The Royal Enfield Himalayan 452 was recently revealed by the iconic motorcycle brand. We take a look at what are the differences between the Himalayan 411 and the all-new Himalayan 452.
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NOVEMBER 2023
Single-cylinder Motorcycles
With the cost of high-end multi-cylinder motorcycles going up all the time, premium motorcycle manufacturers have begun to look at making single-cylinder motorcycles. This was started first by KTM, then BMW tied up with TVS to make affordable single-cylinder bikes and the next in line were Hero MotoCorp with Harley-Davidson. The Triumph-Bajaj tie-up following soon thereafter and now Ducati have announced that they will be making a 659-cc single-cylinder motorcycle.
The cost of twin-cylinder motorcycles remains beyond the reach of most customers and that has prompted all the manufacturers to look at affordable motorcycles to boost their sales. To bring the manufacturing cost down, most of the global manufacturers have a manufacturing facility in India. The Japanese manufacturers have their own set-ups, whereas the European manufacturers have tie-ups with Indian manufacturers.
The new Royal Enfield Himalayan is ready to be launched soon. It is going to be powered by a liquid-cooled 450-cc engine with four valves. The 450-cc engine capacity could see Royal Enfield getting ready to take part in the Dakar Rally in the near future.
The Indian manufacturers are making world-class motorcycles that can take on any international manufacturer in build quality. Towards the end of last month, I got an opportunity to see and ride the new Himalayan. The bike looks stunning right from the design and build quality to its proportions, which are perfect. It is nice and compact, has a low seat height, and the seat tapers towards the front, so one can get both one’s feet down on the ground, which is a big advantage for an ADV motorcycle. The new Sherpa liquid-cooled engine is very compact and 10 kilograms lighter than the previous one. The Himalayan is really nice to ride. You may read our detailed report in the next issue.
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
#18StatesAnniversaryRide Hero Xpulse 200T 4V Powered by Valvoline – The Journey Continues
Inclement weather forced us to call a halt to our 18th anniversary celebration ride. However, at the first opportunity we pressed “play” and completed this epic journey.
[Read more…]OCTOBER 2023
A Red-letter Day in Indian Motorcycling
MotoGP was held at the Buddh International Circuit last month for the very first time. MotoGP on Indian soil was a momentous event for motorcycling in the country. The who’s who of MotoGP world championship were present on the occasion.
There were a few niggles, though, such as final track homologation which took place on the Thursday before the race weekend. This led to a lot of uncertainty as to whether the race would take place or not because some of the changes required to have the circuit homologated could not be executed in time. We must give credit to the folk at Fairstreet for the success of the event.
Last month we also took part in the first ride of the TVS RTR 310 in Thailand. During the ride I asked Vimal Sumbly, the head of premium biking at TVS Motor Company, the reason for holding events such as the launch of the electric scooter in Dubai and the RTR ride in Thailand outside India. The answer was simple: he said the idea was to make TVS a global brand, not just limited to the Third World countries but also significant to the developed countries and markets.
The RTR 310 naked version was long overdue after the launch of the RR 310. This one is aimed at the KTM with streetfighter specifications. You may turn over to page 32 for our first ride report.
Indian motorcycle manufacturers like Bajaj, TVS, and Royal Enfield have come a long way with their capabilities to make world-class bikes in terms not only of looks and design, but also of performance, handling, braking, and reliability.
If our two-wheeler manufacturers are capable of making world-class bikes, why can our helmet manufacturers not make world-class helmets? At present the irony is that people can buy the best motorcycles in the world but cannot protect themselves with the best protective gear. Why can our helmet manufacturers not make good helmets to compete with international helmet manufacturers?
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
SEPTEMBER 2023
Mishap Claims a Promising Young Racer’s Life
Indian motorcycle racing lost a bright young star in the making last month with the demise of Shreyas Hareesh, one of the most talented youngsters I have seen in motorcycle racing. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
It was a racing incident and, as all of us know, motorcycle racing is a dangerous sport. At the same time, we should try to make it as safe as possible. The first step towards this is riding gear of a good quality, which is difficult to procure in India today due to the ban on the import of helmets. Indeed, it is a sad scenario that the government has banned the import of helmets just to protect the Indian helmet manufacturers. Even after so many years in the business our manufacturers cannot make a helmet that meets the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) standards that are mandatory for racing in the country. It is unfortunate, to say the least, that we are going backwards in time to protect poor manufacturing.
Indian two-wheeler manufacturers like Bajaj Auto, TVS, Hero MotoCorp, and Royal Enfield are making world-class motorcycles, taking on global manufacturers and beating them in international markets. If we can make world-class motorcycles, why can we not make good helmets?
Another important aspect is that the riding gear should fit properly; neither too tight nor to loose. If the body armour shifts, it will not protect the vital organs that it is supposed to protect during an impact, thus leading to serious injury.
Ride in peace, my little friend.
We saw two big launches recently, the return of the Hero Karizma and the Royal Enfield Bullet, the longest model in production anywhere in the world that has been in production for over nine decades. The new Karizma has a modern liquid-cooled DOHC four-valve engine and a trellis frame. The Bullet gets its engine from the Classic which has been further refined with the power delivery tweaked to suit the bike’s character.
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Road Test Review
Here is the latest generation model of one of the most iconic motorcycles in the world: the Royal Enfield Bullet 350.
Story: Azaman Chothia
Photography: Apurva Ambep
Royal Enfield Track School Announced
The Royal Enfield Track School is set to commence with the first session on 9 and 10 September at the Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore.
[Read more…]Interview – V Sivaramakrishnan, Chief Technology Officer, TVS Srichakra Limited | ‘EV tyres require EV-specific materials and they are expensive’
We had an opportunity to talk to V Sivaramakrishnan, Chief Technology Officer, TVS Srichakra Limited, in the course of the TVS Eurogrip Roadhound tyre test. He had some interesting things to say. Here are the excerpts.
[Read more…]AUGUST 2023
Yet Another Milestone
BIKE INDIA MAGAZINE CELEBRATES ITS 18TH anniversary this month. What a ride it has been wherein the magazine has gone from strength to strength! Even today we are the only dedicated bike magazine in the country and for this I would like to thank all our readers and manufacturers for their unstinting support over the past 18 years. We look forward to your support in the future too. Incidentally, only two of us, Ramnath and myself, are the members from the founding editorial team of the magazine in 2005 still working for the magazine.
Last month we witnessed two major motorcycle launches: first it was the Harley-Davidson X440, built in collaboration by Hero MotoCorp, and the day after it was the Triumph Speed 400, also made in collaboration by Bajaj Auto. The H-D X440 is aimed squarely at the Royal Enfield 350 Meteor and Classic. It delivers a little more performance than the Royal Enfield and is in the same mould of being a laidback cruiser. The Triumph Speed 400, on the other hand, is more of an all-rounder. It will allow one to cruise all day and, at the same time, have a blast around their favourite mountainous terrain. It is easy to make a one-dimensional motorcycle, either a laidback cruiser or a performance bike like the KTM Duke, but manufacturing one capable of doing both is a challenge and I must say that Bajaj and Triumph have done a fantastic job with the Speed 400.
Some journalists say that the Speed 400 engine is based on the that of the KTM. That is not true at all; in fact, there is nothing in common between the two engines. Then there are some who feel that it sounds like the Bajaj Dominar’s. It is a 400-cc single-cylinder engine. Therefore, if it does not sound like a single, should it sound like a twin or an in-line four?
We recently lost a promising young racer in 13-year-old Shreyas Hareesh. We offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
On the occasion of the 18th anniversary, I would like to thank the Bike India team for their hard work and support throughout to bring out the magazine.
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
‘Will launch the YZF-R3 and the MT-03 by the year-end’ – Eishin Chihana, Chairman, Yamaha Motor India
Eishin Chihana, Chairman, Yamaha Motor India, speaks to us about upcoming launches and the company’s future plans.
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