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Rest in Peace, Zal

This month’s editorial is being written in a very sombre mood for we lost one of our former colleagues, Zal Cursetji, in a road accident. We keep talking about the pathetic traffic situation in our country, but it is not until it affects one of our own that it hits us hard.

It was in the wee hours of a Saturday that Zal was returning home after dropping off a friend when tragedy struck. A car took a turn from the opposite side without indicating and hit Zal head-on. The impact was on the left side of the car and the accident occurred in the middle of the square. The car driver did not use the turn-indicator nor did they give Zal the right of way.

Road safety is a big concern today and the root cause of the problem is lack of proper riding and driving schools. The driving and riding test is a joke; most people who obtain a licence to ride or drive do not have a clue about driving a car or riding a two-wheeler. It is high time we devised a stringent driving/riding test so as to preclude those morons on the road who are a hazard to others and themselves.

Drunk driving is another issue which needs to be addressed with a proper breath-analyser test and not, as is the current practice, with a policeman poking his nose into the rider’s/driver’s face, trying to make out whether they are sozzled.

This editorial is dedicated to dear Zal. We have lost you, but we will keep fighting to make our roads safer. Let us hope we can make a difference and try to educate people about road safety.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Disheartening Scenario

One calamity after another keeps disrupting the automobile industry. We were just about recovering from the debilitating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic after two years when Russia waged a war on Ukraine and now China has been locked down due to the pandemic. This has disrupted the auto components supply chain, causing delay in production and increasing the waiting period for buyers.

The lockdown in China will have an adverse impact on electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers also, because most of the electric two-wheeler components are supplied by that country.

Last month I happened to visit the Dainese store in Bengaluru. It was a sad sight that no AGV helmets were on display owing to the ban on the import and sale of foreign-made helmets. In our opinion, it is the most ridiculous ban. It is understandable if the intention of the authorities is to protect the local manufacturers against cheap imports from China, but it is ludicrous to ban the import of all helmets. It is dangerous, too, because the ban practically denies individuals the right to protect themselves as they see fit while riding a two-wheeler.

On the one hand we want to promote motor sport in India, but, on the other, a rider cannot buy a helmet to take part in a race because Indian-made helmets do not meet the stringent safety standards required for racing. If a helmet meets international safety standards, then its sale should be allowed in India. Some of the helmets made in India are so pathetic that I would not recommend them even to my worst enemy!

Today everybody is talking about the transition from internal-combustion (IC) engine bikes to EV and zero tailpipe emissions, but nobody talks about how much CO2 is generated while making an IC engine bike and how much goes into the making of an EV. Furthermore, let us not forget how much coal is burnt to generate electricity. When you look at the whole picture well, it becomes apparent that an EV is not as “green” as it is touted to be.

 

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Recognition for the Meritorious

The Bike India Awards were presented last month. Even with all the headwinds in the automobile industry, we had a strong field of two-wheelers contending for the coveted Two-wheeler of the Year Award. Incidentally, the premium bikes launched last year outnumbered the entry-level commuter bikes. The Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) Awards were also given away last month.

The adventure sport motorcycle segment is gaining considerable momentum with more and more people opting for these bikes because they are quite easy to ride during their daily commuting as well as for long-distance touring, with good off-roading capabilities thrown in for good measure. In the beginning this segment was limited only to high-end motorcycles until the Royal Enfield Himalayan was introduced at an affordable price. We pitted the Yezdi against the Himalayan to see which one is the better all-round motorcycle.

The economy is just about recovering from the after-effects of COVID-19 and now we are witness to the Ukraine war which is affecting global economy.

The party is over for us Indians because the elections are over. An increase in fuel prices is the daily order now, with petrol costing in excess of Rs 114 per litre.

The safety of electric bikes is becoming a big concern. A father and daughter died due to an electric scooter catching fire during charging. Another case was that of a scooter catching fire in Pune. Everybody seems to be jumping on the EV bandwagon to make a quick buck, endangering people’s life in the process. Without proper testing, these products are made available in the market in a hurry.

There is a lead period of nearly four years for an internal combustion engine bike from the drawing board to the showroom. The EV is a new ballgame altogether, so the manufacturers need to be more careful and undertake rigorous testing to make sure that their two-wheelers are safe before marketing them.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Light at the End of the Tunnel?

It looks like we are finally going to witness the end of the dreadful pandemic with life gradually coming back to normal. However, the sales of new two-wheelers still continue to be below the pre-pandemic levels. This sorry state is further aggravated by the high cost of fuel and the poor state of the economy, especially the rural economy, which continues to be in a bad shape. Naturally, all these factors have an adverse effect on the sales of new two-wheelers.

The last round of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup was held last month and, after four weekends and eight races, the first champion of the GT Cup was crowned. The winner of the inaugural GT Cup is Anish Shetty, followed by Allwin Xavier in second place, and Anfal Akdhar in third.

The outstanding performance and reliability of the Royal Enfield Continental GT650 was one of the highlights of the championship: not a single DNF due to mechanical failure during the entire conduct of this event. Such 100 per cent reliability under racing conditions when motorcycles are being red-lined in each gear non-stop for 10 laps is unheard of in motorcycle racing. The bikes are still performing in as fine fettle as they were at the first race and their engines sound the same as they did during round one.

This month Bike India is proud to present to you the 200th issue of this magazine. On this occasion I would like to thank all our readers and the manufacturers for their continued support. To celebrate the 200th issue we have some special stories for you and the theme is “200”.

Incidentally, I happened to speak to a number of motorcycle riders during the aforementioned last round of the GT Cup and all of them had only one request to make: please do not stop the import of helmets because it is a matter of safety and, unfortunately, the Indian helmets do not meet the safety standards for racing.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Obstacles Aplenty

The economy was just about recovering and now we have Omicron playing spoilsport with the number of those affected soaring and restrictions being reimposed. All this has taken a toll on the economy as a whole and two-wheeler sales in particular. However, it is not only the aforementioned factors that have adversely affected two-wheeler sales; the perpetually soaring fuel price is also a major deterrent for those desirous of buying a new two-wheeler. It seems that people have now got used to paying over Rs 100 for a litre of petrol, for nobody talks about the high cost of petrol any longer.

Today most people want to make a quick buck, whether it is in one’s career or in the matter of making a new two-wheeler. The normal lead time for making a new bike — that is, from the drawing board to being put on sale in the market — is between four-and-a-half years and five years and this includes extensive testing. A manufacturer tests a new bike for component failure, which is also known as “destruction testing” wherein the problem areas are identified. The testing done by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is for certification; they are not responsible for endurance testing and reliability of the bike.

A manufacturer who has been in the business of making two-wheelers for over a decade knows what the problems are while making, say, a new motorcycle. When people with no prior experience get into the business of making bikes, they will experience a tough learning curve before they can get a product right.

In the process, it is the buyer who is going to suffer, because they are going to be the guinea pig doing the testing that the manufacturer was supposed to do before marketing a reliable two-wheeler. The truth always hurts. When someone points out the problem, say ‘thank you’ and resolve the issue instead of slamming them. They are actually doing you a favour.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Separate the Wheat from the Chaff

The year has gone by under the dreadful shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic as I write this first editorial of the year 2022.

In the olden days, you had to have some basic knowledge of automobiles to get a job with an automotive magazine to test bikes and write reviews. Today all you need is a smartphone to put up a video with a “first ride review”. The other day, I was told that the days of printed magazines are over; now you have to do videos. I am not averse to that, but what about credibility and accuracy of content? A number of videos and a lot of information are available online, but, unfortunately, most of that is rubbish.

One of my juniors attended a first ride. A journalist with more than a hundred thousand online followers was there as well. His feedback made no sense at all. That was when the junior said to me, ‘Sir, you have only 2,000 followers, whereas he has more than 1,00,000.’ This seems to demonstrate that it does not matter how much knowledge one has; what matters is how one sells themself.

In the past, we had about 10 to 12 motorcycle manufacturers and, on average, they would launch two or three new products every year. Now I get an email every day seeking to apprise me of the launch of a new e-scooter or an e-motorcycle. I do not think anyone has a count of how many EV manufacturers we have in the country. Even today, the manufacturers who have been in the business for more than three or four decades sometimes struggle to get the bike right. How are manufacturers without any experience of producing bikes going to make bikes that are faultlessly sorted?

We at Bike India wish all our readers a happy New Year. Ride safely and stay safe.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Rider Safety is the Main Issue

The authorities have banned the sale of imported helmets in the country. The reason being cited is that the Chinese are dumping helmets of a poor quality in our country. That is a valid reason to ban non-ISI helmets. However, we cannot ignore the fact that some of the Indian ISI-certified helmets are pathetic — they are more likely to cause harm than offer protection to the rider. The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) does not allow ISI-certified helmets for racing. The helmets that are allowed for racing in India are ECE Snell and Jis.

Under the new rule, it is illegal to sell imported helmets. Anyone caught selling imported helmets can be arrested. In such a scenario what does one do if one wants to buy a helmet for motorcycle racing? This new rule seems to be taking us back to the time when perforce we had to import everything. One solution is to ban the import of helmets that cost less than Rs 5,000. This will filter out the Chinese helmets of a cheap quality and also protect the Indian helmet manufacturers from cheap imports. The import of expensive helmets will not affect the Indian manufacturers, for a majority of Indian helmets are priced below Rs 5,000. This will also allow people to better protect themselves.

The fuel prices have been showing a northward trend for the past couple of months and, finally, there was a reduction of Rs 5 which is miniscule compared to what we pay for petrol.

With everybody wanting to jump on the electric vehicle (EV) bandwagon, we get an e-mail every day saying a new start-up is making an e-bike or e-scooter. It is understandable if an existing two-wheeler manufacturer forays into the manufacture of an electric bike or an e-scooter; however, an entity that has no prior experience of bike or scooter manufacture spells trouble. What this will result into is we will be left with a huge pile of junk.

 

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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The Elusive ‘Normal’

The sales of new two-wheelers are nowhere near the pre-COVID figures. The festive season does help, but not much compared to the pre-COVID festival times. With a lot of people losing their jobs and others struggling to make ends meet, buying a new scooter or motorcycle is being put on the backburner. Most people would rather put by their money for the rainy day given the fact that there is so much financial uncertainty.

The country and the economy are still struggling to recover following the periods of lockdown but the government does not seem to care much. They keep increasing the price of petrol and diesel, which, in turn, pushes up the prices of all the essential commodities and this hurts the ordinary citizen the most. Even the cost of an LPG cylinder has gone up to Rs 1,000. The salaried citizen seems to be bearing the brunt of all the extra taxation.

Last month we rode the all-new KTM RC200 at the Bajaj test-track at Chakan, near Pune. The new bike has come a long way with a noteworthy improvement on the chassis front, a bolt-on subframe, and a lot of weight reduction in its unsprung weight with disc rotors being mounted directly on the wheel as in Moto3 motorcycles. The light wheel enhances the bike’s agility, facilitates a quicker change of direction, and also betters handling.

The first round of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup was held last month. The feedback from all the riders and automotive journalists was positive. The motorcycles worked like clockwork. There was no drop in their performance; it remained the same on lap 10 as on lap one. The most telling testimony to Royal Enfield’s manufacturing finesse was that there was not a single mechanical failure throughout the entire two weeks of rider selection involving 105 riders and more than 25 journalists, practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and two 10-lap races.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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The EV Conundrum

Two-wheeler sales have been suffering for the past two years and the road ahead does not look too promising either. High fuel prices, pay cuts, and unemployment have had an adverse impact on the sale of new two-wheelers and the government does not seem to be doing anything about it.

Electric vehicles (EV), on the other hand, seem to be witnessing a lot of traction due to the high petrol prices, but how good and how economical are they? Even with all the subsidies most of them are as expensive as a regular scooter; in some cases, even more expensive. The second problem is charging these EVs. If one cannot pull out the battery pack and take it home, how does one charge it if one happens to live in an apartment? A story emanating from Bengaluru speaks of an EV owner who has to put his scooter into the lift and take it to his apartment to charge the battery. If this is going to be the norm, then this will be a big damper. Furthermore, IC-engine scooters command a good resale value; say, about 50 to 60 per cent of a new one. What will be the resale value of electric bikes after three years when the batteries lose their capacity to hold charge? In such a scenario, will it be economical to use an electric scooter?

Last month I did a ride with Gurpratap Boparai, MD of Škoda VW India, who happens to be an avid biker. They had lined up two V4 Multistradas, two 950 Multistradas, and two Scramblers after a Škoda event. The V4 Multistrada is a rocket-ship and, at the same time, it is easier to ride as compared to the 950 Multistrada, a gem of a bike and worth every extra rupee over the 950 Multistrada. The Škoda VW boss is no slouch on a motorcycle; he is a good rider and it was a pleasure to ride with him.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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A Superlative Iteration

The Bike India issue this month features quite a few rides, including the Royal Enfield Classic 350, Harley-Davidson Pan America, and Benelli 502C cruiser as well as a Triumph Trident road test.

The Royal Enfield Classic 350 has come a long way from the Bullet that it is derived from. The Bullet was originally designed and built in England and also manufactured in India under licence. Over the last 50 years, the Bullet has seen a lot of changes but nothing compared to the changes and improvements that the new bike has received. Indeed, the new bike is so good that it is different from its older iterations like chalk and cheese. It has improved in every department, starting with engine refinement and performance, both of which are far better than those of the outgoing model. Moreover, the handling and ride quality are in a different league as compared to the old Bullet. This bike shares the same engine and chassis as the Meteor and it is even more refined compared to the Meteor. The Royal Enfield management deserve kudos for taking feedback in a positive way to improve their bike. Following the Meteor ride, one of the points I had raised in the feedback session was about engine refinement. They have addressed it and now the Classic’s refinement is at another level. The new Classic is as near perfect as a motorcycle can get. The only issue we had was the rear-view mirrors and that can be solved by replacing the mirrors. The team at Royal Enfield have done a fantastic job with the new Classic.

Nearly every day, I receive an email announcing the launch of an electric two-wheeler. It looks like everybody wants to jump on the EV bandwagon. But are we ready for this explosion of electric bikes? First, we do not have the infrastructure for charging; second, we have power cuts; third, our power is generated by burning coal, and, to top it all, we do not have a policy for battery scrappage. If we decide to go ahead in this manner, we are going to land with a lot of old batteries without knowing what to do with them.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor