Latest Bike News

Patriotic Expedition

March 29, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

TVS sets out to prove its bikes are tough and durable, much like the Indian Army

The Hosur-based company has partnered up with the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai to motivate the Indian youth to join the Indian Army. TVS had chosen their commuter bike, the Star City, for this motorcycle expedition. The route planned took the Indian army soldiers from Chennai to Pondycherry to Trichy to Rameshwaram to Trivandrum (via Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari) to Cochin to Ezhimala (Kannur) to Mysore to Bangalore and finally to Chennai.

Over all these years, the alumni of OTA, Chennai have been active in the battlefield and have bagged a number of Gallantry awards which include one Param Veer Chakra, 5 Ashok Chakra, nine Mahaveer Chakra, 51 Veer Chakra, 7 Kirti Chakra, 31 Shaurya Chakra and 241 Sena Medal. As part of their grand Golden Jubilee celebrations, OTA had planned a Motor Cycle Expedition from 19 Mar to 31 Mar 2012 through the Southern corridor of India covering states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka covering a distance of 2200 Km in 11 days. The riders comprised of two Officers, six Gentlemen and two Lady Cadets from the academy.

TVS had been chosen to be associated with Golden Jubilee Motorcycle Expedition as its brand reflects comparable attributes of endurance, reliability, toughness and ruggedness just like the soldiers who rode these motorcycles.

The Tiger is finally awake

March 28, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Triumph has been incubating and hatching the 1200 Tiger Explorer since July 2006v but has now finally added it to its Adventure range.

They had to design and build a brand new engine as well as a brand new bike. The Explorer’s 1215cc three-cylinder motor shares no parts and no dimensions with any other engine in the current Triumph range. Three cylinders run 85×71.4mm bore and stroke dimensions and a full ride-by-wire Keihin fuel injection system takes care of a number of important aspects such as cruise control, traction control and capping the top speed to 220kmh. Triumph claim a peak figure of 137PS and – the most crucial part – a peak torque figure of 121Nm delivered at 6,400rpm. The 1200 Explorer comes, as standard, with traction control, ABS, cruise control and heated grips.

Suspension front and rear is courtesy of Kayaba. A 46mm inverted fork and a monoshock unit with progressive rising rate linkage at the back offer 190mm of wheel travel and 194mm respectively. The new Tiger comes with adjustable rider seat height, handlebar position and screen in line with a 20-litre fuel tank. One of the interesting points to take note off is that the 1200 Tiger has a 16000km service interval. Just a feather in its cap to prove it can stand tall for a long time.

Vespa is Back

March 26, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Italian scooter giant to make their official entry next month

Vespa, the whooly-owned subsidiary of Piaggio & Co. S.p.A., is back in India and this time they are flying solo. The Italian company, as much a global fashion trendsetter as it is a scooter manufacturer, is no stranger to the Indian two-wheeler market, having had a highly successful joint venture with LML from 1984 until its abrupt end in 1989.

Piaggio Group President, Mr. Matteo Colaninno, will be commercially launching Vespa in its new avatar in Mumbai on 26^th April, 2012. This will be followed by the plant inauguration at Baramati, on the outskirts of Pune. We reckon their first offering will be the trendy LX 125 scooter displayed at the Auto Expo this year, aimed at young and fashion conscious college-goers. All we can say is, welcome back, Vespa.

Mahindra Racing win their first ever race!

March 26, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

The Indian outfit made their Italian championship debut with a win

Mahindra Racing made their Italian motorcycle road racing championship debut at the Mugello circuit

by winning the first race in the 125 GP class. The team’s Italian rider Riccardo Moretti secured pole

position on Saturday with a lap-time of 2:01.413, giving the team a positive start. Meanwhile, his team-

mate, India’s Sarath Kumar qualified 22nd on the combined grid of the 125GP and Moto3 classes.

In the race, Moretti was in the lead from start and built a gap of over 16 seconds by the end to cross the

finish-line first. Kumar, on the other hand, managed to move up one place by the ninth lap but had to

retire from the race on the next due to a mechanical failure in his bike.

Next round of the championship will be held between April 6-8 at the Imola circuit.

Mahindra Racing win their first ever race

March 26, 2012 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

The Indian outfit made their Italian championship debut with a win

Mahindra Racing made their Italian motorcycle road racing championship debut at the Mugello circuit by winning the first race in the 125 GP class. The team’s Italian rider Riccardo Moretti secured pole position on Saturday with a lap-time of 2:01.413, giving the team a positive start. Meanwhile, his team-mate, India’s Sarath Kumar qualified 22nd on the combined grid of the 125GP and Moto3 classes.

In the race, Moretti was in the lead from start and built a gap of over 16 seconds by the end to cross the finish-line first. Kumar, on the other hand, managed to move up one place by the ninth lap but had to retire from the race on the next due to a mechanical failure in his bike.

Next round of the championship will be held between April 6-8 at the Imola circuit.