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New Bike First Impression

RTR’s ONE PACK ABS

June 22, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

TVS are all set to launch the RTR 180 with ABS. Is the new safety feature good enough? Adhish Alawani tries to find it out on a track especially devised to test brakes
Photography: Adhish Alawani

TVS are all set to launch the RTR 180 with ABS. Is the new safety feature good enough? Adhish Alawani tries to find it out on a track especially devised to test brakes
Photography: Adhish Alawani

TVS had an RTR parked at their stall during the 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi carrying a small sticker reading ‘ABS’ on the fender. It has been over a year since then and the curiosity to check out this new feature on the RTR had almost evaporated into thin air.

However, much to my surprise, the test turned out to be one of the most exciting ones. TVS invited  journalists to a track at Oragadam, near Chennai in Tamil Nadu, that has specially been set up to test brakes. The facility has a long straight having a variety of surfaces such as regular asphalt, blue basalt and ceramic tiles. Once bathed, these surfaces simulate real world road conditions like spilt oil, first rain etc. with a wide range of traction, the frictional co-efficient varying from 0.8 mu to almost 0 mu. The task for the day was to experience braking with ABS as well as without ABS and judge if TVS had got the technology and gadgets right.

To start with, the demonstrators from TVS rode two bikes – one without ABS and the other equipped with the unit – on various wet surfaces. The RTR without ABS had an out-rigger with four support wheels to keep the bike upright whenever it lost traction. Without doubt, the wheels of the one without ABS were bound to lock up and skid and so they did. However, the RTR equipped with the ABS unit showed immense road hold even when a fistful of brake was applied.


To test it myself, I hopped on to the bike with the out-rigger and went out on the various wet surfaces. First, with the ABS off, I slammed the brakes and experienced one of the most fearful things ever on two wheels – the front wheel got locked, the front end went down and there was no chance of recovery. This was on the regular wet tarmac. On the blue basalt it was bad and even worse on the ceramic. After getting a feel of what happens without ABS, I switched on the unit and went in again. To my extreme disbelief, the bike was amazingly composed and stable even with the brakes slammed. I even tried braking at the end of the wet patch and carrying the brakes on to the dry patch. What I found out then was that the wheels, of course, didn’t lock up on the wet. However, when they hit the dry patch, the ABS was still working, but now it knew that the bike was on dry patch and it immediately improved the braking and reduced the stopping distance. Mightily impressed by the ABS unit, I returned to the resting area admiring one of the best upgrades on an Indian bike I had seen.

Talking technically of the ABS unit, TVS have developed it along with Continental. During the development, the company says, there were various challenges that had to be dealt with, especially considering Indian road conditions. These included slow speed control, more braking per kilometre, people stuck with the mentality of using only the rear brake and wide variations in road surface etc.
Another issue was that the RTR is essentially a lightweight machine and hence placing the extra three to four kilograms perfectly on the bike was a tough job. The ABS system comprises the HECU (hydraulic and electronic control unit) that has digital valves, low-pressure accumulator and a pump. The HECU has independent control over the front as well as the rear brake. There are speed sensors mounted on each wheel that send signals to the HECU if the wheels are locking up and then the HECU guides internal valves accordingly. The system also has a manual switch near the instrumentation console with which you can switch off the ABS unit. Though it is a highly effective feature, it cannot be denied that it’s electronics and chances of a failure, though very remote, cannot be ruled out altogether. In such circumstances, a light will come on in the instrumentation console telling us that there is no ABS support available but that the conventional brakes are working.

TVS say that the ABS system was developed and tested initially at the IDIADA testing facility in Spain under all possible road conditions before fine-tuning it for the Indian environment. Also, the company has stated that when the ABS system was tried on professional racers’ bikes at the Madras Motorsports Club racetrack, they were able to cut down their lap times by over one full second, which showed that not only was the ABS effective in day-to-day use for the average rider, but also boosted the performance riding of the skilled ones.

As for the features of the ABS system, it comes with RLP (rear wheel lift-off protection), which avoids stoppies. Of course, those who are willing to have fun stunting on the bike will always have the option of turning off the ABS system and doing what they want to do.

The RTR180 equipped with ABS will appear in the market in March and will come with a premium of Rs 10,000 (approximately). An upgrade definitely worth the extra money!

 

 

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

The Urban 1 – Yamaha FZ1

June 14, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Yamaha have brought their street weapon to the showrooms in our country. We find out how this new entrant fits in the Indian scene

Story: Adhish Alawani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Yamaha have brought their street weapon to the showrooms in our country. We find out how this new entrant fits in the Indian scene

Story: Adhish Alawani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

The motorcycle market in India is expanding at an unimaginable rate and the big bikes have been contributing their mite to this expansion. Though not through sales figures, the variety of motorcycles available in the market has gone up considerably: from supersports to hypertourers and entry-level cruisers to muscle bikes. However, the most suitable in all these for India are street bikes. Most of the big bike players in India introduced their urban street machines long time ago and the one who had missed out on a strong contender initially has offered one now. Yes, we are talking about the Yamaha FZ1 – the naked, litre-class urban machine.

Though the bike was introduced late last year, we didn’t get a chance to ride it then. The moment we got our hands on one, however, we didn’t feel like giving it back! I have reviewed as many as five V-twins of late and the feel of getting back on an inline four had to be unique.

To start with, the FZ1 is a beast that makes an impression right from the first glance. The meaty tank and the sharp, angular headlamp sitting at the front make for a masculine façade. The naked part of the bike exposes the huge 998-cc engine beneath the solid twin spar frame. The mighty front tapers drastically towards the short and stout tail. The big, plain black exhaust is the only part that fails to impress on the styling front. The earlier version of the FZ1 used to have a silver tip to the exhaust and without a doubt it looked more striking than the current one. The bike looks gorgeous with its frame and engine painted in matte black, topped with a pearl white tank. Look at the FZ1 from any angle and the one thing that makes itself highly noticeable is the compactness of this machine while not taking away the aggressiveness that certainly makes its presence felt on the streets. The short wheelbase (1,460 mm) and a tall seat (845 mm) take the credit for this compact look.



Essentially, the FZ1 is powered by a 998-cc motor that comes from an older generation R1 that was being sold from 2004 to 2008 before the engineers at Yamaha came up with the crossplane crankshaft. No doubt, the engine has been detuned, but not so much as to give one the feeling of lack of power. Basically, different camshafts have been used in the FZ1 from what were given in the R1 and this has also brought down the rpm at which the peak power is produced. With 150 PS of peak power and an extremely impressive 106 Nm of maximum torque, the FZ1 has a lot to offer. However, leave aside that top end power and look at what the bike offers for typical Indian road conditions. It was nothing short of  mind-boggling to see the kind of response and drive the bike offered from the lowest possible rpm. The FZ1 quite literally pulls from as low as 1,300 rpm in as high as the third and fourth gears to offer perfect rideability in the crowded streets that force one to vary riding speeds all the time. The bottom end of FZ1 is unimaginably strong and that is what makes for its biggest plus point. At the same time, it’s not as violent as its competition. The front stays planted even under abusive opening of the throttle all the way until the red line. It wasn’t feasible to do high speeds during the short period of time the motorcycle was with me, but it still was enough to make me realise that the lack of a quarter fairing or a windscreen will make long highway journeys tiring due to wind blast.

One major update for the FZ1 came in 2006 when its tubular frame was replaced with a twin spar one that offers excellent handling. The riding position is fairly comfortable without taking away the tiny bit of sportiness offered by the slightly low-set handlebar. Though we didn’t get enough time to exploit the handling capabilities of this bike round the corners, whatever we experienced was impressive. The bike is happy to lean and comfortable even while powering out of corners. Though the bike shares its engine with the R1, it’s not as vicious in the higher revs, but instead feels a lot more user-friendly all round the rev range and through the corners.

On a concluding note, I would say that the FZ1 is a very practical machine considering its tremendously strong bottom end. The upright posture is good and easy on the palms. Light clutch lever action makes it an easy bike to ride around the town. The only place where the FZ1 might suffer is on fast highway rides where wind blast might be troublesome for the rider at speed.

All said, the FZ1 comes with a price tag of Rs 10 lakh (OTR, Pune), which is much lighter than that worn by its competing litre-class street bikes. Our take? It came late, but it came strong!

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

Kawasaki Ninja 650R first ride

June 10, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

The long wait is finally over. Though the big bikes arrived in the country long time back, the affordable options were still absent. So, what Kawasaki and Bajaj do? They brought in the Ninja 650R – a pure sports tourer machine with a tag of Rs 4.57 lakh (Ex-Delhi).

The long wait is finally over. Though the big bikes arrived in the country long time back, the affordable options were still absent. So, what Kawasaki and Bajaj do? They brought in the Ninja 650R – a pure sports tourer machine with a tag of Rs 4.57 lakh (Ex-Delhi).Now that is what we call as the smartest move one could have made in a market like ours. Here’re the first ride impressions of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R that has blown us off with its potential and price!

To start with, the bike looks stunning in green and black combo. It’s typically Kawasaki. The offset monoshock and underslung exhaust are unique design features that will distinguish this bike from anything else on the road. Single seat looks old school but serves the purpose when riding with a pillion – comfort at its best!

The Ninja is powered with a 649cc motor that pumps out 72 PS of peak power and 66 Nm of peak torque. These figures translate to superb 0-100km/h acceleration run – just 4.56 seconds. The maximum speed we could read on the speedometer before running out of road was 198km/h (true 191.8km.h), which sounds more than sufficient for the Indian highways. The bike can cruise easily at 120km/h with the engine spinning comfortably at just 5500 rpm. Adding more to the highway and touring abilities is the full fairing and wide windscreen at the front. With no windblast troubling you whatsoever, this bike is a serious touring machine.

Put the bike around corners and the handling of the Ninja will continue to impress you. Though the softer suspension doesn’t give a solid feel when leaned over, it doesn’t make the bike nervous in any case. The monoshock is seven-step adjustable for preload giving you an option for a slightly stiffer ride too. Also, with the monoshock connected directly to the swingarm without any linkages, there is hardly any flex.
If that is the story on highways and twisties, the Ninja 650R scores maximum points when it comes to city rideability and practicality. Strong bottom and mid range make sure that the bike can be ridden around crowded streets effortlessly in higher gears without any hint of knocking. Thus, not only is this sports tourer a fantastic bike on highways and outskirts of a city but on the urban scenario too. It’s a perfect package with best of all the worlds and then at a price that is super competitive.

Our say? The Ninja 650R is the perfect machine priced so appropriately that there is hardly anything that can challenge this bike. The competition definitely needs to pull up their socks if they have to survive in a market where Kawasaki is rolling in the good times!

Words: Adhish Alawani

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

The Invincible

June 9, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Ducati’s Multistrada is supposed to be an all-rounder. Adhish Alawani swings his leg over one to find out how

 

Photography: Sanjay Raikar


Ducati’s Multistrada is supposed to be an all-rounder. Adhish Alawani swings his leg over one to find out how

Google translate tells me that Multistrada in Italian means Multipath in English. While christening a bike Multistrada, Ducati must have thought a zillion times as to how the end consumer will perceive it. For a brand that is typically a sportsbike and a street performance oriented one, bringing out a machine that is supposed to be strong enough to attack multiple paths or surfaces is a challenge in itself. But that is something Ducati must have worried about a few years ago when they introduced the Multistrada for the first time. Over the years, they have gone on to improve the bike every now and then, and today, what we see as the current edition of Multistrada is sheer excellence of mechanical and electronic engineering put together.

At a first glance, this Ducati looks a little weird; difficult to suit my taste of styling. I love the way Ducati styles their bikes otherwise. In fact, why me, the whole world loves them. The 916 revolutionized motorcycle designing. And of course, we love the new age 1198 or the Monster or the Streetfighter. But the Multistrada is something whose styling has not been talked about much; and there are reasons for that. Being a dual-purpose machine, it definitely is tall with long suspension travel, raised handlebar and high seat – which is all perfectly fine. But look at the front end and the beak coming out from under the cross-eyed headlamps. It’s ugly. And weird. At the rear, is a sharp tail topped with grab-rails that double up as a base platform for your luggage. The twin slim exhaust pipes on the right hand side look a little small for the size of this bike. Actually, the Multistrada, as a whole, isn’t a bad looking bike. It’s good, but does not live up to the standards of art that Ducati has otherwise set and that’s mostly just because of that front end which reminds me vaguely of Uncle Scrooge from Duck Tales.

Getting on to the bike is a tough task for any one who is less than say 5’ 7”. At 850mm seat height, it’s fairly alright but the broad seat makes it tough for a short rider to reach the ground with both feet. However, for shorter people, there is an optional 25mm lower seat accessory. The posture is upright with raised handlebar and front footpegs. Knees tuck in fairly well behind the side panels. The seat is comfortable and the rear step seat provides an excellent support to the rider’s waist. Not being used to riding enduro or dual-purpose bikes much, It took me a little while to get used to the motorcycle’s overall tall character. But once on the road, instead of worrying about the tall, upright riding posture, I was enjoying hundreds of other things that grabbed my attention and how!

The Multistrada 1200 is powered with an 1198cc 90-degree v-twin engine borrowed from the 1198 superbike. The difference is that this one is detuned to 150PS from 170PS of the 1198 – now that’s not much of detuning and for a dual-purpose bike, it’s a lot of power too. With 150 horses available for unleashing at the twist of the right wrist, the Multistrada was getting to be a lot more fun than expected. Manoeuvrability through the city traffic was easy but the v-twin was irritating a bit with its jerky response every time the throttle was opened or shut. I knew about the electronics that govern this motorcycle and decided to play with them a bit to see if this issue can be addressed. Going through the big, white backlit digital instrumentation console, which displays a lot of data, I reached out to the ride mode setting. Toggling through the modes, I shifted from Sport to Urban and experienced something that I hadn’t imagined. I had read a lot about the greatness of the electronics on the Multistrada but experiencing is believing and it was really very hard to digest the kind of change these electronics had brought about. The throttle response got retarded and power came gradually enough to give a very smooth ride in the city traffic. The sudden engine braking on throttle roll-off disappeared.


The Multistrada had become way more sane and manageable now. So how does this work? Basically, the Multistrada has four riding modes – Sport, Touring, Urban, and Enduro. The ride-by-wire engine management offers four different mappings for these four different modes. The throttle response is quickest in the Sport setting and goes on decreasing gradually in the consecutive modes. To make it even more complicated, the maps vary the throttle response all the way through the rev range and also with the gear selection and engine load. The peak power output in Sport and Touring is the same at 150PS but it has been slashed down to as low as 100PS for Urban and Enduro modes. And it doesn’t end there. The Multistrada comes with DTC (Ducati Traction Control). Of course, there is an option to switch the DTC on or off. But the real fun is in the way the DTC synchronizes itself with the modes that we discussed earlier. For the first three modes, the DTC works on the same setting. However, in Enduro mode, the DTC modifies itself in a way so as to allow you the slides in the dirt to some extent without completely switching itself off. It’s like an optimum balance between letting you slide the bike without the electronics losing control over the bike. Impressive to the nth degree. 

Talking of DTC, it was another big thing that took me by surprise. With DTC switched on and the bike in Sport mode (to ensure full power and throttle response), I started attempting wheelies. In a normal course, a bike with 150PS of power and 118Nm of torque would pop power wheelies effortlessly. But with DTC on, one might as well forget about it. In fact, one should not even think of the clutch wheelies for that matter. As soon as the DTC senses the front wheel popping up in the air, it cuts off the power just enough to keep the bike planted on the ground. The DTC also senses rear wheelspins and manages power delivery to the rear wheel accordingly so as to make sure that you don’t lose traction. Switch off the DTC and you have all the access to the stunts you intend to do.

Moving away from the electronics of this bike, there are various other things that enthralled me in every possible way. The Multistrada is very impressive when it comes to handling. Personally being more of a sport bike rider, I took some time getting used to the way this bike behaves at corners but once in sync, the Multi delighted me even when leaned over. The frame design combines steel tubes that are typically seen on Ducatis with a central section of die-cast aluminium, plus a rear sub-frame whose steel tubes are reinforced by a techno-polymer section that contributes to its strength. The suspension comprises 50mm USD Marzocchips up front and a multi-adjustable Sachs rear shock with a remote preload knob. The higher version of Multistrada, that is the 1200S, replaces these with Ohlins, which are completely electronically adjustable suspensions giving you an additional option of raising or decreasing the ride height as suited for the road and ride conditions. The Multistrada comes equipped with Pirelli Scorpion Trail tyres that have been developed specially for this bike and are suitable for road as well as dirt. However, they aren’t good enough for hardcore off-roading.

On the highway, the bike munches miles so quickly that it becomes a little tough for the rider to cope up with it. The credit for this goes to two aspects – the extremely powerful motor that can do 200kmph at 7,000rpm in the top gear (so cruising at 140–150kmph is just too easy on the engine) and riding comfort that doesn’t make you feel uneasy even at that speed for hundreds of kilometers. The front windscreen is adjustable for height and manages to keep away the windblast from the rider’s chest to a great extent. Off the road, the bike is brilliant too, with 170mm suspension travel and traction control that allows you slides but keeps the bike well under control. The 189 kilos of dry weight is on the lighter side on tarmac but is slightly heavier for Enduro riding. Maybe, that’s also because I am personally not used to doing a lot of off-roading.

All said and done, what was the impression at the end of the day? I must say that there are innumerable amazing motorcycles in the market today, which will impress every one in many possible ways. However, I have to admit that the Multistrada manages to amaze me in a very unique way. This Ducati has achieved a versatile state where it can deliver you the sportiness, touring abilities, off-road fun and most importantly an all-round usability with hardly anything to complain about. Multistrada is here to cater to your every need. That also makes me wonder whether motorcycles will be the same tomorrow as they are today. This motorcycle is a very good example of what we are going to see in the future from production bikes. Ducati has started it. No doubt, the future is already here!

Captions:

1 The two knobs on either side of the windscreen let you adjust the screen for your convenience

 2 The design of the Multistrada is something that doesn’t live up to the standards the Ducati has already set

 3 The rubber tops on the pegs are removable. That leaves the pegs with metal spikes to give better hold when you wear off-road boots

 4 The high tech key with a proximity sensor doesn’t need to be inserted anywhere except for refuelling. The bike starts with ignition button only when the key is around

 5 The easily accessible knob for rear suspension lets you adjust the shocks to suit the riding conditions

 6 Apart from the basic info like speed, rpm, odometer, tripmeter and engine temperature, the digital console displays a lot more like average speed, fuel consumption (instantaneous and trip), ride time, air temperature etc. You can also toggle through different riding settings and traction control from the menu of the console

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

Honda CBR 250R in India

April 23, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

CBR250R finally rides the Indian roads

The CBR250R had started creating ripples in the Indian bikers’ minds since it made its debut in Thailand last year in October. The curiosity of the enthusiasts was reaching a new height every day as there were new updates coming up every now and then. The official launch in India got delayed with the tragic tsunami in Japan. Production in the country also got delayed with certain parts not coming in due to the natural calamity. But as things started coping up, the first lot of preproduction bikes rolled out of the plant, got loaded in a truck and came straight to Mumbai where BIKE India’s Adhish Alawani reached to take the delivery of the long term testing motorcycle that Honda willingly handed over to him. With a few hundred kilometers planned, it was time to experience this most awaited machine from the Japanese stable on the Indian roads. Read further to get Adhish’s first impressions on the CBR250R as he rides it from Mumbai to Kashid and then back home to Pune.



Getting out of Mumbai, starting from the over crowded streets of Andheri, was a task in itself. But the CBR250R started making its point clear right then. With amazing midrange, this bike is a dream to ride around the traffic. Ample torque all through the revs made the ride through the traffic easy, as pulling away from fellow bikes and overtaking cars in tight spots looks so much like a child’s play. With over 30 kilometers clocked in the city, it was time to challenge the highways and the CBR250R continued to make me smile inside the helmet. The 25 PS power starts showing its goodness as 100 km/h comes up in 3rd gear itself if pulled all the way to red line in each cog. As I got a straight, open stretch, the bike succeeded in clocking 146 km/h in fifth gear with a few revs still on offer to be exploited. On a long straight, the better side of 150 km/h is more than just achievable.

The twisties came next as we advanced closer to Kashid. The amazing pro-link setup impressed me in the corners as I dared to lean the CBR around the bends, trusting the 140mm section rear rubber to its fullest. Giving gas at the apex and coming out of a corner strong enough to build adequate speed before the next corner is an awesome feeling and CBR delivered it flawlessly. The ride went on for the next few kilometers to Kashid and continued the next day on my way back to Pune. With 350 km already on clock within 30 hours of getting the bike, I was happy and smiling at the very thought that my own CBR250R is on its way. Till then, I am going to enjoy the fun of quarter-litre from our long-term test bike; not to mention the stardom on the streets of Pune too!

Words: Adhish Alawani

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

Revised – Hero Honda Hunk

January 24, 2011 by Bike India Team 3 Comments

Another upgrade for the Hero Honda Hunk
Words: Piyush Sonsale  Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Another upgrade for the Hero Honda Hunk
Words: Piyush Sonsale  Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Hero Honda have further embellished their 150-cc style statement, the Hunk. This motorcycle shares its engine with  the CBZ X-treme, but has an upmarket appeal with a glossy finish and muscular look instead of the CBZ X-treme’s sporty one. The Hunk’s power plant still produces 14.4 PS of power and 12.8 Nm of torque and retains its old chassis. Though a good performer, the Hunk isn’t the most frugal 150-cc bike when it comes to fuel consumption. However, it now comes with the option of a rear disc brake (for an extra Rs 3,326) while tubeless tyres are a default.

The revised Hunk has an all-new console with a digital display  for the odometer, speedometer and time. The console has an orange backlight, which is bright enough during the day and looks brilliant at night. At the centre is a big analogue dial for the tachometer and an analogue fuel gauge is located on the left. The neutral gear indicator is located below the tachometer and the turn signal and headlight beam indicators are placed above the tachometer dial. Not so cool, though, is the chrome finish bordering the circular tachometer dial.

The cosmetic changes includes an LED tail-lamp, a re-designed visor and front mudguard, body-coloured mirrors, a sticker of raging bull on the  huge tank cowl and a new exhaust cover. The Hunk is available in six different colours – silver, grey, two tones of red, black and brown – and carries a price tag of Rs 68,827 (OTR, Pune) without the optional disc brake. Hero Honda have again managed to upgrade their product while keeping the price competitive, but, as usual, the changes remain skin-deep.

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

Wisdom tooth – Yamaha SZ-R

January 24, 2011 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

The SZ-R is a sporty variant of Yamaha’s latest 150-cc utility bike. Better late than never, says Piyush Sonsale
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

The SZ-R is a sporty variant of Yamaha’s latest 150-cc utility bike. Better late than never, says Piyush Sonsale
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Yamaha have finally
launched a new variant in the SZ series with some essential upgrades and an ‘R’ added to the name. The SZ-R is mechanically the same as other SZ variants. However, it has the much-needed single front disc brake, which SZ lacked earlier. The disc brake goes miles in inducing confidence while riding. The bar-end weights, also part of the ‘new’ list in the SZ-R, have increased the stability of the handlebar. The sticker on the SZ-X says, ‘Power and comfort’, while the one on the SZ-R says, ‘Power and sport’. And truly so. Yamaha have given the bike a sporty edge with a new, two-layered tank cowl sporting the Yamaha logo, a tachometer to show the engine revs and side panels. While the front shock-absorber has changed colour, the turn signal indicators have clear plastic instead of orange. The colours on offer are red, black and blue.

When a person wants to buy a bike, s/he is willing to stretch the budget by one or two thousand rupees. The SZ is priced at Rs 55,186, which is Rs 2,286 more than the YBR 125 (prices OTR, Pune). The SZ-X has been priced at Rs 58,506, an increase of Rs 2,306 from the SS 125. The 125’s have better fuel efficiency, but the winner in the performance and looks category is the SZ series. With such close pricing, the products have thin boundaries in terms of the price. The buyer then has three parameters to choose from within the same brand – engine capacity and design or fuel efficiency – and ends up confused.

However, the SZ-R, priced at about Rs 60,000 (OTR, Pune), has a clear appeal. It might steal some of the SZ-X buyers, but at an increase of approximately Rs 2-3,000, you get a sporty bike with a disc brake. It is considerably cheaper than most of the 150-cc bikes and is a joy to ride, though an engine kill switch, present on the YBR’s and the SS, is still missing.

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

Hark,The King Is Born!

December 27, 2010 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Honda fly Adhish Alawani to Thailand and give him a taste of their latest offering in the form of a quarter-litre machine – the CBR250R. Should the competition fear slaughter?
Photography: Rishad Cooper & Honda Press

Honda fly Adhish Alawani to Thailand and give him a taste of their latest offering in the form of a quarter-litre machine – the CBR250R. Should the competition fear slaughter?
Photography: Rishad Cooper & Honda Press

Five years ago, if a motorcycle enthusiast in India went out to buy a motorcycle that would give him all the kicks that he dreamt of, the best he could hope for was probably the Karizma. Then slowly the market started opening up with the grown up Pulsars. In 2008 Yamaha revolutionised the way a motorcycle was conceived in India by introducing the R15. A new era of performance motorcycles was unveiled. The pace at which the performance two-wheeler market was growing quickened and the Kawasaki Ninja 250R made an entry for the niche customers. While all this was happening, there were some engineers, somewhere in Japan, who were scratching their heads and pondering over the idea of making a motorcycle that would kill the competition in one fell blow. Perhaps, that is how the Honda CBR250R was born!

The concept was simple – make a bike with a quarter-litre mill, enough juice to click at least 150 km/h, enough comfort for everyday use and styling to die for. With inputs from the south-east Asian market, the engineers came up with something seen in the images around these pages.

The Honda CBR250R is a stunner to look at. Drawing cues from the VFR1200F, the 250R has a (pseudo) twin fairing, a bulging headlamp, a sharp tail and a meaty tank. However, without a doubt, the CBR looks much better in its smaller form and proportional figure than does its elder sibling, the VFR. The exhaust looks a little bulky, but not so much out of place. The way the lines flow from the headlamp to the tail clearly show the amount of thought that has gone into the styling of the bike. The 250R’s properly gelling fairings are not just good looking, but offer a lot of functional value by providing good aerodynamics. Move on to the finer details of the bike and everything from the front visor, clip-on handlebar, switches, instrumentation console to the grab rails and foot pegs impresses you with its quality, styling and functionality.

If the aesthetics of the bike are the first thing that strike you (and they impress you to the extent of making you fall in love with them), then your expectations of the motorcycle are bound to rise all the more. The CBR250R lives up to them in a splendid manner!



After spending a day just looking at the motorcycle, I finally got a few minutes in the saddle the next day at the Bira Circuit in Pattaya. More excited than ever, I hopped on to the bike and went out for a few laps around the 2.41-km racetrack.

The first thing that one notices as soon as the motor comes to life is the typical single cylinder note along with Honda’s trademark smoothness. After a couple of orientation laps, I got off to a race-like start and the CBR250R responded without the slightest effort. Impressive! The engine revved easily through the low and mid ranges. However, the motor did not rev as briskly as one would expect it to considering its short stroke configuration (76 mm x 55 mm). A little hesitation was perceptible towards the top revs. The red line is at 10,500 rpm and yet the bike did go up to almost 10,800 before hitting the limiter.

Since I didn’t have data logging equipment with me, the top speeds on the speedometer were all that I could note. For the first four gears these were 50 km/h, 85 km/h, 110 km/h and 136 km/h respectively. Going by these and considering a couple of more cogs to choose, there is no doubt that the CBR will give one speeds past 150 km/h. The good part is that reaching those speeds does not take much time either thanks to the 26 PS (approximate peak power output in the Thailand spec motorcycle) and 23 Nm of torque. While the peak power is achieved at 8,500 rpm, the max torque is delivered at 5,500 rpm, according to the company. It was surprising that Honda did not quote these figures in their official press release or in the spec sheet of the motorcycle and talked about approximate figures only.

Considering that there is quite a good amount of power that needs to be transferred to the tarmac, one expects equally good handling and grip. The CBR250R scores well on this front too with good handling from its diamond frame and monoshock prolink rear suspension. However, don’t expect earthshaking stuff, because the motorcycle is not meant for it. The CBR is basically aimed at everyday riding and weekend touring. It is meant to take on the traffic of the bustling metropolises and glide comfortably at 130-140 km/h on the highways. Honda have addressed these needs perfectly well. The suspension is slightly on the softer side to provide the requisite comfort and ease of riding. The footpeg–seat–handlebar geometry is relaxed and easy, neither too aggressive nor too upright. And don’t expect this Honda to demonstrate point-and-shoot precision, for it is not designed for hardcore track purposes. The power is put down to the surface through a 140/70-R17 tyre at the rear and a 110/70-R17 tyre at the front.

The task of slowing down has been entrusted to disc brakes on both the wheels and, for the first time for a bike in this segment, the option of Combined-ABS is available. Seen in bigger machines like the Fireblade and the VFR, the Combined-ABS comes as a part of the bike’s safety features. The ABS unit here is not as advanced as that found on the CBR1000RR. In the event of hard braking, the ABS kicks in and prevents the wheels from locking up. However, the unit is a little jerky and pumps out the brake lever quite a lot. Furthermore, soft suspension at the front results in a tremendous nosedive under hard braking. 

All this brings one to one most crucial question. The power is good and so is the handling. The bike offers great comfort as well. But will it sell in India? The answer is most definitely ‘Yes’. Honda have done the smartest thing. They have made a bike that is more powerful than any other bike manufactured in India at the moment and priced it at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh. Yes, you got that right. The CBR250R will carry a tag of a little less than Rs 1.5 lakh (ex-showroom) for the non-ABS version. As a package at that price, Honda have offered a deal that is too hard to resist. So start saving right away, because this Honda is expected to appear in Indian showrooms by April next year!

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

A Gripping Tale

November 3, 2010 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

BIKE India smokes some fresh rubber at TVS Tyres’ facility in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, and rediscovers interesting facts about the wheel. You can smell a lot of fun already, huh?
Testing: Aspi Bhathena, Words and Photography: Sarmad Kadiri

We have been testing motorcycle abilities most of the time, but this month decided to give it a rubbery twist. How about testing an intrinsic part of the bike’s anatomy that ensures your comfort by always being in touch with the tarmac? Tyres! It is a very vital component, because no matter how great the chassis or suspension setting, it is tyres that can actually make or mar a bike. Yet motorcycle makers do not produce such an important part themselves and depend on tyre manufacturers to acquire the right tyres for their bikes. Keeping all this in mind, my boss Aspi and I hopped on to the first flight to Tamil Nadu and headed straight for some karmic testing at TVS Tyres’ well-equipped facility in Madurai, the temple city.

Just by way of background, TVS Tyres are the largest OEM suppliers with a lion’s share (almost 37 per cent) and also happen to be the largest two-wheeler tyre makers in our country. We wanted to test their newly developed after-market tyres that are about to hit the Indian market. They seemed very excited about the newly developed tyres and we thought, why not put them to the BIKE India acid test? Yes, it’s a bit more vitriolic than normal acid!

In the tight two-day trip, we utilised the first day learning and understanding the technology. We went around the facility and saw rubber take the shape of a tyre. The TVS Tyre team, led by S. Gopalakrishnan, GM (R&D), acquainted us with the entire manufacturing process of two-wheeler tyres and also showed us their latest products and the work they had put in to develop them. A little bird informed us that the 90-year-old firm is also developing radial tyres for bikes and even a dual compound tyre. To elaborate upon that, the dual compound has a soft compound rubber on the side tread for road grip and a harder compound layer on the middle tread, which improves fuel efficiency and life of the tyre. Nice. After the factory tour we emerged a more knowledgeable duo. By the way, did you know that about 72 materials are used in the manufacture of a single tyre? We did, and, of course, now you do. Enough gyaan! Day two was when we got into action.



Next morning we reached TVS Tyres’ test track very early. The track is a few kilometres away from the Madurai plant. Here we got both an exclusive preview and an opportunity to test the new range that is in the pipeline. According to the company, these tyres have been made using different compound combinations and extended polymer to offer a better feel and improved grip. We tested four different types of tyres, namely, the Standard, Sample A, Sample B and Sample C.

We began with the OEM tyres (Standard) that are currently supplied to manufacturers like Honda for the CBF Stunner and to TVS for the Apache RTR 180. Then we swapped the tyres from the newer range. Sample A had a little extended polymer, but had the same compound as Standard. Sample B had the same amount of polymer as Standard, but had softer compound. Lastly, Sample C had extended  polymer and ran on softer compound. We also tested tyres from the competitors to get a fair idea of where TVS Tyres stand.

After hours of testing under the unforgiving Madurai sun we decided to call it a day and shared our conclusion with our friends at TVS Tyres.



Here’s an extract:
There were just two places on the track where we could actually push the tyres. First was the quick right-left-right immediately after the first right-hander, where we got to push the front end. When the tyre grip was good, we could flick the bike and easily change direction. The second was the long right-hander, where we could test the rear tyre. The tyre that emerged as the most promising was Sample C, for it held the line and kept the bike very composed while we did quick manoeuvring.

The Standard tyre, on the other hand, was struggling during the same sharp turns even at lower speeds and the rear tyres lost grip round the tight corners, screaming and protesting. In comparison, Sample C with its strong construction and soft compound inspired confidence and, interestingly, the right-hand turn exit speed also increased by seven km/h! The newly developed Sample C was up there or slightly better than its competitors as it demonstrated a good combination of grip and feel.

Obviously, TVS Tyres, treading the right track, have carved out a fine product that can rock the boat for competition. Now what remains to be seen is when TVS will launch the salvo. Will the competition be caught off-guard or are they already preparing for a counter-attack? Either way, it’s an exciting time for the Indian bike enthusiasts and we’re definitely not complaining!

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

Twin Paradox

October 18, 2010 by Bike India Team Leave a Comment

Roland Brown gets an impression of Yamaha’s 800cc urban brawlers, the FZ8 and the Fazer8
Photography: Alessio Barbanti & Paul Barshon

The ingredients of a top ride are pretty simple, if you ask me: a quick, sweet-handling bike; a twisty and traffic-free road; and preferably some sunshine.

It’s no coincidence that this thought occurs to me as I’m screaming the FZ8 out of yet another smooth bend on a gorgeous Provencal morning, wondering not for the first time if there’s anywhere in the world better for motorcycling than this part of the south of France.
The FZ8 is playing its part, too, which is probably just as well. For if any manufacturer has ever needed a new bike to succeed, it’s probably Yamaha right now. The world’s second biggest bike firm had a horrendous 2009, losing more than US $2.3 billion, which cost its President his job. That seemed a bit unfair given that the firm built some superb bikes and won MotoGP and World Supersport championships plus a first ever Superbike title.
Yamaha’s problem is that all they make apart from motorcycles are other big boys’ toys such as jet-skis and electric pianos, which are equally expendable in a recession. Unlike Honda and Suzuki, they don’t produce many cheap, small bikes, which are still being
bought in some countries. Nor do they make cars, which some people still need. And unlike Kawasaki they don’t build useful ships or trains either.
At least Yamaha have managed to come up with a pair of new models, the naked FZ8 and half-faired Fazer8, which look suited to these impoverished times. The 779cc fours are intended to plug the gap between the entry-level, 600cc XJ6 and Diversion, and the 1000cc FZ1 and Fazer. (The FZ6 is discontinued.) And because some parts are shared with the larger machine, the new bikes were relatively cheap to develop.


Most of the 16-valve engine is new, including the cylinder head and camshafts. The bottom end is based on a 2008-model YZF-R1, including the crankshaft and cases. The clutch has been scaled down with fewer plates, allowing a lighter action. The injection system has intake trumpets of differing lengths — the two inner ones slightly longer than the outers — as Yamaha claims this improves low and midrange delivery (though they couldn’t explain why it’s better than having all four of medium length).
Some chassis parts are borrowed from the FZ1, including the aluminium beam frame and swing-arm. Suspension is relatively simple, with non-adjustable 43mm usd forks, and a shock that’s tunable only for preload. Bodywork — in white, black or blue — is new, although styling has a strong FZ family resemblance, both with the cut-down FZ8 and the Fazer’s taller, half-faired look.
Looking shiny and smart with a hint of menace, the FZ8 seemed an appropriate bike to be launched in Marseille, which has been smartened up from its days as the location of The French Connection but still has bits you wouldn’t want to ride through after dark. A brief spin through the city revealed that the Yamaha would make a good getaway bike. Its upright riding position gave good visibility, it engine pulled cleanly from low revs and it wide bars made it easy to flick through the traffic.
The FZ8 also worked well when I wasn’t in a hurry. It’s reasonably light, and its tank and seat are slightly narrower than the FZ1’s, so average height riders should be able to get both feet on the ground. Footrests are set 10mm lower and 15mm further back, adding some welcome legroom. Pillion passengers won’t be so happy, though, unless you’ve paid extra for the accessory grab-handles.
Like any sporty bike the FZ8 was happier out of town, on the twisty roads in the mountains north of Marseille. Its engine produces a maximum of 105bhp at 10,000rpm, which was enough for some entertainment on those traffic-free roads. Power delivery was midway between grunty big-bike feel and rev-happy middleweight; rather more the latter, with a kick at about 6500rpm.
Below that figure the delivery was crisp but not particularly strong; enough for reasonable acceleration in the lower gears but nothing dramatic. Crack the throttle at about four grand in first, for example, and the Yam accelerated quite briskly, its front wheel only
starting to come up when the revs reached that magical six-and-a-half grand zone.
This meant that when the going got hot through those blind mountain bends, it was vital to work the sweet-shifting six-speed box to exit turns with the revs up, or risk losing several metres to the rider ahead who had. Provided it was ridden right, the Yam accelerated with an addictively smooth feel as its tacho needle nudged the 11,500rpm redline, accompanied by a stirringly gruff bark from the airbox and black-finished four-into-one pipe.
On one straight the FZ8 howled up to an indicated 225km/h on the digital speedo, and was still pulling slightly although its true top speed is around that mark. As with any naked bike the lack of wind protection meant it tried to pull my arms from their sockets in thrilling fashion even before I was going that fast, slightly reducing the chance of trouble with the gendarmes. The drawback is of course that longer distances would become a pain in the neck, though that wasn’t a problem on our twisty route.


Handling was pretty good, with the Yamaha’s agility again proving useful when flicking round the inevitable gaggles of multi-coloured cyclists. The bike was stable at speed, and its suspension was soft enough to give a smooth ride, even on one short stretch of pot-holed road on the otherwise smoothly-surfaced route. Steering was light, thanks to reasonably sporty geometry (25 degrees rake, 109mm trail) plus the leverage provided by the wide and slightly raised bars.
The Yamaha certainly cornered well enough to be fun, but when ridden hard it lacked the tautness of a good sports bike, and unlike the FZ1 it doesn’t give much scope for fine-tuning. When under pressure the Kayaba forks felt slightly soft and vague, especially when braking into a turn. And although the Soqi shock generally worked well, it occasionally felt a bit harsh when the bike was accelerating hard out of bumpier bends.
That front-brake blend of 310mm discs and four-pot calipers was respectably but not outstandingly powerful. (We didn’t get to try the ABS that will be fitted in some markets.) The Bridgestone BT021s had enough grip to get the footrests scraping quite regularly, though I doubt that most riders will find that a problem.
The highlight of a memorable day was following another rider through a series of 150km/h curves on the D3 near Ollières, the bike railing through with the power on while I gripped the raised bars tight with the adrenaline flowing. That section was followed by a couple of long straights on which the Yam sat smoothly at an indicated 170km/h until my neck muscles were starting to complain.


A naked bike isn’t likely to be outstandingly practical, but the FZ8 was useful in most respects. Fuel capacity is 17 litres, good for 200km or more which is fine for a naked bike. The seat was comfortable, mirrors excellent, finish good. The list of accessories includes flyscreen, heated grips, crash bungs and a centre-strand, plus the grab-handles that the Fazer gets as standard. There’s also a top-box, though strangely no hard panniers.
The FZ8’s biggest drawback is predictable: it’s expensive. The yen’s strength has hit all the Japanese firms, especially Yamaha, whose prices have rocketed in the last year. What’s worse for Yamaha is that, to take one obvious rival, Triumph’s outstanding Street Triple is substantially cheaper in most markets. The FZ8 is a stylish and capable bike. But even if demand for big boys’ toys picks up again soon, I can’t see it doing much to save Yamaha’s new President from some sleepless nights
Riding the Fazer8
On a gorgeous spring day in Provence, it was fun to charge around on the naked FZ8, but Yamaha’s new four comes equipped for cold climates and winter weather too. The Fazer8 is basically the same bike with the addition of a protective half-fairing. It also gets those pillion grab-handles as standard fitment. In some markets it will come with ABS as standard, in which case it will also get a belly-pan to hide the anti-lock parts.
Apart from looking a bit less sexy, the sensible sister also felt slightly heavier and less agile, though its handling was still perfectly acceptable. The Fazer (I’m sticking to that from now on) accelerated with just as much enthusiasm, too; the only difference being that this time I had a fairing and screen to keep the wind off my chest, with impressively little turbulence.
This allowed effortless cruising at 150km/h, which had soon become tiring on the naked bike. It’s a key difference that makes the Fazer a potentially excellent long-haul machine, although it would be limited by the tank’s range of not much more than 200km, depending on riding style. Some riders will be disappointed that although a top-box is available, the accessory list doesn’t include hard panniers.
For charging along the mountain roads of Provence on a warm day the Fazer was not quite as entertaining as its naked sibling, but I know which model I would prefer for a long trip, or any ride on a cold day. Like the FZ8 it’s a sound bike. But unfortunately for Yamaha it suffers from an identical problem of being too expensive, in this case when compared to more powerful and cheaper half-faired machines including Honda’s CBF1000 and Suzuki’s new GSX1250FA.

Captions
At least
Yamaha have managed to come up with a pair of new models which look suited to these impoverished times

On a gorgeous spring day, it was fun to charge around on the naked FZ8, but Yamaha’s new four comes equipped for cold climates and winter too
The instrument console on both the FZ and Fazer8 are identical
The redesigned half-fairing with floating panels is tastefully done up
The 310mm discs and four-pot calipers upfront. ABS is optional in some markets

Filed Under: First Ride, Review

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