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This Needs to be Remedied Forthwith

The traffic situation is getting from bad to worse by the day and nothing is being done about it. There are no rider training schools; everyone who gets a two-wheeler licence has either learnt to ride a two-wheeler from someone in the family or a friend who himself does not have a clue about riding a bike or the traffic rules. It should be made mandatory to go through a rider training programme for three months at the very least before appearing for a proper riding test.

Simple though it may look, there is a lot to riding a two-wheeler. It is just not about knowing how to balance yourself on it, pull the clutch, select a gear, and get going on a motorcycle or, even simpler on an automatic scooter, just twist the throttle and get going. There is a lot more. The first is the dos and don’ts when you are on the road with other people. One does not change lanes at one’s own sweet will without looking in the rear-view mirror (and expecting all the traffic behind to stop). Riding down the wrong side of the road is done with such brazenness and with such impunity that it is like their birth right. If you happen to say something to them by way of a reprimand, they turn around and give you a mouthful. Traffic rules need to be implemented rigorously.

The auto-rickshaw drivers are another lot who do not give a damn for traffic rules. They are always parked at crossroads and intersections, which is a traffic offence but no one seems to care.

The traffic situation is getting out of hand to such an extent that let alone the ordinary citizens like you and me, even the traffic police are getting attacked by these hooligans.

On a heartening note, the sales of new two-wheelers seem to be gaining momentum and this is a good sign for the economy.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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A Comeback of Sorts

The Indian two-wheeler market is making a comeback of sorts, although it is still far from where it was before the pandemic. Manufacturers like Hero MotoCorp, who used to register 7,00,000 units in some of the months, are now down to 3,00,000 units a month. Most of the manufacturers are registering 50 to 60 per cent of sales of what they were before the outbreak of the pandemic.

With high inflation, the cost of two-wheelers has already gone up and now, with new emission norms coming in with OBD-II, bike prices are likely to go up even further. Furthermore, the high cost of fuel keeps having a major impact on the cost of living for the poor and the middle class and these are the people who buy entry-level 100-cc motorcycles and scooters. A true indicator of the economy is the sale of entry-level two-wheelers: if they are doing well, then you know that the economy is doing well and if not, you know that the bottom of the pyramid is not doing well.

The mechanically linked braking system in entry-level bikes is not a foolproof system, for it does not yield the desired result when the brake cables are not adjusted regularly or one of them has greater free play than the other. In such cases, you will either experience excessive braking at the front or at the rear. It works well when you have linked hydraulic brakes because hydraulic brakes are self-adjusting, ensuring that you get the desired pressure and stopping power on the front and rear brakes. Thus, mechanically linked braking is a flawed system.

As has been reiterated in these columns several times, we require stringent licensing norms to decide who deserves a riding licence and who does not. Riding a two-wheeler is not just about knowing how to balance yourself on it, depress the clutch, engage the gear, and start moving. There is a lot more to riding a two-wheeler. Besides, we do not have proper riding schools that can train people in riding a two-wheeler before obtaining a licence and venturing on to the road.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Recognition for the Meritorious

The Bike India Awards for 2023 were presented last month. There were 39 contenders for these awards, all launched between the first of December 2021 and the 30th of November 2022.

The most frequently asked question in this context pertains to the basis on which the jury select the Motorcycle of the Year. To win this award, a bike needs to raise the bar in its own segment; in areas such as performance, fuel efficiency, ride, handling, braking, and, above all, it should be value for money, relevant to the Indian market, and affordable to the masses. Incidentally, the parameters are the same for the Bike India Awards and the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) Award.

Both the Car India and Bike India Awards were well represented by the automobile industry at the ITC Grand Central at Parel, Mumbai. It was great to see the Royal Enfield Hunter, a motorcycle made by an Indian manufacturer, win the coveted Two-wheeler of the Year Award. It is equally heartening to see Indian manufacturers like Bajaj, TVS, and Royal Enfield giving international manufacturers a run for their money by making motorcycles that are suitable to the Indian market.

The Suzuki V-Strom SX, Honda CB300F, and KTM RC 390 were strong contenders for the awards. The jury considered the value-for-money factor, which is one of the reasons for not winning an award.

Electric scooters are making an impact on the Indian scooter market. In view of this, Bike India decided to institute an award for the best electric scooter. Three big Indian manufacturers—Bajaj Auto, TVS, and Hero MotoCorp—have entered the EV market, the last-named with the “Vida” brand.

I would like to thank all the jury members, manufacturers, and, last but not least, our sponsors, Motul and the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, for their support which made the Awards a successful event.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Blazing a Trail of Success

The Auto Expo, which was to have been held last year, took place last month. The restrictions imposed by the outbreak of the pandemic resulted in this event being postponed by a year.

The response by the mainstream two-wheeler manufacturers, however, was lukewarm as most of them stayed away. The only internal combustion engine (ICE) exhibit was from Adishwar Auto Ride India of Hyderabad who showcased Italian brands made in China. Otherwise, most of the exhibitors were start-up electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers.

These EV start-up manufacturers face a truly uphill task because they have neither any experience in the manufacture of two-wheelers, nor R&D experience or facility. They are also not likely to be familiar with how much endurance testing is done before a two-wheeler is launched. The mainstream manufacturers with years of R&D experience behind them find it difficult at times to get a new two-wheeler right at first attempt. It is after months, sometimes even years, of endurance testing that they get the product right.

The problem here is that some of the EV start-ups import their kits from China and assemble them here. The quality tends to be quite substandard. Some of them are here today and gone tomorrow, which leaves the buyer in a lurch because there is no service back-up for such two-wheelers.

The jury round for the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) Award was held on the 10th of last month at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida. There were 17 contenders in all and they were further shortlisted down to 10 motorcycles for the jury round. All the 10 were strong contenders. The winner for 2023 was the Royal Enfield Hunter. The trophy was presented by Dr Raghupati Singhania, CMD, JK Tyres, to Siddhartha Lal, MD, Eicher Motors Ltd. JK Tyres, the IMOTY sponsors, organised a great show.

Now it looks like Royal Enfield are making a habit of winning the IMOTY Award, this one being their third in the last five years.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Looking Forward to a Bright Future

The year gone by started with a lot of uncertainties because of the pandemic but things settled down as the year progressed. Now, as we usher in the New Year, the pandemic seems to be coming back with a vengeance. A large number of cases have been reported in China and infections in the US are also on the rise.

Owing to the nature my job at Car India and Bike India I travel and drive/ride more or less across the globe. That gives me an opportunity to compare our traffic situation with that in the other countries. Last month I was on a holiday in Africa. I visited Rwanda and Uganda, two very backward and poor countries compared to India. What surprised me the most, however, was how the traffic is regulated and the way everyone obeys traffic rules in those countries. There was no road rage or aggression on the streets. Nobody cut lanes or honked. There was no screaming or shouting; everything was peaceful. Why have we become so aggressive and intolerant? The roads in Rwanda and Uganda were single-lane highways but the quality of the surface was amazing and even the speed-breakers were well designed and of a uniform length and height; not like what we have here where each one is different in height and length.

The two-wheeler market in Rwanda is dominated by the TVS Victor and in Uganda by the Bajaj Boxer. You see only these two brands on the road. Their dominance is such that if you see 100 motorcycles, 99 of them will be Bajaj and TVS, barring an odd Chinese two-wheeler or a Honda or a Yamaha.

I would like to thank all our readers and wish them a happy New Year. Enjoy your ride but always wear your helmet and ride safely.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Looking Forward to a Bright Future

The year 2022 has literally flown by and I am already writing the editorial for the month of December. We started the year with a lot of uncertainty because COVID-19 was threatening to make a comeback of sorts. Today, however, there is greater clarity as the pandemic is behind us and now we may look forward to planning for the future.

It has been a wait of 15 long years for Ducati to win the MotoGP world championship after Casey Stoner who won the crown for them in 2007. This year Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP crown and Ducati the manufacturers’ championship. To add to their success in MotoGP, Ducati also won the World Superbike Championship thanks to Alvaro Bautista. Incidentally, that makes Ducati one of the few manufacturers to win both the MotoGP and the World Superbike crowns in the same year.

It is great to see Indian manufacturers getting into motor sport. At one time, it was only TVS who were supporting motor sport and now they have taken their involvement to another level by upgrading the RR310 race series to Asian-level championship. The racing experience has helped TVS make better road bikes and, seeing this, other Indian manufacturers are getting into motor sport.

Hero MotoCorp started at the top by entering the Dakar Rally and now they have begun organising events in the country.

The latest entrant into motor sport is Royal Enfield. They started with a land speed event at the Bonneville Salt Flats and moved on to flat track racing in the United States. Last year was the first time we had the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup in India and it was a great success. Now Royal Enfield want to take the game to the next level with the flat track slide school and track schools for the GT Cup.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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None Too Heartening

With high inflation and the economy still struggling to get back to normal after the pandemic, two-wheeler sales are yet to regain the pre-pandemic levels. Although scooter sales have bounced back to some extent following the resumption of work-a-day life, motorcycle sales continue to be lacklustre on account of lack of demand from the rural areas. The high cost of fuel is yet another factor responsible for low sales, because expensive fuel does hurt the ordinary citizen the most.

The traffic situation is going from bad to worse and the police are happy turning a blind eye to offenders going down the wrong way. Three astride a bike seems to have become the norm nowadays. It is unfortunate that the police look for a soft target. For example, if you happen to be riding a two-wheeler registered in another state, they will stop you even if you have not committed a traffic offence, but they will not take action against people carrying little children on the bike or even three astride a two-wheeler going the wrong way.

During the launch of a commuter motorcycle of late, the person doing the presentation said that the model had the longest seat in the commuter segment. When I asked him if he was trying to convey that the bike would accommodate three people, he changed the subject and refused to answer my question. There should be a law whereby the seat is limited in length, so it cannot accommodate more than two persons. Similarly, those who knowingly flout traffic rules by riding down the wrong way should be heavily penalised or even imprisoned. It is because of such miscreants that law-abiding citizens become vulnerable to accidents trying to avoid morons coming down the wrong way.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Of Road Infrastructure and Traffic Discipline

We in India get thrilled when we get a six-lane highway, having been deprived of good roads in the past. What a six-lane highway does is increase the speed of vehicles and that is where the problem starts. First and foremost, a highway should be designed well and not in a haphazard manner wherein, for instance, three lanes merge into two lanes without a warning. Even if three lanes merge into two, there should not be a wall at a right angle across the third lane; it should merge in gradually so that even if a driver or rider is caught unawares, they will not be vulnerable to a head-on collision, at worst a glancing blow.

The road tax we pay is one of the highest in the world and the road infrastructure is pathetic. Furthermore, we have to pay toll for roads that are half decent.

The road transport ministry is trying to make helmets mandatory for pillion riders as well, which is a welcome move. We know that it is very inconvenient to carry an extra helmet, but the pillion rider is at as much risk of getting hurt (or even worse) as the rider.

On the one hand, the ministry of road transport wants to push the use of helmets and, on the other, the government has banned the import of helmets that are superior to the ISI-mark helmets sold here. This is a little perplexing, to say the least.

To make the roads safer we must enforce traffic rules and have a stringent riding/driving test in place. Almost ninety-nine per cent of the people who possess a licence to ride a bike should not be on the road in the first place, for they have no clue about riding a bike nor are they conversant with the basic traffic rules since there is no rider training programme before issuing a licence.

 

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Normality Still Proves Elusive

Life was just about regaining normality after the pandemic when the war between Russia and Ukraine gave rise to a global crisis with energy shortage pushing up the price of fuel and gas. The semiconductor shortage seems to be easing now as manufacturers start increasing production. Two-wheeler sales, however, are yet to regain the pre-pandemic figures and the economy is yet to recover fully. The combined upshot of all these is that all the essential commodities are becoming more and more expensive and this naturally hurts the ordinary citizen, who is a two-wheeler buyer, the most.

This month we have tested a variety of two-wheelers, including two 300-cc scooters by Keeway and two 350-cc Hunters by Royal Enfield. The Keeway scooters come in a retro and moto scooter design. To date Royal Enfield motorcycles were made mostly for laidback cruising and riding, barring the Continental GT and the Himalayan. While the GT is a retro café racer, the Himalayan is an off-road touring bike. Now the company seeks to attract younger riders with the Metro and Retro Hunters.

The authorities in Gurugram (formerly Gurgaon) have increased the fine five-fold for driving/riding on the wrong side of the road, for it is one of the biggest causes of road accidents. As has been discussed in these columns time and again, the traffic situation in our country is moving from bad to worse by the day. People tend to show blatant disregard for traffic rules, whether it is traffic signals or cutting a road-divider to make a right turn or driving/riding down the wrong way. Last month I was driving up from Mumbai and was horrified to see a police SUV being driven down the wrong way between Lonavala and Khandala on the Expressway. If the custodians of the law start braking traffic rules in this manner, what can one expect from ordinary citizens? We look up to the Army for setting standards of discipline, but today one comes across even Army personnel breaking traffic rules. We need to take drastic action now, otherwise the situation will deteriorate into one of free for all.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor