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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