DSK Hyosung has established a biker club for their customers named Hy Ryders.

The first official event of this club was held for Hyosung customers in Pune and Mumbai on a Sunday morning in December. About thirty bikers from each city assembled at the Hyosung dealership in their vicinity and rode down together to Durshet village near Khopoli, located on the Pune-Mumbai route.

The convoy consisted of Hyosung sportbikes like the GT650R, GT250R, GT250N and the ST7 cruiser. The two groups started from their respective cities at 7:30 am and met at a resort in Durshet where DSK Hyosung had organised group activities for the participants. The riders from Pune competed against their counterparts from Mumbai in artificial rock climbing and the best six contestants then locked horns in another competition.

DSK Hyosung has ambitious plans under the Hy Ryders banner and will soon conduct single and multiple day events for their customers in other parts of the country. The company is also rapidly expanding their dealership network in India and plan to add 10 more dealerships to the existing 20 by March next year. Along with the that, there are a few new launches on the cards. Check out the January issue of Bike India for the full story.

Since its launch, the KTM Duke 200 has ushered in quite a revolution in the performance bike scene in the country.

Hence, it comes as no big surprise that in the recently concluded ‘Indian Motorcycle Of The Year’ (IMOTY) award, the Duke was the clear winner right from the start for many of the jurors. The orange pocket rocket from the Austrian motorcycle marque’s stable is undoubtedly one the most exciting motorcycles in the country till date. In a gala event held at Mumbai, Dr. Raghupati Singhania, MD, JK Tyre & Industries Limited handed over the IMOTY trophy to Mr. Amit Nandi, VP Bajaj Auto ltd on behalf of the esteemed jury of ICOTY & IMOTY 2013.

Mr. Aspi Bathena, Editor, Bike India magazine was also a part of the core committee which consisted of some of the most respected automotive journalists of the country. The IMOTY award is the most credible and coveted award in the automotive calendar – few might put it as the ‘Oscar’ of Indian automotive awards. The award is aimed at recognizing focused, consistent, and rigorous efforts made by auto manufacturers, with the highest levels of performance in the areas of design excellence, innovation and R&D, and the awards have been gaining prominence with each passing year.

As part of the 110th anniversary celebrations worldwide Harley Davidson India will hold their first -ever national HOG rally in Goa.

January 31 – February 1, 2013 will bring hundreds of customers along with their families from all over the country to one of the world’s premiere holiday locations to celebrate their association with the iconic motorcycle brand. The 110^th Anniversary is not a mere singular event, it’s an epic celebration of freedom that unites each and every Harley-Davidson owner around the world and builds on the strength of the Harley community. The events will connect millions of Harley-Davidson fans across the globe, united by a common bond and shared passion for freedom and the HD spirit.

Speaking to the media, Anoop Prakash, MD, Harley-Davidson India stated,“We are excited to offer our customers some great events next year, especially our first ever National H.O.G Rally in Goa as we celebrate 110 years of freedom at Harley-Davidson. We end 2012 with more than 2000 Harleys on the roads of India and an expanded presence across the country through new dealerships such as Bengal Harley-Davidson in Kolkata, Coromandel Harley-Davidson in Chennai and Spice Coast Harley-Davidson in Kochi. Most importantly, Harley-Davidson India would like to thank our customers, enthusiasts, and dealers for building the motorcycle community and for a year of great rides.”

Harley-Davidson India have also announced their sponsorship of India Bike Week event which will be the country’s first annual premier bikers’ festival open to all owners, clubs and enthusiasts. The India Bike Week will also take place in Goa on February 2-3, 2013.

The famed and prestigious Ducati Riding Experience is set to take place in the US of A next month.

The Italian marque are all set to offer bike enthusiasts a chance of a lifetime to be a part of the DRE (Ducati Riding Experience). Ten years after its introduction, the DRE is again preparing its motorcycles and riding school staff to teach riders of all levels in the US, from absolute beginners to experienced race track specialists.

Chief DRE Instructor, Dario Marchetti is all set with his team of teachers which include the likes of the legendary Troy Bayliss (three-times World Superbike Champion), Marco Lucchinelli (500 World Champion), Manuel Poggiali (125 and 250 World Champion), Niccolò Canepa (2013 FIM Superstock Championship competitor), Paolo Casoli (World Supersport Champion) and Andrew Pitt (two-times World Supersport Champion).

The 2013 DRE: USA is based on ensuring constant development and control of teaching protocols along with standards of excellence to all the participants who enroll at the 2013: DRE. Course participants will be provided a Ducati motorcycle, instructor, lunch and a welcome kit and riding gear also. For further DRE 2013 information enthusiast can go on the www.Ducati.com and can send enquiry mails on dre@ducati.com.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) participated in the 32nd India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 14-27 November 2012 in association with the Delhi Traffic Police at their pavilion.

Activities for young children included role plays and interactive games for a “fun way” of learning. There were also Special Painting Competitions for over a 1,000 children from the age group of 5-8 years with gifts for the winners.

Honda arranged a practical riding experience for 9-12 year old children in a protected road environment designed specially for the purpose. The company trained 1,100 children on its CRF 50 model to help them understand why safe riding is important. Parents were advised to not allow children access to vehicles before they are at the correct legal age to ride or drive. The families were also presented ‘safe family’ framed photographs.

For riders aged 16 years and above, riding trainers (who are also present at all HMSI dealerships) helped them to experience more than 100 possible road dangers.

Over 2,000 visitors got to participate in this virtual experience, and more than 50,000 visitors to the Trade Fair gave an overwhelming response to Honda’s initiative of spreading road safety awareness and knowledge.

Not many off you might be aware about Valentino Rossi’s prowess on four-wheels, but the fact is that The Doctor has always been as good with cars as he is with bikes.

At this year’s ‘Monza Rally Show’ which took place over the weekend and, Rossi came home victorious after taking part in this star studded event.

Driving a tricked out WRC-spec Ford Fiesta, Vale blazed his way past the likes of three-times LeMans winner Dindo Capello, two times Italian rally champion Piero Longhi and MotoGP stars like World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso.

Second place went to Dindo Capello who was just 2.8s behind after nine stages in a Citroen DS3 WRC. Capello had already won the Monza event four times before. In third place was Piero Longhi. Andrea Dovizioso, who is apparently replacing Rossi at Ducati next year, came home fifth in another Citroen DS3 while current MotoGP champ Jorge Lorenzo finished tenth.

Rossi also won the ‘Master Show’ event on Sunday afternoon at the Monza event, where he went head-to-head in a series of heats on the tracks main straight. The Italian got the better of Dovizioso in the semi finals and Capello in the final to cap off a phenomenal race weekend at Monza.

picture courtesy: motogp.com

Speculations have been rife for some time that the biannual Auto Expo would be shifted out of New Delhi, especially in the wake of the chaotic Auto Expo 2012.

The organisers have now confirmed that the Expo will now move to Greater Noida from 2014 onwards, which incidentally coincides with the 25th anniversary of the event. For many years, the Auto Expo has been synonymous with Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Over the past few years, though, there has been mounting criticism of the mismanagement and chaos at every event, and often it was suggested that the Expo be moved to a new venue.

In 2014, the Auto Expo will be held at the Greater Noida Exposition Mart. The event has also been moved to February from January, so that it does not clash with other international automotive shows. This will also allow some leeway to automotive publications that typically conduct their award ceremonies in January every year.

The venue and month are not the only changes though – the name now changes to ‘Auto Expo – the Motor Show 2014′. In the 2014 edition, there will be a separate event for automobile manufacturers at the Greater Noida Exposition Mart, and the components’ exhibition might move to the Buddh International Circuit. Pragati Maidan offers a built-up area of 53,580 sq m, whereas the Greater Noida Exposition Mart currently has 27,648 sq m, with an additional 25,000 sq m to be ready by 2014 with space for additional hangars. The number of visitors to the Expo though has been on the decline – the 2010 edition attracted 1.8 million visitors, which crashed to just 700,000 in 2012, and experts fear that shifting the venue outside Delhi could cause a further dip in attendance figures.

KTM recently released a glimpse of the new 1290 Super Duke R, a bike that the company refers to as a “Beast” on its blog.

The official release and pictures coming in from the just-concluded EICMA show highlight the loud design theme of the new naked, including orange graphics, two-toned alloy wheels, a “hooligan cam” mounted just above the tail, and a custom Akrapovic exhaust pipe. These indicate that the prototype is likely to be a trade-show special, and a production version with a slightly toned-down design theme could follow soon.

Mechanically, the bike is expected to include a new chassis, ride-by-wire throttle control, WP suspension, and a 182PS 1,290cc V-twin engine that could be a bored-out version of the motor from the KTM 1190 RC8 R.

Who doesn’t want to be lucky in life? We all do. Well, for a certain Mr. Vishal Nagpal of Ferozpur, Punjab, winner of the ‘Unlock the Ducati’ promotion launched by Shell Advance, lady luck has certainly smiled on him.

At the scenic town of Lavasa, Shell Advance recently brought the hunt for the ‘Unlock a Ducati’ promotional campaign to a conclusion, where Mr. Nagpal was given the keys to a spanking new Ducati Monster 795 by actor Rannvijay Singh, Mr Nitin Prasad, Country Head, Shell and Vikas Khokar winner of MTV roadies season 9. Rannvijay, who’s also a hardcore biking enthusiast, rode the Ducati Monster on the twisty roads around Lavasa Lavasa city.

An elated Mr Vishal Nagpal said, “This is a special moment for me. It’s like a dream come true to own the Ducati Monster – truly one of the greatest superbikes in the world. I thank Shell Advance for making me the proud owner of this mean machine.”

Mr Prasad commented “Shell is proud to continue bringing innovative promotions to the Indian market. The Shell Advance Unlock a Ducati campaign was a one in a kind promotion that offered one lucky Shell Advance consumer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a new Ducati bike.” Well, we think lady luck favors only those, who favor themselves.

V-Strom concept headlines Cologne Show launch.

Japanese two-wheeler giant Suzuki is putting up quite a show for biking enthusiasts in the International Motorcycle Show (Intermot) this year, with as many as five model announcements to talk about. The centre-stage, however, was grabbed by the V-Storm Concept, Suzuki’s new 1000-cc adventure concept. Other bikes that were unveiled at the show were- Intruder C1500T, Burgman 650, the famous Hayabusa GSX 1300R now with ABS, and one millionth GSX-R 1000 special edition model.
Suzuki has always given bike enthusiasts just what they need from their bike and what special do they offer with these new showcases, let’s take a look.

Inspired by the legendary DR Big Dakar racer, Suzuki claims that the V-Strom 1000 Concept will be their most advanced adventure style machine ever. Powered with a 1000-cc liquid cooled, V-twin engine, this go-getter machine with its aluminum frame promises agility on all kinds of terrains. It comes with traction control and integrated luggage as a standard feature. The V-Strom 1000 will be part of Suzuki’s 2014 line-up.

Talk of meaty cruisers and you can’t but miss the Suzuki Intruder. Promising power-packed mile munching, and practicality hand-in hand, the Intruder displayed came with new styling (black detailing carried throughout the length of the bike), and integrated luggage and windshield as a standard feature.

The Burgman 650 takes the concept of convenience of a scooter a bit towards the ‘luxury’ side. Celebrating their 10^th anniversary this year, Suzuki shares the joy with their customers as they offer an even more fuel efficient Burgman 650, using the new ‘Eco Drive Indicator’. Features like light-weight ABS, a powered height adjustable screen electrically tractable mirrors, even heated grips and rider and passenger seats.

The legendary Hayabusa GSX 1300R just gets Brembo monoshock calipers and lightweight ABS as a standard feature. The one millionth special edition of GSX-R comes with special paint scheme and Brembo monoshock calipers. The Intruder C1500T, Burgman 650, Hayabusa GSX 1300R ABS, and GSX-R special edition will be a part of the company’s 2013 line-up. But how many of these would come to India? No word on that yet.