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James Bond, the fictional British superspy with a ‘license to kill’, has always been noted for his fascination for gorgeous women, hi-tech gadgets and exotic cars.

Now, the grapevine has it that the next installment of James Bond movies, named Skyfall and staring Daniel Craig, will also be featuring a bike prominently in many scenes. The 44 year old British actor’s two wheel companion is a Honda CRF250R motorcycle which has been specially modified for the action sequences in the movie.

Speaking to reporters, Fiona Cole, Corporate communications manager at Honda states, “We like to try and do things differently at Honda, including finding innovative, yet relevant ways to showcase our diverse products, whilst also really engaging with our customers and It’s great to not only have Honda machines chosen as the choice of James Bond, but also to be working with such a longstanding film franchise.”

Skyfall is stated to hit theaters on the 2nd of November in India.

The cat is out of the bag.

A source close to the company has confirmed that Bajaj Auto is opening bookings of the new 2012 Ninja 650R on July 15^th and deliveries will commence on July 20^th pan India. The delay in the launch was due to the fluctuating US dollar to Rupee exchange rate. Seems like Bajaj now has that covered as the new edition is priced at Rs 5.80 lakh, a hike of Rs 80,000 over the previous 650R.

The major difference between the outgoing model and the 2012 Ninja 650R is mainly superficial. This model comes with wider front fairing, new fuel tank and tail end, and a redesigned seat. It also gets more rigid twin-spar perimeter frame which will improve handling. The liquid-cooled 650cc twin cylinder engine is carried over from the older model, with power output of 72 PS @8500 rpm and maximum torque of 66 Nm @7000 rpm. We are certain that the bike will be tuned to offer better low-end and mid range power.

Bajaj will be accepting bookings in a phased manner with roughly five bikes per Probiking showroom. So, if you have been saving up for the Ninja, then you better rush.

 

Our friends in Europe have seen a new bike being tested by BMW, clad, of course, in camouflage. From its looks, it is evident that this one is the naked version of the S1000RR with the typical asymmetrical headlights at the front. Instead of the full fairing seen on the sportsbike, this one will come with a quarter fairing. Not many details of the bike are available as of now, but we expect this one to have the same engine as the S1000RR in a toned down state. Thus instead of the 197 PS of peak power, we can expect something in the range of 160 PS of peak power from this bike with its top speed crossing well beyond 200 km/h.

Considering that BMW have only launched two scooters since the launch of the S1000RR, this one can be the next big thing from the German bike-makers. Expect the S1000 to go against the likes of the Aprilia Tuono and Ducati Streetfighter.

Our friends in Europe have seen a new bike being tested by BMW, clad, of course, in camouflage.

From its looks, it is evident that this one is the naked version of the S1000RR with the typical asymmetrical headlights at the front. Instead of the full fairing seen on the sportsbike, this one will come with a quarter fairing. Not many details of the bike are available as of now, but we expect this one to have the same engine as the S1000RR in a toned down state. Thus instead of the 197 PS of peak power, we can expect something in the range of 160 PS of peak power from this bike with its top speed crossing well beyond 200 km/h.

 

Considering that BMW have only launched two scooters since the launch of the S1000RR, this one can be the next big thing from the German bike-makers. Expect the S1000 to go against the likes of the Aprilia Tuono and Ducati Streetfighter.

The newly formed team of DSK Motorwheels and Hyosung have big plans for India.

Apart from announcing the proposed setting up of a massive manufacturing plant, the company went on record to confirm that they would be launching several new models this year. These will include the GV cruisers, also badged as Aquila in some countries. The first to come will be the good-looking GV650 cruiser, powered by a V-twin, 647-cc, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled engine. This 650-cc cruiser produces about 74 PS of peak power and will be equipped with a five-speed gearbox. Like the other Hyosung sports bikes, the GV650 will feature upside-down type telescopic fork at the front and twin shock-absorbers at the rear. There will be two 300-mm discs at the front and a 270-mm disc at the rear. The bike is due for launch in September this year and we expect it to be priced below Rs 5 lakh.

 

The other big promise is the GV250, which will be powered by a smaller capacity engine – a 249-cc V-twin, fuel-injected, air-oil-cooled motor, with an output of about 29 PS – and will be mated to a five-speed transmission. There will be telescopic suspension at the front and twin rear shock-absorbers, but with just a single disc brake in front and drums in rear. This smaller cruiser will be launched in December this year with an expected price-tag of Rs 2.5 lakh.