Bike Reviews in India

Bunny Punia feels the world’s best 250cc motorcycle has been worth the wait. But is it worth every single penny?
Photography Sanjay Raikar

 

It won’t be wrong to say that the bike you see on these pages is probably the most speculated, hyped and awaited motorcycle in the history of Indian two-wheelers. Since it was first showcased at the 2008 Auto Expo in New Delhi, enthusiasts have been waiting patiently for the Ninja 250 to be launched commercially by Bajaj. Before the patience of thousands of local bikers and Ninja fans turned into sore disappointment, the Pune-based manufacturer finally decided to take the right step and uncovered the baby Ninja as well as, most importantly, disclosed the bike’s pricing for the Indian masses last month. Many people say that the bike has come too late and at a price too steep. I do agree with the first statement but for the second argument, all I can say is that one needs to be in the saddle of this bike to really feel and experience true entry-level sports biking in its purest form.

The Ninja 250 had been selling pretty well in various countries without any major changes for over two decades. In 2008, the motorcycle got its first major revamp on every single front – from the design to the engine – and the modern Ninja 250R was born. What we have here is the 2010 model which remains more or less unchanged from the 2008 variant. However, the bike will be sold in only two colour options in India, namely the classic Kawasaki lime green and the all-black version which is called the Ebony in a few markets. The former colour variant, for the year 2010, gets a black rear body panel along with a green seat and a black exhaust instead of the chrome one on earlier models. Visually, this baby Ninja has a very strong character. It looks like a bigger machine and has the right amount of curves with minimal graphics running along its length. The twin front headlamps (one works all the time, similar to the bikes available abroad) look distinctive from a distance but the stupid Indian government regulations mean that the position of the front number plate spoils the mood a bit. Side on, this bike looks the best – the full fairing, petal discs up front and at the rear, the beefy 2×1 exhaust with dual catalysers (do I smell prospective owners already thinking about aftermarket units?) and the raised rear go a long way in making the Ninja the prettiest thing on two-wheels this side of the bigger superbikes in the country. Look closely and you notice bungee hooks below the pillion seat – a boost for tourers. Even though the bike is assembled in India and imported from Thailand as a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) unit, on closer inspection, we found the overall quality of the workmanship and the fit-finish to be perfect.

Swing a leg over and suddenly the big looking small bike seems to shrink. To start with, the fuel tank (in spite of having a capacity of 17 litres) does feel small. The seat height of 790mm is low by sport bikes’ standards. Another thing that really disappoints you is the analogue speedometer console which frankly looks very ‘90s. This bike will be sold in India without a single change from the versions sold abroad and hence the dated looking console. Don’t be discouraged by the above lines though as the moment you bend down a bit, hold onto the clip-on handlebars and thumb the starter, the fun begins. The parallel twin, 249cc, liquid cooled, fuel injected, eight valve motor immediately sets into a slightly high set idling. It doesn’t really sound very exciting until you rev it. Shift into the first, raise the revs, dump the clutch and the next few moments will change your perception towards 250cc bikes completely. This Ninja is the same European model which means we get 33 ponnies on offer along with 22Nm of torque. The bike weighs in at 172 kilos (kerb weight with fuel and oil). This number is three kilos more than the UK model due to the extra weight of the saree guard and the number plate which means the bike has a power-to-weight ratio of 191.8PS per tonne. Impressive? You bet.

SECOND OPINION The Ninja’s task is to infiltrate, combat and emerge victorious after assassinating its enemies. Though the baby Ninja doesn’t really have any enemies in the Indian market, I feel that it has emerged victorious in every sense. The Kwacker looks sensational especially in its green dress (I personally don’t like the black tail and green seat funda though). Leaving aside the looks of the bike, the Ninja 250R is a brilliant performer. Extreme refinement, linear power delivery and a peaceful exhaust note make you feel that you are riding something not as fast as a Ninja. However, twist your right wrist and glance at the dated instrumentation console to witness the prowess of the green. It will take you past 100km/h quicker than any other bike in India (not considering those CBU bikes sold in the market) and will max out past 165km/h (on the speedo). The IRC tyres on the bike provide a good grip around corners and the tube diamond frame surprisingly lends amazing handling abilities to the 250R. Pointing the bike heavenwards is no big deal as well. Show the rev friendly engine slightly higher revs and dump the clutch to feel one wheel ecstasy. My final take on the bike? It is a pure Kwacker with a slightly steep price tag. Ride it to get the price tag justification.

With Aspi in the saddle and our test equipment strapped on, the bike managed a naught to 60km/h timing of 2.98 seconds. Zero to 100km/h came up in just 7.9 seconds and the way this Kawasaki continued to gather speeds was simply amazing for a small capacity bike. With a limited straight of just 1.1km at the Bajaj test track, exiting the last left hander in third and pinning the throttle hard saw the test equipment register a true whack of 152km/h. Mind you, this was in fifth with another gear to go. We believe that given the road, this little screamer will go onto hit a genuine 160km/h or around 170km/h on the speedometer. Brilliant! What is also impressive is the way the engine feels at high speeds – completely fuss free with enough power in reserve. We expect the bike to run around 25km to a litre in city traffic and while on the highway, the tall sixth gear should help extract good numbers while touring as well.

But the Ninja is not just about out and out performance. For one, the little two cylinder mill being short stroke, loves being revved and while doing so, it remains almost vibration free. A lot of credit for this goes to the 180 degree crank which helps when it comes to a smooth and free revving character. Like its bigger brother, the ZX-6R, this bike also features dual throttle valves which aid responsiveness across the rev range. The Ninja also has a linear yet terrific midrange, although in the limited riding environment, I really couldn’t judge how well the bike would fare in day-to-day traffic. What I could easily evaluate however was the nimble, effortless and forgiving handling of the bike. The 37mm telescopic front forks and Kawasaki’s UNI-TRAK rear suspension along with the rugged diamond shaped frame and a beefy square cross-section swingarm go a long way in giving the bike a very sweet handling nature. Further, the 110mm front and 130mm rear IRC tyres also lend a helping hand in the way they hug the road. While flicking the bike around the test track or gunning the throttle hard through high speed curves, the Ninja felt like no other small capacity bike in India today. Yes, that is a very strong statement but it is a fact. You can aim the bike in the intended direction without losing composure and take the exact line you want to with perfect ease. The punchy, high revving nature of the motor also helps as you can stick to a lower gear and rev the hell out of the small engine without losing steam on most occasions. The braking feedback is impressive too aided by the 290mm front and 220mm rear brakes work more than exceptionally well.

Before I took the bike for a spin, I already knew its retail price. Yes, I was disappointed like thousands of others but after a half hour riding and thrashing session, my perception changed. This is a bike that draws its lineage from the legendary larger Ninjas. Its rides and feels like one too, albeit in a toned down way. It looks absolutely ravishing and will satisfy those looking for an exhilarating performance too. Being backed by Bajaj’s Probiking network is another added advantage. We are told that spares have already reached dealers and full backup support will be provided to Ninja owners. At Rs 2.69 lakh (ex-showroom), I don’t deny that the bike isn’t cheap. Given the fact that it is imported from Thailand (with which India has a FTA agreement) as a CKD unit, I feel it was possible for Bajaj to have a lower price tag. But then who said fun, excitement and involvement come cheap? The Kawasaki Ninja 250R is a practical sports bike too and its full potential can be easily extracted on Indian roads. At the same time, it has more than enough juice for owners to have ‘grinning from ear to ear’ moments inside the helmet every day. Those who understand the value and meaning of taking the first real step into the world of genuine and legal superbikes will surely look no further.

Beautiful, gorgeous, graceful, sexy – pick your word!	The clip-ons are sporty wiithout being too low. The Ninja can be a good companion for long rides	The liquid cooled parallel twin engine works brilliantly, especially once the tacho needle inches towards the 10,000 mark

Honda plays it safe with a new powerplant for the Aviator. Adhish Alawani answers the questions ‘why’ and ‘how’

The Indian automobile market has some peculiar characteristics. When Honda entered the Indian market more than two decades ago (along with Kinetic), the company’s intention was to study the customer, his requirements, his mentality and the market behaviour apart from making a name for themselves. The Japanese manufacturer did its job flawlessly and got out of the venture to set up their unit. The first independent wing badged product to roll out in India was the Activa. I clearly remember that the scooter market was almost dead at the time of Activa’s launch way back in 2001. Would you believe it if I said that a leading two-wheeler manufacturer in India had actually ridiculed Honda for entering India with just an Activa on offer when the market for scooters was rapidly fading? Honda proved the critics wrong and how! Not only did the company run down the competition with a mere Activa, but they also came up with products like the Dio and the Aviator which featured the same function in different forms. The Honda scooters ruled the segment for years before facing some competition. Now when there are products in the market that can challenge Honda’s prowess, the company is on its way to upgrade its line-up.

A few months ago, Honda reintroduced the new Activa with restyled bodywork and more importantly, a new 110cc engine. What follows as the next step in their current market strategy is the introduction of the same 110cc engine in the Aviator. Why? Simple. The Indian consumer believes in one major factor – brand name. The Honda tag has come to be associated with reliability. Plus, the Indian consumer wants something unique that is not very common on the road. So, the Aviator is kind of an answer to this situation. Honda is providing the same reliability, performance and efficiency as
that of the Activa in a machine with a different form. But what is this new 110cc engine all about? What exactly is its benefit over the earlier 100cc engine? To start off, the Aviator now boasts 8.1PS of peak power, almost 1PS over its predecessor. More importantly, the peak torque figure has also gone up by 1.2Nm over the previous iteration giving the scooter a much better rideability in city traffic. The stop and go chaos in urban areas demands more torque and that is where the Aviator wins over its predecessor. Its potent motor is ever ready to propel you ahead comfortably every time you wring the right wrist. However, that doesn’t mean you should expect a sudden surge of power when the scoot is abused with a full throttle. Like a typical Honda, the scooter’s power delivery is extremely linear and smooth giving you a jerk free ride. Also, with its slightly increased cubic capacity, expect the Aviator to hit a top speed that is a tad higher than the previous variant. But does this increase in power and torque translate to compromised fuel efficiency? Surprisingly not. The Aviator managed to deliver an overall economy of 52kmpl as against 46kmpl of its earlier version, which translates to a fantastic 13 percent rise in efficiency.

While more power and torque coupled with a better fuel efficiency is the story of the new 110cc engine from the Honda stable, there are some additions to the features list of the Aviator as well. The scooter comes in two variants as earlier – one with a disc brake up front and the other with the plain simple drum. The company has also introduced the Combined Braking System (CBS) on the Aviator that was first seen on the refreshed Activa. However unlike the Activa, since the Deluxe version of the Aviator sports a disc brake in the front, it calls for a more complex CBS system than the regular cable actuated drum brakes. The CBS unit has been nicely concealed behind the front board under the handlebar. Basically, this back-to-front CBS system ensures that even if you pull just the rear brake, the front one is also partially actuated making deceleration safer. This helps in reducing the braking distance as well as the braking time. The chassis, suspension and wheels from the old version of the Aviator have been retained in the new model thus assuring the same class of handling and ride quality. Also new on the features list is the introduction of a new viscous air filter and a maintenance free battery.

So will your new Aviator stand out from the older one? Yes, but very frankly, not in a way that I would want it to. The Aviator has carried a polished and elegant look since its launch a couple of years ago. Its styling has either attracted a lot of love or a lot of hatred. I have personally loved the Aviator’s design considering the fact that the scooter is primarily targeted at the executive male consumer. However, the elegance of the Aviator has taken a hit with the introduction of chrome in place of the matte finish front panel parts. In my opinion, the chrome adds a lot of bling to the scooter rather than elegance. There are a couple of new colour options on offer and the grab rails now come painted in the body scheme. Apart from that, there is nothing noticeable in the styling of the Aviator. Moving on to the fifty grand question – would you buy it? If the chrome at the front doesn’t matter much to you and you have that extra moolah to shell out on reliability, performance and the feel good factor offered by the Honda, then there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be riding the Aviator.

The grab rails on the new Aviator now come in the body paint scheme unlike the silver ones on the earlier version	The front end of the new Aviator sports chrome in place of the more elegant matte finish panel – a change less welcome

Mahindra’s second offering, the Rodeo is a funky little machine with a powerful heart
Words: Ravi Chandnani 
Photography: Sanjay Raikar

With the Duro, Mahindra and Mahindra have been able to meet the needs of serious users. However, they haven’t forgotten the youth and hence to entice the fun loving youngster they have introduced the Rodeo which is a funky little machine in the truest sense. It satisfies the demands of people who love to zip around town and like to flash their machines. It is a sleek scooter that features an array of easy to use stuff that is often in demand by many youngsters these days.

The Rodeo’s key feature is its contemporary, sleek and sporty design. Though largely based on the Flyte, a few modifications set the Rodeo apart from its cousin. The well toned front end with curvaceous blinkers, a stylish headlamp, a well proportioned fender and a chrome garnish on the nose will make your college buddies drool over the scoot. Well almost! The sleekness of the Rodeo is evident in the flowing lines that start at the front end and continue towards the rear creating a perfect silhouette. At the rear, the tail lamp blends in perfectly with the rest of the design completing the sporty looking tail. The huge body coloured rear grab rail adds a little spice to the whole package.

Sporty scooters have an image of being uncomfortable, however, the Rodeo doesn’t compromise on the comfort front as the seat can accommodate a fat rider like me quite easily. Unlike conventional scoots in India, the Rodeo features a complete digital instrument cluster that has a tachometer, (the only Indian scooter currently in production to have one) speedometer, trip meter, acceleration indicator, fuel gauge and above all a clock to ensure that you stay punctual. But that’s just the cream over the coffee. The real attraction is the colour changing backlight display that has seven shades to choose from including fluorescent green, magenta and fiery red. The quality of the switches is quite neat, however, the plastics appear a bit dull.

The foot board is spacious but the gap in the center is narrow. There is more than enough storage space available under the seat which has been possible due to the front fuelling system but more on that later. 22 litres of space is at your disposal to stuff it with a full-sized helmet with enough room for a small bag or a jacket. It also features a tiny little light for easy access at night. The small storage box up front is a smart idea, however if Mahindra would have provided a lid, it would have helped in keeping stuff dry during the rains. The multi function key on the Rodeo can lock the handlebars, open the fuel cap located in the front for easy refueling and when flipped, it covers the key hole protecting the scoot against a theft attempt. Finally, it features a 12V charging point next to the key hole to keep your cell phone’s battery charged.

That’s how the Rodeo appears when it is standing still but the fun quotient is pretty similar to the aesthetic appeal of the scoot. The engine is overwhelmingly smooth and continues to stay that way throughout the rev range. Being a torquey scooter, it is able to sprint ahead with absolute ease. The fine power delivery ensures a jerk free ride. The 8PS of power and 9Nm of torque are quite adequate to zip through city traffic and negotiate the rush hour traffic jams. Many youngsters will expect the Rodeo to be very fast but it is not quite up to the mark when it comes to the top end whack. The tested scoot displayed a genuine top speed of 87km/h and a 0-60km/h timing of 12.5sec. These figures are quite ssatisfactory given the fact that the Rodeo costs Rs 46,801 (OTR, Pune) which is quite reasonable for a 125cc scooter.

One of the most important elements in a vehicle is the suspension and the Rodeo is among the few scooters that feature a telescopic front suspension which is great for stability and handling. The rear suspension is also good providing ample damping force to tackle Indian roads. Lastly, the 130mm brakes are quite up to the mark as they provide enough stopping power under hard braking to bring the scoot to a safe halt.

VERDICT
Sporty and sleek at the same time, the Rodeo is one scooter that is perfectly aimed at people looking for affordability and quality. This Mahindra scooter offers 125cc of power, comfortable seating, out of the world storage and a trendy instrument cluster along with a contemporary styling and good value for money. The Rodeo is a perfect blend of everything at a very reasonable price tag.

Front End A funkier front with a bit of chrome and mordern day styling makes the Rodeo more appealing	STYLING Sporty and sleek with a perfect balance of power and handling makes the Rodeo quite appealing	Digital Meter The console looks ultra stylish with the addition of a tachometer and the switchable backlight colour

Mahindra’s debutant scooter in the market, the Duro is an ideal vehicle for city riding
Words: Ravi Chandnani  Photography Sanjay Raikar

Mahindra and Mahindra are well known for their tractors and commercial vehicles that roam desi roads. They are also famous for their SUVs, however, the two-wheeled segment is an entirely new field for the firm. In their initial innings, the company has launched two new scoots – the Rodeo and the Duro. The first offering is for the fun loving rider whereas the latter scoot is for the serious and no-nonsense types.

What is Duro?
Well, the Duro is a scooter with an attitude that commands respect on the road. It is aimed at men and women who prefer to ride around the city doing some serious stuff like going to the office, dropping kids to school, grocery shopping and similar tasks. In today’s world we notice a lot of scooters with similar designs and specifications, however, the Duro is not like the ordinary models. It features a 125cc engine with a comfortable seat, an easy to read console, ample storage capacity and enough power to leave the 100cc scoots behind. This scoot retails at around Rs 43,477 (OTR, Pune) making it cheaper than the competition.

Underneath the contemporary design, the Duro is powered by a 125cc mill with quite a good amount of power. Taking a closer look at the details you realize that the proportions are well in order and nothing seems to be out of place. The neat front end with vertically mounted blinkers appears quite decent. The subtle layout of the front is evidence of the no-nonsense image of the scooter. This subtleness is also quite evident in the analogue console that features a speedometer and a fuel gauge. Continuing towards the rear, one can notice the flowing construction of the foot board that merges quite well with the rear body panels. However, the overall quality of plastics is satisfactory and nothing great. A huge seat with a stylish body colored grab rail is comfy and can accommodate riders with a fat bottom quite easily. Ample leg space up front means that you can ride comfortably in the city without worrying much about a leg ache. However, tall riders might find it a bit uncomfortable as the handlebars may touch the knee while negotiating turns and U-bends from a standstill because of the lowered position. The rear end is attractive with a huge tail lamp that has integrated blinkers. Storage is in abundance on the Duro as it has a front storage box for accommodating your knickknacks like gloves, scarves or documents and the under seat storage space can gobble up a full size helmet with a little bit of space to spare. The Duro is available in six different shades and has minimal use of stickers to keep the scoot looking decent and subtle.

The powerful and torquey engine is quite smooth	The smart front storage space is ideal for small items like gloves or documents

How does it handle?
Acceleration is good with ample power flowing to the rear wheel when you wring the throttle. Being majorly dedicated to city riding, the Duro handles traffic without any hassles. The 125cc engine develops 8PS of power and 9Nm of torque which is more than enough for negotiating crowded streets and tight spots on the road. The powerful and torquey engine helps when negotiating steep inclines like the ones in parking lots and flyovers with very less stress on the engine. Performance is quite good as the scooter can reach a true top speed of 87km/h and does the 0-60km/h run in 12.5sec. With this kind of power you can load up the footboard with goods and the Duro’s engine will run smoothly without a protest.

The powerful motor starts pulling quite nicely right from the start even with a lightweight pillion on board. The suspension is nice and balanced as it absorbs road undulations without letting the rider know much about it. However, it may rock you when you hit a big pothole or a ditch. City riding demands sudden acceleration with constant braking so having good brakes becomes indispensable and the Duro provides you exactly that in the form of 130mm drum brakes up front and at the rear.

Verdict
When you consider buying a scooter that will spend much of its life in the city you need to go in for a tough and durable machine that not only offers good quality but also value for money. A 125cc engine, a top whack of 87km/h, a comfortable ride with loads of storage space and fairly good suspension and brakes at a pretty reasonably price, makes the Duro a good value for money scoot to ride around in the city.

An easy to read console makes life easy while negotiating the Indian traffic situation	The underseat storage can gobble up a full sized lid quite easily