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Better Late Than Never

It is with a heavy heart that I write this editorial. We lost our former Chairman, Humayun Dhanrajgir, recently. He was a thorough gentleman and one of the best human beings I have ever met. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

‘Better late than never’ is what we can say about the new Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z. It was about 10 to 12 years ago that I had asked Bajaj when we would get to see a 400-cc Pulsar. This was even before the launch of the 400 Dominar. The chassis of the NS 200 was so good that it could easily handle a 400-cc engine.

I was invited to ride the bike at the Bajaj Auto test-track along with the international media group. The motorcycle lived up to my expectations. The Dominar engine’s power and torque delivery makes the bike easy to ride and its sharp handling allows one to throw it into corners with considerable confidence. At Rs 1.85 lakh, it is a steal.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Changing Dynamics

Here is something that throws ample light on how the Indian motorcycle industry has changed over the past decade.

The jury round for the Bike India Awards was held last month. New bikes that were launched between the 1st of December 2022 and the 30th of November 2023 qualified for the Bike of the Year Award 2024. There was only one 100-cc motorcycle, the Honda Shine, that was launched during this period. There were two other motorcycles below 200 cc, two below 250 cc, and two scooters with internal combustion engines (ICE), besides four electric scooters. The segment above 300 cc and below 500 cc, on the other hand, witnessed six new launches. Now, if you went back by 10 years, you would have had six to eight commuter bikes, four to five scooters, and only one or two bikes above 250 cc. Clearly, the dynamics of the Indian two-wheeler industry have changed and the manufacturers also seem to have realised that the cost of making a mid-sized motorcycle is not so much more than that of making a commuter. Moreover, profitability is far greater in respect of a mid-sized motorcycle.

There were a number of strong contenders for the Bike of the Year Award. They included the KTM 250 and 390 Duke, Triumph Speed 400 and Scrambler 400 X, Harley-Davidson X440, TVS Apache RTR 310, and the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. We also had the BMW S 1000 RR, Ultraviolette F77 electric bike, and two Ducatis: DesertX and Diavel V4. The Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 was crowned the Bike of the Year.

The traffic situation is going from bad to worse by the day, what with the number of new vehicles coming out every day and the lack of any rider training before one gets their riding licence. We need proper rider training schools to teach traffic rules, the basic dos and don’ts of riding on the road, and, equally importantly, the principle of the right of way.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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An Indicator of Evolution

The jury round for the Bike India Awards 2024 for two-wheelers launched between 01 December 2022 and 30 November 2023 was held last month. There were 34 contenders, comprising motorcycles, scooters, electric scooters, and electric motorcycles. Of these 34, there were only three motorcycles below 200 cc along with three electric motorcycles and nine electric scooters; the remainder being big motorcycles. This shows how the Indian two-wheeler market has evolved over the years. It may be recalled here that when the very first Bike India Awards were presented in 2005, most of the bikes were of a capacity below 200 cc.

We had the very first Indian Supercross League and it was witnessed by a large number of spectators who were thrilled by some exciting racing. It was great to see international riders perform and it was evident that there was a big difference in the standard of riding between the Indian boys and their international counterparts; why, even the boys from Thailand were far quicker than our boys. I hope this exposure helps the Indian riders to improve their skill. The only way to improve one’s riding skill is to ride with riders who are quicker than oneself. In my own case, that was what helped me when I was racing. My thought processes ran as follows: if he can go through a corner so much quicker, then why can I not take that corner at the same speed?

There is a desperate need to have training schools for two-wheeler riders to teach them the basic dos and don’ts of traffic rules to which most riders are oblivious. We need an enclosed space where one can teach learners the basics of how to ride a two-wheeler. As the situation obtains today, more than 99 per cent of the two-wheeler riders are not fit to be on the road in the first place.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Spectacular Strides

If one looks at the recent motorcycle launches, one can see how the Indian two-wheeler industry has evolved over the past two decades. Fifteen to 20 years ago, most of the launches would have been 100-cc commuter motorcycles and scooters, whereas today a majority of them are 250-cc and above, except for a couple of commuter motorcycles. Apart from the mid-size and high-end bikes, we have also seen some electric motorcycles being launched along with a hoard of electric scooters that are being launched every other day.

The second Hero World Day was held on the 23rd of last month where the company launched the new sporty commuter, 125-cc Hero Extreme, and unveiled the 440-cc Mavrick, which is Hero MotoCorp’s version of the Harley-Davidson 440X. They also showcased the technology for the future and Dr Pawan Munjal presented the Karizma concept in the memory of his late father, Brijmohanlal Munjal, the founder of the Hero Group. This year Hero added another feather to their cap by finishing second in the Dakar Rally. Ross Branch, the man who got the podium finish, was also present at the Hero World Day.

There was a double celebration for India at this year’s Dakar with Ross Branch finishing in second place for team Hero MotoCorp and Harith Noah winning the rally two class for TVS Racing. Every Indian should be proud of both these achievements.

This month we feature the first ride of the made-in-India Aprilia RS 457 for the world. The parallel-twin RS 457 seems to tick all the boxes on the racetrack. We will get to see how it performs on the road when we conduct a real world road test.



Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Global Gauntlet

The year 2023 has literally flown by and we are already in 2024. Interestingly, quite a few new bikes were launched last year. What’s more, they were not ordinary motorcycles; they had a certain significance to them because those bikes were made by Indian manufacturers for global brands like Harley-Davidson, Triumph, and BMW. While Hero MotoCorp, the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world, are making motorcycles for the American marque, Harley-Davidson, Bajaj Auto are producing bikes for KTM and Triumph, and TVS for BMW Motorrad. This speaks volumes about indigenous manufacturers making world-class motorcycles in India.

Then there is Royal Enfield. Under the able leadership of Siddhartha Lal, they are taking on the world’s best motorcycles with their stunning products. The first two in this line that made the world sit up and take notice were the two 650 twins, Interceptor and Continental GT 650. Now, with the new Himalayan 450, they have taken the game to another level. There was a time when we would say, ‘This is not bad for an Indian manufacturer’, but today they are busy taking on the best in the world.

The Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) Award ceremony was held last month in Mumbai. There were a number of strong contenders for the IMOTY crown, starting with two bikes from the Hero stable: the Karizma XMR and the Harley-Davidson 440X. Then there was the RTR310 from TVS, two KTMs—250 Duke and 390 Duke—two Triumph 400s, and the Royal Enfield 650 Meteor and Himalayan 450. It was the Himalayan 450 that won the IMOTY Award for 2023.

I would like to wish all our readers, fans and followers a happy New Year. Ride safe!


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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EICMA Showcases Great Variety

The Milan motorcycle show (EICMA) was held last month and, unlike car shows, the event was abuzz with displays of both electric bikes and internal combustion engine (ICE) bikes. We saw Indian motorcycle manufacturers showcasing world-class electric and ICE motorcycles.

The Hero MotoCorp stand had on display the new Xoom 125-cc scooter, besides a 160-cc moto-scooter and a concept motorcycle, the 2.5R, which is a naked streetfighter. On the electric side, they showcased a new Vida scooter which will go into production soon, an off-road bike, and a small electric bike for children that is adjustable in size to suit kids aged six to nine years. Hero R&D are doing commendable work as regards new models.

The other two Indian manufacturers were Royal Enfield and Ultraviolette. Royal Enfield held the global launch of the new Himalayan 450. They also displayed the electric Himalayan, which was their test mule. Ultraviolette showcased the F77 street bike and the F99 race motorcycle.

The highlight of the Ducati stand was the new Hypermotard 698 Mono, the first single-cylinder in recent times from Ducati. The Honda stand showcased the return of the Honda CBR 600RR. While the Kawasaki stand had the first hybrid production motorcycle, the Ninja 7 Hybrid, on display, Aprilia had the made-in-India RS 457 and RS 660 among the main attractions. For me, the Yamaha XSR900 Eddie Lawson replica was the highlight of the Yamaha stand.

The Chinese manufacturers had a number of bikes on display, but, sadly, their bikes was not up to the mark. It is worth noting in this context that the bikes made by the Indian manufacturers today can hold their own against the best by their global competitors.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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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

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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