Latest Bike News

Launched! Honda Dio 2012

February 2, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

dio scooter Close to a decade after the original launch of the light-weight Dio, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has given the automatic scooter a much needed upgrade.

And thankfully, the scooter gets a thorough revision, with a bigger and more powerful 109-cc motor, which has been borrowed from the new Activa, and produces 8.11PS of power @ 7,500rpm and 8.66Nm of torque @ 5,500rpm. Honda claims that this will improve fuel efficiency by 15 per cent, the fiber bodied scooter will now return 55 kpl.

The re-styled 2012 Dio looks chunkier and more sporty with the new aerodynamic design. This is the first gearless scooter in India to sports tubeless tyres and in combination of Honda’s ‘Combi Brake System’ which would improves stability and braking. Other new features include a maintenance-free battery, viscous air filter, 3D emblem and enhanced luggage space under the seat. All this for an attractive price of Rs. 42,362 ex-showroom New Delhi. The new Dio will be available at Honda showrooms from the last week of this month and will be offered in five new colours – Sports Red, Matt Axis Grey Metallic, Pearl Sunbeam White, Candy Palm Green and Leblon Violet Metallic.

Speaking about the launch N.K. Rattan, Vice President – Sales, Marketing & Corporate Affairs, HMSI said, “The increased convenience and comfortable riding position of New Dio will appeal to both style conscious young males and females.”

Supervehicles Fest

January 30, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Pune’s premier educational institution is back with its highly popular college fest, featuring some of the most delectable machinery from around the globe

When a petrolhead thinks about supercars and fast bikes in India, he usually thinks of Bombay or Delhi being the best place to spot them. Well he doesn’t have to any more. Enter Sympulse, SCMS (UG)’s college fest, held in Pune, which hosts an event they call “Pit stop”, where the very best bikes and supercars are displayed.

Scheduled to be held from 30th Jan to 3rd Feb this year, Sympulse promises an awesome display of the world’s finest, most sought after supercars and bikes to get the adrenaline pumping. Last year, Sympulse featured a Yamaha R1, a Hayabusa, a Honda CBR 1000R, a Kawasaki Ninja and many more, including a fleet of superbly maintained Royal Enfields. Amidst frenzied roars from the crowd, all the bikes showcased revved to the limit in a deafening display of their power! This year, Pit stop is going even further with 18 bikes including the mighty Suzuki GSX 1000R and a fleet of Yamahas, and even the Italian exotica, Ducati Monster. Also featured are the Aprilia RS4, the BMW F1200 GS, and the Honda CBR 600RR.And it’s not just superbikes, Classics like the Norton Dominator, the BSA Gold Star, and the Indian Chief are also to be set on display. Pit stop promises to display a fleet of supercars that are set to awe its spectators with power fuelled madness. With cars like the Ferrari F 430, the sublime Aston martin DB 9, and the Rolls Royce Phantom set to make appearances, the event boasts of cars ranging from the Jaguar XJL, to the Hummer H3, to the Bentley VI to amaze onlookers. Other cars to look out for during Pit stop, is the gorgeous Aston Martin Rapide, the Porsche Boxster, the Mercedes E63 AMG a Chevy impala and even a London Taxi!

The distinguished guest list from last year included celebrities like Salman Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, and Miss India Universe winner, Puja Gupta. This year, the guest list will include Justice VS Sirpurkar (Acad Summit), Vikram Kaushal, Yes Bank (Acad Summit), Siddharth Agarwal, Teach for India, Pune City, Director (Acad Summit), Omkar Sane, Writer ( Prose and Poetry), actor Jackie Shroff, film director Madhur Bhandarkar and lyricist Javed Jaffrey.

Clearly a major event for petrol heads all over India, Pit stop Sympulse is definitely one event you can’t miss that puts Pune firmly on the map for cars and bikes to look out for…and if that wasn’t enough, the event is scheduled to kick off with a stunt show performed in BMX bikes! BIKE India is proud to be an associate sponsor of this fest and contribute its part in fostering education and love of automobiles amongst the emerging youth of our country. and More information can be had from the Sympulse website at http://www.sympulsefest.com/

UPDATED – 2012 Bajaj Pulsar – LAUNCHED!

January 30, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Pulsar 200 - 2012 Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the new Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS!

Exactly ten years ago to this very day, Bajaj Auto Ltd. took the country by storm with the launch of the Pulsar brand. Ever since then, the Pulsar has ruled the premium motorcycling segment in the country, with yearly cosmetic and visual upgrades doing their part to keep it abreast of the competition. And now, the all-new Bajaj Pulsar 200NS Naked Sports (NS) has finally been unveiled, ready to take on all comers.

The first visual impressions convey a more muscular and grown up bike, albeit one that retains characteristic Pulsar styling cues that are discernible at even a glance. A large twin-spar frame dominates the side profile view, while the beefier tank and side panels give a new dimension to the Pulsar. Upfront, the suspension seems to be much beefier than before, shod with larger 100/80-17 tubeless rubber while the rear features a meaty 130/70-17 tyre, also tubeless. The headlight unit is a completely new interpretation of the Pulsar unit and we absolutely adore its Transformers-like angry face. Expect the Pulsar 200 NS to be priced below Rs 1 lakh!

Echoing what we have seen in numerous spy shots earlier, the rear panels are borrowed from the Pulsar 135LS, but the big news is the welcome inclusion of a monoshock rear suspension – Bajaj’s first. Powering the new Pulsar is a four valve, liquid cooled, triple spark motor. Good enough for 23.52 PS@9,500rpm and a peak torque figure of 18.3Nm@8,000rpm. That, coupled with the kerb weight of 145kg and the six-speed ‘box, gives the Pulsar 200NS a theoretical top speed of 136 kph, 0-60kph in 3.61sec and 0-100 kph in 9.83 seconds. Tell-tale lights and indicators remain the same while the exhaust has now been moved to under the bike, which should help in mass centralisation and lend the bike a low centre of gravity.

More information coming soon…. Stay glued to your computers and smartphones.

2012 Bajaj Pulsar

January 27, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

pulsar 2012 The wait is over… The mania begins again as Bajaj readies to launch the new range of Pulsars this Monday, January 30th 2012

Bajaj is also timing the launch of the new Pulsar series in a way that it commemorates the Pulsar brand’s 10 years of existence. The new range of bikes are based on the same platform as the KTM Duke and also retains the popular DTS-i twin spark system. The bikes will now be lighter and faster than before, so remember ‘Safety First’. The front braking unit will probably be provided by Bybre, the same employed on the KTM 200 Duke. Carrying the sporty, street-bike DNA will be two-step seat, underbelly exhaust similar to the KTM and new alloy wheels designed to keep the weight low for better performance.

Price and other details will be revealed during the launch on Monday. Till then, watch this space.

Check out the official Pulsar website – click here

Royal Enfield to ‘race’ your hearts

January 25, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

One of the most promising bikes at the Auto Expo 2012 was the Royal Enfield Cafe Racer concept.

And now it seems that the motorcycle maker is burning the mid-night oil to make it a reality. Yes, we know the Cafe Racer concept was also showcased during the 2010 Auto Expo and it should have been posing teasingly at Royal Enfield showroom across India. But now it’s closer to reality.

Upon closer look at the concept displayed at the recent Expo, we were in awe of the fine craftsmanship that has gone on the bike. From the sumptuously sculpted tank to the single humped leather seat, the designers have captured the true Cafe Racer spirit perfectly. The low clip-on handle bar and rear-set foot pegs will give a great sporty riding position. The steeply raked front folk angle, Ohlins gas shock-absorbers in the rear and specially designed twin spar frame are sure to make it a nimble ride. Twin-pod instrument cluster, round headlights, retro taillamps and a cone-shaped exhaust work together to offer gorgeous classic looks. Powering this Cafe Race would be a 500-cc twin-spark (UCE) engine.

Fabulous classic looks and modern engineering is a killer combination. Now, all we have to say now is, “Please god, make it happen soon!”

Royal Enfield - Cafe Racer - Auto Expo 2012

2012 TVS StaR City

January 24, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

TVS has upgraded its popular 110cc motorcycle StaR City with a new variant – the 2012 edition.

The bike will now feature cosmetic changes like dual tone body colours, new headlamp and clear indicators. StaR City 2012 edition will come in six new colour combinations, which include ‘Electric Green’, ‘Bold Blue’, Red Blaze, ‘Gold Spark’, ‘Silver Strike’ and ‘Crimson Flash’.

There are no changes to the CVTi (Continuous Variable Timing Ignition) engine and TVS claims a mileage of 83.9 kilometers per litre. The base version TVS StaR City 110cc starts at Rs. 38,650/- (Ex Delhi) with a five-year warranty.

Lorenzo gets a taste of Buddh

January 13, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Lorenzo at Buddh International Circuit India First it was brand ambassador, John Abraham at the launch of the Ray scooter at the Auto Expo 2012 and now Yamaha is back in the news again by bringing the 2010 World MotoGP Champion Jorge Lorenzo for the first time in India.

Lorenzo was welcomed with an ecstatic response from Indian biking and motorsports lovers as he rode Yamaha’s flagship bike YZF-R15 v2.0 on the Buddh International Circuit (BIC).

Speaking about his maiden visit to India, Jorge Lorenzo said, “I am simply delighted to visit India and want to thank India Yamaha Motor for organizing this visit and giving me the opportunity to meet my fans here. Seeing the number of biking and motorsports enthusiasts here, I can say that the adrenaline is surely pumping high for motorcycle racing in India. The only advice that I would like to give to all biking enthusiasts is that they should take care of safety aspects while riding; if safety is taken care of then biking is indeed a cherish able experience.”

The 24-year old motorcycle racer joined the MotoGP Yamaha Factory Racing Team in 2008 as double 250cc World Champion, having won the title for the previous two years. The 2010 season saw Lorenzo dominate the season and take the World Championship title.

As part of his visit to the BIC, Lorenzo also met the three lucky winners of the E-contest that was being run by India Yamaha Motor for its customers and biking enthusiasts.

Speaking to the media Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & Managing Director, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., said, “Motorsports has gained much popularity especially after the F1 racing hosted in India recently. We’d certainly like to see India hosting MotoGP as well in the near future.” So, when do we see a MotoGP round at our very own racing circuit? Sooner than you can expect.

TVS gearing up to regain third spot

January 12, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Tvs Qube Chennai based auto major, TVS Motor Company, announced that it would launch four new two-wheeler models this year.

The game plan is to launch two motorcycles in the executive segment and two scooters so that it can topple Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India from its recently acquired third position in the two-wheeler market, as TVS has slipped to forth position.

The first to enter India will be Qube, a hybrid scooter, in June 2012, which the company had displayed in the last two Auto Expos. Initially TVS would like to see the response the hybrid scooter gets and would introduce just 200 scooters before its commercial launch in 2013. The Qube has two sources of power, including a 100cc four-stroke engine and an electric hub motor. The rider has the option to choose from a range of modes, depending on his or her requirement. This hybrid system charges the lithium ion battery when the brakes are applied and utilizes this power whenever required. Something like the KERS used in Formula One cars. In addition, it also has a stop-start hybrid which would further saves fuel. One has the option of using the electric only mode for short trips and, obviously, the engine only mode is present as well.

According to TVS the Qube delivers significant emission reduction and improved fuel economy in city traffic driving with 35 % reduction in CO2 emission, 30% HC + NOx reduction and an increase of 35% in fuel economy. The company claims a fuel economy of around 70kpl in typical city riding conditions.

TVS will also introduce a brand new motorcycle model in the entry level 125-cc segment with 4-speed gear box in June 2012. Apart from this, the Victor model with be re-introduced along with a new a 125cc scooter in December 2012.

These models will hopefully fetch bigger numbers for TVS, but we would have liked to see the upgraded Apache range also mentioned in the announcement. Enthusiasts calling TVS.

Seven Triumphs headed this way

December 19, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Triumph Tiger 800 coming to India The legendary British bike maker will roar into India with seven of its products in 2012

We have been waiting for a long time for Triumph to enter the Indian market. In 2008 we revealed
Triumph’s Indian ambition and now, almost four years later, the British company has finally
revealed its plans for India. Firstly, the company will be assembling some of its bikes in India to
make them affordable for the Indian consumers. For this the company is hunting for a site to set up
an assembly facility. Secondly, we Indians will be getting to taste bikes like the Iconic Bonneville,
the modern day British racer – Daytona 675, the multi purpose Tiger 800, the awesome Speed
Triple and the monster of a bike – Rocket III. We may also get the Sprint and the Speedmaster.
Bikes like the Tiger 800 and Daytona 675 are expected to be assembled here in India however, there
is no official conformation from the company yet. Triumph will be present at the 2012 Auto Expo
with the afore mentioned bikes and we expect the bikes to hit the dealerships by mid-2012.

2011 Triumph Tiger 800

Seven Triumphs headed this way

The legendary British bike maker will roar into India with seven of its products in 2012

We have been waiting for a long time for Triumph to enter the Indian market. In 2008 we revealed

Triumph’s Indian ambition and now, almost four years later, the British company has finally

revealed its plans for India. Firstly, the company will be assembling some of its bikes in India to

make them affordable for the Indian consumers. For this the company is hunting for a site to set up

an assembly facility. Secondly, we Indians will be getting to taste bikes like the Iconic Bonneville,

the modern day British racer – Daytona 675, the multi purpose Tiger 800, the awesome Speed

Triple and the monster of a bike – Rocket III. We may also get the Sprint and the Speedmaster.

Bikes like the Tiger 800 and Daytona 675 are expected to be assembled here in India however, there

is no official conformation from the company yet. Triumph will be present at the 2012 Auto Expo

with the afore mentioned bikes and we expect the bikes to hit the dealerships by mid-2012.

Ducati Riding Experience 2012

December 19, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

1199 Panigale S Red motorcycle Ducati offers their patrons a chance to experience their motorcycles in a safe environment

during the Ducati Riding Experience (DRE) events. These events are held across Italy on some of the best racetracks in the country. They are conducted by a team of trainers from Ducati and are designed for beginners as well as expert riders.

The basic course will be conducted in the paddocks where the particpants will ride the Monster 796 naked. Intermediate level riders will get the Hypermotard 796, Monster 1100 and Multistrada 1100 while the experts will ride the 848 EVO superbike. For 2012, Ducati have also included the new 1199 Panigale which will be given to the riders enrolling for the Troy Bayliss Academy and Master Racing course.