Bike Chronicles of India

Apr 15, 2010

17 Pulsar 135 LS DTS-i launched in Indonesia.. with a Redesigned Rear Fender..!!

Indonesia gets the "Baby" Pulsar 135LS with a better designed rear fender..

Bajaj has been exporting the Pulsar 180 and 200 to Indonesia for sometime now. Now Indonesia also gets the 4 Valve, "Baby" Pulsar 135LS DTS-i.

Should the Indian Pulsar 135LS also get the same Indonesian treatment..??

The bike was officially launched on 14'th April in Jakarta. The specs of the Pulsar 135LS for Indonesia is exactly the same as the model sold in India, but the Indonesian model gets a better looking rear end. More specifically the rear fender on the Indonesian model is a smart looking "split two piece + tyre hugger" design..!!

Photos courtesy Indonesian blogger Taufik,'s blog

Indonesian blogger Taufik at the Pulsar 135LS Indonesia launch

As can be seen from the photos, the rear portion of the Inonesian Pulsar 135LS looks lighter and sportier than the rear portion of the Indian Pulsar 135LS model. The Indonesian Pulsar 135LS also gets a sporty half chain cover (the current Indian Pulsar 135LS has a full chain cover).

Although I think that functionally a full chain cover makes more sense in our dusty Indian roads, but from a styling perspective, the half chain cover and the "split two piece rear fender + tyre hugger" design is more appealing.

I had previously mentioned that the rear fender design of the (Indian) Pulsar 135LS was sticking out like a sore thumb from an otherwise excellent design. With the Indonesian Pulsar 135LS, the design of the bike now seems complete. The entire bike now seems Sporty, Sharp, Edgy and Light..!!

Should the Indian Pulsar 135LS also get the same Indonesian treatment..?? I definitely think so. What do you think..??

New rear fender design on the Pulsar 135LS

Current rear fender design on the Indian Pulsar 135LS

More Photos:

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?

Bajaj Pulsar 135LS Review [Part I] Over a week of ownership experience

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 14, 2010

2 Indians have unadventurous taste. Part 2: Adventure Touring and Sports Touring Motorcycles

Is the second largest 2 wheeler market in the world mature enough for motorcycles designed specifically for touring..??

India is the world’s second largest market for two wheelers. Nearly 10 million (1 crore) 2 wheelers are sold yearly here. But till now the Indian’s have been unadventurous in their taste in motorcycles. Even the so called recent stylish motorcycles like the Yamaha FZ16, R15 and the Hero Honda Karizma are nothing but glorified commuter motorcycles.

As I had earlier written about the absence of Dual purpose/Supermoto motorcycles in India, today I’ll write about another category of motorcycles "Touring Motorcycles" which are not manufactured in the world’s second largest 2 wheeler market.

Royal Enfield's, Hero Honda Karizma's and Pulsar 220's are currently favored for touring in India because we don’t have models specifically built for the purpose..

For many in India, the image of a touring motorcycle brings the image of a classic American styled Harley Davidson type of cruisers. The cruiser type of motorcycle does have a relaxed riding posture but that alone does not make it an ideal touring motorcycle.

One might also say that Royal Enfield motorcycles are used for touring in India and models like the Pulsar 220 and the Hero Honda Karizma are now favored among bikers who do long distance in India. But then, these models are used for touring in India because we don’t have models specifically built for the purpose.

Touring motorcycles are designed that it can do long distances without tiring and stressing the rider and the engine. Therefore these touring motorcycles have comfortable ergonomics. They have big/heavy body work and torque rich engines in a relaxed state of tune. These motorcycles also have large fuel tanks along with storage spaces/bags to carry luggage.

1. Adventure Touring motorcycles:

What is an Adventure Touring motorcycle?

An Adventure Touring motorcycle is used for travelling long distances over good as well as moderately bad roads. Adventure Touring motorcycles are like a big and heavily built cousin of a Dual Purpose motorcycle.

To travel over bad roads, Adventure Touring motorcycles have good ground clearance and are fitted with dual purpose tyres. These motorcycles also have a tall windscreen so as to protect the rider from wind blast at high speeds.

Some famous Adventure Touring motorcycles are the KTM 990 Adventure, BMW R1200 GS Adventure.

Most Adventure Touring motorcycles are nowadays fitted with smoother tyres (in place of dual purpose tyres) which make them more suited to ride on good roads than on bad roads.

Examples of such Adventure Touring motorcycles are: Honda Varadero, Suzuki V-Storm Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere and Ducati Multistrada.

2. Sports Touring motorcycles:

What is a Sports Touring motorcycle?

Examples of a few Sports Touring models are the Yamaha FJR1300, BMW K1300GT, Honda ST1300 and Honda VFR (800/1200) motorcycles. They are used to tour on smooth highways.

Due to their full fairings, for a layman the above mentioned motorcycles might look similar to Super Sports motorcycles like the Yamaha R1 and Honda CBR1000RR. But actually these Sports Touring motorcycles are quite different from the Super Sports motorcycles.

First, the riding stance on these motorcycles is relaxed and upright, unlike the extremely aggressive riding stance of Super Sports motorcycles.

Second, the fairings on these Sports Touring motorcycles are larger and provide better weather protection.

Third, the wheelbases on these motorcycles are longer and are heavier than Super Sports motorcycles.

Fourth, the engines are tuned for a stronger low and mid range torque rather than deliver brutal power at very high rpms which is the characteristics of a Super Sports motorcycle.

A few other Touring Motorcycles worth mentioning:

There are some models like the Honda Goldwing, BMW K1200LT and Harley Davidson Electra Glide (currently available in India as a CBU). These are massive motorcycles, they are so heavy that some of them come with reverse gear and power assisted center stands.

These are the ultimate motorcycles for long distance highway touring in luxury.

Will Indians be adventurous enough to accept motorcycles specifically made for touring..??

As these motorcycles are virtually useless for point A to point B type of commuting, therefore I have my doubts that these motorcycles might find mass acceptance in India.

But who knows, if designed specifically for India with some practical point A to point B usage and comes at an Indian price tag, it might get a niche foothold in the 10 million a year 2 wheeler market.

But then, who would want to bell the cat? That’s the big question.

Indians have unadventurous taste. Part 1: Dual Purpose & Supermoto Motorcycles

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

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

What is Engine Knocking? Do you really know?

Disclaimer:

Apr 11, 2010

7 The Red Bull Chris Pfeiffer India Tour 2010, Dates and venue

The Red Bull Chris Pfeiffer India Tour 2010, Dates and venue

[1] Delhi: April 29th : DLF Place, Saket 5PM
[2] Mumbai : May 01 : Inorbit Mall, Malad, 5PM
[3] Hyderabad : May 04 : Prasads, 5 PM
[4] Bangalore : May 06 : Kanteerava Stadium, 5 PM
[5] Chennai : May 07 : Besant Nagar Beach : 5.30 PM

The above is the schedule of Chris Pfeiffer’s 2010 India tour. The best part about this is that there is no Entry Fee for the event..!!

The event is being sponsored by Red Bull and xBhp.com is the Official Motorcycling Community for the event. Sunny, the founder of xBhp.Com will be covering the event as the official photographer. Visit xBhp.Com (India’s premier motorcycle forum) for in depth coverage of the event and to join in the discussion with like minded bike enthusiasts of the country.

About Chris Pfeiffer

Chris Pfeiffer is a famous professional motorcycle rider who specializes in Stunt Riding. Born in Munich, Germany (in 1970) the 40 year old freestyle rider has multiple world stunt riding championships under his belt.

Chris Pfeiffer’s Sponsors

Chris is sponsored by big brands like Alpinestars, Metzeler, BMW Motorcycles and Red Bull. As stated earlier the Chris Pfeiffer’s 2010 India Tour is being sponsored by Red Bull.

Since 2006 Chris Pfeiffer has been performing his stunts on BMW’s F800 Street bike.

BMW had even launched in limited numbers a "Chris Pfeiffer Edition" of the BMW F800R motorcycle in 2009, which was a replica of the BMW F800R motorcycle that Chris uses to perform his gravity defying stunts.

It will be an opportunity of a lifetime to catch a glimpse of Chris Pfeiffer in action.

If you live anywhere close to the above mentioned 5 cities, I am sure that you would definitely make it to the venue.

Visit Chris Pfeiffer’s Official website

Watch the Video of Chris Pfeiffer in action.. he's just A-W-E-S-O-M-E..!!

Disclaimer:

Apr 10, 2010

2 New Discover to be launched April (end) 2010

New Bajaj Discover to be launched by April 2010 end (and no, this is not a speculation)..

"We have a new Discover scheduled for launch in the end of this month". That’s what Bajaj auto’s MD Mr. Rajeev Bajaj has stated in a recent interview to CNBC (MoneyControl.Com).

The Discover brand has been around for about half a decade and has been a strong brand for Bajaj. I always had the opinion that the Discover was an honest commuter (like the Hero Honda Splendor) with no sporty pretentions. That’s probably the reason for its recent success in the form of the 100 cc Discover DTS-Si.

Bajaj Discover DTS-Si (100 cc)

Stating further on the new Discover, Mr. Bajaj further said:

The current Discover we have is a 100 cc, very fuel efficient motorcycle. We think there are some commuters there who appreciate that but would like little more power, little more torque either because they need to move quickly in city traffics such as Delhi or in the more suburban areas the people that sit on the motorcycle are bigger or they carrying some load with it. So they would appreciate something that’s bigger and more torque. We do not have anything like that.

I do not see anything like that in the market place not necessarily in terms of the product aspect but in terms of a brand. So from very strong brand position of a discover if we present consumers with something that has of that values but offers a lot more in terms of torque and carrying capacity.

But what about the current 135 c.c Discover then? Maybe that’s the one (the new Discover) that is getting an upgrade along with better Torque by this month end.

Bajaj Discover 135 DTSi [Test Ride/Review] [March 2008]

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

Disclaimer:

Apr 8, 2010

6 March 2010, 2 Wheeler Sales in India

March 2010 sales numbers of our 2 wheeler manufacturers..

March 2010 continues the happy growth story for most of the major 2 wheeler makers in India. Sales number of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) is worth special mention here; it was just a couple of thousand less units than the number 3’rd TVS Motor. Also Yamaha has managed to sell marginally more 2 wheelers than Suzuki Motorcycles India in March 2010.

Posted below are the March 2010, two wheeler sales numbers.

[The March 2010 sales figures of Royal Enfield could not be collected..]

Hero Honda had sold 414,638 units of two-wheelers in March 2010 (Up by 17% over last year)

News Source: Click here

The country's largest two-wheeler maker, Hero Honda, today reported 17.35 per cent rise in sales at 414,638 units last month, the best-ever figure reported by the company for the month of March.

The company had sold 353,342 units during March last year, Hero Honda Motors Ltd (HHML) said in a statement.

HHML registered a cumulative sales of 4,600,130 units during 2009-10, against 3,722,000 units in the previous fiscal, up 23.59 per cent, it added.

Bajaj Auto had sold 244,828 units of two-wheelers in March 2010 (Up by 85% over last year)

News Source: Click here

NEW DELHI: The country's second largest two- wheeler maker Bajaj Auto today reported 85.12 percent jump in its motorcycle sales at 244,828 units in March. The company had sold 132,253 units in March last year, Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL) said in a statement.

During the entire 2009-10 financial year, the company sold 2,506,749 units in the motorcycle segment, a jump of 31.39 percent over 1,907,853 units in the year-ago period, it added.

BAL attributed the growth to robust sales of Pulsar and Discover range of bikes.

In March, total two-wheeler sales jumped by 84.57 percent to 244,889 units compared to 132,683 units in the same period a year ago, the statement said.

TVS Motor has sold 146,736 units of two-wheelers in March 2010 (Up by 24% over last year)

News Source: Click here

Completing the year on the continuous growth path, TVS Motor Company has posted a growth of 24 % in March 2010. Significant contributions across all segments has resulted in total two wheeler sales of 146,736 units when compared to 118,000 units in the same month of the previous financial year. Cumulative growth for the period April 2009 to March 2010 stood at 15%, with 1,521,912 units against 1,325,754 units in the comparable period of the previous year.

Domestic sales grew 25 % registering sales of 126,669 units in March 2010 when compared to 101,660 units recorded in March 2009.

Propelling the spurt in sales was the scooter segment, which contributed 50% growth in its segment. Scooters witnessed sizeable growth recording 28,504 units in sales in March 2010 as against 19,054 units in March 2009. Motorcycle registered a growth of 7 % in March 2010 with sales of 64,120 units in March 2010 when compared to 59,796 units in the same month of the previous year.

Exports, maintained its upward course posting double digit growth of 23 % during the month of March 2010 registering sales of 20,067 units against 16,340 units in March 2009.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has sold 144,288 units of two-wheelers in March 2010 (Up 76% over last year)

News Source: Click here

Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India on Thursday reported 76.25 per cent jump in its sales at 144,288 units in March.
The company’s total sales stood at 81,865 units in the same month last year, HMSI said in a statement.
Motorcycle sales jumped 63.25 per cent to 65,888 units in March, against 40,360 units in the corresponding period a year ago, it added.
The company reported a robust growth of 88.89 per cent in scooter sales at 78,400 units in the said month, compared with 41,505 units in the year-ago period

Yamaha India has sold 27,460 units of two-wheelers in March 2010 (Up by 44% over last year)

News Source: Click here

Two-wheeler maker India Yamaha Motor today reported a 27.30 per cent growth in its sales in March at 27,460 units, boosted by good performance in the premium bike segment.
The company had sold 21,571 units during the same month of last year, India Yamaha Motor said in a statement.
It also reported a jump of 44.38 per cent in its annual sales during the 2009-10 fiscal at 290,211 units as compared to 01,009 units during the previous fiscal.
During March, the two-wheeler maker sold 17,892 units in the domestic market as against 14,575 units in the same month of last fiscal, a rise of 22.76 per cent.
Exports during the month jumped by 36.76 per cent to 9,568 units compared to 6,996 units in March 2009, it said.

Suzuki Motorcycle India has sold 21,752 units of two-wheelers in March 2010 (Up by 76% over last year)

News Source: Click here

Two-wheeler maker Suzuki Motorcycle India reported a jump of 76.13 per cent in its sales in March at 21,752 units, on the back of good response to its new products.

The company had sold 12,350 units during March 2009, Suzuki Motorcycle India said in a statement.