15 Why 125 cc bikes are Popular in Europe.. Will Kinetic bring the 125 cc Cagiva bikes to India..??

Why are 125 cc bikes popular in Europe..?? Why are there hardly any 150/200 cc Street Bikes in Europe..?? Rumours of Cagiva coming to India with its "Sexy" 125 cc bikes..!!

What is common among the following bikes posted below..??

Apart from looking out of this world, they are all..

• Popular and on sale in Europe


• Maximum Power is upto 11 Kw or 14.75 bhp


• Maximum Engine Capacity is 125 cc

Most European Street bikes comes with engine capacities of either 125cc, 250cc, 600cc or 1000cc..

Yes, Europeans it seems have a thing for 125 cc bikes. These pocket rockets are comes fully loaded with the kinds of bells and whistles, which even our (Indian) premium (??) bikes haven't yet offered.

So why do Europeans like riding 125 cc bikes..??

Lets first visit the European websites of a few motorcycle makers..

Just visit the Website of Yamaha UK: In UK Yamaha currently sells (in the supersport category), the YZF-R1, YZF-R6 and the YZF R-125..!!

Just visit the Website of Honda UK: In UK Honda currently sells (in the supersport category), the CBR1000RR (Firblade), the CBR600RR and the CBR125R..!!

Just visit the Website of Kawasaki UK: In UK Kawasaki currently sells (in the supersport category), the Ninja ZX-10R, the Ninja ZX-6R and the Ninja 250R (in the Sports Category)

Just visit the Website of Hyosung UK: In UK Hyosung currently sells (among the street bikes), the GT650R, the GT250R (faired version), GT250 (naked version, the Comet which Kinetic once sold in India), GT125R (faired), GT125 (naked version)

Just visit the Austrian Website of Cagiva Motorcycles: In Eupore Cagiva currently sells, the RAPTOR 1000, the RAPTOR 650 and the MITO 125- SP525..!!




As can be clearly see, the European Street bikes comes with engine capacities of either 125cc, 250cc, 600cc or 1000cc. Not even 150 cc (Which is a segment quite popular in India) or 200 cc.

So what's the reason behind the popularity of 125 cc bikes in Europe..??



For answers lets have a look at the Motorcycle Laws of Europe..

European Motorcycle Laws:

• Most European Countries have motorcycle laws which restrict riders from the age of 16-18 to ride motorcycles with maximum of 125 cc engine capacity and producing not more than 11 Kw or 14.75 bhp. (Lucky European Teens..!!)





• Another law which makes 125 cc motorcycles popular among European Adults is that anyone who has a 4 wheeler driving license can ride a 125 cc motorcycle without a motorcycle riding license.





• For a motorcycle rider between the age of 18-21 there is no restriction in engine cc but restricted to ride a bike not producing not more than 25 Kw or 33.5 bhp. Therefore after 125 cc bikes, most bike makers sell 250 cc bikes with around 30 bhp power (like the Kawasaki Ninja 250R & the Hyosung GT250R)





• Above 21 years old, a rider can ride motorcycles of any capacity and power but have to undergo a practical test by riding a bike at least 33.5 bhp or above.

It is therefore seen that due to this legal system, Street bikes in Europe are either restricted to 125 cc or 14.8 bhp (or less) for 16-18 year olds and for adults with 4 wheeler license, or 33 bhp (or less) for 18-21 year olds.


Probably this explains the reason why motorcycles in Europe are 125 cc, 250 cc or above..

[European Motorcycle Laws: Source]




Great..!! Now can't India get these 125 cc bikes..?? Surely there is a huge market for two wheelers here.

Well... these fast (by Indian standards) 125 cc beauties have a cool sticker price which is equivalent to around Rs.2,30,000(Excluding Import Duties)..!!

Game enough..??



Cagiva "Might" join hands with Kinetic:

The March 2008 issue of Bike India did carry an article about Cagiva looking to enter into an agreement with Kinetic Motors of India, in which Kinetic would manufacture the engines for its motorcycles like the Mito 125. But so far there hasn't been any concrete official announcement about it by either Cagiva or Kinetic.



Also according to Bike India, the Mito 125 makes around 30 bhp. But what Bike India did not tell was that the 2-Stroke engine of the Mito 125 makes around 30 bhp only in the unrestricted form (with performance mods), under European laws the Mito 125 has to stick to 11 Kw or 14.75 bhp in its stock form.



Also since the Mito125-SP525 has a 2 stroke motor, Cagiva might be make the switch to a more eco friendly 4 stroke motor in the future.

Related Posts:

• Kawasaki Ninja 250R is Coming to India..



• KTM bikes for India.. Coming soon to Bajaj Probiking showrooms [RC8 Wallpaper]



• Pakistan losing its youth to Wheelies..!!



• 30 BHP, 250 cc, Twin Cylinder Bikes are for Ladies..!!



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



• Honda India has 100/125 C.C plans. Can we please have the CBR 150R too..??



• Road to the Indonesian Two Wheeler Industry

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.

29 The Bike Chronicles of India gets 2 Million Page Views..!!

The Bikes Chronicles of India gets 2 Million Page Views in 20 months..!! Thanks a lot to all the regular visitors..

I know that today is 1'st April or "April Fool's Day".. But this one is no April-Fool prank. In fact today (April 1, 2008), "The Bike Chronicles of India" has managed to get 2 Million (20 Lakh) page views..!!

When I started out back in August 2006 (it has been almost 20 months by now), I honestly did not think that this blog of mine would become the "Most Viewed Blog of India dedicated to Indian Two Wheelers".

After all I am just another normal and typical biker next door.. but in spite my non-celebrity status, I am happy that there has always been a regular readership.

Thanks a lot guys, your Visits and Comments keeps me going..

The following are a few screenshots of the Visitor Statistics..

Two Million Pageviews in 20 Months

Current Visitor Stats over a Typical Week

Related Posts:

• The Bike Chronicles of India gets a MILLION Page Views..!!

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.

34 Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi bags the First IMOTY (Indian Motorcycle of the Year) 2008 Award..!!

Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi bags the the first IMOTY (Indian Motorcycle of the Year) award.. What do I as an owner, think about my bike..??

Five of the top Auto publications of the country came together for the very first time to set up IMOTY (Indian Motorcycle of the Year) federation. The objective was to pick the "Most Remarkable Motorcycle launched in India" in the previous year.

The very first IMOTY award (for 2008) goes to Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi..!!

[The news about the IMOTY 2008 award has been taken from the April 2008 Issues of Overdrive and Autocar India (Yes, they are out).

Photo scanned from Overdrive April 2008 issue]

Of late every publication having a decent readership in the country had been giving away its own version of the "Bike of the Year" awards. Infact even private TV News Channels had joined in the fray. Like they say "too many cooks spoil the broth", the purpose of selecting the most remarkable motorcycle was getting lost in the process..

I hardly used to care which motorcycle "this" or "that" magazine gave the award to. But the IMOTY award makes sense to me. Five jury members representing the top automotive publications come together to wreak their brains and decide upon a single Motorcycle as the winner.

The following publications have setup the IMOTY Federation

• Autocar India


• Bike India


• Business Standard Motoring


• Overdrive


• Top Gear

The contenders for the IMOTY 2008 award were: TVS Apache RTR 160, Hero Honda Hunk, Bajaj XCD and the Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi.

In the end the Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi won the very first Indian Motorcycle of the Year award.



Ok, the Bike Gurus have given their verdict. But.. What does a "Biker next Door" who also happens to be a Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi owner think about his bike..??



Of course I had fallen in love with the Pulsar 220 and that's why I had bought it in the first place. But that was like "Love at first sight" or rather "Love at first Test-Ride"..!!

Now that the intial honeymoon period is over, how do I rate the Pulsar 220..??

What do I like about the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi..??

• Fuel Injection: This is a feature not just to brag about to your friends.. but to appreciate this technology, just bring the bike to a speed of about 30-35 Kmph at top (5'th) gear and then open the throttle. The way the bike pulls away without any fuss will explain a lot more than I can write in here.





• High Speed Highway Handling: Push the Pulsar 220 through some high speed manoeuvres on the highways to realize that you are smiling from ear to ear inside your helmet.






• Projector Headlamps: Mind you, these aren't just fancy show pieces on the motorcycle but are infact the Most Powerful headlights currently available on any Indian Motorcycle..!! And the fact that they do not depend on the engine speed to glow at full intensity will make you appreciate it even more.

I could go on and on but let me list a few negatives too..

What do I do not quite like about the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi..??

• Riding in traffic: Thanks to its length, negotiating slow moving traffic inside the City is a pain. You can no longer cut and weave through traffic like you would on a 150 cc motorcycle. It took me some time to get used to the length of the bike. Infact there had been two instances when the exhaust on my bike had brushed other vehicles when trying to squeeze into empty spaces in the traffic.
  
  With the Pulsar 220, its better to ride like a civlilized rider in traffic.

  
  
  

• Ineffective Rear View Mirrors: The fairing mounted Rear View Mirrors look sweet. But they aren't that functional as they do not provide a proper view of the scenery behind you.





• Weak Rear Disc Brake: The rear disc brake is supposed to be one of the selling points of the Pulsar 220 as it is the first Indian bike to feature a disc brake at the rear.
  
  But sadly the rear disc brake on the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi doesn't have much bite in it. This is totally in contrast to the front disc brake which has enormous bite (thankfully).
  
  In fact the front disc does the job of bring the bike to a halt almost single-handedly. Also after using it for sometime, the rear disc starts making some annoying squealing noises.

I have also had a few parts replaced so far. Although these parts have been replaced free of charge due to the 5 year warranty on the engine, considering that this is a premium product from Bajaj, Quality Control could still be improved.



So would I rate the Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi as the bike of the year 2008..??

I would rate the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi (4/5). And yes, the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi definitely deserves the IMOTY (Indian Motorcycle of the Year) 2008 award. 15-20 years down the line when someone might reminisce about the First Indian Motorcycle of The Year, I can proudly say that, "That was my bike..!!"




Future Improvements that i would like to see on the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi:

• A better rear disc brake


• Properly designed Rear View Mirrors



• A 4 Valve, "Sprint" version of the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi belting out 25 Ps of Power..!!
  
  (If the Bajaj XCD "Sprint" can make 3 Ps more with its 4 Valves, then why not an Pulsar 220 "Sprint" variant with 5 Ps more..??)

Related Posts:

• "Pulsar Mania", New TV Commercial from Bajaj Auto..!!



• 3000 Kms of my Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi.. Parts being Replaced.



• Read this before buying the Pulsar 220 DTSFi + 2'nd Free Service Report + Wallpaper



• An absolute Jack Ass on his motorcycle



• Fuel Efficiency Report of my Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi [Highway & City] + Wallpaper



• Ownership Review of my Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi [First 1000 Kms]

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.

4 The First TV Commercial of the Bajaj Discover DTSi, featuring Jackie Chan..!!

Blast from the not too distant Past.. the First Bajaj Discover DTSi TV Commercial..

Unlike a few Motorcycle makers, Bajaj Auto doesn't believe in resorting to expensive Cine/Bollywood or Sports/Cricket stars to promote its products right..??

Well, think again..

The very first TV Commercial of the Bajaj Discover DTSi (125 cc at that time) in 2004 featured the "Most Expensive" Cine Star of Asia, Jackie Chan..!!



How soon our memories fade, No..??
Watch the TV Commercial posted below..

If you cannot see the video, Click here..

Related Posts:

• "Pulsar Mania", New TV Commercial from Bajaj Auto..!!



• The New TV Commercial of the 125 cc Bajaj XCD DTS-Si



• New Bajaj Pulsar DTS-Fi 220, TV Advertisement..!!



• Pulsar 200 TV Advertisement. (Video)



• New Bajaj Pulsar 180 DTSI (UG III) TV Commercial/Advertisement..!! (Video)

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.

11 Bajaj Discover 135 DTSi [Test Ride/Review]

Test Ride/Review of the Discover 135 DTSi..

This test ride was taken 3 months back when I was in Bangalore. The reason for the delay in publishing this test ride experience was that virtually every other bike at that point of time felt under powered to me. I was unable to really differentiate the experience from the test ride of the Discover 135 from the other 150 cc bikes.

The Reason: I had got too used to riding my Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi.

The Discover 135 with 13.10 Ps is actually slightly more powerful than the Original (1998) Hero Honda CBZ..!!

After shifting to Gurgaon, 3 months have passed without my bike. Of late I have realized that slowly I have again become sensitive towards the small differences in power and handling characteristics of bikes starting right from 100cc.

Anyway, let me recollect and try to summarize briefly about the test ride experience of the Discover 135 DTSi.

Test Ride Review of the Discover 135 DTSi

Without further ado, I'll directly go to the negatives and positives of the Discover 135 DTSi..

Negatives: Even though the bike has a bigger capacity engine and more power than 125 cc bikes, one look at the Discover 135 cc DTSi will convince you that it is a commuter oriented bike.

A few 125 cc bikes like the Yamaha Gladiator and the TVS Flame look much sportier that the Discover 135 DTSi. Moreover like a typical commuter oriented bike, the Discover 135 sports just 4 gears.

Also at high revs the Discover 135 felt a bit rough.


Positives: The top end version comes with electric start, disc brakes, exposed O-ring sealed chain, 100/90 section rear tyres (as fat as Pulsar 150/180 rear tyres), Gas Filled "Nitrox" rear shock absorbers. The all black paint to the engine, suspension and alloys is standard across the 3 variants of the Discover 135.

The Pick up was impressive and the bike even did not sputter even at speeds as low as 30 Kmph in 4'th (top) gear. The disc brakes had impressive grunt and the gearbox was better than the ones on the Pulsar 150/180.

The shock absorbers did the job of pampering your back quite admirably. Handling was decent too and the bike felt quite flickable.



Bajaj Discover 135 DTSi Tech Specs

Engine Type: 4 Stroke natural air Cooled DTS-i
Engine Capacity: 134.21 cc
Maximum Power: 13.10 Ps @8500 rpm
Fuel Tank Capacity: 10.0L (2.3 Reserve)

Front Suspension: Telescopic (135 mm travel)
Rear Suspension Hydraulic shock absorbers/Gas filled Shock absorbers

Wheels: Alloy Wheel
Tyre (Size): Front- 2.75X17",42P Rear: 100/90X17", 52P

Wheel Base: 1305 mm
Brakes: Disc in front and rear Drum type (130 MM dia)

Someone who is not looking for a 150 cc bike,

Wants a commuter oriented bike,

Need more grunt than the current 125 cc bikes

Can live with 4 gears..

Should definitely consider the Discover 135 DTSi..

Price: The Discover 135 DTSi is available in three variants.

• Rs. 48,600 (Ex showroom Delhi) Front Disc/Self Start/Nitrox Shock Absorbers/Open O-Ring Sealed Chain



• Rs. 46,600 (Ex showroom Delhi) Front Drum Brakes/Self Start



• Rs. 43,600 (Ex showroom Delhi) Front Drum Brakes/Kick Start

Colors: There seem to be three color options:

• Blue with Light Blue Stickers



• Black with Magenta Decals



• Black with Blue Decals

Conclusion: The Discover 135 with 13.10 Ps @8500 RPM is actually slightly more powerful than the Original 1998 Hero Honda CBZ (the bike that started the sporty 4 stroke bike segment in India). But I am glad that the Discover 135 DTSi doesn't even try or pretend to be a Performance Oriented bike.. and remains happy to be identified as a commuter bike.

After all when there are 150 cc bikes with around 14-15-16 Ps of Power, its better to be positioned as a commuter oriented bike.


Who should buy the Discover 135 DTSi..??

The Discover (old 125 and the new 135) has been one of the most common sights among the 125-135 cc bikes at least in "Gurgaon-Delhi and in Bangalore". Also according to the showroom guys at Bangalore, the demand for the top end variant of the Discover 135 DTSi is more than the demand for the lower variants.

Someone who is not looking for a 150 cc bike, wants a commuter oriented bike, need more grunt than the current 125 cc bikes and can live with 4 gears should definitely consider the Discover 135 DTSi.

It is a bit costilier than the current 125 cc bikes but the 150 cc bikes costing around 9,000-10,000 more than makes the Discover 135 DTSi, makes it a sensible option as well.

Related Posts:

• Bajaj Discover DTSi 135 C.C on Bajaj's Website now



• 125 cc Comparision: Bajaj XCD Vs Hero Honda Glamour Vs Honda Shine Vs Suzuki Zeus Vs Yamaha Gladiator..!!

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.