Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine
The first to arrive from Harley-Davidson’s Project RUSHMORE, a global customer-driven initiative to improve every aspect of the touring experience, is the all-new 2014 Street Glide. It will be coming to India as a Completely Built-up Unit (CBU). [Read more…]
The Royal Enfield Continental GT has been earning rave reviews in the UK, and we gave you our first impressions of the café racer reboot too. For those of you who want to get your hands on the Continental GT, the wait is almost over, as we have received official confirmation that the bike’s launch will be spread out from the 25th of 28th of November in India. As we mentioned previously, expect the 29.1 PS generating 535cc GT to be priced around the Rs.2.2 – 2.5 Lakh mark.
We can’t wait to put this bike through its paces, and for those of you who are of the same bent of mind, here’s a brilliantly made short film on the bike that will only whet your appetite further.
Story: Harket Suchde
Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) – the Japanese manufacturing bigwig’s racing wing has raised the curtains on its latest entry for the upcoming 2014 Dakar Rally. A year after HRC made a trailblazing return to the Mecca of rally raids, they’ve announced their participation in the next installment of the competition as well. Drawing parallels to last year, HRC have again used the the CRF 450X enduro as blueprint for their dedicated rally machine, called the CRF 450 Rally.
Honda had introduced the Dakar-ready model exactly a year ago,and now, the new CRF 450 Rally has undergone a series of upgrades and improvements based on data pertaining to maintenance requirements, aerodynamics, durability and engine performance gleaned from last year’s race. The bike will be propelled by HRC’s signature Programmed Fuel Injection system this time around as well.
Team HRC’s 5 racers and their respective CRF 450s will participate in the upcoming 2013 Morocco Rally which starts on the 13th of October, using it as a platform to build towards next year’s Dakar Rally, which will also feature the same personnel and vehicles that will appear in Morocco. The bike will be produced and released for sale to other rally teams post-Dakar next year.
Story: Harket Suchde
It’s finally here! The highly anticipated BMW R 1200 GS has broken cover, and boy it surely is a head-turner. The new R 1200 GS gets factory-installed crashbars and panniers as standard, the 1,170cc opposed-twin engine has also been tweaked to give the new version even more bang for the buck. Certain parts have been replaced: a heavier flywheel and an additional vibration damper come in to provide a smoother ride and a better feel of the powerplant under various conditions.
What’s more is that the spring travel is 20mm longer for both rear and front. The bodywork is also restyled to fit an all-new, larger 30-litre fuel tank, new off-road pegs are much more wider and stronger and provide more stability to the rider. A large windshield with air flaps comes standard while the new tilt-adjustable seat is a boon for long, bumpy rides. On the electronics side of things, the R 1200 GS comes equipped with anti-lock brakes, automatic stability control and two riding modes as standard, with three additional modes available optionally to further fine tune the performance on offer.
BMW Motorrad have not yet stated any information regarding the price and availability of the 2014 R 1200 GS, so stay tuned for updates as and when they surface.
Story: Sayem Syed
Harley-Davidson’s long standing association with rock n’ roll music is well known globally, and keeping up with the tradition, Harley-Davidson India is hosting the grand finale of their 4th annual Harley Rock Riders gig at the Mehboob Studio in Mumbai on Saturday, the 12th of October 2013.
Boasting of a stellar line up, the gig will see international electro-rock duo Shaa’ir + Func, Mumbai based hard rockers Overhung, and celebrated Alt. Rockers in the form of Junkyard Groove, play out scintillating sets.
Along with this, the Rock Riders show will also see the top 3 bands of Harley’s inaugural ‘Find your Freedom’ contest take to the stage in an attempt to woo the trio of celebrity judges present for a chance to earn a chance to perform at the The European Bike Week in Austria in 2014. These hopefuls will be judged by Musician,Actor and VJ Luke Kenny, Zero and Tough on Tobacco’s Sidd Coutto, and Lalitha Suhasini, Editor, Rolling Stone India.
Visit the Harley-Davidson India web site or their Facebook page for passes and more information with regards to the show.
Story: Harket Suchde
KTM Racing India recently conducted the third Orange Day for its customers in Delhi. The Orange Day event has been conceptualised to allow customers to experience the racing genes of the company’s popular motorcycle, the 200 Duke. Owners also get a chance to interact among each other and face off on a race track.
The venue for the Orange Day was the Parking Area near the ATC Tower at the Cargo Stand of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 2 Road), with KTM owners as well as non-KTM motorcycle enthusiasts among the invitees. Proceedings kicked off with registrations followed by a classroom session by a racing expert on racing basics and the best way to extract the most out of the bike. This was followed by a demonstration on the track and then the race. Other events included service camps, KTM Powerwear and Powerparts stalls, refreshments and music. The company also showcased its 1190 RC8-R superbike, the 350 SX-F and the recently-launched 390 Duke. The first few buyers of the KTM 390 Duke received the keys to their motorcycles at the event.
Speaking at the occasion, Ishwinder Singh Khurana, DGM Probiking, Bajaj Auto Ltd. said that the KTM brand was rooted in racing and the company wanted KTM owners to experience the capabilities of the motorcycle on a race track. The Orange Day has been organised in Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Noida, Chennai, Vadodara, Jaipur, Kochi and now Delhi, and would be held in other metros too.
KTM has won over 230 World Championship titles in various categories including 12 consecutive Dakar Rally titles. Their motorcycles seek to follow this racing philosophy through the use of light and high-strength alloy components allowing what is usually the best power-to-weight ratio in their respective classes.
Story: Gaurav Nagpal
Ducati are one of the most well-known exotic bike brands in the world, and now, it looks like the Bologna-based manufacturer is expanding on the digital front as well.
Ducati USA have announced their first-ever online store in association with e-business behemoths eBay. This is the first time ever that a popular motorcycle brand like Ducati will be directly carrying out business via eBay Motors.
For those of you who are wondering will users be able to buy bikes from the e-store, let us tell you that the Ducati eBay store will first be loaded with lots of accessories, apparel, helmets and parts for Ducati motorcycle owners in the US market.
Thus, buying new Ducati gear or an official spare part is just a click away. What’s more is that buyers can go through an array of other Ducati offerings like scale models and high-performance units. It’s a must-visit for all Ducati lovers and motorcycle enthusiasts alike. Make sure you check out the Ducati USA eBay Store.
We hope Indian manufacturers are taking notes, and maybe,even a page out of Ducati’s book.
Story: Sayem Syed
Bollywood icon Salman Khan’s Being Human Foundation is instantly recognisable thanks the amount of promotion he and his superstar friends have carried out for it. Recently, this promotional activity was taken to a whole new level, when Suzuki along with Salman announced the release of a special, limited edition ‘Being Human’ version of the Suzuki Access.
Speaking at Suzuki’s Mumbai dealership, Salman, who was there to purchase his very own being human scooter, spoke about this collaboration and what he hopes will come out of it, he said, “I am really happy that Suzuki has launched a co-branded Being Human scooter. This is the first step in a long association between Suzuki and Being Human: The Salman Khan Foundation. Suzuki’s nationwide network will help the Foundation increase its reach in its mission to provide education and healthcare for the underprivileged.”
Through this collaboration, Suzuki will not only sell this special edition of the Access, but also various other Being Human merchandise in it’s outlets across the nation. The proceeds from these sales will be used to help educate underprivileged children, pay for heart surgeries and cataract operations, and organise bone marrow donation camps.
Atul Gupta, Executive Vice President of Suzuki India felt optimistic about the masses also joining in on the cause, he said, “Suzuki is proud to extend its partnership with Salman. Suzuki globally is committed to contributing to the development of the community though social action programs. We are very happy to be able to contribute to the Being Human effort by promoting the cause through the presence of branded apparel at our dealerships and we are sure our customers will become partners in the goals of the Being Human Foundation.”
Story: Harket Suchde
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) has unveiled the Police Model Design of its CBR 250R motorcycle, in partnership with ‘Grand’ IJS Electronics, a manufacturer of emergency vehicles warning products. The motorcycle was shown at 16th Indian International Security Expo 2013.
The Police Model Design CBR 250R has been designed as a police patrolling vehicle to facilitate quick response to incidents and provide high visibility at night. The motorcycle is equipped with LED lights, red-blue traditional police beacon lights, collapsible pole lights for high visibility, and torch light to allow reading and writing at night. The motorcycle is also fitted with a police siren with public address (PA) system that incorporates a push-to-talk button to switch to the microphone, as well as a utility box. Along with the motorcycle, Honda provides a specially designed helmet that includes a hands-free microphone to help in addressing the public while riding the motorcycle.
Story: Gaurav Nagpal
Chennai recently woke up to the sound of 300 Harley-Davidson motorcycles roaring through the city. H.O.G. chapters across India from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Indore and Kochi came together with their families making this a big milestone for Harley-Davidson in India as it was the biggest zonal ride ever. The posse made their way through the streets of Chennai to Mahabalipuram in celebration of the 2nd Southern H.O.G. Ride. The three day event, organized featured live music, stalls having the latest Harley-Davidson merchandise on display, a tattoo parlour and a “Swap Shop” where riders could exchange motorcycle accessories and install them on the spot.
“The Southern H.O.G Ride has always been one of my favourite regional rides. I attended the first Southern H.O.G Ride in 2012 which was nothing short of fantastic. This year’s edition has been equally fabulous if not more. These three days passed in a flash, as I made new friends, shared my riding stories and will now be riding back home with a whole new set of brothers” Bala Chandrasekharan, Director, Coromandel H.O.G, Chapter, Chennai. Coromandel Chapter is the host chapter for the Second Southern H.O.G. Ride. As the men at Harley-Davidson say, ‘You’re not just buying a bike but an entry into a culture and lifestyle that the brand offers’.
Story: Rommel Albuquerque
