Developing new platform for motorcycles, says Bajaj

Further endorsing our report about the new Pulsar range, Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj confirmed to the media that it is developing an all-new platform that will churn out the next generation Pulsars and Discovers. The new bikes will hit the market by the second half of this fiscal. A couple of months ago we had reported that Bajaj is looking at launching a new Pulsar 200 based on the KTM Duke platform and Pulsar 250 on an all-new platform.

“After the launch of the new Pulsars and Discovers, some of the existing models will be replaced and some models will be discontinued,” Bajaj said. Bajaj Auto has a market share of 27 per cent at present, which could go up to 40–50 per cent post-launch of the new bikes, he added. Bajaj is also working on re-launching the Boxer, targeted at the rural markets, where Hero Honda Splendor is the market leader. The bike will be launched in the second quarter of this fiscal, said S Sridhar, President, Motorcycle Business at Bajaj Auto.

“Boxer will become a subset of the commuter bike Discover, a sort of an entry level bike to the commuter segment. However, Boxer will not be a 100cc bike and its price will be around that of Hero Honda Splendor,” he said. Bajaj also shared his company’s plan to bring in bikes from the KTM stable. Bajaj Auto International Holdings BV Netherlands, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Bajaj Auto, currently holds a 38.09 per cent stake in the Austria-based company. According to Bajaj, KTM has sold 65,000 bikes in 2010. Bajaj Auto has already started manufacturing the bikes in India and has shipped around 1,000 to 2,000 bikes to the European market, where it has launched Duke 125.

“The company will launch its first bike towards the end of the year. However, whether it will be Duke 200 or Duke 125 is yet to be decided,” said Bajaj. “KTM is more important to us in order to enter markets like Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand where brands like Honda and Yamaha are already dominating and these markets are mature. KTM will be our entry ticket to these mature markets,” he said. The company also clarified that it is not looking at the scooter segment right now.

Words: Saeed Akhtar

Available at select dealerships in the country

German automaker BMW has launched their current line-up of high end motorcycles in India which will be sold along with their luxury cars at three of their dealerships in the country currently; Navnit Motors in Mumbai and Bangalore, and Deutsche Motoren in Delhi. The bikes are imported directly from plant in Berlin, Germany through the CBU (completely built unit) and are priced just a few lakhs shy off their four wheeled siblings.

BMW motorrad’s two wheeled line-up starts with the R 1200 R naked street bike with a pricetag of Rs 16,06,419 and goes all the way upto Rs 29,35,187 for the HP 2 Sport full faired sport bike. Between these two, eight other models are being offered which include the legendary dual purpose bike R 1200 GS, its high end version; the R 1200 GS Adv, their first litre class super bike S 1000 RR, the K 1300 R naked muscle bike, K 1300 S sports tourer and the R 1200 RT, K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL tourers. The waiting period for the bikes ranges between a week to two or three months, subject to availability as they will be imported on order.

Visit www.bmw-motorrad.com for more details.
(All quoted prices are OTR Mumbai)

Words: Piyush Sonsale

The actor however knows very little of what to do with it

Giovanni Castiglioni, former Ducati co-owner and current CEO of the MV Agusta group added another name to the list of admirers of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. Highly impressed by the actor’s personal style after meeting him in a bar, Castiglioni’s little research on Saif made him believe that the apt gift for a guy of that personality would be an MV Agusta Brutale. An excellent gesture indeed, but the twist in the tale comes now as bike-handicap Khan doesn’t know what to do with the gift. Mistaking the Brutale to be the bike Hollywood actor Christian Bale rode in the movie- the Dark Knight (which was actually an MV Agusta F4), Saif wants to keep it in his house, as he assumes there is no way he can ride it fast on Mumbai roads. Admitting himself not to be much of a bike person, Saif would admit that looks can sometimes be very deceptive.

Words: Gasha Aeri

 

Tim ‘Frogman’ Cotterill’s Rocket II Trike is plain insane

Many would agree, when I say there is a thin line between genius and insanity and most men try to keep the balance right. When the rest of the automotive world is trying to go green with hybrids and alternative fuel, Tim ‘Frogman’ Cotterill, a metal sculptor by trade, has made the Rocket II Trike.

Everything about the Rocket II is ridiculously over the top, with a supercharged 7.0 liter HEMI V8 and a BDS 8-71 supercharger, belting out 1000 hp (yes, three zeros) and almost as big as a football field in length, it can touch triple digit speed figures in a few seconds managing a top speed of 260 kmph. Weighing in at over 1,200 kg and a fuel economy about 1.2 km/l it may seem Tim is waging a war against the greens on road. This heavy three wheeler is steered using a wheel machined from a billet and a front swing arm made from ¼ – inch steel plate featuring adjustable rosejoints to allow wheel castor and camber.

The Rocket II trike is built as an ode to sheer excessiveness of power.

 

Words: Raymond Raj

Cigarette Racing 42X Ducati Edition

 

In what may be called a unique collaboration two performance icons have come together to unveil a power boat that will definitely blow you away. Cigarette Racing, a well-known power boat brand that is counted among the top brands in the world, recently showcased a marine machine, called the 42X, in association with Ducati, a motorcycle brand that has been associated with speed and performance for more than half-a-century now. The 42X is a pure performance power boat that is dipped in luxury for the upper crust of the society. This speed machine is equipped with twin 1,100 horsepower engines that produce exhilarating power to propel the beast to a top speed of 104 nautical miles, which is the equivalent of 193 km/h overland. However, the highlight of the 42X will be its special Ducati livery. Not only that, the interior will also feature the Italian marque’s colours along with a specially designed stereo system from JL audio. This is one hot product aficionados will cherish. Prices and other details can be found on www.cigaretteracing.com

 

 

 

Words: Ravi Chandanani

To be called the GW250, will come to India soon

After Honda its Suzuki’s turn to thrill young riders with a new 250cc naked street bike that will be coming to India in a years time. Most probably around the 2012 Auto Expo. This new bike was first shown at the 2010 CIMA exhibition in China however, it was shown as a concept bike then but now, just a few months later, Suzuki has announced its plans for launching the bike in China and Brasil along with confirmation on countries like Indonesia and India. The GW250 is a naked street bike with a parallel twin cylinder engine that develops a healthy 26PS of power and 24Nm of torque. The bike borrows its design from the bigger B-King which is a 1300cc naked street bike from Suzuki. The GW will be priced at around Rs. 1.8lakhs making the Honda CBR 250 its closest rival in terms of pricing.

Although its direct competitor in terms of power and weight will be the Kawasaki Ninja 250 which also comes with a parallel twin engine however, develops more power than the GW250.

Words: Ravi Chandnani

Hero Honda tweaks the 223cc bike to keep it fresh

India’s leading two-wheeler maker, Hero Honda has giving a minor face-lift to the Karizma-R. We are not sure if we can call it ‘new’ but the pictures below highlight some of the visible changes. The price and engine specs remain unchanged.

Words: Sarmad Kadiri

Prince William planning a motorcycle ride in India

 

They won’t have been married long, but Prince William, the elder son of the Prince of Wales and the late Princess Diana, will be getting away from his new bride sooner than expected as he plans a royal bike ride round India. 

According to our international correspondents, Prince William is planning another charity motorcycle trip after the success of his last 1,500-kilometre trip around Africa in 2008. As of now we do not have information about the route or the bike the Prince would be riding. This trip will be organised in association with Swinton Bike Insurance of the UK and the company says that the prince has more to prepare for than just for his wedding, as a trip of this magnitude requires a lot of hard work.

Words: Sarmad Kadiri

Suzuki adds a visor to the bike to improve its looks

As you know, Suzuki SlingShot has won the Bike India Award 2011 for the ‘Bike of the year – up to 125cc’. Now Suzuki India is giving its two-wheeler buyers a small treat by launching a new variant of the bike called the SlingShot Plus. Wondering what pluses you’d get in the new variant? Well, the list is rather tiny, as the new variant sports a visor which covers the instrument console, right above the headlight. According to Suzuki this increases the style quotient. The ‘Plus’ variant will be available in three trims — drum brake and alloy with kick start for Rs 50,350, with self start at Rs 52,518, and the top of the line with front disc brake, alloy and self start for Rs 54136 (OTR Pune), which is about a thousand rupees more than the basic SlingShot.

Words: Sarmad Kadiri

No, the Apache won’t have six-pack, but will be safer to ride

   

 

Early this year TVS Motors showcased the Apache 180 with ABS (anti-lock braking system) technology during the Auto Expo and, almost a year later, the bike sporting this safety technology will be available in a TVS showroom close to you this month (January 2011). We reckon the new Apache with ABS to be about Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 dearer. Though ABS is common in bikes and cars internationally, we still have a reason for a tiny celebration. This will be the first time a ‘made in India’ bike will feature ABS. Hurrah!
TVS have developed the anti-lock braking system in collaboration with Continental AG, Germany (pioneer in chassis control system for passenger cars and leading bikes like the BMW). The system has a hydraulic-electronic control unit (HECU) and a speed-sensing technology that continuously monitors the wheel speed of the bike. During braking it modulates the hydraulic pressure in the brake system to avoid an impending wheel lock and loss of control.
The ABS system improves braking even in wet conditions, prevents wheel skids and rear wheel lift-off. So, all you guys who love to perform ‘stoppies’ on their Apaches, TVS have made the trick even harder for you.