15 I’d rather ride a 250-400 cc slowly through a pothole, than “Day Dream” of riding the R1 on the Golden Quadrilateral..!!

Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki might bring in their big bikes in India soon.. good times ahead "for my kids".. amen

Yamaha India has made public its plans to bring in its MT01 and R1 by this year-end. Not to be undone, both Honda and Suzuki have also announced that they are also looking at the feasibility of getting their big bikes for India.

Great..!! Isn’t it..??
A testimony to “India Shining”, Right..??


Superbikes..?? Hmmm.. for whom..??

I have to get married, buy a house, have kids, save for their education, buy a car and save for my retirement..!! From where the hell can I afford the 10 lakh needed for the R1..??

These 600-1000 cc beasts will most certainly be brought in as CBU’s (Completely Built Units) or in simple parlance, as direct imports. Which means that, anyone willing to sign his/her checkbook for these exotic beasts will probably end up with around a million (10 Lakh) Rupees lighter bank balance.

Among the 1 billion plus Indians, there should definitely be at least a few hundred prospective Richie Rich types who are grinning from ear to ear in anticipation..

So in order to afford that kind of money you either got to have a rich dad or a rich kid yourself. And unfortunately I don’t seem to fit in either of the categories. Moreover I have to get married, buy a house, have kids, save for their education, buy a car and save for my retirement..!! From where the hell can I afford the 10 lakh needed for the R1..??

But maybe, just maybe.. I could give the Maruti Alto a miss and plump in for a 2-3 lakh 250-400 cc “twin” if somebody promises me one in the next 2-3 years.



Superbikes..?? Hmmm.. Why??

Why..?? It will boost the image of these Japanese brands in India. And hopefully push the sales of their tiddler 100-150 cc bikes.

These speed demons need smooth roads like (as once quoted by Mr. Laloo P. Yadav) the cheeks of Hema Malini (at her prime mind you..!!)

Well, there is absolutely no dispute that the Japanese are the “Mai Baap” in the motorcycle business worldwide. And like most kids, I too have grown up by hanging posters of Japanese Super bikes on my bedroom wall. Even if the Japs decide not to bring in these speed monsters, I can still safely say that most kids would still religiously continue to hang these posters on their bedroom wall (I have grown out of it).

Honda Hornet 250

Better still, if I could get a 250 cc Honda Hornet/2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R in my garage before I hit 35 (right not I am pushing 30), it would fulfill my childhood dreams quite well. Thank you..!!

2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R

Superbikes..?? Hmmm.. Where??

Moreover, the road conditions along with the traffic-infested roads of most Indian cities aren’t suited for 1000 cc bikes. These speed demons need smooth roads like (as once quoted by Mr. Laloo P. Yadav) the cheeks of Hema Malini (at her prime mind you..!!) and not ones filled with potholes, cows, dogs and as Mr. John Abraham could tell you better, the friendly neighborhood bicyclist.

Riding a 1000 cc bike is no child’s play. A 1000 cc bike cannot be someone’s first bike. Even for a 100 cc rider, graduating to something like the Karizma or the Pulsar 220 isn’t exactly easy. In some western countries, one has to qualify to ride a higher cc bike and he/she needs to have prior experience of riding less powerful bikes. But where are such laws in India..??



Shouldn’t a 250 – 400 cc bike come first..??

Maybe I should make enough moolah so that I might be able to borrow my son’s/daughter’s 1000 cc bike for an occasional ride in my grand old days..!!

Logically thinking, that should be the normal progression. The best that we have got right now is the 223 cc Hero Honda Karizma and the Bajaj Pulsar 220. Agreed that these models still don’t do big numbers like the 100-150 cc bikes, but at least there is a healthy demand for these bikes now.

Considering I already ride a Pulsar 220, I think a 250-400 cc twin would be perfect for me in another two years..!!



A blogger calling himself Rearset says, “I'd rather ride an R1 slowly through a pothole than not ride one at all...”

I would like to say, “I’d rather ride a 250-400 cc slowly through a pothole, than “Day Dream” of riding the R1 on the Golden Quadrilateral..!!”

On second thoughts maybe I should make enough moolah so that I might be able to borrow my son’s/daughter’s 1000 cc bike for an occasional ride in my grand old days..!!

Related Posts:

• 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R..!! Bring this one to India please.



• Will the "Yamaha Fazer 250" and "Honda CBX 250 Twister" be ever launched in India..??



• Yamaha India will bring in its Superbikes..!! Are you happy now..??

Disclaimer:

This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.