Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i BIKE India

YAMAHA HAVE MOST OF THEIR PORTFOLIO CATERING TO THE performance-seekers with their bike range including everything from the FZ-S and YZF-R15 to the MT-09 and YZF-R1M. However, when it comes to scooters, the Fascino and Ray series haven’t managed to set either the sales or performance graphs on fire. With the market showing an inclination towards peppier and more exciting scooters, Yamaha are the lone big name without a 125-cc offering in that space. Surprisingly, Yamaha have a slew of large scooters in several international and Asian markets. From the NMAX and XMAX series, which offer a choice of displacements, to the large 530-cc TMAX, there is one size for everyone. Now, however, the Free Go has surfaced in Indonesia and we have to take a closer look at it.…

MV AGUSTA ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR STYLISH AND HIGHLY DESIRABLE motorcycles and now the company has introduced a new special edition model dedicated to the visionary MV Agusta founder, Claudio Castiglioni. Named simply F4 Claudio, the bike looks like a masterpiece that might occupy a place of honour in a world-class art gallery. However, though a tribute, the F4 Claudio is far from being just a design show-piece; it is a full-blown race-centred jewel that will send the inexperienced to the loo if they fails to respect it (or so it would seem, looking at the spec sheet and the MVs of the past). The bike is a 998-cc four-cylinder that is set up either in a race configuration or as a standard road-going machine. In its race set-up, the…

Hero MotoCorp have launched their first 125-cc scooter, the Destini 125. You may recall that the company showcased the scooter at the 2018 Auto Expo. It has now been launched with its price starting from Rs 54,650. The new scooter is powered by a 125-cc engine that produces 8.8 PS at 6,750 rpm and 10.2 Nm of torque at 5,000 rpm, which offers better bottom- and mid-range power outputs than its smaller 110-cc sibling. The Destini 125 will also be the first scooter in its segment to be equipped with the i3S (intelligent start/stop system) technology, which is basically an engine start-stop system for better fuel economy. This scooter comes with an optional front disc brake with integrated braking, a telescopic front fork, and an external fuel-filler cap. Design-wise, the…

DECADES, AS ONE SCRIBE NOTED about centuries, don’t always start or end on cue. The hippie movement, very much a product of the 1960s, peaked in the early ’70s, with the ending of the US national draft and the Vietnam war that so many young people had protested against. Even the famous Woodstock music festival took place only a few months before the end of the ’60s, its legacy lasting for many years after. Easy Rider, too, arguably the most influential biker film ever, was released in the latter half of 1969. Looking back over 50 years of motorcycle design and development, I would argue that the ’70s, as we perceive them historically, actually started in the late 1960s. The ’60s had re-established the classic British style as the definitive…

Hero Xtreme 200R Price: Rs 89,900 (ex-showroom, with ABS) Overall star rating DIMENSIONS Width: 778 mm Kerb Weight: 148 kg Battery: 12V / 4.0 Ah, Digital speedometer, odometer ENGINE Configuration: Air-cooled, single-cylinder Valve-train: SOHC, two valves Displacement: 199.6 cc Bore x Stroke: 66.5 x 57.5 mm Compression ratio: 10:01 Fuelling: CV carburettor, 32-mm bore Maximum Power: 18.4 PS at 8,000 rpm Maximum Torque: 17.1 Nm at 6,500 rpm TRANSMISSION Clutch: Wet, multi-plate Gears: Five-speed, constant mesh Primary Drive: Gear Final Drive: Chain Gearshift Pattern: One down, four up CHASSIS Type: Diamond-type single downtube frame Front suspension: Telescopic fork, 37-mm dia Rear suspension: Seven-step adjustable monoshock Front brake: 276-mm disc, with ABS Rear brake: 220-mm disc Front wheel: 17-inch, cast aluminium Rear wheel: 17-inch, cast aluminium Front tyre: 100/80-17, tubeless, MRF…

ROYAL ENFIELD HAVE BEEN LIVING A BIT OF A CHARMED LIFE FOR THE past six to seven years. The brand has witnessed a sudden and unexpected renaissance that has seen it become a must-have for any Indian rider who wants to stand out. Having an RE, I’m told by ardent Bulleteers, means you’re a real biker. It means that you have a warrior’s soul and a wanderer’s spirit. It means that you can take on all challenges, summit all passes and do it all with pride, panache, and bravado. It means that petrol and testosterone run through your veins, that you drink engine oil and eat sheet metal, and spit out torque. It means, apparently, that you are unequivocally the most badass individual on the road and the whole world…

GOING TO A MOTOGP RACE with the boys in blue is an apt way to take in the atmosphere and get a first-hand experience of a Grand Prix weekend. Yamaha put on a solid performance in Japan (you may read our race report on page 96 of this very issue) and showed that they are capable of delivering the goods to take the fight to the front. We had the opportunity to speak to Yamaha. Here’s what they had to say. Bike India (BI): Yamaha MotoGP team have shown time and again that they are very competitive in some circuits, but this year has not been as hoped. Many say it’s the mechanicals-electronics-tyres combination. What sort of effort goes into finding the combination that works best? Team Yamaha (Y): There…

MotoGP It was Andrea Dovizioso on pole in Honda’s backyard at Twin Ring Motegi, with championship leader Marc Marquez starting only sixth on the grid. What was going through Desmo Dovi’s mind at the start? He’d won here last year. He needed to finish at least three points clear of Marquez to take the championship fight to the next round in Australia. Marquez, meanwhile, only needed to finish ahead of Dovi to clinch his fifth MotoGP world title and seventh world championship overall. Dovizioso got off to a perfect start as Johann Zarco on his Tech 3 and Jack Miller on the Pramac Ducati made contact as the pair made their way to the first corner. Marquez kept to the inside to make his way past three on the trot,…

THE QATAR ROUND WAS SLATED to be a special one for the 2018 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Champion (WSBK), Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). If both races reflect the success he has been enjoying thus far this season, Rea could amass the highest number of points in a single WSBK season. Race One The Northern Irishman was on the upswing right from the start of the race and settled into first place even before the first turn. Right on his tail was his teammate, Tom Sykes. As the duo streaked away in a green blur, an intense contest was being witnessed for third place. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) fought tooth and nail for the last place on the podium. Lowes’s attempts…

MARKING THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA FOR THE company, Royal Enfield have introduced their first modern twin-cylinder engine in a pair of classic-styled models, having first revealed the two at EICMA 2017. The Interceptor is reminiscent of the Bullet with a twin heart and the Continental GT 650 steps in to replace its former single-cylinder café racer, the GT 535. Both bikes use the same cycle parts and also share the chassis, engine, electronics, brakes, wheels, tyres, and a lot more, with the tank, bars and some panels setting them apart from each other. Essentially one rolling chassis, the same bike will be sold all over the world. The 648-cc parallel twin is the highlight. The motor runs a stress-free tune, using four valves per cylinder, Bosch fuel injection,…

RECENT REPORTS INDICATE THAT YAMAHA COULD POSSIBLY LAUNCH THE MT-15 IN INDIA. The bike shares a lot of its parts with the YZF-R15 V3.0 albeit in a naked bike avatar. The bike was recently showcased in Thailand and it looks very similar in styling to its bigger-displacement sibling, the MT-09, with the alien-like front headlamp design, chiselled tank, and rear bodywork. The instrument cluster is the same as that on the faired R15, an all-digital unit. It is an aggressive-looking machine. The Yamaha MT-15 would share the same engine as the R15 V3: the liquid-cooled, SOHC, four-valve, single-cylinder, 155-cc engine that delivers 19.3 PS at 10,000 rpm and 15 Nm of torque at 8,500 rpm. We expect Yamaha to price the MT-15 within the Rs 1–1.10 lakh bracket, which is…

ROYAL ENFIELD TEAMED UP WITH S&S CYCLE and Harris Performance to build a record-breaking bike based on their new 650-cc twin. The bike was ridden by 18-year-old Cayla Rivas, the daughter of “Bonne” record-holder, Chris Rivas. Cayla has a number of records in the past to her credit. This record is for the naturally aspirated 600 to 750-cc category, a record that was held earlier by Alan Cathcart at 100.984 mph (162.442 km/h). To obtain a record, a contestant must make two runs in both directions within the span of the two-hour session, wherein the average speed of both runs is the official registered time. Cayla smashed the old record with an average speed of 157.053 mph (252.745 km/h). The record, however, is still pending FIM certification. Day one saw…

HMSI HAVE LAUNCHED “HONDA JOY CLUB”, A FIRST IN the Indian two-wheeler industry with great benefits. It is a new digital loyalty programme by Honda whereby the company allows customers to accumulate points and redeem them within Honda or with exterior partners. New customers can avail of Honda’s Joy Club membership free of charge while existing customers can join with a membership fee of Rs 299. This is an offer available until 30 November. A customer may receive a number of discounts on spare parts, accessories, and labour charges with no upper limit cap on service bills. In addition, the Japanese manufacturers also offer three free vehicle washes and a free vehicle pick-up-and-drop service offer. The Honda Joy Club, as mentioned earlier, also has offers with partners from different sectors.…

Ducati recently delivered an ultra-exclusive Panigale V4 Speciale to one Kartikey Uniyal, a Ducati enthusiast. This bike is quite special, for only 1,500 units are available globally, thus making it a collector’s item. The bike is priced at Rs 51.81 lakh (ex-showroom), which makes it one of the most expensive motorcycles one can buy in India at present. The V4 Speciale is essentially the same as V4S; however, it gets a lot of standard equipment which is available as options in the case of the V4S. The equipment list includes carbon-fibre fenders, heel guard and swing-arm cover, machined top yoke bearing the bike’s registration number, Alcantara seat, dedicated handlebar grip, adjustable foot-pegs, racing articulated levers, racing fuel tank cap, brake lever protection, Akrapovic titanium racing exhaust system, racing windscreen, machined…

Born into a family of blacksmiths, I grew up with all kinds of tools around me. At a very young and impressionable age, I was exposed to processes such as cutting, grinding, and welding. This early exposure gave rise to a special interest in bikes and, as of now, I am extremely passionate about bikes, specifically café racers This time around I decided to modify the Honda CB Unicorn 150 cc (bestseller). It was a demanding task because this is a model comparatively less preferred for modification purposes owing to its high price. Primarily, bike modification entails three processes. The first one is design. To get a fair idea of how my bike would look, I started out with a few rapid sketches that slowly developed into a final version.…

TAGLANG LA ON THE morning of 16 September was the toughest part of day one. We had to cross Taglang La about 8.30 am and the cold was unbearable even 10 kilometres before Taglang La. We saw icicles for the first time. We later came to know that the temperature was –4° Celsius when we crossed Taglang La. The terrain was familiar since I had traversed it barely a week ago. After crossing all the passes again we reached Jispa around 6.15 pm comfortably after a 12-hour ride. For day two the challenge was crossing Rohtang with a pillion (due to the slush en route) and then the Manali-Chandigarh stretch (due to broken roads, landslides, and traffic). It seemed as if the ride would never end. It took us about…

ENJOY TRAVELLING. More accurately, I enjoy road trips to places I haven’t explored before and, having ridden and driven extensively through northern and southern India as well as along the western coast, there was one last quarter of the country I was yet to discover. So when the boss told me I would be riding through north-eastern India aboard the recently launched BMW G 310 GS, I jumped at the opportunity and was aboard a flight to Guwahati in no time. I was all set for an adventure aboard BMW’s smallest adventure bike and, having been told that roads in this part of the country are practically non-existent, was keen to assess the motorcycle’s touring capability over the varied terrain through Assam and Nagaland. I reached the hotel in Guwahati…

Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory Italian bike-maker Aprilia has responded to Ducati’s Panigale V4 by upping the displacement of their flagship sportbike, the RSV4, from 999 to 1,078 cc. The new engine retains the 65-degree V configuration of the current model, with the increase in capacity resulting from a three-mm bore increase, from 78 mm to 81 mm, while stroke remains unchanged at 52.3 mm. Power output is now an eye-popping 217 PS and the bike gets a new steering damper and suspension at both ends by Öhlins. Concept RS 660 Aprilia also showed serious interest in entering the highly competitive middleweight supersport class with this Concept RS 660, powered by an all-new parallel twin engine. This bike would be a great way for intermediate-level riders to get on to an…

TECHNOLOGY: DEFINED AS THE application of scientific knowledge to enhance practical purposes. A fair definition of the word that has been part of human existence. In recent years, though, advancements in technology have taken place at warp speeds which, so far as the industry is concerned, has manufacturers spending more and more money and focus on their respective R&D departments. The inter-web and connectivity have changed our lives forever and its long tentacles have reached beyond what we thought was feasible, or possible, barely five years ago. There are examples galore of the speed at which technology is moving. A quick look at the music industry will give you an idea. In less than a century, we went from LPs to A-tracks, compact discs, MP3 format and so forth. It’s…

RIDING THE RAPID LITTLE T20 HAD BEEN GREAT, BUT IT was only when I looked back through an old magazine in which it was tested that I realized just what a brilliant bike the Suzuki was. It wasn’t so much the test itself, although the article from 1966 was full of praise and comments such as: “with saddle-sliding acceleration and a top speed of over 160 km/h, the T20 is the fastest 250 on the road”. What really stood out were the old-fashioned advertisements alongside, for things such as full-length riding overcoats and a budget-priced Reliant three-wheeled car ― tempting at a time when so many families couldn’t afford a proper car. The best advert showed road-race world champion Jim Redman wearing an incredible device called the Turbo Visor ―…

MotoGP It was a dominating pole position from the newly crowned world champion, Marc Marquez, but, surprisingly or not, the pick for the win was Ecstar Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone who had shown great form throughout the weekend and looked menacing enough to challenge at the very front. However, Maverick Viñales carried forward the form that Movistar Yamaha seem to have found in Buriram and managed to put his M1 on the front row, three-tenths behind the Honda of Marquez, with Johann Zarco starting third on the Tech 3 Yamaha . As the lights went out, it was a great start from the two Pramac Ducatis of Danilo Petrucci and home hero Jack Miller as Petrucci took the lead and then ran wide almost immediately, leaving the two charging Suzukis to…

OVER THE YEARS, THE CALIFORNIA SUPERBIKE SCHOOL (CSS) HAS been regarded as one of the best motorcycle riding schools in the world and a lucky few get a chance to be trained by top-class international riding coaches. Usually, the CSS is a three-day riding school which starts on a Friday morning and comes to an end on Sunday evening. The first batch of the 2019 CSS will be held between 18 and 20 January 2019, and the second from 25 to 27 January. The idea behind the CSS has been not just to make riders fast, but, more importantly, make them safer both on the track and the road. The step-by-step training session has been divided into multiple levels and Level I to III are essentially for the beginners and…

TRIUMPH’S MUCH-AWAITED NEW SCRAMBLER 1200 has been revealed and it is styled to do justice to the “scrambler” tag. Triumph promise that the two variants will cater to a wide variety of consumers, including off-road enthusiasts. The company is offering the new Scrambler 1200 in the XC trim, which focuses on all-round performance, and the XE trim, which is a go-anywhere adventure variant. Both the bikes feature a lightweight aluminium frame with stretched aluminium swing-arms, long-travel fully adjustable Showa upside down (USD) forks at the front and an adjustable Öhlins unit at the rear, twin 320-mm Brembo rotors with monobloc M50 calipers at the front and twin-pot Brembo calipers at the back, and 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wire wheels. Both the bikes will also feature tyres from Metzeler. The…

THE HONDA SHINE 125 AND GRAZIA RECENTLY DID HONDA MOTORCYCLE AND SCOOTER INDIA (HMSI) proud by achieving exceptional sales. First up is the highly popular model, Shine 125, a small commuter motorcycle, that has created a new record by crossing the 70-million sales mark in 12 years. Honda also claim that every second 125-cc motorcycle sold in India is a Shine 125. This has done the company proud and adding to this brilliant achievement is the Grazia scooter, which crossed the 200,000 sales mark within just 11 months since its launch. The Grazia is probably the most popular 125-cc scooter in the country and goes to demonstrate that the 125-cc segment is growing fast. These achievements come just after a month of the Activa crossing the 20-million sales mark since…

The resurrected Jawa badge makes its first appearance on not one but three iterations: the classic “Jawa”, “Jawa forty two”, and “Perak”, a bobber model that will be launched later, priced from Rs 1.55 lakh (ex-showroom). Part of Classic Legends, Jawa have introduced their first comeback models, the Jawa “forty two” and the classic-styled “Jawa”, priced at a competitive Rs 1.55 lakh and Rs 1.64 lakh respectively. The Perak, which uses a larger-capacity, more powerful engine, will retail for Rs 1.89 lakh (all prices ex-showroom). These launches bring back memories of the time when these almost identically styled two-strokers brought the surroundings alive with their distinctive exhaust note. Incidentally, the new classic-styled model, simply called “Jawa”, bears a striking resemblance to the original model. Mahindra sure mean business after their…

Kawasaki India have launched their 2019 competition motocross motorcycles — the KX250, KX450, and KLX450R — priced at Rs 7.43 lakh, Rs 7.79 lakh, and Rs 8.49 lakh, all ex-showroom, respectively. These bikes have been given a few updates, too, some of which are a first for Kawasaki’s motocross range in the country. The updates alluded to above begin with the KX450, which gets the lightest chassis ever, an electric start, hydraulic clutch, and finger-follower valve actuation for better performance and reliability. The KX450 gets a new lightweight aluminium frame that is draped in bodywork designed particularly for rider movement. It also offers better control when putting power to the ground round corners. The engine now gets greater power. There are also new front brake master-cylinders. Kawasaki’s KX250 is renowned…

W HAT IS YOUR IDEA OF extreme? For me, it is diving out of an airborne plane. For some, it may be a roller coaster ride, crossing our roads or, maybe, even laying off the sweetmeats (I apologize, that is too extreme). That being said, when I heard that Hero were going to enter the 200-cc naked motorcycle space with the Xtreme moniker, like everyone else, I also expected a thrill machine. Then the numbers revealed that it was the least powerful machine in the segment. While pondering over what to make of that, my colleague came back from a first ride at the Buddh International Circuit quite pleased with the motorcycle. Eager to clear my confusion and do some number-crunching along the way, we strapped testing equipment on to…

IT ISN’T OFTEN THAT I GET A chance to start writing a review with a quote from The Bard, but ol’ Billy boy has hit the nail on the head with this little sound bite. And it looks like Indian two-wheeler behemoth Hero have decided to steer their product’s destiny to a new direction themselves with the launch of the Destini 125. It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves. — William Shakespeare There are already more than a handful of 125-cc scooters from a multitude of brands scooting about cities, towns, and villages up and down the country, so Hero are not breaking any new ground here. In fact, apart from Yamaha, they are the only established player in the scooter market not to…

YAMAHA. THE NAME RINGS a bell in every performance motoring enthusiast there is. From the days of the RX100 and RD350 two-strokers, the Japanese giant has carved a special place in many hearts. Some even see it become almost a cult following. From one Yamaha to another, they stay loyal to the blue brigade. Backed by the legendary number 46-adorned YZR-M1 ridden by the living legend, Valentino Rossi, the race-bike inspired superbike, YZF-R1, is a halo model for the tuning-fork brand. However, while those set pulses racing, it’s the YZF-R15 and FZ series that are bringing in the numbers and furthering the “Call of the Blue”, Yamaha Motor India’s latest campaign to break new ground and expand their horizons. Yamaha have realized that their name resonates with performance and things…

A SHORT TEST RIDE CAN ONLY EVER GIVE ONE A ROUGH IMPRESSION of what a bike is like to own, but Ducati’s Darmah Sport summed up the experience in just a few minutes. One moment the bike was refusing to co-operate with my efforts to find out how fast it would go, popping and spluttering with what turned out to be water in one of its carburettors as I tried to hold it flat-out on an open main road. But after I’d had to slow for traffic a few moments later, that didn’t prevent the black and gold Ducati from redeeming itself in a way that, perhaps, only a true Italian thoroughbred could. When a gap appeared, I wound back the throttle and, despite being slightly below par, the Darmah…

MotoGP It is always exciting to see the big boys of MotoGP engage in a race-long battle for supremacy and, in Malaysia, the scene was set among Movistar Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales, Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, Ecstar Suzuki’s Alex Rins, and Tech 3 Yamaha’s Johann Zarco. As the lights went out, it seemed as if the race belonged to nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi as the veteran quickly overtook Zarco for the lead. Behind the leading pair were Jack Miller of Alma Pramac Racing, Marc Marquez, and Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso. The top five were within two seconds of one another, with Rossi leading the way. The first four laps saw the 2018 champion, Marc Marquez, sit nicely behind Zarco; however, on lap five, the Spaniard shot past Zarco…

TVS Radeon Ready to Take on Urban Chaos Leaving early and sticking to a few lesser known routes makes sure I circumvent most of the traffic on my way to work. Leaving office is another matter, though. Cannot jump out early from there. So, I almost always encounter that dreaded sight of hundreds of tail-lamps. I have taken the same route home for almost a year now on different motorcycles but none has offered the convenience or comfort that the TVS Radeon does. More than a month has passed since the Radeon became my primary mode of transport and it has changed the way I ride a motorcycle around town. Its four-speed gearbox with short ratios allows me to shift into top gear quickly and then cruise along comfortably at…