Bike Chronicles of India

Mar 11, 2010

12 What is Engine Knocking? Do you really know?

Demystifying one of the most incorrectly used engine related term (in India)..

What is Engine Knocking?

If I ask this question to most of the ones who rides a motorcycle in India, I can bet that the most probable answer would be something like this:

"If you are riding at top gear and the bike is at slow speed say around 20 kmph; in such a situation if you suddenly twist the accelerator without shifting down a gear, then instead of a smooth pick up, the engine will start behaving as if it’s gasping for breadth and struggles to move forward. This causes the bike to move in a jerky manner instead of moving forward smoothly.

This is knocking".

I wouldn’t be surprised if the above answer comes not just from a layman but even from many of out so called "desi" bike experts

What has been described above is actually Engine "SNATCHING" and NOT Engine "KNOCKING".

Why does Engine Snatching occur?

Imagine someone is holding your hand casually and loosely. Now if he/she decides to pull your hand suddenly then you will surely experience an unpleasant jerk won’t you? The same phenomenon occurs with the engine, when the slow moving parts inside the engine are subjected to a sudden motion.

What we instinctively do in such a situation is either shift down a gear or let the engine revs rise by slipping the clutch.

If that is Engine Snatching then what is Engine Knocking?

Engine Knocking is actually a Pinging/Metallic sound which can be heard from the engine when the air fuel mixture is not burnt in the optimum manner.

Causes of engine knocking could be: Due to..

Carbon deposits

A lean air-fuel mixture

Low coolant level, or cooling system problem that causes the engine to run hotter than normal

Posted below is a video in which a car engine makes "Knocking" sounds when revved: Click here, if one cannot see the video.

For more info on Engine Knocking, click here..

What is the difference between Power and Torque of a motorcycle?

What is a "Superbike"? What is a "Super Sports" bike?

Why 125 cc bikes are Popular in Europe?

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.

Mar 8, 2010

6 2010 Bajaj Platina 125 Launched [Complete Tech Specs, Price, Colors] + Wallpaper

Bajaj Auto launches the 2010 edition of the Platina 125

The two magic words that has kept the sales registers of Bajaj Auto ringing consistently since the beginning of 2009-10 fiscal year are PULSAR and DISCOVER.

With the Discover(s) cracking the commuter code and the Pulsar(s) continuing to hold its leadership position in the Sports category, the Platina(s) (which caters to the entry level category of motorcycles) seemed a bit neglected. Instead of taking things easy, Bajaj has recently launched the 2010 version of the Platina 125 with some changes which include a lowered price tag as well.

So what’s new?

New state of tune of the Engine: The 2010 variant makes a max power of 8.5Ps and maximum torque of 10Nm, the earlier version produced 9.53Ps of power output and 10.85Nm of torque. Although the peak power and peak torque seems to have come down, the engine now makes the peak torque at a lower commuter friendly 4000 rpm (compared to the earlier 5000 rpm). Better torque at low revs hint at the engine being tuned to return better fuel efficiency.

5 Gears: The 2010 version gets an extra gear compared to the 4 gears on the older 2008 -09 version. But the all down pattern indicates that rather than cater to sporty intentions, it has been done to extract better fuel efficiency (again).

3 kgs lesser weight: The older variant used to weigh at 113 kgs (kerb), the 2010 variant weighs 110 kgs (err.. better for fuel efficiency.. again?)

New Colors: The 2010 Platina 125 gets new decals (I think that the previous decal design looked better). The new colors are.

Black with Red decals

Black with Blue decals

Black with Green decals

Red with Red decals

Rs. 3,000 lesser:

The 2010 Bajaj Platina 125 comes with an ex-showroom price of around Rs. 36,000, the older version was priced at Rs. 39,000.!!

Now at around Rs. 36,000, won’t it cannibalize the sales of the 100cc Discover DTS-Si?

According to me, the 100 cc Discover DTS-Si has been successful because of the strong brand image that it has created for itself over the last 5 years (the Discover brand has been in existence since 2004). The current 100 cc package just makes it more attractive for the buyer. As the Discover brand is stronger than the Platina brand, hence potential Discover buyers might not be enticed by the Platina(s).

The same analogy can be given for the Hero Honda Splendor which outsells the Hero Honda CD Deluxe. Both the models virtually have the same 100 cc engine, the CD Deluxe costs lesser than the Splendor and the CD Deluxe even have a self start as an option (the Splendor still doesn’t have a self start as an option..!!) Even here its because the Splendor brand is stronger than the CD Deluxe brand, it able to outsell it effortlessly.

Who would then buy the Platina 125 then?

Well.. the same kind of guys, who would prefer a Hero Honda CD Deluxe instead of the Splendor. At 36,000 odd rupees Ex-showroom, with a 125 cc engine and a self start, the 2010 Platina 125 does make an offer, which some guys on a budget might find it hard to refuse.

2010 Bajaj Platina 125 Tech Specs

Engine

Suspension

Brakes

Tyres & Wheels

Electricals

Fuel Tank Capacity

Dimensions

Warranty: 2 Yrs, 30,000 Kms

2010 Bajaj Platina 125: Wallpaper

Wide Screen Format: 1280 x 800

Normal Screen Format: 1024 x 768

Bajaj Pulsar 135LS Vs Honda CBF Stunner Vs Honda Unicorn Vs Yamaha FZ-16. Bike India & Overdrive agrees with me..!!

Pulsar 135LS Review [Part II] What's so special about the Pulsar 135LS?

Will 110 cc CB Twister make a big mark?

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

2010 TVS Star City details, TVS Star Sport becomes TVS Sport, TVS Star stopped (?)

Bajaj Auto launches Platina 125 DTS-Si [Nov, 2008]

Disclaimer:

Mar 6, 2010

7 2010 Honda (HMSI) Corporate TV Commercial [Video]

2010 Honda (HMSI) Corporate TV Commercial..

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) probably spends the least in terms of TV Commercials in India.. and for good reason too, TV Ads are quite costly and usually burns a big hole in the balance sheet of a company.

I couldn’t see even a single frame of the 150 cc Unicorn in it..!!

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to state that a Honda product sells because of the Halo effect of the winged logo/Honda brand. It is therefore quite logical that HMSI tries to sell the Honda brand in its TV Ad rather than directly sell its products.

According to Honda, at the core of their philosophy are Three Joys - the joy of buying, the joy of selling and the joy of creating. And it is the quality, that is at the heart of this joy.

This particular TV Ad just tries to reinforce the same "Quality spreads Joy" philosophy.

The TV Commercial depicts common people along with their Honda 2 Wheelers and uses a remixed version of the rhyme "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands…"

One interesting observation is that although the commercial has many shots of almost all of the Honda 2 wheelers for India (including the 125 cc CBF Stunner and the recently launched 110 cc CB Twister), I couldn’t see even a single frame of the 150 cc Unicorn in it..!!

Hmmm.. an Unicorn upgrade definitely seems to be round the corner did I hear?

How do I rate the TV Commercial..?

Nothing exceptional, nothing to dislike.. I guess its ok. What do you think about the TV Ad..?? Does it work for you..??

Watch the video posted below.. click here, if one can't see the video.

Pulsar Maniacs..!! New video.. featuring the Pulsar 135LS DTS-i

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

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

"Pulsar Mania": The Best Motorcycle TV Commcercial in the world for me..!!

Disclaimer:

Mar 5, 2010

1 Cool Websites on Indian Automobiles: Motoroids and Zigwheels

Two websites of note dedicated to Indian Automobiles..

The advent of the internet has drastically altered many aspects of our life.. and in the process disrupted many established business models as well.

For example: Thanks to the internet and easy availability of songs in the MP3 format, even an avid music buff like me haven't bothered to buy a single Music CD in probably the last 4-5 years..!! I know, that this might slowly kill the Music Industry.. and probably that is what is eventually happening. Can you name the popular music album or music video (forget the Bollywood stuff) doing the rounds these days?

Even MTV now proudly declares that it’s more of a reality show channel rather than a music channel. Gone are the days when the VJ’s used to play your requests (it sounds funny right? Why on earth would one call up just to watch a music video?)

Change is inevitable and its not survival of the fittest, but how fast one adapts to the changing environment that determines survival. There was once a time when I used to buy my favorite auto magazines every month without fail. I still do buy a couple of magazines occassionally, but I have to admit that the frequency has come down quite a bit. Is it because of the easily available information about bikes on the internet?

Internet Vs. Auto Publications

Why the auto related sites on the internet score over Traditional Auto Publications?

You don’t have to wait for a month

You can choose what you want to read

You don’t have to pay

You can take part in conversations

via comments on Forums, blogs, social networking sites

But there are also a few limitations associated with these Free Online Resources Vs. Established Publications.

There is no guarantee of authenticity on the information floating around on these sites and also most of the sites are hosted/maintained by "guys next door" like me and therefore they don’t enjoy enough credibility to be taken seriously.

Two Indian auto related sites with quality content

Motoroids.Com

This site is just 7-8 months old but according to me it has a great promise of making it big as a reputed site. Motoroids gets its credibility from the fact that one of the founding members of the site is Amit Changani, ex-Bike India journalist.

The USP of Motoroids.com is a monthly e-mag which can be downloaded for free in PDF format.

The articles are good, photographs are good and even the layout of the PDF e-mag is good.

But I think that the layout and design of the website is a bit amateurish and there is a definite scope for improvement here.

So far Motoroids.Com isn’t been backed by any big sponsor. Hope Motoroids makes it big. Just pay a visit to Motoroids.Com, it’s a promising site.

Zigwheels.Com

Zigwheels is backed by the Times group, a big media conglomerate. The Zigwheels site has been in existence since mid 2008. Apart from the site, Zigwheels also comes as a weekly supplement along with the Times of India news paper in a few major cities of India. Zigwheels also has a weekly TV progam on Times TV.

Zigwheels Tabloid: 1st Issue

If that was not enough, Zigwheels have recently started coming in the form of a monthly tabloid. The other day I happened to pick up a few issues of it. The paper quality is glossy and is among the best found on Indian lifestyle magazines. But the most amazing part of this tabloid is that it is priced at an amazing 10 Rs!!!

The Chief Editor of Zigwheels is Mr. Adil Jal Darukhanawala who is a celebrity among auto journalists of the country.

Prior to Zigwheels, Mr. Adil was also the chief Editor of Overdrive and Bike India magazines.

Visit the Zigwheels website..

Maybe the internet might not replace Auto magazines in the same way the music industry has been hit. The print medium is not totally possible to replace. After all people still read books and newspapers don't they?

But with changing times, internet ventures like Motoroids and Zigwheels are definitely welcome.

Some Indian Auto Magazines that I read:

Autocar India

Overdrive

Bike India

BS Motoroing

Disclaimer:

Mar 3, 2010

24 Suzuki GS150R Ownership Review [By Nikhil]

Nikhil Nayak from Bengaluru writes about his ownership experience with his Suzuki GS150R..

I would like to thank Nikhil for sharing the ownership experience of his Suzuki GS150R

Hi, I am Nikhil from Bengaluru. I bought my GS150 in August 09 and I’m writing this ownership review of my bike after the first 3 services.

[Nikhil's Email id: nik_88@rediffmail.com]

Looks and Design:

I guess I need not write a lot about the looks as the pictures give a better description, but would like to say a little bit about it. The design of the tank is the best part in my in my opinion. It’s bigger than most other bikes, but still manages to keep your legs comfortable around it. The seating position is upright, keeping your back and wrist comfy on long rides and a boon for long distance touring.

After test riding of the Honda Unicorn, it’s easily noticeable that the quality of switches in the Suzuki GS150 is superior and easy to operate. The only negative point could be that there’s no LED backlight in the switches (like those found on the Bajaj Pulsar’s) which if present can be a helpful feature for a first time rider.

The Digital Speedometer of the GS150 can surely get a person hooked on to it. I look at my Speedo at least once in 10sec to check which gear I’m riding in, the gear shift indicator with eco mode and power mode setting can go a long way for a person just learning to ride bikes.

The two trip meters provided in the speedometer helps a lot to calculate mileage and distance travelled.

Pros:

+ Smooth Engine

+ Decent Mileage (52-55 Kmpl)

+ Riding Comfort

Cons:

- Heavy Weight

- Slightly less initial pick up

- Poor tyre grip in wet

Engine Performance:

Since I usually ride within the city, I feel the performance is decent and comparable to other 150cc bikes. The initial pickup in first and second gears seems to be little low unless you rev the engine above 4k rpm, but once the bike gains momentum, you can accelerate better than most other bikes (I remember reading a review which said it accelerates from 30 to 70 in 3rd gear in 5.5sec, which is the same time pulsar 220 takes!!!).

I’m yet to check the top speed, but I’ve managed to touch 95 Kmph on Bengaluru roads with ease. The vibrations in the bike are almost nil (thanks to the engine balancer technology), similar to the unicorn if not better. At the same time, it also produces a sound similar engine grunt as Pulsars for those who prefer loud bikes.

Handling:

Though the bike may look big and bulky, handling is not a problem at all, I mange to ride zig zag through crowded roads with ease. The bike is stable when cornering at high speeds, the only thing that worries me is the MRF zapper Y rear tyre, which has poor grip in wet conditions.

Hauling the bike can be a big challenge though, it’s pretty heavy for a 150cc bike and weighs 149kgs, and I find it almost impossible to push the bike on an upslope due to its weight.

Gearbox:

The gears in the bike are really smooth, makes up shifting and downshifting a breeze.
The only problem you would face with gears is if you try to change from 6th gear to 1st gear continuously without releasing the clutch, but I guess it’s not a big deal anyways.

Mileage & Fuel Efficiency:

The mileage is pretty good considering the fact that it’s a 150cc bike. I manage to get 52-55 in start stop city traffic, occasionally revving to overtake other bikes and touching 80-90.

Suzuki GS150R

Conclusion:

In conclusion to my review, if you’re looking for a 150cc bike that looks good enough to make heads turn (yes, it may sound surprising, but I find people staring at my bike all the time and quite a few have even asked about the cost, mileage etc.), has decent performance, good mileage and comfort for long rides, you could consider GS150.

Thanks.