Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i BIKE India

WITH DARINGBADI AND ITS SCENIC BEAUTY fading away in our rear-view mirror, we were westward-bound, heading towards the Sambalpur region. Our first stop along the way was the legendary Leaning Temple of Huma. Situated on the bank of the mighty Mahanadi, as the name suggests, this temple has a peculiarity that is quite unique — it is one of the only two temples anywhere in the world that has a tilt or lean to its structure. The edifice of the temple, dedicated to Lord Bimaleswar, has a near 14° lean to it. Interestingly, there are a few smaller temples in the compound that also have a bit of slant, but they deviate in the opposite direction to the main temple. This phenomenon has both fascinated and baffled archaeologists and researchers…

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, ELECTRONIC RIDER AIDS HAD the sophistication of cutting hair with a chainsaw. Consider how an old Nokia phone was considered cutting-edge 15 years ago and how archaic it seems today compared to the latest iPhone. I remember playing Tetris on my phone was mesmerising and that was before colour… Like phones, rider aids such as traction control and ABS have also evolved and, in recent years, accelerated in their development and effectiveness. The advancements in MotoGP and WSBK have filtered down to the end-user, me and you. Take Yamaha’s 2020 R1, for example, which is equipped with technology remarkably similar to that used by Yamaha in MotoGP in 2012. The list of rider aids has increased from simple traction control and ABS to engine braking assistance, slide…

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME A cruiser had such global appeal? Even dedicated sports bike fanatics can’t help but appreciate the design, look, and elegance of BMW’s R 18. It’s a stunning bike in the flesh, a work of art, and is clearly inspired by BMW’s early boxer machines from the 1920s and ’30s such as the R 32 and R 5. Elements are almost art deco, like the R7 prototype from 1934. It doesn’t scream at you like a carbon-winged BMW M 1000 RR and it’s not covered in lavish chrome like a Harley — it’s unique and clearly a BMW. The frame blends into the swing-arm to give the impression of a traditional hardtail. The fishtail exhausts mirror the R 5 from 1936, the exposed nickel-plated shaft drive…

NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS, BUT THE most important day of Fabio Quartararo’s life was Saturday, 7 April 2018. On that day, the 18-year-old Frenchman qualified 28th fastest for the Argentine Moto2 Grand Prix. Just ahead of him was the Malaysian rider, Khairul Idham Pawi. Both youngsters were more than four seconds adrift of pole man Xavi Vierge. A disaster. Quartararo had arrived in the MotoGP paddock three years earlier, already hailed as the next Marc Marquez after he had twice won the Spanish Moto3 title by the age of 15. But he hadn’t won a single race since, so, by April 2018, his MotoGP career seemed over before it had even begun. That night he went back to his hotel room in Termas Del Rio Hondo, in the middle…

FABIO QUARTARARO ON THE PETRONAS Yamaha SRT motorcycle had pole, but, with the two Ducatis of Jack Miller on the Pramac Ducati and Danilo Petrucci of Ducati Team, the thought of entering corner one in the lead seemed hopeless. Yes, folk, it is MotoGP time and we were in France at the legendary Le Mans circuit. Here is what happened. MotoGP At the lights, the opening sentence proved true, as now three Ducatis dashed into an early break-away group. Miller and Petrucci were now joined by Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati Team and the three were slowly opening up a lead over the rest. Meanwhile, the championship leader, Fabio, started to run into a little trouble, falling prey to a few souls on wheels. Nevertheless, Quartararo could afford a sigh of…

JONATHAN REA (KAWASAKI Racing Team WorldSBK) went into the last round of the WSBK 2020 season a confident man because in the two rounds before that (France and Catalunya) he had drummed up enough points to comfortably stretch his lead beyond the grasp of his closest rival, Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati). Over the course of the season, Rea and Redding fought tooth and nail, swapping the championship lead a few times, but the former’s consistency won over the latter’s misfortune in one too many cases for comfort. Rea won one of the three races during the Catalunya weekend and also scored a second-place finish which he then topped off with two victories in the French round. Redding’s response was one victory and one second-place finish over those two…

TRIUMPH INDIA ARE ALL SET TO WRITE A new chapter in their Indian journey. It is no secret that they have been working on a neo-retro naked motorcycle with a triple-cylinder engine, called the Trident. Is the Trident all-new? Yes and no. The name is iconic and can be traced back to 1968 when it first appeared. During its tenure in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, the motorcycle earned the nickname “Slippery Sam” and won the Production class five times in a row from 1971 to 1975. Then the name surfaced once again in 1990, adorning the 750- and 900-cc triple-cylinder roadsters. Now, in the 21st century, the Triumph Trident has resurfaced yet again as a 660-cc triple. In its latest avatar, this motorcycle aims to be one of…

Bike for College Commute I have a dilemma. Which one should I buy: the Royal Enfield 350 Classic BS6 or Standard? From your point of view, which one is better? I need it because I want to go to college which involves a 60-kilometre commute. Which of these two motorcycles will be better suited to my requirement? Nischay, via social media Dear Nischay, Thanks for writing in. That’s a tough choice. We haven’t ridden the BS6 Standard yet, but we have been testing the Classic 350 BS6. You can take a look at the review in this very issue. Since both bikes are built on the same platform, the only difference will be that the Classic doesn’t come with a pillion seat, while the Standard does. Otherwise, the changes are…

History The Honda CB models date back to the 1960s, starting with the introduction of the CB50. Since then, Honda have introduced various iterations of models ranging all the way up to 1,300 cc (CB1300 Super Four). Honda were always a step ahead with the CB models and introduced many revolutionary changes to the motorcycles. The original Honda CB350 was produced between 1968 and 1973. It was powered by a 325.6-cc, parallel twin-cylinder, four-stroke engine. The next was the Honda CB350F, which was one of the first four-cylinder, four-stroke, 347-cc motorcycles of its time. It was manufactured in Japan between 1972 and 1974. What we have now is the Honda H’ness CB 350 which will be made in India and currently is an exclusive product for our market. Design and…

IN RETROSPECT, I HAVE A LOT OF FOND MEMORIES FROM the time we spent in Odisha. The state simply had so much to offer in terms of scenery, culture and experience that there never was a dull moment throughout the whole trip. Exploring is always fun and, as a motorcyclist, it is most fun for me when I have a reliable pair of wheels for company. For this trip, Hero MotoCorp’s Xtreme 160R ticked all the right boxes for us because it had a capable engine, impeccable road manners and the best dealer network in the country. Furthermore, having experienced the motorcycle’s prowess as an overlander, we believe that the Xtreme is fully capable of unlocking the magic of two-wheeled exploring for a wider spectrum of riders. We pick up…

TRIUMPH MAY HAVE SET THE ADV BALL ROLLING IN our market with the launch of the Tiger 800 back in 2014, but growing competition over the last few years has left the British cat feeling somewhat dated among the current crop of machines from the likes of Honda, BMW, and Ducati. The development team at Hinckley clearly haven’t been resting on their laurels, and have spent the last couple of years redeveloping their mid-size ADV from the ground up; the fruit of their labour is this, the new-for-2020 Tiger 900. As with previous generations, the Tiger 900 is available in on-road-biased as well as off-road-biased variants, although the nomenclature has changed. Rather than the familiar XR and XC suffixes, the road-focused bike is now called the Tiger 900 GT and…

THE YAMAHA FASCINO WAS FIRST LAUNCHED IN MAY 2015 and since then this scooter has become quite a popular offering in the Indian market. Originally, the scooter used a 113-cc motor and was designed to appeal to those looking for a retro-styled scooter. For 2020, Yamaha have upgraded their scooter line-up, including the RayZR, RayZR Street Rally, and the Fascino, with a BS6-compliant, 125-cc engine along with a few more changes. Let us take a look at what the Fascino 125 has to offer. In terms of design, Yamaha have updated the Fascino with a curvier design and a bunch of new colour options. Overall, this has given the Fascino quite a premium look with good levels of fit and finish. We received the Fascino 125 sporting a “Vivid Red”…

WITH ITS STREAMLINED STYLING, bright red paintwork and a fiery 120-hp powerplant, the GPz1100 was arguably the world’s fastest and most aggressive superbike when it was launched in 1983. That’s how I remember my two weeks with it that summer as a young and speed-obsessed road tester: being blown away by its performance before writing a report, headlined “The King is Zed”. The Kawasaki was fast, all right. High winds at the test strip kept its top speed well below the 225-km/h estimate, but my comment, “I’ve never ridden a motorcycle as consistently rapidly on the road as I did the big red GPz1100”, summed up its appeal. The GPz was the latest and greatest in Kawasaki’s brilliant line of air-cooled, eight-valve fours and held its hotted-up engine in an…

SINCE ITS LAUNCH LAST YEAR, THE HERO XPULSE has quickly established itself as the go-to bike for beginner off-roading enthusiasts due to its attractive price tag. While it may be underpowered, the excellent pairing of that diamond frame and well-damped, long-legged suspension has proved to be extremely capable off road or over the worst roads India has to offer. The stock Xpulse strikes a fine balance between on-road manners and off-road ability, but now you have the option to turn your Xpulse into an ultra-capable off-road machine with the beans to take on a proper, cross-country rally raid. While the standard Xpulse is pretty capable as it is, Hero MotoCorp have gone the extra mile for serious off-roaders with the introduction of a bolt-on rally kit that transforms the bike…

DUCATI’S 234-HP SUPERLEGGERA AND THE FIERCE Ducati Streetfighter might grab all the headlines — and without doubt they are breathtaking to ride — but for a summer evening blast, the new air-cooled Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO is the bike I’ve been waiting for. Why? Because you don’t need to dress like a power ranger or ride on the wrong side of the law to get your kicks. Simply grab your leather jacket and (protective) jeans and enjoy the ride and the road. Ducati’s big, still air-cooled Scrambler is arguably the ultimate summer’s evening bike; so, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new, even more desirable Sport PRO. For 2020, there are two new models to choose from. First, you have the standard Scrambler 1100 PRO (£11,295, that…

ONE OF THE HIGHEST (IF NOT THE HIGHEST) SELLING motorcycle categories in the world is the commuter segment. These are small-capacity motorcycles which boast of highly reassuring fuel economy figures as well as a price tag that keeps most prospective buyers in their comfort zone. However, performance and style have seldom been the forte of these bikes. Until now, that is. Hero have just launched the new BS6 Passion Pro which has taken the commuter to a whole new level. The new Passion Pro marks the advent of a motorcycle that fits a more accustomed ergonomic ride and offers more bang for one’s buck than the rest of the gang. Hero’s new direction, showcased perfectly well by the BS6 Passion Pro, is welcome. Let us start with the design. The…

THE CATALUNYA GP HAS always been a favourite and bane of the MotoGP grid. Will pole-starter Fabio Quartararo have his way again finally or shall we see another new rider take the top spot in Barcelona? In addition, Moto2 and Moto3 seem to be getting a lot more competitive too. Here is how it went down. MotoGP Fabio Quartararo of Petronas Yamaha SRT had been through a few rough weeks with outings worth forgetting, allowing a number of rivals to close the gap in the points. However, Catalunya saw the re-emergence of Fabio as he rode a stellar race to the flag to claim another MotoGP victory. With this victory, Fabio opened up a decent margin at the top of the leader board. However, Fabio’s main rivals for the championship…

THE RACE IN ARAGON would have a Frenchman at the helm before the race, but a Spanish trio would have their say too. We would also be missing The Doctor, Valentino Rossi of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, who, unfortunately, tested positive for COVID-19. We wish him a speedy recovery. However, the racing continues and this is how it unfolded. MotoGP Fabio Quartararo on the Petronas Yamaha SRT bike would have a horrid day on race day, finishing in 18th position in the race. This meant the young Frenchman gave up his championship lead to the Team Suzuki Ecstar rider, Joan Mir, who finished in third position. The young Spaniard, Mir, has been continuously finishing races in favourable positions, allowing him to be the new favourite for the championship. However, the…