WT 163
0-60 7.7
KMPL 35.22
WB 1370
WT 170
0-60 7.1
KMPL 36.44
Top Speed: 103.7km/h Tested: SEP ’05 We Say: Chromed slug with a left foot shifter and a new five-speed gearbox. Also See: No options, as there are no alternatives to a Enfield but an Enfield itself! Price 98,909
Electra 5S (ES)
CC 346
Ps/rpm 18.3/5000
Nm/rpm 32/3000
FT 14.5
G 5
SH 780
Top Speed: 113.4 Tested: NOV ‘08
Thunderbird Twin Spark 11111
We Say: TBTS is a huge step forward in terms of performance. The best Bullet yet, well, almost Also See: You really want us to repeat the same line again? Price 1,09,290
Thunderbird
CC 346
Ps/rpm 20.07/5250
Nm/rpm 28/4000
FT 15.5
G 5
SH 770
WB 1370
WT 182
0-60 5.51
KMPL 36
WT NA 175
0-60 NA 5.15
KMPL NA 33.12
Top Speed: NA/120.54km/h Tested: NA/JULY ‘07
Machismo LB 11111
We Say: Expensive, but nothing comes in the zip code of this machine’s torque. Also See: You really want us to repeat the same line again? Price 1,06,500 1,17,700
LEGEND
Machismo 350 LB Machismo 500 LB
y
apacit
bic c C- Cu
C
wer
Ps/
eak po rpm- P
Peak /rpm-
Nm
torque
Ps/rpm 18.24/5000 24/5600
Nm/rpm 27.45/3000 40.85/3000
FT 13.5 13.5
S
H - Sa
eight ddle h
G 5 5
SH 835 835
WB 1370 1370
)
se (mm
ars
. of ge G - No
city
capa el tank
FT- Fu
CC 346 499
(mm)
eelba B- Wh
W
(Kg) weight b r e K WT-
Your display here to grab the most eyeballs
/h) -60(km
0
ration
Accele
iciency
uel eff
F Kmpl-
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
September 2009
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BI BUY-BOOK NEW BIKES MOTORCYCLES SUZUKI
Kherki Dhaula, Badshahapur, NH-9, Link Road, Gurgaon, Haryana www.suzukimotorcycle.co.in
Heat
11111
Top Speed: 101.11km/h Tested: JUN ‘06 We Say: Suspension on the firm side but a good buy at a 100cc price. Also See: Yamaha Gladiator, Hero Honda Super Splendour, Honda Shine
Heat (spoke wheels) Heat (alloy wheels)
Zeus
11121
Price 41,331 42,401
CC 124 124
Ps/rpm 8.83/7500 8.83/7500
Nm/rpm 10/3500 10/3500
FT 12 12
G 5 5
SH 800 800
WB 1240 1240
WT 110 110
0-60 8.69 8.69
KMPL 64.25 64.25
G 5 5
SH 790 790
WB 1240 1240
WT 120 120
0-60 8.01 8.01
KMPL 64.5 64.5
G 6
SH 790
WB 1340
WT 149
0-60 5.46
KMPL 59.75
FT 21
G 6
SH 805
WB 1485
WT 236
0-60 2.3
KMPL 15
FT 19.5
G 5
SH 705
WB 1710
WT 319
0-60 2.1
KMPL 13
0-60 9.5
KMPL 58
Top Speed: 101.33km/h Tested: JUNE ‘06 We Say: Very smooth engine and nicely equipped though pricey. Also See: Yamaha Gladiator, Hero Honda Super Splendour, Honda Shine Price 51,698 53,360
Zeus (Drum) Zeus (Disc)
GS150R
11112
CC 124 124
Ps/rpm 8.83/7500 8.83/7500
Nm/rpm 10/3500 10/3500
FT 12 12
Top Speed: 108km/h Tested: FEB ‘09 We Say: Well packaged all-rounder from Suzuki Also See: Bajaj Pulsar 150, Hero Honda Achiever, Honda Unicorn Price 66,981
GS150R
Hayabusa
CC 149.5
Ps/rpm 14/8500
Nm/rpm 13.4/6000
FT 15.5
Top Speed: 296km/h (Electronically Restricted) Tested: JAN ‘09
11111
We Say: One of the world’s fastest motorcycles, now on sale in India. Also See: Yamaha YZF-R1, Honda CBR 1000RR Price CC Hayabusa GSX1300R 13,63,000 1340
Intruder
11112
Ps/rpm 186.45/9600
Nm/rpm 146.02/8100
Top Speed: 209km/h (approximate) Tested: JAN ‘09 We Say: Extremely big and heavy. Attention magnet Also See: Yamaha MT-01, Honda CB1000R
Intruder M1800R
Price CC 13,63,000 1783
Ps/rpm 128/6200
Nm/rpm 160/3200
TVS
P.B. No 4, Harita, Hosur, Tamil Nadu 635109 www.tvsmotor.co.in
Star Sport
11111
Top Speed: 85km/h Tested: APR ‘07 We Say: Stylishly slick offering for those on a budget. Also See: Bajaj Platina, Hero Honda Passion Plus, Yamaha Alba
Star Sport CVTi
Price 38,389
CC 99.7
Ps/rpm 7.6/7500
Nm/rpm 7.5/5000
FT 16
G 4
SH 785
WB 1250
WT 112
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
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Top Speed: 85.05km/h Tested: NA
Star City
11111
We Say: Adds style to your commute without being too heavy on the pocket. Also See: Bajaj Platina, Hero Honda CD Deluxe, Yamaha Libero G5 Price CC Ps/rpm Nm/rpm FT G Star City (ES,Spokes) 43,822 109.7 8.29/7500 8.1/5000 16 4 Star City (ES,Alloys) 44,703 109.7 8.29/7500 8.1/5000 16 4
SH 785 785
WB 1250 1250
WT 110 115
0-60 NA NA
KMPL NA NA
WB 1320 1320 1320
WT 121 121 121
0-60 7.45 7.45 7.45
KMPL 68.5 68.5 68.5
WB 1300 1300 1300
WT 136 136 136
0-60 5.04 5.04 5.56
KMPL 50 50 55
WT 137
0-60 4.64
KMPL 45.25
Top Speed: 101km/h Tested: JUN ‘08
Flame
11111
We Say: Good city bike, but refinement goes for a toss when pushed hard. Also See: Hero Honda Glamour, Suzuki Zeus, Yamaha Gladiator, Honda Shine, Bajaj Discover Price Flame (Drum, kick-start) 49,531 Flame (Disc, kick-start) 51,751 Flame (Disc, Elec-start) 54,705
Apache RTR EFI 11112
CC 124.8 124.8 124.8
Ps/rpm 10.5/8250 10.5/8250 10.5/8250
Nm/rpm 10/6250 10/6250 10/6250
FT 8 8 8
G 4 4 4
SH 812 812 812
Top Speed: 119km/h Tested: JAN ‘08 We Say: Stunning looks, nimble traffic carver and a punchy ride overall. Also See: Bajaj Pulsar 180, HH CBZ X-treme, Honda Unicorn
Price Apache RTR 65,086 Apache RTR (rear-disc) 67,374 Apache RTR EFI 73,998
Apache RTR180 11112
CC 159.7 159.7 159.7
Ps/rpm 15.4/8500 15.4/8500 15.92/8500
Nm/rpm 13.1/6000 13.1/6000 13.1/6500
FT 16 16 16
G 5 5 5
SH 790 790 790
Top Speed: 124km/h Tested: JUL ‘09 We Say: Great looks, nible traffic carver with power through the complete rev range. Also See: Bajaj Pulsar 220, HH Karizma R, Yamaha FZS, Yamaha YZF R15 Price 72,110
Apache RTR
CC 177.4
Ps/rpm 17.3/8500
Nm/rpm 15.5/6500
FT 16
G 5
SH 790
WB 1340
YAMAHA
A-3, Surajpur Ind. Area Noida Dadri Road, Surajpur - 201 306 www.yamaha-motor-india.com
Crux S
11121
Top Speed: 93.95km/h Tested: OCT ‘05 We Say: Excellent gearbox, but lacks appeal and doesn’t excel at anything else. Also See: Hero Honda CD Dawn, Bajaj Platina, TVS Star
Crux S
Alba 106
11111
Price 38,000
CC 106
Ps/rpm 7.3/7500
Nm/rpm 7.7/6000
FT 11
G 4
SH 775
WB 1260
WT 0-60 105.5 9.9
KMPL 62.52
G 4
SH 800
WB 1290
WT 119
0-60 14.2
KMPL 67.5
SH 800
WB 1290
WT 119
0-60 11.8
KMPL 66.64
Top Speed: 83.67km/h Tested: JUL ‘07 We Say: Libero reincarnated but with added style and presence. Also See: Hero Honda Splendour NXG, Bajaj Platina, TVS Star Sport
Alba 106 (ES)
Libero G5 11121
Price 44,511
CC 106
Ps/rpm 7.6/7500
Nm/rpm 7.8/6000
FT 13
Top Speed: 86.8km/h Tested: AUG ‘05 We Say: A good all round performer but pricey for a 100cc. Also See: HH Passion Plus, HH Splendor NXG, TVS Star Sport, Bajaj Platina
Libero G5 (ES)
Price 46,000
CC 106
Ps/rpm 7.6/7500
Nm/rpm 7.8/6000
FT 13
G 4
September 2009
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BI BUY-BOOK NEW BIKES SCOOTERS Gladiator
11112
Top Speed: 108.2km/h Tested: JUN ‘06 We Say: Big bike feel, great performance. Mid-range torque should have been stronger. Also See: Suzuki Zeus, Bajaj XCD 125, Hero Honda Super Splendour, Honda Shine
Gladiator SS Gladiator RS
FZ16
11112
Price 52,914 53,500
CC 123.7 123.7
Ps/rpm 10.8/7500 10.8/7500
Nm/rpm 10.4/6500 10.4/6500
FT 13 13
G 5 5
SH 800 800
WB 1300 1300
WT 123 123
0-60 7.55 7.55
KMPL 67.5 67.5
Top Speed: 110.9km/h Tested: OCT ‘08 We Say: The best looking naked bike in the country. Will definately work wonders for Yamaha’s future in India Also See: Hero Honda Hunk, TVS Apache RTR
FZ16 FZ-S
YZF R15
11111
Price 72,856 75,116
CC 153 153
Ps/rpm 14/7500 14/7500
Nm/rpm 13.6/6000 13.6/6000
FT 12 12
G 5 5
SH 790 790
WB 1335 1335
WT 136 136
0-60 5.51 5.51
KMPL 43.5 43.5
FT 12
G 6
SH 790
WB 1290
WT 131
0-60 5.12
KMPL 42.6
Top Speed: 130.2 Tested: AUG’08 We Say: Indian performance biking taken to the next level. Also See: Hero Honda Karizma, Bajaj Pulsar 220
YZF R15
YZF R1
11111
Price 1,08,807
CC 149.8
Ps/rpm 17/8500
Nm/rpm 15/7500
Top Speed: 290km/h Tested: JAN ‘08 We Say: One of the best supersport bikes in the world. Now officially on sale in India. Also See: Suzuki Hayabusa, Honda CBR1000RR
YZF R1
MT01
11111
Price CC 12,81,000 998
Ps/rpm 180/12500
Nm/rpm 112/10000
FT 18
G 6
SH 835
WB 1415
WT 177
0-60 2.68
KMPL 13
FT 15
G 5
SH 825
WB 1525
WT 243
0-60 NA
KMPL NA
Top Speed: 210km/h (claimed) Tested: NA We Say: Naked street fighter with tons of torque. Also See: Suzuki Intruder, Honda CB1000R
MT01
Price CC 12,81,000 1670
Ps/rpm 90/4750
Nm/rpm 150/3750
SCOOTERS BAJAJ AUTO
Mumbai-Pune Road, Akurdi, Pune Maharashtra - 35 www.bajajauto.com
Kristal 11111
Top Speed: 82.5km/h Tested: FEB ‘07 We Say: Good performance but mediocre build quality, plastics and stiff ride quality. Also See: Honda Activa, Honda Dio, HH Pleasure, TVS Scooty Pep+
Kristal
Price 39,620
CC 94.86
Ps/rpm 7.2/7500
Nm/rpm 7.66/5500
FT 4.5
G V
SH 760
WB 1250
WT 99
0-60 11.60
KMPL 49.12
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
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HERO HONDA
34, Community Centre, Vasant Lok, Vasant Vihar New Delhi - 110 057 www.herohonda.com
Pleasure
11111
Top Speed: 80.90km/h Tested: FEB ‘06 We Say: Great looks and goodie-loaded, this is the ideal jump for the econo-commuter who wants more. Also See: Honda Activa, TVS Scooty Pep+, Bajaj Krystal Price 40,842
Pleasure
CC 102
Ps/rpm 7.1/7000
Nm/rpm 7.8/5000
FT 10
G V
SH 750
WB 1240
WT 104
0-60 12.18
KMPL 47
HONDA MOTORCYCLES & SCOOTERS
34, Community Centre, Vasant Lok, Vasant Vihar New Delhi - 110 057 www.honda2wheelersindia.com
Activa
11112
Top Speed: 89km/h Tested: May ‘09 We Say: Revived the scooter market and is an improvement over the old Activa. Also See: Bajaj Krystal, Honda Dio, TVS Scooty Streak, HH Pleasure Price 45,575
Activa
Dio
11112
CC 109
Ps/rpm 8.1/7500
Nm/rpm 8.8/5500
FT 5.3
G V
SH 765
WB 1238
WT 106
0-60 10.79
KMPL 53.5
FT 6
G V
SH 762
WB 1235
WT 107
0-60 10.9
KMPL 49.52
FT 6 6
G V V
SH 790 790
WB 1256 1256
WT 102 102
0-60 11.78 11.78
KMPL 46 46
SH NA
WB 1247
WT 124
0-60 NA
KMPL NA
Top Speed: 78.7km/h Tested: OCT ‘06 We Say: An Activa with good looks. Pillon foot rest is a pain though. Also See: Hero Honda Pleasure, Kinetic Nova 135, Honda Activa Price 41,125
Dio Deluxe
Aviator
11112
CC 102
Ps/rpm 7/7000
Nm/rpm 7.8/5500
Top Speed: 83km/h Tested: FEB ‘08 We Say: Positioned for the premium market. Good but expensive. Also See: Suzuki Access, Kinetic Flyte
Aviator (Drum) Aviator (Disc)
Eterno NA
Price 45,347 49,446
CC 102 102
Ps/rpm 7.2/7000 7.2/7000
Nm/rpm 7.8/5500 7.8/5500
Top Speed: NA Tested: NA We Say: NA Also See: Un-geared scooters like Suzuki Access, Kinetic Flyte and Honda Activa.
LEGEND
Eterno
ubic CC- C
Peak /rpm-
Ps
ity
capac
power
Price 45,469
rque eak to P m Nm/rp acity nk cap a t l e u FT- F
CC 147.7
Ps/rpm 8.2/6000
. of G - No SH -
Nm/rpm 10.6/4000
G 4
m)
ase (m
gears )
ht (mm
heig Saddle
FT 4.5
heelb WB- W
(Kg) weight b r e K WT
Your display here to grab the most eyeballs
0-6
Fuel Kmpl-
tion
celera
h) Ac 0(km/
cy
efficien
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
September 2009
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BI BUY-BOOK NEW BIKES SCOOTERS MAHINDRA 2WHEELERS
Mahindra Towers, Worli Mumbai 400018 www.mahindra2wheelers.com Top Speed: 67.5km/h Tested: AUG ‘05
Kine’
11111
We Say: One of the last two-strokes available. Pulls nicely for its cubic capacity. Also See: TVS Scooty Teenz Price 32,028
Kine
4S
CC 71.5
Ps/rpm 4.3/5500
Nm/rpm 5.7/4500
FT 4
G V
SH 770
WB 1235
WT 82
0-60 13.10
KMPL 70.89
Nm/rpm 7.7/5000
FT 7
G V
SH 760
WB 1260
WT 104
0-60 12.92
KMPL 45.75
Top Speed: 77km/h Tested: NOV ‘05
11111
We Say: Old wine in old bottle. Also See: Honda Dio, Honda Activa Price 42,791
4S
Flyte
CC 113.1
Ps/rpm 7.3/7500
Top Speed: 83.8km/h Tested: OCT ‘07
11112
We Say: Zippy and comfortable scooter. Great choice for city commutes. Also See: Honda Aviator, Suzuki Access, TVS Scooty Streak Price 44,250
Flyte
Nova
CC 124.6
Ps/rpm 8/7000
Nm/rpm 9/5000
FT 5
G V
SH 760
WB 1260
WT 105
0-60 13.02
KMPL 41
Nm/rpm 10/4500
FT 6
G V
SH 760
WB 1250
WT 103
0-60 12.30
KMPL 40.17
0-60 NA
KMPL NA
Top Speed: 82.9km/h Tested: OCT ‘06
11111
We Say: Fast, pricey and thirsty. Also See: Honda Activa, Honda Dio, Bajaj Krystal Price 44,455
Nova
CC 135
Ps/rpm 8.6/6500
TVS
P.B. No 4, Harita, Hosur, Tamil Nadu 635109 www.tvsmotor.co.in Top Speed: 74km/h Tested: NA
Scooty Teenz 11111
We Say: The good old scooty lives on with a cosmetic makeover. Also See: Kinetic Kine
LEGEND
Scooty Teenz
rque
acity
cap - Cubic
CC
er
Ps/
w eak po rpm- P
Price 29,990
eak to rpm- P
Nm/
el FT- Fu
ity
apac tank c
CC 59.9
Ps/rpm 3.5/5500
Nm/rpm 4.5/5000
rs
a . of ge G - No
mm)
ad SH - S
ight ( dle he
FT 4.5
G V
SH NA
WT 83
)
e (mm
elbas - Whe
WB
WB 1220
ht (Kg) rb weig e K T W
tion
celera
h) Ac 0(km/
0-6
iency
el effic
Fu Kmpl-
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
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Scooty Pep+
Top Speed: 74km/h Tested: NOV ‘05
11111
We Say: An engine upgrade makes it even more desirable. Also See: Bajaj Krystal, Honda Activa, Hero Honda Pleasure Price 38,998
Scooty Pep+
Scooty Streak
CC 87.8
Ps/rpm 5/6500
Nm/rpm 5.8/4000
FT 5
G V
SH 740
WB 1230
WT 95
0-60 12.2
KMPL 50.67
WB 1230
WT 96
0-60 11.48
KMPL 51
Top Speed: 78.4km/h Tested: May ‘09
11111
We Say: NA: Styling updates and sticker works gives it a new lease of life. Also See: Kinetic Flyte, Bajaj Krystal, Honda Activa, Hero Honda Pleasure Price 41,236
Scooty Streak
CC 87.8
Ps/rpm 5/6500
Nm/rpm 5.8/4000
FT 4.7
G V
SH 740
SUZUKI
Kherki Dhaula, Badshahapur, NH-9, Link Road, Gurgaon, Haryana www.suzukimotorcycle.co.in
Access
11112
Top Speed: 91.78km/h Tested: DEC ‘07 We Say: Really quick and a nimble handler but priced higher than the competition. Also See: Kinetic Flyte, Honda Aviator
Access
Price 48,295
CC 124
Ps/rpm 8.71/7000
Nm/rpm 9.8/5000
FT 6.4
G V
SH 780
WB 1250
WT 109
0-60 11.58
KMPL 42
ELECTRIC SCOOTERS AVON
G.T. Road, Ludhiana, Punjab 141003. www.avoncycles.com Top Speed: 25 km/h Tested: MAR ‘09
AVON E-SCOOT
Avon E-Scoot
Price 30,321
Voltage Power 48V 250W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT 85
0-30 11.16
RANGE 50-55
BSA
Post Bag # 5,M T H Road, Ambattur,Chennai - 53 www.bsamotorsindia.com
Roamer +
Roamer +
Top Speed: 39.8km/h Tested: MAR ‘09
Price 36,600
Voltage Power 48V 800W
Torque -
FT -
Your display here to grab the most eyeballs
G -
SH -
WB -
WT 107
0-30 7.68
RANGE 40
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
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BI BUY-BOOK NEW BIKES ELECTRIC SCOOTERS EKO VEHICLES
Bhoruka Park, WhitefieldRoad, Bangalore560048 Web: www.ekovehicle.com
Top Speed: 56.14km/h Tested: MAR ‘09
EV-60
EV-60
Price 38,800
Voltage Power 60V 1878W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB 1240
WT 93
0-30 9.49
RANGE 60
HERO ELECTRIC
50 Okhla Industrial Estate Phase III New Delhi 110020 Web: www.heroelectricindia.com
MAXI
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: MAR ‘09
Maxi
Price 29,400
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT 65
0-20 7.84
RANGE 70
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT 83
0-20 7.84
RANGE 70
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT -
0-20 -
RANGE 70 100
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: MAR ‘09
OPTIMA PLUS
Optima Plus
Voltage Power 48V 250W
Price 31,900
Voltage Power 48V 250W
Top Speed: NA Tested: NA
WAVE DX
Price Wave Dx 33,450 Wave Dx(With Extra Miles) 36,650
Voltage Power 48V 250W 48V 250W
INDUS
72, Palodia, Ahmedabad 382 115 Gujrat www.induselectrans.com
YO Speed
YO Speed
Top Speed: 45km/h Tested: NA
Price 39,950
Voltage Power 750W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT -
0-20 -
RANGE 70-75
Contact: BIKE India Marketing Office Mumbai: +91 22 67525252 Delhi: +91 11 42345678 Bangalore: +91 80 66110116/7 Chennai: +91 44 39149889
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YO Smart
YO Smart
YO Spin
YO Spin
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: FEB ‘07
Price 29,970
Voltage Power 48V 250W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT 75
0-20 4.5
RANGE 60
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT 75
0-20 6.14
RANGE 45
Top Speed: 24.28km/h Tested: FEB ‘07
Price 26,990
Voltage Power 48V 250W
KABIRDASS, MOTOR COMPANY
16, Poonamalee road, Velappanchavadi, Chennai 600077 www.kabirdass.com
K100 LA
K100 LA
K103 LA
K103 LA
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: NA
Price 26,000
Voltage Power 48V 250W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT NA
0-20 NA
RANGE 60
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT NA
0-20 NA
RANGE 75
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: NA
Price 32,000
Voltage Power 48V 250W
LOHIA AUTO
Nandnagar Industrial Estate, Kheraganj, Kashipur 244713, Uttarakhand www.lohiaauto.com
Oma
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: NA
Oma
Price 31,000
Voltage Power 48V 250W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT NA
0-20 NA
RANGE 70
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT NA
0-20 NA
RANGE 70
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: NA
Fame
Fame
Price 31,000
Voltage Power 48V 250W
September 2009
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BI BUY-BOOK NEW BIKES TVS
P.B. No 4, Harita, Hosur, Tamil Nadu 635109 www.tvsmotor.co.in
Scooty Teenz
Top Speed: 40km/h Tested: JAN ‘08
Scooty Teenz Electric
Price 36,192
Voltage Power 48V 800W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB 1220
WT 95
0-20 -
RANGE 40
ULTRA MOTOR
19 Okhla Industrial Estate - III, N.Delhi-20 www.ultramotors.com/india
MARATHON
Top Speed: 25km/h* (claimed) Tested: NA
Price 18,275 23,120
Marathon Lite Marathon
Voltage 48V 48V
Power 250W 250W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT 77 88
0-20 -
WT 83
0-20 -
RANGE 70* 85*
Top Speed: 40km/h* Tested: NA
VELOCITI
Price 28,015
Velociti
Voltage 48V
Power 500W
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
RANGE 50*
VIJAYA
19, 2nd Main Road, ra Puram, Chennai Tamil Nadu 600 001 www.vvelectricscooters.com
Grace 50
Top Speed: 40km/h Tested: NA
Price 38,000
Grace 50
Glide 25R
GLIDE 25 SUPER
120 120
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT -
0-20 -
RANGE 50
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT -
0-20 -
RANGE 60
Torque -
FT -
G -
SH -
WB -
WT -
0-20 -
RANGE 75
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: NA
Glide 25 R
Glide 25 Super
Voltage Power 500W
Price 29,000
Voltage Power 48V 240W
Top Speed: 25km/h Tested: NA
Price 26,000
Voltage Power 48V 240W
India September 2009
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