Bike Chronicles of India

Apr 3, 2008

16 Yamaha Dealers in Bangalore are taking Bookings for the 150 cc YZF-R15 ..!! [Wallpaper]

The Official Technical Specification are yet not confirmed, nor is the Final Price.. Yet you can book the YZF-R15 in Bangalore..

Yes, Yamaha Dealers from Bangalore are accepting bookings for the Yamaha YZF-R15. I just happened to call two of the dealers in Bangalore, "Orion Motors" and Bangalore Wheels" and both of them confirmed that they are taking bookings due to "Customer Pressure"..!!

Technical Specifications/ BHP Figures of the R15: The receptionist at the "Orion Motors" Showroom told me over the phone that the R15 will have 22 bhp..!! At the same time the guy from "Bangalore Wheels" told me that the Tech Specs are yet not confirmed..!!

Yamaha YZF-R15 Wallpaper

I even called up Yamaha dealer from Chennai, "Ambal Yamaha": They told me that they will take bookings from April 15'th 2008. But even they said that they do no know anything about the bhp figures..!!

I also called up the exclusive Yamaha Owned "Yamaha Bike Station" in Delhi: These guys there have said that thery aren't taking bookings and do not have a clue that anyone else is taking bookings in India.

Delivery Dates of the Yamaha YZF-R15: But all the dealers confirmed that the delivery of the (150 cc, Liquid cooled, Fuel Injected) Yamaha R15 will be around June 2008..!!

Expected Price for the Yamaha YZF-R15: And yes, even though the final price is yet to be announced, they have given a ballpark figure of Rs.88,000-1,00,000.

Get the list of Yamaha India Dealers here..

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.

Apr 1, 2008

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..!! Yamaha YZF-R125

Just visit the Website of Honda UK: In UK Honda currently sells (in the supersport category), the CBR1000RR (Firblade), the CBR600RR and the CBR125R..!! Honda CBR 125R

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) Kawasaki Ninja 250R

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) Hyosung GT125R

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

Cagiva Mito125- 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.

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:

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..!!
The Bike Chronicles of India Gets 2 Million Pageviews
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

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

Disclaimer:

Mar 27, 2008

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..??

2008 Indian Motorcycle of the Year Award

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..??

Payeng on Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi

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..??)

"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:

Mar 25, 2008

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..!!

Bajaj discover DTSi TV Ad Featuring Jackie Chan

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