The 150-cc bike in for a minor makeover

With news of Bajaj’s new work-horse, the ‘Bharat Bike’, and a revamped Yamaha YZF R15 making their way into the country, the 150-cc segment is becoming one of the most diverse and rapidly growing segments in India. In keeping with the trend of the times, Suzuki are planning to upgrade the GS150R, which was introduced in 2008. A quick nip and tuck and the Japanese company will launch this 150-cc bike with a facelift by October 2011.

According to the pictures posted by a Suzuki fan on Facebook, the new version of the bike will sport new body colours and graphics as well as a new exhaust system. We hope the new GS150R will carry the same price tag of Rs Rs 68,695 (OTR, Pune).

Now Bajaj gives its flagship bike a superficial upgrade

Looks like Bajaj is following the current trend to offer the same models with newer body-colour and graphics. A new lot of Pulsar 220s have hit the Bajaj showrooms sporting dual colour schemes and unfortunately with no changes in the engine specifications. All is not lost, as the new lot seems to be an attempt to make room in the Bajaj warehouse for the all-new Pulsar that the Indian firm has developed with its Austrian partner, KTM and is sheduled for a pan India launch in a couple of months.

We can wait to get our hands on the all-new Pulsar… till then feast your eyes on the latest colours of the current model. And before you say anything negative, check out Pulsar fan page on Facebook, where in just 20 minutes these pictures received over 500 likes!

Hero Honda aims to spice up the bike with the new colour scheme

Karizma has been one of the most well-rounded performance bikes, below the rupees one lakh bracket. Since its launch in 2003, the bike has been getting regular upgrades and most of them have been superficial. Except the fuel injected version – ZMR which was introduced back in 2009.

With competition getting fiercer in the small-capacity performance bike segment, Hero Honda has decided to give it’s 223-cc bike a white wash by launching it in a new Spotlight body colour. There is no change in the engine or other specs, as it produces 17.2 PS and 18.3Nm and is priced at Rs 85,143 OTR, Pune. We have to agree that the new shade does make the bike look good. But we can’t wait for a complete ramp up of the Karizma range.

For more information on Hero Honda Karizma R click here

 

The bike maker introduce a chromed version of the Classic 500 internationally

Royal Enfield has recently upgraded their website www.royalenfield.com and it does look rather slick. What caught our eyes was a shimmering new variant of the Classic 500 with ample use of chrome. Previously only a few components on the Classic 500 came with chrome finish however, the company has now coated some of the major components like the front/ rear fender, air box cover and the tank with chrome. The new variant retains the same 499cc UCE engine that produces 28PS of power and 41.3 Nm of torque. Apart from the chrome the other visible change is the long straight exhaust. Unfortunately, it is not yet available in India. The bike has similar aura like the macho Machismo of the last decade. Hope the motorcycle maker gets this version for the Indian enthusiasts as well.

Many a bike enthusiast loves to shoot himself and his bike both in photo and video.

Learning from the Yamaha Fazer experience, TVS has now asked customers of it’s top-of-the-line motorcycle, the Apache, to, well, show off.

For this, they have created a contest on Facebook, where you can upload a video of your Apache, with or without you, and send it to the judges at TVS. All that the video is supposed to do is to explain between 3 to 40 seconds, why you love your Apache. If you win, your video gets featured in an upcoming promo, if not, your video can still be used by TVS anytime in the future. If there are any other prizes, they are not mentioned yet. Also, a final date of entries isn’t declared yet.

So get your video cameras out and get featured.

And finally we have the first woman in India to own a Harley.

Sheeja Matthews, mother of a seven year old is a Banglore based HR professional who has been riding to work for the past ten years on a Rajdoot 350. She has upgraded to the Harley Davidson Iron 883 and will be riding to work at least once a week. The 34 year old also plans on taking weekend trips on the Harley.  Not only does she ride a Harley, but also drives a Tata Safari and a Chevrolet Cruze. She has been a drag racer as well which qualifies her as a total petrolhead.

Retailed at Rs 6.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Bangalore) the Iron 883, along with the Super Low are some of the models that are assembled at Harley Davidson’s factory in Bawal, Haryana; making these models most popular in Harley’s Indian line up.

Internationally, the HOG (Harley Owners Group) has several blue-blooded woman members and Sheeja has initiated this for H-D’s Indian arm. Wouldn’t we love to see this trend grow?

 

 

Kristian von Hornsleth’s Ducati collection sure to arrest attention

It is almost impossible to make these Italian beauties more alluring, but London-based conceptual artist, Kristian von Hornsleth, thought otherwise. So what inspired this Danish artist to paint Ducati 1098 and 1198 in a riot of colours? Hornsleth says that when he asked one of the salesmen if it was dangerous to ride a bike that’s capable of doing 0-100 km/h in less than four seconds, the salesman was quick to reply, “You don’t feel anything as you hit the wall at 320 km/h”. 

These special edition bikes come under Hornsleth’s ‘Kill Me Fast’ series and are priced at Rs 38 lakh in the UK. Since we can’t afford his piece of art, maybe if we save we might be able to get one of the posters!
Meanwhile, you may visit http://www.hornsleth.com/Hornsleth/Home/SHOP/POSTERS/2007/DUCATI-1/5-1-70.m to pick one up.

Words: Sarmad Kadiri

 

Hero Honda gives the bike some superficial upgrades

In line with the company’s strategy of continuously refreshing its portfolio, Hero Honda has facelifted the Glamour and the Glamour FI. Changes will include a sportier muffler, a new headlamp and a maintenance free battery.The graphic changes will be limited to the new tank shrouds and visor. A newly chiseled front cowl will house a new digital + analogue meter console. The Glamour twins will be priced at Rs 50,500/- and 52,500/- (disc brakes version). The fuel injected Glamour FI will be priced at Rs. 59,500/-. The new models will be made available across all HH outlets in the country.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Anil Dua, Sr. Vice-President (Marketing & Sales), Hero Honda Motors Ltd said, “Ever since its launch, Glamour has been among the most stylish bikes in the deluxe segment, while the Glamour FI is seen as a pioneer because of its path-breaking PGM FI technology. The Glamour family has given a new dimension to Hero Honda’s leadership in this segment. The launch of the new refreshed versions of these two models promises to take our leadership position to an even higher level.”

Words: Aniruddha Mulgund

 

Kawasaki has come with all the right ingredients with the Ninja 650R

Kawasaki brought the long forgotten middleweights segment into talks again and launched their much awaited Ninja 650R today. Priced at Rs 4.57 lakh ex-showroom, Delhi (about Rs 5-5.1 lakh, OTR Pune), the bike has already gathered eyeballs for its strategic pricing and tough hit to the competition. The Kwacker’s 649-cc twin cylinder engine offers 72 PS power and 66 Nm torque and the bike sports Ninja’s signature aggressive styling. So far, Garware Hyosung GT 650R was the only option available in the segment. The new Kwacker is a sports tourer and bike’s aerodynamics and strong engine support its nature very well. Looks like it’s time for competition to buckle up as this Japanese giant is a little too much for the Korean bull.

 

Words: Gasha Aeri

Brutale 990R receives paint job as Italy celebrates unification

 

To celebrate 150 years of Italian unification MV Agusta has announced a limited edition Brutale 990R. The bike features tricolored body panels in colors of the Italian flag and will be available in red, black and white themes. The numbers 150 and the serial number etched on the bikini fairing will make the bike instantly recognizable. A premium of Rs 22,458 will be charged over the standard price of Rs 10,20,255 in Europe for the cult status aesthetics. True to Italian flamboyance, MV Agusta has described the limited edition Brutale 990R as the marriage of Style and Technology.

 

Words: Aniruddha Mulgund