Best Bikes in India | No.1 Two Wheeler Magazine
Steering RC bikes, flaunting Italian apparel or simply laying back on the couch engrossed in hardcore gaming – we give you the best options
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Kyosho RC Bikes |
Oakley Oil Rig and Straight Jacket |
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Wheelman |
Alpinestars S-MX R Boots |
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Alpinestars MotoGP Collection |
Amit Chhangani tries to find a bit of love in the ‘Blade’s mechanical brilliance
Photography Sanjay Raikar
The windy roads of Lavasa are a biker’s delight. Riding the 1000RR is easy on the wrists and shoulders. The riding position doesn’t make you feel as if your hands have swapped the weight bearing duties from your legs. Unlike the R1, and some of its other Italian counterparts, the CBR’s riding position doesn’t make a newbie wonder how he can manage to turn those bars with so much weight biased to the front.
The new ‘Blade is an incredibly compact machine for its power. All the machinery between the wheels has been packed as tightly as possible in order to keep the dimensions small and shave off a bit of weight. The wheelbase is a tad longer to enhance stability but look at those minute details like the closer front forks, the tiny subframe and the stubby exhaust and you understand how far Honda have gone to keep this bike compact.
The ‘09 ‘Blade produces a whopping 178PS of neck snapping power at the crank which translates into a crazy 164PS at the wheel. With a bit of caution and relatively poor quality of fuel available in India, we managed a 0-100km/h acceleration timing of 3.44s.
This 1000RR has the most progressive power delivery I have ever experienced on such a bike. There’s not one sudden bump or dip in the power curve – it keeps on building power in an incredibly linear manner – right up to the peak of its power curve at 12,250rpm. Even the front wheel would lift up in a graceful, controlled manner as you power the bike hard in the smaller gears – no abrupt prancing here.
I was a bit surprised when I found myself struggling to turn the bike smoothly around slower, tighter corners. Also, I found that every minute bump on the road was getting translated directly into my buttocks trying to pop me off the bike. It didn’t take me much time to understand that the 43mm upside down front forks and the rear monoshock weren’t adjusted properly. You have to have the suspension setting right if you were to experience its magical virtues. Setting rider sag correctly cured the problem and the Honda felt much nimbler and easier to point and shoot around curves.
The compact dimensions, the low weight, the easy riding position and above all the evenly spread power delivery make this Honda a newbie’s dream.
To make the ‘09 1000RR even more idiot proof, Honda have introduced the C-ABS system on the bike. The rear wheel of other such bikes points skywards in no time under emergency braking but the C-ABS distributes the brake force to both wheels to prevent that from happening and provides additional stability under harsh braking.
Onto the bike’s design then. I preferred not to discuss the aesthetics of the new ‘Blade at the outset as it’s one of the very few areas where this bike doesn’t absolutely outclass its competition. It wouldn’t have been right to begin talking about such a brilliant bike on a negative note. To be honest, I am not very fond of the ‘09 ‘Blade’s design. I have heard people say that its design grows on you. I don’t dispute that – it probably does. But it’ll never draw the attention of a neutral eye when it passes it alongside something like an R1 or even a Gixxer. Even a piece of stone has enough details for one to examine and appreciate, but there’s something about the visuals of a diamond that makes it special. If something doesn’t snatch attention, you may have a hundred ways to justify its lack of charisma but it ideally should be an eye magnet if it is to be called beautiful. And the new CBR 1000RR isn’t a beautiful looking bike by that definition. It’s a shame that this bike is so understated, so devoid of visual and aural drama, so unrepresentative of its brilliance at first view.
As I blasted down the straight road leading up to the expressway, I saw the speedo needle nudging 220km/h. It’s a trivial chore for this bike to attain that sort of velocity. But from within that middle-of-the-road KBC helmet, the deafening roar of the wind blast, the blurred hedges on the median and the perennial worry of witnessing the legendary Indian dog that emerges out of thin air made sure that I rolled off instantly. I have done this earlier too, numerous times, but all the perils of a typical Indian road aside, this Honda felt the safest. The ‘09 1000RR is a brilliant machine. To me, the 1000RR is an achingly beautiful dame, unaware of her sex appeal. To make matters worse, she has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Yale and a technical job in the world’s top investment banking firm. She applies no makeup, hardly smiles and sleeps in her formals bought strictly from Marks & Spencer. If only she’d let her hair loose. If only she wore Prada. If only she had a husky, seductive voice. If only…
Akshay “Iron Butt” Kaushal rides more than 1000 miles to complete the SaddleSore ride.
Story: Mihir Gadre Photos: Akshay Kaushal
Akshay Kaushal has become one of the only two Indians to have been featured on the Iron Butt Association’s website for completing the SaddleSore ride. On the 29th of October 2008, Akshay, who works as a journalist with the Times Group, embarked on the endurance ride on his Bajaj Pulsar 180 DTSi finally covering a total of 1,734 kilometers in less than 24 hours. He started his ride from Ahmedabad (Gujarat) continuing on to Udaipur, Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Gurgaon (Haryana) before returning to Ahmedabad to participate in the SaddleSore 1000.
In a bid to identify the world’s toughest riders, the Iron Butt Association of Chicago, Illinois, USA certifies individuals who dare to achieve this extremely difficult feat of riding 1000 miles astride a bike in under 24 hours. The SaddleSore 1000 is conducted under very strict guidelines set forth by the Iron Butt Association. The rules state that a rider should complete 1000 miles in less than 24 hours with an error margin of five percent for the odometer which takes the total distance to 1050 miles i.e. around 1700km. The rider has to retain the fuel receipts paid using a credit card from the start to the end point and submit them as proof. He is not allowed to travel on the same road more than twice and he should have a witness at the start point as well as the destination.
Akshay’s achievement is even more special given that 1000 miles on Indian roads on an Indian bike is at least twice as difficult as doing the same distance on smooth European motorways or American freeways astride a big cruiser. Our hearty congratulations to him for having achieving this feat
TVS has upped the performance ante of the Apache with a new 180cc variant. Amit Chhangani gives the new bike the BI treatment
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
TVS’s test track at Hosur is as simple to learn as that except for the two rather uneven troughs – one in the middle of the long arc and another at the left hander exit. Perfect to appreciate one of the two most significant changes incorporated in the new Apache RTR 180 as compared to its predecessor.
The new bike’s wheelbase is longer than the 160 by a good 40mm, making it substantially more stable and confidence inspiring than its earlier iteration when leaned over. In its newest avatar the RTR feels more stable and planted both in a straight line as well as around bends. Both the bumps on the track, which made us cautious during the first few laps, were taken in its stride with disdain. I managed to ride the 180 and the 160 RTRs on the track back-to-back and the difference in the handling characteristics was clearly perceptible. Not that the older RTR felt scary around the bumps, but the new bike augments the feeling of confidence and makes you push harder without any worries.
Another, more obvious improvement is the bigger capacity engine. The new 177.4cc mill is a bored out variation of the 160cc mill and has a longer stroke too. With 62.5mm bore and 57.8mm stroke, the new engine still remains an oversquare, screamer unit but not so much so
as the 160. Power is up by 1.9PS to 17.3PS and the new engine produces 2.4 more units of twisting force at 15.5Nm. Peak power is produced at 8500rpm similar to RTR 160, though the peak torque is now produced at 6500 revs, 500 more than the carburetted variant of the bike’s smaller capacity version.
The increased power and torque makes itself very palpable especially while accelerating hard from a standstill. However, the new bike somehow doesn’t feel as free-revving as its predecessor. Down the straight on the test track, before braking, the 180 showed a speed of 120km/h on the digital display while the 160 was marginally slower at 118km/h. Tech boffins at TVS admitted that they have not worked towards increasing the top speed of the bike but to increase it’s low and midrange grunt as well as in-gear acceleration times. We must mention that the new RTR doesn’t have a rev limiter. Rev the bike hard in neutral or in the first gear and the tacho needle keeps swinging to the 12,000rpm limit on the tacho. That’s good news as the absence of a limiter hints at introduction of performance kits for the bike by the company in the near future. Hooligans rejoice!
Technically, worth a mention are the newly developed TVS Srichakra tubeless tyres both upfront as well as at the rear. The new tyres are wider (90/90 x 17-inch front and 110/80 x 17-inch rear) which are much lighter than the tubed tyres. The fact, along with the incorporation of a lighter crank employed in the engine, means that the overall weight of the bike remains unchanged. Other technical changes include a 270mm petal disc at the front and a 200mm petal disc at the rear as standard equipment. Carburetion duties have been handed over to the Mikuni BS-29 carburettor. There isn’t a FI version available for this bike and we don’t see one coming in the near future.
On the visual front, the 180 adorns a new graphic scheme to distinguish itself from its smaller siblings with ‘RTR’ emblazoned boldly on the tank scoops. The front forks and the gas reservoirs for the rear shocks are now painted in a new golden shade and the clip-ons have a new RTR 180 emblem at the centre. Other cosmetic upgrades include a new slim, superbike style, trident shaped mud flap under the rear fender. It can be replaced by the conventional mud flap. The rear-set footpegs for the rider as well as the pillion come in two forms. You may either have a racing style naked metallic set or get them covered with a rubber cover for better cushioning. The tacho dial for the new bike is painted in a sporty white shade as against the black-grey-white theme for the 160 FI.
The new bike feels more planted and has got more grunt, more grip and more poise. The prices have not been announced yet, but we expect the new bike to be priced a tad cheaper than the RTR 160 FI priced at rupees 74 grand. The new TVS 180 looks like a potent contender in the Indian performance bike arena.
Bunny Punia spends a Sunday morning astride a rather different kind of bike
It’s quite rare for me to be in my home town, New Delhi for more than a day and that too on a weekend. I love spending time with my family, lazing around in the house and playing with my little niece. But last month, I simply couldn’t resist a test ride on my kind of bike.
Off-roading hasn’t really caught on amongst the biking enthusiasts in the country. It is more or less limited to the national championships that often take place in South India. Ashish from Adventure Wheels, however, thinks there is a small but important and as yet unexplored market out there for these leisure bikes. Apart from bikes, he is also importing an ATV with an engine as big as 550cc! But let’s talk about the bikes for now. The spot chosen by Ashish for riding and photographing the two bikes he got along (in a small tempo mind you) was great. I had to follow his car for close to an hour, but in the end, we
were around 30km from the Delhi border on the base of the Aravali mountains near Sohna.
I started the morning’s ride on the smaller 150cc bike which frankly did disappoint me initially. An extra large rear sprocket meant gearing was too short and before I knew it, I was in the fifth within a matter of seconds! However, it was a dirt bike and with the right kind of suspension, this little number was ready for anything. Powered by a 12.4bhp mill, it had enough grunt for most types of off-roading stints. The bigger 250cc bike was, however, the reason I was here. Even for a 6 footer like me, swinging a leg over it was difficult. Both my toes hardly touched the ground. Nonetheless within minutes, I found myself literally flying over pebbles and rocks at good speeds. This damn thing really had the dexterity to ride over nasty off-road sections at 45-50km/h! Even while riding on broken tarmac, with the digital speedometer showing 80-85km/h, the superb suspension setup chewed and spat any and everything that came its way. Dumping the clutch over undulations saw the front wheel go up easily.
The 250cc bike’s liquid cooled motor develops an impressive 24bhp of power and is mated to a six-speed ‘box. There is more than adequate power for even serious hill climbing and flat out, the bike manages around 110km/h. The acceleration through the gears is impressive and the grunty exhaust note sounds great. Ashish is importing this bike from Taiwan and selling it for around Rs 3 lakh. Yes, it sounds a lot but since they are imported as CBU units, a hefty sum has to be paid for custom duties. For those who wish to spend less, the 150cc offering makes great sense. Retailing for around Rs 1.2 lakh, it won’t make a huge dent in your pocket too. For more, log onto www.adventurewheels.co.in
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The liquid cooled engine felt punchy and had no signs of fatigue even after being pushed hard for a good 30 minutes |
A claimed output of 24bhp means lifting the front was rather easy |
Ashish is working hard on making these bikes road legal. But getting things cleared from ARAI can be tough and time consuming |
