Shows & Events

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.