Original Source: Bajaj Auto is now world’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer from BikeAdvice.in

Once known for its iconic scooter Chetak, Bajaj Auto has now transformed itself into a global motorcycle manufacturer.  In the financial year 2011-12 the company sold over 3.8 million units of motorcycles worldwide which makes it world’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer.  As far as motorcycles are concerned the company is only behind to global motorcycle leader Honda and India’s largest two wheeler company Hero Motocorp.  This isn’t enough, the company is also ranks amongst the world’s most profitable automobile manufacturer.

It’s truly remarkable for the company which was once known for its bad quality and operational inefficiency.  The company now owns strong brand portfolio of motorcycles across the world.  The brand Pulsar and Discover’s cumulative sales have already crossed five million units. Discover is estimated to be the second largest selling motorcycle brand in India.  It sold nearly 1.5 million units during the financial year 2011-2012. The company exported 1.27 million units of motorcycle worldwide during the financial year 2011-2012.  Boxer is the largest selling brand in Africa and Pulsar 135 LS ranks amongst the top selling motorcycle model in various Latin American markets.

It is to be noted that Boxer competes with several Japanese and Chinese motorcycle brand in the African market.  One of the examples is Honda ACE CB125 (Honda’s $600 motorcycle).  Pulsar competes in the Latin American and South Asian market where Japanese brands are ruling the market. The company enjoys leadership position in 12 countries out of 35 countries in which it exports. Beside this, the company owns 47% stake in KTM Power Sports AG of Austria.  The company currently enjoys 10% market share of global motorcycle market and it aims to increase it up to 30% mark. The company aims to sell 4.5 million motorcycles worldwide in the financial year 2012-2013.

-Mahavir Kothari

Original Source: Hero Motocorp is looking for creative partner for its brand Ignitor from BikeAdvice.in

Hero Motocorp is scouting for a creative partner for its upcoming launch of Ignitor. The company has identified four agencies for the same which includes JWT, Draft cb Ulka, Law & Kenneth and Percept/H. The company aims to spend Rs. 30 crore on brand building exercise of its upcoming launch Ignitor, as per the sources close to the deal.

The reason being the company is spending this much amount behind brand building exercise because, Ignitor is nothing but Honda CBF Stunner.  There are some minor changes but one can easily identify it as CBF Stunner at first instance. Hence it is necessary to create a separate identity by the way of branding and influencing the perception of people, to remain in competition.

This is called badge engineering concept in automobile which is very much prevalent in car segment and now it is catching up in motorcycle segment with Hero Motocop using Honda’s product. The first one is Hero Impulse which is copy of Honda NXR 150 Bros. Badge engineering is a concept where a single product is sold under so many brand names by different manufacturers in automobiles. This is sometime necessary to save the cost of developing entire new product. As we know that Hero Motocorp’s R&D is still in nascent stage and it will take time the company to come up with fully in house developed product, badge engineering is the best solution for the company.

Earlier the company has showcased three new products at Auto Expo 2012 in Delhi which includes Passion Xpro, Ignitor and Maestro. Hero Motocorp has already launched Maestro scooter at ex showroom price (Delhi) of Rs. 48,280 in March. It is interesting to see how Hero Motocorp will establish the brand Ignitor. It is also to be seen that at which price Hero Motocrop will launch this product, at premium to Honda, at discount to Honda or at par. Let’s wait and watch.

-Mahavir Kothari

Original Source: Bajaj India hikes Pulsar and Platina Prices by 1% [Bajaj Bikes Prices 2012] from BikeAdvice.in

Country’s second largest two wheeler, Bajaj has hiked its flagship motorcycle Pulsar and entry level motorcycle Platina prices by 1% all over India.  The price hike has been taken in response of rising input prices from past couple of months. Due to increase competition Bajaj Auto was not able to increase prices for a very long time though the Input cost has increased.  Bajaj Auto has not hiked the price of Discover as there are many new launches lined up by competitors in this month.

Go to :

• Bajaj Pulsar 2012 Price in India
• Bajaj Platina 2012 Price in India

Earlier, country’s largest two wheeler manufacturer Hero Motocorp. announced price hike of Rs. 500-1,000 among its key products. It is fact that input cost has gone high in past couple of months but due to sluggishness in the demand and increased competition two wheeler companies are hesitating to increase the price. It is also to be noted that the price hike is more prevalent in Entry level segment and premium segment.

Bajaj Auto has increased only Pulsar and Platina prices because they are strong brands in their segment. Platina now has established as low cost, low maintenance and high resale value. In fact Bajaj Auto has seen significant jump in the demand of Platina in past one year. The shipping volume has jumped from the 30,000 per month to 50,000 a month average. This is a sign that a good product is always appreciated in the Indian two wheeler market.  Pulsar is a leading brand in premium segment and price hike does not affect that much.

There is a competition heating up in Rs. 40,000 (ex-showroom) segment where most of the motorcycle sold in Indian two wheeler market. Hence, we may not not see any price hike in this segment in near future. It is interesting to see that how new products from Honda and Suzuki perform.  At the end of the day consumers are going to benefit with better products at low prices.

Bajaj 2012 Pulsar Price in India
Pulsar 150cc DTSi old price: Rs. 62,100 approx.
Pulsar 150cc DTSi New 2012 Price: Rs. 62,720. approx.

Bajaj 2012 Platina Price
Platina 125 old price: Rs. 38,000 approx.
Platina 125 New 2012 Price: Rs. 38,380 approx.
-Mahavir Kothari

Original Source: Is Akshay Kumar the new Brand Ambassador of Honda Bikes in India? from BikeAdvice.in

There are reports that Akshay kumar has recently inked a deal with a Honda worth Rs. 50 crore. According to this deal Akshay Kumar will remain brand ambassador for the Honda motorcycles for five years. This is one of the biggest deals in Bollywood and snatches Rs. 10 crore a year for Akshay Kumar, he recently did a comeback with his super hit film Housefull 2, after his toughest career phase.

Bollywood apart why we are interested in the news is because of association with Motorcycle Company.  There is no such official announcement which motorcycle company has endorsed Akshay Kumar but there is a high probability that it is HMSI (Honda Motors and Scooters India ltd). The reason why we believe the same is because of Honda’s plan on its Brand makeover. Earlier it was reported that Honda is going to spend Rs. 100 crores for its mass media campaign which is going to start with the launch of Honda’s upcoming motorcycle Dream Yuga. The company identified two personalities one from bollywood and one is cricket. However the company intended that it will go with one brand ambassador only. Now, this is a clear indication that the company has already identified brand ambassador, as Dream Yuga is going to launch on 15^th May.

Further, Amir Khan is associated with Mahindra two wheelers and Salman Khan has now associated with Suzuki Motorcycle. Hence, there are much more chances that it is Honda only. Also the announcement of signing deal and launch of Dream Yuga is happening together. However, as there is no official announcement from the company we cannot say anything as if now. Let’s see who become brand ambassador for Honda?

-Mahavir Kothari

Image credit: Wikipedia

Original Source: HMSI to launch Dream Yuga on 15th May [Upcoming Honda Bikes 2012] from BikeAdvice.in

It seems that May is the month which companies have selected for their new bike launches this year. After Suzuki Hayate launch and Bajaj Auto’s announcement of launch of all new motorcycle on 14^th May. HMSI is going to launch it’s Dream Yuga on 15^th May. Honda showcased Dream Yuga in the Delhi Auto Expo 2012. This is Honda’s first mass market motorcycle which will compete with erstwhile partner Hero Motocorp’s mass motorcycle Splendor and Passion. The price will be announced on the same day. It is also to be noted that Bajaj’s all new motorcycle will be launched just one day before Honda Dream Yuga launch which was similar story in May 2010 with launch of Discover 150cc and Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler.

Dream Yuga is powered by 110cc single cylinder engine which can generate maximum power of 9 bhp. Honda claims fuel efficiency of 72 KMPL which is 10% higher compared to Splendor and Passion. Further it offers more power compared to Splendor and Passion. It comes with latest and highly engineered engine which is specifically designed for Indian conditions.  It will have tube less tyres and tuff up tubes which is first time seen in commuter segment. Apart from this it will also have maintenance free battery and vicious air filter similar to Honda CB Twister.

Dream Yuga looks sober commuter motorcycle and it will definitely appeal masses. It will have five color options.  The Dream Yuga name is derived from the Honda’s flagship model Dream D which was invented by Honda’s founder Soichiro Honda in 1949. The motorcycle became instant hit and it was established as mass market motorcycle. Honda wants to repeat similar story with Dream Yuga. It is going to play an important role in Honda’s vision for becoming number 1 two wheeler manufacturer in India by 2020.

Honda Dream Yuga Price in India

Although the pricing of motorcycle is not announced it is expected to be in range of Rs. 40,000 to 45,000 Ex-showroom for kick start version. The Self start version will come as an option and will cost some extra thousand more on kick start version. We expect Honda to price this motorcycle at Ex-showroom price of just above Rs.  40,000 for kick start and Rs. 43,000 for self start version. Let’s see how it is priced. But one thing is sure that Splendor’s true competitor has now arrived. It’s interesting to see who will win here latest is best or old is gold?

-Mahavir Kothari

Original Source: Bajaj Auto to launch all new motorcycle on May 14th [Upcoming Bikes 2012] from BikeAdvice.in

Earlier we reported that Bajaj Auto is going to launch all new motorcycle in the middle of the May, 2012. Bajaj Auto has now officially announced the launch date of 14^th May for its all new motorcycle.  Mr. Rajiv Bajaj MD, Bajaj Auto and Mr. K Srinivas, Vice President two wheeler sales will showcase the all new motorcycle to the media in Delhi on 14^th May.

K Srinivas earlier announced that the all new motorcycle will be showcased to media in the middle of May and it will hit showrooms from the month of June. The new all new motorcycle is expected to be the all new Discover which was spied last month. As per the spy photo, it is expected that this motorcycle will have monocross suspension and other class leading features for the first time in commuter segment.

New Bajaj Bike and Pulsar 200NS Price?

It seems that the all new Pulsar and Discover will hit the showroom simultaneously.  It also seems that the pricing of Pulsar 200NS will be announced at the launch of new Discover as media will definitely question about the availability of Pulsar 200NS in showroom and it’s ex-showroom price. So get ready for another exciting motorcycle from Bajaj Auto.

-Mahavir Kothari

Original Source: Royal Enfield ThunderBird 350 Review by Senthilkumar Balu from BikeAdvice.in

Hi All, I am Senthilkumar Balu, a 25 years old Engineer from Chennai, India. I am a die hard fan of Royal Enfield. From my childhood I am having a crush towards Royal Enfield. Last year September 2011 I took a test ride of Classis 350 and Thunderbird 350 and immediately went for Thunderbird 350. After a waiting period of six months, the beast was delivered to me on March 9 2012.

The beast comes with UCE Engine, Front Disc Brakes, Self Start and other latest features. The Bike is very beautiful blend of technology, design and attractive Wine red color. My experience with the bike has been wonderful. Till now I have completed 1620 kms in my beast and I enjoy each and every second spent on my beast. The beast is having a very good balance between power and Fuel efficiency.

Ride and Comfort

The riding position was very comfortable because of the single piece stepped seat. The firm cushioned backrest gives the pillion rider an awesome comfort. The front suspension is of hydraulically damped telescopic forks. This allows the front wheel to react to bumps in the road while isolating the rest of the motorcycle from that motion.

The main advantage of these hydraulically damped telescopic forks is that it is relatively simple in design and also relatively light compared to other designs. The rear suspension is a short swing arm with five way adjustable shock absorbers. As it is with five way adjustable shock absorber it enables the ride height to be maintained whether riding solo or with a pillion rider.

Engine and Mileage

 The engine used in thunderbird twinspark is Single cylinder, 4 stroke 350 cc UCE that generates a maximum power of 18 bhp and a torque of 28Nm. The engine is fitted with a constant vaccum carburetor for assisting combustion. The cold starting problem of the engine is taken care by CDI ignition system.

The engine is of aluminium with lean burn technology and because of this I am getting a mileage of 43 kms in the city. I have changed my Exhaust silencer to Open type Silencer for better beat. The silencer was made by Quality, Chennai. The company claimed that the bike has a top speed of 120 km/hr, though i have never checked it myself as it is brand new.

Brakes

The bike has a 280 mm Hydraulic Disc brake (Front) and 6″ internal drum brake (rear). The rear brakes are good but if you want to bring the beast to a sudden stop you need to employ the use of front disc brake also. The rear brake needs to be adjusted once in 10 days for a better handling.

Looks

The bike is having a Stunning Crushier looks combined with lots of Chrome features. The Chrome features make the bike more attractive. The color has become attractive with strong vibrant shades.

Handling

The bike is very easy to handle in traffic (based on my experience). But taking a very sharp turn is kind of difficult because of the crushier style. I usually ride around 50 kms per day. The stability is also good while taking turns, I used to take a turn at 60 kms per hour on the butterfly bridge at Guindy and it’s really an experience you can’t express in words. While applying brakes at high speed the balancing is perfect. The bike weighs approximately 186 kgs, and because of its weight it is stable and steady at high speeds.

Verdict

The price tag for the bike is little heavy (Rs.124256). The company claims the bike is maintenance free though only time will tell. So far I haven’t faced any maintenance issues except rear brake adjustment.

Overall the bike is very good. It may not have a huge followers like for Pulsar but is liked by people who want a classic vintage ride experience. You might not see 100s of these on roads, but one on road and it is definitely a head Turner.

Thanks for reading my Experience. Bye.

Regards,
Senthilkumar Balu

Original Source: Bajaj Pulsar 220F Review by Abhishek from BikeAdvice.in

Hello everyone, this is Abhishek from Pune and today I am writing a ownership review of my Pulsar 220F. Sorry for coming directly to the point. The reason is its the last date of the submission of review and so I need to be quick.

I will part the review in a few basic Sections which will make it easy for me write down my experience. For my friends who directly want to the technical aspects, please go the third section directly as the first two sections are the struggle at home and the sheer excitement on the delivery day.

Before Purchase

My parents were always against the thought of me having a bike as they knew about my craving for power and speed. the reason behind this was the accidents I had on my friends bike in the city premised itself. I was a kid then, going to junior college and speed was everything I knew. I got my bones fractured and it added to the weight of their opposition.

After entering into engineering, I really wanted a bike but asking for it was a taboo. So I promised my parents that I would take ultimate care while riding the bike and I would give them no reason to worry. So finally in August 2010 they agreed on the thought of it. Their initial condition was a bike with moderate power levels and top end.

But I really wanted a one time bike. I was always crazy for Hero Karizma since its the initial launch. So without letting them know I went to get the quotation of the bike. But what shocked me was the bike delivery would take at least 6 months. I was very depressed and tensed as I dint want to miss this opportunity of having a bike before my dad’s mind changed.

Visited almost 8 showrooms in Pune but to no vail. Finally decided to move on to some other bike and P220F and R15 were the only options left. Budget not being the problem, I decided to go for R15 but it seemed too short for the guy of my height. Plus found it too wide, compared to my Activa, in the same week I went for the test ride of the P220F and somehow it seemed to the right choice among all bikes.

Why so was because

The guy promised me the delivery of bike in 4 working days (that was the most important thing for me). The price rage was moderate, plus the name Pulsar was very common, so for my dad, me having a Pulsar was not a very big deal. The power and torque distribution was better than the bikes I test rode (less gear shifts)

Finally told my dad about the idea of having a one time bike. He went through the specs and was flattered. Asking me no more questions, for a few more days he started showing me cut-outs from the news papers of the news about the two wheeler accidents. Tried his best to convince me why a 150cc was the most ideal bike for me as it dint have too much power but I was stuck to the thought of having the beast now.

So there was this cold war between him and me about the bike. Daily he used to show me some news of bike accidents and I used to try convince him. My mom always used to suffer in between and after getting fed up of trying to make both ends meet, she moved back. But then finally on 5th September he agreed to buy me the beast.

I couldnt sleep for the whole night and I was so excited about having that cheque in my hand which would end up with the beast next to me. ‘Got the cheque on 6th and booked it on the same day, the next 4 days were the most longest days for me. I did almost everything my mom and dad wanted me to for those 4 days.

The Day

Woke up at 6, full ready. Left the house at 830 telling my mom I am going to the college and then in the evening to the showroom but I know you guys can guess what it did. Went straight way to the showroom and got the delivery after waiting for almost 2 hours. But those two hours were so much filled with fun and excitement. I was almost day dreaming about every possible thing I could.

Took the bike and went to the college. A new bike in the college, that too mine. My goodness. Sends shocks though my spine even today, that was the best feeling till date. I was talking to myself and couldnt control my smile. That level of happiness was like stalled for almost 6 hours when my dad called me and said he is coming with me to get the delivery.

I dint know what to do. On the single day before even letting my parents know my bike had done 76kms and it showed on the board. Mud everywhere as it rained that day. I called my friends told them the thing and we, team of 7 started cleaning the bike with out hankies and water bottles.

I called my dad and told him I would get the delivery tomorrow, mean while, one of my friend was turning the front wheel anti-clockwise to turn that 76 into 0 but that never happened. I dint know what to tell my dad. So called him at 6PM and told him I got a call from the showroom and they told me I should collect the bike in 15 mins. Thankfully, he asked me to go alone and fetch the bike and come home.

I was again the most happiest. I reached home at around 7PM and my mom was waiting with the pooja thali. I did the pooja and begged my bike forgiveness for riding it that much without the pooja.

After delivery

My first problem

From the next day I started taking the bike to college. Along with me being happy, everyone else was happy as if its them who got a new bike. Everyone wanted a test ride and that was the most difficult phase for me. Not letting friends to test ride it. So to not to do for too many days, I unked the college for 2 days and finished the initial running in period upto the first service and got it serviced in the first week itself.

My dad saw the reading and was really pissed off but he dint want to spoil my happiness so said nothing. The days started passing by and the bike getting old. And one thing that started to bother me was that the bike wont start sometimes. I mean even after you thumbed the starter, nothing happened. This happened for 1 of 5 initially but in some more time, it started to happen for 5 of 5 times.

I had to dhakka start my bike almost everytime for 2 days when I took my brand new bike to the service station. They helped me out with some wiring stuff and it worked, but for only 3 days. again the same thing. Now I really asked myself if I dint give it enough thought. I was actually against having a P220 when there was no thought of having any bike but when the thought of having a one time bike came, I went for a P220.

I wondered why and how this happened. I was real frustrated with the Bajaj people for they never really helped me for next 2 weeks when I directly shoot a phone call to the Bajaj After Sales manager for Pune region. He seemed helpful and fixed a meeting at Bal Gandharva on some saturday. On that day too dhakka started the bike and reached the guy.

Checked something and the guy immediately called the person whom I had contacted before. Some baffle and he came with with a thought of leaving the bike for 1 hour there. I went to him after 1 hour and yes, he had fixed it. he said there was some minor error in the relay but still he changed it. And then the bike was back to normal.

I was again happy. After losing all the faith and trust, the bike helped me regain it and then after it never really embarrassed me. started with a single thumb always.

General Exploration

The bike was all good again and that was when I started to explore it. I had never handled this much power before so it was quite a new feel for me. The bike was very heavy than activa and so steering in the city was actually a task for initial some days. Plus the tank caused pains in my thighs as Activa did not have any tank in between my legs.

But this bike gave me a real superior feeling. The road was same for both activa and my newbie. But the feel was all new. All the pits and breakers that required me to slow down my Activa to 30kmph were taken by the bike very easily. The next thing was the sound of the bike. I liked it a lot and it was music to my ears since then. I used to be more focused on the tone of the bike at different driving conditions, say the engine speed, the gear, the road and say my mood.

Life was all brand new. I could go anywhere with confidence. Plus the bike helped me know myself more. Before the purchase I was just okay with the design of the bike in first few days, I had actually started liking it. And then I started loving it. I felt like I was newly married and I took utmost care of the bike, during the day and during the night too. Like I need the blanket, I gave my bike its own bike cover. Kept it more safe by roping a chain in between the bike and my house.

Technical Experience

Lets gets technical now, instead of quoting the figures and numbers related to the bike, what I will do is let you guys know how it affected my day to day riding experience and hence my life, as for the bikers, ” riding bhala to sabh bhala”

• As we all know the bike has 21PS power and 19Nm torque which is more than enough a normal person would need during his on/off-road sessions. You dont anything more than this until you get your thoughts grey with the bike. Me being new to this, I am very much satisfied with this. I have gone to Lavasa n number of times and the bike never let me lose that surge of adrenaline. It will keep you happy, where ever you take it. Took it on the barren land and on the barren mountain once. Yes it does feel heavy then but still then it could do very well over too.
• Secondly the bike has awesome headlights. You would scare the ghosts off when you take it onto the darkest dark roads. the range of view is far far better than any other bike. So its like driving in the day even when you its 2AM on the no moon night.
• Thirdly, the bike has got very good brakes. All you need to know is how to use them and the bike will stop under any circumstances. It took me 10,000 kms to actually learn to use them and now I am confident enough to stop anywhere at any point of time.
• Some people find this bike heavy but what I think is the weight adds to the stability factor of the bike. Take it on rough roads and still being above 80kmph, you would be stable. That adds to the confidence and in the end, you can shell out more fun and thrill and the adventure feeling.
• I know the bike has got OIL cooling which is way no better than Liquid cooling, but in my journey on 22,000 kms not even once have I felt that I am over heating the engine. I have ridden it for 270 kms in one go at above 90kmph on average and almost 400kms on a single day with only 3 breaks of 10-15 mins in between. So now you get an idea of my riding pattern and still then the bike was always ready for more.
• The shock absorbers really do what they day. Though the rear once crib sometimes, they give you a thud feeling when you hit a pot hole unknowingly, but that has to be accepted considering the positive points. The front ones do their work very well and the rear brothers still need to grow up.
• The top end my bike gave me is 152kmph at 5 early morning from Nigadi to Nashik Phata and I guess thats more than enough what we guys need. The average speed allowance in the city traffic is 60 but if you know how to really zoom it, you can take it to 80 even in the city.
• Talking about the mileage, my bike gave me the top figure of 54kmpl under little lean tuning on strict riding conditions which were No Brakes at all, Speed always in between 55-64kmph, Plain road and less traffic. So if this is what your city gives you, you can satisfy not only the need for speed but also the mileage.
• The bike can easily carry a 50kg luggage tied on the pillion seat and take you where ever you want to go. I have done a 350km ride with my friend with one back pack each and it made no difference in the performance.
• From what I have observed, my bike gives me a very silent note when I am in the range of 60′s so when you are on long rides, the bikes sound wont tire you.
• Maneuvering the bike in the city is easy once you are done with the size and weight issues and it really gives you a sporty and racing feel once you learn that.

So in all, my bike now is a perfect package of power, speed, sound and capacity. Everything it gives me back is more than my daily needs. Say the power, I definitely dont need 21ps power to commute into the city nor such a high torque. The speed it can give me is in multiples on what I need in the city. All in all, a perfect city cum highway machine.

Maintenance of the bike

Bajaj bikes are known for their need of heavy maintenance and thats the black spot on the white moon, following is my experience about my bike,

• As far as my bike is concerned, my bike gave me the maintenance issues only during its first month when I had to replace the relay finally. But that was done under the term of warranty so I dint have to shell anything out.
• I had to replace the cone set on the bike twice in last 22000 kms and rest of the things were okay.
• Had a nasty fall from 110kmph when a truck changed its lane in a fraction of second and I crashed into that truck from behind. I was wearing two thick jackets one on other as it was winter season so escaped with some dirty deep cuts. My helmet saved me. But the only thing that broke was the right hand side indicator and the right hand side engine guard got bent. So I dont really have any reason to complain about the bikes build quality. The fairing got a crack sideways but that cannot be noticed.
• Oil leakge from the engine seal, but I got it repaired from Bajaj so thats no more a issue.

Thats all I have done till date. Moral of the story, the bike has always been good to me and there for me whenever I have needed it. But thats all cuz of the prime care I take of my bike.

Following is what I have done to keep my bike in good condition,

• I have developed a good rapo with the people working into the Bajaj service station, I know their names and they know my name. So they dont look at me only as a customer. I let them know how much I love my bike and I let them know how much important they are to my bike.
• I list down my queries and go to them only when they are free with prior communication. This helps me in lot many ways, it gives my bike more time per query. I give my bike to the same guy in the service station whenever I go there as he knows everything about the bike and hence takes proper care. As we say one handed bike lives long, one handed serviced bike stays healthy.
• I ask them question about other bikes they have repaired so it gives me an idea of the probable reasons and causes of the problems even before they occur. And most importantly, I Respect Them For They Are My Bike’s Doctors.
• I keep it clean as far as I can. Plus I keep the chain clean and hence avoid any dust on it. For that I use Motul or SAE90 oil.
• I keep the air filter of the bike clean so as to help the bikes heart be clean always.
• I refuel the bike only at selected fuel stations. Constant variations in the fuel quality might effect into the performance of the bike.

In Short

By bike is a priceless gift given to me by my parents. no other super bike can take its position and hence its my responsibility to take proper care of it for it to live more and stay healthy. Its not just a bike but a precious friend for me, imagine your life without your bike.

My bike give me an optimum figure of 42kmpl under normal driving. I dont always speed up for the 150kmph tag line but my more normal speeds are in between 80-100kmph. I also take my bikes feed back into consideration when I want to speed up as you all know, Pulsars are very intuitive. So bike bikes tells me about an accident almost 80% prior to it and after failing to take it for 2 times, I know it really does it.

My bikes helps me stay in competition with all those bikers around me and it makes me proud when it does what I say. I thank my parents for getting me this friend and I thank those 7 friends of mine who helped me clean it that day with their hankies and water bottles. God’s grace, they dint ask me for the replacement of their hankies.!

Thats all I had to say about my bike my friends. I thank my biker friends who finished it from start to end.

See you all.

Regards,
Abhishek

Original Source: Honda Activa Ownership Review by Sai Sandeep from BikeAdvice.in

I had just finished my 10th grade board exam in April 2009 and was eager for my 1st ever vehicle and I had no hope of getting a bike so I settled for a scooter. Incidentally the day before we went to buy the vehicle the New Honda Activa was launched. I chose it because it was and is the best performing scooter the only other competitor was Suzuki Access but it produced almost identical power and Honda was much more refined.

Since I was their first customer for the new Activa I could get the vehicle delivered in just 5 days. My first two years with the Activa was very normal and I barely got to ride it as I still had not got my licence it was filled with short high speed runs with fully open throttle and I managed to cover only around 3000kms.

The Trip

My first real experience with the Activa was when I rode it from Bangalore to Chennai. Many people were against the idea and suggested it’s insane to drive a scooter on a highway and I would be stranded. I still had made up my mind for it and on 20th July 2011 early morning I set off from Bangalore I was quickly out of the city and touched the highway.

I had decided not to strain the engine and was maintaining a constant speed of about 50 kmph. I travelled the 1st 80 kms to hosurwer I had stopped for breakfast seeing the tank is still nearly full I set off and drove on. The best thing about a two wheeler is you never have to pay toll.

I only had to stop near Ambur for quick refuel as Activa’s tank could hold only 5.5 litres of fuel. By the time I had so much of confidence on the vehicle that I planned a detour to Elagiri and took the diversion of the boring national highway onto the state highway and drove up the hill. Since Iwastravelling alone the Activa did not have any problem with the steep incline.

After a quick tour of the hill I set back on my path towards Chennai. I had reached the national highway near vellore and rode the last stretch and reached Chennai around 4 in the evening with a near empty fuel tank and an exhausted me. I had realised every vehicle has the potential provided if care is taken.

Styling, Build Quality & Ergonomics

As Activa was designed to be a commuter vehicle it was not designed to be aesthetically appealing but once you live with it you would learn to like it and also it does not have any fancy digital console and still has the analogue speedometer and I personally feel for a scooter it’s more than sufficient. The new Activa has better ground clearance and looks somewhat bigger than the older version.

Most of the panels are made out of metal except the headlight cover and front panel and I feel Honda should have made them metallic as well. The overall build quality is good and the plastics on the new Activa do feel rich. The only issue I had is with paint flaking off and it exposed rust both undercarriage and on the body panels. Even the seating posture is good and the leg space is excellent if you choose not to have the front compartment.

Comfort, Handling & Braking

The Activa which I had purchased was the non-deluxe version and hence did not come with the nylogrips and also missed the combi brake but it handles brilliantly as long as you drive below 60kmph after which the Activa becomes nervous mostly because of its small wheels. I really don’t see the point of a combi brake on Activa as I feel it deprives the user of choosing the brake force and is only suited for amateur riders.

The new Activa’s suspension is more stiffer than the old Activa but is still quite comfortable for both the driver and pillion rider. Although it is a heavy vehicle it definitely does not feel bulky when navigating through city streets and going through the traffic. The brakes on the Activa are as expected for a scooter and drum brakes are always better as far as scooters is concerned.

Although applying the front brake would rise the front of the vehicle due to improper front suspension setting it still is good but you could easily lock up the front wheel if you apply the brakes improperly.

Engine & Transmisson

As with all Hondas the engine is super refined and is really smooth once the engine is tuned and the 110cc of Honda produces around 8 Bhp of power and 0.9 KGM of torque but in terms of performance its much ahead of other scooters like access because of its refinement and the best part of Activa is that the acceleration is quite linear throughout unlike other scooters.

If you are willing to push it you can reach a maximum of 90kmph and it is quite respectable for a 110cc scooter. The acceleration too is not bad it does 0 to 60 in 10 seconds and the best acceleration is between 40 to 60kmph. The transmission used in Activa is variomatic and is the best in any scooter so far especially in terms of durability after my trip.

I was scared to give the vehicle for servicing as I feared I might have burnt the centrifugal clutch and the belt but I was surprised when the Honda mechanic said they were in good condition. And there was no significant damage to any major component even after my reckless driving.

Mileage

I was surprised to find out the Activa returned 50 kmpl on careful driving and during the trip it gave mileage of almost 55 kmpl but if u drive in the city under normal condition you should expect around 45kmpl. The reduction in mileage compared to bikes is because of the variomatic transmission it saps quite some power.

Some Things That Require Mentioning

Honda service in most of the places is unsatisfactory; mostly you get your vehicle back with an oil change and a water service. They don’t bother to check your complaints.
The Activa could do with a better headlight as the one provided is not at all adequate.
The vehicle is really good for all those who are new to two wheelers as it is easy to command in the city.
It is a very durable vehicle and can accommodate any driving style.
Mileage is directly proportional to the accelerator given.

Verdict

If you want to purchase a scooter there is no better deal as of yet and it is a vehicle which is very durable and can take in a lot of abuse and if driven properly you can even expect a good mileage and while the acceleration is good you would definitely feel the need for better top speed but I guess that’s good too considering it has got just 110cc.

The refinement is fabulous and u can take it for long trips as long as you know about your vehicle and don’t try to push it too hard. After driving over 12,000kms I still feel the vehicle is as good as new. So overall it is one brilliant vehicle which is truly the top of its class.

Regards,
V.Sai Sandeep

Original Source: Honda Unicorn 41000 kms Review by Shafeeq Rahman from BikeAdvice.in

Hello friends I am Shafeeq Rahman from Kerala. This is my fist ever article to any automobile media, and I thank BikeAdvice team who gave me and all of us a platform to share our motorcycling experience. In this article I share all my experience along with a review of my machine; your comments are most welcome.

I startedtwo wheeler lives on my dad’s LML Vespa. It was an excellent machine. I used it for one year and it served me the purpose of early morning dash to railway station. Later in second year of my college life, I asked my dad to switch on to a motorcycle. I asked for 200CC Mania Machine, but he insisted 100CC economy editions.

Well, 100CC, far better was the 150CC Vespa. The game went on, and we finally landed on the average value, 150CC All Round Machine. The Honda Unicorn (UNI). We went to the showroom and booked the UNI in black and red edition. All the colors had the same price tag but the waiting period was less, 1.5 months, compared with, 4 months for others.

Two months over, and I enquired, “Sir Next Week”, Next week, “Sir Next week”, Next Week “Load already dispatched, By End Of Month ”. 3 Months over, I shouted, “_!!_ii_”, Next Week, I mailed Honda, and 3 days later, “Sir Ready”. And that became the most dreadful periodin my life.

Why Unicorn?

It all happened in 2008 when Unicorn was out from my list. I was drawn away by the Pulsar 200 but my dad was drawn away by 70kmpl HH machines. Reliability was another issue that my dad spotted with Bajaj. Take it from me; there is no bike which is not reliable unless maintained properly.

I know Pulsars, CBZs, and UNIs, which have worked till 100kkms, and still working and till 30k kms, and not working. Finally, I was forced to take a decision between my needs and the reliability factor. The answer was my Uncle’s words regarding UNI. Thanks to my uncle who made my dad believe in UNI and to finalize.

Day 1: The Delivery

13. DEC. 2008 It was 7 in morning and I was doing a mad dash at 70kmph on the Vespa to catch morning train to college. There is a railway flyover on the way and I crashed with a guy wheeling on it. Luckily I was not the culprit, but it ruined my Vespa and I escaped with some patches on right hand and right knee.

I learned a lesson that day, ‘A Helmet not only saves your head from injuries but also provide you a safe place to support the rest of the body during a crash.’ Coz When u crash with a helmet, your head is safe, so that you can place your head (helmet) easily on road and take the rest of your body out from the moving mass. This is what happened and I could save the rest of my body from any serious injuries.

Well, crashed in the morning and I went along with my dad to showroom. The UNI was ready there awaiting our arrival. Sadly, I found that it was not cleaned properly and also the Teflon job was not done. I managed not to go wrong with the sales guys and told them to do all the work next time I drop in, coz it’s nearly 4 months and I don’t want to leave my machine on day 1 itself. I guess the above stories gave you a picture of Honda sales strategy, bad, shit, non-sense, carp… Pls add on…

Early Days Of Biking

In the beginning I was keen about the run in period and kept the revs below 4k rpm and speeds below 60kmph. My daily ride was from home to railway station and back which comprise a total of 15kms a day, 75kms a week and 375kms a month. Yup, 1000kms came up on my odoonly after 2 months. During those days I always dreamt of taking my bike to some place and put in frame.

It remained as a distant dream and I used to click at home in rear quarter angle every time I complete polishing with MOTOMAX (best quality polish I have ever tried). The UNI won’t make you WOW over its looks. It looks good, not great like PULSARs, FZs, or odd like CBZ. I like its tank, tailpiece, pipe, alloys, discs, dials, and there is nothing that make you think like it’s designed by apes, no, nothing.

Gaining Speed Knowledge and Crash

Yeah, crash. I still remember the Xbhpguys words in their profile, when launched long back, guess in 2005, ‘If you haven’t crashed yet, then you are not riding fast enough’. As soon as my bike turned 1000kms old I started building speed. 100kmph came out on speedo soon and I started pushing the bike hard. It was not that hard but started shifting gears between 6k to 7k rpms.

Then came my first long outing and counted 110kms on trip in a single day. It may not sound exciting for all you now but for me, back at those times was a big thing. My first crash on UNI happened nearly 11months after the delivery. Again early morning, and was in hurry to catch morning train. This taught me one thing: “Never believe an auto rickshaw standing idle”.

It was in front of railway station, I was moving towards the parking lot, when neared an auto, and it just flicked its front end into my path. Everything happened in fraction of seconds, and I was lying down away from UNI. Again I was not the culprit, and was lucky that the spectators knew what happened.

I started gaining knowledge on my bike. Even though I am an avid reader, the knowledge I gained was kept in mind till this time. I started pushing my bike hard round the corners, and peg scrapping became a regular exercise. A word “Cornering on motorcycle is an art, a dangerous art, perform only at know open corners”. Corners are tricky.

They are the place for hidden danger. Do it at places that are familiar for you. While cornering you must have a clear picture of road ahead, oncoming vehicle and pedestrian traffic, means familiar open corners. During these days only I started to observe my bikes engine, gearbox, ride and handling characters.

Engine and Gearbox

150CC Honda Offset Crank Mill crunches out 13.3 horses. Back in 2004 this was a huge figure, but still the UNI plays a wonderful job in propelling you through the traffic. The motor here is refined and smooth that in traffic when engine stalls you unknowingly will press the starter.

The gear box too is butter smooth. The cog works well and shifts are positive. But there is some dislikes. The 2nd gear engages with huge ‘clung’, and the when slotted to 5th will either slip into 4th or neutral. That was irritating. My bike turned 40k and the ‘clung’ still remains but the other one disappeared.

Ride and Handling

Even though many of my friends have told that UNI rides well, I felt the other way. The ride was way too bumpy. It was too irritating in the beginning, later I found the culprit. The bike being new will have some harsh points in suspension which will soften with time and it did. The tire pressure also played its role.

Except UNI all other 150CC bikes in the market comes with 32psi at rear, while UNI with 29psi (both rider and passenger). Sorted out the local tire shop guy’s recommendation, things changed and the ride improved, also the braking. Lower the pressure better is the tire contact. This also reduced the tendency of rear to step out under hard braking.

Enjoying Long Rides

Riding a bike is fun, and when it happens for long distance its bliss. I have done numerous long rides and all those times my UNI proved to be a wonderful companion. The engine gearbox combo works well in all conditions, the ergonomics are spot on, wide seats with plenty of space to move around, the upright seating position, sound chassis with great dynamic ability, and much more. The headlamp is good, and has good spread and ample lighting. Now let me brief the trips to date.

13/40: It seems like a fraction, but was the actual title for my article in the college magazine. This was my first trip, 430kms and 13hrs of fun. The ride was through one of the most scenic routes in Western Ghats. The route was from Chalakkudy to Pollachi through Valparai. The road featured dense forest, waterfalls, numerous dams, tea estate and 40 number of hair pins. 13th among the 40 is the most amazing one. I can’t explain the beauty in words; it is something that you have to experience. This is how I made the title.

Vasco-Da-Gama’s Land

200kms. Nop, I didnt ride till Portugal, but till Kapad Beach. Kapad beach is nearly 12kms north of Calicut, the place where Vasco-Da-Gama landed in the year 1498. It started with my friend’s plan to go home, who stays at Kapad, near the beach. He planned to go home and thankfully there was no train at that moment.

I decided to help him and told that I will drop him at home, and we started. The destination is 100kms away from our place and reached there in two hours. It is a nice place, and I love it. After two years of this event I made a solo ride, just to see the beautiful beach.

Bangalore Express

840kms. Home – Bangalore – Home on my bike was always a dream. It was a dream even before I started to live with two wheelers. Finally, one day, I achieved my dream. Bangalore, as everyone knows, is a tourist spot. Most of my friends have also been to Bangalore many times. But I did it in style, for the first time, on my bike.

It all happened after my semester exams and we planned a trip. It started like 10 of us in 2 cars. But the plan flopped out as one of the cars was not available. I decided not to give up and asked my friend “On UNI, Tomorrow?”, Yes was the reply, and the next day we started. It was not a well planned trip. Bangalore is 400km away from home and was able to reach there in 7hrs 15mins. The route is Calicut – Bangalore via Wayanad, Mysore.

One glitch I came across with the bike during the trip was on the return ride. While riding on the Mysore Bangalore highway, I encountered a continuous beep sound. Pulled aside and checked, found that the indicator buzzer has undergone short circuit and heated the flasher. I removed the buzzer and waited till the flasher cools, so that the indicators started to function normally. So please friends, please don’t install a buzzer in your bike. It will screw you when you don’t want to be.

Picnic Dreams

220kms. Long before, during my early school days, I happened to hear the word picnic. That day my class teacher explained that our class is going for a picnic to some place called Malampuzha. I had no knowledge about that place, but was excited like every other kid in the class. I went home and asked with parents for permission, and I was replied with a big ‘NO’. There goes the great moments that my mind had constructed.

This incident left some marks inside me and one day it turned out with the decision to ride. Malampuzha is a dam constructed over Malampuzha River in Kerala. It is the largest reservoir in Kerala. I was lucky that I reached there before 9 a.m, and the guard was not there. In Malampuzha you are not allowed to take your vehicle down to the lake. Since it was early morning, I slid my machine down the lake and took some photos. It is a wonderful place to spend time.

Day Break

208kms. It was a lazy morning and I was late to college. I was in canteen sipping tea, when my friend came and started to discuss. Destination was the topic and we planned a quick visit to Peechi Dam located 100kms away. It is again a nice place to spend time. One should do boating here, so that will be able to see tuskers along the bank.

Coast to Coast

1454kms. This was a cross country run from the west to the east. It started from Arabian Sea and ended at Bay Of Bengal. This was awell-planned road trip I have done till date. I did it in the month of November when the weather was cold, and is the best time for touring in the country.

The journey was from Tirur (near Calicut) to Chennai, and route Tirur-Palakkad-Coimbatore-Salem-Krishnagiri-Chennai. I had to cover almost 700kms to reach Chennai, and it took 15hrs to do that. The journey was great except for some distance before and after Avinashi, where highway construction is going on. The NH47,7,46 and 4 was inviting. Overall it was the trip, that I enjoyed the most.

The Nilgiris

400kms. This happened on lastvalantines day. There is again something special for this ride, as it happened after seven months from I paused biking. Again it was not a planned one. The idea just came into my mind while I was in ATM, drawing some money to fill my bike. Soon after I came out with amount, filled the tank, and started to ride.

A distance of 400kms in 11hrs, it was fun riding through the ghats. The route was Home-Nilambur-Ooty-Coonoor-Coimbatore-Palakkad-Home. Just another awesome route to spend time. There are still more, but we can come back to the bike. All these trips and my regular riding made me to measure one thing.

Fuel Economy

To answer in one word, the average fuel economy of my UNI is 54kmpl. It varies with riding style. I have averaged both 48kmpl and 65kmpl on my UNI. If you ride hard it lowers, and if mannered it rise. If you want the best mix of economy, speed and ride comfort, I suggest you riding your machine between 3k to 4k rpm.

Issues Till Date

Everybody says and sings about the reliability of Honda and especially the UNI. But the following things happened to my UNI under 10k kms.

• Worn Out Head Gasket: My brand new UNI, just after completing a year, was found with a leaking head. When I consulted the dealer, they told that the gasket is worn out and made me replace it.
• Worn Out Fork Oil Seals: The front forks of UNI started to leak just after 9k kms, and the dealer told me to replace the fork oils seals.
• I had to replace the front Ball Risers, I guess the name, in order to sort out handle bar movement under braking.

I guess problems like this have not been experienced on other manufactures bikes of same age. But once after I replaced those, they haven’t made any problems.

Problems I Face Now

UNI has now crossed 41000+kms (3 yrs old) and is still working flawlessly. Now I encounter some problem with the noisy chain, which makes a non-sense rubbing sound, and tends to rattle while going uphill. The machine vibrates at 80kmph, before and after which there is almost nothing. Even though it vibrates, it never irritates.

Another one is the problem in the fuel line. I paused biking for seven months and this made some rust to find place in the fuel tank. This when mixed with fuel tends to block the fuel line. I have to stop and blow into tank through the pipe from carb sometimes.

The biggest problem I face now is not with the bike, but with the service crew. I don’t know what to do with that people. I explained the fuel line problem and they told me things like replacing the CDI unit! Bloody, stupid, idiotic service from Honda.

Now let us conclude this review with the following major points:

The Good Bits

• Good fuel economy under all conditions.
• Smooth engine and gearbox.
• Good touring machine.
• Best machine for beginers.

The Bad Bits

• Stupid service crew from Honda.
• Headlight could have been better focused.
• Noisy chain.

To Wrap Up

If you can live with the Honda service guys, the UNI is a great machine. It doesn’t make you feel like you have made a wrong choice any time. It is a good highway as well as city machine. It is an all-rounder. Suits every one, and does the job of Point to Point transportation flawlessly.

Regards,
Shafeeq Rahman