The fastest 16 from the TVS Young Media Racer Programme held in April were selected to race in the media category of the TVS One Make Championship.
Media Warfare – Round One
NEW ISSUE
Yamaha FZ-S v4.0 DLX – Deluxe Deal
The Yamaha FZ-S v4.0 DLX has been introduced as the latest version of the 150-cc brawler and it gets some significant updates for 2023, including a new display and traction control.
JUNE 2023
An Evolutionary Phase
The two-wheeler industry is evolving at a great speed due to the onset of the new emission norms. Manufacturers are having to bring out new models with OBD 2 compliance, besides having to upgrade their existing line-ups to comply with OBD 2. One upshot of these new norms is an increase in the price of new bikes, thus further burdening the already struggling two-wheeler sales.
Some of the electric two-wheeler manufacturers are in a quandary, for the government is asking them to refund the subsidy because they did not comply with the requirements. The price of electric two-wheelers will go up with the reduction of benefit under the FAME 2 policy. The cost of electric scooters is already high as compared to their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. One needs to clock a lot of mileage to recover the extra cost of buying an electric scooter. In a heartening move, Hero Electric have just announced that they will not increase the price of their e-scooters.
The big four Japanese manufacturers have come together to develop an ICE that will run on hydrogen. There are many reasons for this. First, the energy storage density of batteries is quite poor as compared to petrol. One needs a 20-kilogram battery to store the same amount of energy generated by one litre of petrol. Most 1,000-cc high-performance motorcycles have petrol-tanks with a capacity of between 15 and 18 litres. That translates into carrying a 300- to 360-kg battery, which is not feasible on a motorcycle. This is one of the main reasons why you cannot have electric superbikes.
The first motorcycle resulting from the Bajaj and Triumph collaboration will be unveiled on the 28th of June in the United Kingdom and all of us are looking forward to this much-awaited motorcycle.
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
MAY 2023
This Needs to be Remedied Forthwith
The traffic situation is getting from bad to worse by the day and nothing is being done about it. There are no rider training schools; everyone who gets a two-wheeler licence has either learnt to ride a two-wheeler from someone in the family or a friend who himself does not have a clue about riding a bike or the traffic rules. It should be made mandatory to go through a rider training programme for three months at the very least before appearing for a proper riding test.
Simple though it may look, there is a lot to riding a two-wheeler. It is just not about knowing how to balance yourself on it, pull the clutch, select a gear, and get going on a motorcycle or, even simpler on an automatic scooter, just twist the throttle and get going. There is a lot more. The first is the dos and don’ts when you are on the road with other people. One does not change lanes at one’s own sweet will without looking in the rear-view mirror (and expecting all the traffic behind to stop). Riding down the wrong side of the road is done with such brazenness and with such impunity that it is like their birth right. If you happen to say something to them by way of a reprimand, they turn around and give you a mouthful. Traffic rules need to be implemented rigorously.
The auto-rickshaw drivers are another lot who do not give a damn for traffic rules. They are always parked at crossroads and intersections, which is a traffic offence but no one seems to care.
The traffic situation is getting out of hand to such an extent that let alone the ordinary citizens like you and me, even the traffic police are getting attacked by these hooligans.
On a heartening note, the sales of new two-wheelers seem to be gaining momentum and this is a good sign for the economy.
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
APRIL 2023
A Comeback of Sorts
The Indian two-wheeler market is making a comeback of sorts, although it is still far from where it was before the pandemic. Manufacturers like Hero MotoCorp, who used to register 7,00,000 units in some of the months, are now down to 3,00,000 units a month. Most of the manufacturers are registering 50 to 60 per cent of sales of what they were before the outbreak of the pandemic.
With high inflation, the cost of two-wheelers has already gone up and now, with new emission norms coming in with OBD-II, bike prices are likely to go up even further. Furthermore, the high cost of fuel keeps having a major impact on the cost of living for the poor and the middle class and these are the people who buy entry-level 100-cc motorcycles and scooters. A true indicator of the economy is the sale of entry-level two-wheelers: if they are doing well, then you know that the economy is doing well and if not, you know that the bottom of the pyramid is not doing well.
The mechanically linked braking system in entry-level bikes is not a foolproof system, for it does not yield the desired result when the brake cables are not adjusted regularly or one of them has greater free play than the other. In such cases, you will either experience excessive braking at the front or at the rear. It works well when you have linked hydraulic brakes because hydraulic brakes are self-adjusting, ensuring that you get the desired pressure and stopping power on the front and rear brakes. Thus, mechanically linked braking is a flawed system.
As has been reiterated in these columns several times, we require stringent licensing norms to decide who deserves a riding licence and who does not. Riding a two-wheeler is not just about knowing how to balance yourself on it, depress the clutch, engage the gear, and start moving. There is a lot more to riding a two-wheeler. Besides, we do not have proper riding schools that can train people in riding a two-wheeler before obtaining a licence and venturing on to the road.
Aspi Bhathena
Editor
