New Bike Specifications

We take India’s first ABS-equipped motorcycle, the TVS Apache RTR 180, onto the twisties of Mahabaleshwar to see how well it fares in real-world conditions

 

Ever since Adhish came back from his visit to the Oragadam race-track, near Chennai, where he experienced the stopping prowess of the TVS RTR 180 ABS at its extreme, he couldn’t stop singing paens of praise about it, making the rest of us at Bike India impatient to get a feel of the bike in question. “Even on practically frictionless tarmac the RTR ABS imparted to its riders a confidence that definitely wasn’t there earlier,” was how he summed up his experience astride it. That was nearly a year ago and, as most of you know, the bike had gone on sale since then.

So when a sparkling white RTR 180 ABS made its way to our garage one fine Thursday, I immediately pocketed its ignition key and refused to let it go until the editor assured me that I could have the bike for the ensuing weekend. That decided, I set about searching for a picturesque location that would give me ample space to check out the ABS set-up, one that would also not be too distant to make me miss office on the following Monday.

Only one destination fulfilled this requirement: Mahabaleshwar.

Being only about 120 kilometres from Pune, Mahabaleshwar, the highest hill station in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, was an easy choice. And since most part of the ride leading up to it would be on the superbly paved National Highway 4, I was confident of an easy and brisk journey. Spread over 150 sq km of pristine nature at an elevation of 4,500 feet above mean sea level, Mahabaleshwar is a tourists’ paradise. It also helps that the zigzag road leading up to it is one of the best paved in this side of the country. As it turned out, however, I was forced to share it with a number of lumbering lorries and overbearing MUVs, which, frankly speaking, took some of the fun away from my ride. There were a number of occasions when I had to rely on the brakes to save myself from getting plastered onto the windscreens of oncoming vehicles and that was when the electronic aid first proved its usefulness. The short-stroke engine of the RTR shone here, letting me sprint in and out of slow-moving traffic without the slightest delay.

The TVS boffins have calibrated the ABS system on the RTR to just the right extent. It is never intrusive, never feels like an electronic nanny cutting you out on a bit of fun, and yet you can feel it doing the utmost to keep your rubber side down. Once you get used to the slightly softer feedback from the control levers – a pleasant departure from the conventional braking systems – it imparts to you a confidence that things won’t get out of hand easily.

Confidence is also something that is imparted in a great measure by the longer wheelbase of the TVS Apache RTR 180. The bike feels much more stable and planted than before not only round corners, but also on the straights.

This being the off-season, I also had the opportunity to take the RTR to the famous Harrison Folly and indulge in a bit of off-roading. On gravel and loose soil, the ABS set-up showed a discernible increase in its functioning, eliminating almost all wheel lock-ups and skids. Even jabbing the front brake in a deliberate effort to unsettle the bike did not result in stoppies. And just in case you are in the mood for some skidding fun, there is a knob above the RTR’s LCD readout that enables you to turn the ABS completely off. Doing this prompts the LED display (with ABS etched on it) on the analogue tachometer to blink orange, which serves as a reminder to turn it on if you had inadvertently turned it off in the first place.

 

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After four hours of revelling in the sights and taking in the scenery, it was time to head back to the hustle and bustle of the city. The sonorous burble from the RTR’s exhaust did a good job of parting the evening traffic and, before long, I was out of the town centre. While riding down the Pasarni Ghat after Panchgani, I had an aerial view of the flatlands that gradually grew dimmer and dimmer as the sun set behind yonder hills.

 

 

Things To Do While You Are There

Paragliding at Harrison’s Folly

Boating in the Venna Lake

Horse-riding

Buy leather footwear, purses and bags etc

Visit the Sherbaug Theme Park at Panchgani

 

You May Like To Savour

Strawberry shakes and strawberry jams/jellies

Corncobs around the Venna Lake

Honey products

Chana and groundnut

 

How To Get There

From Pune take NH 4 towards Bengaluru

Take a right turn below the flyover bridge at Surur

Go past Wai towards the Pasarni Ghat

You fetch up at Panchgani, also a favourite hill station

Mahabaleshwar is about 19 km from Panchgani

 

Accommodation Options

There are a number of hotels (range from Rs 700 to Rs 20,000). We recommend the Saj Resorts (Rs 2,900 per night)

With an excellent all-rounder like the Honda CBR 250R raring to prove its mettle it was but natural that Bike India should put it through its paces. And what better occasion than the sixth anniversary of the publication?

 

Story: Adhish Alawani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

It was that time of the year when everyone at Bike India was in the brainstorm mode in an attempt to come up with novel ideas for the sixth anniversary issue. So while a track test to pit the CBR 250R against three other highly potent motorcycles was being finalised, we also thought of actually riding this Honda from Pune to the race-track in Chennai and back to see how this bike could prove itself to be a real all-rounder – in congested traffic, on highways and, finally, on the track.

The idea was that while my colleagues drove in a car to Sriperumbudur, I should hop on the CBR to cover this distance of approximately 1,150 kilometres in one day. In spite of everyone warning me that it was not advisable to ride for that long a distance in one single day, especially considering that the monsoon was round the corner, I stuck fast to my idea of leaving in the morning and reaching the destination by night. It was going to be a long chase, and a timed one with 1,150 km to be covered in approximately 17 hours.

On May 28, I left Pune at 4.00 am sharp. My initial calculation was to travel 75 km per hour to cover those 1,200 km in 17 hours safely. However, I soon realised that I had to cover at least 90 km every hour – taking into account the numerous breaks for fuel, food and rest – so as to make it to Chennai by nightfall. As I covered 80 km in the first pre-dawn hour of riding, I realised that I had to quicken my pace if this time chase was to be successful. With the sun now starting to peep out of the horizon, the second hour of riding proved to be quicker as I covered 180 km by 6.00 am. Another 40 km later, at 200 km on the trip meter, I took my first halt at hotel Sai International, where my colleagues in the car had promised to catch up with me for breakfast. However, a phone call to them revealed that they were still 100 km behind me. Should I stick around, waiting for them, or head further on alone? It was risky both ways, but I decided to wait, have breakfast and then start again with my car-borne colleagues.
Unfortunately, the car got stuck in traffic around the Khambatki Ghat and my colleagues reached the hotel by 7.30 am. A quick breakfast and we left the hotel at 7.50.

Almost an hour-and-a-half of sitting idle was a big setback for me. There was a lot of catching up to do time-wise and twisting the throttle a little more was inevitable. By 10.30 am I found myself crossing Hubli in Karnataka. A distance of 460 km had been covered in six-and-a-half hours and the average speed was now pretty much close to my target. The credit for this goes to the CBR, which showed no hint of nervousness or stress even while cruising at 120 km/h.

The speed dropped once I rode past Dharwad where the road narrowed down to two lanes. Heavy truck traffic made it a little difficult to maintain a constant speed. Now there was a different problem I had to face. The fuel tank of the CBR holds just about 10 litres and owing to the high speeds that I was constantly doing, the bike was returning a fuel efficiency of not more than 30 km per litre. This necessitated a tank-up after every 250 km. Moreover, the inlet of the fuel tank is such that it has a metal strip across its diameter from inside that prevents the dispenser nozzle from going in completely. The attendants at every petrol pump grumbled about it.

As I neared Chitradurga, the road improved drastically and the four-lane, straight highway incited me to test the top speed of the CBR. Going flat out, ducked down, I managed to touch the 158 km/h mark on a slight descent. On the flat surface, the bike reached 153 km/h. The second problem of the day arose now: the right hand side mirror’s allen-key screw fell off. The mirror started rotating around one screw and what a rotating mirror can do to your speed is quite surprising. One, it distracts you and, two, it restricts your ability to ride confidently and execute safe overtakes. Since the road had opened up, the car was going great guns and there was no chance of getting the mirror fixed until we stopped for lunch. Just after Chitradurga, we took a break for a quick (and bland) lunch after which I used a duct tape from the car to fix the mirror temporarily.

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We were close to 700 km on the trip meter and over 550 km were yet to be covered before the end of the day. The next destination was the NICE ring road that bypasses Bengaluru and takes you straight on to the Hosur Road near Electronics City. It is hard to believe that we have such a road in our country, which is constantly ridiculed for the pathetic condition of its roads. Get on to the NICE Road and you may think that you are in Malaysia or Singapore. Four lanes and at times even six lanes of tarmac with lush greenery separating the two driving sides make for a relaxed and pleasant ride. For the first time in all the rides I have done across the country, I came across a toll booth for motorcycle. Rs 50 for that kind of a road (and bypassing Bengaluru city completely) was well worth it.

Another hour or so in the heavy truck traffic and narrow roads of the industrial hub of Hosur and I was ready for the last 300 km of the ride. I caught up with my colleagues in the car for a final refreshment at a Kamat restaurant en route. A last tank up was also required.

It was already five o’clock in the evening and we decided to extend our arrival in Sriperumbudur by one hour. A distance of 300 km in the next five hours was not impossible. However, the rain gods had something else in store for me. At about 6.30 pm the sky became completely overcast, dampening my hopes of achieving the goal on time. It started pouring very soon. I was forced to dump my mobile phones and camera in the car. The rain lasted hardly for 20 km, but it still left me completely drenched. Now the final 200 km were a real test both for the rider and the ride. On that wet road I thanked Honda for equipping the CBR with C-ABS, although I didn’t have to call the system to assist me even once.

Fatigue had started creeping in. My eyes were struggling for vision in the darkness through a visor that had become dirty after the rain. The bum was aching and the wrists felt strained. The brain was hard put to concentrating on the road. Whereas I was able to do non-stop runs of 150 to 200 km in the morning, I started halting for a couple of minutes after every 30-35 km towards the end. After what seemed like hours, I finally saw the Nokia factory board – the sign that told me I was very close to Sriperumbudur. With a sigh of relief, I rode the last 10-15 km down the highway and reached Pleasant Days hotel. The clock said 10.20 pm. It had been 18 hours and 20 minutes since I left home in the morning and 1,166 km had been travelled. Even though I had become tired towards the end, it was obvious that the bike was capable of doing even more. I could manage to ride for that long a distance because of the comfort offered by the CBR. The bike had proved to be more than an able tourer.

The big ride was over, but a lot was still to come. A day’s rest and I had to head for the race-track for a track day on the CBR. I had heard people say of the CBR that “it handled like a boat”. Now it was time to check the final attribute of the bike – performance on the track.

 

 

 

Two Harley-Davidson bikes, three days, torrential rain and, to cap it all, complete bliss. A lovely ride in the Shivalik range of mountains at the onset of monsoon.

 

Story: Ravi Chandnani

Photography: Adhish Alawani

It was in the summer of 2009 that I first visited Uttarakhand, pilgrims’ hub and home to a number of holy places. I could make out then that it is a State that needs to be explored. I visited some of the remote corners of Uttarakhand then and learned that the roads leading to these places were good for motorcycle riding and touring. The roads start by being two-lane highways in the plains. However, once you near the Shivalik range, these two-lane roads turn into narrow, uphill ones, full of twisties and blind corners. The adventure quotient here is so high that you would be riding literally on the edge all the time.

Bike India was going to turn six and we wanted to do something special to mark the occasion. Accordingly, we drew up a plan and decided to do a ‘travel story with a twist’. As I mentioned earlier, Uttarakhand has some very good ride-friendly roads and undiscovered places that still retain the beauty of nature in its pristine form. These locations are spread all over the State. We zeroed in on a destination in western Uttarakhand. This place was once the summer getaway of the British Raj officers. There is hardly anything around that can be described as a ‘tourist spot’, but the road leading up to this place is surrounded by enchanting beauty that would sweep you off your feet. The place is called Chakrata and is located about 90 kilometres from the capital town of Dehradun.

We started the ride from New Delhi on two iconic bikes from Harley-Davidson: the legendary Fat Boy and the contemporary Night Rod. Heads kept turning on the streets of New Delhi as everyone wanted a glimpse of these big machines. We were forced to spend an extra night in New Delhi because our flight was delayed by seven hours. Anyway, the best part came as a surprise the next morning when we hit the highway leading to Meerut. I had heard stories about the treacherous highways of Uttar Pradesh. However, I was surprised when we moved out of Delhi and into UP. The big, four-lane, straight highway continued from the capital until Muzaffarnagar in UP. This 125-km stretch, flanked on both sides by sprawling green fields, is bikers’ nirvana. Unfortunately, however, it was soon succeeded by a two-lane, highway chock-a-block with slow-moving traffic. To make matters worse, it started raining heavily. A perfect day for riding was ruined by the rain, tardy traffic and a narrow highway!

We were now headed for Dehradun, a nice place aswarm with tourists. It was not on our list of stopovers, though. We just had to cross Dehradun to reach Chakrata. The weather gods and we had formed a special relationship by now as the rain made sure that it stayed with us for as long as possible. Although we were tired because of the rain, our bikes kept running well without any complaint. We had purposely taken the road to Chakrata through UP, because we wanted to see how tough these bikes would prove in adverse conditions and, to our surprise, both the bikes gave us no trouble.

 

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We crossed a milestone near Vikasnagar that read ‘Chakrata 55 km’. It was time to stop and refuel the bikes for there are no petrol pumps after Vikasnagar. This is also where the Shivalik range of mountains begins. The moment one rides out of Vikasnagar towards Chakrata, one instantly realises why the British chose this place as their summer getaway. The narrow, winding roads leading to Chakrata are replete with spectacular scenery and beauty of the Shivalik range. Time seems to stand still as you begin the ascent from Vikasnagar. The weather was just ideal for a ride, notwithstanding the fact that the start-stop rain had ruined most of the day for us. But as we made our way into the main square of Chakrata, the rain stopped and we were now greeted by a heavy fog. The whole atmosphere was so enchanting that for a moment we thought we were in Switzerland!

The very idea of a ride to Chakrata was novel to us. We had not heard much about the place and thus there was the thrill of discovering its beautiful surroundings. Chakrata is basically a cantonment town where access is strictly regulated by the army, the reason being that the town is home to an elite special force, known as the Special Frontier Force or Establishment 22, which consists of troops of Tibetan origin. Security forces also use Chakrata for their special training programmes. One noteworthy aspect of Chakrata is that, unlike in other parts of Uttarakhand, foreign tourists are not allowed here. Indeed we came across a signboard that said, ‘Foreigners Prohibited’. It was paradoxical to realise that this place, which in the past was the preserve of the foreigners ruling this country, was now out of bounds for all foreigners!

 

The sky cleared up as we approached our hotel and a gorgeous valley stood revealed to us with all its great verdure. It was a highly soothing sight. Chakrata is a tiny cantonment town in the Shivalik range, which, on a clear, sunny day, would reward you with a spectacular view of the western Himalayas. However, we were not that lucky and could only see the valley because of the rain.

 

1. The very idea of a ride to Chakrata was novel to us. We had not heard much about the place and thus there was the thrill of discovering its beautiful surroundings

2. We started the ride from New Delhi on two iconic bikes from Harley-Davidson: the legendary Fat Boy and the contemporary Night Rod

 

 

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The Legendary Fat Boy

We chose the Fat Boy for this ride because of the nature of this bike. Since its launch in 1990 the Fat Boy has been a popular highway cruiser. People around the world think of the Fat Boy as a bike meant just for the open highways. However, we wanted to see for ourselves how it faced the challenge of a difficult terrain. The design of this motorcycle is such that it may give some of you the goosebumps on account of its intimidating appearance. Its huge tank embellished with a chrome centre console housing the ignition switch and the speedometer looks very classic. One of the most dominating factors of the Fat Boy is its front end, which is neatly done up with a lot of chrome on the handlebar, triple trees and the forks along with a solid chrome wheel and huge fender. The enormous seat of this bike ensures that there is no fatigue even after long hours of riding and its huge foot-boards keep you feet nice and comfortable. The seating posture is very laid back, just as in a typical cruiser.

The power and acceleration of this bike are also very good considering its bulk. The Fat Boy is powered by a 1,584-cc motor that produces 125 Nm of torque, which is available right from 3,500 rpm. Its formidable weight of 330 kg seems to vanish once you start rolling. However, it does make itself felt round corners. We took the Fat Boy over all manner of terrain – from straight highways; narrow, broken roads of UP and pothole-filled paths in Himachal Pradesh to the winding roads of Uttarakhand. Initially, I was a little worried about the bike’s ground clearance, but the frame did not kiss the tarmac even once.

While climbing uphill, the bike never felt underpowered and just kept charging forward even round sharp bends thanks to the immense torque available at lower rpm. The fat rear tyre made sure the bike never lost its balance and provided ample traction even on wet surfaces.

The Fat Boy’s exceptional performance during this ride proved that India has an assured place among the ‘Harley Countries’.

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The VRSCDX Night Rod Special

Just a cursory glance at this Harley and you cannot help falling in love with it. At least, I did. Ever since the V-Rod was first unveiled a decade ago, I had dreamt of riding it and this ride of over 700 km was for me a dream come true.

The Night Rod, painted in matte black with silver stripes, is simply the best example of styling that commingles the stance of a cruiser and the aggression of a powerful and speedy motorcycle. The black slotted disc wheels introduced on this bike are unique and exceptionally good-looking. The bike is low-slung with the seat at just 690 mm from the ground. The seating position is a little confused with the handlebar in front like a sportsbike and the foot pegs in the front too like a typical cruiser.

However, what makes this bike very special is the fact that it is an unmistakably modern-day Harley. Unlike a typical H-D, it doesn’t have pushrods, it doesn’t have an air-cooled engine and it doesn’t have the thump. So is it really a Harley? Well, that is a question some of the hardcore H-D fans have raised in recent times. As for me, I just brush such reservations aside because I love everything that goes into this VRSCDX.

At the heart of the Night Rod Special is an engine that was developed in collaboration with Porsche – a 1,130-cc V-twin with its cylinders banked at 60 degrees to each other. This engine produces over 125 PS of peak power and 115 Nm of torque. The engine is so refined, so smooth and so blisteringly fast that it really made me wonder if I was riding a V-twin Harley. It works like a sportsbike engine. Redlining the first three gears took me past 165 km/h – which was the best speed I had managed on any other Harley in its top gear!

High-speed cruising is very stable because of the bike’s long wheelbase and the rear 240-mm rubber section. The only area where the Night Rod possibly suffers is on bumpy roads due to its low ground clearance of 140 mm. Apart from that, there is nothing that will keep you from smiling – be it while riding the bike or simply admiring its beauty with every other onlooker envying you for possessing it. Well, really speaking, you don’t possess the Night Rod, it’s the Night Rod that possesses you!