3 How are Motorcycle Categorized Globally? My point of view

This study is something like Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" for Motorcycles..!!

During the last few years motorcycles in India have started to mimic the looks and style of international motorcycles. Words like "Super Sports", "Street fighter" are sometimes loosely used to describe these motorcycles. But how exactly are motorcycles categorized globally?

The following was actually a project which took nearly 3 months for me to complete. The problem in the analysis was that there was no common terminology. Each manufacturer uses it's own terms to categorize it's models. For example Honda calls its CBR250R as "Sports" in USA and the same bike as "Super Sports" in UK and launched as a "Sports Tourer" in India..!!

Modus operandi for this study: I browsed through websites of different brands trying to understand how and why they categorized their models. Read countless articles especially on the history/origins of the different styles of motorcycles. Initially it was difficult to make sense, but eventually some kind of pattern emerged and ultimately all the pieces fell into place. On seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, it felt like how Siddartha attained enlightenment and became Buddha..!!

6 Hero Splendor i Smart is actually a Splendor NXG

New Splendor model from Hero is basically a Splendor NXG with a new feature..

Few days back Hero made some news by reveling plans of launching "new" models. Some of which were put on display in it's dealer's meet in Macau, China. The new Karizma R and ZMR were among those models.

Another model that was on display was the supposedly new Splendor variant called the splendor i Smart. According to what has been revealed by Hero, the Splendor i Smart would feature something like an "idle stop" feature. What this feature does is it shuts off the engine in case it remains idle like in a traffic stop for sometime.

This feature is not exactly a break through innovation, since this kind of feature is found in some cars and even on some bikes. It is supposed to save fuel and thus increase the fuel efficiency.

Quite a few blogs and auto sites have covered about the Splendor i Smart along with this particular photo. But I have not come across anyone who has realized that it is basically the Splendor NXG.

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.