7 TVS Officially Discontinues Flame and Jive models

TVS removes the Flame and Jive models from its website..

So far nobody has noticed but TVS has removed its slow selling Flame and Jive models from it's lineup. TVS might have stopped supplying the models to its dealers some time back but removal from its website officially confirms that TVS has discontinued these two models.

The "Flame" that never started a fire

Guys who were following motorcycle in India in 2007 would remember that the Flame was a very ambitious model from TVS. It was for this model that TVS eventually discontinued it's first independently developed and India's first indigenously developed motorcycle the "Victor".

21 Power to Weight Ratio of Made in India Motorcycles: 2013 Comparo

Collection & comparison of the "Power to Weight ratios" of the current "Made in India" motorcycles.. in 2013

To compare our "Made in India Motorcycles" in 2013 by their "Power to Weight" ratios, I have compiled a list posted below. One can get a rough idea of how the bikes stack up against each other by Comparing the “Power to Weight Ratio” of the different models.

Models like Kawasaki Ninja 300/650 and Hyosung GT250R/650R are not included in the list below as the list has made complied only for "Made in India" models

The KTM 390 Duke is the (made in India) bike with the highest power to weight ratio in India in 2013 that too by a huge margin followed by its younger sibling the KTM 200 Duke. Third is the Pulsar 200NS.

The huge gap between the 1st and 2nd in the list is note worthy.

Rank	Model Name	Max Power (Ps)	Kerb Weight (Kgs)	Power to Weight Ratio
01	KTM 390 Duke	43.51	145	300
02	KTM 200 Duke	25.35	136	186
03	Bajaj Pulsar 200NS	23.50	145	162

1 Royal Enfield Continental GT: Retro Cool

Royal Enfield launches it best built motorcycle till date the Continental GT "Cafe Racer".. in the UK

Few days back Royal Enfield launched it very important model the Continental GT which is a Cafe Racer model in the UK. Its very clear that the Continental GT has been conceptualized keeping specifically the export markets in mind.

Royal Enfield is probably correct in realizing this since this model seems to have generated more curiosity and interest in international markets than among Indian bikers.

Cafe Racer is a category of motorcycles which the normal desi "commuter" won't understand. Also pubescent bikers who can only think of "Dhoom" bikes will not understand what is the fuss about.

11 2014 Hero Karizma R and 2014 Karizma ZMR revealed

Hero unveils the new 2014 Karizma R and ZMR models..

A couple of months back a few photos of what looked like Karizma upgrades under heavy disguise had appeared on the net. Hero happened to unveil these new Karizma models in Macau. Photos of these new models started to crop up of various sites since today morning.

2014 Hero Karizma R

It's sad to see a legend like the Karizma R being subjected to such treatment..

Although the specs are not yet public, from the photos it does appear to be more of a cosmetic job than a total overhaul. The engine and chassis parts on the new models look identical to the original Karizma R and ZMR models.

Although Mr. Munjal the boss man of Hero Motors have made a speech that the new Karizma would be more powerful than before, I not keeping my expectations too high.

5 Honda's Journey in India - Part I: Hare Vs. Tortoise

Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) in India.. the story so far

Back in 2007 according to me, the performance of Honda in India was pathetic. Its ambitions "Pulsar killer" the Unicorn was a dud, its other offering the 125 cc Shine was nothing to write about. It was a distant 4th (if I remember correctly) in terms of sales behind Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor.

But in 2013, a lot has changed. Honda is now 2nd in sales comfortably overtaking TVS and just edging out Bajaj a couple of months back. Also a lot of maturity has come in me. I am no more the "over enthusiastic commentator" of 2 wheeler (motorcycle) stuff in India.

Honda's Race in India: Race between the Hare and the Tortoise

Honda's story in India so far can be summarized in 3 points [1] Persistence [2] Luck / Favorable market conditions [3] Brand image of Honda in India.

[1] Persistence: Even if the Unicorn was initially perceived to be a flop compared to the Pulsar, Honda persisted with it. And over the years the conservative nature of the Unicorn has actually become it's USP and now appeals to the conservative customer looking for a sober 150 cc motorcycle. Another example would be the 125 cc Shine, which was again a conservative model when it was launched. But over the years, it has now become an aspirational model for a 100 cc customer.