Bike Chronicles of India

Feb 7, 2010

1 Yamaha R15, FZ16 on Colombian soil

Yamaha R15 and FZ16 finds its way to Colombia..!!

Colombians seem to have a penchant for motorcycles. With smooth roads, a beautiful country side and equally beautiful co riders for company, I am not actually surprised.

Super Sports bikes, Cruiser bikes, Dirt bikes, Dual Sports bikes.. Colombians seems to have access to a rich variety of motorcycles

Apart from Indian two wheelers like the Bajaj Pulsar and more recently motorcycles from Royal Enfield, even a few Japanese branded but made in India bikes (like the Yamaha Gladiator as the YBR125) have been making its way from India to Colombia for sometime now. A visit to the Colombian Yamaha Motor website reveals that the R15 and the FZ16 have also found its way to Colombia (exports had started sometime in 2009)..!!

The Yamaha R15 and FZ16, which are actually scaled down 150 cc replicas of the 1000 cc R1 and the FZ1 respectively, have been successful in infusing excitement into the Indian motorcycle scene.

Although I am still not totally convinced with the overall styling of the R15, dynamically the bike definitely performs and handles like one developed for the race track. The FZ16 on the other hand is a piece of art to me. The bike won’t look out of place even in fashion conscious Paris or Milan. The FZ1 inspired styling gives the FZ16 the impression of a much larger bike than its 153 cc, 14 Ps engine.

FZ16 in Colombia
Compared to us Indians, Colombians seems to have access to a richer variety of motorcycles to choose from. Super Sports bikes, Cruiser bikes, Dirt bikes, Dual Sports bikes.. Colombians seems to have it all. Even the YBR 250/Fazer 250 (the model which most Indian bikers have been dreaming since ages) is sold in Colombia. Despite having all these models at their disposal, it looks like that even the Colombians have taken a liking to the gorgeous FZ.

Check out the photos (Source: ClubFZ16.Com) posted below..

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

Awesome Fan Ad (Video) of the Yamaha (India) Fazer

Rossi visits India and John Abraham is appointed Advisor to Yamaha India..!!

Auto Expo 2010 Coverage: Yamaha

Royal Enfield in Colombia

4'th National Pulsar Owner's Meet in Colombia..!!

"3'rd National Bajaj Pulsar 180 Owners Meet" in Colombia..!!

"Pulsarian Community" of Indonesia..

What's up with TVS Motor in Indonesia?

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 4, 2010

1 Royal Enfield in Colombia

Royal Enfield models find its way to Colombia..

With its new range of "Classic" models, Royal Enfield seems to be literally going places. So far, Royal Enfiled models have been exported to Europe and the U.S.A , but now it has also found its way into Colombia (according to Royal Enfield's website, Royal Enfield has an presence in 30 countries including Colombia).
Royal Enfield in Colombia Its a delight to see another Indian two wheeler brand (according to me Royal Enfield is now an Indian brand with British origins) spread its wings in another country. I hope that the Colombians would also appreciate the old school charm of this "Old Wine" of a motorcycle.

The first dealer and service center would open in the Colombian city of Bogota. There are plans of opening more dealerships in other cities as well. The models to be on sale in colombia are the 500 cc Bullet Classic, 500 cc Bullet Electra, 500 cc Bullet Electra Deluxe, 500 cc Bullet Military and the 350 cc Thunderbird Twinspark. All these models sport the latest U.C.E (Unit Construction Engine).

Visit the Colombian website of Royal Enfield: http://www.royalenfield.com.co/

Slideshow of Royal Enfield showroom in Colombia

Visit the slideshow photos on Picasaweb

More Photos.

Photo credits and news source - publimotos.com

4'th National Pulsar Owner's Meet in Colombia..!!

"3'rd National Bajaj Pulsar 180 Owners Meet" in Colombia..!!

"Pulsarian Community" of Indonesia..

What's up with TVS Motor in Indonesia?

Disclaimer:

5 January 2010, 2 Wheeler sales in India

January 2010 sales numbers of our 2 wheeler makers..

In sharp contrast to early 2009, most of the 2 wheeler makers in India have managed to register good sales in January 2010. Almost every manufacturer, (with the expection of Yamaha India) has shown an increase in sales. Maybe its time for Yamaha India to launch its commuter oriented SZ concept that was shown at the Auto Expo.

I just hope that this dream run continues for most of the manufacturers and that the good sales numbers also transate into some exciting models for me when its time for me to upgrade from my Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi..

Hero Honda had sold 389,802 units of two-wheelers in January 2010

News Source: Click here

The country's largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda today reported 23.57 per cent jump in its sales at 389,802 units in January compared to the same month's last year.

Hero Honda is also planning to launch three new products by the end of this fiscal. In a statement, Hero Honda said it had sold 315,458 units in January last year. The figure registered during January is the highest-ever sales in the month by the company, it added. Besides, for the 13th consecutive time, the company has recorded more than three lakh despatches in a single month.

"Our sales numbers for January provide an excellent start to the calendar year, 2010. The sales growth we have achieved is significant in light of the high base that we created in the same period last year," Hero Honda Motors Senior Vice President (Marketing & Sales) Anil Dua said.

The company witnessed good performance in all the regions and sales across segments grew, he added. On its upcoming products, without giving any details, Dua said, "Going forward, we have three new product launches planned in the next two months, taking the total number of launches to nine this fiscal."

Bajaj Auto has sold 233,000 units of two-wheelers in January 2010

News Source: Click here

Driven by strong volumes of the Pulsar and Discover, Bajaj Auto, India’s second largest two-wheeler maker, has reported a 112% rise in motorcycle sales in January to 2.33 lakh units, compared to 1.09 units a year ago.

Total sales of two and three wheelers doubled to 2.7 lakh units, while exports jumped by 33% to 71,695 units. Bajaj Auto managing director, Rajiv Bajaj said Pulsar and Discover bikes accounted for around 70% of the sales volumes. “Sales of the Pulsar at 71,970 units last month was at an all time high,” he added.

Bajaj Auto, which launched the Pulsar 135 recently, sold around 28,000 units of the new model. “What has been comforting for us is the fact that there has been no cannibalisation and all the Pulsar models have done extremely well. Our entire growth has come from competition,” he added. Thanks to the strong volumes, Bajaj Auto’s market share rose to 32% from around 21% a year ago.

TVS Motor has sold 125,578 units of two-wheelers in January 2010

News Source: Click here

Two-wheeler manufacturer TVS Motor Company Ltd has opened the New Year on a positive note reporting 34 per cent increase in sales last month. The company sold 125,578 units last month against 93,729 units in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The cumulative sales for the period April 2009 to January 2010 is 1,234,632 units against 1,100,453 units in January 2009. In the domestic market, the company sold 109,504 units last month as against 79,729 units ain January 2009.

Continuing its upward trend, exports recorded a growth of 15 per cent registering sales of 16,074 units of two-wheelers last month as against 14,000 units in January 2009. TVS Motor's three-wheeler sales stood at 1,710 units last month up from 466 units logged in January 2009.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has sold 118,571 units of two-wheelers in January 2010

News Source: Click here

Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India on Tuesday reported 24.84 per cent growth in its total sales at 118,571 units in January.

The company's total sales stood at 94,982 units in the same month last year. Motorcycle sales rose 19.08 per cent to 47,815 units in January over 40,153 units in the corresponding period a year ago, HMSI said in a statement. The company reported increase of 29.05 per cent in scooter sales at 70,756 units in January compared to 54,829 units in the year-ago period.

Suzuki Motorcycle India has sold 20,441 units of two-wheelers in January 2010

News Source: Click here

Japanese two-wheeler maker Suzuki Motorcycle India reported a 93% jump in sales to 20,441 units in January

Yamaha India has sold 17,598 units of two-wheelers in January 2010

News Source: Click here

India Yamaha Motor has registered sales of 17,598 units during January 2010. The sales during the same period last year were at 18,320 units.

"After a remarkable 2009, the year 2010 will be a progressive year for Yamaha that will take forward our growth story. Fazer, FZ-S, FZ16 and R15 have helped us in the revitalization of Yamaha brand in India and continuously strengthened our sales.

Efforts are being made to prepare the company for renewed revenue growth and profitability by focusing on 3S (Sales, Service & Spares) concept which has already started to pay off. We will continue to launch new models that suit consumer preferences and lifestyles", said Yukimine Tsuji, CEO & MD, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd.

Disclaimer:

Feb 2, 2010

21 2010 Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i to be launched soon..!!

After Pulsar 220-S DTS-i, Bajaj will soon launch the 2010 Edition of the Pulsar 150 DTS-i..

2010 Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i Clip Ons
Power: 15.06 Ps @ 9000 rpm
Torque: 12.5 Nm @ 6500 rpm
Bigger Carburetor for Better throttle response

That's what the Bajaj Pulsar (Official) Fanpage on Facebook says about the soon to be launched 2010 edition of the Pulsar 150 DTS-i..!! (Source: Click here..)

The Pulsar 150 has been by far the best selling 150 cc motorcycle in India since it was launched in 2001. But after the arrival of new entrants in the 150 cc category like the Honda Unicorn, Hero Honda CBZ Xtreme, Suzuki GS150R and the Yamaha FZ-16, people started to think that the old warhorse might have seen its best days.

Now with 15.06 Ps of peak power, the Pulsar 150 DTS-i becomes the most powerful "air-cooled" 150 cc motorcycle in India..!!

Even when the 2009 edition (Upgrade IV) of the Pulsar 150 DTS-i was launched, vociferous voices initially crucified it on various blogs/forums/sites, stating that just putting a Pulsar 200 like tank extension and giving the "all black" look to the alloys and engine covers was not enough.

But since then, the sight of increasing number Pulsar 150 UG IV’s on our roads have proved its critics (including me) wrong.

With the younger and smart looking brother, the Pulsar 135LS snapping at the heels of most of the bigger 150 cc bikes in the country, this upgrade for the Pulsar 150 makes sense. Apart from getting sporty clip on handlebars, with 15.06 Ps of peak power, the Pulsar 150 DTS-i now becomes the most powerful "air-cooled" 150 cc motorcycle (discounting the R15) in India..!!

It will now be interesting to note if the same vociferous voices would again start to crib against this new model. In any case, I don’t think the real customers pays heed to such voices as they seem to have an opinion of their own.

But for enthusiasts, more power is always welcome.. after all "More is Less".

2010 Pulsar 150 DTS-i, Max Power= 15.06 Ps @ 9000 rpm
2009 Pulsar 150 DTS-i, Max Power= 14.09 Ps @ 8500 rpm

Max Power figures of current 150 cc bikes (air cooled):

Hero Honda CBZ-Xtreme, Max Power= 14.40 Ps @ 8500 rpm
Hero Honda Hunk, Max Power= 14.40 @ Ps 8500 rpm
Yamaha FZ-16/S, Fazer, Max Power= 14.00 Ps @ 7500 rpm
Suzuki GS150R, Max Power=13.98 Ps @ 8500 rpm
Honda Unicorn, Max Power= 13.50 Ps @ 8000 rpm

Note: Interestingly the 2010 Pulsar 150 DTS-i will now make max power figure which is nearly equal to what its older brother, the Pulsar 180 used to make in 2001.

i.e. 15 bhp..!!

[P.S: More details, price and photos will be updated later]

Disclaimer:

Jan 30, 2010

35 2010 Honda CBF Stunner (125cc). Details, Price, Colors revealed (from Official Website)

Details of the 2010 CBF Stunner is out on HMSI's website..

HMSI had shown the 2010 edition of the CBF Stunner at the 10'th Auto Expo. Details of the same model has been updated on its website. As speculated, there has be no performance upgrades in the 2010 CBF Stunner. The engine still makes 11 bhp max power.
2010 Honda CBF Stunner
But the cosmetic upgrades on the 2010 CBF Stunner have managed to give it a refreshed look. Posted below are the photo of the 2010 CBF Stunner and the 2008-09 Edition of the CBF Stunner.

With the advent of the latest pocket rocket, the Pulsar 135LS.. it was the appropriate time for an upgrade for the CBF Stunner..

The CBF Stunner has always been a good looking motorcycle, the fixed half fairing and split seats give the 125 cc motorcycle the looks of a bigger engined motorcycle. Therefore when it was launched in 2008, I seriously was of the opinion that this particular model might not only sell well for a 125 cc, but might also eat into the shares of 150 cc motorcycles in a big way.

But now, I have my doubts if this 125 cc CBF has had any "Stunning" effect on the 150 cc category. Also with the advent of the latest pocket rocket, the Pulsar 135LS.. it was the appropriate time for an upgrade for the CBF Stunner.

2010 Honda CBF Stunner

As can be seen from the above photo, the 2010 CBF Stunner has got new set of decals and color scheme. The engine, front foot protectors, exhaust heat shield and front suspension has been given the black treatment (tell me a bike which doesn't get the black treatment these days). The new CBF Stunner also get a plastic "Under Cowl". The bike also gets bar end weights and a sporty exposed chain with half chain cover.

2008-09 Honda CBF Stunner

The more substantial changes are actually beneath the paint and decals. The 2010 Edition of the CBF Stunner now gets a useful tachometer. The bike also comes with a paper air filter to make maintenance of the bike an easy affair. The bike also comes fitted with a maintenance free battery which does not require top up. Good electricals are a must as the bike now doesn't have the kickstarter and comes only with a Self start.

Although there has been no performance upgrade, the new 2010 edition weighs 1Kg lesser than the 2008-09 edition (at least according to the official tech specs quoted on its site).

Price:

The 2010 CBF Stunner is presently priced accordingly (in Delhi)..

Self-Disc-Alloy:

Self-Drum-Alloy:

2010 CBF Stunner Features