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Aspi Bhathena

JUNE 2025

May 28, 2025 by Aspi Bhathena Leave a Comment

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No Alternative to Strict Discipline

I was in Guwahati, Assam, last month for an event and there were a couple of traffic-related aspects that struck me while I was driving in that beautiful north-eastern city. One was the fact that both the rider and the pillion rider were seen wearing helmets while riding a two-wheeler. The second was the discipline that I witnessed on the road. I saw people follow traffic rules punctiliously: no one violated traffic signals and no one was inclined to drive/ride on the wrong side of the road in case of a traffic jam.

When you speak to people in Pune as to why they do not like wearing a helmet while riding a two-wheeler, the main excuse offered is that the weather is very hot. The second is that the helmet restricts their vision and that it is cumbersome having to lug it around after parking the two-wheeler. Most probably, the excuse of restricted vision stems from the fact that they do not bother to look at their rear-view mirrors. As for the other excuse, there are places like Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Kochi (Kerala) where the climate tends to be much more humid than in Pune but people still wear helmets because the law is implemented rigorously by the traffic police there.

When we were growing up in Pune, riding a bicycle in the night without the light would result in the police stopping us and deflating the tyres. The neat upshot was that we would have to walk back home trundling the bicycle along. The same punishment was meted out if one was caught riding “double seat”. Today, however, three or even four persons astride a two-wheeler go scot-free; the police neither stop them nor fine them. Interestingly, the same traffic police tend to stop you if you happen to ride/drive a vehicle bearing a registration number-plate from some other state of the country.

Touching upon another aspect of discipline, some festivals took place last month and the decibel level of the music blaring out on the loudspeakers there was so high that one could not help being assailed by it even a kilometre away. If one happened to be driving past in a car, the whole vehicle would vibrate on account of the blast. Conversely, if you happen to be riding a slightly loud motorcycle, the police will stop you and fine you even without checking the decibel level.

It is high time all the traffic rules and regulations were enforced both in letter and spirit without exception.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

Filed Under: NEW ISSUE

APRIL 2025

April 11, 2025 by Aspi Bhathena Leave a Comment

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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
Editor

Filed Under: NEW ISSUE

MARCH 2025

March 5, 2025 by Aspi Bhathena Leave a Comment

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Good Old Bikes Come Back with a Bang

The organisers of the India Bike Week (IBW) have started “Generation Speed”, a festival for cars and bikes, and its first edition was held on the 22nd and 23rd of February on the Amby Valley airstrip. Generation Speed is the Indian version of the Goodwood Festival of Speed wherein you do not just have stationary cars and bikes on display but you get to drive/ride them. This takes the spectators back in time where they can hear the old familiar sound of the engines and smell the admixture of two-stroke synthetic oil and 100 octane from the exhaust.

This event gave us the impetus to bring back old bikes to life. The Crusader was last raced in 1988 and it was for the first time that it was kick-started after 38 years. The Enfield 200 was last raced in 1990 and it was ridden after 35 years. I had raced the RD350 in 1993. Incidentally, even today these motorcycles would give bikes twice their capacity a run for their money.

The new KTM 390 Adventure first ride took place last month and I got the opportunity to swing my leg over the bike. The first impression is that it is nimble and easy to ride with an engine that is lively and wants to be revved. It is good for performance but, at the same time, the low gearing and busy feeling with vibrations is not good for long-distance touring. This motorcycle is good for short blasts and off-road riding. It will also be tricky because the power comes gushing with a bang and this will make it ticklish to ride on gravel and in tight off-road conditions. The light flywheel makes the engine quick to rev but, as a result, it loses out on bottom-end grunt.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

Filed Under: NEW ISSUE, News

FEBRUARY 2025

February 7, 2025 by Aspi Bhathena Leave a Comment

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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
Editor

Filed Under: NEW ISSUE

JANUARY 2025

January 9, 2025 by Aspi Bhathena Leave a Comment

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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

Filed Under: NEW ISSUE

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Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

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