6 30’th Sep, Mahindra motorcycles launch. I’ll be there..!!

Mahindra will launch its new Motorcycle range on Sep 30'th.. I would probably be attending the launch

125 cc Cevalo, 300 cc Diablo..!! 125 cc Cevalo, 300 cc Diablo..!! 125 cc Cevalo, 300 cc Diablo..!!

Cevalo? Diablo? Whatever..!!

I will be in Mumbai on Sep 30, to cover the launch of the Motorcycles from Mahindra

That’s the current LSD (Lame Speculations and Disappointment) doing the rounds these days. Just a simple Google for them will land you on several Amateur sites and "Bakwaas" Blogs screaming with authority that Mahindra is launching these 2 motorcycles in India.

These also seem to be almost sure about the peak power, engine configuration, price range et al. Some are even audacious enough to put photographs of the yet to be launched bikes from Mahindra.

Posted below are the most widely circulated photos of the Diablo and the Cevalo.

Megelli 125S

For heaven’s sake the first photo is a model called the Megelli 125S (an European brand with a made in China/Taiwan engine) and the second photo (posted below), is a "concept" 125 cc model from the Taiwanese scooter maker SYM. The SYM Cevalo is not even a current production model from SYM. It was just displayed at the 2009 International Milan Motorcycle Show.

34 CBZ Classic Vs Fiero Vs Pulsar 150 Classic: Blast from the past (early 2000’s)

A review in retrospect of those bikes which started a new category of motorcycles in India.. and made me what I am today

It was the first year of my engineering, I still remember vividly the day (late 1998) I saw this particular issue of Overdrive magazine in a newspaper stall. On the cover page was an exotic looking motorcycle which was right out of my dreams.

I promptly bought the issue and after going through the magazine, I realized that the motorcycle on the cover page was a soon to be launched in India 156.6 cc, four stroke motorcycle from Hero Honda called the CBZ (the article made sure to mention that the bike’s name was to be pronounced as Cee Bee Zee!).

Yes sir, from that fateful day, a Boy Next Door became a Biker Next Door..!!

By the end of the 90’s the 2 stroke motorcycles were breathing their last in India and 100 cc 4 stroke economizers (led by the Hero Honda Splendor) were the order of the day. The CBZ started a new category of motorcycles in India. A category of good looking-performance oriented motorcycles.

Although Hero Honda did start the 150 cc revolution, soon 150 cc models from other manufacturers also started to appear in the horizon viz. the TVS-Suzuki Fiero, the LML Beamer/Graptor and the Kinetic GF 170/Lazer.

The CBZ had the Best Looks

The Fiero had the Best Engine & Gearbox

The Pulsar had the Best Package..

All these models including the Hero Honda CBZ, ultimately died a natural death for various reasons. But one particular model, the Bajaj Pulsar 150 not only survived the competition, but even after almost 10 years, it has remained the market leader in terms of sales in its category. CBZ might have started this new category, but it was the Pulsar 150 which defined it.

Let’s go back in time (early 2000’s) and see how 3 of the prominent 150 cc motorcycles stacked up against each other and try to find out what made them tick or what was wrong with them that led to their demise.



Hero Honda CBZ (1999-2006): The original fire starter

11 Review: DSG Maze Jacket & Motomesh Gloves- My Summer Riding Gear

Review of my Summer riding gear, the DSG Maze Jacket and the DSG Motomesh Gloves

My first riding jacket was the DSG Spike (now discontinued by DSG), acquired in 2007 while I was in Bangalore. It was a very good jacket to wear and was perfect for use Bangalore's lovely climate. As I moved to the National Capital Region during the winter of 2007, I realized that my DSG Spike jacket was excellent in insulating from the cold Delhi Climate as well.

But just as the Summer arrived, I realized that the same Spike Jacket was uncomfortable to wear in the Indian Summer. I therefore got myself a jacket specially meant for Summer use, the DSG Maze in March 2008. I also got myself a pair of DSG Motomesh Gloves also meant for Summer use.

Posted below is the review of these two products, that I have now been using for over a year and a half.

3 Dream Job for an Indian Biker..!! On a Mahindra Motorcycle

Go for a long ride on the soon to be launched Mahindra motorcycle.. and get paid for doing so!! Yamaha has also recently started a "SZ tour"

Did you not always fantasize to go on that long trip on your bike?

Wasn’t it always an unfulfilled dream to ride away from the crazy city traffic onto the open country side?

Don’t you still crave for a well deserved long break from the monotonous routine we know as a regular 9-5 job?

How about spreading your wings once again and roam around like a free soul?

How would it sound if I tell you that all these can be done for Free..!!

How about..

• All your travel & lodging expenses being paid by someone else?



• How about your fuel bills being taken care of?



• How about getting yourself insured for this trip?



• How about getting a NEW BIKE for this trip?



• And to top it off.. how about getting PAID for this 6-8 weeks trip??

Sounds too crazy to be true right?

Don't believe me? Just visit http://www.indiabikers.com to apply for this Dream Job for an Indian biker..!!

6 Garware Motors to bring Hyosung GT650 to India..!!

It seems like models from the Korean two wheeler maker Hyosung, are about to re-enter India..

Garware Motors to bring in the Hyosung GT650R to India..??

Remember the Kinetic-Hyosung "Comet 250" and "Aquila 250"? Those were the first twin cylinder, 250 cc bikes to enter India in the early-mid 2000's thanks to the "Kinetic + Hyosung" alliance.

The Comet and the Aquila were imported in limited numbers and sold on special booking. I remember reading that Kinetic had managed to sell a couple of hundreds of both models in India. It was purely a brand building exercise for Kinetic.

But with Kinetic's dwindling fortune, it seemed that Hyosung models had seen the last of its days in India.

Then suddenly out of nowhere Bike India magazine (in its August 2010 Issue) announced on its cover page that Hyosung was about to re enter India, and this time with 650 cc models, the full faired GT650R and the ST7 cruiser..!!

It looks like Bike India's story does have some substance in it. Today morning I happened to stumble on a site www.GarwareMotors.com. The site looks very amateurish and is very much in its "Under Construction" stage, but it does have a flash image which says "Coming Soon" and at the bottom is an image of the Hyosung GT650R..!!