Latest Bike News

If you thought that 250s aren’t fun then take a look at the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja 300 which was recently unveiled in Europe and will soon be launched in other world markets.

It was just a few weeks back when Kawasaki unveiled the updated 2013 Ninja 250R and now the company has gone a step further and announced a new entry-level sportsbike for folks looking for some extra horsepower at an affordable price tag. Customers will now have a choice of an entry-level Ninja 250R or a bit more powerful Ninja 300. Why just an upgrade of 50cc? Well, Kawasaki is not the one to takes its competition lightly and after Honda launched its highly capable CBR 250R worldwide, Kawasaki wanted to counter this move with a more powerful option and that’s one of the reasons why the company choose to launch the Ninja 300. Its a smart move as customers now have two options to choose from and Kawasaki won’t be selling the 300 Ninja at a very high premium. In fact it will be priced slightly higher than the 250R which will attract more consumers. After unveiling the bike in Europe Kawasaki will be launching it in the US on September 13^th at the famous Times Square in New York followed by California launch from September 17^th – 19^th.

 

About the new Ninja 300

It may sound like an all-new bike however, Kawasaki has actually transformed the Ninja 250R into the Ninja 300. They bumped up the displacement from 249cc to 296cc and they did so by increasing the stroke length by 7.8mm. But because they used lighter and shorter connecting rods the engine height remains the same. They have also widened the intake ports and increased the diameter of the intake valves. However, compression has been reduced from 11.6:1 to 10.6:1. Now the Ninja 300 produces 39.54PS of power, an increase of 7PS over the 250R. Along with these changes Kawasaki has also made the new Ninja 300 more rider friendly as this bike gets a new slipper clutch, race-style back-torque limiting function and optional Nissin ABS system. The 300 gets a new frame for better stability and a 140 mm rear tyre for extra grip. Styling has also been updated to give the 300 a more radical look that is seen on bigger capacity Ninja bikes. The floating windscreen is inspired from the ZX-10R and the twin head lamp cluster borrows cues from ZX-6R and the fairing and wheel design remind you of the ZZR1400. The 300 also gets aluminium foot-pegs and a more complex silencer shape that is also seen on bigger Ninjas.
The specs are out however, Kawasaki is yet to announce the pricing of this mean green entry-level Ninja. Will it come to India? Well, that still remains a big question however, even if it comes to India it will be priced much higher than the CBR250R which is its direct rival in the international market. And with the Ninja 250R already costing upwards of Rs 3 lakh in India, the 300R will be priced even higher making it an expensive enthusiasts bike.

Check out the teaser video of the new Ninja 300 here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjDFyKvqwPM

 

Japanese motorcycle makers Kawasaki are all ready to unveil next year’s Z800 street bike.

The rumor mills have been long since making rounds regarding the Z800, though Kawasaki have not disclosed anything regarding the motorcycle and when will they be unveiling it. But the leaked pictures of the 2013 Z800 clearly showcases the fact that it has been derived from the Z750 bike – with a 50cc engine hike – which makes sense with the new name Z800. The chassis as well engine look quite the same as the Z750 from the ouside, while the styling on the 2013 Z800 has been clearly taken up a notch, making it look much more aggressive. We can clearly see that the styling DNA has been derived from the Z1000 superbike. Looks like the mean-green samurai is all set to enthrall motorcyclists once more.

 

Japanese motorcycle makers Kawasaki are all ready to unveil next year’s Z800 street bike.

The rumor mills have been long since making rounds regarding the Z800, though Kawasaki have not disclosed anything regarding the motorcycle and when will they be unveiling it. But the leaked pictures of the 2013 Z800 clearly showcases the fact that it has been derived from the Z750 bike – with a 50cc engine hike – which makes sense with the new name Z800. The chassis as well engine look quite the same as the Z750 from the ouside, while the styling on the 2013 Z800 has been clearly taken up a notch, making it look much more aggressive. We can clearly see that the styling DNA has been derived from the Z1000 superbike. Looks like the mean-green samurai is all set to enthrall motorcyclists once more.

 

The Ducati Diavel (‘Devil’ in Italian) is one of the most beastly-looking motorcycles in the world.

And now, the Italian manufacturer have unveiled the Diavel Cromo, perhaps the most mean looking Diavel ever. The all new Cromo features a chromium-plated fuel and an all black finish, while the exhaust have been given the chrome treatment too, making it a sinister-looking machine. The overall motorcycle has just undergone cosmetic changes as the bike utilizes the same 1198cc Testastretta engine with a max output of 164PS of power delivered at 9500 rpm. This new version of the Cromo Diavel is all-out wickedness in its true avatar. Well if the all black treatment of the Diavel was not enough too make your jaw drop, you better think twice about the Cromo.

 

BMW’s superlative R1200GS is all set to get a heart transplant soon.

The new engine is stated to be a water-cooled boxer twin, and will be officially unveiled at the INTERMOT show in Cologne next month. BMW are leaving no stone unturned in hyping the unveiling of the new engine. With its air-cooled design an important feature of the current GS, it will be interesting to see the response from adventure riders when details of BMW’s new bike unfold. While the new GS will be the star of the show, INTERMOT will showcase BMW’s F700GS, HP4 and the new S1000RR with semi-active suspension. The BMW R1200GS is a very important brand for BMW Motorrad globally, and thus this launch is very much significant for the industry.

The latest Japanese brand to introduce a brand-new 250-cc motorcycle internationally is Suzuki.

Now this could be construed both as bad news or good, depending upon which side of the globe you inhabit. The bad news is that the company’s Indian arm is still tight-lipped about their 250-cc plans despite a growing threat from the new performance Turks like KTM, Honda, Bajaj and, apparently, Yamaha too. However, the good news is that the bike fits our requirements perfectly well and some of the international automobile journalists have already shared their first impression of this bike. Here’s what we know about the Suzuki Inazuma.

Shown last year, the Suzuki Inazuma is scheduled for an entry into the British showrooms in September this year with a price-tag of approximately Rs 3 lakh (OTR, UK). Before you raise your eyebrows in astonishment, let us add that currently the bike is being made in China and that when it comes to India, it will be highly localised, thus bringing down the price considerably. Rest assured that the build quality and finish of this bike would be on par with international standards.

Suzuki claim that this twin-cylinder, 250-cc motorcycle draws its design cues from its elder sibling, the B-King. However, the Inazuma is much smaller in size and looks more like a commuter than the buck-wild monster that is the B-King, and the convex headlight design reminds us of the long forgotten Yamaha Libero. We expect the engine to produce approximately 28 PS of peak power, which might not be close to the 33 horses of the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, but Suzuki’s engineers have deliberately done so to improve the bike’s maximum torque, using the parallel twin’s surprisingly long stroke. This would offer a strong mid-range, making the Inazuma very easy to ride. Featuring a very slick six-speed gearbox, the bike is sure to have pure-Suzuki levels of refinement.

Moreover, the 780-mm seat height and narrow fuel tank make this 250-cc Jap ideally suited for Indian customers. The company claims a fuel efficiency of 30 km per litre for international markets, which might (will) get enhanced further for India, by more engine whizbangery and tuning. The arrival of this Suzuki in India is certain, but ‘when’ still remains a question.