New Bike First Impression

Royal Enfield’s new Desert Storm claims to be a tornado. Does it have enough force to sweep you off your feet? Let’s find out

Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Royal Enfield launched the Classic 500 at the end of 2009. Since then it has been one of the best selling models in the company’s line-up. The bike has the right aesthetics with a nostalgic appeal that attracts customers without much effort even in these times when performance bikes seem to rule the roost. However, since evolution is inevitable, Royal Enfield have launched two new variants of the Classic with a few tweaks, claiming it to be better than ever.

This new bike, called the Desert Storm, incorporates changes to the front end and the ECU along with a new cool paint job to lend the bike a new character. Firstly, the new paint job, which I am sure every Bullet fan will appreciate. The Desert Storm comes clad in a matte-finish shade of khaki, which lends the bike a raw, rugged and minimalistic character. The Royal Enfield lettering in plain white gels well with the whole retro character.

Let’s now move on to the next big change – the ECU. Now, there was nothing wrong with the ECU of the older bike. However, Royal Enfield have re-mapped the ECU of the new Desert Storm for a smoother power delivery, though we were hardly able to notice the difference between the Classic and the Desert Storm.

Another thing that has changed is the front-end, which now has conventional forks instead of the offset forks seen on older models. But in appearance they look very much like the old forks. The front wheel has also been replaced with a 19-inch one, though the tyre profile (90/90) remains the same.  

Royal Enfield claim that the handling of the bike has improved considerably. That is not what we found. Looking back in history we can see that the older bike had a neutral handling compared to the Desert Storm/Classic range because of factors like the placement of the engine and the offset front forks. The original bike had a lower centre of gravity as compared to today’s Classic. However, when Royal Enfield decided to replace the old engine with a modern ‘unit construction engine’ (UCE), the handling of the bike suffered seriously. Today’s Royal Enfield bikes have engines mounted higher in the frame to bridge the gap between the cylinder head and the petrol tank.

Another easily evident problem is the heavy front end. Because the new bikes use the compact UCE motor, the weight becomes concentrated in the front. Besides, the front wheel has moved a little inwards because of the conventional forks, thus adding to the already heavy front. The Royal Enfield engineers have also increased the length of the swing-arm in order to fill up the gap created by the compact engine. This has resulted into a slightly increased wheelbase and also the centre of gravity and has made the front of the bike heavy. We reckon that if Royal Enfield address the aforementioned problems, the handling of these new bikes will certainly improve considerably.

Overall, the new Desert Storm, priced at Rs 1.55 lakh (OTR, Pune), is basically the same old Classic with just a new paint job and new front forks.

The street devil is finally let loose. It loses no time in putting an ear-to-ear grin on our face as we hop onto it. The KTM Duke 200 was spotted innumerable times on the NH 4, being tested by Bajaj Auto’s test riders. We saw its pictures too.

The specifications were out last month and they were enough to give us the goose bumps. A 200-cc liquid-cooled engine producing 25 PS of peak power and fitted on a machine that weighs just 136 kg (kerb weight, mind you, not dry) was enough to give one an idea of this machine’s prowess. This month we finally swung a leg over the KTM to figure out what it is all about.

A single look at the motorcycle is enough to give you a highly favourable first impression. The styling is very KTM-ish and the orange-black paint scheme talks proudly of its Austrian genealogy. The edges on its tank, its muscular shoulders, sharp tail and in-the-face headlight show exactly what this KTM is all about – out and out aggressive styling.

Close attention has been paid to the smallest details in the making of this bike, including the belly fairing that gels well with the motorcycle and leaves no room for any design-related complaints. Everything seems to be in the right place and in the correct proportions, making the bike look exceptionally good. The Duke 200 brings with it a motorcycle lingo that is not heard by most Indians – the kind spoken by evil urban naked motorcycles.

Swing a leg over the 200 and you discover the compactness of this machine. The handlebar is fairly wide and the saddle is high. A small, squarish instrument console sits in the front and displays an incredible amount of information, ranging from basic stuff like speed and revs per minute to fuel-efficiency and the kilometre range possible with the remaining fuel. There is also a text display (instead of only LED) for warning messages such as when the side-stand is down. All in all, the multi-info instrument console is definitely something that we haven’t seen on an Indian bike thus far. The mandatory rear wheel hugger and sari-guard are in place and don’t look too odd on this bike. The carved swing-arm with the cross pattern on it has killer looks too.

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Turn the ignition key, press the starter button and the engine comes to life with a mild grunt, something much quieter than what we had expected. But this relative quiescence lasted only until the throttle was not opened.

I started from the pit lane of Bajaj Auto’s test track, taking the bike easy round the first few corners, judging its handling and grip levels before deciding to tax the engine with the throttle wide open. The first impression was that of a small, lightweight machine with a throttle that seemed to be sufficiently responsive to the twist of the wrist.

Once I got accustomed to the levers and the bike’s ergonomics in general, I decided to go for it. Boy, was I stunned by the acceleration! The Duke 200 is a serious machine and it was evident as soon as I opened the throttle. Outright acceleration is good enough to compete with higher capacity motorcycles. After all 25 PS is a lot of power. And not only is it good in outright acceleration, but also in roll-on acceleration. Thanks to the overall low gearing, the bike pulls superbly from slow speeds in higher gears too. Believe it or not, the Duke 200 doesn’t knock even at 35 km/h in the sixth gear and has a much stronger pull than even a certain higher cc motorcycle. No doubt this kind of rideability will make the Duke one of the best bikes to ride in urban traffic conditions. Just slot it into the fourth or fifth gear and you are well set to roam about the city with no hassles.

However, if this is the story of acceleration, the bike’s top speed is an aspect that did not impress us much. The speedometer showed 140 km/h in the top gear before hitting the limiter and cutting off. Even while cruising at 110 km/h the engine felt a little busy rather than smooth and easy. Nevertheless, the way the bike attains that speed is phenomenal.

The Duke 200 is built on a trellis frame and equipped with WP suspension both at the front and the rear. Upside down (USD) forks in the front and monoshock suspension at the rear have been set up well for Indian conditions – neither too soft, nor too stiff.

As mentioned earlier, we were out testing this motorcycle on the Bajaj Auto test track, which offers a lot of corners with various radii. Every time and round each corner there was enough confidence to push the bike. Though the Duke 200 is not really a supersports bike designed to attack corners, the way it tackled the bends was laudable indeed. No hint of nervousness. The rear tyre is a very wide, 150-mm section one, yet surprisingly offers good flickability, thanks to the narrow rims. MRF has done a good job on the grip front too. The Duke 200 uses Bybre brakes, which function pretty well.

With over an hour well spent astride the Duke 200, it was time to leave and there were some pleasant revelations as well as some questions yet to be answered. For sure, the Duke 200 is a well-engineered bike. It has a lot of power, nice handling, great rideability and fabulous styling. However, there are a few bits, such as its switches and levers, that do not match up to the quality of the other parts of the bike. I happened to be in Tokyo last month where I saw the Duke 200 and Duke 690 side by side and the difference in quality was evident at once.

Another important question is how this bike will be priced. The company has not disclosed anything yet, but they indicate a “competitive” price that will surprise us if we are comparing it with the Honda CBR 250R. That makes us conjecture that this KTM Duke will be priced at around Rs 1.3 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune).

If KTM are able to price the Duke well, it will indeed be the next big thing in the Indian market of performance bikes.

The Duke 200 brings with it a motorcycle lingo that is not heard by most Indians – the kind spoken by evil urban naked motorcycles

Story: Adhish Alawani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

The GT650N, a naked version of the impressive Hyosung GT650R, is out in the market. We swing a leg over it to see in what ways it differs from the earlier fully faired supersport

Story: Sarmad Kadiri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Just because this is the naked version of the impressive Hyosung GT650R, please don’t expect any sexually laced anecdotes, or, maybe, you should. Look at the pictures around these pages and you will admit that after disrobing this supersport has taken the sexual quotient to the max level. The tank curves now get highlighted more than in the full-faired ‘R’. The naked GT650N retains the old instrument console with its digital speedo and analogue tachometer, but now gets a neat shroud. Unlike the GT650R, this one has clearly marked ‘GT650’ decals on the rear panels. Like a glamour model’s recurring dream these cosmetic changes have made the GT seven kg lighter and now it weighs just 208 kg. Well, that’ll be like half-a-dozen super-models on a weighing scale, but this gives the bike a good power-to-weight ratio.

The GT650N seems to have borrowed several styling cues from various popular motorcycles. The new headlight seems to be inspired by the Yamaha FZ and the LED tail-light resemble the Suzuki GSXR’s. Having said that, one must also add that the bike’s overall design is quite appealing. It does not look disproportionate from any angle.

The fairings on most superbikes look great, but once they get ridden on our country’s badly surfaced or broken roads, the plastic cowls often tend to rattle and squeak. Introducing a no-nonsense and no-fairing 650-cc bike is an intelligent move by Garware Motors. Firstly, 650s make better sense as we don’t have adequate roads or highways in India where we can squeeze the fun out of bigger, litre-class bikes. Moreover, the smaller the bike, the easier it is to manoeuvre in our bustling cities and towns. These 650-cc bikes seem to have the best mix of good performance and adequate size, which are ideal for our conditions.

The GT650R, like most sportsbikes, has an aggressive riding position that makes the rider lean on the fuel tank, which is not a very popular posture in India and has a limited appeal. Now the naked GT replaces the clip-ons with a new, wide handlebar that adds to its streetfighter looks and gives the bike a more upright and comfortable riding position. All this makes cruising on the highway and weaving through the city convenient and fun.

Like the GT650R, a strong 90-degree V-twin motor also powers the GT650N, with peak power at 73.68 PS and a staggering mid-range, as the 67 Nm of torque is served right from 7,250 RPM. Unlike the performance-oriented ‘R’, the streetfighter has been designed to be more apt for city riding. Due to time restraints during this exclusive ride we could not test the naked GT, but we did feel the bike’s ECU has been retuned and there is a definite change in the torque curve. The V-twin offers ample torque throughout the powerband, due to which it is not necessary to shift down while overtaking. Just a twist of the throttle is enough to let you surge ahead. Another highlight is the free revving engine that comfortably goes beyond 10,000 RPM and has a stunning top-end. The first gear went up to 81 km/h and the second can run up to 135 km/h at red line. Using the six-speed transmission I managed to reach 160 km/h on the speedo without much struggle, but ran out of road. The company claims a figure of 210 km/h.

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One of the prime reasons why I got the confidence to reach such a high speed was the bike’s on road mannerism and good riding position. Its short wheelbase, tall seat and wide handlebar give it a dynamic stance. The GT650N also runs on Bridgestone Battlax BT56 160/60-ZR17 at the rear and 120/60-ZR17 at the front. The Battlax rubber grips well on dry surfaces and is well rooted even on wet ones. The trellis-type twin spar frame is now more prominently visible and adds to the bike’s streetfighter character. More importantly, the chassis feels neutral, agile yet spurs the rider to speed at will. The fully adjustable front suspension and pre-load adjustable rear monoshock have also been tweaked to better suit the naked bike’s character. The suspension setting is another highlight of this bike and it makes the bike very stable at high speed, although the rear mono-shock felt a bit on the firmer side.

This is a good opportunity for Garware Motors to make a mark. The bike is great for long rides and effortlessly fits into the role of a daily commuter due to its riding position and fairing-free design. It all comes down to price now. At Rs 5 lakh (OTR, Pune) it’s neck-to-neck with the Kawasaki Ninja 650R. Since Bajaj currently have a limited number of Ninja 650Rs to offer, Garware can cash in on the demand for this price bracket if they can manage smooth deliveries. Something which only time can tell.

With the Japanese name taken off the brand, Hero MotoCorp aim at conquering one of the largest two-wheeler markets with a bold step. We try to find out if they have the right product for it

Story: Adhish Alawani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

By now it is common knowledge that what may be regarded as one of the most successful and longest lasting ventures in the history of the Indian motorcycle industry has come to an end. Hero and Honda ruled the Indian market for approximately 27 years before parting ways. Together they revolutionised the way motorcycles were being conceived and perceived in our country. Over these years they made bikes for the masses as well as the enthusiasts – be it the first CD100 that popularised four-stroke and affordable motorcycles in India or the CBZ that gave birth to the current generation biking culture. Let us also not forget that it was Hero Honda who brought in the first fuel-injected commuter to India (the Glamour FI) and also the extremely popular, all-rounder Karizma. Now they have decided to go their own way in this highly competitive market. In other words, former partners are competitors now.

Actually, that’s not completely true, because Hero will continue to receive technological support from Honda until 2014, but will not be marketing their products with Honda included in the brand-name. The first offering from Hero, the Impulse, is such a product. Many thought that this one is the Honda Bros (sold in Brazil), but it isn’t so completely. Superficially, the Impulse’s 149.2-cc engine displaces the same as the Bros’. However, Hero have modified the cylinder head slightly and reduced the compression ratio from 9.5:1 to 9.1:1. Along with that a CV-type carburettor has replaced the fuel-injection system in the Bros. The outcome of this on the power front is a drop in the bike’s peak power from 13.8 PS to 13.2 PS. While the Bros attains its maximum power at 8,000 revs, the Impulse does so at 7,500. Similarly, the peak torque has come down from 13.63 Nm to 13.40 Nm. This too is at 5,000 revolutions per minute instead of at 6,000 RPM. In short, Hero have made sure that their forte – fuel efficiency – remains intact while not forgetting the fact that the Indian customer needs more power and torque in the lower revs. The replacement of FI with carb seems to be a measure to keep the cost down. However, the biggest difference between the Bros and Impulse is that the former can run on ethanol too while the latter is designed to run on petrol only.

The Impulse has been built on a semi-double cradle frame with 180-mm travel suspension forks at the front and 150-mm travel monoshock suspension at the rear. Also, the bike has a ground clearance of 245 mm. That and its long-travel suspension make sure that the Impulse can tackle off-road terrain or rocky paths easily. Hero have equipped this bike with dual-purpose tyres from CEAT as standard. There is a 19-inch wheel at the front and a 17-inch one at the rear to suit the off-roading character of the bike.

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The seat of the impulse is a long one; starting from over the tank to let the rider sit as close towards the front as possible. It’s pretty flat and offers a comfortable seating position, slightly biased towards the front, as it would be on a dual-purpose bike. The handlebar is not too short, not too wide. The exhaust has been neatly placed next to the seat on the right side with a heat protective cover on it to save the pillion rider’s thigh.
The instrument console on the Impulse is completely different from that on the Bros. The Impulse gets a digital speedometer and analogue tachometer with tell-tale lights placed around them. The digital display comprises speed, trip meter, odometer, time and fuel level. At the rear is a cluster of LEDs making for a decent tail-light.

The plastic used in the Impulse has a high-quality feel and look to it. Hero have taken good care of quality not only of the plastic parts, also of the paint, especially on the rims, where it tends to chip off more than elsewhere.

Coming to the riding part, there is no doubt that the Impulse is a fun machine. It is meant to be taken to terrain less frequented to experience off-roading – a segment that has been mostly untouched by the Indian bikers. The Impulse will live up to what it is supposed to deliver to a great extent. We didn’t get an opportunity to take it off the tarmac during our first ride, but we can confidently say that the overall geometry of the bike is quite promising. Besides, the low-end torque helps in playing around with the machine. The engine has decent juice to start off with. It delivers power and torque very linearly and in a smooth manner without any peaks. The light front end along with the good bottom-end torque will make the stunters fall in love with the machine, for it is ever ready to do all the wheelies you demand.

All in all, the first impression of the Impulse has left us with a smile on our face. Hero have taken a bold step in coming out with a first product that is not a hardcore commuter (in fact, it’s the first proper dual-purpose motorcycle in the Indian market). Though the company is offering a product meant for the enthusiasts, it still has plans to sell it in a high number and not restrict itself to a niche market. The company plans to achieve this by pricing the Impulse competitively at Rs 66,800 (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The price, quality, reliability of the brand and the established name are factors enough to make the Impulse an instant hit. How it fares on our set of core tests is yet to be discovered. We shall do that soon. Until then get yourself a test ride of the Impulse from a showroom nearby. Good fun is guaranteed!

It’s another Ducati and we’re pleasantly surprised, as always.

Story: Adhish Alawani
Photography: Varun Kulkarni

The number of international motorcycles now available in India stands at close to 30 with the variants of certain models taking the total up to approximately 40. Little wonder then that with so many international bikes on offer, we auto journalists spend most weekends testing one of those exotic beasts or the other. On one such recent weekend I found myself astride a motorcycle I had never ridden before. Of course, that meant a lot of presumptions since I was completely new to this class of machines. The bike in question was the Ducati Hypermotard 1100. Most of my presumptions soon evaporated in thin air. I am glad they did.

At first glance, anyone would say, “Hey, is that a dual purpose kind of motocross bike with on-road tyres? Rather confused, eh?” Yes. To many it may look like a confused bike since we haven’t really seen the class of Supermotos in India.

The Hypermotard was born in 2005 out of Ducati’s eagerness to leave no motorcycle segment uncovered. At that time the Italian marque had nothing to offer in the Supermoto class and so came about the concept of the Hypermotard. It was first showcased at the Milan Show in 2005 and since then it has been a machine to make people drool. However confused it might look in the pictures, believe me, the bike looks extremely desirable in flesh. It takes a tall stance with a sharp beak, showing aggression, reveals the L-twin engine behind the trellis frame and has a single sided swing-arm that shows off the wheel’s classic y-shaped spokes. Since this one was the top-of-the-line Hypermotard, it had a lot of carbon fibre laid out on the cam belt covers, tail-piece and fenders, making for an eye candy. The two round exhaust canisters protruding from under the sleek LED tail-light were the only thing that went against my taste.

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At the front, there is a tiny instrument cluster that gives a lot of information except about the fuel in the tank (it’s just got a reserve fuel light). An aluminium fuel tank lid contrasts the matte-finish tank top. LED turn indicators are integrated into the hand guards. The side mirrors are a little funny, protrude as they do from the hand guards. They provide good visibility when stationary, but once in motion, they vibrate a lot and make the rear view oscillate. Besides, in a country like India where we are bound to take the bike into tight spots, these protrusions keep brushing against this here and that there.

Move into the depths of this bike’s beauty and you will realise that there is more than just the outer aesthetics. At the heart of the HYM1100S is a 1,100-cc, L-twin, air-cooled engine that produces 95 PS of peak power and 103 Nm of torque. At first, I felt that these figures read a little on the lower side compared to those of the overly powerful Multistrada, the last bike that we tested. But these figures can be deceptive and they were. On road, this bike feels much more powerful than what the spec sheet leads you to believe, thanks to its lightweight body that improves the power-to-weight ratio. The Öhlins monoshock suspension, forged alloy Marchesini wheels, Brembo brakes and Marzocchi front USD forks also add a lot of potential and glamour to the motorcycle.

 

As soon as I swung a leg over the HYM, I had to actually double check if I hadn’t parked the bike on some sort of a raised platform. The bike is so tall that it instantly made me (5′ 10”) feel like Tom Thumb. The seating is front-biased and makes you feel as if you are almost on the fuel tank giving a view that is straight from a motocross bike’s saddle. The handlebar is wide and lends excellent flickability to the bike, especially while spotting gaps and zipping through congested traffic. Throttle response is precise and fuelling through the Marelli FI system is spot on with absolutely no irregularities.

After getting out of the bustling city, I headed straight for the bikers’ playground called Lavasa with its hairpin bends, open straights and hilly sections that throw up all manner of challenges.

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For a bike that tall and with weight distribution of 47:53 front as to rear, it was but natural for it to pop wheelies as if it were a backyard game. On the Hypermotard, it absolutely takes no superhuman effort to impress others on the road with antics like riding with the front end floating in the air, shifting up a cog and then popping it once again. To make things even more exciting, I got a pillion on board and realised that keeping the front wheel planted became all the more tough. The stunter in me was highly satisfied after a really long time. The way this bike popped and then the way its forks upfront handled, the landing was phenomenal, so easy yet so exciting! However, it was after all this that the bike started revealing a character that was rather unexpected. I reached the hills and the zigzags invited me to play with them. I was sceptical about leaning this machine, thinking about its tall stance, upright seating position and rear-biased weight distribution. But the Hypermotard handles like a track-focused machine. It was beyond my imagination and my ability to fathom the fact that I could actually go round most of the fast corners with my knee dragging on the tarmac and the bike willing to lean more than I asked it to. This Supermoto defies every assumption about its handling that you may have formed on account of its looks. Point it towards the corner, put a little pressure on the inside bar, throw the bike down and the suspension gives you such precise feedback that you wish you had the courage to lean further. Rock-solid, the HYM negotiates every corner with utter ease. In fact, it inspired so much confidence that I wished I were on a race-track, challenging my own supersport leans. Adding to all this is the set of Pirellis with super soft rubber, which don’t leave the tarmac at all. Every centimetre of their contact patch gripped the road so well that I had a hard time even sliding the bike on purpose.

A full day was spent playing with the toy that Ducati offer in an unbelievably small package and that brings me to what I think are the shortcomings of this motorcycle. Yes, it’s a small bike considering it is 1,100 cc. That said, let me also tell you that it is a very narrow bike and, as such, has a very narrow seat. Besides, it is firm and thus makes for an aching bum after a couple of hundred kilometres. Also, the HYM is equipped with a dry clutch operated with a lever, which, though hydraulically operated, entails heavy action and gets painful for the fingers and forearm after a while. That is not all, the tank is small, there is no fuel gauge. It would have almost left me stranded in the middle of the highway with no petrol pump in the vicinity when the reserve light came on. Finally, there is absolutely no wind protection and so even if the overly capable motor can take you to speeds of 200 km/h, the bike doesn’t give you a comfortable feeling at that pace.

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But even with all those complaints, I would still love to ride one of these machines. Why, you would ask, especially when this bike is neither a pure track-focused supersport nor a hardcore off-roader or dual-purpose. The reason is simple: it is a gorgeous and insanely exotic Italian. It has an engine that has the potential to scare the living daylights out of someone who is not used to wheelies. It has ultimate precision to its ride and handling. It comes equipped with high quality elements like suspension and brakes. And, finally, it is a Ducati that lives up to every bit of hype created by its sheer badge!