Bike India Team

The Ducati Diavel (‘Devil’ in Italian) is one of the most beastly-looking motorcycles in the world.

And now, the Italian manufacturer have unveiled the Diavel Cromo, perhaps the most mean looking Diavel ever. The all new Cromo features a chromium-plated fuel and an all black finish, while the exhaust have been given the chrome treatment too, making it a sinister-looking machine. The overall motorcycle has just undergone cosmetic changes as the bike utilizes the same 1198cc Testastretta engine with a max output of 164PS of power delivered at 9500 rpm. This new version of the Cromo Diavel is all-out wickedness in its true avatar. Well if the all black treatment of the Diavel was not enough too make your jaw drop, you better think twice about the Cromo.

BMW’s superlative R1200GS is all set to get a heart transplant soon.

The new engine is stated to be a water-cooled boxer twin, and will be officially unveiled at the INTERMOT show in Cologne next month. BMW are leaving no stone unturned in hyping the unveiling of the new engine. With its air-cooled design an important feature of the current GS, it will be interesting to see the response from adventure riders when details of BMW’s new bike unfold. While the new GS will be the star of the show, INTERMOT will showcase BMW’s F700GS, HP4 and the new S1000RR with semi-active suspension. The BMW R1200GS is a very important brand for BMW Motorrad globally, and thus this launch is very much significant for the industry.

The latest Japanese brand to introduce a brand-new 250-cc motorcycle internationally is Suzuki.

Now this could be construed both as bad news or good, depending upon which side of the globe you inhabit. The bad news is that the company’s Indian arm is still tight-lipped about their 250-cc plans despite a growing threat from the new performance Turks like KTM, Honda, Bajaj and, apparently, Yamaha too. However, the good news is that the bike fits our requirements perfectly well and some of the international automobile journalists have already shared their first impression of this bike. Here’s what we know about the Suzuki Inazuma.

Shown last year, the Suzuki Inazuma is scheduled for an entry into the British showrooms in September this year with a price-tag of approximately Rs 3 lakh (OTR, UK). Before you raise your eyebrows in astonishment, let us add that currently the bike is being made in China and that when it comes to India, it will be highly localised, thus bringing down the price considerably. Rest assured that the build quality and finish of this bike would be on par with international standards.

Suzuki claim that this twin-cylinder, 250-cc motorcycle draws its design cues from its elder sibling, the B-King. However, the Inazuma is much smaller in size and looks more like a commuter than the buck-wild monster that is the B-King, and the convex headlight design reminds us of the long forgotten Yamaha Libero. We expect the engine to produce approximately 28 PS of peak power, which might not be close to the 33 horses of the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, but Suzuki’s engineers have deliberately done so to improve the bike’s maximum torque, using the parallel twin’s surprisingly long stroke. This would offer a strong mid-range, making the Inazuma very easy to ride. Featuring a very slick six-speed gearbox, the bike is sure to have pure-Suzuki levels of refinement.

Moreover, the 780-mm seat height and narrow fuel tank make this 250-cc Jap ideally suited for Indian customers. The company claims a fuel efficiency of 30 km per litre for international markets, which might (will) get enhanced further for India, by more engine whizbangery and tuning. The arrival of this Suzuki in India is certain, but ‘when’ still remains a question.