Aspi Bhathena

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Refined Offerings

Last month we tested two new bikes by Hero MotoCorp: the liquid-cooled Xpulse and the 250-cc Xtreme. Both these bikes were unveiled at the Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA) in November last year. The first ride was organised in Udaipur, Rajasthan, and I got an opportunity to swing a leg over both the bikes for a short ride.

The Xpulse is an all-new bike as compared to the air-cooled four-valve one. It has an all-new chassis with linked rear monoshock suspension and a thicker front fork. Its 210-cc liquid-cooled engine comes from the Karizma XMR. This engine delivers very good power and torque through the rev-range and is a refined unit: no engine clatter and hardly any vibrations. The chassis is well sorted and the bike handles really well on and off the road. In fact, the handling is so good that it makes the 210-cc engine feel inadequate.

The Xtreme 250 is also an all-new bike wherein the 210-cc engine has a longer stroke to increase the capacity. This bike also offers very good handling and its suspension has been set up on the firm side, which is needed for good handling. The 250-cc liquid-cooled engine delivers good power and torque with excellent refinement. It would have been great if they had put this engine in the Xpulse as well.

It looks like MotoGP is being run as Formula 1 was during the Michael Schumacher era when Michael was running F1. What Marc Márquez did before the start of the US MotoGP was nothing short of shocking and no action was taken against him. At the very least, the riders who went into the pits should have been made to start from the pit-lane and those who had taken a big risk by venturing out on slicks should have been allowed to start from the starting grid.


Aspi Bhathena
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Activity Aplenty

The year gone by was extremely hectic and this year seems to be going to be even more so. January was kick-started by the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) awards ceremony. Then there was the Bharat Mobility Show in Delhi and the first ride of the new Ultraviolette motorcycle.

The IMOTY ceremony was an august gathering comprising the who’s who of the automobile industry. The 2025 award was presented by Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director of JK Tyre. The winner of the IMOTY 2025 was the Aprilia RS 457.

The Bharat Mobility Show was quite a let-down, except Hero MotoCorp’s launch of three motorcycles and a scooter that had already been unveiled at the Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA). BMW Motorrad launched the S 1000 RR and the 1300 GS Adventure. Suzuki launched the electric Access, Honda the electric Activa, and TVS a CNG variant of the Jupiter, besides showcasing Norton motorcycles. The Yamaha stand had the RD 350 and the RX100 on display in the historic section with a couple of adventure bikes. There were quite a few small electric two-wheeler manufacturers who displayed electric scooters. Incidentally, the new Expo facility is good and it would have proved even better had it been a little compact and not so widespread.

A new rule promulgated by the Regional Transport Authority makes it mandatory for all motorcycles registered before 2019 to be fitted with security number-plates. To get these number-plates, one is required to apply to the local Regional Transport Officer who will then direct the applicant to a motorcycle dealer authorised to carry out the fitting of the official number-plates.

The Indian motor sport community lost another stalwart, Darius Bhathena, who started his career racing bikes at Lohegaon in Pune. He was a man with a golden heart. May his soul rest in peace.


Aspi Bhathena
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Demise of Visionaries

The year 2024 ended on a sombre note with the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh, one of the best prime ministers we have had. It is thanks to him that we are in a position to buy the best motorcycles in the world here in India today.

As the Union finance minister, it was Dr Manmohan Singh who liberalized the Indian economy in 1992 and invited global manufacturers to come to India and invest here to set up their businesses. At the same time, he made sure that the Indian manufacturers could compete with their international counterparts. He was a thorough gentleman and a kind-hearted human being. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

The second bad news was the passing away of Osamu Suzuki san, the former CEO of Suzuki Motorcycle Company. Suzuki, the well-known Japanese marque, has given pleasure to millions of motorcycle riders across the world and in India as well. The company first came to India in collaboration with TVS and the first motorcycle launched together by them was the Suzuki AX100. There is a special connect for me with the Suzuki brand. I learned to ride a motorcycle when I was 10 years old on an 80-cc Suzuki. Rest in peace, Osamu Suzuki san.

The year gone by was extremely hectic with a number of new launches, both ICE engine bikes and electric ones. The New Year promises to be the same or even more hectic, starting with the Bharat Mobility Show kicking off things. Then we have two new products from Hero MotoCorp. And this is just the beginning.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers and manufacturers for their support and wish everyone a happy New Year. Ride safely and stay safe in 2025.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Two-wheeled Evolution

A sea change has taken place between how motorcycling used to be perceived 25 years ago and how it is seen today. Back then, motorcycles were seen as a cheap mode of transport to travel from point A to point B. Now things have changed to such an extent that bikes are seen as a lifestyle with riders showing off their fancy riding gear alongside their superbikes.

The manufacturers are also doing their bit by organising motorcycle festivals. The first manufacturer to hold a motorcycle festival was Royal Enfield with “Rider Mania”. Now it is “Motoverse”. Then came the India Bike Week (IBW), which was started in 2013 by 70 EMG. At that time, only Harley-Davidson used to support the event and they are present even today but other manufacturers like Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, and KTM are also there at this event.

Not to be left out, TVS started their own festival when the dynamic Vimal Sumbly took over as the head of premium biking. Now the manufacturers have begun using these festivals to launch new premium products.

What I noticed during my stay in Goa was that there are a few riders who bring motorcycling into disrepute by riding fast and dangerously within the city. Enjoy your bike outside on highways, but do not make a nuisance of yourselves and give biking a bad name. All they seem to be doing is cause eyebrows to be raised, not to speak of the possibility of hurting themselves.

Then you have those “mobile phone riders”. They barely possess the necessary riding skill but always have their mobile phones stuck between the shoulder and the ear. Needless to say, this not only imperils their own life, but is verily a hazard to other road-users. The police should come down heavily on such riders and confiscate their mobile phones.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor