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Feb 27, 2008

22 TVS to relaunch the 125 cc Flame with a Single Spark Plug, Royal Enfield tread carefully with its U.C.E model (with 2 spark plugs)

TVS Motors to launch Flame with a new 125 cc engine in March 2008.. Royal Enfield to tread carefully with its U.C.E (Unit Construction Engine) which also has two spark plugs..

TVS FLame

After having to wait for 3 months, TVS Motors has finally decided to launch the 125 cc Flame with a new engine. The new engine will now have a single spark plug instead of the earlier two spark plug design.

The earlier CC-VTi engine had two spark plugs and three valves (one outlet, two inlet). At low RPM’s only two valves were functional and the third valve (inlet) became functional at high RPM’s. It was this because of the use of two spark plug for its single cylinder configuration, TVS was asked by the Madras High Court to stop selling and producing the 125 cc Flame. According to Bajaj Auto this was an infringement of their patented DTSi (Digital Twin Spark Plug Ignition) technology.

According to MoneyControl.Com, the Flame will now feature a new engine developed, patented and licenced by AVL, Austria. Actually even the earlier CC-VTi (Controlled Combustion Variable Timing Intelligent) engine was developed with the help of AVL. The new Flame with the new engine should be out by the third week of March 2008.

Also according to Moneycontrol.Com, TVS has lost around 120 crores of rupees in the last three months in sales because of the delay in launching the Flame. TVS Motors had also invested about 50 crores of rupees in developing the now defunct CCVTi engine.



Here are a few statements made by Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and MD TVS Motors (taken from Hindu Business Line).

  • "There is no injunction against selling the 'Flame' motorcycles," Mr Srinivasan pointed out that the injunction was only against the use of the engine with twin spark plugs.


  • Mr Srinivasan said the company was shocked over the judgment because "we never expected we will lose the case".


  • Bajaj getting a patent for the use of two spark plugs in the cylinder, he says, "is like me saying that I have a patent for pneumatic tyres".


  • "I was talking to somebody in Honda (the inventor of the twin spark plug technology). He said, only in your country something like this can happen."


Payeng Says: "Many things can happen and do happen in India.. the Japanese obviously have a lot to learn about us.. but we should know better, shouldn't we..??".



By the way TVS Motors have appealed against the verdict.





Royal Enfield decides to tread carefully with its twin spark plug design.

Royal Enfield U.C.E (Unit Construction Engine) with 2 Spark PlugsTaking a leaf out of the Twin Spark Plug Controversy between Bajaj Auto and TVS Motors, Royal Enfield has decided to play safe with its new U.C.E (Unit Contruction Engine) platform.

The new U.C.E model has a 500cc engine, and is the first engine of the company that will have an integrated gearbox. Another feature that is under the scanner now is the twin spark plug technology on the UCE model.

Royal Enfield is learnt to be now discussing with its legal counsel if its engine technology infringes upon the twin spark plug patent held by Bajaj Auto.

According to MoneyControl.Com, the new U.C.E model is slated to be launched during the April-June 2008 (probably for the Export markets initially).

RL Ravichandran, CEO, Royal Enfield says,

"The company is more focused on developing a new engine platform. The major difference is its integrated gearbox and the electronic fuel injection. It is a lean burn engine that will initially be used for exports in a new model. We are not concerned about one spark plug or two spark plugs"



Payeng Says: After the recent TVS Vs Bajaj face off, I bet that they are concerned.








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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.




Feb 25, 2008

25 More Pics/Photos of the Yamaha R15 clicked at the "Yamaha Bike Station"

More pics/Photos of the 150 cc Yamaha YZF-R15 from the "Yamaha Bike Station" at MGF Mall, Saket, New Delhi..

Last Saturday, I met Sajal (Regular reader of “The Bike Chronicles of India”) and both of us went to MGF Mall at Saket, New Delhi. The mission was to visit the Yamaha “Bike Station” to see the Yamaha YZF-R15 which was kept there on display and also click a few photographs.

Posted below are the Pics/Photos of the Yamaha YZF-R15 clicked by us.


Yamaha YZF-R15 @ Bike Station

Sajal, checking out the Yamaha YZF-R15



Yamaha YZF-R15 @ Bike Station

Yamaha branded Biking Gear on display (& for sale) along with the Yamaha YZF-R15



Clips ons and Digital Speedometer of the Yamaha YZF-R15

Clip on handlebars, new set of switches, digital speedometers



Digital Speedometer of the Yamaha YZF-R15

Close up of the Digital Speedometer of the Yamaha YZF-R15
(check out the 11,000-12,000 redline..!! This will a high revving bike..!!)



Windscreen/Visor of the Yamaha YZF-R15

The extended visor on the front fairing

The design of the windscreen/visor doesn't quite gell with the rest of the fairing.. also a tinted visor instead of the colorless one would have looked better.



Rear Tyre of the Yamaha YZF-R15

The (100/90 section) rear tyre

The rear tyre on the Yamaha R15 is also quite curved, resulting in very little contact patch with the road. Less contact patch with the road means "rolling resistance" and therefore should help in achieving High Speeds..the curved portion should come into play while cornering.



Tail Light of the Yamaha YZF-R15

The cheap looking rear tail light of the Yamaha YZF-R15

The rear light assembly on the Yamaha R15 looks like it has been bought from one of the after market shops. Even if the rear lights doesn't feature LED's, a better design wouldn't have gone amiss.



Sajal Checking out The Bike Chronicles of India @ Yamaha Bike Station

You can even browse the Internet at Yamaha Bike station



Payeng on the Yamaha YZF-R15

Thank God..!! I am not 6 ft tall..!!

The Knee Recess on the tank of the R15, makes for a perfect fit for my size (5 ft 5)..!! Looks like "The Best things in life comes in Small packages..!!"







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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.




Feb 21, 2008

15 Gary Wiwaha, a Pulsar 200 owner writes from Indonesia

Gary Wiwaha, an Indonesian biker writes to "The Bike Chronicles of India"..

Readers of "The Bike Chronicles of India.. Please welcome Gary Wiwaha, a biker from Indonesia.

Hi, my name is Gary, living in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. I am 30 Years old and working as Operation Mgr at Oil & Gas Drilling Co. (Gary can be reached at: gary.wiwaha@gmail.com)

Gary on his Pulsar 200

Gary on his Pulsar 200 DTSi

Gary has invited me (Payeng) to attend the 2008 "Jakarta Motor Show" to be held in August 2008..

I would love to visit Indonesia on my bike..

Anyone interested in sponsoring this "Biker Next Door"..??

I have bought a Pulsar 200 DTSi quite recently. Previously I have owned a Honda Tiger (200 cc), then a Suzuki EN-125 (125 cc) and the legendary 2 stroke Kawasaki Ninja RR 150 (150 cc).

I sold my Honda Tiger in January 2006. It gave me a lot of problems, such as bad engine noise, gear problems and a poor starter relay. It sucked! After the Tiger, I changed to Suzuki EN-125. But now even the EN-125 has been sold. Although the Yamaha Vixion is available in Indonesia, it is too small for me. It is like a bicycle to me..!! That's why I did not opt for it.(I am 181 cms in height)


The Pulsar caught my attention when I saw a Pulsar 180 (UG II) in Singapore in June 2006. I wondered "Which bike is this..?" It was Big, had Macho Styling and was not like any other bikes that I had seen. In the beginning I thought it was Kawasaki Pulsar from the logo on the tank. But later when I surfed the internet about the Pulsar, I came to know that it was an Indian bike manufactured by BAJAJ AUTO and the brand was PULSAR.

In Indonesia (especially in Jakarta) the name BAJAJ is synonymous with a 3-wheeler passenger vehicle with 2-stroke engine (it has been in Jakarta since 1970). Never did I know that BAJAJ also made such a Macho Bike.

As soon as I came back to Indonesia from Singapore, I tried to find if there was any Bajaj dealer for motorcycle in Jakarta. But alas, luck was not on my side. There are no Bajaj dealers in Indonesia at that time. As time went by, my wish to own the Pulsar slowly started to fade. But surprise..!! In August 2006 there was JMS (Jakarta Motor Show) in Jakarta. And guess who the main sponsor was..?? It was BAJAJ. Bajaj was launching its latest PULSAR 180 DTS-i UG-III in Indonesia..!!

I said to myself, "Wow..!!, Its finally here and my wait will be over soon". I took the test test of the bike. The looks of the bike and the engine was comparable to Japanese motorcycles. But there was something bugging me, it was the gearbox which wasn’t that good. I was ready to buy the Pulsar. But the dealer told me, if you can hold on for a year, you can get the Pulsar 200 DTSi. Wow..!! the Pulsar-180 has just been launched and the Pulsar 200 will come soon too. Cool..!!

I decided to wait patiently for the P-200. Finally I purchased the P-200 on 30-01-2008. the wait is definitely worth. FINALLY!! I am quite pleased with my Pulsar 200. The engine is very smooth and the tone of the silencer is music to the ears. The gears on the Pulsar 200 is also much improved than the Pulsar 180.

I have christened my Pulsar 200 as "Black Beowulf" which means “The hero without fear”.







Gary has invited me to attend the 2008 "Jakarta Motor Show" to be held in August 2008.. I would actually love to visit Indonesia on my bike. But I would need some sponsors to make this possible.

Anyone interested in sponsoring this "Biker Next Door"..??







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.




Feb 19, 2008

29 Size of the Yamaha R15

I get to see and touch the Yamaha R15.. and it looks like it a "Compact" Package.

Last Sunday I happened to walk into the recently inaugurated "Yamaha Bike Station" at MGF Mall in Saket, New Delhi. The "Yamaha Bike Station" in New Delhi is the first among similar such exclusive Yamaha showrooms coming up in the country (la Bajaj Probiking Showrooms).


"I am 5 ft 5 inches in height..

One of the criticisms that the TVS Apache RTR 160 has faced from "desi bikers" is that it is a bit small..

Looks like the YZF-R15 is also going to be a bit.. Err "Small"..!!

The showroom had the imports viz. the YZF-R1and the MT-01. A few Yamaha India models like the Gladiator were also there. Also kept on display among these models was the YZF-R15..!! During the Auto Expo, I could only see and take photos of the R15 from a distance. But now I could see and touch the YZF-R15 from close quarters.

I was cursing myself for not carrying my Nikon D40, but thanks to Nilu (a friend of mine and regular visitor to "The Bike Chronicles of India") and his mobile phone, I did manage to click a few pictures of me and the YZF-R15. Posted below is my photo along with the R15.

Payeng with the Yamaha R15

Payeng with the Yamaha YZF-R15





Even though the bike was at stand still, the purposeful full body fairing and the R1 and R6 inspired looks of the Yamaha R15 does give you that impression that this will be one fast bike. Maybe also because of our prior knowledge that this 150 cc bike has some cool stuff like a "Water Cooled" engine, "Fuel Injection" and has "4 Valves" in its single cylinder, both Nilu and I could feel the wind on our face even at "0" Kmph. I also tried to push the R15 around a little bit and I felt that the weight of the bike would be around 125-130 Kgs.

Let me tell you that I am a 5 ft 5 inch guy (couple of inches shorter than the average Indian).. and as you can see from the pics posted above that the YZF-R15 seems to be the perfect sized bike for me.. much like the TVS Apache RTR 160.

One of the criticisms that the TVS Apache RTR 160 has faced from "desi bikers" is that it is a bit small in size, thereby putting off a few prospective buyers in the process. So looks like the YZF-R15 is also a bit.. Err "Small"..!! I wasn't allowed to sit on the R15 though.

Nilu rides a Pulsar 200 and I ride the Pulsar 220. So the size difference between our bikes and the Yamaha YZF-R15 was quite apparent to both of us. Even the Hero Honda Karizma has dimensions similar to the Pulsar 200/220.

The tech specs of the Yamaha YZF-R15 is still not out. But Yamaha Officials have gone on record to state that the Yamaha R15 would be the fastest bike in India and would beat bigger bikes like the Karizma and the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. If in case the Yamaha R15 does manage to beat the Karizma and the Pulsar 220 in performance figures, I am sure the debate then would be.. "Do you want a Fast but a bit Small and light Bike or a Slower but Bulky/Heavy Bike..??”.


Wheelbase Comparision:*

  • Yamaha YZF-R15: 1290 mm


  • Yamaha Gladiator Graffiti/Type-SS/RS: 1300 mm


  • TVS Apache RTR 160: 1300 mm


  • Bajaj Pulsar 150/180: 1320 mm


  • Bajaj Pulsar 200/220: 1350 mm


  • Hero Honda Karizma: 1355 mm



[*Specs taken from the respective websites of the above mentioned models.]







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.




Feb 18, 2008

23 Yamaha India wants to Refocus on 100 cc segment, Court asks TVS Motors to stop Making and Selling the 125 cc Flame.

Yamaha India doesn't want to quit the 100 cc segment.. TVS Motors told by Madras High Court to stop making and selling the 125 cc Flame

Yamaha India Logo2006-2007:


January 10, 2008:

    Yamaha India shows the YZF-R15 at the Auto Expo and the prototype FZ150. I was now sure that Yamaha India was going back to its RD350 & RX100 roots. Finally..!!



February 15, 2008:

It’s only a matter of time before the 12.5 bhp, 4 Valve, 125 cc Bajaj XCD Sprint with DTSi engine will enter the fray..



Feb 16, 2008:

    Yamaha India Officially says (Source: Hindu Businessline) that it wants to refocus in the 100 cc segment with a variant of the "Crux".


Yamaha Crux

What..?? 100 c.c..?? Not Again..!!


Why doesn't Yamaha India utilize its resources and focus on upgrading the 125 cc engine on the Gladiator..?? It’s only a matter of time before the 12.5 bhp, 4 Valve, 125 cc Bajaj XCD Sprint with DTSi engine (with Sci-Fi styling and with goodies like Digital Speedo and front Disc) will enter the fray.





"Bajaj Auto wins technology patent case against TVS Motors"
Bajaj Auto Vs TVS Motors

The bone on contention between Bajaj auto and TVS Motors for the last few months has been the two spark plugs that TVS has used in its 125 cc Flame, which Bajaj Auto says is an infringement of its Patented DTSi (Digital Twin Spark Plug) Technology.

The Madras High Court has finally given the verdict in favor of Bajaj Auto.




Read more:



But Hindu Business Line also says that, "TVS may have a stand-by engine for Flame".

TVS Motors now plans to appeal before the division bench of the Madras High Court.



Its no secret that sales of TVS Motors has waned down over the last one year. TVS had high hopes on the new Flame to arrest the decline.. even during the Auto Expo 2008, it was the Flame which was the showered with attention by TVS.

This court order will definitely hurt TVS Motors a lot. Had it not been for this legal tussle, the Flame would have been out on the roads by 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.