Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine
INDIA EXCLUSIVE TEST
DUKE OF THE ROAD
KTM 200
PAINTS THE
TOWN ORANGE
TRAVELOGUES
HONDA CBR 250R TO WESTERN INDIA
TVS APACHE RTR 180 ABS TO DANDELI
DUCATI MULTISTRADA 1200S IN MEXICO
11th AUTOEXPO 2012
THE COMPLETE AUTOMOTIVE SHOW
www.autoexpo.in
7-11 January 2012
EXCLUSIVE TEST OF SUZUKI INTRUDER M800
* HERO IMPULSE
1500 Horses roar in Mumbai
Photography : Atul Aherwar
0 to 100 in a second and top speed of 403 kmph, Ian zooms past in a blink of an eye.
IAN KING and the Gulf GP Originals Fuel Drag Team came to Mumbai, India to showcase their 1500 HP drag bike. The bike was showcased in Lower Parel, Pheonix Mills and Inorbit Mall- Vashi and Malad. Gulf had organized a media showcase run of the Drag Bike at Kharghar – Navi Mumbai.
The Bike is a collaboration between PUMA Engineering and Gulf Lubricants. The Bike is a 1500cc 4 Cylinder Engine it churns 1500 Horses with an explosive Mixture of Nitro Ethane and Methanol. Least to say, it’s a rocket on wheels.
Gulf Oil brought this bike to India to portray its commitment and support for motorsports in India.
The tyre of the bike is a huge section giving massive traction needed for the bike. The bike has a fixed flat leveled wheelie bar to avoid flipping out and also housing a parachute to assist in braking when speeds hit 400 kmph+ during the drag.
Bike India attended the event and had a word with Mr. Chawla – President – Lubes Business. Chawla maintains that motorsports is now gaining popularity in India after F1 especially. Drag Racing is the largest sport in the world when it comes to viewership and viewer involvement. Chawla is optimistic that with Ian doing his run here in Mumbai, fellow motorsport enthusiasts will follow suit.
The entire team from Gulf were very happy with the response from the crowd especially when Ian revved his bike. The following pictures will convey the story of just how much Ian had here with his run in India.
The legendary British bike maker will roar into India with seven of its products in 2012
We have been waiting for a long time for Triumph to enter the Indian market. In 2008 we revealed
Triumph’s Indian ambition and now, almost four years later, the British company has finally
revealed its plans for India. Firstly, the company will be assembling some of its bikes in India to
make them affordable for the Indian consumers. For this the company is hunting for a site to set up
an assembly facility. Secondly, we Indians will be getting to taste bikes like the Iconic Bonneville,
the modern day British racer – Daytona 675, the multi purpose Tiger 800, the awesome Speed
Triple and the monster of a bike – Rocket III. We may also get the Sprint and the Speedmaster.
Bikes like the Tiger 800 and Daytona 675 are expected to be assembled here in India however, there
is no official conformation from the company yet. Triumph will be present at the 2012 Auto Expo
with the afore mentioned bikes and we expect the bikes to hit the dealerships by mid-2012.
Seven Triumphs headed this way
The legendary British bike maker will roar into India with seven of its products in 2012
We have been waiting for a long time for Triumph to enter the Indian market. In 2008 we revealed
Triumph’s Indian ambition and now, almost four years later, the British company has finally
revealed its plans for India. Firstly, the company will be assembling some of its bikes in India to
make them affordable for the Indian consumers. For this the company is hunting for a site to set up
an assembly facility. Secondly, we Indians will be getting to taste bikes like the Iconic Bonneville,
the modern day British racer – Daytona 675, the multi purpose Tiger 800, the awesome Speed
Triple and the monster of a bike – Rocket III. We may also get the Sprint and the Speedmaster.
Bikes like the Tiger 800 and Daytona 675 are expected to be assembled here in India however, there
is no official conformation from the company yet. Triumph will be present at the 2012 Auto Expo
with the afore mentioned bikes and we expect the bikes to hit the dealerships by mid-2012.
Ducati offers their patrons a chance to experience their motorcycles in a safe environment
during the Ducati Riding Experience (DRE) events. These events are held across Italy on some of the best racetracks in the country. They are conducted by a team of trainers from Ducati and are designed for beginners as well as expert riders.
The basic course will be conducted in the paddocks where the particpants will ride the Monster 796 naked. Intermediate level riders will get the Hypermotard 796, Monster 1100 and Multistrada 1100 while the experts will ride the 848 EVO superbike. For 2012, Ducati have also included the new 1199 Panigale which will be given to the riders enrolling for the Troy Bayliss Academy and Master Racing course.
The GT650N, a naked version of the impressive Hyosung GT650R, is out in the market. We swing a leg over it to see in what ways it differs from the earlier fully faired supersport
Story: Sarmad Kadiri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Just because this is the naked version of the impressive Hyosung GT650R, please don’t expect any sexually laced anecdotes, or, maybe, you should. Look at the pictures around these pages and you will admit that after disrobing this supersport has taken the sexual quotient to the max level. The tank curves now get highlighted more than in the full-faired ‘R’. The naked GT650N retains the old instrument console with its digital speedo and analogue tachometer, but now gets a neat shroud. Unlike the GT650R, this one has clearly marked ‘GT650’ decals on the rear panels. Like a glamour model’s recurring dream these cosmetic changes have made the GT seven kg lighter and now it weighs just 208 kg. Well, that’ll be like half-a-dozen super-models on a weighing scale, but this gives the bike a good power-to-weight ratio.
The GT650N seems to have borrowed several styling cues from various popular motorcycles. The new headlight seems to be inspired by the Yamaha FZ and the LED tail-light resemble the Suzuki GSXR’s. Having said that, one must also add that the bike’s overall design is quite appealing. It does not look disproportionate from any angle.
The fairings on most superbikes look great, but once they get ridden on our country’s badly surfaced or broken roads, the plastic cowls often tend to rattle and squeak. Introducing a no-nonsense and no-fairing 650-cc bike is an intelligent move by Garware Motors. Firstly, 650s make better sense as we don’t have adequate roads or highways in India where we can squeeze the fun out of bigger, litre-class bikes. Moreover, the smaller the bike, the easier it is to manoeuvre in our bustling cities and towns. These 650-cc bikes seem to have the best mix of good performance and adequate size, which are ideal for our conditions.
The GT650R, like most sportsbikes, has an aggressive riding position that makes the rider lean on the fuel tank, which is not a very popular posture in India and has a limited appeal. Now the naked GT replaces the clip-ons with a new, wide handlebar that adds to its streetfighter looks and gives the bike a more upright and comfortable riding position. All this makes cruising on the highway and weaving through the city convenient and fun.
Like the GT650R, a strong 90-degree V-twin motor also powers the GT650N, with peak power at 73.68 PS and a staggering mid-range, as the 67 Nm of torque is served right from 7,250 RPM. Unlike the performance-oriented ‘R’, the streetfighter has been designed to be more apt for city riding. Due to time restraints during this exclusive ride we could not test the naked GT, but we did feel the bike’s ECU has been retuned and there is a definite change in the torque curve. The V-twin offers ample torque throughout the powerband, due to which it is not necessary to shift down while overtaking. Just a twist of the throttle is enough to let you surge ahead. Another highlight is the free revving engine that comfortably goes beyond 10,000 RPM and has a stunning top-end. The first gear went up to 81 km/h and the second can run up to 135 km/h at red line. Using the six-speed transmission I managed to reach 160 km/h on the speedo without much struggle, but ran out of road. The company claims a figure of 210 km/h.
One of the prime reasons why I got the confidence to reach such a high speed was the bike’s on road mannerism and good riding position. Its short wheelbase, tall seat and wide handlebar give it a dynamic stance. The GT650N also runs on Bridgestone Battlax BT56 160/60-ZR17 at the rear and 120/60-ZR17 at the front. The Battlax rubber grips well on dry surfaces and is well rooted even on wet ones. The trellis-type twin spar frame is now more prominently visible and adds to the bike’s streetfighter character. More importantly, the chassis feels neutral, agile yet spurs the rider to speed at will. The fully adjustable front suspension and pre-load adjustable rear monoshock have also been tweaked to better suit the naked bike’s character. The suspension setting is another highlight of this bike and it makes the bike very stable at high speed, although the rear mono-shock felt a bit on the firmer side.
This is a good opportunity for Garware Motors to make a mark. The bike is great for long rides and effortlessly fits into the role of a daily commuter due to its riding position and fairing-free design. It all comes down to price now. At Rs 5 lakh (OTR, Pune) it’s neck-to-neck with the Kawasaki Ninja 650R. Since Bajaj currently have a limited number of Ninja 650Rs to offer, Garware can cash in on the demand for this price bracket if they can manage smooth deliveries. Something which only time can tell.
