Latest Bike News

SlingShot goes ‘Plus’

January 20, 2011 by Bike India Team 1 Comment

Suzuki adds a visor to the bike to improve its looks

As you know, Suzuki SlingShot has won the Bike India Award 2011 for the ‘Bike of the year – up to 125cc’. Now Suzuki India is giving its two-wheeler buyers a small treat by launching a new variant of the bike called the SlingShot Plus. Wondering what pluses you’d get in the new variant? Well, the list is rather tiny, as the new variant sports a visor which covers the instrument console, right above the headlight. According to Suzuki this increases the style quotient. The ‘Plus’ variant will be available in three trims — drum brake and alloy with kick start for Rs 50,350, with self start at Rs 52,518, and the top of the line with front disc brake, alloy and self start for Rs 54136 (OTR Pune), which is about a thousand rupees more than the basic SlingShot.

Words: Sarmad Kadiri

BIKE India Awards 2011

January 18, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

The curtain-raiser to the country’s biggest two-wheeler awards, Subros BIKE India awards 2011

As the wheel of time spins around, Indian two-wheeler industry is witnessing what can aptly be referred to as its “Golden Era”, with the international players pitching their camps in the country and launches as big and better like never before. And if there were launches, there ought to be the best ones and if there are the best ones, they deserve to be awarded too. So, that’s exactly what we did in the Subros Bike India Awards 2011. So, here’s a sneak peek into the winners of various categories:

BOTY (Bike Of The Year) upto 110-cc: Honda CB Twister
BOTY upto 125-cc: Suzuki SlingShot
BOTY upto 150-cc: Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS
BOTY upto 200-cc: Yamaha SZ-R
Scooter of the year: TVS Wego
Import two-wheeler of the year: Suzuki Bandit
Manufacturer of the year: Hero Honda
Brand Ambassador of the year: John Abraham
Reader’s choice BOTY: Harley Davidson 883 Sportster
Bike of the year: Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS

The Pulsar 135LS is a clear example of how aggressive Bajaj is getting towards offering the best to its customers. The company has genuinely managed to make a motorcycle that has good, up-to-date technologies,good performance, good handling, good styling and good efficiency. All this from a 135cc motorcycle that is not a derivative of an existing motorcycle comes to us as a welcome surprise.

Words: Gasha Aeri

The new king

January 17, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

BMW S1000RR bags IMOTY

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the new king of sport biking. BMW’s groundbreaking S1000RR sportsbike recently trounced the competition to emerge the International Motorcycle of the Year in a judgement comprising an eminent international jury of motoring journalists from various motorcycling publications from around the globe. Regarding their decision to anoint the S1000RR as the winner of IBOY 2011, the jury stated, “The BMW S1000RR combines wounding edge technology, presentation and ease of use. At the same time it is a bike that works specially well on both road and track. Furthermore the BMW S1000RR represents a breakthrough for the combination of electronics to create a safer and more engaging ride.” BMW last won the IBOTY in 2004, with its grand-tourer R1200GS.

Words: Saeed Akhtar

Dream team unleashed

January 14, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Rossi goes red at Wroom

Its out! Ducati Corse has released the first pictures of Valentino Rossi in their colours, posing with his Desmosedici GP11 bike at their annual pre-season ‘Wroom’ event. Rossi has retained the flouroscent green colour on his leathers but its a fashion disaster combined with Ducati’s red. And his Bike has it too! The number ’46’ on the nose is of course flouro-green along with the seat border, tank and the tail piece.

Nicky Hayden meanwhile has paired the red with black this year. The AMG logo is also present on both Rossi and Nicky hayden’s bike and leathers. The bright livery of Rossi’s bike is a reminisce of his wild paintjobs during the 125cc and 250cc days with Aprilia. Hope he rides so too.

Words: Piyush Sonsale

Dream team unleashed

January 14, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Rossi goes red at Wroom

Words: Piyush Sonsale

Hamara Pulsar, Hamara Discover

January 13, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Bajaj to drop its name; retain only the core models’ names

The brand that gave India the slogan ‘Hamara Bajaj’, a catchphrase synonymous with a whole generation, will cease to exist come April this year. Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj recently stated his intention to remove the Bajaj brand and, in its place, establish its top-selling Pulsar and Discover as separate brands in their their own light. This is not an unusual move for brands in European and foreign countries but will certainly be a first for Indian automotive manufacturers who rely on family names for their product range (read TVS, Mahindra and Tata).

“Actually I don’t want that (Bajaj) name. We have already started the process so today on a Pulsar, the Bajaj name is seen only on the engine. The same is the case with Discover. Our three-wheeler has Bajaj in small font while the initial ‘RE’ is in much bigger font. One day, We will drop the Bajaj name from there also completely”, Rajiv Bajaj disclosed in a recent interview. “Consumers know that the product is coming from Bajaj, just like I know my Audi is coming from Volkswagen. But there is no Volkswagen on the Audi product. This creates a perception that there is something more in the product”, he added.

The project is spearheaded by Fitch, the international design agency that have collaborated with brands as diverse as Aditya Birla Group, Boeing, Reliance ADAG, Tata and Microsoft in the past.

Words: Saeed Akhtar

Face/Off

January 7, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Two of the world’s greatest racing personalities come together for an epic duel. On ice.

You might not have heard of it before but Ducati and Ferrari has an annual event, somewhere up in the Dolomites mountains in Northern Italy, wherein the racing arms of both the manufacturers launch their latest team lineups and jointly share the limelight. And this year, the Wrooom Ferrari & Ducati Press Ski Meeting (that’s what the event is called) will play host to a traditional ice race between Valentino Rossi and Fernando Alonso. Ducati MotoGP team manager Vittoriano Guareschi has revealed that Rossi is fit enough to race the former F1 world champion at this year’s ‘Wrooom’ event, to be held on January 10^th. Guareschi also allayed all apprehensions about Rossi’s fitness, specifically his recent shoulder injury, saying that the World Champion has recuperated and is in perfect condition for the coming MotoGP season.

This year’s Wrooom event will also give the Ducatisti their first opportunity to view the new Marlboro Ducati livery and the first public appearance of Rossi in red leathers.

Words: Saeed Akhtar

New motorcycle norm

January 6, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Motorcycles to be EMC – Compliant

Recently the Ministry of Surface Transport and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced a new norm according to which all new models that are to be introduced in the market will have be EMC (Electromagnetic) compliant. This norm will ensure that the electromagnetic waves emitted by a two wheeler is under admissible limit and doesn’t interfere with any electronic controllers that are present on it. This EMC norm came into force from January 1st and 70% of the current two-wheelers in the market have already been tested for it at the EMC Tech Center. The ministry has also said that vehicle manufacturers have to come up with a system in order to meet the standards.

Words: Ravi Chandnani

TVS Apache ABS

January 5, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

No, the Apache won’t have six-pack, but will be safer to ride

Early this year TVS Motors showcased the Apache 180 with ABS (anti-lock braking system) technology during the Auto Expo and, almost a year later, the bike sporting this safety technology will be available in a TVS showroom close to you this month (January 2011). We reckon the new Apache with ABS to be about Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 dearer. Though ABS is common in bikes and cars internationally, we still have a reason for a tiny celebration. This will be the first time a ‘made in India’ bike will feature ABS. Hurrah!
TVS have developed the anti-lock braking system in collaboration with Continental AG, Germany (pioneer in chassis control system for passenger cars and leading bikes like the BMW). The system has a hydraulic-electronic control unit (HECU) and a speed-sensing technology that continuously monitors the wheel speed of the bike. During braking it modulates the hydraulic pressure in the brake system to avoid an impending wheel lock and loss of control.
The ABS system improves braking even in wet conditions, prevents wheel skids and rear wheel lift-off. So, all you guys who love to perform ‘stoppies’ on their Apaches, TVS have made the trick even harder for you.

Bullet-through-the-brain

June 18, 2010 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Gauri Lokare joins a gathering of 660 Bullets for Rider Mania 2009
Photography by Gauri Lokare & Aditya Bedre

All of us know that light travels faster than speed. A certain variety of motorcycles is an exception to the rule though. The sound from Royal Enfield motorcycles reaches you way before the sight of these heavy duty machines. The thump of more than 660 Bullets echoed in the dense Nilgiris in January this year. The reason for this rumble? Rider Mania ’09 was about to commence.

In its seventh season now, Rider Mania is a Bullet congregation coined, owned and executed by Bullet riders across the country to elevate the culture of biking brotherhood. It was the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club (RTMC) from Bangalore who staged the most yearned for biker party of this year and that too in true RTMC style. The preparations for being a part of this two day fest commences months before the scheduled event. There’s a lot these diehard bikers have to take care of right from shopping for new riding gear, polishing, servicing and revamping the bikes to applying for leave from work and in some cases, even resigning from work. That’s how serious this event is to the Bullet fraternity. And why wouldn’t it be? Rider Mania is for Bulleteers what Essel World is for 10-year-olds. It’s where hardcore bikers become kids again. You see professionals, youngsters, bachelors, workaholics and even senior citizens unleashing their inner child and doing what they do best – taking it easy and having fun.


Prashant from RTMC presenting a burnout	This year, a host of kids were also seen running around showing signs of being promising bikers	Roadshakers bagged the first place for the ‘Overall Trophy

At the 2009 fest, the only role I had to play was that of a hardcore Bulleteer. And given the circumstances of the event, it was hardly a task. With great music, food, location, chilled beer at throwaway rates, old buddies, new friends, eye-candy Bullets, more beer, mindless chatter about motorcycles, riding experiences, biker events and competition parties throughout the fest; it is quite normal for anyone to act like a complete maniac. The highlight of the event was the spectacular group ride where a pack of 660 Bullets rode in a two-by-two formation through the hilly and twisted roads of Ooty. The entire small town was bedazzled, first with the sound of thumping motors and then, at the sight of these torquey machines themselves. Adding more delight to the ongoing festivities were the host of individual and team events such as riding on the figure of 8, slow race, arm wrestling, ‘The Pusher Man’ (won by team RTMC) and ‘Pump it up’ (won by Roadshakers). Mad Bulls from Chennai who rode in a pack of more than a 100 bikers bagged the special trophy for making a spectacular club entry. In the race for ‘Overall Trophy of the Event’, it was Roadshakers, Pune who claimed the first place followed by Inddiethumpers, Mumbai.

Apart from the regular Bullet clubs in the country who were present, this year interestingly saw a host of new Bullet brotherhoods coming to light even from far off places like Latur, Kolkata, Chandigargh and Shillong. The country’s largest biker fest attracted a few international guests as well. In its first edition, the event which attracted just 150 riders has escalated to over 660 riders this year with many more gatecrashers. This in itself is a testimony to prove just how popular Rider Mania and biking brotherhood have become in this country. I need to take a moment here and thank RTMC for the painstaking effort they put in to host such a brilliant Rider Mania 2009 and more so for executing it perfectly.

There is something remarkable about us Bulleteers. How else can one explain over 660 riders from 42 cities across the country taking time out of their respective busy lives and quotidian activities to be present at a single designated time and venue? The commitment they showed by just making it to Rider Mania speaks volumes about the strong bond between Bulleteers. It’s amazing to witness the intense passion and respect which these riders have towards their steeds as well as fellow bikers. They come together for two days and act as if they have known each other for ages. A smile, a hug and a Bullet is all it takes for them to bond forever.


Mad Bulls Chennai came in a count of more than 100 Bullets	Abbhas from Inddiethumpers poses for the camera	Big hugs to all the sponsors who made this event possible