BIKE India Cover – April 2012
Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine
BIKE India Cover – April 2012
TRAVELOGUES
* ROYAL ENFIELD IN RAJASTHAN
* HONDA CBR 250R IN NORTH-EAST
DUCATI 1199 PANIGALE S
ITALIAN EXOTICA
TAKEN UP A NOTCH
WE EXPERIENCE IT
EXCLUSIVE!
COLIN EDWARD’S AUTOGRAPHED POSTER
FEATURE
40 YEARS OF DUCATI L-TWIN
SHOOTOUT
KTM 200 DUKE vs HONDA CBR 250R
SPORT: 2012 MOTOGP TEAMS * HOW TO RIDE A MOTOGP 1000
TVS sets out to prove its bikes are tough and durable, much like the Indian Army
The Hosur-based company has partnered up with the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai to motivate the Indian youth to join the Indian Army. TVS had chosen their commuter bike, the Star City, for this motorcycle expedition. The route planned took the Indian army soldiers from Chennai to Pondycherry to Trichy to Rameshwaram to Trivandrum (via Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari) to Cochin to Ezhimala (Kannur) to Mysore to Bangalore and finally to Chennai.
Over all these years, the alumni of OTA, Chennai have been active in the battlefield and have bagged a number of Gallantry awards which include one Param Veer Chakra, 5 Ashok Chakra, nine Mahaveer Chakra, 51 Veer Chakra, 7 Kirti Chakra, 31 Shaurya Chakra and 241 Sena Medal. As part of their grand Golden Jubilee celebrations, OTA had planned a Motor Cycle Expedition from 19 Mar to 31 Mar 2012 through the Southern corridor of India covering states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka covering a distance of 2200 Km in 11 days. The riders comprised of two Officers, six Gentlemen and two Lady Cadets from the academy.
TVS had been chosen to be associated with Golden Jubilee Motorcycle Expedition as its brand reflects comparable attributes of endurance, reliability, toughness and ruggedness just like the soldiers who rode these motorcycles.
Triumph has been incubating and hatching the 1200 Tiger Explorer since July 2006v but has now finally added it to its Adventure range.
They had to design and build a brand new engine as well as a brand new bike. The Explorer’s 1215cc three-cylinder motor shares no parts and no dimensions with any other engine in the current Triumph range. Three cylinders run 85×71.4mm bore and stroke dimensions and a full ride-by-wire Keihin fuel injection system takes care of a number of important aspects such as cruise control, traction control and capping the top speed to 220kmh. Triumph claim a peak figure of 137PS and – the most crucial part – a peak torque figure of 121Nm delivered at 6,400rpm. The 1200 Explorer comes, as standard, with traction control, ABS, cruise control and heated grips.
Suspension front and rear is courtesy of Kayaba. A 46mm inverted fork and a monoshock unit with progressive rising rate linkage at the back offer 190mm of wheel travel and 194mm respectively. The new Tiger comes with adjustable rider seat height, handlebar position and screen in line with a 20-litre fuel tank. One of the interesting points to take note off is that the 1200 Tiger has a 16000km service interval. Just a feather in its cap to prove it can stand tall for a long time.
Italian scooter giant to make their official entry next month
Vespa, the whooly-owned subsidiary of Piaggio & Co. S.p.A., is back in India and this time they are flying solo. The Italian company, as much a global fashion trendsetter as it is a scooter manufacturer, is no stranger to the Indian two-wheeler market, having had a highly successful joint venture with LML from 1984 until its abrupt end in 1989.
Piaggio Group President, Mr. Matteo Colaninno, will be commercially launching Vespa in its new avatar in Mumbai on 26th April, 2012. This will be followed by the plant inauguration at Baramati, on the outskirts of Pune. We reckon their first offering will be the trendy LX 125 scooter displayed at the Auto Expo this year, aimed at young and fashion conscious college-goers. All we can say is, welcome back, Vespa.
The Indian outfit made their Italian championship debut with a win
Mahindra Racing made their Italian motorcycle road racing championship debut at the Mugello circuit by winning the first race in the 125 GP class. The team’s Italian rider Riccardo Moretti secured pole position on Saturday with a lap-time of 2:01.413, giving the team a positive start. Meanwhile, his team-mate, India’s Sarath Kumar qualified 22nd on the combined grid of the 125GP and Moto3 classes.
In the race, Moretti was in the lead from start and built a gap of over 16 seconds by the end to cross the finish-line first. Kumar, on the other hand, managed to move up one place by the ninth lap but had to retire from the race on the next due to a mechanical failure in his bike.
Next round of the championship will be held between April 6-8 at the Imola circuit.
The Indian outfit made their Italian championship debut with a win
Mahindra Racing made their Italian motorcycle road racing championship debut at the Mugello circuit
by winning the first race in the 125 GP class. The team’s Italian rider Riccardo Moretti secured pole
position on Saturday with a lap-time of 2:01.413, giving the team a positive start. Meanwhile, his team-
mate, India’s Sarath Kumar qualified 22nd on the combined grid of the 125GP and Moto3 classes.
In the race, Moretti was in the lead from start and built a gap of over 16 seconds by the end to cross the
finish-line first. Kumar, on the other hand, managed to move up one place by the ninth lap but had to
retire from the race on the next due to a mechanical failure in his bike.
Next round of the championship will be held between April 6-8 at the Imola circuit.
The Indian outfit made their Italian championship debut with a win
Mahindra Racing made their Italian motorcycle road racing championship debut at the Mugello circuit by winning the first race in the 125 GP class. The team’s Italian rider Riccardo Moretti secured pole position on Saturday with a lap-time of 2:01.413, giving the team a positive start. Meanwhile, his team-mate, India’s Sarath Kumar qualified 22nd on the combined grid of the 125GP and Moto3 classes.
In the race, Moretti was in the lead from start and built a gap of over 16 seconds by the end to cross the finish-line first. Kumar, on the other hand, managed to move up one place by the ninth lap but had to retire from the race on the next due to a mechanical failure in his bike.
Next round of the championship will be held between April 6-8 at the Imola circuit.
The Indian outfit made their Italian championship debut with a win
Mahindra Racing made their Italian motorcycle road racing championship debut at the Mugello circuit
by winning the first race in the 125 GP class. The team’s Italian rider Riccardo Moretti secured pole
position on Saturday with a lap-time of 2:01.413, giving the team a positive start. Meanwhile, his team-
mate, India’s Sarath Kumar qualified 22nd on the combined grid of the 125GP and Moto3 classes.
In the race, Moretti was in the lead from start and built a gap of over 16 seconds by the end to cross the
finish-line first. Kumar, on the other hand, managed to move up one place by the ninth lap but had to
retire from the race on the next due to a mechanical failure in his bike.
Next round of the championship will be held between April 6-8 at the Imola circuit.
Full details about Lisbeth Salander’s motorcycle in TGWTDT finally emerge
It is a truth generally acknowledged that whenever Europe or Asia comes up with an excellent film, Hollywood will usually follow suit with a high-budget remake and completely ruin the original’s reputation. Not such with David Fincher, the director of several cult movies like Seven, Zodiac and Fight Club. Fincher’s attention to detail and obsession to every minute aspect of his prop pieces is legendary and his latest remake of Stieg Larsson’s acclaimed masterpiece, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is an apt example. Now, thanks to our friends over at BikeExif, we have some details on how the cafe-racer (ridden by Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander) that played a pivotal part in the movie was developed.
The bikes here are three late 1960s Honda CB 350s, coml,etely stripped to the bone and rebuilt to the director’s specifications by noted customiser, Justin Kell of Glory Motor Works in LA. All three CBs were restored, stripped, cleaned, re-painting, powder-coated, polished and cadmium plated for the shots. Since the shots called for good lighting, HID headlamps were fitted in the bike. Things like clutches, brakes, wiring harness and spokes were replaced and the engine was given everything new to the bits, even new valve job, pistons and rings. The carburetters were rebuilt and fuel tanks were stripped and relined. Flat track style seats were installed, covered in vintage glove leather.
All this labor showed good results in the movie, we know. After all it ain’t easy to make an old lady look the same age as a young damsel. Watch the final result here and you will agree.