Flame now with single spark plug!

Read about it Economic Times – TVS is now all set to launch the Flame with a single spark plug!
I guess the company could not have waited too long, especially with their sales dropping month-on-month.
The question then is – is the Flame using the old engine or has the company plonked in a new unit there?
The engine in question continues to be the same three-valve single cylinder unit with the same trick carb. Now, details on the revised horsepower and torque ratings are not available, but someone tells me, the spec will remain identical. A minor change will of course be made to the engine’s tumble flow characteristic for the single spark plug design. Also, the spark plug employed will be one with a stronger spark to compensate for the loss of the other plug. Most likely, the Flame will get the Apache RTR’s spark plug!
Expect the bike to be in showrooms by end of March sometime. Also expect to read its test on this blog during the same time.

Hunk needed to do more

Just tested the Hunk recently, and also pitched it against the Pulsar. And that I was disappointed with the Hunk would be an understatement. Now don’t get me wrong, the Hunk a good bike – it looks fabulous, and even though it doesn’t come with the fancy add ons like the digital console and the LED tail lamps, one doesn’t mind too much.
The Hunk’s also better endowed dynamically; it goes around bends with precision and stability that’s seriously missing on the Pulsar. The Pulsar wallows and flexes through same bends at slower speeds.
But overall, considering performance, engine, ride quality etc, the Hunk isn’t miles ahead of the competition, in fact it lags behind in a lot of aspects. And if I were to give a verdict, it would be a tie; for the price conscious buyer too - the Pulsar returns better fuel efficiency but is more expensive than the Hunk.
The point I am trying to make here is, when a new product sees the light of day, it ought to take the game by the scruff of its neck and move it ahead instead of playing catch up. Outperforming the competition in just one or two aspects is worth nothing really.
A new product should set new benchmarks, and in every respect. Every iteration ought to count, cause if that does not happen the Indian motorcycling isn’t going anywhere.
I am not a Bajaj fan in this regard either. I mean it has gone through countless iterations of the Pulsar, and yes the final one is better then the first, but by how much. The Pulsar is still found lacking in areas it always lacked; be it on the limit handling or the vague, irritating gearbox.
Today, if I want to buy a motorcycle, there’s nothing that I would settle for without a big crib. And that’s not a life I want…

Hunk vs P150

The USP of the Hunk is its styling. From the rakish bikini front, to the gorgeous and at the same time muscularly flanked tank, to a two tone sporty tail, and of course superbike reminiscent rear mud guard, it is comfortably the better styled of the two.
The Pulsar on the other hand scores for its add-ons – it sports perceived value features like LCD instrumentation, LED tail lamps and backlit switchgear, all of which is found wanting on the Hunk. The gadgetry however, does not take away the fact that the Pulsar, even after its numerous and timely revisions throughout its lifecycle, now looks jaded in this company.
It falls behind on the ergonomics front too, thanks mainly to the lack of usable recesses on the fuel tank. It’s also more cramped of the two bikes on test. The Hunk though with its deep recesses provides good grip for the rider’s knees. Moreover, with its good balance of sporty but comfortable riding posture with a wide handlebar and rearset footpegs, compared to the Pulsar’s more upright seating and footpegs-pushed-forward commuter centric stance, the Hunk is better suited for both short city stints and long highway jaunts.

The Hunk outdoes the Pulsar in the dynamics department as well. It handles with precision and sharpness found missing on the Pulsar. Too boot, the Hero Honda keeps its composure when flicked left and right with aggression through corners or while coming on the brakes with force much to an enthusiast’s delight. It also infuses immense confidence in the rider. The Hunk uses a stiff diamond frame for a chassis suspended on telescopic forks at the front and gas charged dampers with coil springs at the rear.
The Pulsar employs similar cycle parts with the exception of the double cradle frame coming in for a chassis along with smaller 17 inch wheels. But the Bajaj unlike the Hunk is softly sprung. Additionally, its chassis is prone to flexing on the limit. As a result, when pushed hard around a bend, the bike wallows shifting the weight around unpredictably and causing all sorts of concerns for the rider mid corner. The soft setup does give Bajaj an advantage nonetheless; that of a back pampering plush ride over most road irregularities, which again, like the add-ons is much to the liking of the average Indian.

The two motorcycles meanwhile are evenly matched on the performance front. Both displace almost the same engine capacity, develop the same power and on the road are equally quick in a straight line with the Pulsar holding a slim advantage over the Hunk. Bajaj, with its twin spark plug and exhausTEC technology for the drivetrain also manages to return better fuel efficiency. It’s also the better sounding of the two bikes here.
We would have liked a better shifting gearbox to go along with the bike’s performance however. The five-speed constant mesh box lacks positive shifts and is prone to false neutrals. The Hero Honda box in comparison is better to use; its notchy but precise, and would rarely leave you hunting for a gear when most needed.

Verdict
The clientele of the 150cc segment can be broadly divided into two – one who is looking for a smarter, faster commuter (also the majority), and the other looking for a fun to ride motorcycle that satisfies his racy urges but not at too much of a premium.
If you fall into the first category, the choice is quite simple; pick the Pulsar. It’s not only the more fuel efficient of the two, its commuter friendly riding posture and plush ride should suit your easy-go needs well.
However, if you are an enthusiast, one who relishes riding, the Hunk’s a better bet. Its well-sorted ergonomics, more room, proved reliability and of course, class leading handling will certainly see you through the most adventurous outings. It’s also awesomely styled, and should therefore take care of the showing-off bit quite splendidly.

Spec box

Hero Honda Hunk Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i
Engine: 149.2cc 149.01cc
Max power: 14.4bhp 14.09bhp
Max torque: 12.8Nm 11.7Nm
0-60kmph: 5.57s 5.55s
Top Speed: 109kmph 111kmph
Fuel efficiency: 52kmpl 55kmpl
Price: Rs 57,500 Rs 58,200

‘Horsepower or power-to-weight’ – we stand to benefit from both!

The R1 P-T-W is over 1000bhp/ton, while that of the P220 is a mere 133bhp/ton

The Indian motorcycling scene can’t stake claim as one that is horsepower driven. And you can see why - widely acknowledged as the sportiest bike in the country today, the P220, makes just 20bhp. Abroad, street bikes meant for daily commute make more than 150bhp. And bikes which are considered sporty, make 180bhp or thereabouts.
Yes, I agree, the average Indian is consumed with fuel efficiency and the average enthusiast with affordability. But even so, we are moving towards sub segments in classes which are focusing on performance. And the best way to convey performance, is, of course, talking horsepower.
TVS did so with the RTR – upping the capacity and the horsepower with of course an increase in price. It was essentially a way for the company to break clutter in the crowded segment where its own 150cc Apache was struggling to get noticed, but it did benefit the enthusiast.
Bajaj, with the XCD Sprint, has moved the horsepower game a segment lower. The bike promises 12.5bhp, different styling compared to the regular XCD, and will still play the affordability card.
The company had tried the same with the Discover 135, albeit moving up the capacity ladder. But the bike lacked exclusivity, thanks to the 112 and 125 styling identical to the most powerful of the Discover triplets. And exclusivity or the standout factor is a necessity for the buyer who is putting in the extra cash both upfront and in running costs, to make a statement, “I am not your everyday commuter, I am an indulgent biker, who relishes performance.”
Bhp is especially an important consideration when looking at premium offerings. But some believe upping the bhp isn’t the only solution, or distinguishing factor. If performance is what you seek, it can also be extracted by having a light bike – in other words better power-to-weight ratio.
Power-to-weight ratio is also considered a good measure of a bike’s accelerating abilities, and even its top end performance.
In the Indian context, targeting higher bhp/ton has another advantage – that of fuel efficiency. A lighter bike you see will inherently travel more kilometres to a litre.
It, of course, has its downsides, and the biggest would be in the communication area. The average Indian consumer understands bhp very well while the concept of bhp/ton, even among educated and informed bike buyers, is an alien one. It would consequently require a lot of effort on part of the bike maker to convince the average buyer of benefits of the power-to-weight notion.
Another big drawback would be the bike’s performance with the complete payload on board (payload for the uninitiated, is the load the bike can carry officially including both the rider and pillion and maybe some other stuff). The thing is, no bike maker is going to give the power-to-weight ratio of a bike considering the gross vehicle weight which is the kerb weight of the bike added to the payload it can haul).
So, the moment you have a pillion on board the whole equation suffers. Consider there’s an 80kg pillion perched at the rear of the bike, it naturally negates the weight advantage the bike enjoys. The weight you see is going up, while the power isn’t. And for a bike that weighs 120-130kg, 80kg is almost 40 per cent of the bike’s weight.
Needless to say, all the 0-60kmph claimed times are going to tumble. As will the riding experience on the whole, and while overtaking and negotiating ghats in particular.
Yamaha, we all know, will play the power-to-weight card for the R15 as it will weigh less in comparison to other 150s available today. And it will have a higher power output, maybe even 20bhp, if god and Yamaha are kind.
Naturally, it will claim the best power-to-weight figures, even better than bikes displacing higher capacities. It will, with the just the rider on board beat the latter lot in performance stakes as well.
A few other Indian bike makers intend joining this P-T-W party, and we could in probability see the results this year, or latest by the beginning of the next.
Whatever the route, one thing is for certain, bike makers are finally seeing sportiness in the true sense as a good business model, and that’s brilliant news for us, the Indian biking enthusiast.