7 KTM 200 Duke is "Ready To Race" in India in just a few weeks. Happy New Year..!!

The first motorcycle launch of 2012 in India is just a couple of weeks away..!!

"The 200 Duke makes the Yamaha R15 feel too slow and the Honda CBR250R too heavy"

- Overdrive




The 200 Duke has the Best/Sportiest exhaust note among made in India bikes..

1. Major Indian auto publications got the first ride of the 200 Duke [read this]

2. KTM puts India link on its official international website [click here]

3. Bajaj puts KTM link on its official (india) website

4. KTM India Official Facebook Fanpage launched [click here]

5. Bajaj Probiking showrooms converted into KTM Showrooms [read this]

6. Official launch only a few weeks away..!! [read this]

Happy New Year 2012..!!

10 TVS motor to launch Motorcycles with Automatic Transmission. What does it actually mean?

A look at the different types of motorcycle transmissions.. and also would the proposed "automatic" motorcycle from TVS Motor cut ice..??

A couple of days back major Indian national publications/automobile blogs/sites broke out the Official news from TVS Motor that they are ready to launch a slew of new 2 wheelers (by 2013) with an a newly developed automatic transmission technology. TVS has also officially stated that they are eyeing to put this new technology across scooters, step thru mopeds (for markets like Indonesia) and also on motorcycles..!!

Bajaj had put a 3 speed automatic transmission on its Saffire scooter in 1999

Honda VFR1200F features a sophisticated automatic transmission..

As my blog covers specifically motorcycle related stuff, what would this proposed "automatic motorcycle" from TVS would be like?

Q1.Doesn’t TVS already make the "clutchless" Jive model?

Q2.Does it mean that the new motorcycle would feature a “clutchless+gearless” mechanism from its scooters like the Wego?

Since all the sites have more or less "copy + pasted" the official word from TVS, the complete details is actually not clear for a layman.

Official Photo: New engine platform from TVS Motor with the new Automatic Transmission Technology

14 The 2012 Pulsar 135 gets “Speedlines” and a new Blue Color [Photos]

The 2012 Pulsar 135 gets new colors..

Now the entire Pulsar family gets the "Speedlines" color scheme..

New color schemes do not excite me that much. But the Pulsar 135LS which is a gem of a bike badly needed some new colors. So far Bajaj had provided the Pulsar 135 just with two colors, Red and Black.

After 2 years of being launched the “baby” Pulsar gets a new Blue color. Also the Pulsar 135 now gets the Pulsar “Speedlines” which is the marketing speak for a dual color theme for the Pulsars.

5 Next Generation Pulsars spotted once again..!!

Next Generation Pulsars caught being tested once again..

Next Generation Pulsar motorcycles were caught on camera while on their test runs. The images this time comes from IndianCarsBikes. The test mules seem to be the same ones that were spotted a month back.

From the photos it becomes clear that just as Mr. Bajaj had mentioned in an interview earlier this year, the Next Gen Pulsars indeed shares some common parts with the KTM 125/200 Duke (that Bajaj has co-developed with KTM and manufactured in India).

KTM 125/200 Duke Chassis

4 My Top 3 Dream Bikes

My current top 3 motorcycle dreams..

Flashback (Mid 1990’s): Back in those pre “internet-mobile phone” days any kind of FOREIGN motorcycle form was as desirable as Madonna of the 90’s. Any exotic motorcycle with a FAT rear tyre used to stir my raging teenage hormones.

The seed of economic reforms sown by Dr. Manmohan Singh in the early 90’s started to show its effect by the turn of the new millennium. As a result Hero Honda started the movement of satiating desi boy racer dreams in 1999 with the CBZ. The CBZ was the most stylish bike at that time made to Indian specs/money. In 2011 this movement has culminated in the form of Indians getting models like the Yamaha R15 and Honda CBR250R..!!