New Bike First Impression

It has got loads of chrome, classic attitude and it is perfect cruising material. Better still, it’s on its way to India. Adhish Alawani delivers the exclusive ride report of Hyosung ST7 Photography: Sanjay Raikar

Something Chrome, Something Cruising!

Hyosung Motors seem to have taken things very seriously. The last time they came to India with the Comet and the Aquila, it was through Kinetic Motors. These motorcycles were a success. The only glitch was the fact that these bikes came in extremely limited numbers and without a properly planned service backup. Nonetheless, the market is changing rapidly and Hyosung have decided to come back with a bang. As you must have seen on the earlier pages, we rode the Hyosung GT650R and were very impressed by the supersport machine. Let us now shift our attention to something classic, something chrome, something cruising!

Introducing the Hyosung ST7, a good example of a modern-day classic cruiser. The ST7 has been built taking into consideration the competition from the likes of the Japanese and the Americans. When we first saw the bike in pictures, we were not really sure if its styling would suit our taste. In reality, however, it’s a different story altogether. The curvaceous tank dips in towards the seat and the flow continues all the way until the broad, sweeping rear fender. The liberal use of chrome on the dual pipe exhaust, engine casing, air box, radiator case, belt drive cover and loads of bits here and there add a lot of hardcore bling to the machine. The 41mm telescopic forks set at a 33-degree rake are neither too laidback nor too aggressive. The softly padded saddle, pullback handlebars
and forward mounted footrests offer typical cruiser posture, at least for a five-foot-ten-incher like me. The instrument cluster sits in the chrome housing on the humongous tank.
The only bits of styling that do not suit my taste include the small, round headlight (a bigger
one would do the job better) and the multi-spoke alloys.

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The true deal, however, is the heart of the ST7, sitting under the tank in the form of a liquid-cooled, 90-degree V-Twin, displacing 678cc and pumping out 62 PS. The peak torque figure goes to 63 Nm and punches in at a high 7500 rpm. Sounds weird for a V-Twin cruiser to have its peak torque so high. However, it doesn’t feel so while riding. The bike pulls amazingly from low revs and continues pulling strongly in the mid-range. 130 km/h is reached in second gear if the throttle is whacked open and cruising at 150 km/h is truly peaceful. Wedded to the V-Twin engine is an impressive five-speed transmission that offers butter-smooth shifts through the cogs. Interestingly, the ST7 comes with a belt drive, which not only adds to the cruiser character and attitude, but also offers a good and smooth drive.

The powerplant of this Hyosung sings a soft tune and the refinement levels are quite high: the hardcore cruiser-lovers might just miss the thump to some extent. The ST7 scores brownie points when it comes to the weight and usability of the machine on a day-to-day basis. With a kerb weight of 244 kg, the ST7 is pretty manoeuvrable even in heavy city traffic. Even after logging over a couple of hundred kilometres, there was no sign of fatigue creeping in. The not-so-wide and not-so-tall ‘bars offer good steering in tight situations as well. Not a lot is usually talked about the handling of a cruiser. But I would still make a special mention that this bike handles very well. Not even once did I feel that there was a hint of instability around corners or while flicking from one side to the other. The Bridgestones also provide awesome grip and contribute to the good road holding that the bike offers. The brakes on the ST7 are pretty decent and do the needful quite efficiently. There is hardly anything that I can complain about in this cruiser.

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And looking at the price tag of approximately Rs 5–5.25 lakh, I am sure no one has anything to complain about. Hyosung have brilliantly managed to introduce a motorcycle in the market that bridges the huge gap between the local wannabe cruisers and the hardcore ones like Harleys or Suzukis. The ST7 is expected to hit the market along with the GT650R by Diwali this year. Also expect the company to offer tall windscreens and saddlebags etc. as accessories.

The final take on the ST7? Take off the pillion seat, get on the leathers and ride the highways for days on end.

For more information on the Hyosung bikes, keep checking BIKE India space or shoot an email to sandt.india@sify.com

Adhish Alawani lays his hands on the Hyosung GT650R , one of the bestsellers in Australia and Europe, which is now on its way to India!


Photography: Sanjay Raikar

About two-and-a-half years ago, the litre-class bikes made their way into the country. That is when the rich enthusiasts got excited and started buying motorcycles with in-line fours displacing 1000cc. We, at BIKE India, have been talking about the impracticality of litre-class bikes in a country like India since then. We neither have the roads, nor the sense and ability to handle the power that goes in excess of 170PS. What, then, is it that we need and should have in our market? A middle-weight 600cc category bike that produces adequate power, which even a first-timer at multi-cylinder machines can tame and relish. Probably yes, and Hyosung decided to give it a serious thought. The result? The GT650R is on its way to India!

Last month, we got an opportunity to take the GT650R out on a daylong ride and, boy, were we impressed!

The GT comes powered with a 90-degree V-Twin motor that produces 80PS of peak power. But what really leaves a lasting impression is the awesome mid-range and top-end delivery. The powerplant revs freely all the way past 10,000 rpm. Though we did not get enough of a stretch to red line even the third gear, we were mighty impressed with the speedo reading 81 km/h in first gear and 135 km/h in second gear at red line. Going by these speeds and considering a six-speed box mated to the V-Twin, speeds in excess of 200 km/h seem to be easily achievable. The vee configuration also assures a good amount of torque, 67 Nm to be precise, that really kicks in at 7,250 rpm. Like a typical V-Twin, the GT650R delivers the right punch in the right fashion and delights you as you zip through crowded streets.

 

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For the 2010 model, Hyosung has handed over the carburettion duties to fuel injection on the GT650R. The power of the bike is manifested on the roads through Bridgestone Battlax BT56 160/60-ZR17 (rear) and 120/60-ZR17 (front). Not only does the Battlax rubber lend awesome grip on a dry surface, it holds its own on a wet one too (the erratic July rain allowed us to try out the tyres in both conditions). While the tyres succeed in instilling a lot of confidence around the corners, much credit also goes to the chassis and suspension. The trellis-type twin spar frame is nimble yet stable.

The fully adjustable front suspension and preload adjustable rear monoshock do their job brilliantly by giving adequate feedback to the rider. The whole package of the chassis, suspension and tyres aids the GT in superb handling and lets you push your limits around corners. The riding posture is also a major plus point of this bike. An agreeable combination of sufficiently aggressive and adequately relaxing postures makes the GT650R a bike that can be enjoyed on weekend rides through twisties as well as everyday rides within the city. The fairing is good enough and takes aerodynamics seriously to protect you from wind blast at high speeds.

Talking of fairing, the bike’s a styling that seems to be taken from various places and put together by the Korean manufacturer. The twin projectors stacked one above the other give the bike a feel of the MV Agusta F4. The two vents on either side of the headlight are a little out of proportion and non-functional. The short wheelbase, tall seat and meaty body lend a lot of aggression to the motorcycle. The tail lamp seems to have taken cues from the new Gixxer. The white backlit digital speedometer is accompanied by an analogue tachometer.

Overall, the bike carries the attitude of a proper supersport machine that is going to attract a lot of attention. (Well, I can say that for sure after the innumerable enquiries we got from all those who saw us ride the bike on the streets!) There are a couple of downsides that we noticed as well. The brakes have a little spongy feel. Probably, this particular machine that we were testing had it and needed a little bit of bleeding. Secondly, the fit and finish of the bike is not up to the mark that the international competitors have set.

There is one factor that finally forces us to ignore the downsides and that is the price of the GT650R. At approximately Rs 3.75-4 lakh (ex-showroom), the Hyosung is a steal. You get adequate power, awesome handling, styling to attract every other girl on the street and the attitude of a middleweight supersport machine at a price that is not prohibitive. Expect the bike to hit the market some time before Diwali. Until then, flip over to the Hyosung ST7, a feast for the cruiser fans!

A cyclist who yearns of representing the tricolor around the world

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There aren’t many Indians in today’s world who have the desire to represent their country on an international level, although they themselves want to be famous. The young generation just wants to follow the western culture and live like a westerner even in their own country. But sometimes, amongst the mist rises a brave soul who still wants to do something for the country and Harman Sharma is among those few individuals who have a burning desire to make the country proud.

Harman is a cyclist who has participated in many cycling events around the country. A few of those events include the Mini Olympic, the Kila Raipur, the Mumbai Cyclothon, the Pune Baramati race and the Al- Kalam cycle race (Delhi). His latest weapon of choice is the Scott Plasma 20. A bike that was developed by Scott cycles in collaboration with team HTC-Columbia, one of the most prominent names in the highly respectable Tour De France race. Harman hopes to make India proud by making it big in the world of bicycling. We wish him the very best!

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SCOTT PLASMA 20

Harman’s latest bike is this sleek and tech filled Scott Plasma 20 triathlon bike. Scott cycles are among the top bicycle manufacturers in the world and have a reputation for building some of the best bikes that also participate in the prestigious Tour De France. This particular model features carbon fiber body parts along with ergonomic and comfortable seating. The engineers at Scott cycles developed this bike in the wind tunnel to achieve an aerodynamic shape, hence you do not see the clutter of brake lines running down the frame or any other thing that might create drag. At just 8kg, this bike is meant for competitions and because of the technology used it is surely the bike to watch out for. All this technology doesn’t come cheap. This particular model is priced at around Rs 2 lakh (In India).

Photos: Harman Sharma

Sarmad Kadiri leaves his performance bike behind and rides the new TVS Max4R to get a feel of the other end of the two-wheeler spectrum
Photography: Sawan Hembram

It was 5.30 am and the board overhead read: Ahilyabai Holkar Vegetable Wholesale Market, Indore. Soon three men wobbled in astride their new bikes, balancing a mountain of gunny bags filled with vegetables, all tied to their pillion seats. I thought to myself, ‘Are they crazy?’ The riders parked their bikes and I could sense their feeling of bewilderment as they looked at me with my riding gear on. I suppose they must have concluded that I was either an alien or a mad man, because no one wears a helmet in the entire district, let alone full-fledged riding gear. So, the feeling of bewilderment was mutual.

The new bike in question was the TVS Max4R, designed specifically for traders and farmers, who carry their goods or agricultural produce on bikes. We’re talking about milkmen, greengrocers, vegetables growers and farmers, all of whom form a very large yet untapped buyer segment in India. Based on the Star City, the Max features a 109.7cc engine, but with some modifications, such as a bigger oil pump for better lubrication, chrome-plated piston rings and improved crankshaft bearing. Plus the clutch comes with heavy-duty springs. All this, combined with the new sprockets, gives the bike a solid mid-range, which is what the target audience of the Max4R needs.

Obviously, the top speed is of no consequence for them, especially with three jute sacks loaded on the rear. The tank is similar to that of the Star City, but it sheds the front fairing to sport a round headlight and matching indicators and also a mobile charger. The sturdy metal front mudguard comes straight from the Max 100 and the split seats’ rear portion can be detached, thus making the bike ideal for carrying assorted goods. Interestingly, the main stand has a much wider base to keep the bike stable even with a heavy load on it. Even the rear tyre is specially made to endure excess weight. It has two pairs of rear shock-absorbers. While the first pair does the regular job of a suspension, the second set acts like helper shock-absorbers that come into play only when the bike is overloaded.

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I rode the new TVS with a load of over 150 kg of vegetables and then with large milk cans attached to the sides. It is insane to ride with this kind of weight. However, compared with an average commuter bike crudely modified to handle excess weight, the Max4R wins hands down. It has a good low-end power and a crisp mid-range, which is ideal for this bike.

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Riding on the narrow, chaotic roads near the vegetable market, I managed to reach 70 km/h on the speedo without any load on the rear, which is decent for this segment. However, when I trod on the brake in an emergency, the whole load of vegetables slid forward, its weight on my back, forcing me to slide onto the tank. The bike came to a halt a couple of meters farther than it would normally do. Offering a disc brake is out of the question for a price tag of Rs 37,590 (ex-showroom, Indore). To be honest, TVS is walking on a very thin line here. On the one hand, it is their corporate responsibility to provide a more secure, well engineered and affordable bike that can be used as a goods carrier. On the other, the fact remains that bikes in general have not been designed to lug loads around, even though it is a common practice in our country. Actually, it remains a grey area, for the Indian law does not specify whether carrying goods on bikes is legal or not.

Overall, the TVS Max4R is a good package, keeping in view its niche market. It is not designed for a beauty pageant or to win a drag race, but what you get is a sturdy, affordable and practical workhorse in every sense.

Love it or hate it, the Honda VFR1200F is here to change all your preconceived notions about touring

In spite of the heavy bulk and the touring character of the VFR1200F, getting the knee down on this one is not tough. Superb handling and easy maneuverability are strengths of the Honda.

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The VFR1200F looks ugly to some. Trust us guys, it’s stunning in flesh!

N for Neutral, D for Drive and S for Sports. We love this auto ‘box on a bike!

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Button for up shifting and down shifting gears? Yes. The “-“ button is for downshifts while there is another one with a “+” on it on the other side which does the upshifting!

Parking brake for motorcycles are important for bikes like the VFR, that are equipped with an auto boxes. The black lever on left handlebar does the job in this case