Bike India Team

Behind the Scenes With Honda, Bond and Skyfall

October 31, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Take a look at this exciting and insightful behind-the-scenes footage from the latest 007 adventure, Skyfall, exclusive to Honda as a partner of this 23rd James Bond film and in the celebratory 50th year of the film’s franchise.

The footage gives an exclusive snapshot of the film’s action vehicle and stunt crew’s preparations for Skyfall with the modified and ‘dressed’ Honda CRF250R motorcycles. The insider commentary about the thrilling opening chase sequence action from Gary Powell, chief stunt co-ordinator, reveals the secrets of some of the chase scene stunts that were filmed on the rooftops of Istanbul. The Turkish guise ‘Police’ and ‘Street Merchant’s’ bikes were created from the class-leading Honda CRF250R motorcycle, courtesy of Chris Corbould’s award-winning Special Effects team, and in this footage shows 007 (Daniel Craig) riding his motorbike though a Turkish street market as he pursues henchman, Patrice (Ola Rapace).

Source: YouTube

Ducati Confirms Checa as Official Rider for WSBK 2013

October 30, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

With the 2013 WSBK season just three months away, Ducati has confirmed Carlos Checa as the official rider for the factory team.

Ducati had withdrawn its WSBK operations in 2011 however, the company will be returning to World Superbike racing in 2013 with the 1199 Panigale. Development work of the Panigale is in full swing and now with the confirmation of Checa as the official rider the company hopes to perform exceptionally well in the upcoming season. In other news, Ductai has ended its association with team Althea Ducati however, the loyalty and friendship that the two share will continue to be there. Ducati’s final WSBK Championship plans are in the final stages now and the company will soon announce the complete details about the team and its participation.

Ducati Confirms Checa as Official Rider for WSBK 2013

October 30, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

With the 2013 WSBK season just three months away, Ducati has confirmed Carlos Checa as the official rider for the factory team.

A Harley-Davidson air pump?

October 30, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

The Screaming Eagle is in a generous mood now days, which is quite evident with their increase in sales worldwide.

Well there is piece of good news as Harley USA are all set to manufacture and offer a state-of-the-art digital air pump for touring bikes. The new Digital Touring Suspension Air Pump (P/N 54000033) will be available at all Harley-Davidson franchise across USA.

This custom Harley air pump is an accurate and convenient piece of equipment used to check and alter pressure in the rear air shocks on all H-D Touring motorcycles. Being the only digital suspension air pump in the market, it has a bleed valve that allows precise adjustment of air pressure, along with a ‘no loss’ connector which maintains shock pressure when the fitting is removed.

The pump also features a pivoting pump handle, which provides improved grip while adding air to shocks. This compact pump fits in a travel bag and can also be used to measure tire air pressure. Display units can be changed between PSI and KPa. The LCD readout operates on a long-lasting, replaceable lithium coin-type battery. The pump is going to cost you about $69.95 (in the US) and we are fervently hoping that H-D India introduces this life-saving accessory in our country too. For more information, visit www.harley-davidson.com

Picture courtesy: Harley-Davidson USA

Techno Queries

October 30, 2012 by Bike India Team 1 Comment

Is Fuel Injection To Blame?

At the very outset, congratulations to you all for the fabulous job you are doing!

I have a couple of queries regarding my trusted TVS Apache RTR Fi. The bike has done 15,400 km to date and I have always had it serviced from a reputed mechanic. Now-a-days, however, the bike becomes jerky as if it has run out of petrol, when it is actually not the case.

I took it to the best local mechanic in Kolkata to have the problem rectified. The bike seemed to be all right for some time, but the problem reared its head once again after a week or so. When I took it back to the mechanic, he insisted that it was a fuel injection problem and that there was nothing he could do. The power from the throttle is all right, but it seems as if the fuel does not reach the engine properly. Is it likely that there would be some kind of a block in the fuel injection system? I am not sure if other bikes with the fuel injection system also face a similar problem.

My second query concerns tyre replacement. Is it possible to fit the tyres from the Yamaha R15 or Yamah FZ16 on my bike?

The gear lever of my bike requires too much effort to shift, as if it is stuck in a position. How may I rectify it?

Hasan Arshi, Kolkata

From the description given by you, it does appear that there is a problem in the fuel supply line of your motorcycle. Please take out the fuel filter before the fuel pump and clean it thoroughly. Only a visual inspection by a competent mechanic will yield the correct diagnosis. Whereas the Yamaha R15 and FZ16 come with tubeless tyres, the Apache RTR Fi has tyres with tubes. You may replace the Apache’s front tyre with the FZ16′ front tyre, but the rear tyre of the FZ16 will not fit the narrow rim of your bike. On the other hand, the R15’s rear tyre will be too narrow for the Apache.

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Boosting The Dio’s Performance

I recently bought a Honda Dio and am very impressed by its combination of good looks and practicality. The scooter has clocked 4,200 km so far. However, I would like to boost its performance a bit more. Can I fit a K&N air-filter and an NGK iridium spark-plug? Will it be necessary to re-tune the carburettor if I opt for these changes? Is semi-synthetic or fully synthetic engine oil better for my Dio’s performance? Which brand is better: Motul or Mobil1? What type of fuel can I use to get the maximum performance? Can I fit fatter 100/90 tyres on both rims? Where can I fit an HID on my scooter?

Sunny Sharma, Indore

A K&N air-filter or an NGK iridium spark-plug will not give you the big boost of performance that you are looking for. A free-flow exhaust system will also serve to augment the performance of your scooter to some extent. You may use wider tyres, but these will affect your scooter’s performance. A high-intensity discharge (HID) headlight is not feasible for the Dio, for its electrical system does not rely on a battery, which is a must to power an HID. As for oil, the brand does not matter so much as the grade of oil. Please stick to the grade recommended by the manufacturer.
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The Case Of The Slipping Clutch

I own a Royal Enfield Bullet 500, which I use only for occasional long rides. It is a 2002 model, which I have kept in mint condition and have had it serviced regularly.

My problem is that when I accelerate hard in the second, third or fourth gears, the clutch slips and the engine tends to rev more than the speed achieved. It does not happen in the first gear, but when I accelerate suddenly, the kick-starter lever falls down and comes up when I ease up on the accelerator. I have had the clutch-plates, clutch-wire and pressure plate replaced and even had bigger springs fitted for the clutch on the advice of my mechanic, but it did not make much difference. Even the chaps at the authorised agency have not been able to help me in this regard.

Ata Hussain Qureshi, via e-mail

When you change the clutch, you have to see to it that there is enough free play in the clutch cable and also in the clutch rod setting. If that is too tight, the chances are that the clutch gets partially engaged, which will cause it to slip and burn out eventually. The load on the clutch is the maximum when you are running in the third and fourth gears. In the first, on the other hand, there is little load on the clutch. That is why you do not suffer slippage in that gear. The fact that the kick-starter lever goes down as you accelerate may be due to the fact that you are using a heavy grade gear oil. Please stick to the grade recommended by the manufacturer. Similarly, try changing the kick-starter return spring.