Questions and Answers – Round 21

1) I am a normal family rider whether should I go for the regular single disk breaking variant of CBZ Extreme or the one which comes with rear discs. – N. BALAJI

BikeAdvice: Hi Balaji, Normal single disc brakes on our Indian bikes are more than enough in case of sedate driving and considering you are a ‘family’ driver, the regular variant of CBZ Extreme loaded with single discs upfront would serve your purpose pretty well. Go for the regular variant and invest the remaining amount in a good quality helmet/riding gear.

2) I want to buy a Honda scooter, my monthly travelling is about 750-800 km. So tell me in detail which scooter is the best for me with better mileage, comfort and looks among Suzuki Access 125, Honda Activa, TVS Wego — ABHISHEK

BikeAdvice: Hello Abhishek, All the 3 scooters mentioned by you are pretty competitive. Suzuki Access is the biggest engined (125cc) and the most powerful scooter of the lot. It produces 8.58Bhp & 9.8Nm of torque compared to 8Bhp & 8.8Nm of the 110cc Honda Activa and 8 bhp and 8Nm torque of TVS Wego. This power gain is clearly felt when Access is ridden with a heavier load and the same is replicated on the others. Access produces better torque lower down the engine revs (rpms) to enable a better and more hasslefree ride. Moreover, Access comes loaded with telescopic front suspensions which make a big difference to the overall ride quality of the scooter as compared to others and is friendly to the spine as well. It is solidly built and would be as durable as the Honda’s Activa, if not more! With so many advantages, you would have to live with a slightly lesser fuel efficiency (expect anything around 35-40kmpl).

Activa, no doubt, is the current best seller and a wonderful scooter. However, with some inhumane waiting periods and little higher price tag, it just takes the sheen off the positives of this scooter. Wego is the most masculine and the best looker of the lot. With 12 inch alloys and telescopic suspensions, it does make its own style statement. But Wego’s ‘not so refined’ mill and an almost equivalent price tag keep us suggesting the others.

Unless you have sales, service issues of Suzuki in your area, we really don’t think you should look beyond Access. Access (51k) is dearer by Activa (Deluxe-50k) by only a thousand bucks and a couple of thousand bucks by Wego (49k) on road in Pune. In any other case, you can safely opt for the Honda Activa.

3) Hi, I would like to know which is the widest rear tire that can be fitted on Pulsar 220 without any problem or fitting arrangements. — OMAR

BikeAdvice: You should be able to go for 130mm section without any alterations. However, we suggest you not to play with original recommended size. If you are aiming for better grip, try better tyres like the Michelins Sirac or Pirellis.

4) How can I buy the new naked Pulsar 220S online. – DEEPAK DAS

BikeAdvice: Why do you want to do that at the first place? As far as we understand, Bajaj doesn’t have any provision of online trading of any bike. Yes, you definitely can apply for test drives for particular models on their official website. A more sensible way would be to carefully inspect your bike before taking its delivery physically at the showroom.

5) I am planning to buy a bike. I am very much confused between Karizma R, FZ16 and Fazer as the prices vary in a close margin only. I expect a mileage of 35 – 40 kmpl in city. So kindly help me in selecting one of these. — PRASHANTH

BikeAdvice: Hi Prashanth,
All the 3 bikes are really different in characters. While the FZ is a naked 150cc city bike; Fazer is basically an FZ with an added fairing. All other parameters like engine size, tune, power/torque, on road behavior are similar. However, Karizma R is a bigger (223cc) and more powerful engine out of the lot. It really is a lot better bike on road and at least a segment above the remaining two. As is obvious, fuel efficiency of FZ and Fazer is more considering they are much smaller engines. If arranged in descending order, it would be FZ (40 Kmpl+) > Fazer (~38-40 Kmpl) > Kazrizma R (~35 Kmpl). Since you have a budget which could accommodate all these 3, our recommendation would be the Hero Honda’s old warhorse, Karizma R, simply because it makes more value for the buck you spend among these 3.

6) I was totally confused in buying a byk among pulsar 180 and yamaha fz-s. Both have great looks, but I want a better performer and good economy. Wwould u please give me comparisons between them, especially which gives more mileage? – RAVI KIRAN

BikeAdvice: Hi Ravi,
Pulsar 180 is a bigger and more powerful engine (180cc, 17.02PS, and 14.22Nm) compared to FZ’s 153cc, 14PS, and 14Nm. It is a much better performer than FZ and also retails at a tad less than the latter. Fuel efficiency of both the bikes lie in the region of 40+ Kmpl, with an average user reporting slightly better fuel efficiency for Pulsar 180 (in the region of 42 Kmpl). Based on your parameters, Pulsar 180 definitely serves your purpose better.

7) My Apache RTR 160 is giving 20kms/l. Why……? — PAWAN

BikeAdvice: Hi Pawan,
20 Kmpl is way too low for a 160cc Apache. There is something grossly wrong somewhere. At the first instance, try changing your petrol bunk and test for your bikes mileage again.

Do you feel anything ‘inappropriate’ with your bike like the way it sounds, the way it runs? If yes, get your bike checked at TVS service center as soon as you can. In general, an Apache RTR should return 35 Kmpl under worst running conditions and ~50 Kmpl in ideal conditions. To be on a safer side, your bike should give you 45 Kmpl on an average. In case your bike is brand new and have not completed 1000 kms on the odometer, run your bike appropriately till this milestone. Absolutely new bikes have a tendency of giving wayward figures. An engine settles down only after 3000 to 5000 kms properly.
One more thing, try to check for your bikes fuel efficiency using the ‘tankful to tankful’ method which is considered to be the most accurate way to calculate a bikes mileage.

8) Which bike in the 150cc range should I buy? It should not cost more than 70,000. It should have some style, double discs and less maintenance. It should have a mileage of around 40+ in city riding conditions. Plz suggest me a nice bike. — DEBRAJ

BikeAdvice: Hi Debraj,
We can get 4 bikes loaded with rear disc brakes at the same time fulfilling your budgets upper limit – Honda Unicorn Dazzler, Hero Honda Hunk & CBZ Extreme and TVS Apache RTR (with Rear Discs). All these bikes are fuel efficient with the Dazzler leading the pack, followed by Hunk/Extreme and then Apache. Apache is the most powerful and it is a real menace on the roads. Apache reports more niggling problems and the rest 3 are similar in providing lesser maintenance. Stlye, is a personal taste which we would leave it to you to decide. Test ride these bikes and zero in on the one which suits you perfectly. Our choice would be in the following order for you: Hunk > Dazzler > CBZ Extreme > Apache RTR.

9) I want a bike which looks powerful in performance & design. Which bike is suitable for me Honda CB Dazzler or Honda CB Unicorn? — SAMPATH

BikeAdvice: Hi Sampath,
It must be known that Dazzler evolved from CB Unicorn. Dazzler is a more powerful engine between the two. It produces 0.7 bhp of more power than CB Unicorn. It also comes with a rear disc as standard along with all the traits which the CB Unicorn was famous for – low maintenance, smooth and refined engine, frugal engines and good usable powerband and very fathomable handling.

Dazzler also comes equipped with a semi digital console and a broader rear tire. Also note that both the tires on Dazzler are tubeless. Obviously, it comes at a premium approx 4k over the older CB Unicorn. Our recommendation would be the more modern Dazzler for you.

10) I am living in Kerala. There are several roads up and down. I bring my bike in neutral position while going down and then I switch off my bike in order to save petrol. Could you please tell me whether I am correct or not. — KRISHNA

BikeAdvice: Hi Krishna,
We would definitely suggest you to stop following this practice; it could be hazardous to you and anyone who is riding along with you. Always keep the engine ‘ON’ when in motion. If you want to save fuel use other friendly methods.

Shut your engine off on places where you have to stop for more than 30 seconds such as traffic signals.
Use good quality of fuel from a trusted petrol pump.
Keep your bike well maintained, it would return best of mileages.
Ride in the economy band of 45-65 kmph depending upon the road conditions and requirements
Do not raise the engine rpm suddenly. Always be gentle on the throttle. Use clutch and brake judiciously.
During mornings or after long halts start the engine and leave it idle for 1 minute for the engine oil to spread across.

We are sure implementation of these would help all of us to save fuel and be more responsible towards the environment.

11) a) I wanna know when will R15’s new model will get launched? — KRISHNA
b) Sir, are you sure that YAMAHA is launching its new R15,i.e 2011 model coz I am eagerly waiting for it plz let me know it to the soonest and if its launching then whats the date? — BHAVIN SAVALIA

BikeAdvice: Hi Bhavin\ Krishna,
This ‘new’ bike from Yamaha has been spotted at least 4 times since December 2010. We are very sure that something is cooking up at the Yamahas, but credit must go to them to keep it a grand secret. Nobody knows when is the new bike coming from their stable but we do expect that it should be soon, very soon.

12) TVS Jive or Honda twister, which bike is better in mileage, maintenance and resale?. — RAJESH

BikeAdvice: Hi Rajesh,
The clutchless wonder, Jive, from TVS is no doubt a hasslefree bike suiting our everyday traffic woes but still it is at least half a decade behind the latest pint sized powerhouse, CB Twister. Twister scores in fuel efficiency; it is lower in maintenance and being a Honda, must command a higher resale value. It is fun to ride, extremely flickable and user friendly. Our pick: definitely the CB Twister.

13) I am planning to buy a bike this coming September. Which one should I go for among: Fazer, FZ16, Avenger 220. It should be below 80k with excellent mileage. — SHREYAS

BikeAdvice: Hi Shreyas,
Unfortunately, none of the bikes you mentioned returns ‘excellent’ mileages. In case fuel efficiency is a bigger criterion, we suggest a bike from a segment lower. Moreover, all the 3 bikes you listed are different in traits. While the Fazer and FZ are smaller 150cc regular engined city bikes, Avenger 220 is a bigger and much more powerful cruiser bike. Decide upon your priorities first. In case you want to own the best looking bikes and can do with a 150cc engine, FZ or Fazer would suffice. If you want a more powerful bike and have a predominantly highway kind of riding, Avenger 220 suits your needs. Consider prioritizing your points, take a test ride of the shortlisted bikes and then go for the one which suits you more.

14) Hi! I am looking for bike which gives good mileage and minimum maintenance. After consulting with few people, I am planning for passion plus or passion pro. Is my choice good? Any other bike? — CHANDRAMOULI

BikeAdvice: Hi Chandramouli,

No doubt Passion is a good and reliable bike but it is overpriced considering what the current market is offering. We have better bikes in the market currently. Consider CB Twister from Honda which trounces Passion on almost all comparable parameters and is a much better bike to ride and falls in the same price bracket. You can also consider Splendor NXG which is similar in tune to Passion Pro and is less costly. In case you have your preference set on Passion, then go for Passion Pro as it is better tuned and comes with electric starter as standard.

15) Sir, I want to buy a bike and my budget is 1lak. My options are Honda cbr150 or karizma R. When is honda cbr150 lanching in India and how is karizma R? — JITHESH

BikeAdvice: Hi Jitheesh,
We don’t see Honda coming up with the CBR150 in the Indian market, at least not in the near future. Karizma R is really a very good bike with a reliable engine and lovely ride quality. You can definitely go for it.

– Answers by Saad Khan