PULSAR TO STAMP THE HATERS WITH ITS FULLY FAIRED LOOK !

Biking is such a delight that any news of a new motorcycle launch makes us excited. Nothing is as exciting as a new Pulsar, specially when the said Pulsar is going to be the most powerful Pulsar till date. Post the unveil of the KTM 390 Duke, we all have got a rough idea as to what will power the upcoming Pulsar 375. The upcoming Bajaj flagship was expected to look similar to the Pulsar 200 NS but a few leaked pictures of the Pulsar 375 reveal it to be a full faired machine, so without much ado, we have quickly come up with our rendering.

The upcoming Pulsar 375 will be the Pulsar 200 NS underneath, using many components from it. However the external skin will be different. A full fairing is a very desirable prospect in India and thus Bajaj Auto is going to satisfy the thirst of biking enthusiasts with a Pulsar 375 Sport. Now styling wise, the Pulsar 375 will definitely grab a lot of attention although the design of the fairing might not be very aerodynamic (no wind tunnel testing here). Bajaj Auto is definitely going to work on the ergonomics to make the P375 more comfortable for touring.

Powering the Pulsar 375 will be a similar engine as the 390 Duke. Power delivery will be slightly less though and one can expect an output of around 40 BHP and 30 Nm, which will give it stellar performance. With so much performance on tap, ABS should be offered on the Pulsar 375. The Pulsar 200 NS already has splendid brakes with surefooted stopping power offered by those petal discs. The only concern will be the pricing. With a full fairing pushing cost upwards, it remains to be seen how the Pulsar 375 and 390 Duke co-exist without protruding into each others territories.

YES YAMAHA !!! time to hit with 250R !!!

 

  A 250cc motorcycle is every enthusiasts wet dream today, which quite a few automakers are trying to fulfill. However there is one motorcycle maker, who is yet to enter this space in India. But this could change soon as Yamaha is all set to unveil the YZF-R250 at the upcoming EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan, which takes place between 15-18 November, 2012. This motorcycle has been codenamed ‘Project 1W’ and could shake up the entire quarter-litre segment, specially the Honda CBR250R and Kawasaki Ninja 250R.


The Yamaha R250 is expected to draw styling inspiration from the Yamaha R6. It will be showcased in concept form, with the production version arriving in early-2013 and sales starting later next year. The Yamaha R250 is touted to be a sub-$4000 (Rs. 2 lakhs) machine and ABS is going to be offered as an optional extra. Yamaha will locally produce the bike in India, in order to lower costs of this performance motorcycle.

Details about the specifications of the Yamaha R250 are still sketchy but we expect Yamaha to offer the motorcycle with a twin-cylinder engine. A power output of around 35 BHP will be enough to propel the R250 to 100 km/hr from standstill in less than 7 seconds. The Japanese automaker can share parts with the R15 to reduce costs further and a Rs. 2 lakh price in India can help the R250 to become an instant success. Competition in the performance bike segment is only heating up with Bajaj Auto planning to bring in the Pulsar 375, KTM Duke 390 and Kawasaki Ninja 300R next year.

2012 RAY unveiled ,ItZ YEIS YAMAHA again !!!

Yamaha have never had it this good. Since the R15 and FZ16 arrived in 2008, none of their products have really bombed. You could argue that they could have done more, but hindsight is always perfect, no?
Now they are taking the next step in their goal to become a bigger player in India and the obvious place to be is scooters. The automatic scooter segment has consistently outperformed motorcycles in sales growth in the recent years and one in four two-wheelers sold in India today, say Yamaha, is a scooter. That is set to rise to one in three by 2020. Translation is simple, if you need to be a big player in the Indian market, you have to do scooters and do them well. Which becomes more critical still when you realise that we are at the threshold of becoming the world’s largest two-wheeler market and that the volume segment - small motorcycles and scooters, like the Yamaha Ray, will form the chunk of those numbers.

So what is it? As you know, Yamaha showed a pink and black concept scooter at the Auto Expo and the production model looks more or less exactly the same save for the pink tint in the headlamp lens. It’s a smart, modern looking scooter that actually looks quite striking and handsome. I really like the sculpting of the body panels, especially the way the front apron wraps around your legs. In side profile it gives the front of the scooter a heft that makes the proportions looks muscular and the sweeping rear panel, which could otherwise have been lost among the other similar panels, looks more distinctive because of it. Like the Dio, Yamaha have given the scooter an apron-mounted headlamp that looks massive thanks to the use of clear lens indicators. They say it’s a smile but I thought angular lines made it look a bit more aggressive than that. This is matched at the rear by an equally large tail lamp which again makes the Ray look distinctive rather than over styled.




In fact, I liked the styling so much that I’m a bit mystified as to why the scooter has been billed as a ladies’ scooter. I’d happily use one as a long termer and in the more gender neutral colours like this bright blue, I think it looks unisex. The pink and purple scooters, too, only suggest feminine traits thanks to our associations with those colours rather than anything else.

Build quality is quite good and finish levels are only a notch short of excellent, I think Yamaha could have done better on both fronts but it sounded solid over the bumps on the course Yamaha had laid out for us in the parking lot of the hotel where the launch event took place.The scooter is all-new and borrows nothing, say Yamaha, from any of their international scooters. Under the plastic is a new chassis with uses a single tubular front member that splits into a cradle under the footboard. Yamaha say this is much stiffer than most of their own scooters from other markets for longevity and better riding feel.







In that frame mounts a new 113cc two-valve SOHC engine that produces 7.1PS at 7500rpm. Being an undersquare layout, the engine also produces 8.1Nm of torque, at a low 5000rpm. Fed by a BS carburettor the engine transmits power to the rear wheels through a new CVT transmission aimed at boosting economy without sacrificing the ability to accelerate with traffic and out of it. Yamaha say the scooter will hit 60kmph in about 12 seconds, return about 50kmpl in the rear world (SIAM marks its mileage at 62.1kmpl, which isn’t the highest in the segment, mind you).
So what is it like to ride? It is a quiet, refined engine and the transmission felt alert. Acceleration is good though I am going to have to put it up against the likes of the Swish and the Vespa to see where it fits in the current scooter firmament. Higher speeds are handled with the same refinement and progress is quite brisk. Yamaha say their target audience, urban female students between the ages of 16 to 24 often ferry pillions a fair bit and that the torque the scooter makes will take care of the two up riding cycle well.
Yamaha have not skimped on the chassis. The front suspension is telescopic forks and the rear is the usual unit swingarm. Telescopes instantly make the handling more accurate than trailing link setups and feel more natural under full hard braking because they do not have anti-dive built in. Tyres are MRF Zappers in the 90/100-10 size which means they are about as good as the segment gets right now. And the 130mm drums are quite good. Brake force is developed quickly and the bike stops very smartly indeed. In fact, buzzing around the tight circuit through low and high speed corners, the Ray felt effortless in direction changes and less top heavy than most scooters I’ve ridden recently, which is one more reason why the girly positioning mystifies me.
Now to the convenience features. The Yamaha has a neat instrument console that is simple and clear and under that is the choke lever, a fixed bag hook and two small cubbies. No fancy gizmos here. Plastic quality could have been better and the scooter felt a bit rough and ready on close inspection but it is possible these were first generation prototypes we were riding so I will withhold judgement until I see our test bike. The seat hides a fairly large storage area. Again no gizmos here, but the space is shallow but wide and with the scooped out seat pan will easily hold a half face helmet, or when you are on the scooter an A4 size folder full of - Yamaha say books since chances are you’ll be a student. The grab rail includes a small vertical projection that Yamaha bills a hipstopper. It is supposed to stop you from sliding off the back.


But Yamaha is going all out on this. Not only is the product supposed to be a girl’s scooter,Yamaha have actually set up an assembly line that is manned entirely by girls and every showroom is to have female representatives to help prospective Ray buyers. Further, Yamaha is also going to host riding training programs for girls.All told, this is an impressive scooter in design and feel. But not for a minute did I think of it as a ladies’ special. I got my feet down very easily and the low seat is a boon, but it still doesn’t make it feminine for me. If the ads work as they are supposed to, men wouldn’t be willing to buy the Yamaha which I think is a bit of a loss in my books. What also worries me is that the Yamaha arrives at a time when everyone already has their scooters in place in this segment. It remains to be seen whether Yamaha has done enough to ensure customers think of it as a must-consider product when they’re making their scooter buying decisions or not. Whatever happens, I’m pretty convinced we will see a lot of happy men riding the Ray, though perhaps not in the purple or pink colours.







Yamaha is continuing to push its volumes. In 2014 the Chennai plant will come online and the company wants to be a far, far bigger player in our market and scooters are critical to that ambition. And this scooter, says the company, is their first Ray of hope.

Mahindra Racing set to compete in the Italian Motorcycle championship constructors title

Mahindra Racing is all set to gun for the Constructors championship title in the Italian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (CIV). The team will be competing in the 125GP category for the final race to be held on October 14. Team Mahindra Racing has won five out of the seven races so far in the championship with two double podiums. The team is assured of the Constructors Champion title being currently on top of the table with a narrow five point lead over Aprilia.

ma reviving soul !!!

Someone asked me today what love

was, i replied, love is the feeling you

get when you hear a bike engine roar to

life, the chill you get when you touch a

bike and sense the connection between

you two, the jealousy you feel when

you see someone else riding your

favorite bike, the peace you get when

its just you and the bike somewhere

alone, the happiness you get when you

ride your bike on a sunday evening

away from all the worries of life, that is

love...

                                                                              - Raaja Dheeben R

FIAT GRANDE PUNTO 90 hp vs MARUTI SUZUKI SWIFT !!!

Fiat Grande Punto 90 HP vs Maruti Suzuki Swift

 


The Maruti Suzuki Swift is the most successful premium hatchback in India. It has constantly outsold its competitors month after month. The Swift is so popular that it also commands a good waiting period in India. The Swift is the second highest selling car in the country but does that make it the best driver’s car? Not quite, as that honor is taken by the Fiat Grande Punto. We put the Punto 90 HP Sport head on with the Swift to find out how it stacks up.

Styling - Both the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Fiat Grande Punto look very good, but it is the Punto which is the more stunning of the two. The Fiat’s design is extremely eye catchy and the Punto looks the part. While the Swift was recently given a comprehensive update (in the form of the next generation Swift), the vehicle’s design doesn’t stand out. The Punto sold in India has the same design as the Punto which was launched globally in 2005. It still manages to look attractive and draw attention. The Punto Sport’s extra detailing only adds to its stunning design.

   


Interiors – Step inside these cars and you will be greeted by very different interiors. The Swift’s interiors boast of slightly better quality and the dashboard is well laid out. In the Punto, the dashboard design is again very good and choosing between both these cars’ interiors is difficult. At the end it all boils down to personal preference. The Punto does boast of more features including Blue & Me, follow me home head lamps, intelligent wipers, folding key and a high tech multi-information display. The Fiat feels more solid too. The Swift’s boot is not as spacious as the Punto and the high loading bay hampers ease of luggage retrieval.

The Punto has far better dynamics than the Swift, period.
Ride, Handling and Braking – The handling of the Fiat Grande Punto is very sharp and never does the vehicle twitch or feel nervy. The Swift is not able to hold its own against the Punto and the fantastic steering of the Punto just puts the Swift’s steering to shame. The Punto also runs on wider 195 section rubber, against the 185 section on the Swift. The ride of the Punto felt a bit jerky on very bad roads but there was no thud inside the cabin. The Swift boasts of improved ride quality which is way better than its predecessor. High speed stability in the Punto is easily the best in the segment. So are the brakes, which are again better than the Swift. The Swift has a better gearbox though, which is very smooth, unlike the Punto’s which gets a bit clunky at times.

Performance – Both these cars use the same 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine. However the Punto 90 HP uses a variable geometry turbocharger to produce 90 BHP of peak power at 4000 RPM and 209 Nm of peak torque at 2000 RPM. The Swift diesel produces 74 BHP of peak power at 4000 RPM and 190 Nm of peak torque at 2000 RPM. Both cars feel quick but the Punto sounds more sporty. The Swift has lost its charm, it no longer gives you the kick in the pants feel of the old Swift diesel. The power and torque difference does not show much between both the cars as the Punto is slightly heavier. The first gear of the Punto lacks enthusiasm but the car pulls beautiful in all other gears. The Swift’s power delivery is now linear and performance of both the cars is not much different. However the Punto does feel more fun on the highways, pulling very strongly in fourth and fifth gears. Swift vs Punto Pricing - Fiat has priced the Punto 90 HP at Rs. 8.74 lakhs while Maruti Suzuki has priced the Swift ZDi at Rs. 8.12 lakhs. The regular Punto Emotion 1.3 is priced at Rs. 7.93 lakhs (all prices on-road, Mumbai). The Punto does offer you more so the prices of the Fiat seem to be justified. More so you can drive out with a new Punto in no time, while you will have to wait close to six months to drive out in a diesel Swift.



Conclusion – Both these cars are closely matched. In terms of performance, both cars are very similar, but the Punto blows away the Swift in terms of driving dynamics. The Swift gets back with a 1 km/l better mileage, better service and cheaper cost. However the desirability of the Fiat is much higher and the Punto has a soul, something which the Swift lacks. With Fiat already working on their own dealership network, the Punto is a difficult car to ignore. Clearly the Punto is a better car and the one which will put a smile on the face of the driver, each and every time.

How to increase the PERFORMANCE of your motorcycle

As we know Indian market is fast growing market in two wheeler segment due to large amount of interest in biking and so demand due to lack of imported motorcycles. So generally people tends to change the machine from stock to high performance for either street racing, circuit racing, drag racing or for dirt purpose. Earlier some of the high performance material was not available in India due to lack of knowledge about material or because of importing it to India.


                                                                                  

Nowadays in India there are some high performance spares available by some of the direct distributor or importers, for example K&N filters, Piper Cross, MSD Ignitions, NGK, DYNOJET, Microns, TwoBrothers etc. The material is extremely high performance but just by putting few spares you can’t increase the performance due to lack of information. The performance is depending on channels or the way you put those spares in-line. In simple language it’s a kind of computer flow chart.


In the market some people just trying to do business for money. Anyways lets talk about the high performance for Indian motorcycle. Lets start from Filter, In the market you get K&N or Pipercross, LM filters or BMC filters or whatever. When rider or mechanic installs those High Free Flow Filters they generally forget or don’t change some or the other things just to avoid complications.


High Free Flow Filters means Air without any obstruction or rather than increase in Air quantity. Stock Motorcycle comes with some particular ratio of Air and Fuel. For example if the stock has got 5:1 ratio that means 5% is air and 1% is fuel. Now consider Air with Free flow filter is 10%, people always forget to increase the fuel ratio, that means fuel should be 2%. So when you are putting High Free Flow filters don’t forget to increase the ratio of Fuel by Re-Jetting.


High or low number jets are available in the market or you can get it from some local manufacturer with accurate required numbers. Dellorto/Spaco has got jets but not suitable for Mikuni or Keihin because of thread size. In Two wheeler all Indian bikes are coming with Mikuni or Keihin carbs. So make sure about thread sizes. so after Re-Jetting next step is burning all the fuel, that means change in spark plug (NGK-Ir), change in spark plug cable (MSD Ignition Cables), High performance Ignition coil for better and high voltage for burning the fuel.


Next step after plug and it’s cable the main and priority change in Exhaust canister, which people always forget or ignore or avoid to use High Performance Free Flow exhaust canister. The reason behind Free flow high performance canister is, when the intake is increased by some amount the exhaust should also go in that ratio which stock silencers can’t do. For that reason it’s priority to change the canister from stock to high performance (TwoBrothers, Microns, etc). In all mods the channel of modifications should be in route for good performance. So this is the main flow chart for modifications in Indian Motorcycles without tinkering much and very much easy because of external changes. For ECU controlled or EFI system and Carburetor motorcycles some of the modifications are common, But EFI needs some different modification due to it’s ECU, which we need to remap for high performance. 

Don’t forget to work on Lubrication for better performance. In the market you might get some high performance lubes like synthetic, semi synthetic oils. Oil is the main factor in the engine for performance, wrong oil grade can decrease the performance rapidly and might damage the motor or moving parts.

Please note: Some of the imported oils are not suitable for Indian Motorcycles, they are very good for Higher CC engines. The major lag of power starts from clutch, so wrong oil can start slippage in clutch. So make sure before you buy and pour in the motor. Now lets move on to Internal changes which I call COREPOWER.

                       The first change should be clutch springs, the main engine power transmission is through clutch so bad clutch springs or low tension springs kills the BHP, so use proper tension or some high tension clutch springs which should high tension than stock springs. The second step is nitriding of intake and exhaust valves and so the cam, which will reduce the wear and tear. Somehow if you are able to get titanium connecting rod, Valves then nothing like it, but sadly for Indian motorcycle it is still not available.

Anyway, so the next step in internal change which is Big Bore Cylinder. Change to higher size piston for big bore cylinder. After that next change should be Hard Chrome Plating on cylinder bore, which helps the piston for fast motion. The next step is increase in intake bore for better intake. After those changes you will definitely get high performance from your Indian Motorcycle.


Ride Safely And Enjoy Life

Regards,
R Raaja Dheeben