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Coping with Difficult Times

Although we have been under a countrywide lockdown for the past
month and a half, we have made an attempt to keep you abreast of whatever little is going around the world. There has been bad news in the last month, starting with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world of motorcycle racing lost Tony Rutter, a seven-time Isle of Man TT winner and four-time world TT-F2 champion.

The pandemic has thrown the whole world out of gear with most countries going into total or partial lockdown. That means no production and no prospect of sales. The manufacturers will be able to survive this lockdown but the vendors and dealers will find it difficult to sail through on account of the financial crisis. After all, they have to pay their employees’ salaries and rent for their premises, etc. In the absence of production and sales, things are going to be extremely difficult.

There may be a silver lining to the dark cloud once the lockdown is lifted. The way we live will change with social distancing becoming a way of life. People will have to stop using public transport where, for the most part, they are packed like sardines and start relying more on personal transport. This will boost two-wheeler sales.

The government needs to support the manufacturers by allowing a reduction in the GST as well as by allowing them to sell all the BS4 stock. If this is not done, there might be a lot of repercussions. The industry was already in the throes of a slowdown even before the virus struck.

This month we will not be printing the magazine; it will come to you only in the digital format. Even if we were to print the magazine, it would not be possible to circulate the copies in the present situation. As of now, please stay at home and stay safe.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Worldwide Repercussions

THE INDIAN ECONOMY IS IN A SLOW-DOWN AND, TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, NOW the world is facing the threat of the coronavirus. It is taking a further toll on the Indian two-wheeler industry. In the days gone by, a virus in China would not have affected the Indian two-wheeler manufacturers because all the components were sourced locally. Today, in this age of globalization, manufacturers are sourcing cheap components from across the world and especially from China. There is a problem with the supply of components from China and this has had an adverse effect on the production of two-wheelers. The switch to Bharat Stage VI is also going to be a problem since most fuel-injection components are sourced from China.

The EV manufacturers across the world are going to face difficulties due to the virus because more or less all the battery and 90 per cent of the components are sourced from China.

The Husqvarna brand was launched at the India Bike Week in December 2019 and now they have entered the market with two models, the Svartpilen and Vitpilen, both 250-cc. The Huskies are using the KTM engine and frame with different body work. We will bring you first ride reports of both the bikes in the next month’s issue.

This is a good time to travel on your bike as you don’t know who is going to sit next to you on a bus, train or aircraft. The MotoGP season has taken a big hit with the Qatar round only running the Moto2 and Moto3 classes following a ban on Italians from entering the country. Moto2 and Moto3 went ahead as they were already in the country for testing. At the time of going to press, the Thailand, Argentina, and US rounds have been postponed to a later date.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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It’s Value for Money That Counts

WE WITNESSED THE AUTO EXPO LAST MONTH AND, SO FAR AS THE TWO-WHEELER industry is concerned, it was quite a let-down. Only two mainstream manufacturers, Piaggio and Suzuki, took part in the show. However, quite a few electric two-wheeler manufacturers were present with a number of e-bikes on display. It seems that motor shows are losing their sheen and more and more people are moving away from them.

The organizers did a good job by making sure that it was only journalists and photographers, so that it was easy to do one’s work, though the usual problem still persists: you only get to see the backsides of Delhi photographers! Talking of EVs, we did a first ride on the new Bajaj Chetak and its build quality, ride, handling, and performance give the impression that it is a proper scooter and not an electric toy.

The annual Bike India Awards were also presented at a ceremony held last month. As a dedicated bike magazine, it is our duty to appreciate the work done by the manufacturers in the previous year, especially in such difficult times. There were quite a few contenders for the Bike of the Year Award, starting with the Bajaj Pulsar 125 and going all the way up to the BMW R 1250 GS. It is not necessarily the best bike that wins the award, because value for money is very important. If one builds a fantastic motorcycle and prices it exorbitantly, then it does not make sense because it goes against the principle of value for money. This time the Bike of the Year Award went to the Hero XPulse for its unique approach, versatile performance and good bang for the buck.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Jumping on the e-Bandwagon

ELECTRIC TWO-WHEELERS SEEM TO BE ATTRACTING A LOT OF ATTENTION NOWADAYS. Every other day we hear of a start-up getting into the manufacture of electric scooters or motorcycles. This is courtesy of the Chinese component and battery manufacturers who supply lithium-ion batteries and electric motors.

Most, if not all, of the people getting into the manufacture of electric two-wheelers seem to be unaware of the kind of performance these bikes need to deliver. Take, for instance, a scooter fitted with fancy dual-piston calipers for the disc brakes when the scooter can barely exceed 50 km/h. Instead of spending on expensive brakes, the manufacturers can improve the overall quality of the bike.

This month we tested the Gemopai Astrid Lite electric scooter and the speedo error was an alarming 25 per cent. When the actual speed was 52 km/h, the indicated speed was 72 km/h. For a bike with a top speed of less than 55 km/h, drum brakes can provide sufficient braking power. Instead of making the scooters look snazzy, the manufacturers should concentrate on the basic engineering and improve aspects such as ride, handling, utility space, and overall fit-and-finish, so that the end product is reliable and does not catch the rider unawares by breaking down in mid-journey.

Even though there are fewer working parts in an electric scooter as compared to a regular IC engine scooter, the former tends to be more expensive than the latter. One of the biggest issues the country is facing is the traffic situation that is going from bad to worse by the day. People do not seem to bother about anybody but themselves. Thus, they would happily put their lives as well as other people’s lives to risk and not go that extra 50 or 100 metres to take a U-turn, preferring instead to ride down the wrong way because it is easier and more convenient. Such people who go down the wrong way not only get aggressive and belligerent with the citizens who follow the rules, but, at times, they even come to fisticuffs with the police.

It is our humble request to all our readers: please follow the traffic rules and ride with care, for your loved ones are waiting for you at home.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Swedish Flavour

This is the first editorial of 2020 and we have a new brand of motorcycles launched in India in the form of Husqvarna. The Swedish brand is owned by KTM and will be sold through KTM dealerships.

The India Bike Week (IBW) was held on the 6th and 7th of December and drew a record crowd.

It is that time of the year when the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) is held and the jury consists of all the leading motorcycle and auto magazines and websites. Unlike last year, when we had a runaway winner in the Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor, this time the competition was closely fought and the winning margin was just one point and the winner was Hero Xpulse 200. It is not just about making the best motorcycle, but it also has to be value for money. The Jawa motorcycles were launched in December last year and now, after one year, we have still not been able to get our hands on the bikes for a road test. One wonders why it took so long to give us the bikes for a road test. Had it not been for the IMOTY jury round on the 2nd of December, we would not have got the bikes. That apart, copying the old Jawa to such an extent as the stance of the motorcycle — the tall front end and squat from the rear — restricts the suspension travel and that forces them to go for a stiff suspension set-up. On the positive side, the low stance at the rear makes for a low saddle height, thus making it easy to manoeuvre the motorcycle. It is easy to ride the bike in city traffic thanks to its low seat height along with low gearing and strong low-end and mid-range performance. However, if you compare this motorcycle with the Suzuki Gixxer 250, which was on test simultaneously, then it falls short in all departments.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor