“Style is no more a differentiator”

Style icons of a goneby era - the RD 350 & RX 100

A manufacturer said this to me recently. And I can see where he is coming from – with every new bike being styled so well, it alone cannot be the selling point. What he choose not to mention though, was how manufacturers are blatantly coping each other with the pretext that they are in reality following the on going design trends.
This, copying business isn’t a recent phenomenon though. Here’s a look at our past…
During the RD and RX days, round headlamps were in; the only difference was the varying diameter of the head lamp unit, and the intensity of the beam!
In the 90s, the Splendor came in and took India by storm. Manufacturers tried to break it, trying all sorts of things, including a different styling direction, but nothing worked, until everyone; be it for an entry-level 100 or a premium 150, gave in and slapped on a bikini fairing much like the Hero Honda. Bikes with bikinis soon became as common as flies in a sweet shop. The result was the advent of wild and absurd stickering jobs, all in a bid to stand out. The pioneer, of course, was and is, Hero Honda itself.
But giving the company its due, it did make half fairings popular with the Karizma, and at a time when this styling direction had returned fatal results – remember the LML Adreno or even the Kinetic GF Laser, both of which failed miserably at the market. Half fairings, courtesy Karizma, is today a signature of sorts for super premium bikes. Little surprise, Bajaj followed suit bolting one on, on its Pulsar 220.
The Indian two-wheeler creed mutates at a surprisingly alarming rate, and it ought to, to keep their noses ahead of each other. So, now the half faring theme has mutated into a bikini front and tank flanks or extensions (with dummy air scoops and side indicators at times) with the in between connection being done away adding more aggression to the styling. The flanks also help add to the bike’s girth where it matters.
Today you can see it on the Hunk, the XCD Sprint, as well as on the Flame & RTR FI.
Taking this a step further, bike makers are now bolting on a third piece around the engine and calling it aerodynamic belly pans and racy engine shrouds.
And as if all this information wasn’t too much to process, Yamaha has now showcased yet another styling direction with the unveiling of the R15, that of a fully faired theme. The concept isn’t completely new though, as bike customisers have used it for ages trying to ape big bikes. Manufacturers, have hitherto stayed away as it isn’t the most intelligent thing to do for bikes with air cooled engines. Maybe the R15’s success will spawn a breed of liquid cooled fully faired, high-revving pocket rockets for all of us to indulge in…
As for the big question, what is now going to be the differentiator - the R15 presents the answer to this one – technology, horsepower and exclusivity.

Tata Nano vs motorcycles

Here's another piece from Mail Today...

The potential customers for the Tata Nano are tipped to be the 5 lakh something Indians who put down their money on low priced (relatively of course) and fuel efficient motorcycles, and scooters each month. The general perception is - thanks to the lack of an affordable car on the market, two wheeler buyers chose the unsafe option of riding two wheels. But now that the Nano is here, things are set to change.
That, however, might not be the case. You see, it’s not as if the Indian bike buyer never had affordable options – after all, there have always been sub Rs 1 lakh cars available on the used car market. Sure, financing was an issue, as was the higher interest rates attracted by used cars, but options existed.
To understand why the two wheeler makers can continue to rest easy let’s first look at how the two wheeler circus works.
The two-wheeler arena is broadly segmented into motorcycles and scooters, with the former having the lion’s share (almost 70 %). Motorcycles are further classified depending on their price and power output into entry-level, executive, premium (or performance) and super premium segments. Majority of buyers purchasing premium and super premium bikes (read 150cc and above) do so for two main reasons – for the sheer pleasure of riding and second, they see their bikes as a social extension of themselves. Needless to say, the buyers here, mostly in the 18-30 year age bracket, aren’t looking at trading their rides for a cheap, sensible city car. They’d rather put their money down on a more upmarket used car to keep their standing intact.
As for the entry-level and executive bike (100cc offerings) buyer, price is the overriding decisive factor; then be it the purchase price or running costs or even EMI outgo. The dip in bike sales in the past year thanks to rising interest rates among other reasons stands testimony to the same.
The Nano meanwhile with its Rs 1,00,000 ex factory price is still 60 per cent more expensive to buy than an entry level two wheeler. Add to it higher recurring costs like fuel and maintenance bills, in addition to higher yearly insurance outgo, and over three to five years, the bike buyer is looking at a comparatively bigger dent in his bank balance.
But, I am in no way saying that Tata’s wonder car won’t sell; it will, but would probably be bought as the family’s second or third car; bought above all for the wives and mothers of city dwellers. The Nano would also make sense to buyers who have always wanted a car, but have found the monthly EMIs for even a M800 a tad high, and two-wheels, a dangerous proposition.A few bike buyers will buy the Nano too, but not as their daily commute vehicle (which will continue on our phenomenally fuel efficient and easy-to-ride motorcycles), but as the weekend dinner and movie car to safely haul the wife and kids in.

Bikes for 2008

Here's the link of a story carried in the Sunday edition of Mail Today (http://www.mailtoday.in/), a daily newspaper circulated in Delhi NCR. It talks about the bikes due in 2008. You can click on the 'you' section and then click on pages '14-15' & '16' to view the article.

Here's what it says btw...


The past year hasn’t been a great one for two- wheeler manufacturers. Sales growth, thanks to higher interest rates and stricter disbursement measures, continued to be negative year-on-year. But this year promises better prospects riding on new launches from almost every two-wheeler maker in the country. Here’s what’s in store for you.sprint to drive 125cc segment

Bajaj Auto unveiled two motorcycles and a scooter at the Auto Expo 2008. The Discover 150 DTS-i uses the drivetrain from the Pulsar 150, pumping out identical power and torque figures of 14bhp and 12.8Nm respectively. Design-wise, too, the bike is different from the earlier Discover, though the makeover isn’t all that great. The idea behind this launch is to ensure that Discover eventually replaces the Pulsar 150 and to move the Pulsar brand to a more performance-oriented nice.
The more important of the two bikes, though, is the XCD Sprint because the company is working hard to give the sporty 125cc bikes a distinct identity, rather than keeping them as wannabe 100cc offerings, which is also the reason why the segment hasn’t picked up. Extra engine capacity must lead to extra performance, so the new Sprint gets a 4-valve head, and although the engine capacity remains identical to that of the older XCD, the reworked engine now produces a max of 12bhp, which is a 3bhp increase. Bajaj has also sorted out the design deficiencies that plagued the older bike. The styling of Sprint is sharper and more contemporary, helped immensely by the bigger LED tail lamp and the new tank cladding. Expect to pay a premium for the new offering.
The scooter to watch is the Blade 125. Bajaj, as is well- known, hasn’t done too well in scooters after it shifted focus to motorcycling. The company is now banking on Blade, which is targeted at college-going male students, to stage a comeback. It has a 125cc engine with similar power and torque figures as the Sprint, but is coupled to a CVT. So, you can expect the performance and fuel efficiency of Blade to be a few notches below that of Sprint.
The surprise for the year, though, will be the all-new, 4-valve, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled 300cc Pulsar. The bike will kickstart yet another segment in performance biking. Expected to sport an exhaustive features list, it is tipped to set off the next wave in motorcycle styling. The bike will retail cheaper than the Kawasaki Ninja 250, which Bajaj will import and sell at its Probiking outlets.fuel-injected karizma soon?

Hero Honda, the largest player in the motorcycle arena, will continue to push its strategy of introducing refurbished models. A restyling job for its premium-end bike, the Karizma, is expected during the year with the possibility of a fuel-injected version making its debut as well. Needless to say, the fuel-injected variant will command a premium in the range of Rs 3,500-Rs 6,000 over the carburetted model, with the upside being an improvement in rideability and fuel efficiency.

Honda will begin the year with the nationwide introduction of its new scooter, Aviator. The new scooter, a successor to the Activa, will continue to sell along with it till it is well-accepted in the market. It uses the same 102cc engine as the Activa but sports up-rated cycle parts, like a telescopic front suspension for better ride and handling, and a front disc brake on the options list.
The company will expand its motorcycle portfolio as well in 2008 with a sporty 125cc bike to take on the TVS Flame and Bajaj XCD Sprint. The CBF concept shown at the Auto Expo could well be a teaser of what to expect from the Japanese major.

Suzuki is all set to introduce another scooter based on the recently introduced 125cc Access, but it will be styled to appeal to a younger audience. The company will also launch a new motorcycle in the 150cc arena, which, according to its executives, will lead the way in performance and styling. Suzuki may also roll out high-end bikes and look at assembling them here to get a price advantage.

TVS Motor, which has been the worst hit by the sales slowdown, will kickstart the year with the nationwide launch of its new 125cc bike, Flame, followed by the introduction of the fuel-injected Apache RTR. The company will launch aftermarket performance kits for the RTR to fit the carburetted models for starters. The kit, which will include an aftermarket end can (exhaust), high lift cams and a tweaked control chip, is expected to raise the 160cc bike’s performance to the level of 180cc motorcycles (read Pulsar 180 DTS-i).
TVS will launch a new 180cc motorcycle from its own stable in the course of the year. The bike, which is essentially intended for export to markets like Indonesia, will have improved styling, in addition to LED tail lamps, an LCD display, rear disc brake option and fuel injection. The company will also move the Star brand to the executive segment with the introduction of a fuel-efficient 125cc variant. The bike will be pitched squarely against the Bajaj XCD.

The most talked-about company in the last quarter of 2007, Yamaha Motor India, will launch three motorcycles spanning the 150-250cc segment, two of which were showcased at the Expo.The YZF R15, being positioned as a scaled-down R1 with the same attributes, uses a 4-valve, single-cylinder, fuel-injected and liquid-cooled 150cc engine. This high-revving engine, coupled to a close-ratio, 6-speed box, is capable of pumping out 18-20bhp, and should re-define performance in the lower rung of premium biking. When the bike hits the showrooms in June, it’ll cost the moon by Indian standards, its price being close to Rs 1,00,000.
For the less-enthusiastic biker, Yamaha also showcased the FZ150. The brute-looking naked offering will be powered by a derivative of the Gladiator’s 125cc engine and displace 150cc. Unlike the R15, the FZ will use a 5-speed gearbox and be more rideable as well, thanks to peak power and torque coming early in the rev range. The engine will trace a flatter torque curve as well, helping both city riding and enabling overtaking on the highways. Although Yamaha has not announced the pricing of the FZ, expect it to cost close to Rs 60,000. The company, in all probability, will launch its 250cc offering this year. The bike will complete against the Kawasaki Ninja 250.

CBF – Honda’s new 125!

The 125cc segment is fast changing. The idea now is to give these bikes a distinct identity rather than positioning them as more expensive, less fuel efficient and a bit more powerful wannabe 100cc bikes.
125s are now taking on a sporty image. The Flame was the first to jump in. However, its power figures were a let down.
Bajaj was next to jump in with the XCD Sprint, and has given some respectability to the concept of sporty 125s by making significant changes to the XCD engine. There’s now a 4-valve head in place instead on a 2-valve cover as on the older bike and the power rating is up too - 12.5bhp.
Honda is next. The company had announced launching a sporty 125 to appeal to the younger crowd sometime last year, and the CBF concept shown at the expo is a teaser of what we can expect.
Unlike, what most others are saying, I don’t think the CBF is a concept based on the Unicorn; it is in fact based on the Shine. And the obvious give away are the twin shock absorbers at the rear.
I know what you might say, Honda can always make that change on the Unicorn platform. Sure, it can. But it won’t!
You see, when every one around said monoshock wasn’t the way forward, Honda shouted that it was. It can’t possibly go back on that, after all it’s a question of its standing, not just in the industry, but among buyers as well.
Speaking of cycle parts, I think Honda has done a superb job on the concept, especially on the Racing version, putting on thin USDs on the front along with a large petal disc, besides an aluminium subframe, gas charged dampers and an underseat exhaust at the rear. Superb. The Sports version meanwhile, which is much more a production reality, though not as sexy as Racing, is still decent with the stepped seat and an aggressive rear mud guard.
But what about the CBF Sports’ drivetrain, will it use the Shine’s engine in a higher state of tune with a 5-speed box to go along with its focused looks?
I would love it if the company did. But going by what Honda has achieved with the Aviator, sticking to the same drivetrain with upgrades made just to styling and a few cycle parts against the Activa, I am inclined towards believing, it will retain the Shine engine, and in the same state of tune.
I would however, love Honda to prove me wrong, when the bike goes on sale later this year. And it might, if it takes cue from the Bajaj’s Sprint.

What about the FZ150?

I wonder why anybody isn’t showing any interest in Yamaha’s other bike, the FZ150. After all, this is the more affordable of the two unveiled at the Expo! And that is also a reason why it might actually sell more. Moreover, unlike the R15, The FZ will be more rideable on a day-to-day basis. Will explain why, a little later...
Now, Yamaha hasn’t said anything about the engine, its characteristics, power of torque rating, or even its roots, but here’s what I think…
…Yamaha, most of you are aware, is into road racing in India, as well. The company runs its Gladiator at the event. In the Group B or fully modified 4-stroke class, the Gladiator displaces over 150ccs. And is quite a threat to the TVS Apache RTRs running around the circuit alongside.
I do agree, Ashwin, Yamaha’s rider is a gifted guy, but TVS riders aren’t jokers either, and the skill set of Moses is nothing short of brilliant.
Where am I going with all of this?
Just digging to find the roots of the FZ really!
Like I said, the Gladiator 125cc engine has been bored and stroked to displace 150cc plus for racing purposes. The FZ will run a variant of this tweaked engine. Variant because, given the performance and the state of tune the racing engine runs, it might be a little difficult for us fuel efficiency conscious buyers to digest.
Moreover, anybody in interested in a true performance machine can always pick up the R15, right?
So, the FZ then will run a 150cc engine. But unlike the R15 there won’t be no fuel injection, no liquid or oil cooling, or even a 4-valve head. Power be will down too, expect max output to be around the 15bhp mark. Torque will be potent though, and will come into play pretty early in the rev range as well, aiding both city rideability as well as highway riding, particularly overtaking and negotiating ghats. The bike will run a 5-speed box, the same from the Gladiator, and might run identical gear ratios as well.
Performance wise, expect it to fall short of the RTR by a very slight margin in the acceleration runs - the 0-60kmph and the 0-100kmph times. It will however, have the Hunks, the X-tremes, the Unicorns and even the Discover 150s running for cover.
On the commercial side of things, the FZ150 will comfortably out sell the R15. But will it outsell the rest as well?
Initially, maybe not. But the R15’s magic might rub on the FZ too. So all those RD, RX and even the R15 fans who don’t have a lakh to spare (in case of the latter) or for in case of the former two, enough time, will buy the FZ for the promise and the brand.
Furthermore, there’s little disputing that its styling is absolutely kick-ass – then be it the FZ inspired naked front, edgy mud guard, muscular tank, stubby exhaust, or even the pseudo spar frame (it’s actually a single downtube diamond type layout). Style conscious buyers then, will without doubt pick it up as well.
Price it around the 60,000 mark, and Yamaha could have a winner on its hands!

Honda Aviator – the new Honda Activa!

Honda put out quite a presentation at the launch of its new 100cc scooter, the Aviator, saying its market research indicated a decently large market for male centric scooters. Scooters that working men, men who own the Honda Civic, dressed in suits, would want to buy. And therefore, the scooter needed to draw design cues from the car and look modern and upmarket. From the company’s point of view it’s fine, talking about this new male customer.
But the thing is, if you talk about male centric scooters, one has to pack in aggressive styling, extra go, and a male ego satisfying attitude. The Kinetic Blaze is a good example of such a scooter. The Aviator however, is not.
I think it would have been best if Honda would have come out with the truth and said, “Now look, the Activa has been around for donkey’s years, and even though it’s still selling quite splendidly, we ought to look at the future. And so for those who swear by the Activa’s mechanicals but want a more modern, but not too overstated a scooter, here’s the Aviator. Cheers.”
I would have appreciated that.
I mean come on, which Civic owner is going to leave his car parked in the garage while he faces and fights pollution that threatens to spoil his beauty parlour caressed and toned skin? It’s absurd, I know!
Another line of thought, influenced by the Honda guys of course, is that there’s potential to create a niche, a niche that Suzuki has tried to cater to with the 125cc Access – understated styling, and a higher capacity scooter with more zip and load carrying capability. In short, an alternative for the old Chetak and present Eterno customer.
Sounds good. But with the Aviator, it doesn’t make too much sense, particularly with the Activa drivetrain still driving the Aviator.

Will post a review soon…

Yamaha delivers, finally!

And I am absolutely thrilled that when it delivered, it delivered in spades. The YZF R15 - close ratio six speed box, 4-valve head, fuel injection and liquid cooling. Perfect. To add, there’s a full fairing and a digital console. The only thing missing really, are the LED lamps and a better styled rear end. The end can could have been styled better too.
What was also missing at Yamaha’s presentation was the 150cc single cylinder’s power and torque figures. We would most definitely want 20-22bhp, as the rumours suggest, but the truth might be a little disappointing. Some say, it might just be 16bhp, while others say the figure might hover around the 17-18bhp mark.
So for all you know, the R15 might not stake claim as the fastest bike in the country, but it might be the fastest accelerating for all you know. But does it matter?
Not really, and here’s why. The one thing you can be sure about is that the R15 will return a riding experience similar to none. 20bhp or not, I am sure it’ll bring a grin on every biking enthusiast’s face within minutes of being on the motorcycle. It will be, I am hoping, a short stroke, free and high revving engine. Add to it the close ratio six speed box, and we are talking about riding the bike on the absolute upper end of the rpm band - bang, bang, bang against the rev limiter in every gear. Boy! won’t that be something!
Then of course, you have the twin spar frame, which means better straight line stability, plus cornering that’s not just precise, but forgiving and enticing.
Can’t wait, like most of you, to get her between my legs!

Bajaj Sprint – a TVS nightmare?

The Bajaj Sprint may give TVS a few nightmares, particularly, the Flame’s development team. The Flame as you know is still to witness a nationwide launch. But before it could get going and bag its own clientele, that of an image conscious but slightly miserly Indian, the Sprint has already torn through the curtain.
Bajaj has announced the bike will debut this year. And alongside, has done just enough showcasing the bike’s styling and the engine output to hold buying decisions in favour of the Flame.
Now, not everybody might wait for the Sprint, but for the enthusiastic bunch on a budget, more horsepower is always welcome. Cause we in general relate it to better performance.
In this particular case, I think we are right- the Sprint will surely chew the Flame on traffic light gps and insignificant drag events, thanks to both more power and possibly less weight.
So what is TVS to do now? For starters maybe work towards giving the Flame a couple of variants – and not in the conventional sense of slightly different stickering and instrumentation, but offering the bike in different state of tunes. Along with some visually differentiating bits.
The sportier version for instance, can carry a better, more aggressive looking and sounding exhaust. The front fairing of the bike isn’t beauty pageant winning either, so maybe extend the aggrieve look to the front too.
And just so that it doesn’t seem like trailing Bajaj and stopping at the formers goalpost, bring in a third variant! Maybe like the RTR, a slightly higher capacity, fully blown Flame for the hardcore enthusiast. Again, on a budget!
Or maybe, like car companies, do a stripped down version! Who knows, with our mindsets, either can work!

Bajaj’s new XCD, the Sprint

The recently unveiled XCD based Sprint is a classic example of Bajaj’s product strategy; the company’s way of thinking, and execution.
You see, Bajaj thinks cycles ahead; so when it launches a product, let’s say like the XCD 125 it already has the next two or three iterations of the product ready, which ideally would surface every two years.
Now, you might argue that most manufacturers think on the same lines, and you are right about that, they do, but where Bajaj races ahead, is in having production ready iterations already sitting pretty on the shelf when the first product makes its debut, while the others, mostly, have it on paper.
The advantage – if the first iteration loses steam earlier than planned, or worse fails altogether, the company is in the position to support the earlier product and bring in an updated, more appealing one without losing time and sales.
We have already seen the same in the 100cc segment – Bajaj launched the CT 100, soon after introduced a fairing version, and then brought out the Platina when the CT began losing ground. The end result – it not only arrested falling sales in the segment, it in fact, increased Bajaj’s share in the pie!
The Sprint therefore, is here to lend support to the XCD, which according to sales reports is hovering around the 40,000-45,000 unit mark on a month-on-month basis, falling significantly short of the 75,000 unit mark Bajaj had in mind.
The Sprint though has more significance than being a mere support aid for the XCD and Bajaj’s 125cc campaign - it is squarely aimed at blowing out TVS’s Flame. This sportier, more powerful version of Bajaj’s attempt to show the 100c customer a better life, is also a pre-emptive move to Honda’s sporty 125 due this year. Honda’s CBF concept displayed at the Expo is actually a teaser to the product.
Meanwhile, Bajaj XCD 125 DTS-i Sprint, as the bike is christened, promises a lot.
At first, it sets aside XCD’s short comings in the styling department thanks to a new, better executed front fairing and a new tank attachment. But more importantly, the new tail piece design, and particularly the revised tail lamp now lend the XCD a wide ranging appeal. The bike in fact, outdoes the Flame in terms of appeal!
It also promises to take care of the older fuel efficiency conscious engine’s reservations towards performance, thanks to a potent engine (at least on paper) – the bore x stroke config remains unchanged of course, but Bajaj has slapped on a 4-valve head and along with other internal tweaks (which I don’t know of, at the moment), the unit now makes 12.5bhp.
But for those who did not like the Sprint too much, don’t fret, there’s already another iteration waiting at the factory gates…

Kinetic Flyte – the review

Some one asked me to write a review on the Flyte because he wanted to know if it’s worth purchasing. So here goes…

If you are looking for a practical scooter which should help you shunt from office to home and home to the market place, effortlessly, and without lightening up your wallet by much, the Flyte makes brilliant sense. Given, of course, these destinations are in striking distance of each other.
On the practical front, the Flyte offers comfortable seating- the seat, handlebar and floorboard relation for an average Indian (read 5’9” – 5’10”) is bang on. The seat itself is quite agreeable for short sprints.
Then of course you have the huge loading area under the seat which can house your full face helmet, fabric jacket, gloves, mascara, eyeliner, hair drier and all the extra stuff today’s man loves to carry around. Get the helmet and jacket out and there’s place for your shopping bags. Furthermore, there are hang hooks, a mobile charger which can also double up as your i-pod power source.
Front fuel filler, a SYM trait and borrowed by Bajaj for the slow selling Kristal, is another practical touch, as is the key slot guard.
Furthermore, build quality and the fit and finish; two areas which you’d agree Kinetic hitherto has failed miserably to deliver on, thankfully, is top class on the new scooter. The tie up with SYM sure seems to have had its plus points!
The panel gaps, though present are even and as good as on the so-called benchmark scooter, the Honda Activa. The switchgear works well too and is easy to navigate, even on the move. The visibility is good too, and the Flyte is easy of manoeuvre through congested traffic, thanks mainly to its smaller dimensions.
The engine in question is SYM’s 8bhp 125cc engine. But it doesn’t feel like it at all, especially when compared to 7bhp somethings 100cc scooters already available in the market. Not that it feels anaemic or even lethargic; in fact, it motors around effortlessly, be it getting off the mark or overtaking, but it just doesn’t fit the 125cc psychological performance grade. It feels more like a faster Scooty Pep rather than feeling like a faster Dio. Which honestly, it should.
It is overwhelming refined though - there’s hardly any variomatic judder and even with the throttle completely wrung open, moving close to 80ks, there aren’t any uncomfortable vibes that might numb your hands or behind.
To boot, the Flyte is endowed with well sorted ride quality – it isn’t back breakingly stiff nor is it wallowy like the older Kinetic Honda. It just goes about cushioning the rider and the pillion with plush-ness so far uncharacteristic of scooters sold in the country. And is almost perfect for our interior roads.
It, then, does everything you’d ask from your everyday runabout scooter pretty well. So should you buy it? Given its price which is significantly less than the Dios and the Activas and comparable to the likes of the Peps and Kristals, absolutely! It just won’t help you with your hep image if you are a guy, that’s all.

What are we cribbing about?

Was recently in Germany. Hamburg to be precise. And as you’d be aware, like in India, it is winter time there as well. However, the temperatures there during the hottest part of the day hover around 0 degrees! To add, the road surface is slippery, and as a result, bikers are truly few and far between. I saw just one, riding the BMW R1200GS (probably because it had ABS!), during my three day stay in the city.
It’s the same story across most of Europe. Summer, dear reader, is the only time when bikers there can actually enjoy their bike’s full potential, if ever.
Imagine, if we had less than half a year to enjoy biking, I for one would be one unhappy soul. Moreover, we can exploit the potential of our bikes far easily (and regularly if I may add).
So then why do we crib about the goras having it better than us? Just because they have more powerful (and better looking and better laden with technology and better handling and …) machines than we do! Sure, it’s a sore point. But looking at the bigger picture, I think we are better off. And not because we can now buy the R1s and the MT-01s of the world (that’s for the select money bags amongst us in any case), but because we can enjoy ourselves and our set of wheels probably to a level our firang friends can only dream about.
I love the motorcycling here - it’s challenging, what with all the daft motorists around braking, overtaking, lane changing and spewing pan juice (not to mention the trucks laying in the oil for royal treatment) at the most unexpected moments (and places). It’s also entertaining and involving – the roads in Maharastra, in Rajasthan, in Kerela these are superbly surfaced with twisties abound. And for those who enjoy excursions off road, there’s Bihar, and UP too.
We also aren’t burdened with devastatingly high insurance costs, or ridiculously low travel range (barring the Kinetic Blaze, no doubt), or 250kmph rockets – cause the latter will most definitely kill the majority. The stories coming in from Greater Noida are an indication, wouldn’t you say? Rhetorically speaking, of course.
Okay, I am not completely kicked about the sort of bikes we have here at the moment, sure these look good but score poorly under the ‘capacity-horsepower-performance relation’ head. A 125cc bike making 8-10bhp, or a 150cc that has only recently crossed the 15bhp mark aren’t the makings of an enthusiast driven scene. Things get even more dismal up the capacity ladder – a 200 making 18bhp but struggling to beat a 223 with an even more shameful 17bhp on tap is seriously sad.
Now the good news! Come Auto Expo and we will see the capacity-horsepower-performance head realign itself. And expect Yamaha and TVS to lead the charge.
It will also not be a one model brilliance this, but a continual effort leaving us bikers with even lesser reasons to crib!

Indian motorcycling gets a move on

We have seen stunting aplenty - both in motoring magazines as well as on the road. And it’s a brilliant thing because motorcycling is as much about skill as it is about freedom and expression. Stunting, is also an expression, by the way.
Moreover, it’s really heartening to see that we the biking enthusiasts in the country aren’t looking for excuses to steer clear of challenges. We have traversed the most challenging terrain, in equally challengingly inapt bikes; done stunts our western counterparts pull on better suited, more powerful offerings; and the so-called barometer of motoring enthusiasm – motoring magazines have done their bit as well – showcasing brilliantly executed pictures of artistry on our teeny-whiney machines, then be it brilliant shots of wheelies, stoppies, burnouts, jumps or even cornering.
However, what has been missing hitherto has been the lack of show of some everyday riding skill. Getting one’s knee down around a corner is one; power sliding out of bends on opposite lock is, of course, the other!
The former I firmly believe aids corner speed, and is also a vital safety ingredient when it comes to fast riding. The latter meanwhile is a display of not just immense riding ability, but of utmost courage.
And we have been missing both for sometime now, on the road as well as in print. Thankfully, things are changing for the better. And I’d like to congratulate two particular individuals for it - Joshua from BSM who got his knee down on the Bajaj XCD a couple of months back, and Varad from Bike who achieved the same on the Hero Honda Hunk just last month.
There’s good reason to cheer the achievement too, just in case some of you were wondering what the hullabaloo is all about… You see, we have seen all and sundry pulling wheelies and stoppies not to mention burning rubber in mags, on traffic lights, around crowded locales and deserted roads. But, knee down antics, hitherto have been rare.
What makes it all special is the fact that the rider’s have wafer thin contact patches (read ridiculously thin tyres) to play with here. Not to mention tyres that are designed more for life than grip and over roads which are anything but predictable or well-laid or grippy. Unlike our racing friends (in India) who use special soft compound imported rubber on tarmac so grippy, it can shred leather (of your suit and your body) if you were to have a fall. Little wonder, knee down on tracks is a common occurrence.
The feat achieved by both is an indication really that motorcycling in India is getting a move on. We are not afraid to experiment, and take things to a higher level.
What is also of importance here is the fact that a lot of riders look up to magazines and their writers. They emulate them, cause they feel it’s possible – after all the mag guys too are riding the same bikes.
Heart felt congratulations then to Joshua and Varad for not only adding oomph to biking pictures, but also giving the Indian motorcycling youth yet another escapade to embark upon.

Ads – are they a reflection of our bike makers?

I would think so, and here’s why. Let’s talk Hero Honda first.
You’d agree no one understands the entry-level, 100cc market better than the Munjals along with Honda. After all, they have the puny machines to thank for, for their number one bike maker status, umpteen numbers of years running…
And it shows in the CD and Splendor ads. The connect, is superb. And is a reflection of the bike maker’s understanding of the audience. Watch the Blind dad ad for the Splendor and Super Splendor for starters!
However, the ads for the company’s premium segment offerings; the X-treme, the Karizma R or even the latest Hunk, are pathetic, to say the least. These ads lack oomph and excitement; actually they lack everything the product stands for – power, performance and the sheer ability to enthuse. An indication, I believe, that Hero Honda (Honda mostly) fails to understand the needs of the premium TG.
Bajaj on the other hand understands the 20 to 30 somethings as if the company were shaping their thoughts! The Pulsar ads, right from the beginning have had that all-important ‘hook up’ flavour to them. And the fact that buyers, even after having faced quality issues with the bikes, have gone ahead and bought these offerings is a testimony to the same. In fact, they swear by their bikes, do these enthusiasts. And the amazing thing is; they actually consider the bike’s shortfalls as her pluses!
TVS too has done well in the premium segment ad scenario. The Apache ads were brilliant – college guys, frolicking, taking pot shots at boring, and more focused men. And then the RTR ad – the flirting, the rebellion, and of course the carefree attitude – the ad only raises the bar. The Star ads meanwhile have touched the right listeners as well. And though TVS isn’t setting the sales charts on fire, the company is at least logged on to the radar of majorities. And that’s half the battle.
Ads then are a reflection, a refection of our bike makers understanding of our needs.

Why trusting auto mags is a good idea…

I know many of you might not agree with me when I say, making a buying decision based on an auto mag review is a good idea.
But this is where I am coming from – We generally form opinions based on what we see, hear and feel. So, if we find the bike good looking, like the Pulsar or the Hunk, we are already bitten by it. We then hear and read about the bikes and their performance, on blogs, from friends, and from a lot other channels, besides auto mags, of course. We also, more often then not, take a test ride of our short listed models.
It’s all very good, till you realise, all that you have read about are impressions gathered on a new bike. No one really speaks about how the bike is aging up; whether the clutch is slipping; are rust patches forming all over; or the switchgear or instrumentation has gone haywire, or how many times a month does one need to adjust the brakes (if they do it at all).
But the shallow reviews aren’t exactly the writer’s fault. To begin with, the test rides offered by all company dealers is just too short to understand anything.
Then there’s the question of lack of experience. And no, I don’t mean the lack of riding experience, but the lack of experience riding a variety of motorcycles. If, all you have ridden is a Splendor all your life, or maybe a friend’s Pulsar off and on; you’d be completely blown by the P220, or even the Karizma or the P180 for that matter.
But if you have experienced a plethora of bikes, of various segments, back-to-back, you begin to understand who is short changing you, and who is delivering as promised.
The auto mags have this advantage, the advantage of sampling any model, at any time, and for any duration. Needless to say, they are in a better position to deliver the correct verdicts on a motorcycle’s handling, ride quality, ergonomics (both for city use and for the highway), and also things like performance and driveability, the latter, obviously is backed by test data.
Mags, thanks to running a long term fleet, can also tell you and me, how the bike is aging up, and how well or poorly is it doing compared to the competition.
The biggest issue, I believe, you guys have with mags, is the disparity in their test figures, and at times in their judgment.
Here’s a pointer which helps me make sense of it all, and I hope it might help you too.
Every magazine has a different outlook, so while one might lay more emphasis on performance, the other might choose to base its verdict on the user friendliness of a bike. There’s a reason behind that too – the varying needs and preferences of the Indian buyer. My last post on ‘why we buy, what we buy’ tells you a bit about it.
In fact, you can try it yourself. If you own a 150cc motorcycle, let’s say the Pulsar (cause it’s the best selling model in its segment), try asking other P150 owners en route to work, college, or home at a traffic signal, or at the chai tapir, why they bought the motorcycle, dig a bit deeper and you’d realize, he reasons are quite different from yours! You can try the same with your friends even.
As for the difference in performance figures, a few tenths here and there shouldn’t really matter, cause mags use different test routes, different riders, and moreover different bikes for their tests, and just like no two people are the same, neither are two Pulsars, Apaches, or CBZs.
I have bought bikes and accessories based on magazine reviews, and truth be told, besides making a wrong choice of tyres, it has all gone very well.

Why we buy, what we buy?

It might not seem like much, but the above question is an eternal one. After all, cracking this riddle would mean a gleaming top line for our bike making brigade. And yes, the first for-ever hungry company that manages to crack it, will, of course, wear the coveted number one crown.
But if you have been following the Indian market, and I don’t mean in the hard core sort of a way: keeping a tab on numbers, margins et al, but simply a track of new launches, you’d realize it’s almost impossible to solve the riddle. I mean, just look at the number of new launches, variants, paint jobs, feature enhancement surgeries that happen on a model, and that too within weeks of its launch.
This can only mean two things: one, our bike makers are still clueless about what we as customers demand, and second, as buyers, we too are clueless about our needs!
The latter is well highlighted by the questions I have had to field over the years from a widespread audience on what bike they should buy. The needs put forward are equally wide-ranging: “I want a fuel efficient bike, and it ought to be cheap,” says a 100cc customer, almost always. There’s no talk about styling or features. Why then, are bike makers lavishing their entry level models with electric start, alloy wheels, and bright and contemporary styling?
Cause it helps sell! Look at our top three bike companies, and look at their model line up - Hero Honda has constantly updated the CD, there was the Dawn, and now there’s the Deluxe, fully loaded. Bajaj too played its part with the stylish Platina, and TVS, well… TVS introduced not one or two, but four variants of the Star, before bringing in the fifth – the 110cc avatar. The point of it all being; it’s the top-of-the-line variant, no matter which model, that has the lion’s share.
Yes, that’s a typical Indian bike buyer for you: he knows he wants fuel efficiency, and low purchase price, but give him an extra douse of features, which he thought unnecessary, and he goes and picks the best endowed one!
But why just the entry level customer, buyers in the 150cc plus segment aren’t any different.
We say we want performance. Fuel efficiency can’t be in the 30s of course, but kilometer-to-a-litre isn’t our priority. We want our motorcycles to look good, handle well, and offer a newness so far missing in the segment.
The P150 comes out, and we lap it up. Achiever, Unicorn, Graptors, and the likes don’t catch our fancy. We find them lacking in a number of areas – styling and performance to list a couple.
Apache sees light of day – its stylish, a tad faster, and handles like a dream, but we still don’t exactly take to it like a dog (or was it ants?) to sweets. P150 upgrade is launched, this time with a LED tail and LCD read, but a disappointing gain in performance, but we still take to it, and say, “Look at all that fancy stuff! That’s value for money”
Now, here’s my point.
We as buyers don’t exactly appreciate what we demand. And despise taking risks. We are like a herd; we move with the majority; the more bikes on the road means, the make is proven, it would be a safe bet then, forgetting what we demanded and stood for in the first place.
I’d hate to be a manufacturer in India.
But I am not too happy to be a buyer either, thanks to the majority of the bike buying public’s attitude – we get swayed by fancy stuff so easily rather than rewarding true performance and motorcycling purity which we speak about at rides, meets, blogs, and even on a web forum.
No wonder manufacturers refuse to take risks, and we end up saddled with duds, which we have been living with what seems like eternity, and will probably continue to do so... well, at least till the Expo, we will.

World's fastest Indian

I am not one who loves to keep abreast with the latest movies, especially in the first day, first show sort of a way. But I love movies, and love consuming them at my own leisure, with a chilled glass of barely water, and some of my favourite, artery clogging oil soaked crispies.
So please bare with me on this one, cause I understand talking about Anthony Hopkin’s The World’s Fastest Indian, two years after its international release, is ummm… late.
I had just had to watch this one, everyone I knew raved about the film, particularly my motorcycle buddies. That it wasn’t so much about riding, but transsexuals, Kiwi accents, and large hearted Americans, is something they forget to mention. Knowing them well, it’s more a case of not noticing, rather then mentioning.
Overall, I’d rate the movie as watch-able, but nothing exceptional at all. It’s also more for viewers who love to see a man emerge triumph against all possible odds than for a biking enthusiast.
But the beauty of the film is; how the odds just seem to sort themselves out mainly on account of Mr …. age! It’s unbelievable. No, no, not in the positive, exclamationsort of a way, but literally.
I mean, come on, first the shipment holding the bike gets damaged, but there’s barely a scratch on the Indian. Then Mr …. loses a wheel on his trolley carrying the Indian, resulting in the latter rolling around a bit, but behold! the bike still manages to survive without worrisome damage.
Mr kiwi finds himself a log, substitutes it for a wheel and carries on, is something I can digest, as he won’t be trying to break the 200mph record with this four wheel junk.
But the odds disappearing in thin air, or salt flats as it were, for Mr Kiwi continues right till the end of the almost two hour long flick.
Now, he hasn’t registered for the run, which the director conveys is an absolute, absolute must. Thanks a lot, to a lot of large hearted Americans then, for they convince the initially stuck up organizers to give the determined old man from down under the chance of a life time, even though his Indian doesn’t even meet the basic safety requirements for such a run.
There’s more of it, but I am beginning to get bored, and I am sure you are too. Now, I don’t want to sound cynical towards the movie, cause at the end of the day, this one’s based on a true story. And I am sure all of these odds pretty much existed, and were overcome too.
But so effortlessly? I seriously have my doubts. It’s the director’s cut then, that’s not really toothsome.

30minutes or free!

I love pizzas; particularly the cheese burst kind from dominos. But I am not to sure about the pizza house’s 30 min or free sales pitch. What ever little I know about gourmet, it would take at least 10 minutes to get the Italian dish ready, add to it the traffic during Diwali, or any other day for that matter, and it seems pretty tight delivering the pizza in 30 minutes after having placed an order.
But these guys, astride CT 100s manage to do that! Okay, my order was exactly two minutes late, but it’s still quite an achievement. Especially, if you factor in the fact that the CT 100 isn’t exactly a capable bike; her acceleration is probably a tad better than a tortoise, and her drum brakes, well, you’d be lucky if she stopped at all! But these delivery guys manage it, and manage it with a smile on their faces, not the fear of death in their eyes as you’d expect after a guy has had probably a million death situations along the way!
And how they do it, is almost certainly known too you all; slicing though traffic, dangerously at that; not giving too hoots about others’ safety; and riding like their life depended on it; which my guess is, it does, mostly if the bill goes straight out of their pockets, or three late orders later, they are fired!
Maybe the pizza chain should refrain from such antics. After all, a few minutes here or there isn’t exactly going to leave the customer starving to death. But mainly, it’s the quality and taste of the stuff one sells that should be the differentiating factor, rather than lightning quick delivery; I mean who’d prefer consuming cow dung served to you in a minute instead of raas malai, which takes a ten extra minutes to arrive at your table! Above all, I don’t think you’d exactly enjoy your pizza, if the delivery boy might have knocked off one of your family members on the way, in order to make that 30 minutes or free, delivery efficiency.
As for the boys themselves, I wonder if Dominos has a high risk insurance cover for them, or any insurance whatsoever; they do risk their lives every other second you know…

The Off-beat approach – Yummy Yamaha

Now, Yamaha with its proposed 160-165cc motorcycle intends achieving the same. Breaking the clutter (the 150cc clutter in this case) with a slight increase in capacity does have its benefits – it gives the bike maker something to talk about. And if you pack in class shattering, unexpected performance, the coffee gets that much more agreeable. Moreover, a move like this - ‘performance now for the masses’ – will go down brilliantly well with Yamaha’s image in India; courtesy the RD and the RX.
TVS has already tried breaking the mould with the RTR, and with reasonable success at that. Yamaha though can do better, especially if the Japanese company can pack in stuff like, liquid cooling, fully faired styling, and performance which will embarrass even the likes of the P220 and the Karizma. It can do that by having a light weight bike like it sells in Indonesia – the Viper or V-Ixion, but instead of 14bhp give it something like 17 or 18bhp.
We are waiting with bated breath, Yamaha.

The Off-beat approach - Blaze effect

Suzuki though isn’t the only manufacturer trying to find a foothold for itself by getting into virgin territory. Kinetic did the same with the Nova 135, but the scooter didn’t exactly succeed. It has now got a good break with the Blaze nonetheless, with the so called ‘maxi scooter’ catching the fancy of the young and show off sort. Here again, the numbers are of little significance; particularly if you see what she, the Blaze, has done for the Kinetic brand. Suddenly, Kinetic is back on every body’s antenna, and buyers are now awaiting more of the gorgeous looking scooters from the Italjet brand.I must mention here though, that even though the Blaze looks great and has more than adequate performance, she continues to be plagued with quality issues – then be it regarding the fit and finish, build quality, or even the mechanicals.

The Off-beat approach - Suzuki way

Little surprise, that Suzuki, after making a dismal foray into Indian biking with average products like the Zeus and Heat, in a category which saw a flurry of launches from every manufacturer in the country at the same time, showboating better styling, ergonomics, performance and features, has now decided to look at scooters. And it’s not your regular 100cc gearless scooter either, but the Access with her 125cc engine, is trying to carve a niche in a segment which hitherto is untouched.
But will the Access get the numbers Suzuki so desperately needs? Not quite. But there’s more to the two-wheeler bike making circus then just numbers. There’s the question of getting noticed, there are dealers who need to be pacified, and there needs to be a good product mix to retain walk-ins.
Suzuki feels the Access will help the company on all these counts. And what ever numbers she does manage to sell; it will only help the company’s cause further.
Looking at the 125cc gearless scooter segment, in the meantime, there’s no real competition. Yes, Kinetic has also just introduced the SYM Flyte, but its demeanour is more of an entry level, light, girly scooterette than a full fledged scooter. The Access on the contrary, with her large dimensions, not to mention a larger heart, fits the latter quite well.
Will soon have a ride report on the scooter, and how she compares with the rest of the creed…