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Pulsar NS400Z – CHALA APNI

NEW ISSUE

SEPTEMBER 2024

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Revival of an Icon

Last month, on the country’s Independence Day (15 August), Classic Legends, who make motorcycles like the Jawa and Yezdi, launched one of the most iconic British motorcycle brands: BSA (Birmingham Small Arms).

During the post-War era and up to the early 1970s, BSA was one of the most popular motorcycle brands in the world. They had some popular models like the Shooting Star, Lightning, and their most iconic model, Gold Star, which is the model they have launched in India. The original Gold Star came as 350 and 500 singles; this one is a 650 single-cylinder.

The Gold Star was a performance bike of that era; in contemporary terms, you could call it the Ducati Panigale of the 1950s and ’60s. We have not had the opportunity to ride the new Gold Star as yet, though.

This was the first time we saw the Royal Enfield GT Cup race at the Madras International Racetrack and the shift to a different venue was a welcome change. The track has changed a lot since I raced there for the last time in 1999. It has become quicker by at least four to five seconds a lap after resurfacing and the pits are well appointed with all the basic requirements. The riders did good lap-times of one minute 56/57, but what was shocking was that none of them was riding on the correct racing line and these boys have been racing for more than five to six years with Honda and TVS. Both Honda and TVS have been running their racing programmes for a long time and have some very good racing bikes but they have not been able to teach the boys how to select the correct racing line. If they are not capable of riding on the correct line on their home circuit, what hope do they have to succeed on international racetracks?

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

AUGUST 2024

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A Memorable Milestone

This month, we, at Bike India, are celebrating the 19th anniversary of the magazine.

In 2005, when the management of Next Gen Publishing were preparing to launch a new magazine in the automobile space, they made a tough decision to publish two magazines: a car-only magazine, Car India, and another dedicated only to two-wheelers, Bike India. This call was taken at a time when all the other automotive magazines published in the country at that time were—and even today are—automobile magazines that cover both cars and two-wheelers in the same issue. Next Gen Publishing is the only publishing house catering individually to two-wheelers, cars, commercial vehicles, and automotive components through separate magazines.

Last month I was in Barcelona, Spain, for the first ride of the new Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 (you may read the report in this anniversary issue on page 40). I experienced no pain or fatigue even after spending nearly seven hours in the saddle. The reason for this is that I grew up riding bikes like the Norton Dominator and my brothers the Laverda 750 SF whose clutch was very heavy.

There are several back-end workers like the copy desk editor and designers who never get the credit for putting the magazine together. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire editorial team and the marketing team for their hard work day in and day out.

Finally, I would like to thank all our readers and the manufacturers for their unstinting support over the past 19 years.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

JULY 2024

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Nurturing Motor Sport Talent

In India, we tend to talk a lot about promoting motor sport. Often, we wonder why there is not a single Indian rider in MotoGP or in any other motorcycle world championship representing 1.4 billion people of this country. It is not that there is dearth of talent here; it is the difficulties the government creates by banning the import of helmets and other racing gear that constitute a major reason for this scenario.

The Indian helmets with ISI certification do not meet the requisite FMSCI safety standards. Forget helmets, even racing suits and riding gear are not allowed to be imported because they come under safety riding gear.

As a journalist, when I travel overseas for an international motorcycle event, I face a problem upon my return due to my Arai helmet. The Customs officer at the airport says we are not allowed to import a helmet into the country. Then one has to explain to the concerned officer that our ISI-certified helmets do not meet the international safety standards and, therefore, one has to use a helmet conforming to those standards.

This takes me back to when I was racing motorcycles. There was a ban on the import of most goods and yet one had to import everything if one wanted to go racing. Not so long ago, one could walk into a store and buy the best helmet and riding gear. Now, however, we have gone back to the days of Licence Raj.

Consider the travesty here. Indian motorcycle manufacturers like Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp, Royal Enfield, and TVS Motor make motorcycles that can take on the best in the world, but we still do not make helmets that can match, let alone surpass, their international counterparts. If the Indian economy had not opened up and the likes of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki had not come into India, there would be no competition for the Indian manufacturers and, in all probability, they would still be making the same bikes as they were in the 1960s and ’70s.

If the government are worried about cheap Chinese imports, let them put a ban on the import of cheap and flimsy helmets, but let the Indian riders protect themselves well with the right gear.



Aspi Bhathena
Editor

JUNE 2024

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A Reasonably Priced Good Motorcycle

I was not able to go for the first ride of the Aprilia RS 457 organised in January this year at the Kari Motorway racetrack in Coimbatore, but I had an opportunity to ride it last month. It may be recalled that the RS 457 was unveiled just before the Indian MotoGP race in September last year and it was not possible for us to bring you an in-depth report at that time.

The twin-spar pivot-less chassis of this motorcycle is made of cast aluminium and it is a two-piece unit split in half at the headstock and bolted together where the steering column is mounted. The cast aluminium construction is extremely strong and this gives the chassis a lot of strength and rigidity, besides making it less prone to flexing. The solid frame and good suspension make it handle very well too.

The 270-degree firing order parallel-twin motor produces good power and torque throughout the rev-range and that makes the motorcycle easy to ride both in the city and on the highway. The only drawback is that there is considerable mechanical noise and that adversely affects the refinement aspect.

There is a good amount of kit on the bike such as an upside-down (USD) fork and radial disc brake calliper at the front. On the whole, the Aprilia RS 457 is a good bike at that price.

The most frequent question that I am asked by first-time-buyer parents concerns the best motorcycle for their son. My suggestion is to start with a 125-cc bike. After a year, one may consider upgrading to a 250-cc bike and so on. It is not advisable to buy your son/daughter a superbike as his/her first motorcycle even if you can afford to buy one; it will only land him/her in trouble and, worse still, it will be too late by then. Therefore, please avoid high-powered bikes for you kids until they gain enough riding experience and are capable of handling a powerful motorcycle.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor

MAY 2024

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Better Late Than Never

It is with a heavy heart that I write this editorial. We lost our former Chairman, Humayun Dhanrajgir, recently. He was a thorough gentleman and one of the best human beings I have ever met. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

‘Better late than never’ is what we can say about the new Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z. It was about 10 to 12 years ago that I had asked Bajaj when we would get to see a 400-cc Pulsar. This was even before the launch of the 400 Dominar. The chassis of the NS 200 was so good that it could easily handle a 400-cc engine.

I was invited to ride the bike at the Bajaj Auto test-track along with the international media group. The motorcycle lived up to my expectations. The Dominar engine’s power and torque delivery makes the bike easy to ride and its sharp handling allows one to throw it into corners with considerable confidence. At Rs 1.85 lakh, it is a steal.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor