“The last half hour of the launch ride highlighted the best and worst of this tweaked and toughened Z1000. [Read more…] about Just launched Kawasaki Z1000 ridden
India
Kawasaki Z1000 and Ninja 1000 roll in
India Kawasaki Motor have added two new big boys to their range in India: the Z1000 street-fighter and the Ninja 1000 tourer. The mean, green speed machines, cliché as it may sound, have been launched in just one colour choice, you guessed it, green.
The Z1000 is arguably the meanest street bike you can lay your eyes on. It’s design is extremely aggressive to say the least, giving it an evil, even demonic stance, deserving of a Decepticon badge. The styling screams of unadulterated power and agility, like a ‘Hulked-up’ version of a litre-bike, stripped down to the bare minimum, if you will.
On the other hand, the Ninja 1000 is the one to go the distance with. It’s a comfortable touring machine and can munch the miles without biting into your comfort zone. Load up the options and you have hard bags and a storage box which can fit in all of what you would need for a ride out into the sunset.
Both bikes are powered by the company’s new 1,043cc inline-four motor which features Direct Fuel Injection and makes a credible 142 PS at 10,000 RPM with a peak torque of 111 Nm coming in at a reasonable 7,300 RPM. ABS brakes are standard on both bikes, with the Ninja 1000 adding Kawasaki Traction Control (KTRC) to the package.
The damages? Rs 12.5 lakh, ex-showroom Pune, for both the bikes. Kawasaki are in the process of setting up independent dealerships around the country. The aim is to provide qualified and specially trained personnel to deliver sales and service quality on par with their global standards.
Café Racer Extraordinaire: Triumph Thruxton 900
The Café Racer scene has suddenly become a hot topic with the launch of the Royal Enfield Continental GT. While their Café Racer is good and all (it won among the greatest accolade of them all: Indian Motorcycle of the Year), there is only so much you can do with 535cc and 29.1 PS from a big single. Enter Triumph, quite literally, with their range of classic British motorcycles; one of which is the Thruxton 900.
As far as Café Racers go, the Thruxton 900 is as good as it gets. The proverbial ‘ton-up’ speed, or 161 km/h, is easily achievable, and it can cruise around at that speed all day, if necessary. However, that’s not what it’s about. It’s a hardcore classic, quick British racer and it brings the substance to match its style. That substance comes from an 865cc, liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine making 69 PS at 7,400 RPM and 69 Nm at 5,800 RPM. Those numbers effectively spell out effortless acceleration and loads of grunt. With its typical Café Racer riding position, you ride seated back, crouched over the tank with a low set of handlebars – not really the ideal position for everybody or for a long highway ride. Either way, if you have Rs 6.7 lakh plus tax, insurance and what not to spend, you will surely not be disappointed.
The 2014 Thruxton 900 Café Racer is very likely to will be shown along with the rest of the range at the upcoming Auto Expo. Triumph Motorcycles India are working full force, trying hard to get their dealers up and running as soon as possible, while looking at new dealer partners in more cities across the countries. Triumph officially launched their bikes on November 28, with prices starting from Rs 5.7 lakh ex-showroom.
Story: Jim Gorde
Images: Triumph Motorcycles
Indian Motorcycle Roar In this January
Cult motorcycle brand, Indian, are all set to arrive in India early next year. The big cruiser maker will introduce three variants of its Chief motorcycle on January 22.
For the enthusiast and cruiser loyalist, Indian is the only competitor to the legendary Harley-Davidson brand. Their big cruiser will take on the likes of H-D’s Touring range inch-for-inch and pound-for-pound. The Chief line of motorcycles will see three variants: the Chief Classic, the Chief Vintage, and the Chieftain. All three will be powered by the all-new Thunder Stroke 111 cubic inch engine, which raises the bar for style and the power. The 1,811cc, 49-degree V-Twin motor pumps out an estimated 100 PS and a massive 161 Nm of torque. A 6-speed overdrive transmission sends power through the belt drive setup. The numbers aside, what are your three choices?
The first bike in the lineup, the Chief Classic, will bring all the styling bits which make it quintessentially Indian: the long, sweeping fenders, body work and laced wheels bathed in chrome, genuine leather saddle, and, of course, the signature Indian Chief head front-fender-ornament. You also get a host of modern amenities like keyless ignition, throttle-by-wire, ABS and cruise control.
The second is the Chief Vintage, the soft bagger of the range, which takes styling to a new level. Handcrafted details like the needle-stitched leather seat and a pair of leather fringe saddle-bags; with a quick release mechanism, as well as a big windscreen which has a similar quick-release setup. The Chief Vintage is ‘the ultimate signature bike created by Indian enthusiasts for Indian enthusiasts’, in the words of the company.
The third variant is the Chieftain, which builds upon the heritage of the company while looking into the future. It brings an enveloping touring fairing complete with a power windscreen, faired-in headlamps as well as a USB interface for smartphones and music players. The hard saddle-bags have a quick-release setup with remote locks. Basically, everything you need for a long and enjoyable journey on the road.
The official launch is set towards the end of January and information on pricing and availability will become clear only then. Considering that the range starts from $18,999 (Rs 11.75 lakh approx) in the US, and that the range will be imported entirely as CBU units, we expect pricing to start from about the Rs 20 lakh mark in India, no less.
Story: Jim Gorde
Ultimate Harley-Davidson Custom Bike Builders
The International Motorcycle Show’s Ultimate Bike Builder stopped in Long Beach, California under sunny skies this past weekend. The Long Beach International Motorcycle Show Ultimate Bike Builder was quite an attraction. Check out some of the epic mean machines that the builders created.
Shannon Venturo’s motorcycle – the Dazln – is a 2011 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe. It took third place in the Ultimate Builder MOD Harley Class.
Chris Richardson came in first place in the Ultimate Builder MOD Harley Class. His 1959 Harley-Davidson FL takes elements from his bobber style combined with a fairing and hard bag to deliver an exceptional low-slung and skinny Bagger. The bike also features a 3” stretch in the rear, hand-made custom saddle bags, fairing, oil tank, gas tank, exhaust and a narrowed rear fender.
Gary Savill took second place in the Ultimate Builder FreeStyle Class with his Wraith Heimdall Slammer, based on a more modern 2013 edition bike.
Sam Baldi took top honours with first place in the Ultimate Builder FreeStyle Class with his bike, Lost Angel, winning the big money. Lost Angel is a custom 2013 Harley-Davidson Softail which features a trans brake and centrifugal clutch.
Story: Jim Gorde
Images: Harley-Davidson
