October 2009

CBR1000RR
www.motoroids.com
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 003

Ridden to, and ‘at’ the

racetrack, for the first
time in India!

0 0 C C
THE 1OTOUTe test of the most
SHO comprehensiivan bikes
st
The motant class of
Ind

NINJA 250R
impor

RIDDEN TESTED MUCH LOVED!

 October 2009

“ The Ninja 250R should hopefully

open a whole new segment in the
Indian bike market
”
Hello,
T
he big news this month is the launch of the country’s most awaited performance
bike – the Ninja 250R. As you would expect, Motoroids were the first to
bring all the updates to its readers. From reporting the launch live from the
press conference to putting the first ride impressions on the web – we were at
it with full zest. Our brief stint with the bike substantiated what we had always believed
– the Ninja 250 is a brilliant machine that surpasses every other mainstream production
bike in India. It should hopefully open a whole new segment for various players to
exploit.
On the other end of the spectrum, we have the three top-selling 100cc machines
slugging it out for the crown. The new Discover 100 has single handedly pulled Bajaj
out of it blues and the company now looks poised to post its best sales figures ever. It’s
a product that has been designed after much planning and deliberation. We had to find
out how well it fares against its closest competitors. Check out our exhaustive comparo
on page xx.
This issue of Motoroids2 also features Rohit’s marathon ride from Pune to
Coimbatore and further to Chennai on a CBR 1000RR. He rode the superbike all the
way down south to witness the biggest motorsport event in the country in over a decade.
Rohit rode the supersport bike for more than 1500km on the road, and then went on to
post dozens of laps around the racetrack. For the first time after its launch the globally
acclaimed supersport bike was put to such rigorous test in India.
It gives me immense pleasure to share with you the fact that Motoroids are now
equipped with not only the best data logging gear, but also have the support and expertise
of the best professionals to interpret that data as well. Testing Dynamics India, one of
the best vehicle testing consultancies in the country is now associated with Motoroids to
help us bring out the most accurate and dependable test figures to you.
Finally, the big news for the editorial crew is that the Alpha version of Motoroids’
full-fledged website has gone live. And ever since we hit the wire, the traffic has been
soaring. The visibility and reach of Motoroids is increasing every passing second as we
bring out the freshest news and break stories one after another.
It’s all thanks to your love and support that we are already among the top few
automotive websites in the country. Expect us to soar higher!

Rev freely,

Amit Chhangani
amit@motoroids.com

02
CONTENTS October 2009

First Ride
Green Goblin
Regulars
Kawasaki Ninja 250R
11
BRAKING NEWS 04
News with a pinch of salt
Features 30 LETTERS 07
Your bouquets and brickbats
The Haulay Haulay Bikes 18
100cc bikes slug it out for the crown 18 BIKERS 08
You, your bikes and your moments
A Blade Unsheathed 30
Honda CBR 1000 RR BIKER PERSONALITY 61
Shrikant Apte
Mid-Air Fight Club 47
Red Bull X-Fighters 41 MOTO CLUBZ 63
Roadshakers
YOU, THE BIKER 55
Ride to Chanshal Pass 47 DREAMGEAR 64
Latest gizmos
71
Columns 69
NOW PLAYING
Latest Coolest Games
65
MINDREVVIN’ 09 ACID TEST 66
Amit Chhangani
Long term tests
THE FAT BIKER 10 TECH SPEAK 68
Rohit Paradkar
Monoshock Front Suspension
MOTOMUSINGS 10 CLUTCH TALES 69
Mihir Gadre 11 India’s first biking superhero

Sports HISTORY
Forgotten British Marques
76

FIM ASIAN CUP 41 MEN AT WORK 78

Motoroids behind the scenes

JAIPUR GULF DIRT TRACK 59 CRAZY, CRAZY, WORLD!! 80

The maddest pictures on the planet
CHALLENGE
KOLHAPUR DIRT TRACK ROUND 60 03
BRAKING NEWS:
News that makes our heart skip a beat
STOPPIE October 2009

K. Rajini finishes on Podium

Donkey on two wheels! for the Formula

The FIM formula Asia event was nothing short of an eye opener for the Indian
motorsport authorities, racing teams and individual racers. Asian racers, riding
Apart from all the light hearted joker-like behavior, what time after a corner out of trajectory, I had to brake where I substantially better equipment and possessing some serious talent, destroyed the
really makes Rossi such a highly regarded personality shouldn’t...”. prevailing records at the Madras race track in a jiffy. During the first day of practice
amongst his fans, is his self-deprecating sense of humour. He So in typical Rossi fashion, he emphasized his mistake and qualifying they were almost 3 seconds faster per lap than the usual Indian
aptly highlighted this fact once again, at the Misano race last with the new helmet design, which is essentially a takeoff racers. Our riders were in shock.
month by wearing a helmet that had a laughing donkey’s face on the Rossi ‘shocked face’ helmet used in Mugello in 2008. There was, however one racer who faced the challenge, and astonished his
on it! This helmet however uses a laughing face of the Donkey counterparts from other Asian countries with his brilliant riding. K . Rajini wasn’t
Why? Well, according to Rossi, when one makes a from ‘Shrek’ and the ‘Doctor’ insignia was changed to the ready to give in without a fight. He made his intentions clear on the qualifying day
mistake in Italy, he is regarded as a ‘donkey’. Rossi considers ‘Donkey’. Rossi’s two new pet British Bulldogs also appeared itself, by raising the bar for himself and being the first Indian to drown the long-
his crash at Indianapolis as one such glaring mistake – as his on the helmet wearing donkey ears to emphasize their prevailing record at the MMSC racetrack. He then raced with an amazing blend of
desperate attempt to go a tad faster around the track ended master’s mistake further. Be it a new way to communicate precision and aggression to challenge his rivals who were riding machinery which
up handing 25 points on a silver platter to his team mate and with his fans or just plain humour on Rossi’s part, we just was decidedly superior to his. Rajini finished third on the podium, much to the
arch rival Lorenzo. Rossi told his fans and the press, “It has love the way he entertains us! pride of Indians and received a standing ovation for his first ever podium in an
been my first real mistake during this season: to regain some international race. We’re proud of you, Rajini, keep it up!
04
BRAKING NEWS:
News that’s neither here nor there
SLIDE October 2009

No extra teeth Mahindra Scooters

for the original 220 Mahindra Two-wheelers started its innings in the gearless scooter market with the re-launch of the once
KIinetic SYM Flyte. It has made a fresh effort to gain a stronger foothold in the market with the launch of
two new gearless scoters christened ‘Rodeo’ and ‘Duro’. Both the scooters are powered by a common 125cc
engine producing 8 bhp. The Rodeo is being positioned as a premium offering while the Duro is being offered
as a no-frills and value for money commuter. The Rodeo is equipped with a host of features like telescopic
suspension, low maintenance 7 AH battery, digital console, USB port, front mounted fuel filler, including 7
colors to choose from. Mahindra has priced the Rodeo at Rs. 41,299 (ex-showroom Pune) while the Duro
is offered at Rs. 38,299 (ex-showroom Pune). The Duro does not come equipped with all the features that of
the Rodeo.
We feel Mahindra two-wheeler has taken a step in the right direction. However, can Mahindra come out
of the Kinetic legacy? Only time will tell.

Rumor mill was rife about the launch of the Karizma FI for quite some time now. The leaked
pictures of the new bike on the internet generated a mixed response – some didn’t like the fully-
faired treatment, while some others swore by it. What we were more interested in, however, were the
technical enhancements made by Hero Honda to improve the performance of the bike, but seems like
the boffins at HH haven’t tinkered much with the engine.
The introduction of PGM-Fi is good news though. Thanks to the new inclusion, the touring
capabilities of the Karizma will now be further extended. We also like the new graphic scheme,
reminiscent of one of the old special edition CBRs. However, we really expected the original
performance machine of India to raise the bar higher in its latest avatar. There never has been any
doubt whatsoever about the touring capabilities of the Karizma, a surprise class-leading performance
product would have really swept the competition (planning their own products in the segment) off its
feet though. Even with all its new features, the new Karizma is a bag of mixed beans for us. Having
said all that, we still have very high regard for the Karizma, just that we would have wanted the bike
which started it all to reclaim its lost crown.
05
BRAKING NEWS:
News that SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN NEWS
CRASH October 2009

2010 bikes: Has anything changed?

2010 Yamaha YZF-R6

2010 Yamaha Fazer-1000

2010 Honda CBR 600RR Leyla Edition

By the time this issue of Motoroids was baked and ready for you readers, be more compact and on the same lines as the RC212V. But all you get is
almost all the 2010 bikes had already made their appearance on the web. another special edition painjob, christened the ‘Leyla’.
What you can see in the photos are some of the ’10 models like the R6, the While there is no reason for the 2010 R1 to undergo any changes
Fazer 1000, the Fireblade and the 600RR. since the new model was launched only last year, we were expecting the
The disappointment is, the bikes are almost unchanged even for 2010! crossplane-cranked engine to find a new home in the Fazer – ‘cause that
This design of the R6 has been around for quite some time, albeit with a is how it has been all this while. But alas, the Fazer gets the same old ‘07
few alterations here and there. This year they claim they have tinkered with engine and new colour schemes for 2010. The ‘blade on the other hand,
the low-end and midrange a bit to make them meatier. But the M1-inspired gets a new ‘grilled’ heatsink on the exhaust and new colours. They claim
design that we have been expecting for quite some time now, is still not some bits have been tinkered with inside the engine, but we are not sure if
here. Same goes for the 600RR. After the ABS treatment last year, everyone it scares the 2009 R1 in any way!
expected Honda to launch a brand-new 600RR this season, which would 2010 CBR 1000RR
06
Letters
STAR LETTER October 2009
180cc comparo request
This is Pravin here. I read your September issue
Your bouquets and brickbats for the
and loved it. I liked the Fastest Indian feature very
much. I request you guys to carry a similar feature
From hardcore to hip
September issue of Motoroids2
between New Pulsar 180 and the TVS Apache RTR
I am the kind of person who prefers handling
180. A feature that provides accurate information like
a spanner than bonding with the Play Station. So,
just as provided in the Fastest Indian feature. I hope
I always prefered reading a paper magazine than
you guys will fulfill my request. Thanks in advance.
scrolling through automotive stuff on the screen.
Hi Pravin. We’ve been getting a lot of requests to
Going through the September issue of Motoroids2
do the P180 vs Apache 180 feature. Seems like we’ll
was a complete culture shock for me. The magazine
have to include the story in our November issue.
massively surpassed my expectations in terms of
Let’s see, we’ll try our best
an overall package. I take this opportunity to whole-
- Pravin heartedly congratulate the Motoroids team for
coming up with a fantastic magazine for bikers. I
hope you keep up the frank, whacky, out-of-the-
box, and amazing tone of your magazine always
untouched.
- Anurag Nath a.k.a Babai

Weight issues
Yet another brilliant issue of Motoroids2. A ‘sea’ful of praise Pleasant surprise
Midrevvin’ really was mind revving this time,
amazing way to put your views. The photo in Hey guys, I really liked this month’s issue of
Amit’s column is an excellent idea (kudos to Motoroids. Your feature on the Fastest Indian was very Before viewing your magazine on my laptop I
the photographer), makes a lot of sense after interesting and the inclusion of the new LB 500 in the thought reading it would be difficult owing to its PDF
reading the article. The inevitable has to happen. battle did add a refreshing twist to the tale. Although format. I thought it would be best to glance through it
I somehow do not agree completely with Rohit, the tests that the bikes were put through were very and go off to sleep. But, you guys blew me away with
even as he celebrates the rebirth of the power comprehensive as far as real world conditions are the content and layout of your e-mag. Hats off to you
era, while the whole world is facing an economic concerned, I would love to see how the bikes perform guys for your hard work and the beautiful content of
slowdown. on a race track. the e-magazine. Thanks to you guys I had the chance
About the cover story, I don’t know why the The columns by Amit, Rohit and Mihir were again of reading some very good articles after a really long
R15 was not given a less heavy rider. The figures a great read and so was the witty parody on Sholay. time. Keep your grey cells rolling and give us bikers
might to vary a lot, but I seriously feel the uphill Having said that, in my personal opinion, the latter more of your stuff. Please include wallpapers too in
ride would have been much easier on the bike was a tad too long even for a pictorial feature and the next issue. I can write to you guys appreciating
(lol, no offence meant Rohit!!!). I personally like your efforts for the whole night but you won’t have Send us your letters at
a shorter one would have perhaps better served the
that bike a lot, so I might sound biased also. purpose. the time to read it. I am eagerly awaiting your next letters@motoroids.com
However the bike could have produced much Lastly, I would like to mention that you are issue. Take Care.
better results with a lighter rider, the top speed doing a great job with your breaking news updates Hi Abrar. Thanks for your appreiation. Our If you wish to contribute
run could have been closer to the 220. Overall a on Facebook as they go a long way in keeping me website www.motoroids.com is up and running. to the magazine, in any
brilliant issue!! Excellent work guys. abreast with all the latest developments from the Now you can download the wallpapers from
Varun, Rohit was only shot on the R15. The there. We will try to include the link to the hottest way by providing content,
motorcycle industry.
testing for all three bikes was done by a rider Keep up your good work and all the best for your wallpapers in our future issues though. Thanks for have a look at the last
who weighs 65kg forthcoming issues. the suggestion! page for the exact email
addresses to send the
- Varun Kumar Viswanathan - Sagar Sheldekar - Abrar Sayed mail to.
 October 2009

BIKERS
Share with the world your great adventures on your bike.
Send us your pictures along with a small description at
bikers@motoroids.com

Niranjan Skoda and his friend Nagaraj did a 1900km road trip from July 30 to August
6 on a Unicorn. Here are some of the pictures from the trip.

Team Renegade Devils is a Pune based bike stunting club. The club sent us pictures of their members performing various stunts on thier bikes. Clock wise from top left: Mayank Gundesha side skitching on
the Pulsar, Thomson Biju’s stoppie on the FZ-16, Sahil Takidar does a stoppie on his custom painted Dio, Thomson burns some rubber on the FZ, Sahil pops another stoppie, Neerav Pasrija performing a
wheelie on his Scooty, the team at their weekend ride to Lavasa, Sagar’s stoppies on the Pulsar, and lastly Sagar’s wheelie on the Activa.

08
Columns
October 2009

“ Mindrevvin’ to sell 1000 units for the first year, and the
This is the first time any manufacturer has number doesn’t look unattainable. However, a
ventured in the 250cc category with a truly world lower price tag would have lured in a much

”
AMIT CHHANGANI larger chunk of customers. That said, this is
class product Don’t crib about the Ninja’s the first time any manufacturer has ventured
in the 250cc category with a truly world class
price, as there is a bright side to product, offering a massive advantage over
the story too... other mainstream performance machines. The

T
response of the customers, for the first time in
he much awaited Ninja has finally hit the country should bring out the real figures
the roads. The sticker price of Rs 3 lakh about the volumes in that market. And that in
for the globally acclaimed 250 twin may turn will decide how rigorously the rest of the
have subdued the enthusiasm of some of manufactures go ahead with their respective
its prospective buyers a bit, but the aspiration value 250cc projects.
is still very much there. While the high sticker Even though the price looks like a deterrent,
price would probably make the Ninja inaccessible I would still hope and pray that the Ninja
to most of the young speedsters, there’s no denying sells in healthy numbers. If Bajaj attain, or
that its launch will have far reaching effects on preferably surpass their expected sales number,
the 220+cc class bike market in India. The Ninja, the phenomenon will give the remaining
even with the hefty bike tag is sure to bring a players in the market some food for thought. If
shift in the Indian performance bikes market. The a 250cc hi-performance parallel twin machine
R15 initiated it all, but even with its erstwhile can sell for 3 lakh rupees in decent numbers,
unparalleled capabilities around the racetrack, it then the chances for a reasonably potent 250cc
left its road users (especially the ones of the hefty single to sell for half the price are much higher
variety) a little disappointed. With its lack of mid- in India. It’s all about the numbers really, and
range grunt, puny size and a very slight advantage the Ninja should reveal the mystery that has
in terms of top speed over its big-bore rivals, it been responsible for the stagnation of the
wasn’t an outright winner on the road. The Ninja Indian performance biking for ages now.
is going to change that as it’s substantially quicker, There’s also one very important fact that
faster and more accomplished than any of the most of us have been overlooking. There isn’t
other sub-litre class bikes available in the country a worthy competitor to the Ninja 250 across
today. The baby Kwacker represents a biking tool the world. Honda and Yamaha have realized
that represents the next level in every perceptible the fact lately and their engineers are burning
department related to bikes in the country. midnight oil these days trying to bring out a
While there’s no doubting the abilities of the rival soon enough and capitalize on the segment
Ninja, we still think Bajaj could have managed to where Kawasaki has a clear monopoly. The
price the Kwacker at a substantially lower point. success of the Ninja in India will mean that
Bajaj’s reason for the pricing is that the Ninja these manufacturers won’t think much before
offers a substantial upgrade over the prevailing bringing their respective new 250s to country.
sub 1-lakh rupee bikes and fills the 1-10lakh Hopefully these bikes would be better, and
rupee void with aplomb. While what they say is cheaper than the Ninja.
essentially correct, the difference between 1 and Moral of the story is – let’s all of us pray for
10 is too huge to justify a slot-in at any point. the Ninja’s success rather than cribbing about
How many customers would actually want to shell its price. Start asking you friends, brothers and
out thrice the money for the extra performance enemies to buy one today if you want to see
is something that needs to be seen. Bajaj plan more such machines hitting our shores.
Columns
October 2009

stalled the car while initiating his drive, is needed

U
for the launch of a race car? Why not Karthikeyan ‘ nderbones’ a.k.a ‘step-thrus’ are generally
or Karun? Why not one of the brand’s own team MIHIR GADRE
ROHIT PARADKAR quite popular in developing countries

MOTOMUSINGS
racers? around the world, especially in South-East
THE FAT BIKER

Cricket has destroyed almost every other sport Asia. But the whole concept never really
in the country. And believe me, it’s not the game caught on in India.
that I blame, I’m a fan myself. But it’s you and me, Step-thrus essentially are a much better bet
the viewers, that I blame. We have given this game so compared to scooters, especially for a country full of
much importance that every corporate house with deep broken roads, like ours. Step-thrus, in principle, are
pockets is after cricket for publicity. Had we bothered nothing but saree-friendly alternatives of motorcycles.
to glance at some other sports and tried to find out They have bigger wheels and shock absorbers compared
whether we liked them, we would probably have had to scooters, and yet have underseat storage like the
more than one nationally followed sport. Thanks to Scooty. The ladies, no doubt will become huge fans.
our obsession with cricket, even our national game has So then why don’t we have a single one available for
been relegated to the sidelines. One can only imagine sale in India? Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and even our
what chance a relatively even less popular sport like very own TVS make and sell them outside the country.
motor racing holds in such a scenario. Apart from Hero Honda (Street) and Kinetic (K4S), Where are the Underbones!
Cricket has destroyed almost every other Our local racers have a lot of talent, but still, no manufacturer has ventured into this segment in the embraced the Activas and Dios. I’m sure
sport in India and it’s now gunning for save for Rajini’s podium finish it was a disaster for recent past. So maybe it’s the lack of a decent product that they will love a racy underbone,
motorsports. Who is to blame really? the rest of the Indian pack at the FIM Asian GP. that has kept our nation away from the Underbones. especially in Repsol colours. Middle aged

I
I would largely blame it to their unwillingness to Remember? Even the scooter segment was dying before men are already swallowing their egos and
t’s been about two years now since I take risks on the limit. But its not the racers who Honda came up with the Activa. ditching their bikes for automatic scooters,
started visiting Indian motorsport events are entirely at fault. A lack of sponsorship means If you happen to visit, say Saigon, you can see even they might be willing candidates.
regularly. During these visits I have they have limited resources, and second-grade the streets filled to the brim with people riding these Manufacturers seem to have felt
interacted with a whole bunch of racers machinery, which in turn means they cannot machines irrespective of their age, sex, caste or creed. the pulse. Yamaha has been gauging the
and organizers. I agree, two years is hardly a go all guns blazing lest they lose even what they Even men, old, young or middle-aged, seem to prefer customer’s response to the Nuovo, at the
span to boast about; especially when I share the have. Sponsors, on the other hand look for more these things to bikes, without any embarrassment. factory showrooms since last year, while
media space with some renowned journalists than just talent. They want mileage. Unless there Maybe the problem is with the typical Indian mentality, the TVS Neo has already been caught
and publications from around the nation that is a significant chunk of audience for Indian in India even school-going boys won’t touch a ‘ladies undergoing testing in the country. Who
have been active in this field for over a decade. Motorsports, corporate houses won’t come forward cycle’. knows the first underbone in a long time
But still, it has been long enough for me to with their support. While cricket will give them But times are changing; young boys today have might just hit the showrooms within the
have a fair idea of where Indian motorsport is millions of views, Indian motorsport won’t provide embraced the unisex bicycles. College going teens have next 6 months.
heading and what are the hurdles that we need even a hundredth of the visibility. And the reason is
to cross. our unwillingness to give motorsport even a remote
As I mentioned last month, biking in India chance. We Indians simply refuse to look beyond
is undergoing a rebirth of sorts and motorsport the Sachins and Darvids of this world. Rossis and
is no exception. The strongest evidence comes Lorenzos in some rare cases.
in the form of the prestigious FIM Asian GP Consider this to be my sincere plea friends. I
which had India on its 2009 season calendar. A am not asking you to give up watching cricket or
sad incident, however, that I witnessed during any other sport. But I urge you to take genuine
this event was the launch of a new formula car interest in Indian motorsport. Turn our racers into
from a renowned motorsports player. A new worthy celebrities. Talk about them on your favorite
competitor machine for a brand new series social networking sites, forums, biker clubs and
next year is a positive step forward, but what wherever else you can. Let us show our support for
pained my heart was the presence of a ‘cricketer’ the sport that probably requires the most amount of
to launch the car. Is our country so devoid of courage. Let’s make India a significant name on the
talented racers that a cricketer who almost international racing scene. Please. Yamaha Nouvo 135 TVS Neo 110 Honda Wave 110 PGM-Fi
 n
G r e
G
e
o b l i n
Are the good times finally rolling with Kawasaki’s re-entry? Let’s find out…
Words Rohit Paradkar Photography Eshan Shetty
A
fter its first appearance in India at the October 2009
2008 Auto Expo, it’s taken the Ninja
250R over 22 months to finally go on
sale in our part of the world. Was it
worth the entire wait? Is it worth the Rs 3lakh
price tag it carries? Well, frankly it’s too early
to comment. Nevertheless, we did manage to
get a taste of what the Bajaj-Kawasaki have on
offer in a ride of the bike around Bajaj Auto’s
Chakan test track. Let’s take a look at the oily
bits then…
The Ninja 250R’s design was completely
revamped in 2008 after almost two decades to
cater to the new generation of bikers. The new
bike was designed to follow familial cues with
the bigger Kwackers of the 2007-08 generation.
And it’s worked! Like the stubby headlight for
example, which takes its design cues from the
‘08 Z1000, gives the bike a smart front fascia.
The side fairing has hints of the 2007-08 ZX-
6R with its chiseled lines and cuts. The taillight
ironically is reminiscent of the ’08 Fireblade.
But there is a lot more storage space under the
rear seat of the 250R as compared to the other
bikes I mentioned above. The fit and finish 02
looks phenomenal but only the test of time
will tell how long this attribute will hold up
against the wee-bit of tarmac scattered around
our country. The Ninja 250R, especially in the
corporate green, looks downright stunning –
with the meaty matte-black exhaust muffler,
a stout stance and proportionate dimensions
right from the tip of the visor to contact patch
on the rear tyre. From the time we saw it, we
wanted to ride it!
Frankly, the bike’s exhaust note disappointed 03
us all and I’ll bluntly badge it similar to that
of the Pulsar 150. It doesn’t sound like a two-
01
01. 02.
You won’t need a straight road Thanks to its generous
as long as this one to reach the proportions, tucking down isn’t
Ninja’s claimed 160 km/h top a cramped exercise on the 250R
speed. The little Kwacker is rev
happy and will get you to the 03.
top zone pretty quickly. The Ninja’s handling needs
some getting-used-to...

12
 October 2009

into-one exhaust at all! The cat-cons

however haven’t stopped the Ninja from
claiming phenomenal acceleration and
top speed figures as compared to any
other sub-litre class bike available in the
country today. Even with my 110 kilo
frame, the bike had no problems hitting
a 160 km/h on the speedo. Amit on the
other hand managed a slightly higher
but quicker top speed. By the time we
had slung our legs around one of the
test mules, they had already undergone
a lot of caning from our other journo
friends, thus leaving the test bike with
screwed up clutch plates and a rather
faint central groove on the rear tyres.
We are hence not very convinced about
the performance we could extract. On
a better day, we believe a bike with a
better clutches will definitely see it race
to 160 km/h true. The bike is in fact
so smooth that you will not believe
it’s a 250cc machine. The only thing
03 smoother than the parallel twin engine
is the Ninja’s power delivery – which at
no range on the rev counter, returned
an unnerving power surge, thus letting
you open the throttle mid-corner.
Handling wise, the Ninja felt
stiffer around the corners as compared
to the other track tool – the YZF-R15.
But we believe that it’s just a matter of
getting used to before you can cane the
01. bike to shave off the lap times further.
...before you can really start throwing your At 172 kgs, it’s definitely seems like a
weight around in the corners. heavy bike to lug around as compared
to the other Indian bikes in the 150cc-
02. 250cc slot. But similar to most sports
The long rear fender comes in handy during bikes, you won’t feel all the weight once
rainy rides and is an easy removal if you you get rolling, hence throwing the
decide to visit the race track bike around corners isn’t much of an
issue. But should you still lose the line,
03. the brakes have a strong bite to prevent
The mandatory saree guard is designed you from getting into a panic situation.
02 astonishingly well and does not hurt the eye To cement your confidence further,
in any way 01 the stock rubber has an excellent grip
and good profile choice at 110/70 and October 2009
130/70 for front and rear respectively.
However, the IRC Road Warrior
tyres are meant for street use and
are not track oriented like the R15’s
rubber. But since we rode the bike only
around the Bajaj test track, it’s difficult
to comment on the bike as well as the
tyre’s street performance. The quarter
litre cubic capacity will definitely give
the Ninja an upper hand in terms of
quick roll-ons. But apart from that, we
would also want to test the Ninja’s heat-
management capabilities in crowded
traffic conditions when we do our full
blown test soon. Kawasaki claims that
the position of the radiator fans has
been changed for optimized cooling in
the 2010 model, which should surely
help in our conditions, but how much?
That needs to be seen.
Moving onto the bike’s comfort,
let me sum it up this way – the Ninja
250R’s 1/3rd market share in the US
constitutes of females; which means that
the bike has a lower seating (790mm),
easily reachable handlebars and not-so-
high footpegs. What this results in, is The 250R’s swingarm is meaty
a very comfortable handlebar-seat-peg and coupled with the loading-link
equation for riders of almost all sizes. suspension, the setup makes for an
unbelivingly stable line through the
As far as riders of different ‘shapes’ go, fastest of corners. The 250R employs
well my round shape didn’t have any a petal disc at the rear...
problem, thanks to the paunch-friendly,
compact fuel tank. Speaking of comfort, ...as well as the front, much like its
the Indian Ninja’s own comfort zone elder Ninja siblings. These brakes
lies on the open highways; where its offer a phenomenal bite, inspiring
further confidence. The front employs
top whack, straight line stability and convention 37mm telescopic forks
comfortable seating take centre seat. and a lightweight alloy wheel.
The high handlebars shouldn’t make it
a cumbersome ride for long distance
sport touring stints. But with only 17-
litre worth of fuel capacity you’ll have
to keep a close check on the range and
calculate your fuel stops accordingly
– for there is no fuel guage - all you
get is a reserve warning light on the
console. Since Bajaj has made no claims
regarding the range or the fuel efficiency
figures, we’ll have to wait till we can test
14
These clocks are look like they came from your grandpa’s old GPX250. The green rear seat and black cowling are the dress code for the 2010 No storage space in here! Apart from a tool kit that manages to
Wait, wasn’t that the 250R’s predecessor until a while back? model and come to India without any change in specification crouch in, there’s pretty much nothing else you can store here

The yesteryear Kwackers had a fuel filler lid similar to our own No pass switch! Because you don’t need to flash lights anymore. The Yes, its the conventional kill swtich that you’ll find on most
Pulsars. But the 250R’s unit is an evolution of the design Ninja employs a daytime-runnning-light (DRL) instead international models, and not the inverted kind of the Pulsar

The tail looks beautiful and so do those mirrors. Unlike other entry- The stubby headlight borrows its desing from the Kawasaki Z1000, Like its elder siblings, the 250R’s side stand employs a switch
level sports bikes, these mirrors are actually usable! thus imparting an agressively smart stance to the baby Ninja that will not let the bike crank up unless the stand is pushed up
 Acceleration
0-60km/h 3.6s
0-100km/h 8.3s
Roll-ons 2nd gear
30-60 60-80 80-100
2.74s 1.95s 2.79s
Roll-ons 3rd gear
30-60 60-80 80-100
3.82s 2.44s 3.08s
Roll-ons 4th gear
30-60 60-80 80-100
5.34s 3.22s 3.65s

Testing Consultants

this attribute ourselves.

So is the baby-Ninja worth
the wait? Yes! In fact, the
presence of a true blue quarter
litre motorcycle was overdue in
our country and the 250R has
filled up that void. And it’s not
some age old technology that
is being licensed by some local
manufacturer to earn a quick
buck but instead a bike that is
on par with its international
counterparts. From my point of
view it is one of the best sports
learner motorcycles that one
can buy in the country today.
But is it worth the sticker price
Kawasaki-Bajaj have decided for
it? Well, we’ll have to wait for the
extensive test to find that out….
 October 2009

Editor’s Take

T
here is no denying that the Ninja 250R has lived up to its mark and the speedo indicating 160km/h. Unlike most other Indian one of your limbs, but once you get acquainted with it, it’s as accurate
promise of delivering unparalleled performance to the bikers bikes which pant and puff to cross the 130km/h mark, the Ninja can a point-and-shoot tool as one requires to keep improving his time with
of this country. Superbikes aside, the Ninja is by far the best happily cruise at 140km/h provided you have the space on the road. every passing lap.
performing, the best looking and the dynamically the most The low-end torque isn’t particularly strong, but doesn’t give you a While we love the visuals and the riding experience of the Ninja,
accomplished machine in the country today. The angular, sharp, fully reason to complain either. The bike starts pulling after 3000rpm, but we do have some grouses. Price is one, but then enough has been said
faired styling makes sure that you’ll witness people picking up their mid-range is where the spunk really is. After 8000rpm, the 250R about that aspect. There isn’t a fuel gauge on the bike, which means
dropped jaws wherever you go. In lime green, the bike is nothing short really gets into its element and the tacho needle travels quickly to the if my brother steals it and parks it back after a 100km ride, I’ll be
of a visual festival. Unlike the R15, which pioneered the genre of full- 12000rpm mark, after which the revs again take some time building stranded in the middle of nowhere on my Sunday morning ride to
faired bikes in the country, the Ninja doesn’t look slim or puny from up. the hills. The exhaust note doesn’t do justice to the speed to the bike.
any quarters. It’s a well-proportioned aggressive looking super sport Around the racetrack the Ninja shines with its sure-footedness One wants to listen to some sweet music that gets louder as the speed
bike that’ll easily pass as a superbike to the untrained eye. and poise. The sporty suspension setup allows you to throw the Ninja increases. The Ninja is too muffled. It’s fantastically smooth too, so
Get astride and the Ninja will make you aware of its power around with disdain, the brakes provide brilliant bite and feedback, there are no vibes either to make up for the lack of sound. Not that it’s
advantage right from the word go. The ascent of the speedo needle the rubber provides ample grip to lean hard and there is enough power always a bad thing, but for some it just may be.
to the ton-mark is easy, and the bike will accelerate swiftly to the at hand to make a fast exit after the apex. The Ninja is probably not as All in all, the Ninja has the goods. Buy it if you have the money,
140km/h after which the thrust gets a little subdued. Stay right there rider friendly from the word go as the R15 owing to its heavier weight and make some poorer souls like ours envious. We just wish we had
though, and you’ll soon see the tacho needle hovering around the 13k and sportier stance, and takes slightly more time before it turns into some more money to spare.
 The a y B i k e s !
Haulay H a u l e r f o r a three
g e t h
t c o n t e n d e r s come to
n t r y ’s b e s t lightweigh
Cou
way battle Words Mihir Gadre Photography Eshan Shetty

01. 02. 03.

Mr. Pradeep Mukharjee Mr. Amit Singh Rathore Mr. Mihir Dixit
Age: 32 Age: 38 Age: 29
Profession: Marketing executive. Has a Profession: Self employed political goon Profession: Software engineer. Saving
dominating wife up for a new car
 October 2009

T
his story is about three prospective first time him yet again. He desperately needs a new bike. At the centre 45k. On the right is Mr. Mihir Dixit, just graduated and
bike owners, Mr. Mukharjee, Mr. Rathore and is Amit Singh Rathore, a free spirit. Moved to the city a year works (not really, he is on bench) in a big software company.
Mr. Deshpande. On the left is poor Mr. Pradeep back, owns a small business that is picking up rather well, He is fed-up of waiting for company bus and has a fat pay
Mukharjee, a marketing executive, who was ordered and parties hard every night until the bars shut down. He packet. He can easily afford a bigger bike. But he doesn’t really
by his wife to pick up ‘few things’ from Big Bazaar, on his way wanted to buy a Karizma or at least a Pulsar. But thanks to the have any inkling towards performance. He just wants a bike
home from the office. His ancient Bajaj Priya has given up on recessionary times doesn’t have the cash for anything above that will be completely hassle-free to own and run, just an

19
 October 2009

interim solution until he can afford a car. Design and Engineering it comes to looks. It looks okay from the front, so as not to offend anyone and if it weren’t for the
Motoroids being deeply concerned about 100cc bikes still make up for about 65% of but the stickering is a bit too much and the rather tasteful ‘leaping horse’ graphics, the Star
these three lost souls, decided to help them the bikes sold in our country. So what you see disproportionately huge tail-lamp isn’t exactly in City would have looked a bit dull.
chose the right set of wheels. We tested the bikes here are the ‘bells and whistles’ variants of the accord with the bike’s porportions. The Discover All three of these bikes have excellent build
extensively on the traffic logged and pothole ‘bread and butter’ models. All three of them is a bit too curvy for my liking. It tends to polarize quality and apart from the Bajaj, the other two
strewn streets of the city for a week. And then to sport a neat little fairing and full size stickering opinion, people either like it or they don’t, but have a good reputation for reliability as well.
push things to their limits; we took them out for jobs, both of which have become indispensible one thing’s for sure it looks more distinct than However after our ride, the Discover remained
a spin (a rather long one, 200 kms.) on the worst in this segment. But the similarities end there. any other 100cc bike on sale today and has a free of any rattles or other niggling problems and
possible roads to inflict a months worth of wear The “New Generation” Splendor as Hero Honda good recall value. TVS has been successful at Bajaj seems to have caught up with the other two
and tear on them in a single day. likes to call it doesn’t strike the right chord, when making the Star City look big. It has been styled in this department.

20
 Ergonomics waist level, which feels awkward. On the contrary, the
The Star City with its capacious 16 litre tank, Discover, inspite of being the longest bike here feels
wide, accommodating seat and big fairing feels like a tiny. The seat is wide and supportive, but is slightly
much bigger motorcycle than it actually is. The soft hard. The knee recesses in the fuel tank are strictly
seat squab makes the rider as well as the pillion feel aesthetic and instead of accommodating your knees
instantly comfortable. But ride it for a long time and they actually prod against them. The Splendor NXG
its flaws show up, as the soft and oddly stepped foam has simple tank and a seat but the ergonomics are so
gives way, you can feel the hard plastic underneath and well judged for the average Indian frame that you feel
the high-set foot-pegs make your knees rise above the instantly at home, be it for long rides or short.

21
The 3 Musketeers (not us, the bikes i.e) taking a brief respite beside a lake Broken roads like this were a norm rather than an exception
 October 2009

We love the ‘leaping horse’

graphics of the Star City. The
NXG’s stickering is a little
overdone. The Discover’s
graphics are subtle if a bit
The Discover gets an LED tail-lamp but the chrome The Discover has a very distinctive front-end with busy
garnish looks a bit garish. The Splondor NXG’s tail the floating visor and the pot shaped headlight.
might be the the biggest one I have seen to date on The NXG’s doesn’t have a perspex visor, the fairing
a motorcycle. The Star City’s flush-fitting brake light is a one-piece unit. The Star City’s fairing is big,
is the most elegant but a bit plain 22
 Star City has clean white faced dials alongwith the Economy The Star City gets thumb operated preload adjustment for the
The TVS uses a single downtube frame with the engine as a and Power ‘Nanny’ lights rear suspension
stressed member and a box section swingarm

The Discover gets the most comprehensive switchgear with the

The Discover gets gas charged shocks and a box section ‘Ride Control’ switch which we didn’t really find any use for
The Discover’s headlight is the best of the bunch with nice swingarm
throw and cool eyebrow shaped pilot lights

The Splendor NXG’s head-lamp is the weakest of the bunch The Hero Honda gets the most basic cycle-parts with an old- The Splendor gets a scooter like console featuring a big speedo
with a weak beam and too much spred design suspension, tubular swingarm and the slimmest rear with a bold font
tyre
 October 2009

“ The Discover might be

having the smallest
engine on test here,
but it makes up for
the lack of CCs with
its effervescent

”
attitude.

Value For Money other two get conventional spring-dampers. The Discover priciest of the lot at 48,700 Rs. OTR, Pune, commanding a
All three bikes here have electric-start and alloy wheels gets LED tail-lamp and eyebrow-shaped pilot lamps while premium of nearly three thousand rupees for the company’s
as standard. But the Discover is the most well equipped bike the other two get the normal bulbs in their units. And not to reputation. But, it will definitely retain its value better at the
here. It tries to outdo the other two in every department. It forget it has two spark plugs while the other two only get one time of resale. The Discover retails for Rs. 45,700, offering
has a 5-speed gearbox, the Hero Honda and the TVS have spark-plug each! great value for money while the Star City at Rs 45,000 On-
only four ratios. It has gas-charged rear suspension while the Inspite of all this it’s the Hero Honda which is the road, Pune costs roughly the same as the Discover.
24
Fuel efficiency a maximum of 66 kilometers to the litre. Thanks to the peaky will claw back some of the lost ground to the Discover on
Let’s be perfectly clear about one thing beforehand, all power delivery and the availability of a well judged fifth gear, its home turf. The Star City, thanks to it being tuned for
three bikes here are extremely fuel efficient and if you have the Discover pulls from speeds as low as 30 all the way up out-and-out low end performance delivered a fuel efficiency
a problem with the fuel efficiency of any of the three bikes to 80. No wonder then that we have amongst us the newly of 50 kpl. The TVS also had some snag in its fuelling when
it is your fault not the bikes’. Also, during our trip the bikes crowned ‘Queen of the Average’ (pun intended). During our it was delivered to us with it misfiring its way to glory every
were being ridden at full throttle more often than not and ride, it managed to run lower revs than the other bikes in time the rider went off the throttle. We got it rectified at a
hence the fuel efficiency we got is the minimum possible the competition, and hence the stunning lead over its rivals. service centre the next day but, we suppose we lost the ideal
real world figure. You can safely assume a 25% rise in fuel The ‘Fill it, shut it, forget it’ bike came second with a kpl of carb setting in the bargain, heavily compromising the Star
efficiency. That being said, it was the Discover that returned 56. However, the NXG is more at home on city streets and City’s mileage.

We just had to stop here. The bikes just couldn’t resist the beauty of this place! 25
 “
Engine-Gearbox 5-speed ‘box and lack of low end torque. The 5th gear October 2009
The Discover might be having the smallest engine does make it perfect for all those ‘lane hoggers’ who like these bikes are in
on test here, but it makes up for the lack of CCs with to roam all over the city in top gear at 40kph. dire ned of stiffer
its effervescent attitude. It’s a surprisingly free revving The Star City has the biggest engine of the trio and chassis, better
unit, remarkably refined at lower revs and acceptably TVS has tuned it to deliver the maximum possible low suspension, wider and
refined at the red line. It also has a fantastic throttle end bang. It returned respectable figures for the double stickier tyres and
response to boot. It is the quickest accelerating bike on seat, 30-70 kph roll-on test of 15.8 seconds in third powerful brakes, no

”
test here and thanks to the mini-Pulsar exhaust note, and 25.1 seconds in fourth gear. It is a smooth operator two ways about it
feels even quicker while riding. In our two-up, roll- and wonderfully drivable upto 60 kph after which the
on tests*, it turned out to be the quickest bike in all performance trails off and it gets a bit strained. I rode the
three gears, with a timing of 15.7 seconds in third, 21.3 smaller 100cc Star Sport a couple of months back and
seconds in fourth and 20.5 seconds in fifth gear. It has its engine felt much more free and linear than its 110
a weak low end, but it almost makes up for it with its cc sibling, so good infact that I started wondering if we
lively top end & goads you into riding faster than you included the right TVS in the test. The gearbox works
usually would on a 100 cc bike. However its gearbox is quite well but there is a minor snag, you can’t crank up
the weak link here. It misses downshifts and lacks feel. the electric starter unless you put her into neutral.
This gets annoying at times, especially since you need to The 97 cc ‘sloper’ unit in the Splendor NXG is legendary,
triple downshift at times, thanks to the combination of and there’s a reason for it. The engine has been honed

26
Rains, clouds, rainbows, Amit dancing like a peacock. Nothing felt wierd in that place. It was one of those times, when you wish that you could just ride on forever...
 October 2009

Trying to get a perspective on things, from under the ‘bow.

over decades and has evolved to near perfection. It is Ride-handling

the archetypal Honda engine, refined throughout its Our riding route consisted of some brilliant
rev-range, right upto the rev limit. But the best thing snaking tarmac, just right to get a feel of the bikes’
about it is that it delivers power just where you need handling and a huge stretch of broken village
it. It has great tractability through the gears and a road with enough potholes to test the ride quality.
gutsy low to midrange which makes commuting a Basically all three of these bikes have been adapted
breeze. It does feel a bit out of breath with a pillion to tackle the cut-and thrust of intra-city travel. They
on-board though, which is reflected in its 30 to 70 are lightweight and have a compact wheelbase. This
kph roll-on times of 17.1 seconds in third and 30.6 makes them extremely nimble at crawling speeds.
seconds in fourth gear. Complementing the fantastic The Star City has extra soft suspension making
engine is an equally fantastic gearbox with short it ultra comfortable over isolated bumps, but throw
throws and slick, positive shifts. The powertrain is in a series of undulations and it wallows all over the
what makes the Hero Honda so special among the place. The Splendor has the most bare-basic frame
bunch. It is the be all and end all of this bike. and suspension of the trio. It also has the slimmest
All three bikes have a common shortcoming tyre, a mere 2.75 section at the rear. It absorbs smaller
though; none of them have the globally accepted bumps well but tends to get unsettled when faced
one-down-rest-up shift pattern. with the bigger crests and troughs. The Discover has

Brilliant snaking tarmac through thick forests, is this biking nirvana? *Performance testing consultants : Testing Dynamics India
 October 2009
the best ride-handling of the group. It has a stiff chassis, gas charged Verdict woman. She’s a raven. She might even make a good home-maker, one
shocks at the rear, and 17 inch wheels. Though the setup might be a bit The Star City feels big and comfy during initial impressions, who will sing the kids to sleep and then party at the Hard Rock Café.
on the stiffer side, it never bottoms out and holds its line rather well. but it is starting to show its age. A new one is due in a couple of Mr. Amit Singh Rathore is ready to take the plunge. It might turn out
All three of these bikes come with drum brakes as standard which months and we have great expectations from it. Mrs. Mukharjee loves to be a match made in heaven. She might be able to tame his wild ways
leaves a lot to be desired on the braking front. None of them offer it for its comfiest pillion perch. Poor Babu Moshai, he is going to get with her tact. But even if things don’t quite turn out to be that way,
disc brakes even as an option. In fact all the bikes desperately need badgered by his wife into buying the TVS just like he was badgered even though they part ways after a while, he will always remember
better cycle-parts. For ages manufacturers have paid a lot of attention into marrying her by his family. But in our comparo, the age-old rivals his fling with her, fondly. And going by the fact that Bajaj sold a lakh
on developing the engines only because engine developments can from Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto manage to over-shaodow the TVS Discovers in a matter of just 50 days it seems that a lot of Indians folks
be bragged about as fuel efficiency, power or performance numbers. by the slightest of a margin. are looking for a ‘fling’ nowadays.
But in the bargain, they have neglected the chassis-suspension and The Discover is by far the most fun to ride bike among its peers. Mr. Dixit however, likes the Hero Honda better, because it’s a
continue to offer the bare minimum. All these bikes are in dire need of She entices the two prospective grooms in our story Mr. Rathore & safer bet. He understands that in the long term, the Discover comes
stiffer chassis, better suspension, wider and stickier tyres and powerful Mr. Dixit with her zesty engine, taut road manners, lots of goodies and with a risk factor involved. But our man doesn’t like taking risks; he
brakes, no two ways about it. the icing on the cake, her frugality. She is the modern metropolitan likes to be 100 % sure. He is not a rebel; he is perfectly comfortable

Evaluating the bikes’ nocturnal abilities. 28

 October 2009

with the traditional match-making.

Love is not his cup of tea; he prefers
the cups of tea that he will be served
before his arranged marriage. He seeks
marital bliss and the Splendor NXG
is the bride of his dreams, effortless to
own and effortless to ride. It fits the
given role to the proverbial t. and is the
winner of this shootout. Now I know
why Hero Honda sells three and a half
lakh two-wheelers every month.

W i n n e r
The

Testing Consultants

29
The Fireblade takes Rohit Paradkar on a 2,200 km journey through rain and shine, leaving his soul craving for more at the end of it...

Words & Photography Rohit Paradkar

 1
1:00 am, Monday morning – it’s October 2009
that time of the week when most
offices around the globe will indulge
in a group meeting to discuss 01.
the strategies for the week ahead. But at Thanks to the stability, 04.
Motoroids, it’s different. Our Editor and I taking a photograph At 200+ km/h a
were laid back in our recliners, competing even at 117 km/h is small dot on the road
with each other on digital CBR1000RRs no big deal suddenly turns into
on a Playstation riding simulator. And a truck as big as this.
that’s when this thought crossed our mind 02. And you thought this
– the 2009 Fireblade has been here for more The new model speed was no big deal!
than 6 months, but still the bike hasn’t seen has chucked the
the sun rising on a race track; so why not hydraulic clutch for a 05.
do a good deed for once and set the caged conventional wire- I guess I was already
bird free in its natural habitat? With a actuated unit missing my favorite
smile on his face, Amit agreed to the idea online farming game,
and out came his cell phone. And Voila! 03. hence the picture with
Come Wednesday and a fully-serviced Once on a litre-class those sunfloweres in
CBR1000RR stood in our parking waiting bike you have to the background
to be cranked up for a journey down South careful about every
to the Kari Motor Speedway! degree of throttle
There was a catch though –Honda input if you care for
wanted the bike at the race track before your dear life
Saturday as it was to be exhibited at a race

01 02

04 03

05 31
 “ I treaded on through the swarm of twilight bugs to cross the
language borders and entered Karnataka
”

event. With all the travel related chores still undone, translates to a journey that will break your spine, animate than a standard sized backpack. But the starter failing to crank up not because there was
I was left with two and a half days to reach the wear out your wrists, inject innumerable amounts comfort apart, probably the dark side of me didn’t some mechanical issue, but because the battery had
destination. Since we were talking about a litre-class of mental fatigue and leave you wishing that you want to share the sense of achievement I would drained big time – blame that to all my friends who
bike here, it all sounded easy. In reality however, never attempted such a feat. There were quite a beget after the trip concluded. left the ignition key on while taking photos for their
there was a different story reeling up. A popular few volunteers ready to tag along as a pillion-cum- With everything packed and ready, it was time Facekut and Orbook albums. You see, the bike is
map application told me I had approximately backup-rider but the caring angel that I’m, I had to to roll. As I thumbed the ‘blade, I was expecting a CBU-import from Europe where the EU follows
1,200kms to cover before I could reach the race give them a sour denial - ‘cause the small rear seat the typically refined Honda exhaust note coming a concept called ‘Daytime Running Lights’ (DRL)
track in Coimbatore – which, in sportsbike-speak, of the Fireblade can grant comfort to nothing more to life. What I was greeted with however was a which needs one headlight to remain illuminated
 October 2009

throughout to ensure visibility of the rider to the superbiker’s dream. Having ‘driven’ here many times this. Without second thoughts, I pulled over at a and kicking some serious dirt is either when the
oncoming traffic even during the day. Since a bike before, I always longed to cane a multi-cylinder two motel near Nipanni where I spent the night. As the windblast pushes mightily against your head and
like the 1000RR does not run on a daily basis, the wheeler on those fast flowing corners and the long next morning dawned, I was filled with excitement! torso or when you have the balls to take your eyes
always-on headlight takes a big toll on the battery long straights. Even though the night had fallen, I After heating the bike up to optimum temperature, off the road and onto the speedo! Fortunately the
mileage. A jump-start later, I was finally off, facing was able to maintain speeds in excess of 140km/h I decided to whack open the throttle… exhaust note is a saving grace. While the stubby
south-east as I headed down the NH4. The route (much higher, actually) on this road primarily owing What I was expecting was a big surge of power exhaust muffler is relatively silent at low revs, the
was crowded as usual, and to make matters worse, to 1000RR’s unparalleled illumination and also to hit me in the face; and the gravitational forces larger butterfly valve opens itself when the revs go
twilight greeted me earlier than I expected. I treaded because there was not a single soul on that stretch pushing my tongue down the throat. But no, that past the 4,000 mark and a serious growl emanates.
on through the swarm of twilight bugs to cross the of the road. But then, it was a compromise. It’s a was not to be! Instead the 1000RR hands you over a It’s an angry growl, and not the typical sweet-talk of
language borders and enter Karnataka – an Indian shame to waste the capabilities of a Fireblade by linear power delivery throughout the rev range. The the Fireblade’s a couple of generations back. At this
state where the NH-4 suddenly transforms into a riding it at such slow speeds on a beautiful road like only time you know that you are in the powerband rev-mark, the second set of injectors gets activated

33
 06 01.
Since I didn’t have
04.
access to a wind- Don’t come after me
tunnel to analyse the PETA, I did not do it
‘blade’s aerodynamics, on purpose. He was
I decided to use a the one who crashed
swarm of bugs to into me
mark the aero-lines 05.
01 04 02. If this light stays on,
Since my paunch you are good - the
prevents me from bike won’t skid even
ducking down if you slam the brakes
completely, the on road surfaces like
helmet had to eat the ones on the left.
some bugs too If it starts blinking
though, you are in
03. trouble
What a pity! You can’t 06.
get premium grade
02 05 fuel everywhere, so A picture speaks a
the poor bike has to thousand words. The
suffice with whatever’s ‘blade took those
available surfaces in its stride
rather well

too, which deploys armies of stallions down

to the rear wheel propelling the bike over the
200-kmph mark in a jiffy. On this highway
there’s a particularly straight stretch where
you can see at least 4 kilometers ahead of you.
03 This is where I made the 999cc mill spool all
the way to the shift indicator in the first five
gears and close to 11,000 rpm in 6th-gear. If
I know my calculations right the trap velocity
should have been close to the maximum limits
of this litre-class wonder. Top speed apart, the
‘blade’ reportedly finishes a quartile mile in less
than 10 seconds under stock fitments. I had no
reason to doubt that considering the way she
was swallowing the miles eń route my next stop
–Bangalore.
While I had covered almost 300 kilometers
from Nippani in less than 2 hours, the final
200 kms till Tumkur took me over 4 hours-
thanks to broken roads ahead of Davengeree.
From Tumkur, I was back onto a good stretch
of road where I happily nudged the 200-km/h
mark again when, suddenly I saw a black spot
 October 2009

01. 05.
South India has This road is
some amazing people supposed to be a two
carriers. The one on way, but the truckers
the left is a simple will never give way
state transport bus - even to a 1000RR.
while the uniquely Perhaps you need a
painted bus on Bullet here.
the right is private
transport 06.
No photograph
02. can do justice to
02 Thanks to the
perennially-under-
the Fireblade’s real
beauty
01 01 construction roads,
such sights aren’t 07.
03 unusual Muscle, curves,
04 03.
strength, speed,
ability to fly and
At last, a self-potrait utter loyalty - guess
who I’m talking
04. about?
The staple breakfast
for two weeks

05 06

07 35
 01. October 2009
Thats the kind of road surface
04.
I pushed the bike on for over 2 Two shady characters who claimed
hours there was no fuel at the station
panning perpendicularly towards me. I
apart from the 1-litre bottles which
02. cost Rs 110 each! Talk about didn’t know what it was, but for a second
daylight robbery I did feel a slight jitter in the traction.
I can understand that sign, but After a refill on the other side of the
there also needs to be a sign to 05. road and a U-turn later, I realized that
warn you about the big cats in the the black spot was actually a bird that I
wildlife reserve This road sign brought a huge
had reduced to mince-meat. With a sad
smile on my face! Sport riding with
03. heart, I carried on to reach Bangalore to
all the luggage on is an experience
spend the night. For the party animals
The ‘blade meets some friendly in itself
here, sighting a superbike is no big
monkeys on the way deal. Hence, I decided to ask for a
few opinions regarding this Fireblade’s
looks – and I can comfortably conclude,
chicks dig this bike! It may look like a
parrot in the pictures, but in flesh, this
machine is a chick magnet – trust a fat
biker when he tells you this.
01 Next day, it was business as usual
as I set off for Coimbatore. Since the
lazy me planned to exit Bangalore
02 during the rush hour, I had to pay for
it by getting stuck in kilometers of slow
moving traffic. It was a nightmare! The
Fireblade sure has a large radiator, but it
needs a constant wind gush to maintain
an optimum temperature. In traffic
conditions, the coolant will boil to 109
degrees in no time and within a couple
of minutes of riding at that temperature,
the clutch will start slipping, the bike
will return unnerving jerks and the
engine will finally stall. Happened to
me a couple of times. After managing
to defeat the traffic, I found myself
05 onto one of the most brilliant stretches
of road so far! Forget all those straights
on NH4, it was time for some sport
03 04 riding…
The road ahead of Hosur has curvy
roads laid out in bumpy yet sticky
tarmac. Some curves allowed me to be
in the 130-150 km/h range without
the bike exhibiting the slightest hint
of nervousness! After almost an hour of
riding, I stopped for a chai. This is where
things took a wrong turn. Did I say ‘business as usual’ but hardly for 5 kms. What greeted me further was there wasn’t a soul who could unlock it. I saw a small October 2009
sometime back? My foot! I’m sorry if I’m hurting any more than 120kms of dirt-road, which surprisingly sign that read ‘Hasanur range’. I didn’t know what it
sentiments here, but I feel that the Karnataka and wasn’t all that difficult for this bike. meant, but the road was inviting. I had less than 3
Tamil Nadu governments do not want tourists to feel But then disaster struck! The fuel reserve warning litres of fuel which meant I had to keep the throttle
at home in their States. I’m not exaggerating, but not came on – giving me hardly 10kms in hand before the under check till I found a fuel pump. So, without
a single road sign was in Hindi or English. Everything CBR dried out. I pushed the 190-odd kilo bike with wasting any more time I went off road and hedged 01. 03.
was in the local languages which meant I had to ask for my entire luggage to a nearby village, where I got a the barricade and got on to the tarmac. Is it just me or do After riding through
directions. But since the helpful people out here and refill for 110 Rs. a litre! The shady bloke granted me As I continued further into the dense forest, these headlight 100 kms of heavy
I don’t understand each other’s language, everytime I only 3 litres of petrol; with which I toddled further. I saw a stag running across the road. I had started impressions really rain, the bike rests
asked for Coimbatore, I got fingers pointing in varied With no road signs or civilization, I still didn’t know sensing that I was in some kind of a wildlife reserve. look like those of a outside a chai-stall
directions. After toiling around for quite some time, where I was when suddenly, like an oasis in a desert, I I was elated. It was one of the most scenic avenues ‘08 Goldwing?
five people guided me in the same direction which was saw a nice stretch of tarmac disappearing into a forest. to ride through. Soon I spotted a small waterfall at 04.
kind of reassuring. A soothing country road followed, There was a huge barricade which I had to cross but a distance which seemed like the perfect frame for a 02. She stood there like
With the bike a statue for two
comfortably parked days. It was one of
in the Honda exhibit the most frustrating
(04), I spent some sights ever
time judging my
riding skills on the 05.
riding trainer. I Its rejuvenating
crashed on every sometimes to take a
corner; do I really break and appreciate
know how to ride? the natural beauty
you missed while
zooming through the
highway

01

03 02

04

05 37
scenic shot. As I coasted closer to the spot, I felt fuel, but also got the right directions to Coimbatore. raring to take the bike to the Kari Motor Speedway wanted to set the bike free, but at the same time, I
some movement on the tree near by. To my horror It was a smooth ride hereafter till the race track where –the place where I was going to unleash the power had to make sure it wasn’t her first AND last time
it was some big cat, - am guessing a leopard, which I handed over the bike to the Honda blokes. It was of the ‘blade in whatever meager capacity I had. It on the track. I had to be careful, and so I was –
was resting on the big branch. Even before I could to stay there as a showpiece for the race weekend, was an emotional feeling, when the friendly guard throughout the first two laps, I did not exceed the
gather my senses, my wrist had already wrung the after which I could have it back. at the race track opened the gates especially for the 6,000 rpm mark. By lap three I was starting to get
throttle and I was set to flee! Fortunately I covered 5.30 A.M, Monday morning –that time of ‘blade and me. As I stepped onto the empty race into the groove. This was the first time I was riding
the entire stretch with the little fuel I had. the week when everyone wants to hide under their track, I could feel shivers running down my body. a litre-class bike at Kari. On the long straight I
With my heart still pounding, I at last reached a blanket, wishing that the weekend was not yet over. I have ridden a respectable amount of laps on both was already clocking close to 250 km/h. But as I
petrol pump where I not only got the much needed At Motoroids, it’s different. I was up, about and the Indian race tracks, but today was different. I braked something felt weird as compared to bikes

n.
all over agairt’s
s, I h av e fallen in loveer to m y h ea
Ye but kiss h
Couldn’t help
content

One of India’s best track tools paid us a

visit on the track

e can spool
ra ig h t li ke this, the ‘bblaefdore braking
On a st /h
to 260 km
all the way th e n ex t co rn er
safely for
 October 2009

I have ridden before. While braking

into the first right hander I was
expecting the habitual nose dive
– but I was taken aback when the
03 02 bike showed no drama what-so-ever.
The Combined-ABS was constantly
dabbing a portion of the rear brake
to distribute the braking forces
equally, thus eliminating any nose
dive. For hardcore racers, this facet
can get unnerving till they come
to terms with it; but for a newbie
like me, it’s a blessing in disguise,
especially when you are not trying to
squeeze out every bit of power from
the machine. Then is the rock-solid
04 stability of the Honda that we have
been talking about for decades now.
Thankfully, the ’09 ‘blade takes to
05 a whole new level with the HESD2
steering damper - Kari speedway is
known to be a bumpy bitch, but no
matter what part of the track, the
CBR1000RR didn’t lose its calm.
After having spent a decent amount
of time I started dropping almost a
second per lap, with my fastest timing
at the end of the afternoon being a
01 1min22s. It was rejuvenating!
What continued after this
splendid time on the track was a 500
km ride to Chennai, for the FIM
Asian GP. It was a usual highway
from Coimbatore to Chennai. But
01, 02, 03. 04. 05. after the action packed track day at
Kari, the highway felt more like a city
This bike defines I couldn’t help but take some time out A couple of hard riding commute.
handling, stability, quality, and keep staring at the bike in awe for laps on the track are I will blame that to the CBR.
reliability and ease of everything that both of us went through enough for a brand new I may sound pompous, but I have
use. Be it a newbie like in those few days. She never betrayed me, tyre to strart shredding ridden a lot of such bikes, but this
me or a hardcore racer, no matter what situation or terrain I was apart one has a charm of its own. If you
the Fireblade wil never treading. She’s the most loyal friend you were to close your eyes and dream
disappoint. could ever find on two wheels! about the perfect sports bike, this
 October 2009

would be the one. Why? Because this baby

can be what you want her to be. She can
be your companion for the day-in day-out
city commutes, thanks to its comfortable
seating, a decent cooling mechanism,
dual-stage fuel injection which can return
fuel efficiency of close to 20 kmpl, and
an exhaust note that will not make your
neighbors think of you as an irritating
dawg. On the highway she is a dream
with a smooth power delivery, an aural
masterpiece and a safe ride even at top
speeds, thanks to the wonderfully potent
combined anti-lock brakes. And should
you decide to shed your poseur hide and
get this CBR onto the track, it will be a
confidence-inspiring companion for a
newbie as well as a hardcore track tool for
the experienced racer. For, me it was 2,200
kilometers worth of experience that I can
never forget. After all, you don’t unsheathe
a blade only to make a cut, sometimes you
unsheathe it to appreciate and restore
the beauty of its sharpness. This blade
however, was so beautiful in all respects,
that it leaves me craving for more – for I
don’t own one of these.
40
Words Rohit Paradkar Photography Rohit Paradkar/Aditya Bedre
I
t’s been more than a decade now since the last six months ago, not only on the track, but off it as Deepak as private entrants. Though these racers had When qualification began, the lap times that we are
International two-wheeler circuit race took well. While the Indian lads pushed their machinery the home-track advantage, they were aware of their used to so far started to get demolished with every
place in our country. But this year it was set to harder to shave valuable seconds off their race pace, competitor’s strength and were ready for a tough passing lap. The days of 1min50s were over! The
change, as one of the most prestigious racing the blokes at MMSC and FMSCI worked towards battle. For the visitors though, it was business as 600cc front-runners like Decha and Chalermpol
championships of the Asian continent – the FIM upgrading the MMSRT to international standards. usual – arrive on Thursday, setup the pits, practice and Indian racers Rajani were already clocking lap
Asian GP, included India on their season map. In This was achieved by primarily increasing and on Friday, qualify on Saturday and race on Sunday. times between 1min45s-1min47s without much
India, the arrival of this event has spawned a new improving the run-off areas, installing intermediate This event consisted of two major races – the 600cc hassle. The under-bones on the other hand were in
concept called the ‘Indian Festival of Speed’ which lap-timers, relocating the marshal-stands for higher Supersport and the 115cc Under-bone. With zilch a composition of their own with the front runners
will be held every year from now on to showcase, safety, relaying the track surface for better grip, experience the riders of both these categories started spaced between 2min02s-2min04s!
organise and celebrate the Indian motorsport on installing high standpoints for videographers and their practice on Friday as per the given schedules. As race-day arrived, the ‘Festival of Speed’
an international level. This year the sponsorship other media and extensively training the marshals The quest was not only to learn the flow of the title came alive with a lively festive environment
gauntlet was picked up by Sidvin Coretech and the for safety, flagging and medical assistance. Sriperumbadur but to adapt to it, find the fastest building up around the race track – enthusiasts,
obvious choice was the Madras Motorsports Race The Indian riders who were finalized for the event line, setup the bike accordingly and then improve non-competing racers, teenagers – they were all
Track (previously MMSCT) which is known for were Preetham Dev Moses and Krishnan Rajani of the lap times even further. With a day’s worth of there as a part of the audience. As the races began,
combination of fast flowing as well as tight corners. Red Rooster Racing, Emmanuel Jebbaraj of Ten10 practice laps and setup data under their belt, it it was a petrolhead’s symphony playing with the
The preparations for this event started more than Racing and Alisha Abdullah, Vivek Pillai and R. was time for some qualifying action for Saturday. souped up race machines red-lining out of almost

42
 October 2009

Baharuddin was a one man show throughout - the guy unloaded, K Rajani had some minor issues with regards to handling
assembled and setup his own bike and even the pits! during the practice runs...
Our friends at Honda are doing a great job by fuelling the passion for
racing in the country, in more than one ways! Way to go guys...

No MotoGP-style cleavage flauting ‘firangi’ pitbabes here, but

...but within a few laps, our Indian lad got to terms with the entire nothing beats the beauty of an Indian lady, does it?
setup and starting shedding some serious seconds off the lap time The Suzuki powered under-bones dominated the entire class
throughout practice, qualifying and both the races

The legendary bridge exit at Sriperumbadur will always force a fast TVS ran their Asian market Neo110 under-bones. Though Decha (24) had a great weekend with a sad end. He qualified
rider’s bike to be up on one! the bike itself wasn’t competitive enough, the riders were! on P1, stood 1st in Race1, but crashed out in Race2
 October 2009

The Asean teams (like Y.Y.Pang above) showcase their Privateer Vivek Pillai had a very good run throughout the
Chalermpol was consistent throughout, with a P2 in qualifying, 2nd professionalism right from the way their pits are setup weekend. We are sure he’s learnt a lot through the weekend
spot in Race1 and the top podium spot in Race2

K. Rajani on his comeback lap - relaxed and content about his

podium finish Did we say no firangi babes?? Well, Red Rooster always like
Its always great to see an Indian on an international podium. On to make a difference - no matter what facet of motorsports
this day, it was K. Rajani who made the country proud

Ten10 had an unfortunate yet great weekend. Though the Decha proudly flaunts the Thai flag after winning Race1 and coming Decha takes the hole shot in Race1 as the rest of the pack
bike had some problems, there is a lot the team has learnt close to championship leader and compatriot, Chalermpol follows to hunt him down
 October 2009

every corner. The 600cc Race1 saw championship lap however, Decha, who was involved in a dog fight and Mohd. Iskandar Raduan taking victories in India, we don’t have sponsors to support the riders
contender Decha take victory over his team mate and with Chalermpol overshot the final chicane which Race1 and Race2 respectively. for competing in FIM Asian GP”. The silver lining
compatriot Chalermpol. Indian lad, Rajani, battled ended the race for him This incident promoted the Overall, the race was an eye-opener for many. comes by way of the new experience that our racers
it out with the Kawasaki of Ahmad Baharudin for consistent Rajani to third place, thus earning India As most of our Indian racers agree, the body have earned from this event. The boys have certainly
most of the race before overtaking him in the final a proud podium finish. The 115cc under-bones, like language and commitment towards racing is of learnt new techniques to tackle such a competition
few laps. Race2 was even more action packed as the qualifying, were in a league of their own, with a much higher level with these visiting racers as and have new benchmarks in front of them which
Decha was looking set for a double win by taking multiple intense battles happening at various spots compared to our own lads. It is primarily blamed they will gun for in the times to come. As for the
the lead from Chalermpol in the early stages of the within the grid. There was high drama with racers to the lack of sponsors and factory support. Karthik Asian GP, if all goes well, we may soon see a five-
race. Rajani continued his battle with Baharudin and rubbing everything, from elbows to exhausts with Purshottam, who raced a TVS Neo in the under- year contract being signed with the FMSCI for an
once again overtook him to take the fourth position their fellow competitors. Finally the Suzuki Smash bone category, quotes “All their bikes are worked up Indian round like the one that’s happened.
as the race was in the final stages. In the second last Revos proved victorious with Mohd. Affendi Rosli to optimum level to fight for their win. Whereas in
October 2009

46
 Mid-air Fight Club!
Motocross Gladiators once again unleased
freestyle fury at the 2009 X-Fighters
freestyle motocross tour

Words Pradeb Biswas Photography redbullxfighters.com

 October 2009

yle
n a l freest ed
atio eR
t e r s intern ss tour’. Th which
igh ocro our
t h e X-F estyle mot ss world t ion only!
g
ciatin verage fre e motocro by invita At every
t all
a s s o ‘a l s . e c c a’ for ’s
of an esty ni tors ‘M orld
e m istake retation of tional fre articipatio 2 competi honors. c o m es the s of the w nues
h p a p 1 p e i c e
c o m mit t your inter onal intern stop rider id of just ying for to c o u
b
ntry redevil ant andmark v te the utiliz
e
n o t u r t o f e s s i t o u r r t g r r l d v n o r d d a a t l p t i va w h o d

D
o
t o c ross to rs is a pro At every ximum sta in the wo l a r l ocatio e crazy an n is hosted riders ca t of higher g l a d i ators ake a goo ,
t
mo e rs u
l l X
t .
-Figh d in 2001 ise of a m cross ride
a
n a
h o
partic to watch t icular seas ations! Th ts in pursu
e i
o t o cross d books. Ttitive spiri ll
Bu rst hel r i m r e i
s fi a n comp estyle mot
o
e n t stop ho desire the part power st fying stun e r n day t h e reco the comp e riders. T as
a c v w i n o e d ce i n
w ent
gle ev the top 12
fre ters e rby stop ks t ity d mo of
ts are e for a pla a fair idea naline’ free ters seaso
styl ns w
y s i n r y X -Figh living nea at a tour ocross trac lay of grav e ve n
ever see Eve fanatics h event as, mot disp ters d vi get adre Figh
Also, one gets to o c ro ss s . E a c
g a re n i t h their a t X -Figh glory an pages to ‘high-on- ed Bull X-
mot r
ide llfightin w m these e
event MX r e judg
es titors o clai f thes t all R
top F g from b pleasing th
u
e c ompe achines t hed across nse skill o a regular a
Th m las e s
n
rangi tors while ro u g hbred ictures sp y and immastrana wa
a tho t the p aredevil Travis P . r
spect . a
po i n t s look anship, d oss legend 07 season
sh o w m tocr he 20
s t y e ar mo inner of t
la w
verall
the o

48
 October 2009

vent
t h e final e The
ting ate. ie
Robb s,
n d o n hos sons till d the first w i t h a
e Lo sea ith ada Tex
e d w ith th in its seven March w onument g a r y, Can t Worth in n local
s end mes 27th ary m this Ca l For ng i
d t o ur ha d twelve ti ed off on the legend l event of d. s t M ay in une at the xas resulti inction of
r l el k a o J e t
i g h t
c
ers wo as been h season ki Since 2005 e inaugu id’ Sherwo
r
a rk on 31 d on 27th heat of T ed the dis Australian
l X-F ent h . The ity. n. Th er K ede P s hel erin g earn old style
9 Re d Bul ighters ev ries event Mexico C ters seaso evi ‘Rubb h e Stamp d event wa o the swelt n Sinclair he 24 year n the free
00 -F t se in igh yL tt hir et ero t ei
The 2 son. The X a five par De Torros every X-F card entr t o p was a ors. The t acclimatiz win. Cam . Although d his nam
a a s a o l d s n ’t e n t e
s se rw laz
of thi world tou e at the P ening hos ookie and
tt wi ext p ho ldn tabl eve ink
c p r The n taking to riders cou a comfor the main y to have
9 a
200 taking pl ditional o r old iso n ean gu p p in ap p
7 yea Madd The Europ s notchin le backfli l he was h
event en the tra won by 1 .
USA ate Adam ing a dou semi-fin
b a
e s
has b season wa N
hero sfully land ated in th
e
year’s e s
succ got elimi books. n
d
rider ross recor
t o c
mo 49
 October 2009

pain
a in M adrid, S e
re n d.Th
s b u ll fighting a f a home crow don,
s Venta front o at Lon
e T o ro s De La m and won in n 22nd August
Plaza D his for tion o
s o n w a s at the aged to regain ersea Power Sta
he sea s man e Batt ourse
f o u r t h stop of t er Dany Torre tour was at th fi n g a nd on-c ree.
The id rld br ie th
Ju ly . Spanish r motocross wo a t e d t o rider nducted on day their
c
on 17th of the freestyle is allo ing co
rst day e final event be course and sho is of which
wcase
a l s t o p . Th e fi e
fin y halt ith th ize th he bas
UK. s o f a three da nd takes place w seconds to util et of 1-100 on t
ompris e ion rou iven 90 r brack
e r y t o u r stop c day qualificat each rider is g ts in the numbe
Ev second herein poin
in in g . On the runs are held w rider is awarded
tr a n h
alificatio ess. Eac
Two qu motocross prow
.
freestyle warded a rank
re a
they a 50
 October 2009

rank
o rd er of the
ers e s to
d 1 in rev lly progres riders.
ou n tic a ight
p e t e in r rs automa the top e four heats
com ride ong in our
t h e riders e top six round am ach other und the f ng
ion . Th tion st e al ro losi
q u a lificat the top six n elimina head again e semi-fin other. The
a
After those in round is head-to- rst. In th inst each
from 2nd up go fi e aga
apart und. The are paired s having a d compet ur.
ters to ree
n d ro t i t o r s r i d e r r o u n - Fi g h
2 ompe e 2nd of th
anked glory the X
The c he lower r ers from th hird place e ve nt of omprising gs from
t
with ing qualifi pete for
t r each nel c eedin ve
e r g c o m p a n els fo ed by a pa The proc rising of fi e
em
final i s t s i n g d g o n . m p o ht
semi- a r a t e judg nd 1 are ju ll impressi a panel co awarded t culty
o sep rou vera by are diffi
e r e are tw ession and being on o are judged ia. Points he course, he rider’s
Th ing s asis und criter e of t to t
e q ualify the emph he final ro articular s and usag d’s reaction
Th t p
s with s till ing a f trick e crow
judge 2 onward one judg , variety o er and th
n d
round with each impressio le of the ri
e s l l y
judg for overa tricks, st
f
riders ecution o
e x
and mance.
r
perfo

51
 tion October 2009
fin a l posi nd
i r o
s e d o n the nd the sec ery
a a ev
d p o ints b 80 points, e end of f the
arde ets t th is o
o r s a re aw nner up g 5 points. A n the bas
peti t rst r u gets ned o
r s t o p com ints, the fi aced rider on is crow 0
g h t
u o
ers to ets 100 p the last p ghters sea
l s
u n d 17,00 e
i g o i
e v
-F
ery X e winner while eve d Bull X-F
n i
a t e d by ar ato, Robb rs
A t pec t S ht e
t. Th ints Re s. was s dams, Ei don X-Fig
go
t t h a t even ets 65 po ner of the ated point e a s o n A n
a g l ers s ate e Lo
r up ll win cumu Fight petitors N wn at th
runne , an overa of total ac l l X - m o
n
seaso t number d Bu 2 co owd rash
e s e 2 0 09 Re grid of 1 e final sh a n asty c the
high f th the r th had got
a l r o und o Amongst ualified fo t R e beaud e Madisson wdown
n s . q Ma bbi l sho
The fi crazy fan Rebeaud w inner is title. Ro r the fina
r o s s a t o n o
c
moto ison and
M seas ing h ce f
d s o verall lly defend self a pla gh
M a d
. X - F i e r
ght uccessfu ring hi m
f a c e d tou e
event 08
nd 20 his hopes oints and
of s secu He
ams. Sherwoo dium.
d. Th
e r a e A d ”
rid ing ep Nat Kid e po
Swiss final end ning mor m e rican i “Rubber place on th
gt h e ye a r A
durin of Sato b ms. by Lev nd
s won er rookie d him seco
e r
bett t Nate A d a w a
event ew Zelan Kid” bagg
d e filled
n s t e r s n i n jury ters
agai -Figh old N ubber . a
s fromd Bull X-F ed it as
igh
o n d on X e 17 year by the “R e podium A d a m e g
h
The Lon from th displayed nded off t er’ 9R
estroy of the 200 nd acknow was a gre ll
led at
t i t i a n c e r o u e D
e
comp nt perform nni Torres e ‘Th phy in a aid it vera
i l l i a D a k f o r Nat mpion tro ll season w huge he s d second o
br sh rid
er ebac l cha overa e was cupie
Spani r a b l e com the overal d with his e pressur ddison oc
emo on late ng th Ma
t w a s a m r he also w as visibly e r. Admitti ld. Robbie
I n fo dw aree wor .
0 0 8 seaso 25 year ol nt of his c ers in the the podium
2 e e est rid
n. Th evem ng off
seaso eatest achi ainst the b to roundi
a
the gr to win ag ith Eigo S
i n g w
feel slot
pion
cham

52
It’s easy for a motocross rider counted among ‘The world’s top
12’ to jump over anyting in style even if it’s the Royal Palace
Guard
The Battersea Power Station at London hosted
the final round of the 2009 Red Bull X-Fighters
International tour and was spectated by around
17,000 motocross crazy fans

This picture gives us a fair idea of how high and how far The Battersea Power Station surely became the mecca for
these motocross gladiators could fling their steeds in an all Motocross lovers in London where the X-Fighters event
unparalled show of skill, daredevilry and showmanship was held for the first time in history

53
The intricacies of a freestyle Motocross jump is This photograph has been taken from the judges
captured by the lens of a slow-mo camera arena. Apart from a bird’s eye view from the top
deck of a bus they also have an individual screen
to view the replays while awarding points

Once the bubble bursts, it dosent stop quickly and

is hell bent on spraying at every beautiful thing in U.S. rider Nate Adams sure took home the overall
its path. Right blokes? winner and the London event winner trophy. Apart
from them we are not sure if any blondes also
accompanied him home

54
Riding high
Words Dhairya Gupta Photography Tanmoy Mookherjee
 R
“ isin’ up, back on the street, October 2009
Did my time, took my chances,
Went the distance, now I’m back on
my feet,
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast,

You change your passion for glory,
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past,
You must fight just to keep them alive.”

These lines from ‘Eye of the Tiger’ very much

describe my trip to “Chanshal Pass.” The only
difference being, that it did not involve Sylvester
Stallone or a boxing match, but instead, it involved
me, my Pulsar 200, a friend on his Avenger 200
and a long weekend ahead. With this, we set off
on our adventurous weekend ride.
We left from Delhi via NH1 till we reached
Ambala; then took NH 22 to head to Khandaghat
and turned towards Chail. Though this road is
narrow and prone to heavy traffic, it’s a very scenic
route. The road meets the NH22 again at Kufri
which got us back on the smooth wide curving
road until Theong. As soon as we took a detour
towards Rohru, the road conditions transformed
from a MotoGP racetrack into Paris Dakar Rally.
The Pulsar 220 passed with flying colors in
all tests. On straight NH1, it was cruising with
composure while on the curvy roads after Kalka
it swiftly made its way through every corner. On
the off-roading terrain, the rear tyres provided
enough traction and the suspension was serving
its purpose with great aplomb.
At the end of day one, we reached Kotkhai
and checked into the PWD guest house. Next
morning, we left for Rohru, had a long lazy
breakfast there and got back to our endeavor to
conquer Chansal Pass. From Rohru to Chirgaon
the roads were good but on reaching Tikri, we
were greeted with loose sharp stones, mud, steep
gradients and loose gravel.
Thanks to our lazy start in the morning, we
were running behind schedule. The treacherous
road conditions here do not call for high speed
riding, but for patience and caution. Short
distances were covered way behind the estimated
time and anxiety about reaching our destination
was setting in. We decided to keep a constant
56
pace and took as few breaks as we could. October 2009
My Pulsar 220 DTSi was serving its purpose
of an off roader now. I was a bit skeptical though,
about the softer compound rear tyre which is
not really designed for such road conditions.
However with the amazing torque, I could get
out of mud section without having to put my
feet down.
Amidst concentrating on the road, the bike
and my riding, I took a breather to look around.
I found myself surrounded with gorgeous
snow clad mountains in front of the meadow.
Suddenly, all the torture I experienced on the
ride so far vanished and it all seemed worth it.
I took out my cell phone to check for any
calls or messages, and the first one I read, was
from my friend on the Avenger- “Had a fall,
foot rest broken, waiting.” At first, he had made
up his mind, of not pushing the bike to its limit
and calling the ride off. But with a little pep talk
from me, reminded him of our purpose of the
ride and soon he changed his decision and got
back on his steed.
Thereafter, he caught up to the point
where I was waiting and together we made our
way through the beautiful vistas which start
appearing about 4km before Chansal. The road
conditions also improved slightly hereafter.
Finally, on reaching Chansal we celebrated with
a customary pose at the entrance.
With sun setting down fast, we geared up to
descend from Chansal. The ride downhill was
much faster but equally challenging as the rear
wheel started to spin and fishtail due to lose soil.
The total distance from Larot to Chansal and
back which is about 38kms, took us more than
four hours to cover.
Once back in Larot, we stopped at a small
dhabha to get some grub. Couple of rounds of
hot chai and Rajma Chapati, felt heavenly after
long hours of riding throughout the day.
We were considering retiring for the day in
Larot, so we ventured out to a forest rest house.
Sadly, it was under renovation and the only
functional room, was occupied. A kind villager
offered us an alternative accommodation;
however we changed our mind and decided to
ride further closer to Rohru. This would mean,
the next day would involve fewer kilometers to
57
 October 2009

cover and more time to click snaps. After

trying our luck in four different towns for
a room, we finally checked in a hotel in
Rohru.
Next morning we made our way
through Rohru- Baggi- Narkanda route.
The distance was not much, but the road
conditions made it seem longer. The route
is mainly used by the commercial vehicles,
and making your way through these heavy
vehicles and narrow roads proved to be quite
challenging. Nonetheless, the ride was very
scenic.
After reaching Narkanda we stopped for
a quick bite and headed on to scale the Hatu
peak. The 7kms road is flanked by pine trees,
smooth tarmac and lots or hair pin bends-
A biker’s dream! Once at the top, we were
greeted with some of the most scenic views
we had ever seen. We could see clouds below
us rising up through the mountains. Just
then the sun began setting in the horizon,
behind the snow clad mountains.
We didn’t really have the heart to leave
from this place, but we realized the ride
downhill would only get tougher once it
got dark, so we geared up and got on our
bikes. After scaling down from the altitude,
we checked into a nearby hotel and crashed
for the night. The next day we rode back to
Delhi feeling happy, satisfied and with big
grins on our face which we know, will last
for a long time.
58
JAIPUR
October 2009

inaugurates the 2009

T
he first round of the

Gulf Dirt Track Challenge

2009 Gulf Dirt Track
Championship took
place at Jaipur on 13th
Septmber. The event was organized
by Sportscraft (Mumbai based)
in association with Action Sports
(Jaipur based). Dirt track racing
involves competitors racing on
each other specially laid out gravel
and slush filled track. There were
15 different categories for riders to
compete against each other in at
the Jaipur round. The organizers
deliberately introduced the various
categories to encourage more
participation from dirt track
enthusiast and novice racers.
Pramod Joshua bagged top
honors at the Jaipur round by
winning in four races. He faced stiff
competition from his team mates
K P Arvind and H K Pradeep. The CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:
TVS Racing team rider in two An assortment of action shots of the competitors from the 1st round of the 2009 Gulf Dirt Track
Challenge
races each of Indian Expert classes
for Indian motorcycles upto 260cc
and Indian Expert Class for foreign
motorcycles upto 260cc two &
four stroke. H K Pradeep tried
every trick in his racing book to
out-perform Joshua but eventually
had to settle for second place in
three events.
Local entrant Abhishek Mishra
successfully exploited a Yamaha
RX 135 winning two races in the
Private Expert Class for 4-Stroke
bikes upto 260cc. Shamim Khan
astride a Kinetic Marvel won the
open event for Scooters. Despite
having no team or sponsor
backing he successfully held off
the advances of both Joshua and
Arvind. R Murthy won two of the
three races in the novice class for
4-Stroke bikes.
59
KOLHAPUR
October 2009

Dirt Track Event

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP:

Competitors gun for a hole shot - Jagjit Singh power wheelies his Yamaha to showcase his triumph - Kannan Naidu (right) and Jagjit Singh (left) of Team
Wheelieboy Racing pose proudly with their medals - Kannan Naidu receives the Ist runner-up trophy in the 2 stroke Novice category

T
he Kolhapur Dirt Track race organized by Pune based motorcycle rallyist Snehal Chavan memorable outing at Kolhapur with two of its riders
the Residency Club and Mohite Racing was adjudged the Best Overall Rider. He rode on bagging four trophies. Jagjit Singh put up a strong
Academy was held at the Sasne Ground. It unchallenged winning the 2 stroke Indian Expert fight for first place in the Indian Open Class but
was originally supposed to be organized by Class and the merged2/4 Stroke Class. He finished ultimately had to settle for second place. He also
Sportscraft as the 2nd round of the 2009 Gulf Dirt second in the 4 stroke Indian Expert Class. Chavan took home the 1st runner’s up trophy in the 2 stroke
Track Championship. The results of the Kolhapur also competed in the Activa class finishing in second Private Expert class. While Kannan Naidu finished
round will be not be considered in the Gulf Dirt place. third in the 2stroke Private Expert class and was
Track Championship. Team Wheelieboy Racing had an another placed second in the 2 stroke Novice category.
60
 October 2009

VETERAN WARRIOR
After earning name and fame in the world of Indian motorsports, Shreekant Apte is gearing
up to return the favor by making the next generation’s entry easier.
Words Pradeb Biswas
Photography Eshan Shetty/Archives

61
B
orn to a motorsport had podium finishes at hill climb
enthusiast father, he races too. He won the Motorcycle
candidly accepts racing Hill Climb event in 1979 and
bikes and cars is in finished third at the1980 MASA
their family blood! As a kid Hill climb event. To better his
he accompanied his dad who riding skills he even attended a two
took part in various race events day Brands Hatch Racing School
throughout the 50’s and 60’s. It in July 1980. He also participated
inspired him to take a plunge into in the 1980 Himalayan Rally and
racing which he eventually did in the first National Motocross Grand
1976 by competing in a race held Prix held in 1982.
at the Juhu Aerodome. The second He hung up his racing boots
race event that he competed in was in 1984 owing to a crash which
at the famed Sholavaram race track left him with permanent disability
in which he finished second! Since on his right wrist. One can’t say CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT-
then he has competed in around that he has taken complete sanyas the current state of motorsports their families know as public perception Mr. Apte at the start of the Sholavaram Bullet class
race (No 4) - In action at the IARC Scramble held at
175 events including the likes of from the world of motorsports as infrastructure in the country, he coyly about racing was that of a very dangerous Vikroli,Mumbai - On board a BSA 500cc Shooting
motocross, autocross and circuit he is still associated with it but admits that it is still premature and not sport. It used to be a humorous situation Star at the start of the Four Square Kings Scramble
racing on steeds ranging from a at an organizational level. He is when parents would get to know about - Receiving the award at the Four Square Kings
of international standards. He feels that Scramble event.
Jawa to a Royal Enfield, Yezdi, currently the President of MASA a lot of effort is called of to improve their kin’s racing exploits owing to the
BSA, Honda 250, to a BSA 500 (Mahrashtra Automotive Sports the racing infrastructure. He is of the winner’s picture being splashed in the
Shooting Star which especially was Association) and is associated with view that the government should take sports page of a newspaper!
his personal favorite. the FMSCI (Federation of Motor concrete steps to promote motorsports He appreciates the role that media
Shreekant Apte was a regular Sport Clubs of India) as Director by offering land to established racing has played in making the general public
podium finisher at all Sholavaram Western region and Senior Racing clubs to build race tracks. He is quick more aware about racing. Earlier people
Grand Prix’s from 1977 to 1982.In Steward. to point out that over the years the thought that motorsports was very
a racing career spanning 8 years, he When questioned about racing scene has indeed become more dangerous and should be completely
professional and competitive. avoided. Nowadays the media attention
Shreekant is still reminiscent about has made people aware that racing
his racing heydays when fellowship and is a safe sport provided all rules and
enjoying oneself at each race was of regulations are adhered to. It has also
utmost importance. In those days racing brought about a change in parents’
camaraderie used to be at its best and attitude who can be spotted at various
it wasn’t taboo for racers to help each karting events supporting their child’s
other with riding techniques. Of course racing urge.
tuners weren’t your average friendly folk Inspite of having a very good
and would always keep mum about number of race wins under his belt for
their tuning methods. With the current himself Shreekant Apte still has a racing
quality and talent of the top racers in the dream to realize. He yearns to give back
country he is expecting an Indian rider something to the sport by building a
entering the elusive world of MotoGP racetrack and giving life to ‘Tej Racing
within the next five years. School’ someday in the outskirts of
During his racing heydays Pune. He is confident that it would be
sponsorship opportunities were non- a nice way of giving something back to
existent. Racers needed to possess an the sport which has given him a racing
innate ability to beg, borrow or steal to identity! We heartily respect his desire to
survive in the financially draining sport. be always associated with motorsports
He still vividly recalls around 10,000 hard without taking a sabbatical and wish
earned rupees on every single outstation him luck in realizing his remaining sole
race. Many of his motorsport buddies racing dream.
would take part at races without letting 62
 October 2009
This month Motoroids caught up with ‘Roadshakers’ - the Royal En-
field club from Pune. Here’s all the important information about this
club.
1. When and where was the club formed?
The club, Roadshakers, was formed in Sept 2001 in Pune when
like minded people like Sachin Chavan, Kiran Jois, Rohan Pim-
pley, Santosh Kumar, Stepehn D souza , Pawan Amberdekar,
Chandrshekar Wyware and few others came forward with this
concept of forming a Bullet club.

2. How often do members meet up?

We meet up every Wednesday at 8.00 pm on Pashan road op-
posite B.U.Bhandari Shoowroom. Discussion about weekend
rides & induction of new members is followed after a small city
ride.

3. Which aspect of riding is the group more into?

We support all aspects of riding- be it cross country, weekend
ride or sport riding. We actively participate in all kinds of riding
and racing events held in the country such as the Drag Race,
Dirt Race, Raid-de-Himalaya, the Sjoba rally and events on the
Chennai and Coimbatore race tracks.

4. What distinguishes this biking group from others?

Being a part of this club is not as easy as others. One just can’t
be a ‘ROADSHAKER’. We have a system in place which every
new member has to go through and earn his place in the club.

5. How many riders are currently associated with the

group?
About 300 plus.

6. Where is one most likely to see the group in action?

Every Wednesday at 2100hrs from Pashan- University Circle-
Senapati Bapat road- Bhandarkar road-F.C road.

7. Is there any biking hierarchy within the group?

No. Everyone is treated equally.

8. Are there any requisites to joining the group?

Yes. You need to own a Royal Enfield bike; a valid riding license,
medical insurance & proper riding gear. Other than that, you
need to be a passionate biker who is willing to gel in with the
other members and contribute as an individual to the club.

If you are interested in joining this group, drop in a

mail to uttamauto@gmail.com

If you want your biking group to be featured on

this page, drop in a mail to clubs@motoroids.com with your
group’s pictures and answers to all the questions above
Ohlins Chronograph:
Hamilton Khaki X-Mach:
Looks stunning doesn’t it? With those racy yellow dials, the old-school
pushpieces and the Ohlins branding, this is one watch that every biker Are you one of those crazy speedsters
will desire to don. But then it’s not all that easy to get. It’s not because who have taken their passion for speed
it’s limited to just 100 pieces, but becasue of the fact that it’s not for sale. way beyond the bikes and into the air?
This Citizen-powered time piece comes bundled with the new Ohlins If yes, then the X-Mach is the kind of
TTX36 rear shock absorber – a new unit for litre-class bikes, which now watch a pilot like you should desire to
benefits from MotoGP technology. So if you have a Yamaha R1 stand- flaunt on your wrist. It’s not a banal
ing in your garage and you desire this Ohlins watch badly, then log onto chronograph with a tachymeter ring
www.ohlins.com and order a set of the TTX36 right away! around it, but instead a time piece that
incorporates a Machmeter within! A
Machmeter is a special flight instru-
ment that measures the ratio of the true
air-speed to the speed of sound. When
that ratio reaches “1.0” it means that
you are traveling at the speed of sound.
How cool is that? Design-wise the X-
Mach comes finished in a PVD-treated
stainless steel 44mm diameter casing
which straps onto your wrist with a
brown or black leather or rubber strap
– all designed to ‘look’ like carbonfibre.
Why not real carbonfibre then when
the X-Mach asks for Rs. 85,000?

Fila Ducati Shoe

A certain bloke called Olivier Henrichot has put his obsession for ‘Ducatis’ and
‘design’ to a wonderful effect. What you see in the picture on the left is the artist’s
impression of a Ducati-Fila shoe concept that is meant to look as stunning as the cra-
zily designed Ducatis themselves. The athletic shoe takes design cues from the Ducati
Monster’s Trellis frame while the shoe’s contours are influenced by the curvaceous
lines of the Monster’s fuel tank. We personally feel that it’s a stunning
job! But alas, Ducati has licensed Puma to put the Italian mo-
torcycle brand name on clothing and fashion accessories, so
this Fila concept may remain just a thought for a long time
to come. But still the design itself is so desirable that we
just couldn’t avoid it from reaching this page.

64
 October 2009

The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy has been one of the most prestigious road racing championship in the history
of motorcycles. But the 2009 championship has been one of the fastest ever with the top riders propelling If the content on the left hand side of this page wasn’t enough for you, then here’s something
their steeds to over 305 km/h! Since not many of us have had the privilege to witness the TT action, here’s a more that will blow you away – the TT 2009 On Bike Laps DVDs! As the name suggests, the
chance for all to relive the excitement and drama that goes around the 37.73-mile course - the Isle of Man: TT discs feature on-board videos from some of the most celebrated TT racers for 2009. Watch these
review 2009 on DVD or Blu-Ray by Duke Video. As always, the media combines incredible camera angles, fearless racers zoom past trees, walls and pavements at speeds as high as 300 km/h and still not
aerial footage and on-bike action to help you understand how and what happens throughout the TT week. break a millimeter of their concentration. Spanning across three volumes, these DVDs bring you
Hi-Motion camera captures spellbinding ultra-slow motion sequences make you watch the high-definition Blu- rider-eye-view of the practice and/or race laps of racers like John McGuiness, Guy Martin, Steve
Ray content times without number. Don’t believe what we say? Then check out the trailer right here: Plater and side-car racing expert Tim Reeves. If you have already seen similar video angles at the
MotoGP races, then these DVDs will make you realize why the Isle of Man: TT is one of the most
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OTpL0Jw9L4 dangerous motorsports in motorcycling history.

65
 October 2009

ACID TEST New gear, more often than not will work perfectly. We tell you what state it’ll be in after it undergoes some hammering

Eshan’s Daijya kintaro helmet

Too much wind noise at high speed is a bother for our shutterbug

I have been using the Daijya Kintaro helmet for over an year now. The helmet cost me more
than 5000 bucks back then. While I am generally happy with the performance of the helmet
when compared with most of the Indian and some less expensive international brands, the price
I have paid for the lid leaves a lot to be desired. First of all the wind noise at high speeds is a tad
too unnnerving. I start getting whistling noises within the helmet at speeds as low as 50-60 km,
and the sound becomes quite an issue to handle once I cross the 100km/h mark. That said, the
quality of materials used is quite good and various components like the shell, the visor and the
inner padding have withstood the test of time rather well. One common problem that I have
witnessed among Daijya helmets is the breakage of the fastener button at the end of the strap. I
have seen the buttons of most Daijya helmets (including mine) fall apart in due course of time.
I am generally happy with the finish and materials quality of the helmet. However, it could have
been much better in the engineering department.

Rohit’s Spidi Strada

Inspite of being subjected to rough use for over a year, it still continues to amaze him.

‘Strada’ in Italian stands for ‘Street’. The Spidi Strada glove hence, in simple English would mean
a street glove, or gloves meant for road use. This product borrows some of the safety elements of
Spidi’s high end racing gloves, while being extremely comfortable for everyday (street) use. I have been
donning these gloves for over an year now and boy they have impressed me!
What I particularly like is their fit and finish. I ordered these gloves online without trying them
out. I simply referred to the sizing chart and the fit has been perfect. With over 12 months of
rough use, there is still no hint of tear or stitching coming off. The reinforced palm section
has not shown any signs of wither yet – which I can’t claim for some other branded
gloves I have used for an equal duration. The extended cuff has been doing a good
duty in preventing the rain from entering the glove. On the Fireblade trip I last
month, I fell in love with the perforated bits around the glove which facilitates
air flow to keep the heat away from the palm. Really came in handy in the hot
weather around Bangalore and Comibatore.

66
ACID TEST October 2009

Gauri’s Hero Honda Karizma No One’s Royal Enfield Bullet

I O
thought my Pink Bullet attracted a lot of attention, but a Yellow Karizma, in spite of being 6 years old ur good old friend Gurpreet Singh Pahwa flew away to the U S of A about a year ago and
now, is still a big head turner! Or maybe people are just amazed at the sight of a girl riding a 223cc left his Royal Enfield Bullet with us. While Gauri Lokare, being the ardent Bullet fan she is
machine. But that’s the beauty of the bike – its compatible with all sexes. Its been over six months would have loved to use the Bull with pleasure, there was a problem. The RE machine was
now since I have been using this bike for my regular commute and an occasional road trip when the carrying a Rajasthan number plate and everytime she would want to take it out for a ride a
Editor grants one. But never has this bike broken down even though I missed a regular service by a good cop would catch her on the very first traffic junction and then she would be poorer by 100 rupees. So
2,000 kilometers. we decided to keep her resting until she got its registration transferred to Maharashtra.
But that reliability apart, there are some twitches that have irritated me. The most common one is the In the meantime, we once decided to make the biggest biking blockbuster of all time - Motoroids
‘starting’ problem. For some odd reason, I have to, have to, open the fuel filler lid, shake the tank, shut the ki Jwaala, and we required a Bullet for the shoot. All that the good old Bullet required to get her heart
lid back on, in order to get the bike cranked up. I have complained about this problem to almost every HH throbbing again was an oil change. It ran like a dream for the entire shoot, after which she was dutifully
dealership in Pune, but no one found a permanent solution. Next is the bad quality of plastics. I thought parked back in the Motoroids garage. Since the Bullet still remains a cop magnate and is largely ignored
only my Bullet had a problem with body parts going loose. But the Karizma is even worse! They don’t go unless we require it for a photoshoot, its been feeling very sad and lonely. Pradeb Biswas, our Bengali
loose, they break apart! In the last six months, I have spent more money on buying sellotapes than beer. babu and the bike, however are spotted together quite often as both of them are disowned from all
Rohit tells me that he used to face the same problem with his old Karizma as well and the only work around circles. Pradeb of late is particularly isterested in heap of trashed bikes around our office - seems like he’s
was to religiously change the tail-panels every six months like you change a tyre. planning to buy an old M80 for the 3000 rupees he received after selling off his old Pulsar. The Bullet
Speaking of the tyres, the tube-type tyres are a big let down. If you want to go on a road trip, you have in the meantime is sad again having lost her soulmate. We are looking for a capable vehicle registration
to change to tubeless tyres unless you want to be stranded with a flat tyre. The rear tyre is still ok, but the agent who could transfer the regsitration papers of the Bullet to Maharshtra without any hassles. If you
front will go flat within a few kilometers of riding off road. To make matters worse, till date, I haven’t found know someone, do let us know.
a single pair of tubeless tyres in the 18” configuration – so if you know where I could get a pair, let me
know. But once on the highway, I forget all these pesky problems – and almost fall asleep on the smooth
ride.

67
 Tech Speak
Monoshock Front Suspension
Report Mihir Gadre

Norman Hossac aboard his 1979 Hossack BMW

What’s wrong with conventional telescopic causes tank-slappers. namely by improving the rigidity, lowering the
forks? Inspite of being aware of all these problems, weight, lowering the polar moment, and killing
Firstly, telescopic forks turn brake loads into bike manufacturers, basically the Japanese stiction. Among the 5 different designs options that
dive and limit the wheels vertical movement. big 4, having invested millions into R&D of he had, Hossack implemented the one which he
When a tyre is stopped too hard and it loses telescopic forks are reluctant to shifting to could with the limited resources at his disposal. He
traction, the energy stored in the front spring different systems front just like our own Bajaj modified a Honda XL500 in 1979 and it worked.
of a telescopic system is suddenly released and & TVS are reluctant to shifting to a monoshock Race bikes running this new suspension won races
it punches the tyre further making the chance rear. and he thought that manufacturers would soon ditch
of regaining traction nearly impossible. So then what was the solution? the inferior telescopic forks for the new design. But
Secondly, the forks are akin to a bar bending Back in the mid 70’s, Norman Hossack, a that didn’t happen. He didn’t count on the inertia and
between fulcrums. It suffers pure bending German engineer set out to bring some new negativism of the motorcycle industry.
loads. Hence the forks have to be extremely thinking to motorcycle design. He left McLaren BMW the German perfectionists!
strong and thus heavy. This not only increases with a wealth of experience seeing how racing Germans have always been known for their
the unsprung weight (the enemy of suspension cars developed and how Formula 1 addressed incessant need to be at the pinnacle of engineering
engineers) but also increases the polar moment their technical problems. He addressed the excellence. BMW Motorrad is responsible for a lot
of inertia which sustains the ‘headshakes’ and very basic problems of motorcycle suspension, of developments in motorbike suspension. The first
hydraulically dampened telescopic fork on a production
motorcycle (1937), the longitudinal swinging arm
(1950), and the long-stroke telescopic fork (1970).
They seem to think that just because a particular type
of suspension system is favored by the Japanese, and
sold on hundreds of thousands of motorbikes every feels weird to the rider as he has to get used to the lack of any brake-
year doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best option. dive.
Telelever Duolever
In 1993, BMW introduced the telelever Never being satisfied with resting on their laurels, by 2004
suspension. It completely separates the braking and BMW decided that telelever could be improved even further, and
suspension forces from the steering force. The telelever introduced the ‘Duolever’ on the K1200S. Duolever is an evolution
uses a single strut/shock unit in place of the telescopic of Norman Hossack’s double wishbone / parallelogram suspension.
forks. Telelever still has front forks, but now they only Geometrically it is a double wishbone system. Some of the BMW
serve the purpose of making a stiff front sub-frame, engineers must have been mighty chuffed as they now finally have
and to allow the rider to steer the bike. The strut/ a double-wishbone type suspension, both front and rear.
shock unit is connected to a wishbone which itself is In duolever the pivoting links and springs are not steered. But,
connected to the frame of the bike at the back via a the physical link from the handlebars to the suspension is radically
yoke, and to the cross-member of the forks at the front different, involving a hinged link. If you look at the image here,
using a ball joint. When you hit a bump with telelever, you’ll see the front suspension is completely independent of the
the suspension forces are transmitted through the ball steering, with the two only being connected by the hinged link at
joint, across the wishbone and up through the strut the top. The link is used for turning the bike.
/ shock unit into the frame of the bike. One of the Hossack’s attempt to revolutionize motorcycle design did
biggest advantages of this system is that there is no finally make it to a production bike in the K1200S. But it left him
brake-dive. The design of the Telelever effectively out in the cold as the K1200S made his debut right after his patent
reduces fork flex under braking to near zero. It actually had expired.
CLUTCH TALES by

* Check out the August issue of Motoroids2 to get introduced to the characters of Clutch Tales and to catch up with the story thus far 69
70
71
72
73
74
75
 HARLEY-DAVIDSON October 2009

Report Mihir Gadre

This month we get enamoured by the rich and rather long history of the yankee HOG.

A
fter years of plotting and planning, Harley Davidson finally 15,000 bikes during WW-I.
announced its plans of an official entry into our country last month, By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in
with sales commencing by next year. This month we delve deep into the world with dealers in 67 countries. The V-twin, which had grown from
the history of this iconic bike manufacturer from the states to try 50 cubic inches to 61 for 1912, was joined by a 74-cubic-inch version in
and find out what makes this ‘distinctly American’ motorcycle manufacturer 1921, the first of the famed ‘Seventy-fours’. This was followed by the debut
so popular. of the characteristic ‘teardrop’ tank in 1925 and of all things a front brake
It all started in 1901, when a 21 year old William S. Harley designed a in 1928! In the late summer of 1929, Harley-Davidson introduced its first
small 116 cc engine. His childhood friend Arthur Davidson and his brother ‘Flathead’, the “D” model, which remained in production until 1948.
Walter Davidson helped him build a motorised bicycle in 1903. With valuable Expert’s estimate that around 300 motorcycle manufacturers had come
experience gained from their first project, the boys immediately began working up in the United States, but, only two survived the great depression, Harley
on a new and improved second-generation machine. The bike sported a 405cc Davidson and its arch-rival the Indian Motorcycle Co. The depression did
engine and an advanced loop frame. The prototype finished fourth in a local however take its toll on the company. Sales plummeted from 21,000 units
The Legendary Harley-Davidson shield logo race and thus emerged the first ‘real’ Harley Davidson motorcycle. In 1906, in 1929 to 3,703 in 1933. Despite those dismal numbers, Harley-Davidson
Harley and the Davidsons built their first factory on Chestnut Street (later proudly unveiled a new lineup for 1934. In order to survive, the company
renamed as Juneau Avenue) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This location remains manufactured industrial power-plants and built a three-wheeled delivery
the Motor Company’s corporate headquarters even today. vehicle called the Servi-Car, which remained in production until 1973.
In February 1907 Harley displayed its first V-Twin at the Chicago Auto Despite the flathead’s virtues, Harley-Davidson felt a more advanced
Show. Harley’s sported quite a few innovations in the early years. Harley motor would be needed to keep the company competitive in the coming
introduced one of the industry’s first clutches in 1912, chain drive in 1913, years. The “Knucklehead” OHV engined models were introduced in 1936. It
a two-speed rear hub in 1914, followed by a proper three-speed transmission lasted only a dozen years on the market but its influence was far greater than
for 1915. Thanks to the Harley’s trademark grey paint and the motors’ the figure would imply. It formed the basis for all Big Twins produced since,
reputation for refinement, they got the nickname ‘Silent Grey Fellows’. a legacy that can’t be ignored or forgotten.
Production increased rapidly from 8 units in 1904, 50 units in 1906, 450 Harley-Davidson again produced large numbers of motorcycles for the
in 1908 and to 1,149 machines in 1909. By 1914, Harley had built a huge US Army in World War II. The company produced over 90,000 military
factory and production had grown to over 16,000 units. motorcycles, many to be provided to allies. The U.S. Army asked Harley-
Harley had been selling their motorcycles to the police forces since 1907 Davidson to produce a new motorcycle with many of the features of BMW’s
and made a huge contribution to the American war effort by supplying side-valve and shaft-driven R71. Harley largely copied the BMW engine and
The ‘Silent Grey Fellow’ circa 1910s

of the very first ‘Seventy Fours’ of the 1920s. The ‘Flathead’ Model D introduced in 1929 The “Knucklehead’ which made its debut in 1936
76
 October 2009

drive train and produced the shaft-driven 750 cc 1942 Harley-Davidson updated with many of the Evolution’s features in 1986. Since the advent of
XA. It remains the only shaft-driven Harley-Davidson ever made. the Evo, Harley-Davidson has produced a host of special models, many of
Harley introduced the Hydra-Glide telescopic forks in 1949. So which sold out before hitting the showroom floor.
monumental was this innovation that the company referred to the bikes
themselves as Hydra-Glides. In1952, Harley introduced rear-suspension Buell
and a foot operated gear shifter for the first time on its bikes! Minor Harley-Davidson’s association with sportsbike manufacturer Buell
alterations were made over the next several years, but it wasn’t until 1965 Motorcycle Company began in 1987 when they supplied Buell with fifty
that a major step was taken when riders were finally treated to the luxury of surplus XR1000 engines. Buell continued to buy engines from Harley-
electric start with the introduction of the Electra-Glide. The ‘Electra-Glide’ Davidson until 1993, when Harley-Davidson bought forty-nine percent
name continues to this day. of the Buell Motorcycle Company. Harley-Davidson increased its share
In 1969, AMF bought the company, streamlined production, and in Buell to ninety-eight percent in 1998, and to complete ownership in
slashed the workforce. This resulted in a labour strike and a loss in the 2003.
quality of bikes. The bikes were expensive and inferior in performance,
handling and quality to Japanese motorcycles. Sales declined and the MV Augusta & Cagiva
The 1965 ‘Electra Glide’ company almost went bankrupt. Harley worked with Italian partner Harley-Davidson recently acquired the MV Agusta Group for $109M
Aermacchi to produce the single-cylinder four-stroke, the 250cc ‘Sprint’ USD giving it the rights to the high performance MV Augusta and the
in the early 1960s. However, these bikes were Harley-Davidsons in name lightweight Cagiva brands.
only, and proved harmful to the company’s image more than the profit they
brought. Present-day Scenario
In 1981, Harley-Davidson executives regained control of the company Harley-Davidson sustains a loyal brand community which keeps active
from AMF. Some heavy restructuring followed with the adoption of through clubs, events, and a museum. Licensing of the Harley-Davidson
modern technology. Rather than trying to match the Japanese, the new logo alone accounts for almost 5% of the company’s net revenue. It operates
management deliberately exploited the “retro” appeal of the machines, the Custom Vehicle Operations division, which makes special editions of
building motorcycles that deliberately adopted the look and feel of their Harley models with larger engines.
earlier machines and the subsequent customizations of owners of that era. Today, Harley-Davidson occupies an enviable position in the business
A new rear suspension system that looked like the hardtail, but actually world. Demand for its products far exceeds the available supply. Because
pivoted, with springs mounted underneath the bike was introduced. dealers and buyers have both been left wanting, the company is striving
Harley termed it the Softail frame, and it was soon fitted to a wide variety to expand production in the coming years to satisfy the appetite of
of custom machines-and still is. enthusiasts.
The Evolution V2 engine arrived in 1984.The Sportster’s V-twin was
The ‘Servi-Car’

The 1959 ‘Sportster’ A much relished ‘Softail’ with a hidden rear suspension Harley’s Sports model, the XR750. 77
 October 2009

Just in case you thought we ever

work...

No
helm Ami
t
the et is to , the
h e ad, p
are
j u the rotect
hand st fo glove
s
that s. Oh r you He’s tryin
g
r
Kum a rider wait, i No, we’re to look romantic
ar? Man s serious! with that
flower in
oj his hand.

Jeevansathi profi
le
again and spirit pic Handsome, fair, 24, sm
filled from resp art, spiritual, bo
beautifull from ec rn
heart, age and re table family seeks medium lady
ligion no bar. ,

you got!
n, show me what
C’mon little esha

Pradeb had
a sked Amit
for one of h
is kidneys..H Mihir, Pradeb and Amit go head on, to compete for the ‘I can pee the
ence, the ex
pression! Pradeeb rides pillion with the Ghost Rider! furtherest’ title
 October 2009

! What was he
a sm all br ai n on a smaller bike
Small bloke with
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. thinking?

Poor peop
le
rainfall. C from Rajasthan. Ju
ome back st
to the rea lose it on witnessin
l world A g even the
ndy slightest

The ongoing exorcism process for Team Motoroids, performed by

Get a room...Rash!! Amit!

in heat!
She offered Rash a cuppa chai for free to hitch a ride on the otted two grasshoppers
Fireblade! Yeh, Eshan, we know you can fit your puny frame almost anywhere! Am it had just sp 79
 October 2009

Would be most glad to do so!

Whatever happened to good old billboard, print or television
marketing!

Alright! Point noted!!

Phewww!! Seems like the owner suffers

Err, No, Thank you! Already got one set at home! from the ‘raging bull’ syndrome! Reservation quota for garbage disposal???!! 80
 Think you can get crazier than October 2009
this? Send us your crazy pictures
at Crazyworld@motoroids.com and
we’ll feature them here along with
your name.

Disclaimer : The pictures in this feature have been procured from the
Internet and are not owned by Motoroids

Circus trafficking- Now, that’s a first!

We wonder when the organs started perspiring!

Sure, why not?

Well, I believe a tad bit. Will that work? Bathroom etiquette for Dummies Yup, we got the best of both worlds 81
 Write to us
For feedback, suggestions, complaints, spy pics, or just to say hi - letters@motoroids.com

Letters to the editor - amit@motoroids.com

Whacky snaps for Crazy, Crazy, World!! - crazyworld@motoroids.com

Think you have a great article at hand? Send it to us, we just may feature it - features@motoroids.com

Your bikes’ / biking / travel snaps at - bikers@motoroids.com

For getting your club featured in Moto Clubz section - clubs@motoroids.com

Let us know about the achievers in the biking world at - spotlight@motoroids.com

For marketing and advertising queries - marketing@motoroids.com

To unsubscribe: unsubscribe@motoroids.com

MOTOROIDS AUTO INFOSERVICES PVT. LTD.

103, Pushkaraj, S.No. 83/2,
Ratnadhara Complex, Opp. Indira Kids School,
Postal Address Baner Road, Pune - 411007 © Motoroids Auto Infoservices Pvt. Ltd.
All rights reserved.