This month we bring you performance accessories for your imports and new safety headgear
to match up to the speed
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Pulse & Raptor jackets |
KBC FFR |
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TBR M2 V.A.L.E Slip-on / Full system |
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Sparx S07 |
Canon EOS 500D |
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Prince of zeal
A crown (the bike’s new visor) not withstanding, Bunny Punia thinks the new FZS is the last word in fun biking in India
Photography: Bunny Punia, Martin Alva, Munish Shekhawat
In India, two-wheeler manufacturers have different ways of promoting their products. While some rely solely on their product virtues or advertisements, others make sure the bonding between the owners and their bikes play an important role. For Yamaha, things are a little different. It is not every day that you see senior management personnel of a two-wheeler manufacturer ride with the media guys during a launch or a ride function – be it aboard the YZF-R15 at the Sriperumbudur racetrack or astride the FZ-16 during its launch in Goa.
The road to success for Yamaha in India has been hard but in the last year or so, a strong upward movement in sales charts has shown that the company’s efforts have begun to yield results. In March 2009, Yamaha sold 14,558 units (with the FZ series making up for more than 50 percent of the sales) which was a whopping 45 percent increase over the same month last year. With volumes on the rise each month, Yamaha has become the fastest growing two-wheeler manufacturer in India. Continuing with the success of the R15 and FZ-16, the Japanese firm decided to pimp up the latter with a few cosmetic touches and hence was born the FZS that you see across these four pages.
A first proper look at the FZS combined with experiencing the fun element that this bike comes attached with was the agenda behind Yamaha taking a few select journos for a trip to North India at a small hill station based around a lake, Nainital, some 300 odd km from Delhi. After an awfully slow and grueling twelve hour bus journey (at the end of it, all of us thought biking up would have been a better option), the setting for the open air, overlooking the lake cocktail-cum-presentation dinner helped combat the fatigue (and frustration). Plus we had the new incarnations of the FZ-16 for company with a couple of FZs with aftermarket add-ons. Nainital was chilly and while we sipped liquor and warmed our hands around the burning coal, the presentation by Sanjay Tripathi gave us a fair idea of what lay in store for us the next day.
The morning session saw us riding around the hill station on sticky tarmac, enjoying the amazing flickable nature of the bike. Though we were on roads between 5000-6500 feet above mean sea level, which meant the slightly thinner air robbed the engine of some power, the bike’s fantastic midrange torque made up for it and the 35km odd loop was covered in just half an hour. Most of us wanted a break from our hectic daily routine and loved riding on such roads. How could we restrain ourselves from making the bike dance on one wheel as well?
The afternoon riding session, however, was longer (and faster) with some of us staying right at the tail of the leading bike ridden by a Yamaha rider. The destination was Corbett National Park around 110km away. Yes we were scarily fast, but the adrenaline rush made sure the right wrist was wrung open, making full use of the bike’s capabilities (and the tyres too). Traffic was sparse and the occasional speed breakers were of course negotiated with ease. The day’s ride saw one media guy taking a spill and well, the incident did bring us back to reality and we backed off a little from the throttle. The evening saw us riding onto the dry riverbed for some fantastic photo opportunities with some of us riding on the pegs, jumping over typical, huge white riverbed stones. This was where I kept the FZ-16 and FZS side by side to compare the differences. The cosmetic changes are few – a sharper headlamp, a new visor, new colour schemes and alloy wheel strips, et al – but they help in giving the bike a completely new character which in my opinion easily makes the FZS the best looking bike in India. The changes do make the bike dearer by a couple of grand but the boffins at Yamaha are confident about the positive sales of their product.
Media rides like these are vital. An opportunity for a close interaction with the top guys as well as the factory riders helps to shed light on various aspects of the bike and its development. I have ridden the FZ-16 extensively in Pune but the route chosen by Yamaha riders had a lot of variations including superb sticky twisties, dry riverbeds, small stream crossings etc. Riding the FZ-S over all these terrains enlightened us about a lot more aspects as well. For instance, the next day, while riding deep into the Park, we came across numerous 15-20 feet long shallow humps which were entered at close to triple digit speeds and exiting them saw both wheels at least a foot off the road. Landing back didn’t weave the bike at all. Stability, flickability and a torquey engine – I have always loved the FZ and this small interaction with the new FZS impressed me further. Small capacity bikes can be fun too.
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The new visor not only looks cool, but also helps deflect some amount of air from the riders chest. Seen in the background is the Ramganga river |
A big thanks to the Yamaha factory riders (with Morita San in the center) for all the hard work they put in to plan this ride |
Sanjay Tripathi has been the face of Yamaha India for most of us journos, and we have always found him riding enthusia-stically along with us on all the media rides |
Versatility-defined
Adhish Alawani finds out if the new RTR 180 packs in the ingredients of an all-rounder
Photography Sanjay Raikar
TVS Motors had the Apache RTR 180 in the pipeline for a long time. The bike’s predecessor, the RTR 160 has already proven to be one of the best bikes in its class. This fact alone had definitely raised my expectations from the new bike and when I first saw the breathtaking promotional video of the RTR 180 shot at one of the MotoGP tracks abroad, my excitement knew no bounds. I could hardly wait to lay my hands on this beast. After innumerable calls to the TVS guys, I finally got the chance to pick up the RTR 180 from the company warehouse on the outskirts of Pune.
The bike’s sparkling white colour with golden front forks and rear shock gas reservoirs plus the big RTR logo running across the tank scoops is a treat for the eyes. In spite of not making too many cosmetic changes to the original RTR, the 180’s refreshed looks make it stand out from its 160cc sibling. The front and rear petal disc brakes come from the fuel injected version of the RTR 160. TVS has retained the instrumentation console of the 160 although it sports a white treatment now. It retains the 0-60km/h timer and the high speed recorder previously featured the older RTR. What comes as an option on the bike is a set of naked footpegs for the track (which otherwise have rubber sleeves over them) and a stylish rear fender. All in all, the RTR 180 is more or less the same as its 160cc version with minor but welcome upgrades.
Without wasting too much time at the warehouse, I hit the road astride one of the most awaited performance bikes in the country. The company claims that the RTR 180 is one of the quickest Indian bikes from zero to 60km/h. I wasn’t quite convinced about this while riding it for the first few minutes. The engine is not as free revving as the smaller RTR. TVS also claims that the 180’s horsepower is considerably higher (17.3PS) at 8500rpm compared to the 160cc bike (15.5PS). Additionally, the new bike’s peak torque has increased to 15.5Nm from 13.1Nm of the RTR 160. It was obvious that all these figures had to reflect in the performance testing results even if they weren’t really being felt while riding normally. And boy was I impressed after the performance runs! The RTR 180 managed to pull off the 60km/h mark from standstill in just 4.64 seconds – a feat as yet unattained even by some of the higher capacity Indian bikes. During testing, the bike took just 18.47 seconds for the quarter mile run. An interesting fact here is that the engine has a very linear power delivery. Wring your wrist at any given rpm and the bike is more than happy to start pulling away comfortably. The Apache 180 also managed to pull off a true top speed close to 124km/h which is slightly more than the RTR 160’s top speed. What is worth mentioning is that the new 180’s engine doesn’t have a rev limiter. The tacho redlines at 9000rpm, however, rev it hard and the engine can go all the way up to 12,000rpm – the last mark on the tachometer. The fact that TVS is developing a race kit for the RTR 180 makes a lot of sense as it will help boost the power in those high revs. Nonetheless, until that happens, we are sure enthusiasts will be more than happy with the stock bike.
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The new 177.4cc mill packs in adequate power to plaster a grin on every enthusiast’s face |
The golden gas reservoirs are among the few cosmetic upgrades on the 180 |
The instrumentation console remains more or less the same as the 160’s except for the white treatment |
Considering the fact that TVS has created the 180 by keeping performance as a top priority, it goes without saying that the company has made sure that the bike’s chassis can handle power quite ably. The bike’s wheelbase was increased by 26mm as compared to the RTR 160. The longer wheelbase has lent a very stable and planted character to the 180. The way the bike behaves in corners instills a lot of confidence in the rider. Throw the bike around a bend at the maximum possible speed, get your butt off the saddle and point the knee down – you are surely in for a comfortable high speed cornering act. I wonder how many Indian bikes would be able to match this kind of handling. And it is not just about the corners, the RTR 180 feels very stable on bumpy and uneven surfaces as well. The stability of the chassis is phenomenal and the grip lent by the new set of lightweight TVS Shrichakra aids the handling of the bike to a great extent. The manufacturer has switched from the 18-inch rear tyre of the 160 to a wider 17-inch one on the 180 while retaining the 17-inch front.
TVS engineers who have done a lot of work on the racing front for the company’s factory team in India have pooled in their collective experience in creating the RTR 180. The new bike’s amazing power delivery and fantastic handling characteristics is a proof of the fact that a motorcycle can be perfected to a great extent on the racetrack. Yet, in doing all this, they haven’t missed out on other aspects of biking. I had to catch up with a friend in Mumbai the other day and I took this opportunity to ride the RTR on the NH4. Even after riding the bike for two and a half hours continuously, there was no hint of fatigue crept in my body. The new RTR’s handlebar-footpeg geometry is so versatile that apart from the racetrack, it will prove to be highly comfortable even on the highways and in the city. The Pune-Mumbai NH4 ride was a testimony of the high speed stability of the RTR 180. Not to forget, that the Apache RTR is one of the better bikes to ride in traffic with its strong low end grunt. Additionally, the bike’s flickability makes it a fun machine for the city.
Let’s talk about an aspect of biking worshipped in India – stunting. The images of the Apache 180 featured on these pages probably speak more than a thousand words. The bike is a stunter’s delight and is extremely wheelie friendly, ready to pop that front wheel anytime it is required to do so. In fact, even during the performance testing, I had a tough time keeping the front wheel down while managing the perfect launch. The longer wheelbase has made it a bit difficult to execute stoppies easily, however, it’s just a matter of getting the hang of it. So where does the RTR 180 lack? There are hardly any negative aspects of the bike aside from the fact that the engine doesn’t rev smoothly. Also, one wouldn’t call the RTR 180 a very refined machine. But well, refinement is not something that everyone likes. There are people who love to have that slight grunty feel from a motorcycle which adds a big bike flavor to the machine.
At the end of the day, when I look back at all the characteristics of the Apache RTR 180, I am convinced that TVS has successfully introduced a bike in the local market which is ready to take on other contenders in India’s performance bike segment. The RTR 180 is a highly versatile machine that can do almost everything comfortably be it sport riding, city commuting, touring or stunting. There is absolutely no area where the bike refuses to perform. The manufacturer’s claim that the RTR 180 is one of the quickest from zero to 60km/h is absolutely correct and the bike truly lives up to TVS’ racetrack promotion. But there’s a lot more to the bike apart from just its performance and racing gene. It returns a decent fuel efficiency of 42kmpl in the city and 55kmpl on highways. What else do we need from a bike that costs Rs 72,000 (approx OTR, Pune)? Probably nothing! Except, of course, TVS’ performance kit that produces even more power beyond the red line!
WINS ON TRACK
The all-new MotoGP-style R1 outclasses its rivals in the toughest ever track test. Find out how…
‘This is a bike so full of contradictions but it’s so damn good’
1ST
Yamaha’s epic new R1 is the unanimous, hands-down winner of our 1000cc superbike track test. It easily beats the competition, but it has to be said from the off that it takes time to appreciate the R1’s brilliance. That’s down to the Yamaha’s unique MotoGP-inspired crossplane crank motor with its irregular firing intervals. It’s so different to anything anyone – except Valentino Rossi and his mates – have ridden before, it takes time for it all to sink in.
When fellow road tester Bruce Dunn rode it briefly for straight-line performance testing at our test strip, he wasn’t jumping for joy. When I rode it against the more familiar Fireblade in France, I was initially convinced it wasn’t as good as the Honda. Already there have been magazine articles saying it’s all hype.
But all these opinions come from lack of quality time in the saddle. The more you ride the R1, the more you’ll fall in love with its unbelievably vibe-free engine, glassy-smooth power delivery, gruff factory YZR-M1 engine note and ability to let you get on the throttle sooner than you ever thought possible. Jump off the R1 and on to any of the other four-cylinder 1000s here, and they lack the Yamaha’s instant burst of acceleration as soon as you pick up the throttle out of a corner. They all feel a bit gutless and vibey.
All of us on this test were bowled over by the R1, including James Haydon, who was almost speechless after riding it.
Inspired by MotoGP
Back in 2004, Yamaha gave Rossi’s M1 a crossplane crank and irregular firing order so he could get in and out of corners as fast as possible. The same applies to the new R1. It’s like there’s an electric motor in the big red Deltabox chassis, not a big inline four-cylinder internal combustion engine.
Unlike the others, the engine won’t try to twist the chassis and pump the tyre under hard acceleration, causing it to be unstable. It just drives you forward with sublime feel for the rear tyre, so you can get on the throttle sooner and harder from the middle of the corner.
You almost have to ride the R1 like a twin – using the grunt, not the revs – so a lot of the corners at Cartagena can be taken a gear higher than on the Blade, for example, which makes the Yamaha less frantic to ride fast. Ironically, the slower corners have to be taken in first, though, as it has a very tall bottom gear.
Worn tyres don’t faze it
The R1 is also easiest of all the bikes here to ride on worn tyres. You can feel the exact moment the tyre starts to lose grip and you can control it from there. When the ZX-10R goes, it snaps sideways violently. The Blade and the K9 have lots of natural grip thanks to their long swing-
arms, but still don’t offer the sublime feel of the Yamaha. The electronically-aided Ducati just splutters on its traction control when the tyre starts to spin, which is cool, but you have to wait too long for the power to come back in again, by which time the R1 has buggered off along the next straight.
With its lack of crank inertia, when you throttle-off the R1 freewheels, almost silently like a two-stroke. This keeps the R1 stable on the way into corners and gives you the confidence to run in faster with more control. But this lack of engine braking can make the R1 ‘back in’ slightly, especially if you use the back brake, so you have to ride accordingly.
Like three bikes in one
The R1 is three bikes in one: a twin or V4 on the throttle, a two-stroke off it and an inline four at high revs.
This is the key to the R1’s speed around the track or through a set of corners on the road, but none of it shows up on paper, testing it by conventional means. Its power and torque figures aren’t particularly impressive (it’s the least powerful inline four) and the straight-line performance is on a par with the competition. Where you feel it is through the seat of your pants and, of course, on a stop watch around a track.
The ZX-10R has 13bhp more power, but it still laps over a second slower than the R1. And the Yamaha is two and a half seconds faster than the more powerful new K9. It’s nearly a second quicker than the Ducati 1198S – and that has full Ohlins suspension and traction control!
It’s hard to see how the competition is going to catch up in the future. The ZX-10R proves that throwing big bhp at a bike doesn’t make it fast from A to B. The Ducati shows that top-shelf suspension, a big engine and advanced electronics can’t quite close the gap on the R1. It’s going to take some Yamaha-style ‘out of the box’ thinking to catch the R1.
While the engine dominates the R1, it also handles beautifully – once it’s properly set up for the track. Get it on its nose – by taking off front preload, adding more rear and tightening up the damping at each end – and it ‘floats’ around the track.
A fast lap is completely effortless. The suspension is plush, giving lots of feel, and flip-flop chicanes can be taken with ease. The brakes have more feel and power than any R1 I’ve ever ridden and the lack of engine vibes and useable power make riding the R1 as fast and easy as playing a computer game.
That’s not to say the Yamaha isn’t fun and involving. A screaming four-cylinder Blade or ZX-10R certainly gets the juices flowing, but there’s nothing more fun than reducing following riders to a speck in your mirrors as you leave them for dust out of corners and pull a huge gap. Here at Cartagena there must have been a lot of red-faced slick-shod race bike riders wondering ‘what the hell was that growling bike with a numberplate, indicators and mirrors’ flying past them.
Verdict
Yamaha has shown its crossplane crank engine and irregular firing order works at MotoGP; Ben Spies has proved it works at WSB and it has demolished the competition in our 1000cc superbikes shootout. Here is a bike so full of contradictions and so different to anything out there, but just so damn good. Most impressively, our R1 had only 322km on the clock when we tested it – the motor was still tight and it still whupped ass!
Riders View Turn 10: ‘Midway through this second-gear hairpin you can give the R1 more throttle than usual as there’s a steep camber in your favour.’
THE R1’S TRACK WIN BY NUMBERS
62 Laps of the Cartagena circuit completed on this test
234.24 Km/h at the end of the straight
1.03 Seconds quicker than the second placed bike
2.26 Seconds quicker than the bike with slowest lap time
Tester’s second opinions
“It looks like an old French Endurance racer, but what a bike”
JAMES HAYDON
Wow, what a bike! What a motor, it’s really impressive. I really love that engine, it sounds amazing. I can’t stop smiling, I so enjoyed riding that. It’s nimble with a lovely front end – I can really feel what the front end is doing.
Braking into the slow speed turn 2, Ben Neeves is about to flick right
WHAT MAKES THE R1 THE BEST ON TRACK
Engine and gearbox 100%
Suspension 95%
Cornering 98%
Braking 97%
Overall 98%
Kawasaki ZX-10R
Best lap: 1:48.41, max 238.94km/h
2ND
The Kawasaki was our early favourite here. It steers beautifully, holds a line, is agile in the chicanes and has a storming amount of power. If we had left all the bikes on standard suspension settings, there’s a good chance the Kawasaki could have taken the victory in this track test.
All the other bikes here are set up to be stable and reassuring on the road, with relatively soft set-ups and slow steering. It’s not until you adjust them – speed up the steering and stiffen them up – that they become useful on the track.
The ZX-10R needs hardly any tweaking for it to work straight away. That’s why it’s such an unstable, scary monster on the road when you accelerate over bumps at speed. But on a smooth race track there are no such problems. The Kawasaki is razor-sharp, stable and massive fun. It has the perfect riding position for the track – roomy yet
aggressive. It’s a good half-second faster than the Ducati and Honda, and a second and a half quicker than the Suzuki, but for all its power and nimbleness, it can’t match the R1 – it’s nearly a second slower than the Yamaha.
Despite huge reserves of power at the top end to play with, the ZX-10R’s brilliant chassis makes it a pussycat around Cartagena. The brakes on our test bike were strong (though we’ve heard of fading issues before on track).
If the new R1 didn’t exist, you’d think the ZX-10R accelerates out of corners like a guided missile; it certainly has the speed on the straights, and is faster than the R1. But compared to the Yamaha you have to wait too long for the power to chime in when you get on the throttle, so it feels slower coming off a corner. Taking the corner in a lower gear won’t catch the R1, either – the lower gear slows you down too much going into and through the corner.
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Verdict
This is a spectacular track machine straight out of the crate – and ironically it’s less scary on the circuit than on the road. It’s devilishly quick, but not quick enough to challenge the R1.
Stick a cross plane crank in the ZX-10R, change its firing intervals and Yamaha will have a fight on its hands.
Engine and gearbox 98%
Suspension 97%
Cornering 97%
Braking 94%
Overall feel 97%
On a smooth race track the Kawasaki is razor-sharp, stable and massive fun. It’s a spectacular track machine
Ducati 1198S
Best lap: 1:48.93, max 227.21km/h
3RD
Just like the R1, the Ducati takes a lot of setting up to get it to work around the track. You need to get it on its nose so it’ll steer well enough to change direction and hold a line. It also needs lots more damping to control the weaves and wobbles initiated by the instant power delivery of the 1198cc
V-twin engine and provide the stability to control the dive caused by the fierce Brembo Monobloc brakes. Properly
set up it’s a wonderful track bike.
You feel perched up high and it’s a long way down to get your knee down. It’s still slow-steering, too – especially compared to the R1, Blade and ZX-10R.
At first the Ducati feels clumsy and unnatural around such a tight track and the instant power delivery too snatchy, but when you’re hard-charging trying to chase someone, the 1198S changes completely. Ridden by the scruff of its neck the Ducati is amazing.
The 1198s is happiest at full lean, where it’s so stable. It loves high-speed corners and punches out of slow ones in a bass-happy frenzy of mono-wheeling majesty. At full throttle it’s a cacophony of induction roar and hot metallic violence.
With traction control set on the middle level four, it kicks in coming out of slow-speed corners, especially on cold or worn tyres. It lets you get on with it on the faster sections of the track, but because you know your electronic friend is there to help you, you tease the throttle more than you would do normally to run breath-taking corner speeds.
Verdict
For the first time a road-going Ducati can compete with its Japanese 1000cc rivals on track – although it’s taken advanced electronics, an 1198cc motor, top-shelf suspension, lightweight wheels and a giddy price tag to achieve it. On a more flowing circuit with fewer tighter corners, the Ducati might have beaten the Kawasaki ZX-10R, but would still struggle against the Yamaha, which is 1.5 seconds faster here.
Engine and gearbox 97%
Suspension 94%
Cornering 96%
Braking 98%
Overall feel 96%
1198’s traction control gives you the confidence to hold high corner speeds and then get on the throttle hard
Honda Fireblade
Best lap: 1.48.99, max 242.61km/h
4TH
In the scrap for best of the rest after the R1, the Blade loses out to the ZX-10R and the 1198S – but only just. It trails the Ducati by just 0.06s, hitting the fastest top speed on the straight in the process, thanks to its useable grunt out of corners.
All the things which made the Fireblade the fastest around the track and our favourite 1000 superbike last year still ring true. The Honda is still impossibly easy to jump on and ride fast, being smooth, beautifully balanced and predictable, with superb handling.
It was another bike that needed lots of tweaking to get it to behave around the circuit, mainly through controlling the damping at each end to stabilise it under acceleration and braking. The only real limit to its cornering ability is the pegs, which go down easily with these sticky Michelin Power One tyres fitted.
The Fireblade is a very comforting bike to be on, once set up, and will make the perfect trackday bike. It never does anything nasty and is constantly re-assuring you, giving you lots of feedback and confidence. While the Ducati is a serious track tool and feels the most like a proper race machine out of all the bikes here, and the ZX-10R is a precision tool for carving out fast lap times, the Blade is just fun. You feel like riding round and round until the fuel runs out. And remember, it cleaned up in last year’s National
Superstock championship, too.
Fourth position in this test doesn’t really do the Blade justice, but the stop watch is a cruel mistress. Compared to the R1, it’s too slow out of corners to keep up and the engine feels too buzzy and frantic. National Superstock racer Steve Mercer is one or two seconds a lap faster than me around Cartagena, but when we were riding together, him on the Blade and me on the R1 for the on-board camera footage, he was having to scream the Blade a gear lower than me just to keep up with the Yamaha on acceleration.
Verdict
It’s hard to believe the Honda is way down in fourth place, but by no means does that mean it’s become rubbish overnight, because it hasn’t. It’s still a gem of a motorcycle.
Engine and gearbox 97%
Suspension 95%
Cornering 94%
Braking 95%
Overall feel 95%
The Blade is fun, but lost out to the ZX-10R and 1198S by split seconds
Suzuki GSX-R1000 K9
Best lap: 1:49.63, max 237.74km/h
5TH
Suzuki’s new K9 GSX-R1000 struggled on the track. Ride it in isolation and it’s superb; fast, stable and thanks to its new Blade-esque short engine/long swingarm combination, it maximises rear tyre grip too. New Showa Big Piston Forks also work better the harder you push, giving great feel from the front tyre too.
The engine has been totally overhauled for the first time in the GSX-R1000’s eight-year history. It has a shorter stroke than before, so is eager to rev, but still has good grunt off the corners. The power delivery is smoother than the old K7/K8, too, but it’s down on power compard to the old model to the tune of 7bhp.
Unfortunately, although the K9 is lighter and more nimble than the old bike, it’s still not agile enough – and now it’s light years behind the new R1.
Two and a half seconds doesn’t really sound a lot, but every 10 laps around Cartegana, the R1 pulls a massive 25-second gap over the GSX-R1000…
The K9 also needed setting up. Like all GSX-Rs, the new K9 sits very flat compared to the more extreme, ‘nose down/tail up’ set-up of the ZX-10R or R1 and feels more like a big sports tourer in this company. It’s already been proved that in WSB trim it can kick butt around the track and, in testing, superstock K9s have been going really well, too – but as it is out of the crate, even with the suspension dialled in, it’s not as sharp as its rivals.
Its lack of agility means you have to be a bit steadier into the corners and have to wait longer for it to turn before you get on the power. The K9 has good grunt, as it still has the longest stroke of any of the Japanese 1000s, but it still feels flat from the middle of the corner on the throttle compared to the R1.
Verdict
Every GSX-R1000 from the K1 to the K5 raised the 1000cc superbike bar, but for whatever reason the 2007 K7 lost the plot a bit. It was too heavy and clumsy around the track. That didn’t stop it selling by the bucketload, though, as it’s still a great road bike. The K9 is a big improvement – it’s lighter and friendlier, but still doesn’t capture the GSX-R spirit of old.
Engine and gearbox 97%
Suspension 93%
Cornering 92%
Braking 92%
Overall feel 94%
Despite an overhaul and Haydon riding, the K9 isn’t agile enough on track
Second opinions
‘The GSX-R has a good engine, but the R1’s is better”
JAMES HAYDON
The Suzuki handles well; it has a different stance, but does not turn as well as the Yamaha. It’s a great bike, tractable, good engine, smooth but not as good as the Yamaha I’ve just ridden.”
“A few tweaks transformed the Ducati –
what a buzz”
STEVE MERCER
I’m impressed by the Ducati – it’s got loads of grunt. When set up, it holds its line. It’s a little unstable at the end of the straight but a few suspension tweaks has transformed it – what a buzz.
“The ZX-10 still has most power and top-
end rush”
ADAM CHILD
The ZX-10 still has the most power and top-end rush. It won’t stop wheelying and it’s hard work. It feels fast as it’s so lively and you need to wrestle it round, but I still love riding it on track.
“The Blade is easy to ride, but it’s a bit soft for
the track”
BRUCE DUNN
The Fireblade is quick down the straight and easy to ride. But it’s on the soft side – you need to play around with the set up, but I can’t get at the rear shock. Throttle response is soft for the track.
“The 1198’s fuelling is on/off compared
to the fours”
BEN NEEVES
I found the Ducati the hardest to ride of all the bikes. The fuelling is on/off compared to the four-cylinder bikes. It’s a pig to ride fast – with the power delivery and brakes, it’s all or nothing .
Last year’s results
1st Honda Fireblade We said: “The Honda’s new shorter stroke engine is an epic powerhouse.”
2nd Kawasaki ZX-10R We said: “The ZX-10R is back to its wild, brutal and aggressive best.”
3rd Yamaha R1 We said: “The R1 lacks the engine to compete with the new ZX-10R and Blade.”
4th Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 We said: “The GSX-R1000 isn’t the phenomenal track weapon it used to be.”
‘The R1 tears chunks out of the others in corner exits’
T
he 3.48km Cartagena race track is used for winter testing by WSB and BSB teams and proved the ideal location for our test. The 610m straight is long enough for the bikes to stretch their legs, while the 18 turns enable the bikes to be pushed to their handling limits.
Each bike was set up specifically for the track. We then used a Rs 3.96 lakh (UK) Microsat GPS datalogger to record every lap. Our test rat was Bruce Dunn, legendary bike tester with over 14 years experience. Bruce had all the time he needed to set a fast lap on fresh Michelin race rubber. Set under perfect conditions, the lap times speak volumes – clearly showing the new R1 as the overall winner.
TURN 4
Fast right-hander
Out of the tight chicane in second gear, you scream up to the top of third gear before braking for the tight right The ZX-10 is fastest here and feels the quickest through this section – its top end performance really shows.
TURN 8
Medium right-hander
The Yamaha’s is significantly faster here. Its lack of engine braking means you carry more corner speed. It also steers near-perfectly, with great chassis feedback in mid-corner.
END OF STRAIGHT
Maximum speed achieved
The Yamaha is down on top end power compared to the other fours and it shows here – when they get the chance to stretch their legs, they start to pull away slightly. On a longer straight we’d expect an even greater gap.
TURN 11
Very fast left-hander
The Honda comes out on top through this section, despite finishing fourth overall. Its power delivery is smooth and it doesn’t wheelie too much over the crest. The Suzuki isn’t too far behind, its road manners shining in this section. The Kawasaki’s vicious power makes it hard to keep under control here. Again the Yamaha features highly, showing its driveability out of corners.
TURN 14
Tight hairpin
As you’d expect in a slow turn, the times are very close, but the Yamaha carries the most corner speed, followed by the ZX-10R and Duke – exactly the same order as the apex speeds on faster corners. The R1 always carries the most corner speed, despite the Ducati’s quality suspension. The Yamaha’s lack of engine braking, the way it allows you to attack corners and the great feedback it gives mean it was always on top.
ONTO MAIN STRAIGHT
Maximum acceleration
In this small section, the Yamaha makes almost a second or more on almost all the other bikes. It’s simply so easy to get on the power early and the new engine has the low-down grunt to fire the Yamaha down the straight. The Suzuki also scored well here, allowing the rider to get on the power sooner. The Honda was a real surprise as it has excellent feel from the rear, recording the highest speed at the end of the straight, but in this section it’s over a second slower than the Yamaha.
Overall track verdict: why the R1 wins
Yamaha’s new R1 completely dominated our track test. We’ve given every bike a fair chance to shine here. All our test riders, regardless of experience and ability, fell in love with the R1.
The R1’s brakes are sublime, its handling sharp, its suspension plush and, of course, that growling, electric motor of an engine lets you feel for rear tyre grip and get on the throttle sooner than anything else.
It’s neither the most powerful machine here, nor the fastest along the straights – but ait can get in, through and out the other side of a corner better than anything else.
To be a whole second clear of the next best machine is simply staggering and puts the competition in the shade.
Two-wheeler-mecca
The two-wheeler industry from India and around the world comes together in Delhi for the 10th Auto Expo to flaunt their latest offerings. We take you through the major action at one of Asia’s largest automotive exhibitions
Words: Adhish Alawani and Bunny Punia
Photography: Sanjay Raikar and Varun Kulkarni
HARLEY DAVIDSON
Harley-Davidson setup a feast for motorcycle enthusiasts visiting the Auto Expo. Not only did the American marque surprise everyone by bringing in as many as 12 different models from the basic five families of the entire Harley-Davidson range, but they also stunned prospective buyers with a price range affordable for a wide variety of consumers.
The Harley-Davidson brand comes with a rich heritage and the company plans to charm the Indian customer with the same legacy. As a result, we see various models from each of the five families namely Sportster, Dyna, Softail, V-Rod and Touring making their entry into the Indian market. The basic XL 883L Sportster happens to be the cheapest of the lot with a price tag of Rs 6.95 lakh (ex-showroom). The prices climb up gradually all the way to Rs 21.95 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Street Glide. Apart from these basic five families, the firm has also introduced the Custom Vehicle Operation motorcycle or simply the CVO in the form of the Ultra Classic Electra Glide. To talk a bit about the CVOs, these are machines custom designed by a team working closely with Harley- Davidson and the team is responsible for creating a certain number of CVOs every year. The Ultra Classic Electra Glide will be the most expensive offering from Harley-Davidson and will be priced at Rs 34.95 lakh (ex-showroom).
The variety of machines offered by Harley makes sure that the consumer gets a huge range of options. Not only that, with the price range starting from as low as Rs 6.95 lakh, it is going to be easier for a larger number of people to purchase their dream machines. What’s more, the company’s dealerships will also sell Harley-Davidson merchandise for hardcore fans. Time to cruise, Hogs?
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Finance options
Harley-Davidson has tied up with ICICI to provide brilliant finance options for their motorcycles. With a minimum down payment of as much as 15 percent of the vehicle cost and a tenure for a period of five years, you can get the XL 883L Sportster for a down payment of close to Rs 1.2 lakh with an EMI of around Rs 13,000. The fantastic finance option laid down by ICICI is further going to boost sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and make it much easier to own these machines than most of the imported bikes available in the country.
YAMAHA
Yamaha has been on a roll since the last Auto Expo where they showcased the YZF-R15 and the FZ16 for the first time. The two bikes went onto become a massive success and raised expectations from the Japanese manufacturer for this year’s Expo. Though the company did not showcase anything as aggressive as either of the two products that have changed the fate of Yamaha in India, they surely had some welcome surprises for motorcycle aficionados.
Yamaha already retails the YZF-R1 in India and has now upgraded to the 2010 model of their flagship bike that features the revolutionary crossplane crankshaft. Derived from MotoGP technologies, this R1 has already won the WSBK title along with many awards from various motorcycle magazines around the world. A limited edition R15 was also launched by the company which features nothing new except a fresh paint scheme. Yamaha showcased a couple of concept bikes in the commuter segment as well. The SZ Concept is expected to feature a 125cc engine while the YBR might sport a 100cc motor. Both concepts seemed to be very close to the production versions and it won’t surprise us if we see one of them rolling out in the market in the near future. The R15 and the FZ16 have helped Yamaha revive their status in India and we expect these new commuter segment bikes to further help the company achieve higher sales figures.
Apart from these bikes, the exhibits at the Yamaha booth included the R15 loaded with the Daytona Race kit and the FZ series bikes with all the optional accessories available. The company had set up a section of CBUs that showcased the recently launched V-Max. The other two very interesting exhibits in the CBU section were the T-Max and the Diversion F. The T-Max, a super scooter powered by a 499cc motor, pumps out 43.5PS while the Diversion F features a 600cc engine that delivers 75.5PS of peak power. The Diversion F will make for a very good option on Indian roads, but will attract a complete homologation (since it is less than 800cc) if it has to make it to the Indian market. The final two imported bikes on display from Yamaha were the FZ1 and the Fazer 1000, both of which are powered by a 998cc engine.
The most exciting exhibit at the Yamaha booth had to be Valentino Rossi’s YZR-M1 that he has been racing in MotoGP. The joy of Yamaha fans knew no bounds when Rossi himself appeared on stage at the company’s booth and shook hands with a few among the thousands of people gathered to catch a glimpse of their racing god. BIKE India’s Deputy Editor, Bunny Punia later got an opportunity to interact with the legend. Jump to page 105 for Rossi’s interview with BI.
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HONDA
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India had as many as six launches scheduled for the Auto Expo including a variety of two-wheelers ranging from scooters and commuter motorcycles to enthusiasts’ machines. The launches included some facelifted versions of their existing models as well as some all-new machines for India.
To start with, Honda’s main attraction at the Auto Expo was the VFR1200F. The fun bike that has already been launched abroad made its appearance in India for the first time (refer to BIKE India’s January 2010 issue for Bunny Punia’s first ride of the VFR1200F) and definitely attracted a lot of attention with its radical design. The VFR1200F incorporates a lot of amazing technologies including the world’s first dual-clutch transmission on a motorcycle. This novel transmission allows the rider to ride the bike like an automatic motorcycle or manually shift gears with a button for a bit of sporty riding. Other fantastic innovations on the bike include the Layered Fairing Technology and the application of the UNICAM single overhead camshaft cylinder. HMSI claims that the VFR1200F might soon make it to the Indian market. The firm’s other CBU exhibits included the 2010 upgraded version of the CBR Fireblade that features an improved crankshaft inertia mass and a little bit of restyling along with new paint schemes.
The CB Twister’s unveiling at the Auto Expo marked the first public appearance of the new 110cc sporty commuter globally. Taking design cues from the hugely popular CB1000R, the Twister definitely makes for radical styling on a commuter. So far, HMSI did not have an offering in the basic commuter bike segment. With the Twister, the company forays into the highest selling class of bikes in the Indian market. Priced attractively between Rs 41,000 and Rs 48,000 (approximately, ex-showroom Delhi), the Twister is expected to score high on the sales front for Honda. HMSI also showcased the facelifted version of their Dio scooter which is hugely popular amongst the youth. New graphics and paint schemes plus a slightly raised ground clearance mark the new features on the Dio. It is quite surprising that Honda did not include the new 110cc motor in the Dio that is powering the new Activa and the Aviator. The Honda Stunner (carb version) gets a facelift as well with new paint schemes, graphics, an engine cowl and the inclusion of a tachometer in the instrumentation console. The concept versions of Unicorn and the CB Twister were also showcased by HMSI at the Auto Expo. In white and maroon colours, both concept vehicles sported additional body panels as compared to the production versions. Apart from these newbies, HMSI also showcased their entire existing lineup of products. Rider training simulators and the bike designing sections added a touch of interaction with the visitors.
U3X
The Honda U3X, a personal mobility device, put up one of the most exciting shows at the Auto Expo. Drawing technologies from the ASIMO, the U3X is a device that can move you in every direction – forward, backward, sideways and diagonal and can gather speeds of upto 6km/h while doing so. That makes it a fantastic mobility option in official and institutional premises. All you need to do is sit on it and incline towards the direction in which you intend to go and you are magically set into motion. Now who will not want that in order to roam around huge factory premises, offices or even educational institutes with absolutely no effort?!
SUZUKI
Suzuki Motorcycles had a rather quiet appearance at the Auto Expo this year with no new launches. In fact, the company did not even setup a separate section for their bikes and instead simply put up the motorcycles amongst the Maruti Suzuki cars. The imported motorcycles on display included the Hayabusa and the Intruder which have already been launched in India. What made for an interesting display though, were the GSX-R600 and the SV650F. Sources close to company claim that there is a 600cc segment motorcycle that the company is probably homologating for the Indian market and our guess is that it is the SV650F. Not only is the bike a lot more practical for city use as well as touring, but it is also cheaper than the Gixxer 600 (it might get a sub Rs 8 lakh ex-showroom tag) and leaves the sport biking avenue open for the GSX-R1000. Sources also hint that Suzuki is working on getting a 250cc motorcycle to the Indian market to start off their own performance bike lineup. We hear that there are three bikes scheduled for 2010 and though there is not even the slightest of hint of the third bike, we hope to see the Gixxer 1000 or the monstrous B-King. Fingers crossed!
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TVS
TVS has emerged strongly in the two-wheeler market in India and is being considered as one of the powerful brands in the country. The reason for this is simple. TVS has been consistently delivering products that are not just strong players among the competition, but also have something really new and innovative to offer. Innovation and quality products took centre stage at the TVS exhibit. The company had a wide range of products on display that included everything from scooters and motorcycles to green concepts and ATV concepts as well as some racing machines.
The Scooty Streak Hybrid did not pull a lot of visitors with its visual prowess, but it definitely packs in the green technology of the future. This Scooty sports a parallel hybrid technology in which the scooter can be ridden either with the help of an internal combustion petrol engine or a battery powered motor or both at the same time. Though the project is still under development, the prototype that we rode was definitely impressive. TVS had put up a concept scooter called the Qube 2.0 which is later on expected to boast of the same technology as the Scooty Streak Hybrid. The other concept shown by TVS was in the form of a four-wheeled monstrous machine that was defined by its radical design and aggressive stance.
An important launch from TVS came in the form of the introduction of ABS on the Apache RTR. Developed in collaboration with the German company, Continental AG, the ABS comes equipped with a Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit that senses and regulates the braking as per the wheel speed of the bike. The rest of the machines showcased by TVS included the recently introduced Wego, the clutchless Jive, the racing RTR 160, the motocross machine RTR 250 FX and the rest of the company’s current lineup in India.
BAJAJ-KAWASAKI-KTM
Bajaj disappointed visitors at the Auto Expo to a great extent with a rather drab display of the existing range of motorcycles from their stable, a few Kawasaki Ninja 250Rs and a couple of KTMs. With absolutely no new launches, Bajaj had nothing exciting to offer. In fact, inside sources tell us that the display was a last minute one and the company had no initial plans of putting up a stall the Auto Expo.
Bajaj had shown the Kawasaki Ninja 250R two years ago at the Auto Expo and the bike has now finally made it to the market a few months ago. Not only has the Ninja impressed us to a great extent, but has already started winning accolades from various magazines in the country including the Bike of the Year honour from BIKE India (refer to page 38 for the award’s special feature). KTM bikes have been over due now and there is no concrete information yet about their launch in India. First shown and talked about in the 2008 Auto Expo, the KTMs had left a mighty impression on everyone. Ever since then, enthusiasts have been waiting to lay their hands on these Austrian beauties. We hope to see the KTMs hit the market at least in the first quarter of 2010.
MAHINDRA
Mahindra got into the two-wheeler business recently and this year’s Auto Expo was the first one for them with respect to scooters and motorcycles. Since the company’s entry in the two-wheeler market, Mahindra has introduced the Rodeo and the Duro. Though both scooters share the same engines, they differ in styling and most importantly in the basic chassis. Mahindra’s two-wheeler portfolio has one more scooter in the form of the Flyte in addition to the Rodeo and the Duro.
While all these three scooters were on display at the Mahindra stall, what grabbed the most attention were the two concept machines showcased by the new player. The radically designed concept scooter definitely talks of modern design theories that Mahindra will be looking forward to implement in their future offerings. However, much more attention was grabbed by the motorcycle on display by Mahindra. Dressed in red and black race fairings, the bike looked like an exact adaptation of a MotoGP machine. Powered by a two-stroke 125cc engine, this concept boasts 54PS of peak power and a top speed of 245km/h. Though quite an over ambitious concept, we hear that Mahindra is definitely developing a performance oriented machine which, unlike the scooters, won’t get the engine from SYM. We are waiting for the promising bike, Mahindra!
HERO HONDA
The Hero Honda stall at the Auto Expo was reminiscent of their last year’s booth. Exactly like last time, the two-wheeler giant had on display almost their complete range of motorcycles. Without a doubt, Hero Honda is the largest selling motorcycle brand in the country and accounts for a huge range of bikes ranging from the small capacity commuter machines to the high performance sporty bikes. The company’s latest and most premium product, the Karizma ZMR, took centre stage at the Hero Honda booth. Mounted on a revolving ring, the ZMR with its sports tourer styling, attracted visitors. However, no new introductions from Hero Honda disappointed the crowd.
There was a weird and completely unique exhibit at the Hero Honda booth though. A motorcycle made from all the scrap that you might find in the junkyard behind a garage grabbed a lot of attention. The bike was made completely from rusted old scrapped spare parts including nuts, bolts, springs, gears, bearings, gauges, levers, rods, etc. It also included spare parts of bicycles like the pedal, chain sprocket, bell, etc. The junk bike was definitely a piece of art, but we fail to understand the motive behind such an exhibit.
VIBGYOR
Vibgyor, a Kolkata based motorcycle firm, was present at the Auto Expo with three bikes on display – the Gallop, the Hunter and the Shark. While the 100cc Gallop is already selling in the north-eastern Indian market, the company took this opportunity to introduce their other two new motorcycles.
The Shark, powered by a 150cc motor that pumps out 13.6PS of peak power, is the most powerful bike on offer from Vibgyor and also makes for their premium product. Though the engine seems to be promising, the design and styling of the bike is quite disappointing. Taking styling cues from various Indian motorcycles, the Shark looks more like an amalgamation of different features from various bikes. Even the fit and finish and the quality of materials used are not up to the mark. The second product launched by the Kolkata based manufacturer was the Hunter which comes with a 125cc engine. The company claims that their bike’s positive factor is its pricing. The Gallop is priced as low as Rs 28,999 (ex-showroom, Kolkata) while the Shark retails at Rs 49,990 (ex-showroom, Kolkata).
Vibgyor has a few other products in the pipeline as well including a 100cc scooter called the Persona and a 200cc unnamed motorcycle. The company is looking at expanding its dealerships across North India as of now and will further spread across the nation.
ROYAL ENFIELD
Royal Enfield is upping its game with the introduction of newer technologies in their motorcycles. The Classic 500 stands as a testimony for this. With the incorporation of the Unit Construction Engine or simply the UCE and fuel injection, Royal Enfield is trying to catch up with modern day motorcycles while still maintaining its own persona. This very approach adopted by Royal Enfield was evident at the company’s stall during the Auto Expo with the unveiling of the Café Racer Concept. Apart from carrying a retro aggression in the form of racing number plates at the sides, a classic paint scheme, a bum-stop saddle and chopped fenders, the Café Racer Concept boasts of modern day features like a gas charged suspension, disc brakes, raised footpegs, a megaphone exhaust and even the UCE 500 engine albeit in a higher state of tune. Though the launch of the Café Racer is yet to be decided, company officials say that the bike will hit the international market sometime in 2012, later followed by an Indian debut.
The recently launched Classic 500 now gets two new paint schemes – military green and a combination of chrome and maroon. The bike looks stunning in military green which is sadly available only for the American market. The rest of the models from the Royal Enfield portfolio completed the company’s exhibit.
DEMAK
Demak Motors is a Malaysian based manufacturer of electric vehicles, petrol powered scooters, mopeds and motorycycles. Present for the first time at the Auto Expo, the firm is looking at a tieup with a local company to start selling its range of two-wheelers, barring the electric scooters, later this year. Part of the DNC Asiatic Holdings Sdn. Bhd Group, Demak already manufactures and markets over 20 products in various countries.
In India, the company showcased four products – two scooters and two motorcycles. The dirt bike, named the DMX-R, is powered by a 150cc four-stroke engine and has already won a few awards in local endurance races in Malaysia. The cruiser, christened the Cougar, seems to be a very interesting option for India. It comes with a twin cylinder 250cc four-stroke motor and should be great on open Indian roads.
In the scooters, Demak showcased the modern retro 50cc Rino and the cute 125cc Duta. Both these machines looked chic and sported decent quality panels. However, it remains to be seen how Demak’s product fare in real world conditions in the country.
E-BIKES
e-bikes lineup
Ultra Motors
Apart from their complete range of e-bikes, Ultra had a very interesting low rider concept called the Ultra Byke. It even had fake steel exhausts and the battery casings were designed like a V-twin engine.
Hero Electric
Hero launched three new e-bikes at the Expo and also showcased a concept scooter called the Super. They had other future e-project scooters including the cute Photon and the Sunny.
ENV
The very popular intelligent energy ENV, the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell motorcycle was displayed at the Expo.
Tara International
The Kolkata based electric vehicle manufacturer had their entire range of e-bikes on display.
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Emmel Vheelers
Emmel showcased a variety of e-bikes including the Vee-Way personal transporter and the Vee500, a high performance e-motorcycle with a top speed of upto 55km/h.
BSA Motors
BSA had their full lineup of e-scooters including the new generation Edge and Roamer Able, a scooter for the physically challenged. Also on display was a concept e-bike powered by a 500 Watt motor.
Lohia auto
Lohia Auto was present at the Expo with both its offerings, the Fame as well as the Oma Star. The latter was part of the special subscription prize at the BIKE India stall.
Yo bikes
The Gujarat based manufacturer showcased its most powerful offering, the EXL with a front disc option as well as a cargo scooter version of the Yo Speed, aimed at food joints.
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PEDAL POWER
For those not old enough to get a legal driving license or the people looking for an exquisite and premium range of cycles, here is some dope on the various models on display at the Expo
Ralson is now divulging into the field of lifestyle cycles with the introduction of Raleigh’s range of high performing cycles.
Tube Investments that manufactures Hercules and BSA cycles was present at the Expo. Also on display was the Cannondale range of premium cycles.
If not the real motorcycle, you can have the Ducati Monster 900 carbon cycle. Yours for Rs 1,80,000!
The epitome of luxury on four-wheels was also present in various two-wheeled avatars. The Kid’s bike and the sport trekking series were on display.
One of the more famous premium cycle brands in India, FireFox had most of their products on display along with riding gear as well.
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MAPMYINDIA
MapMyIndia, one of the pioneers in navigation devices in India showcased their entire range of GPS devices. What was new was the introduction of the TrailBlazer, a first of its kind GPS device for motorcycles in India. Priced at Rs 18,990, it comes preloaded with maps for 620 cities and all important highways. Most importantly, it is waterproof and has an in-built FM transmitter.
CONTINENTAL
Continental AG, Germany have developed an ABS (anti-lock braking) system exclusively for the TVS Apache RTR 180. The device works on the front as well as the rear disc brake. Continetal has used the same technology they apply on other bikes overseas, though certain parameters were changed keeping in mind the RTR’s weight distribution. The system also has a lift off valve wherein it releases the front brake for a fraction of a second if it senses the rear wheel lifting off. Further, the ABS system can be switched off manually. Expect this feature to come as an option on the RTR soon.
DSK DESIGN SCHOOL
Hall number six had an interesting little stall put up by the students and faculty members of Pune based DSK International School of Design. They showcased their concept motorcycle called the SUM or Sports Utility Motorcycle. With the Yamaha FZ acting as the base bike, these guys managed to sculpt a very jazzy looking design with interesting bits like a new smaller digital console, LED tail lamps, an underseat exhaust, etc. The SUM is the brainchild of Fabien Rougemont, drawing trainer and prototype manager at DSK and the bike should be ready for a test session next month. Lending a helping hand to Fabien were Makarand Potdar and Sachin Panchal, both final year students and Mukesh Panchal, a clay modeller. For more info on the school, log onto www.dskisd.com
BI STALL WITH GUL
Gul Panag needs no introduction. The famous Bollywood celebrity is well-known among the biking fraternity for her passion and love of motorcycles. In fact, Gul was on the jury panel for the recently held BIKE India (and CAR India) awards and played an important role in the overall analysis for the Motorcycle of the Year award. She was in Delhi to witness the Auto Expo and needless to say, visited the BIKE India stall as well. Gul spent time with the entire team and interacted with avid readers as well. Our stall itself was the best among all the automotive magazines and for good reason. For starters, we had the sexy Audi TT on display and for genuine biking enthusiasts, we had not one but three gorgeous beauties – the world’s fastest production bike, the Suzuki Hayabusa plus one of the most advanced litre-class bikes, the new Yamaha YZF-R1 and last but not the least, the sexy Italian Ducati Streetfighter S! Aaron helmets sponsored two helmets a day for daily winners of our subscription whereas Lohia Auto sponsored the Oma Star to the lucky winner (Rakesh Rajpurohit) of the mega draw.
THERE IS MORE TO THE AUTO EXPO THAN JUST NEW LAUNCHES AND CONCEPT MACHINES
The Auto Expo isn’t just about two-wheels or four for that matter. It goes without saying that both two wheels and two legs are an attraction for the young at heart and almost every two- wheeler manufacturer had glowing beauties parked, err, standing with their products or at the counter desk. Here is a little compilation from BIKE India as a tribute and salute to these damsels. All of them took the physical, and in Delhi’s case, the mental agony of standing, posing, smiling or simply trying to answer the never ending questions by the crowd. Cheers to these unsung heroines.
Jiving-with-the-scooters
Adhish Alawani finds out if the new clutchless Jive is ready to take on the highly practical scooters in the Indian market
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Last month, when I was road testing the Jive (the new clutchless commuter from TVS), I was mighty impressed with the concept and practicality of this machine. Not only does it stand as testimony of a good piece of engineering, but also goes ahead of every other motorcycle in the current market by setting higher standards for modern commuters. The low capacity bikes and scooters have ruled the Indian market. And I personally believe that the Jive is going to create an altogether new segment of practical and easy machines at extremely affordable price tags.
While I was thinking about its novel transmission and ease of use in the traffic, it struck me that this bike is going to take the fight to the automatic scooters which are by far the best option for daily commutes in the chaotic, stop and go Indian traffic. Discussion on this topic with Aspi led me into a comparison test of the Jive against a scooter. We picked the most popular scooter available in the market today, the Honda Activa and decided to pitch it against the Jive to gauge both on various factors like ease of use, utility, cost, efficiency, suspension and last but not the least, styling. Let me take you through my findings on each aspect as I compared the commuters and rated each one of them on a scale of ten points.
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Ease of use: |
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Utility:
Utility is extremely important when considering a commuter and it comes in the form of carrying luggage and a passenger. The Activa, with a footboard and underseat space, can house a lot of stuff and carry a couple of loaded shopping bags. The Jive is probably the only motorcycle available in the country that comes with underseat space. However, as the company demonstrates, this space can only be used for an umbrella and a bottle of water or at the most, a wallet. The Activa’s wider and shorter seat means that it is also a better companion carrier than the Jive. So who wins the competition here? The Activa without a doubt makes a clean sweep when it comes to utility.
Scores: Activa- 9/10 Jive- 6/10
Cost:
The Honda Activa and the TVS Jive are priced competitively against each other. With both the machines costing close to Rs 46,000 (OTR, Pune), there is hardly a contest among them considering the tags. However, while discussing cost, it is not just the initial price that should be taken into consideration. The cost of ownership, i.e., maintenance, spares and service should also be given a thought. And in that case too, I believe that the earlier products from both companies have proved to be extremely reliable and cheap to maintain over the period of years they have spent in the market. I don’t think that we can zero in on either one of them while considering the cost factor.
Scores: Activa- 9/10 Jive- 9/10
Efficiency:
Commuter motorcycles are mostly bought by consumers because of the high fuel efficiency figures returned by these machines. TVS pounces back on Honda in this regard. With an amazing fuel efficiency of 62kmpl, the Jive beats the Activa, which settles at 53.5 kmpl, by a huge margin. Also the 6 litre fuel tank on the Activa means a lot less range as compared to Jive which comes with a more than double capacity 15 litre fuel tank.
Scores: Activa- 5/10 Jive- 9/10
Styling:
Styling doesn’t play a major deciding factor when it comes to commuters. They are designed for utility and practicality more than style and fashion. Nonetheless, I believe that the Activa, with its new broad rear styling and typical scooter design is not as popular amongst the consumers as much as a motorcycle. At the same time, I would also like to mention that the younger generation would prefer the scooter over the typical commuter motorcycle looks of the Jive. Thus, the styling factor ultimately boils down to personal opinions. Hence, no scores here.
Suspension and ride:
The telescopic forks upfront and the hydraulic suspension with coil springs on the TVS Jive ensure a comfortable and soft ride. Not only that, the bike’s sleek design and upright, tall seating gives good flickability to the Jive in congested traffic. As against that, the trailing link front suspension of the Activa is not the best on bumpy roads. Even the bigger wheels on the Jive call for a better ride quality than the small ones on the scooter. However, the Activa shod by the MRF tyres provides a far superior grip than the Jive that comes with the TVS tyres.
Scores: Activa- 7/10 Jive- 8/10
Verdict:
Tallying up the points, I was expecting to come up with a clear winner which is not the case here as both, the Activa and the Jive have scored equally. I believe that it is probably going to go down to consumer preference in the end. Someone might want luggage space while another may desire better fuel efficiency. Or maybe, someone like me might just want some fun from my commuter (refer to the opening page of the story)!
Total Scores: Activa- 39 Jive- 39
An-indian-at-a-sushi-party
Does the lightweight Pulsar have the right mix of spices to tingle the commuter’s taste buds? Or will they still prefer the Japanese offerings?
Words: Sarmad Kadiri Photography: Sanjay Raikar
By now most BIKE India readers would have a fair knowledge about Bajaj’s latest artillery to hit the Indian circuit. Our first issue of this decade featured a detailed report on the Pulsar 135 Light Sport, which promises to deliver class defying performance and fuel efficiency with snazzy styling. And all that, at a very, very competitive price. But the proof of the pudding is the eating. We decided to bring the new challenger from Bajaj’s stable face-to-face with the best bikes from a segment above and below it. Incidentally, both the flag bearers are from the Honda lineup – the Unicorn 150cc and its younger sibling, the CBF Stunner 125 (non fuel injected). In other words, Bajaj’s puny performer intends to gatecrash the Japanese giant’s party. So, let’s find out if it succeeds.
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HONDA CBF STUNNER |
BAJAJ PULSAR 135 LS |
HONDA UNICORN |
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THE LOOK
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The Pulsar 135 LS has evolved from the XCD Sprint concept first showcased during the 2008 Auto Expo. The naked streetbike inspired headlamps nestled between the razor sharp panels and the floating fairing sitting above reflect the concept’s design cues. The side scoops on the curvy tank, the clip-on handlebar and step seats accentuate the sporty theme of the bike. The dual coloured front mudguard with ridges appears aggressive. At a glance, it looks distinct from its siblings and yet snazzy enough to hold your attention.
Shifting our focus to a segment below, the CBF Stunner 125 has just gone through a quick facelift and now comes with new colour schemes and body graphics. The addition of an engine cowl, sharper rear view mirrors and a black paint job for the engine, exhaust cover and handlebar make it look even more ‘stunning’ than before. The 2010 Stunner gets the much awaited tachometer in a new look console. Giving it competition is the Pulsar 135 LS’s neat instrument console which holds the digital speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge and trip meter as well as the analogue tachometer.
Okay, I’m midway through talking about the appearance of the bikes, but I haven’t even mentioned a thing about the Unicorn. This is simply because there is nothing new to talk about the bike’s design. Honda has been giving minor cosmetic tweaks to their reliable 150cc bike, but the Unicorn desperately needs to visit an A-list stylist real soon. It remains the most understated bike in this shootout and probably in its segment as well. The all-black Unicorn badged with the chrome Honda wing looks neat but dated. Honda did display a concept Unicorn during the Auto Expo 2010, but it didn’t manage to make eyeballs pop and looked more like an oversized CB Twister 110. Hmmm… That’s about it for the Unicorn in this department leaving the fight between the Pulsar 135 LS and the CBF Stunner 125.
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The rear panels of the LS keep the Pulsar style DNA intact and the icing on the cake is the superbike type rear without a mudguard. But here’s the anti-climax, the full tyre shroud looks plasticy and rather odd. The designers should have incorporated sleeker shrouds similar to the ones used on the bigger Pulsars. Apart from looking ugly, it will be a pain to clean dirt from under it. The Stunner has a nice looking tiny hugger at the rear that guards the 17-inch tubeless tyres. The same tyres also perform their duty on the Pulsar 135 LS. The radical theme of the LS is also reflected in the sliced exhaust chamber. Personally, a slightly meatier exhaust would have enhanced its looks further. Bajaj has tagged the Pulsar 135 as LS, meaning Light Sport, but a complete metal chain cover is neither light nor does it look sporty. The Stunner, on the other hand, has a plastic half chain cover which does its duty well and looks great too. The LS and the Stunner sport step seats which look great. A minor flaw that our Editor, Aspi pointed out to the Bajaj boffins is that the side stand of the Pulsar 135 LS is located way too close to the gear lever. Even a light impact to the left side of the bike could disrupt the gearshift. Both the Hondas have their side stand perfectly located. The LS manages to balance the sporty theme well without going over the top, which means mass appeal. But the Stunner will still be a hit with the younger lot.
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THE RIDE
I have a lot to talk about the Unicorn in this section and only good things. It is the only bike equipped with a monoshock and yes, it does make a difference. I feel this 150 has the best ride quality across segments and this is no easy task to achieve. If you enjoy taking your friend or girlfriend (ahem) along for rides on the highway or even through the unruly city lanes, the Unicorn with its superb suspension and 150cc engine is a joy to ride. Shifting to a segment below, the Pulsar 135 LS has conventional shock absorbers with a combination of hydraulic, gas and coil springs. This combination works well when riding alone, but is strictly okay with a pillion rider especially if he weighs even marginally close to our photographer, Sanjay. Though the LS’s suspension is not as soft as the Unicorn, it is subtle and athletic even with two heavyweights onboard. The LS has a new swingarm and a long wheelbase of 1325mm which is even longer than its big brother, the Pulsar 150 although the steep steering angle assures reasonable handling agility. It is roughly based on the XCD’s square section chassis and handling is not the strongest point of the LS.
Its seating position is inclined more towards a sports bike stance with the clip-on handlebars and the low seating position making it fun to zip through traffic but the bike feels comparatively unsettling while taking on long curves. The Stunner with its 1271mm wheelbase and well sorted suspension scores over the LS in this section. It feels more composed and the new MRF rubber boosts confidence as I experienced while negotiating the corners of ghat sections. But the overall winner in the handing and ride quality department has to be Honda’s old legend, the Unicorn. The monoshock combined with the longest wheelbase among the three (1340mm) and the trusted MRF zappers make it nimble, agile and supremely comfortable.
THE HEART
Astride 2010’s new look Stunner for the first time, I kept praying in my heart, “God please, please make this ride like the Stunner Fi. Please, please!” But it didn’t. Let me break this up for those who haven’t used both the Stunner versions. The 125cc has a great Honda engine which is smooth and peppy, but the carburetted version is extremely under geared (for reasons best known to the company) which causes the bike to vibrate way too much as it reaches the 60-70km/h mark. Surprisingly, the fuel injected variant of the Stunner is free of this shortcoming thanks to the taller overall gearing. The Stunner Fi feels extremely refined even at high speeds. Unfortunately, the Stunner that qualified for this particular test was the carburetted version. While riding it in the top gear, my mind kept yelling “Shift the gear! Shift the gear!” but my left foot responded, “There are none here! There are none here!” It manages to touch the 100km/h mark which isn’t bad for a 125cc bike. But the Stunner gets outshined by the light Pulsar as it has minimal vibrations even at high speeds. The LS, as the name suggests, is quite light at just 122kg which is a good 7kg lower than the smaller Stunner, let alone the 146kg weight of the Unicorn. This is a great trend which is also the topic of discussion at automobile research and development departments across the globe. But India has a long way to go as international bikes with 600cc mills weigh just around 170kg! The light weight of the Pulsar coupled with its indigenously developed four-valve powertrain can match up to the performance of 150cc bikes. The four-valve technology helps it breathe better and so improves the fuel efficiency and the performance of the machine. Talking about four-valve technology, here’s some trivia for the petrol heads: the first Indian bike to use this technology (though developed overseas) was the now forgotten, Kinetic GF 125 which was launched about a decade ago. Time to return from the flashback to real time. The LS goes from 0-60km/h in just 5.18 seconds and has a genuine top whack of 112km/h! Several 150cc owners will be reading these figures over and over again. In reality, it’s not just about speed. The Unicorn is still content with its old two-valve technology, and it reflects in the bike’s performance figures. The younger Pulsar manages to outrun it by a whisker in the top speed stakes as well as the 0-60km/h sprint. However, the Unicorn leads when it comes to class leading refinement, smooth power delivery and unparalleled durability. Apart from reaching the top speed, what is really important is coming to a halt in urgency. The older and more experienced Honda scores over the other two in the braking department. The Stunner has good low down power and can even pull from low rpms in a higher gear which makes it a good city commuter. It also is the most fuel efficient among the three bikes here with an average of 66kmpl. The LS is not far behind delivering an amazing 63.75kmpl out of the spirited 135cc mill and the bigger Unicorn manages to stretch a liter for 58.92kmpl.
The Pulsar 135 LS shakes up the competition by delivering class defying efficiency and performance, thanks to its light weight. But I have to give it to the Unicorn for its refinement, smooth power delivery and reliability.
THE MOOLAH
In our country, the big question that follows fuel efficiency is the price. And this is the interesting part in this shootout. Honda retails the Unicorn at Rs 64,082, on the road in Pune and the Stunner at Rs 60,580, but the 2010 model will be dearer by another Rs 2,500 thus bringing its sticker price closer to the Unicorn at around Rs 63,000. (Drum roll) Presenting the party spoiler for the Japanese giant, the all-new Pulsar 135 LS comes with a smashing price tag of Rs 56,500 only. (Silence). It can save you Rs 6,500 of your (or your dad’s) hard earned money. Yes, you can spend it on your girlfriend we mentioned above or donate it to a charity.
THE VERDICT
If you take the price into consideration, the Honda CBF Stunner is overpriced and if price isn’t a problem, then why not buy a superbike? The Stunner is a great looker and can also make your friend’s fiance go weak in the knees. It also has a strong sales and service backup and not to forget Honda’s quality assurance. A great buy for the yuppie generation.
The other bigger, older and perhaps wiser Honda, the Unicorn amazes me every time I ride it because of its overall performance, solid build quality and unmatched refinement. It has proven to be an extremely reliable commuter bike over the years. But there is a problem with this bike. It looks dated and Honda is not doing anything about it. For those who want to take a plain Jane, soft spoken, non-fussy, docile and low maintenance companion home, look no further.
THE WINNER
For those who don’t fancy the plain Jane, Bajaj has the answer for you. The Pulsar is a really good 135cc bike that balances the commuter aspect by giving you over 63km per liter of petrol and at the same time, it will make you overtake the city crawlers by its raw power. The price positioning and value for money aspect gives it an edge over its rivals. It is light weight, looks naughty and wears a bikini fairing. Settled then, don’t take the Pulsar 135 LS home. Take it for a ride, a really long one.
Rebel-domination
Boasting of true American character, Confederate Motorcycle Company redefines the laws of motorcycle building by creating rebellious bikes
Words: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Confederate
I believe that conventionality has a new challenger in the form of Confederate Motorcycle Company that specializes in building some of the wildest motorcycles in the world. Their one-off creations are scintillatingly awesome and mature enough to give healthy competition to some of the biggest names in the custom bike industry. H. Matthew Chambers, the alpha male who dominates the Confederate jungle, is the mortal who can be held responsible for initiating the company with a vision that was sculpted out of rebellion and carved by individuality. Chambers started off as a lawyer and worked his way up the ladder but after winning a major case, he opted out in order to follow that little rebellion inside him and build motorcycles that were adorned by the true American industrial design character and his love for hot-rods.
He established Confederate Motor Company in 1991, and since then there has not been a single product that has wandered off CMC’s core values. Products like the Hellcat Combat and the Wraith rocketed CMC to new heights in the galaxy. In 2005, the Hellcat Combat made its debut and to the world’s surprise, it took the company global. After that, came the Wraith which needless to say, was the ultimate custom bike that truly portrayed American rebelliousness with elements that shouted industrial designing. The firm’s latest machine, the P120 Fighter is as solid and rugged as American designing can get. Machines built by CMC are more like rock stars with a love me or hate me attitude.
F131 HELLCAT COMBAT
If you think custom bikes are motorcycles that only boast of poser appeal, then I would recommend you reconsider. The F131 Hellcat Combat is an amazing CMC creation that will perish all the images of chrome laden custom bikes with raked out fronts and fascinating paint jobs from your bloody brain. The design of this beastly machine screams American industrial design which forms the base of CMC’s core values. The F131 is loaded with components that surpass the regular benchmark and create a new niche in terms of quality and exploitation of technology. Use of aircraft grade aluminium and carbonfibre along with exclusive and expensive metals make the Hellcat one expensive ride. However, you get a whole lot more bang for every penny you pay starting with the design itself. The marvellous silhouette of the bike presents a perspective that visualizes future custom bikes. High quality Marzocchi racing front forks clamped to the solid triple trees hold the highly durable 18-inch carbonfibre wheel that is shod with 130/60 Metzeler rubber. The sleek and minimalist front with three tiny lamps and a single speedo/tacho unit with a touch enabled switch gear give a futuristic character to the Hellcat. The uniqueness of the bike lies in the frame which is constructed using thick carbon steel tubes enabling the chassis to hold oil inside these tubes. But the biggest feature on the F131 is the handcrafted radial twin engine. It boasts of mammoth proportions of torque which happens to be 203Nm and 151PS of power. All of this is transferred to the huge 9.4-inch wide rear tyre via a five-speed transmission designed by CMC. Massive braking power comes in the form of six piston, monoblock front callipers with semi-floating 300mm rotors and a two piston CNC machined rear calliper with 240mm rotor. The F131 is a pure example of traditional American custom bike designing meeting contemporary technology and materials to create a futuristic machine.
B120 WRAITH
Have you ever wondered how tanks are built? If not, then I would suggest you read on. Comparing a bike to a tank might seem way to much, however, one look at the Wraith and your queries are answered. This is a machine from Confederate that challenges conventionality. Many creative minds would put up an argument on whether this is a bike or some sort of army experiment. However, in my book, this is definitely a motorcycle and that too an intriguing piece of art and technology. Built using some of the most expensive and exclusive materials, this has to be one of the wildest and the most gorgeous bikes ever built. The B120 features a carbonfibre monocoque frame that makes it more agile and lends excellent torsion and bend rigidity. The frame also eliminates the need for body work as it has the capability of storing fuel and oil in carbon tubes. However, the most eye-catching feature of the Wraith has to be the Girder style front forks. Such suspension units were initially seen on examples such as the Brough Superior, the Vincent and a few others. They had units made out of steel, however, the Wraith features a unit built entirely out of carbonfibre. With CMC everything is exclusive and the Wraith is no exception. Breathing fire whilst sitting in the monocoque frame is a 2.0-litre V-twin motor hand built by Jims/CMC to develop a whopping 176Nm of turning force and 126PS of power. All of which is directed to the rear wheels via a five-speed tranny developed by CMC. The Wraith weighs around 176.9kg (dry) which might be on the heavier side, however, the ride is awesomely comfortable thanks to the well calibrated Penske suspension unit at the rear and high end Girder forks up front. The overall ride quality of the B120 is quite sporty as its dimensions are pretty similar to a sports bike. These examples are built in very few numbers with an ultra high price tag, hence it’s best just to dream about the Wraith.
P120 FIGHTER
After creating the wild and furious Wraith, many were curious about what the company would introduce next. High-end technology and expensive materials were all utilized in the making of the Wraith and many thought that the next CMC creation would follow similar cues. However, Chambers came up with a unique idea. To an extent, he excused the use of carbonfibre and diverted his attention on utilizing a metal that has been used by CMC since the Hellcat – aircraft grade aluminium. Hence his latest creation, the P120 is a hell of a lot different than the other two bikes. To begin with, the P120 features a frame that is built entirely out of aircraft grade aluminium which eliminates the heavy factor from the equation thus creating an agile frame. At first, the massive backbone tube might appear to be hollow at the beginning. However, a closer inspection reveals that the hollow part is actually an oil reservoir which feeds oil to the engine via copper hoses. The backbone also doubles up as an 18-litre fuel tank with a tiny little seat attached at the rear of the tube. But what steals the spotlight is the radial twin monster nestled in the monocoque frame. This 2.0-litre beast develops some staggering figures for a bike made completely out of aluminium. Turning force is rated at 183Nm at the rear wheel with a maximum power output of 162PS. These figures are transmitted to the massive 8-inch wide carbonfibre wheel fitted with 9.4-inch wide Pirelli via a five-speed close ratio tranny from CMC. The cherry on the cake has to be the Girder front forks, again fabricated using aluminium which makes the front extremely agile just like the frame. The P120 might appear to be a rhinoceros, however, it weighs just over two quintals with dimensions close to a sports bike, thus making the handling butter smooth. The P120 is a classic example of rebelliousness and true individualism that is based on the CMC philosophy.
Legal-thrills
A combined total of 20,000ccs and 2000bhp. Did this send shivers down your spine and goosebumps across your body? We felt the same while riding with the PRS (Performance Racing Store) Boyz Club
Words Adhish Alawani and Bunny Punia
Photography Sanjay Raikar
The empty and wide back roads of Kharghar on the outskirts of India’s dream city, Mumbai was to play host to a dozen two-wheeled fanatics aboard a perfect combination of exotic, naked and powerful superbikes. The brutal summer sun was already casting a mirage on the road ahead while we waited patiently for the men and the machines to arrive. A few canines lazing under the only tree in the vicinity seemed unruffled by my constant whistling in order to play with them. And then, suddenly they showed signs of restlessness. Their ears stood up and with a faint growl, all of them charged towards a particular direction. Seconds later, we heard the glorious sound of forty-four cylinders firing at their peak, their exhaust notes reverberating through the yet to be occupied newly built societies. A grin appeared on our faces as we saw the line-up of twelve superbikes, all ridden by members of PRS (Performance Racing Store) Boyz Club, heading towards us for this special eight page feature. Before some of you readers start calling up your contacts in the DRI (Department of Revenue Intelligence), let me spoil your party by adding that each of these bikes is a legal machine with clean papers and authenticated
registration. Right then, lets get down to the motorcycles, their details and modifications along with the lucky mortals who own them.
HONDA
2009 HONDA CB1000R
 Yezdi K Irani Age: 46 Occupation: Businessman, Hotelier |
When it comes to biking, age is no bar. We often say that motorcycling keeps you young and Yezdi, even at 46 years of age, is the perfect example of the above two lines. He still loves his two wheels more than two legs and a testimony to this fact comes in the form of the long list of modifications done to his CB1000R – from Michelin tyres to Akrapovic’s full titanium exhaust system, this naked street fighter is loaded to the brim. All these modifications show up within the first few hundred meters and Yezdi for sure likes utilizing the new found power to the brim. The bike sounds gorgeous, accelerates like an unleashed greyhound and brakes even better thanks to all those new aftermarket rotors and pads. Almost all the nuts and bolts have been tastefully given a blue treatment and look closely at the side grooves on both the tyres. Beautiful! |
2010 HONDA CBR1000RR
 Atul Rathod Age: 33 Occupation: Petroleum engineer |
When you own a motorcycle this good, you really don’t need to invest in add-on jobs. Atul, owner of this red CBR, thinks the same way. We have always loved CBRs although the latest iteration’s looks are somewhat subjective. A couple of spins down the long, empty, cordoned off road and then around the roundabouts makes it clear why motorcycle enthusiasts around the world have been hooked onto this bike. This Honda has one of the best power- to-weight ratios ever, evident in the way it pulls once the tachometer needle is close to the 10,000rpm mark. The second thing that was noticeable was the compact nature of the bike that does not make the rider feel uncomfortable – a trait Honda is known for. |
1993 HONDA CBR 1000F
brothers in arms
Saeed Akhtar pits the new Pulsar 150 against its peers to determine which one gives the biggest bang for your buck
Photography by Sanjay Raikar
THE TEST
The 150cc segment is one of the most hotly contested categories in the Indian motorcycle market. It caters to both the youth looking for performance on a budget as well as the middle-aged executive looking for a reasonably fast mode of commuting to work. For long, Bajaj has ruled the roost in this segment with the rest of the manufacturers playing catch up. For this shootout, we have shortlisted these five bikes that not only fall in the same price bracket but are also targeted squarely at each other. Recently, Yamaha stirred up things in this segment by introducing bikes that were so far ahead of the curve (in terms of price as well as technology) that we decided to give them a miss from this comparison as their target customer is pretty different from these five rivals. Let the game begin. . . . . .
| HONDA CB UNICORN Price Rs. 67,008(OTR,Pune) Top speed 111.3km/h Power 13.5PS Maintenance free battery, viscous air filter and BS-III norms compliant now |
HERO HONDA HUNK Price Rs. 65,893 (OTR,Pune) Top speed 107.12km/h Power 14.4PS Honda antecedents, but the Hunk is Hero Honda’s take on what a 150 should be |
TVS APACHE RTR160 Price Rs. 67,521 (OTR,Pune) Top speed 118.69km/h Power 15.4PS TVS’ Racing DNA has infused this bike with enviable performance figures |
SUZUKI GS150R Price Rs. 67,955(OTR,Pune) Top speed 108.1km/h Power 14PS Loaded with gadgets and gives that big bike feel like no other motorcycle here |
BAJAJ PULSAR 150 Price Rs.67,500(OTR,Pune) Top speed 115km/h Power 15.06PS Bajaj’s crowd puller gets clip-on ’bars and a wee bit more power. Is it enough? |
BAJAJ PULSAR 150
Hallowed be thy name
The Pulsar still remains the brawler it was, being outclassed in the performance stakes by only the Apache RTR, a lighter bike that also happens to possess 10ccs more
Enlightened philosophers everywhere tell us that it is even tougher staying at the top than getting there. The fact that the Bajaj Pulsar did exactly this since its launch nine years ago is testimony enough to its timeless appeal and clout. Now in its fifth iteration, India’s most popular performance bike is getting a bit long in the tooth but is still the most popular of the lot here. Recently, Bajaj seems to have stopped going for radical redesigns and opted for a few nips and tucks along with some cosmetic upgrades. The latest Pulsar continues this tradition with clip-on handlebars that are borrowed from its siblings. These lend the bike a slightly sportier riding position than before with the rider leant over to the front a wee bit more. The rest of the bikes here except the RTR make do with regular handlebars. The new bigger carburetor aids the engine in churning out a wee bit more power but the torque figure has taken an adverse hit. The Pulsar has got the lightest throttle feel here. The seat is a trifle hard for long commutes and the pillion seat is a bit on the thinner side.
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| Clip-on handlebars now a standard on all Pulsars, from 135cc to 220cc | The mechanical bits are now done up in black, lending a touch of class to the new Pulsar |
Performance wise, the Pulsar remains the same rev happy hooligan that made it such a hit originally. The whining sound from the air intake just makes you want to twist the throttle a bit more. However, the Pulsar lacks some midrange grunt and you have to keep shifting gears to keep it in the power band. If you are comfortable with that, the bike rewards you with oodles of fun and its handling complements spirited riding very well. The suspension dives a bit under braking but it is more than adequate for the kind of fast riding a typical customer would ever put it through. The bike is also pretty vibey at high rpms although it is quite bearable at low rpms. The gearshift quality has been improved by several notches over its earlier versions, however compared to its Honda peers, the Bajaj still has some way to go. In this test, the Pulsar beat its previous top speed record of 114km/h by approximately two more km/h while also being faster in the sprint to 60km/h. The Pulsar still remains the brawler it was, being outclassed in the performance stakes by only the Apache RTR, a lighter bike that also happened to possess 10ccs more.
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| The generous side of Bunny – lending his phone to an old stranger who had a son far away | One of the few ways to differentiate the Pulsar 150 from its siblings |
The Pulsar loves being ridden hard and rewards you for it
SECOND OPINION
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BUNNY PUNIA DEPUTY EDITOR One more Pulsar 150 upgrade? Yet more power? While you might have to use a magnifying glass to find the changes, the moment you ride the bike, the increase in performance and refinement is noticeable. Clip-ons manage to lend a sportier riding posture as well. However, the hard seat and the bike’s tendency to dive under heavy braking isn’t to my liking. |
HERO HONDA HUNK
The Emperor’s new clothes
The Hunk is the third bike into which Hero Honda plonked the Unicorn mill. The first bike, Achiever, did not exactly set the sales charts on fire, but it sure paved the way for the CBZ Xtreme which followed shortly. Maybe it had something to do with the iconic CBZ tag but the Xtreme, in spite of some lackluster styling, was a success for Hero Honda. Or maybe it was the performance and handling. Despite featuring a very conventional suspension arrangement, the bike was so well set-up that it tackled corners like a proper sportsbike and not a commuter.
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| The Hunk is one of the only two bikes here with a completely analogue instrument console | Red accents on the Hunk lend a touch of flair to the bike |
The Hunk is practically the CBZ Xtreme in a more stylish and muscular costume. The bulging tank scoops shout for attention from every angle. The front as well as the rear suspension is done up in a dull gold colour, however whether one likes it or not, is entirely a matter of personal taste. The rear also features Hero Honda’s first gas-charged shock absorbers, which the company calls GRS. Our test bike came in the new paint scheme – a splash of red graphics and bull logos that accentuated the muscular profile of the Hunk. We still feel that the bike could have done better with a nice name. And why did they have to spell out ‘Hunk’ in chrome? The bike’s build quality is trademark HH – robust and solid. The paintjob on the Hunk was the best on the test. One little grouse with the Hunk is the placement of the side stand. The slightly rear set pegs come in the way when you try to access the side stand lever with your left foot.
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| Gas-charged shock absorbers – a first for Hero Honda | Ludicrous amount of muscle here. Love the red accents though |
Coming to the performance, the Hunk immediately impressed with its brimming midrange torque which meant we could power our way out of tight spots with minimal effort. However, the bike’s short gearing, while helping in acceleration, takes its toll on the top speed, topping out at a mere 107.16km/h. It gets up to the 80km/h mark pretty fast but then the engine starts running out of breath and tapers out. The Hunk’s handling is on par with its peers with the ergonomic riding posture aiding considerably. The suspension is set a tad on the hard side which may be a deterrent for commuters looking for a plush ride. It does come with that Hero Honda cachet which means that the bike will prove to be reliable and enjoy a good resale value even years down the line.
The BIKE India slow race formation
SECOND OPINION
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SARMAD KADIRI Senior Correspondent Although the Hunk and the Unicorn share the same engine, they feel like completely different sets of wheels. The Hunk looks muscular and sporty, has the very reliable and proven Honda engine and comes with the best after sales service network in the country. Despite all these features, it has its downside as it may look a bit over the top to some. That is probably the reason it has not managed to soar on the sales charts. Yet the Hunk remains a great overall package and will continue to sell for years to come |
HONDA CB UNICORN
Don’t judge a book by its cover
The chromed wing logo on its tank is the Unicorn’s only redeeming style factor but it would be really nice to see some serious changes. And soon
The most understated bike here, the Unicorn has managed to stay near the top of the sales charts solely on the sheer power of its mechanical bits. It may not be a beauty pageant winner by any stretch but the Unicorn oozes solid engineering brilliance and top notch build quality. Honda has chosen not to tinker much with the bike’s looks, giving it some very minor cosmetic upgrades over the last few years and almost nothing else. This time around, the Unicorn gets a viscous air filter, a maintenance free battery and a CB sticker on its rear side panels. The Unicorn is also BS-III norms compliant. These changes to the engine have not resulted in any noticeable alterations in the bike’s performance though. The chromed wing logo on its tank is the Unicorn’s only redeeming style factor but it would be really nice to see some serious changes. And soon.
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| The Unicorn loses out on gadgets like a digital instrument console | Refinement and reliability are the engine’s hallmarks |
It is the only bike here to sport a monoshock suspension and we must say it is a superlatively engineered piece of technology. As Aspi said, the first time he took the Unicorn out onto the not too well surfaced Chennai racetrack, it was as if the bumps had practically disappeared. The Unicorn outclasses all the other bikes here when it comes to ride and handling. Along with the GS150R, the Unicorn has got the most relaxed riding position of this bunch. It is also the most composed with a pillion on board. It might have a narrower seat than the GS but the Unicorn pampers its rider and pillion equally well. Refinement is another strong point with the Unicorn. There is negligible vibration even when the bike is revved all the way to the redline and the butter smooth gearbox complements it beautifully. Performance wise, the Unicorn is no slouch but it is no sprinting cheetah either. The Honda manages to complete the 0-60km/h run in 6.10sec and tops out at 111.3km/h.
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| Beautifully calibrated monoshock is key to the Unicorn’s ride quality | The CB Unicorn still doesn’t have a pilot lamp. How shocking is that? |
The Unicorn and the Hunk are the only two bikes here to feature completely analogue instrumentation and that makes them incongruous in this crowd which is rapidly going digital. Older Unicorns had some niggles with build quality but the new lot of bikes feature much improved build quality and paintjobs. At Rs 67,000 (OTR, Pune), the Unicorn is the second cheapest bike in this shootout and that makes it an irresistible buy.
It is the best handler of the lot and by a fair margin
SECOND OPINION
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BUNNY PUNIA DEPUTY EDITOR Is it Honda’s remarkable technology or the inability of the competition to catch up? Either way, the Unicorn, err the CB Unicorn, even after being in the market for almost five years, still manages to be in a different world all together when it comes to engine refinement, ride and of course handling. Ergonomics are also up there with the best. However, it badly needs a major Botox treatment now. |
SUZUKI GS150R
Loaded to the brim
The GS150r is the only bike in this bunch to feature a six-speed transmission, a positive throttle response and a gear indicator on the instrument console
The GS is Suzuki’s first 150cc offering in their second outing here. When the bike’s pictures were first revealed, the Suzuki was criticized for bearing too close a resemblance to the Pulsar. But when you set eyes on the GS for the first time or its spec sheet for that matter, all of that changes. This is a much larger bike, far more muscular and beefier than your average 150cc bike. Take the fuel tank for instance. It rises from the seat in a manner similar to bigger superbikes and there are also the trademark Gixxer stripes on it just to drive the point home. There is a splash of chrome on the side panel covering the air filter/battery that adds some style quotient to its side profile. There are two air vents beneath the bikini fairing that serve no purpose whatsoever but definitely look good. The rear end has its own attraction with snazzy LED taillights and integrated blinkers, making it one of the best in the country. The alloy wheels feature a swirl pattern that differentiates them from the rest with their straight spokes.
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| The GS’ expansive console features a gear position indicator and a shifter LED light | Integrated turn signals and LEDs turn heads everywhere |
Did we mention the spec sheet? Ah yes, the kind folks at Suzuki have loaded the GS to the brim with a host of gizmos. It is the only bike in this bunch to feature a six-speed transmission, a positive throttle response (it features dual throttle cables) and a gear indicator on the instrument console. The instrument console incorporates an analogue tachometer (with extra large fonts) while everything else is digital. There is also a LED warning light on the bottom left corner of the console that works in conjunction with the ECU to tell you how exactly you are burning up your hard earned fuel depending on the mode you choose to ride in. There is also a ‘God mode’ which tells the ECU that you are in full control of your riding and switches the warning light off forever.
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| The sixth gear is meant for cruising duties mostly | Swirl type spokes differentiate the GS’ alloys from the competition |
The GS features the widest seat of the bunch. Although it appears too sportily contoured, the superior padding and relaxed riding position make the GS one of the most comfortable bikes in this shootout. Performance figures are impressive with a 0-60km/h timing of 5.46sec and a top speed of 108.1km/h. Incidentally the bike attains its top speed in the fifth gear instead of the sixth cog which is basically meant for relaxed cruising.
This Suzuki is the biggest bike of the lot
SECOND OPINION
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SARMAD KADIRI Senior Correspondent The Suzuki is definitely one of my favourites in this segment and size. The ride can appear to be too soft for some but it is perfect for in-city commuting and probably that’s where it’ll spend most of its life. Moreover, the GS150R is the only bike in this shootout that sports a six-speed gearbox that makes it a breeze to ride on highways too. I know it’s not the fastest but it is supremely comfortable and dependable. I just hope Suzuki does something about the service network. |
TVS APACHE RTR 160
Catch me if you can
If performance and only performance is what you seek, look no further, here’s your Holy Grail
The TVS Apache RTR took the term ‘affordable performance’ and made mincemeat of it when it was first unleashed on the unsuspecting public in mid-2007. Adding an extra 10ccs to the already potent Apache mill did wonders for the motorcycle. In this shootout, this is the bike that comes closest to the ‘no-holds barred performance’ tag. The riding position is uncompromising; it throws you over the clip-on ‘bars and pulls your legs quite a good distance backwards so that Mother aerodynamics doesn’t complain. The racing stripes on the panels and the tacho face endow the bike with just the right amount of sportiness. There is even a 0-60km/h timer and a top speed recorder on the LCD display. The short wheelbase makes the bike as flickable and agile as a cat on amphetamines. However, some bigger riders might find the Apache a bit cramped.
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| A 0-60km/h timer and top speed recorder underlines just how hardcore this bike is | Split grab rails and LED lamps – this baby is loaded |
If performance and only performance is what you seek, look no further, here’s your Holy Grail. The bike does the quarter mile sprint in just 19.82sec and goes on all the way to a top speed of 118.7km/h. This top speed figure makes the Apache the fastest of the lot by some margin. Because of its short wheelbase, the RTR may initially feel just that bit nervous while entering corners, but once you get used to it, it proves itself a very capable corner carver. The biggest grouse we had with the RTR was the lack of refinement from the engine and transmission.
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| The five contenders lock horns in a churchyard. Talk about irony | Apache has the highest revving (upto 11,000rpm) engine here |
There were vibes emanating from the ‘bars as well as the footpegs, spoiling much of the fun provided by the screamer engine. This vibey nature also took its toll on the visibility from the rear view mirrors, rendering them virtually useless at high speeds. All of us loved the throaty exhaust note though. The RTR is the only bike here to sport split grab rails for the pillion and also to feature an open chain, thus underlining its sporty leanings. At Rs 67, 521(OTR, Pune), the Apache RTR is a bargain for a bike that offers oodles of fun and excitement every time you wheel it out for a swift sprint. Just don’t relegate it to the confines of the city.
The short wheelbase of the Apache endows it with the nimblest handling of the lot
SECOND OPINION
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BUNNY PUNIA Deputy Editor If you are one of those who regularly indulge in traffic light MotoGPs, the RTR should be your choice. If you like heading out to the nearest set of twisties on a Sunday morning, look no further. But (make it BUT), there are a few downfalls. Ergonomics for one. Second, the vibrations will irritate you no end on a long ride. However, the racing stripes and petal disc cannot be ignored, can they? |
VERDICT
All the bikes featured here are competent in their own right and it is a tough call to zero in on one particular winner. At one end of the spectrum you have the TVS Apache RTR, a no-compromise performance bike for the enthusiast. If you are looking for outright performance, look no further. It is the fastest, the quickest and the most powerful of the lot here. It may be a bit too sporty for daily city rides, but take it out of the confines once and let the bike do its own talking. The Hero Honda Hunk inherits the UnicornÕs peerless mill but in a more stylish, flashy set of clothes. It is the perfect bike for the Hero Honda fan who desires a modicum of style in a solid and efficient package.
The Pulsar 150 is the oldest bike in here and although it is as competent as ever, it needs a serious upgrade soon. That leaves us with the Unicorn and the GS150R. The Unicorn, despite being dated and bland, manages to stay near the top solely because it scores points in the most crucial parameters – reliability, refinement, handling and ride quality. It manages to give a tough fight to the GS for the top spot and we have no hesitation in saying that with a proper upgrade, it just might clinch the crown. But for now, it is the Suzuki GS150R that claims the title of the best 150cc power commuter. It offers the right mix of efficiency, style, performance and comes loaded with gizmos that enhance the ownership experience – just what most of the 150cc buyers look out for.
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