Latest Bike News

Karizma R now in white

July 22, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Hero Honda Karizma R Spotlight White 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.

Hero Honda Karizma Spotlight White

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

500kmph+ on a motorcycle, new motorcycle land speed record

July 22, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

brocks performance - bill warner The land speed record for piston engined, wheel driven, semi-streamlined motorcycles has been broken by the same man who held the previous record.

Bill Warner of Wimauma, Florida held the earlier record for a little over 448kmph on his turbo-charged Suzuki Hayabusa. This time, he’s gone for more and exceeded 502kmph on the same bike.

This feat of riding a bike faster than a Bugatti Veyron, was achieved not at Bonneville Salt Flats, but at Loring Timing Association’s land speed races held at the Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine and incidentally, this is not the fastest man has ever gone on two wheels. Faster speeds of 600kmph+ have been achieved by Top Oil-Ack Attack streamliner at the Utah Salt flats as recently as September 2010.

Warner said that at that speed, “The bike was bouncing, hopping, skipping and sliding. Needless to say, I got it stopped safely. It was a little scary.” Just a little scary…

That’s it? Yeah, right.

Image courtesy: Facebook

Royal Enfield Classic 500 chrome

July 21, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

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.

Your Apache on a TVS promo

July 19, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

TVS Apache 180 white wheelie 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.

TVS Apache 180 white wheelie

Rossi to make 250th GP start

July 14, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

One more feather in Rossi’s cap

Motorcycle racing is a taxing sport, and perhaps the most dangerous too. The strain that it puts on its top-tier riders are all too apparent, with most riders dropping out of the game in their early thirties. In such circumstances, Valentino Rossi – possibly the greatest MotoGP rider to ever walk the earth – has proven his mettle, repeatedly thrashing competitors far younger than himself.

And now, Valentino Rossi will make his 250th GP start at this weekend’s Sachsenring GP. In doing so, he will become just the sixth rider in the history of Grand Prix racing to reach the milestone of 250 GP starts. Up until he crashed and broke his leg in practice at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, Rossi had set a record for the largest number of successive GP starts – 230 in total. His close friend, Loris Capirossi, is the current leader in the former, with 321 starts to his credit.

In other news, Rossi recently gifted his mother, Stefania, a Ducati Monster 696 done up in his trademark yellow and red with the famous 46 decal on the tank. Stefy, as she is affectionately known in paddock circles, revealed that she had always dreamt of a Monster and been telling her son over the years that if he ever went to Ducati, he’d to get her a Ducati Monster.

That’s where we say, ‘Like mother, like son.’

Rossi to make 250th GP start

July 14, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

One more feather in Rossi’s cap

That’s where we say, ‘Like mother, like son.’

New Pulsar coming in September

July 12, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Bajaj to launch a bigger Boxer next month, followed by the new Pulsar

The Bajaj Pulsar has an enviable position in the history of Indian performance biking. However, over the last few years, its shine and allure has waned considerably thanks to the competition smartening up and launching an ever-improving range of premium bikes that delivered more bang for the buck. Bajaj has also tried to keep the Pulsar fresh with regular nips and tucks, but a full-scale revamp was what was sorely needed. And it’s here finally, thus confirming the report that BIKE India has previously carried. Come September and the completely new face of the Pulsar will be launched, according to Mr. Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto Limited. While engine and powertrain specifications are still under wraps, it is clear that new model will heavily feature technology and know-how that Bajaj has gained from its association with KTM.

But before the revamped Pulsar hits the streets, Bajaj will be introducing the 150cc version of its hugely popular people carrier, the Boxer, next month. Also referred to as the ‘Bharat bike’, the new Boxer will be powered by a 150cc engine that has been specially tuned for use in rural areas. This includes a highly strengthened chassis and cycle parts that has been reinforced for carrying heavy loads typical of city users. The new bike is expected to be priced around the Rs. 40,000 bracket.

Bajaj Auto is targeting monthly numbers of 4.20 lakh bikes and three-wheelers by October, which translates into approximately five million units annually. At present, the company averages 3.7 lakh units a month, of which, the Discover accounts for 1.35 lakh and the Pulsar around 85,000 units.

Ducati Diavel sold out…

July 12, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Ducati Daivel red bike …until September

When the Diavel was first unveiled before the world’s press, it created a minor storm amongst the public with its love-it-or-hate-it looks. However, now it seems as if the Ducatisti have taken to the looks of this monstrous power-cruiser with the same passion that they have accorded every other Ducati sportsbike to date. According to an MCN report, almost 5,000 Diavels have been built until now, with the bike sold out in most major markets until September.

This brisk sale has enabled Ducati to rake in approximately £69 million by way of revenue from the Diavel only. Ducati aimed to make 8,000 in the bike’s first year of production but this may have to be increased as 4,700 bikes have been built in four months of full production with 3,200 officially registered around the world. Of the 4,700 Diavels built, just over 2,800 (60 per cent) are the more expensive carbon versions while the rest are standard versions.

Payback time for KTM

July 12, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Bajaj Pulsar orange Austrian firm shares marketing mantra with Bajaj in Pulsar 220 promotions

With this international JV, Bajaj might have opened the floodgates of low-cost supply chain for KTM, but the Austrian firm has taught a few tricks of the trade to the India manufacturer too, especially in terms of effective marketing. KTM have been relying on this tried and tested sales technique for years now. It’s simple, but very effective.

If you’ve spotted the new Pulsar 220 advert, you’ll know what we’re talking about. All you need is a bike, painted in the trademark orange colour, and a model cloaked in all-black leathers riding it on the streets. No over-priced celebrity endorsement, no radical location and no skimpily clad dames. It worked in Europe and, going by Bajaj’s continuous sales jump, the advertising campaign is doing a bit of good to the Pune-based company as well.

Mahindra’s bigger displacement plans

July 6, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Mahindra 2Wheelers plans to relaunch the Stallio motorcycle; 135cc and 150cc models on the anvil

Mahindra 2Wheelers’ first entry into Indian motorcycling was not a very rosy affair. Minor niggles and teething problems with the company’s very first offering, the 110cc Stallio, led Mahindra to withdraw it after a couple of months.However, the giant is now preparing for a renewed onslaught, and recently revealed that it will relaunch the Stallio later this year. In addition, the company is also planning to introduce higher-displacement motorcycles in the near future, with inputs from their Italian acquisitions.

“We will be relaunching the Stallio during the festive season this year. Earlier, we had made a soft launch of the bike. We have made some modifications and it is ready for launch,” Devendra Shinde, marketing vice president of MTWL, told reporters in Kolkata recently. The Mahindra Group company , which entered the two-wheeler market in 2008, has registered a 53 percent growth in eastern India during April-June this year over the same period last year. The company, which currently deals in 125cc scooters, is working towards expanding its portfolio. “We have a strategic intent to be an end-to-end player in the two-wheeler market. Over a period of time, we will have presence in the motorcycle segment as well,” said Shinde. “Although our major emphasis is on scooter market, with increasing demand in the rural and semi urban markets, we are also committed towards the motorcycle segment. Work is on developing 135cc and 155cc motorcycles.” He added that the company’s participation in this year’s Moto GP would go a long way in creating a brand space for itself in the motorcycle market.