Yamaha’s Sales Performance For October 2011

Following an overwhelming response for the Yamaha’s latest offering – The YZF R15 Version 2.0 which was backed up with the seasonal festivities, India Yamaha Motor clocked a growth rate of 26.8 per cent in the motorcycle sales during the month of October 2011 as compared to the corresponding period the previous year.

The company totally sold 47,240 units in October 2011whereas it was able to sell only 37,251 units in October 2010. In the domestic front, the company sold 38,229 units in October 2011 as compared to 31,791 units sold in the same month last year, which accounts for a growth of 20.3 per cent. Talking about the company in the export front, the figures stood at 9,011 units in October 2011 while 5,460 motorcycles were exported in October 2010, accounting for a growth rate of 65per cent.

Commenting about the above mentioned performance, Mr. Jun Nakata, Director-Sales & Marketing, India Yamaha Motor said, “We have established a firm foothold within 150cc+ segment in the Indian motorcycle market with the R15 version 2.0, FZ series & SZ series gaining much traction and getting accolades from our esteemed customers. The new R15 has been very well received in the market with bookings superseding the supply. The festive season has also played a vital role in catapulting sales for Yamaha this month. We are confident that the momentum will sustain in the long run and help us in redefining our sales graph.” So, we get to see how confident the company is about its flagship model R15 V2.0 in the sub continent.

Yamaha continues to reinforce its relationship with the customers and has launched the ‘YES! YAMAHA’ campaign that endeavours to provide the Best 3S Experience so that the customer always appreciates Yamaha”. Yamaha being a company that is synonymous with performance bikes known for high power delivery, the company is making continuous and consistent efforts by conducting consumer-centric marketing initiatives such as Yamaha R15 One Make Race, apart from organizing Yamaha Safe Riding Science (YSRS) for college students & kids. Through this campaign, Yamaha tried to inculcate safe riding techniques by offering exclusive tips for the young riders.

Video: 2012 KTM 690 Duke Teaser

Austrian bike maker KTM has released a teaser video for its flagship model 690 Duke. The 690 Duke is considered to be the most powerful single cylinder bike across the globe.

The 2012 model of this bike will sport twin-spark cylinder head, ride-by-wire throttle and an optional Bosch ABS brakes. The bike is designed to attract the younger generation of bikers, which is why the bike has adopted most of its design cues from its youngest sibling – KTM 125 Duke.

The 690 Duke will more likely bear a price tag of about £6,000. The model will also have a new structural fairing on a sub – frame manufactured under high pressure. The headlight’s design and the body graphics are the most appealing and visible changes of all. The max power of the 2012 KTM 690 Duke will be in the range of 64 – 70 bhp.

With a lotta bikes in the mid range (600cc+) entering India, it can so happen over a period of time that the 690 Duke enters India. But, it is however to be accepted that it all depends on the success of the Duke 200 which is gonna be the first KTM for Indian market.

Time for an Exclusive Indian Ducati – Monster 795

I’d earlier reported sometime back that Ducati has very well understood the potential of Indian market and had decided to tap the market by coming up with an Asia specific model and as reported it’ll be the ‘Monster 795’.

As soon I posted this a couple of months back or so, a lotta people expressed their interest in getting their hands on this bike. For them, owning a Ducati was something they haven’t even dreamt of. Now, they felt that they too can own a Ducati at a price unimagined by them. This, I felt is true to a greater extent.

The Monster 795 is expected to be in the price band of INR 5 to 6 lakhs, which means that that it’ll compete head on with the Kawasaki Ninja 650R, Hyosung GT650R, Hyosung GT650N, which is the recently launched naked version of the existing GT650R and HD 883 Superlow, though it falls in an entirely different segment compared with the other models mentioned above.

The Monster series of bikes from Ducati came to inception in the year 1993. It was designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi and the usage of Trellis frame added structural efficiency for the bike, which became a massive hit across many nations of the globe. The year 2005 was an important one for Monster. It was in this year, Ducati Monster’s sales accounted for over half of Ducati’s worldwide sales.

To let know a few details of the Ducati Monster 795, it is basically a fusion model of two Monsters – Moster 696 and Monster 796. The chassis of 795 is more likely to be that of 696’s. The model will incorporate a conventional swingarm unit rather than the usage of a single-sided swingarm for cost effectiveness.

The 795 is more likely to be powered by the 803cc Desmodromic L-Twin 2-valve per cylinder air-cooled motor which powers the successful Ducati 796. This simply means that this model will not observe a lag in terms of Engine. It is capable of pumping out a whooping 87PS of power @ 8,250rpm and 78Nm of torque @ 6,250rpm. Transmission for the Monster 795 will be a six-speed gearbox. The bike will weigh about 167kg. This is pretty low compared with other models in this category.

This model is Asia specific and was unveiled in Malaysia by MotoGP racer Valentino Rossi who rides for Ducati now. In order to achieve price competitiveness, it is more likely to be either built completely or assembled at the company’s fully operational plant situated in Thailand. It is to be mentioned here that this facility is just a year old. The Asia-specific Ducati Monster 795 will go for sale in nine countries viz, Thailand, China, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore.

So, what do you think will be the scope for this product in India? Is this the kind of bike India is waiting for? Will Ducati mark its presence in India with the all new Monster 795? Leave your comments in the form of words below.

A while ago we conducted a ownership review contest where we promised to give away a sum of Rs.10,000 worth of riding gear to 3 winners. We received more than 30 reviews for this contest and this contest was the best contest we ever conducted.

Now the time has come to announce the winners of the contest. Based on various factors such as writing quality, image quality, user response etc. we have filtered the top 10 reviews of this contest. We need your help in deciding who are the 3 winners.

You can refer to the list below for the links. And below the list we have posted the poll.

Video: 2012 Suzuki GSX1000R

Owning a Suzuki GSX1000R Video or ‘Gixxer ‘as it is commonly referred to as is my long time dream . In fact, I even work on plans to buy this at some point of time. For me, if it’s a perfect track machine, it has to be the Gixxer. The white and blue colour scheme is the best I’ve ever seen on a bike and I spend time looking at it wherever I see this.

Suzuki has already shared its details of the 2012 model which is now an old news. I found this video when I was browsing and found it pretty impressive. Moreover, the entire video features my favourite colour of this bike. Here, I share this video for you all to enjoy. The video of a bike which invites to own a track!

How do you like this video and the bike in particular? Leave your thoughts and comments in the form of words below.

Honda CBR 250R – Review & Road Test

Every single bike maker in India has atleast one product in the 150 cc segment. This is the reason why there is a fierce battle right here in this segment, just like the Premium hatchbacks in the four wheeler passenger car segment.

Taking the present scenario into consideration, 250 cc bikes are the very next leap for those who are fed up with the (traditional) 150 cc bikes. India, at present can only boast with two 250 cc bikes and the best part is that both these bikes are Japanese by nationality. One being the Kawasaki Ninja 250R and the other being the Honda CBR 250R, both being International models and successful as well.

I, for BikeAdvice reviewed the latest offering among these two which is the Honda CBR 250R. Here, in this post I have consolidated my insights along with incorporating the bike’s review.

It’s Not Infatuation, Its Love @ First Sight!

It’s very mandatory for a bike to impress the rider, right at the very first sight and not every bike does it well. The Honda CBR 250R has got that hot looks to tempt you to get your hands on her. I would not say that the bike is completely sporty and is capable enough to boast about its size. The visual looks are really cool and Honda has proved the point very well that it’s not the body graphics which determine the looks of the bike. There are two powerbikes from Honda that can be seen within the CBR 250R. The front fairing of the bike is the exact replica of the VFR 1200F and the rest of the body gives you a feel that you are in a bike which is inspired from CBR FireBlade. It’s in fact ideal to mention this bike as ‘Baby FireBlade.’(How is BFB? It’s a TLA – Three Letter Acronym!)

The design of the bike is not perfectly racing inspired, but offers the best of looks. The two tone colour scheme is made standard in all the three colours available in India. The colours of this bike also reminds the VFR 1200F. The VFR is available in 2 colours schemes and both these schemes of Candy Prominence Red and Seal Silver Metallic are as such incorporated in the CBR 250R, though there is an additional colour of Black as well. The CBR 250R is one of the few bikes in India which looks stunning when seen from any angle, irrespective of it being front, rear or the side.

Impressiveness Of The CBR 250R

The Honda CBR 250R is very impressive in almost every single factor that we’ll talk about in the following paragraphs. The exhaust shape is very gorgeous and the stainless steel coating on it adds beauty to the beast.

Engine

The 4 stroke Liquid cooled engine with a displacement of 249.6 cc does a brilliant work under the frame. It aids the bike in providing a smooth ride without any vibes observed, thereby paving way for a brilliant riding experience. It offers a power of 25 bhp, which makes the bike really fun to ride and despite the fact that the CBR is to be pushed with full throttle at higher gears, I loved revving up the bike in first and more in the second gear.

This is exactly where the power is felt. As in the case of every high performing bikes, the CBR 250R is also fitted with Fuel Injector and to be even more specific, it houses the PGM-FI system which is Honda’s FI incorporated in most of its bikes across the globe. This aids in the bike’s decent fuel efficiency despite its high displacement. Riding it for just a short distance is enough to make you realize the power and potential of this bike. The engine alone (as most of your would have known by now) has as much as 9 patents registered. Honda’s engines are always highly trusted across the globe and the CBR 250R is no exception to it. I was able to feel the heights of engine refinement as I tested her.

Size is Inversely Proportional to the Handing

This is the most interested part any review writer would be interested in. I rode this bike along the open highway at both low and high speed, apart from the regular Bangalore city traffic too. The bike is capable of handling brilliantly, irrespective of where you ride this gorgeous woman. Along the highway, its well designed aerodynamics minimises the air resistance considerably if leaned forward and this can be clearly felt (and enjoyed too!). It’s size is inversely proportional to the handing. Would anyone believe when I say this? But, it is true. The machine is pretty big but handling is comfortable to the core. The wheel base is another important reason for the bike’s stability at high speeds. It never makes you feel scary. The cornering capability of this bike is also stunning. Agsin, the wheelbase makes the tyre gets gripped on to the tarmac, thereby offering a great cornering experience. This made me feel that I’d rather tested this bike in Chennai or Coimbatore so that I could have tested this ‘Baby FireBlade’ in the closed track, which is yet another ideal place for this beast.

Experiencing The ABS

The bike I tested for BikeAdvice is the top end variant with ABS. It was indeed great fun to ride a bike with ABS. If you wanna experience what precise braking ever means, this is the machine to be tried. Get your foot set on the brake pegs, hands on the clip-on and throttle her up and up and up. Then you gotta brake her hard. You’ll notice that the bike comes to an instant halt without pulling the front wheel up. Oh, that was great man. I tried pulling the front disc when I was at 120 kmph and what I saw was amazing. Within a fraction of a second, I saw the digital speedo showing 72, 48, 22 and the bike halted.

With a Combined – AntiLock Braking System like this, the confidence within you will increase manifold when you rev up this bike along the open highway. Coming to the wet road part of it, there was a small patch or road along the Bangalore – Mysore NICE road which was wet (It is another different story that I went hunting for a wet road for miles together just to brake the tyre). Everybody knows the fact that the bike would not skid and that’s what the ABS is for. But, I’ll have to also tell you that the braking was as precise and smooth as it can be on a regular surface. This C-ABS adds another feather to the Honda CBR 250R’s crown, apart from the rest of the features that this bike boasts about. To end with, lemme tell you that ABS cannot be disabled in this bike unlike the Apache RTR with ABS.

Instrument Cluster

The Instrumental cluster is neatly laid out and the design matches flawlessly in the gap between the headlamp fairing and the clip handlebar. The speedo cluster is a combo of analog and digital meters. The major area is covered by the Tachometer which is the only analog meter out here. The rest is all digitalised. The silver coloured finishing adds more beauty to this machine. The best part about this cluster is the Blue backlight that is offered by Honda.

This makes the meters look very clear even when the bike is being used in the night time. It has a fuel meter, speedometer, trip meter and a clock. But, there is one small feature which disappointed me. Unlike every other bike here, the CBR 250R houses only one trip rather than two in most other bikes. But, there are lotta people who don’t make use of the second trip, so this should not be an issue for them. But, for someone like me who makes use of both the trips during long drives. But still, it’s unworthy of blowing this issue now. The clock is very utilitarian and kudos for that. The headlamp is another factor on this bike you can really depend on. The 12V 60/55W H4 lamp offers confidence to you during night rides and this is one area where many bikes lag.

Speedability

I know that there is no word like this (Speedability) but still it conveys what it intends, right? Well, this bike is capable of touching 100 kmph within short strips, which is enough boast about its ability. I pushed this bike to 148 kmph and the bike didn’t just seem to pant and puff.

There was still a little throttle left but the traffic flow grew over a period of time which restricted me from pushing her still. There are users who have crossed 150 mark with this bike, which clearly proves that speed is just not at all issue to be worried and hence this is an apt bike for ‘SpeedManiacs’ who consider Speed as an important criterion. The rear tubeless tyre with a dimension of 140/70 17 plays its role very well here.

City Slicker or Racer or Cruiser?

This is the most difficult question to answer. Hmmm, but still lemme try. The bike is capable of commuting easily despite its heavy size. But, why do you need a 250 cc bike for merely commuting within the city limits? But, surely for the other two options mentioned, the CBR 250R can carry both of them very well.

Yes, its amazing cornering ability combined with the high performance delivering engine, it can bring out the racer inside every biker. This bike is also an amazing cruiser. The reason for this is its seating position which leaves you with no back ache at the end of the day. It is also to be specially mentioned that neither the engine nor the body parts vibrate at any point of time and at any speed as well. This aids in better dependability of the bike which is very mandatory for a bike used for long rides.

Negative Deeds

Despite all the above mentioned appreciations for the bike, there are also a few drawbacks that are to be rectified by the company (atleast) over a period of time.

• The sound of the horn is something which is not at all suited for this bike. How did the company even decide to install this horn, man?
• I observed heavy vibration along the fuel tank is too high once the key in inserted into the slot and is turned on. The meters in the console are the point of origin of these vibes which will have to be rectified by Honda. You’ve managed to design an engine which doesn’t vibrate at high speed, then why can’t you do this minor thing?
• The rear part of the bike lags foot peg for ladies. That being the case, what is the point in having saree guard? Of, course, the company has got nothing to do with this issue.
• I observed the fit and finish of the bike in two different coloured bikes. In this black one which is tested, the quality of the plastic doesn’t appear to be too cheap as it matches perfectly with the colour scheme. However, when it comes to the red one there are signs that the plastic quality all along the body could have improved and so is the finish of the bike.
• Honda could have installed LED lights for the rear lamps. Looks pretty outdated when it come to this factor.
• The Rear View Mirror looks too dated without any exclusive shape. Could have worked on it.
• The rear seat is too slippery. Like the R15 V2.0, the CBR 250R too should have come up with slip resistant seats.

Specifications

I am least interested in boring you guys with a detailed spec sheet out here. Here is the link which will navigate you to the Honda CBR 250R’s spec sheet.

Colours

The Honda CBR 250R is presently available in three colour schemes in Indian sub continent. All the three schemes are unique in its own way and the three schemes are

• Candy Ruby Red with Accurate Silver Metallic
• Sword Sliver Metallic with Accurate Silver Metallic
• Asteroid Black Metallic with Accurate Silver Metallic

Price

The ex – showroom price, New Delhi for this all rounder is INR 1,43,001 for the standard variant which doesn’t house ABS and INR 1,68,001 for the ABS variant. The respective on – road price, New Delhi are INR 1,56,903 and INR 1,84,185 respectively.

Verdict

Finally, India has got the bike which is a perfect all rounder along with the peppiness to make the rider go mad as he rides this mean machine. Though, the cons of the bike are few in number, the delay in waiting period adds woo to the customer. It is high time for Honda to concentrate on this issue and resolve it as efficiently as possible.

Rating:

BikeAdvice Score: 4.5/5 and I’m happy in offering this bulk score for the Honda CBR 250R.

BikeAdvice thanks Mr. Diwagar from Bangalore for having shared his Honda CBR 250R with us to come up with a detailed review of India’s (once) most hyped bike.

Ducati 795 – The Affordable Ducati Bike for India

Ducati India seems to have plans of launching an affordable bike to tap the huge potential in the Indian market. The company recently entered the Indian soil with a range of bikes, but all are too expensive and I just reported yesterday that Ducati is planning for an Asia specific 795. Now, ACI claims that this might be the bike for India and there are chances that this particular model with strike the market by this month itself.

The Ducati 795 which is a naked motorcycle will be more likely priced in a band less than the Monster 796. The new bike will inherit Monster 796’s DNA when it comes to design factor and performance of the bike.

ACI in it website has claimed that ‘The 795 will benefit from lower import duties for being assembled at Ducati’s new Thailand plant that goes live shortly. However, don’t think of this as a cheap Ducati, for the 795 will retain complete Ducati quality standards in terms of design, engineering and performance.’

Ducati’s plant in Thailand will solve the purpose of assembling the components which will be engineered and imported from Italy. Coming to the engine, it will be brought from Borgo Panigale factory located in Bologna. Also, majority of the components for the bikes assembled in this plant are from Europe as well.

The Monster 796 sports a L-twin, air-cooled and twin valve engine with a Desmodromic valve train with a power output of 87 bhp. The new bike will most probably be able to generate a lower output than the exiting Monster. The engine will be tweaked to match the Indian riding conditions. What is also expected is a trellis frame with a dual side swingarm on the Monster 795 instead of the 796’s single-side swingarm.

October 20 – 21 will see the Malaysian GP, which is when the new Ducati 795 might be launched, though there are no official announcements about this launch. The bike will be priced in the band of 5-6 lakhs, Ex-Showroom. Ducati presently has four dealers in the country and it will need better network if an affordable bike like this is launched in India. So, the Italian major is planning to add three more dealers, thereby making the number of dealers of Ducati to seven.

If all this comes true, there are really great chances for Ducati to tap the market out here. The dream of Indians to own a Ducati is now at an arm’s length. Hope it turns real. Keep following us in order to get to know more about this all new bike.

I now feel our readers will have a lot to comment and share about this news. Leave your thoughts in the form of words below.

Source : ACI

Regards,
M.Raja

Yamaha R15 Ownership Review

About one and a half years ago, I was sitting in my room alone and thinking of getting a new bike. I was still in college then and drove around in an old Bajaj Calibre which used to belong to my father. As I searched the internet for second hand performance models and cheaper new bikes, I found a very interesting deal.

A Yamaha R15 was up for sale. It was only a year old and the owner needed immediate cash, so he was selling it for forty five thousand only! I was delighted to say the least and immediately called home. I asked my parents for the money and they simply refused. They even made it a point to make a joke about it by offering me five thousand to buy the bike.

I checked my account balance and it was only rupees six hundred and ninety seven. I couldn’t sleep that night. I had to come up with a way to get her. I always liked the Yamaha R15 but at over a lakh I always thought she was out of my league. But I was determined to get her.

Over the next few days I laid an entire plan which would help me earn the money over the next 4 months. I sold some of my old stuff and put the money into a small business. I also started teaching 3d Max software and worked freelance on architectural visualization projects. (I was studying to be an architect back then). I worked for it morning to evening ran, my own business and taught students.

4 months had passed. I was considerably thinner and richer by fifty thousand. I went home and eventually made my way to the Yamaha Factory Shop (YFS) in Kolkata. My parents didn’t know anything about my plans and they were shocked after learning that I had amassed so much money in such a short time.

Now the Yamaha factory shop is a super showroom. They have hundreds of each model in stock and if you are lucky you may catch an R1 or MT-01 in the servicing area. On the first floor on the display pedestal she stood in all her sleek black glory, my Yamaha R15. I named her right then, sweetheart.

Adjusting to My New Bike

If you are moving from a commuter bike to a R15 the first thing you notice is the different riding posture. The legs go back and the hands move a little forward, giving you the racer feel. The six gears are also there. The gear ratios are very different as well. In the initial stages I tried to get attuned to the engine sound as that sound tells you when to shift.

Being an NFS fan, I am very fussy about the ‘perfect shift’ as it gives you that high adrenaline pick up. I rode my bike for a few hours every day, tuning myself to the machine and it was very smooth at all times. As the bike was doing its first 500 kilometres I never took it over 70.

That is what the manual recommends; 4000 rpm at 6th gear gives you the speed of 60 km/h. I am one of the rear people who actually believe in reading the manual. After the driving it for over the first 500, I took it over for it’s first servicing and coming out of it I hit 100 km/h for the first time. No vibration, absolute stability and that continuous drone of the engine. Absolute bliss.

Advantages

Yamaha has probably said everything about this bikes features. You can all go over to the manufacturer’s website to take a look. But what does it mean to the end user? First of all, the six gears make it suitable for power and mileage modes. Just take it to 50-60 in 6th gear and it should give you over 45 km/l.

Or go to the over hundred mark on 6th gear and blow the wind and gas at the same time at only 30 km/l. I have done both and they both have their own advantages. The bike is very stable at high speeds and even in corners. Probably the best in cornering barring the Ninja. Don’t let the thin tyres fool you; they hug the track like glue.

All round pick up is very good, provided you shift well. The dual headlights are very useful in the dark highways at night. In the looks department, I have nothing to say. Always pulls eyes, always people ask about the price and mileage as well! (It’s India, after all). Whatever shortcomings the first one had the version 2.0 makes up for it.

Disadvantages

Firstly the rear tyre is great on track but unstable off roads or roads with pebbles. In India, depending on where you live this may be a problem. Shouldn’t be much of big deal if you live in a big city. Secondly, the power band from 4000 rpm. Some people say that the bike feels sluggish on 2000 rpm mark. I say if you shift right you can overcome most of it. But, yes there is a problem of power lower down. Go above 4000 for unleashing the little monster.

Spares can be a problem Specially the fairing. Many people the fairing of R15 and put it on their bikes. The most common one is Fazer with R15 cowls. But I have seen Pulsar 220, Pulsar 180, CBZ and even a TVS Victor with R15 fairing. So parts can be a problem if you manage to damage them in a minor accident.

Accidents

I have had one accident with my bike where a trashed the right side of the bike and the entire right cowls, footrest, and headlight plastic had to be replaced. It cost 3750, including everything. So repairs aren’t really very costly. The only problem is the parts. I found everything apart from the right main panel.

It actually took me 6 months to get them. (In the mean time I used the cracked one). The battery is really small and if you want to go for extra electrical accessories then you better watch it. You may fry the battery with Xenon headlamps.

Accessories

Yamaha provided original accessories for the R15. Apart from that you get a lot of aftermarket stuff. If you have the taste and the budget you can seriously make your bike look unique.

Note: The Yamaha accessories are really hard to get in showrooms.

Upgrades

I wasn’t too happy about the lower power band and I decided to do something about it. The Daytona performance kit was a dream as it is very hard to get in a Yamaha showroom. I had the money from the business which was started for the bike itself. I decided to go the whole way and buy myself a Two brother’s vale exhaust system. You can see that in the first picture or the video posted below.

After Effects

The boom is really loud. But that is not everything. Gear it up and it’s a different machine you are riding. The sound turns heads and your new found speed and pick up delight you. It’s almost like getting a new bike. Now the money I had to spend is considerable. You can get this from plannetdsg.com based in Pune. It’s worth it!

There was a time when I had to go to college every morning driving for over 40 kilometres. I always started from my home at 7:35 and reached before 8:00 am. I was never late, thanks to my beauty. In these early winter morning rides, I wore black leather jacket, black leather gloves, a balaclava and my red graphics helmet. I used studds then, now I have switched to an AGV. (Endorsed by Valentino Rossi).

In those trips I got to speeds at 134 km/h. Due to the loud boom of the exhaust cars would clear the right lane and let me pass when they saw me approaching. For one month I continued in this fashion and only once I was overtaken by BMW 5 series which was doing over 160!

Recently my bike turned 1 year old. Her birthday is 7th July. The relationship has been glitch free for the entire period she has been with me. Next year I might go for the big guns in an R6 when it’s launched. But I will not sell my true first bike, the one I bought with such difficulty. She is my sweetheart an icon of my youth and of my achievements.

PS: If you want to reach the high speeds with your R15, get an iridiam spark plug, a V.A.L.E. exhaust system, a K&N air filter. The Daytona sproket as well. Lean on your bike and shift at 7500 rpm. You will go over 150! Always ride safe, wear a full face imported helmet, and armoured jacket with gloves and boots. Happy riding!

Two brother’s exhaust R15 Video. I am there! With my loud bike!…

Regards,
M.Raja

TVS Apache 180 Ownership Review

My name is Akshit Saini And I belong to Hoshiarpur (the land of saints) in Punjab. I alway wanted to own different bike and wanted my bike to be a very special because for me owning a bike was me was a dream come true. And for me I had a philosophy that Four wheels move your Body Two wheels move your Soul becuse the sheer fun of riding the bike cannot be expirenced in four wheeler.

It all started when I was a small child I had a very less affection for bikes. But as I grew older My affection for bikes increased and my eagerness for owning a bike also increased. My father first owned a CD100 which I liked the most because I thought thhat riding a bike was one of the most difficult task in the whole world.

But I loved to sit on that bike all day long and in my free time I also used to clean my bike and on weekends I would go with my father for long drives on bike. First I started to learn the bike from my friend bike. And I was usally afraid from riding the bike.

Because I was confused between the clutch the brakes. But after riding it became a lot more easier and also a lot of fun than the traditional gearless scooter. And in the end I had more affection for the bikes than Scooter and my erg for owning the bike increased.

And from that day I was all day after my parents to own me my own bike but my parents refused and said you are not that young to ride a bike and said that in +2 they will get me a new bike as I was in +1 I had to wait for a whole year TO buy a bike. So I had a full whole year to decide about my bike. The first four bikes that came to mind was the Pulsar 220 dtsi, Yamaha r-15, Apache RTR 180, Hero Honda Karizma ZMR.

Comparsion Review Of The Four Top Indian Contendors

Bajaj Pulsar 220 it is the best loking bike in the market at presen with it vertical stacked projectors and the all alluminium exhaust and semi fairing. It 220 cc engine is very good and produces the highest power in it segment excluding the Honda CBR 250R and the Kawasaki Ninja.

Its engine is stress free even at top speed that helped it to became the fastest indian untill the Honda CBR 250R came and destroyed the competion. But even though every biker loved it because it was the fastest bike in under 1lacs. Even the Yamaha, TVS and herocant match the top speed of Pulsar 220.

I was in love with bike and madly fallen in love with the bike but my elder brother had also fallen in love with the bike and when I came to +2 class my brother bought a new Pulsar 220 dtsi and then I removed Pulsar 220 from my mind. And also when I searched for the bike on the internet there was a long list of problems which many Pulsar 220 owners had in their bike even my elder brother faced a lot of problems.

Next is the Yamaha r15 it is the bike in which I fell in love at first sight it was a mini R1 and it was a pocket rocket. It was just the bike which was just meant for racetrack as its short wheelbase helped in flicking the corners with ease and it aerodynamic body helped in straight line stability and less air resistace it was a perfect bike in every angle.

But the problem was that my mother dont liked the bike because at the front two headlmps she used it call it cats faced bike (please dont mind the r15 owners) and therefore she refused it to own me the R15 and even I was just againts the rear taillight and the front and the rear tyres because there just spoil the looks of the bike and the newwer version 2.0 is the best loking bike in the market and it has no cons inthe bike.

Next is the Karizma ZMR there is a nothing for which I shall had bought the bike except the looks and the reliability of the Hero Honda engine. And I was also to thin that I would so with the bike because it was the bike which was not meant for me. So I ignored the bike because it it suit me. Even though I had riden the bike and had falen in love with the bike because of engine refinement and the long crusing ability but I did not go for any long trips there fore I ignored the Karima ZMR.

Next and the last bike in my list was TVS Apache RTR 180 ever since I had seen the bike it was in the tv commercial of Apache 180 I fell in love with the bike the way the bike was shown in the commercial I fell in love with the bike when and I was eager to see the bike in flesh so I went to TVS showroom and I asked them to show the Apache RTR 180.

But they apologized that they didnt had the bike at present and you can see the Apache RTR 160 at it was available so as I had never ridden any Apache so I took a test drive of RTR 160 as soon I relesed the clutch the eagerness to move forward was a lot a lot than any other indian bike.

So I tok the bike to 25 at first gear 40 at secound gear 55 at third gear and 70 at fourth gear and didt had a chance to use the 5th gear even though I was a lot impressed with the bike and then I asked them that I wanted a test drive of RTR 180 they said they will provide me with a test frive on monday as their bike stock was coming on monday as it was saturday I had a one day gap.

So I was ever eagerly awaiting for the bike test drive as monday came I went to the showrom in the afternoon and I asked then for a test drive they smiled and said to wait for two minutes as they said the their srock came just now and after washing the bike they will provide me the test drive I was very eager to see the bike as soon as they washed the bike a TVS sevice person came to me and said that the bike is ready as soon I saw the bike my eyes widned it was just like it was shaped by angels and was powered by devils and the word that came from the bike was beautiful.

It was the best loking bike I had ever seen in the market and when I took the test drive it was far more better than RTR 160 and I fell in love with the bike and I said my parents that I wanted to own the Apache RTR 180 and also shon then the brochure and they agred but they said I had to wit for a long 4 months.

So I said them to book the bike and they agreed and the next morning my parents they gave me Rs3000 for the booking and I booked the bike in colour pearl white as there was a long 2-3 months booking on pearl white but I had to wait for along 3months for the bike after about exhat 3 months 2 days I got a call from the showroom that my bike has arived and you can come and take the bike delivery.

But there was about a month left to own the bike so I told the showroom that it would take some time for me to take the delivery and I informed them not to sell the bike and the agreed that they wont sell the bike.in the end I got my bike in feburary,2011 and a last I was very happy that I got my own bike.

About the Bike

The history of Apache starts from a 150cc bike which was the TVS Fiero. It was originally developed by Suzuki and it was basically developed at in japan and was tried and tested by the japaness. In fact it is the bike which is not like the R15 which is a scaled down version of R1.

But basically it is the engine which is tried and tested so as to develop only for the racing purpose and ever componet of the bike is tested so that it can withstard the high reving character of the bike and it can overrev in at top gear and no indian bike in the market can rev upto 12000rpm at stock onition but only Apache RTR 180 can. Here are some of the tecnologies of the TVS Apache 180.

Looks an Features

First of all when you see a Apache RTR 180 in white it looks a very different bike and because of its white colour it helps the bike to stand apart in the trafic becuse Apache 180 being the first bike to support the white colour other than that of the cops bike. Even though now the karizma R15 and others bikea had copied the Apache white colour.

But even though Apache white help him to look different. And also the commbination of the grey RTR stickers helps the bike to stand apart. Also at night the grey colour look the best and it shines like silver next diffence is in the cockpit of the bike the clip one are black in colour and same as that of 160.

But only differene is they are in black colur and the in centre plate of the bike there is the RTR 180 sticker which shines and shows that you belong to the racing tribe and there are change in the speedometer as the there is a white background and there is a huge circle with honey comb design in it and also there are thousands of derivation for the correct rpm setting next change is the blue light which looks the best and this helps it to stand apart than other bikes.

In the marketand also there are same special features in the speedomeer as it can save the top spedd and 0-60 times and it also has a service reminder so that it reminders you when to service the bike these features are not available in any other indian market. There are some minor changes it help to stand apart than RTR 160 some are golden coloured forks.

The neon white strip, the rear removable fender and the iluminted key ring also there is increse in the swing arm length and the change in the exhaust. So that delivers that same lod voice of the RTR. There is also the advantage of the handle bars as they are fully adjustable so that it can be adjusted accordingthe the riders choice.

Engine and The Performace

As I dissued you about the the technolgy used ithelps it to become the most powerfuly most torque and fastest bike in its category. The oversquare engine which helps it to produce 17.3ps of powerand 15.5nm of torque. The helps to to become the fastest bike in its segment. The bike dry weight is 127kg despite the fact the bike weight weight is 137kg with the 90% fuel and toolkkit. This help it to become 1kg heavier than RTR 160.

Therefore the power to weight ratio is the highest it category. Therefore it is not compared to Pulsar 180 but always compared to Pulsar 220. And according to the overdrive magzine it was the fastest of the three bike the Pulsar 220, Yamaha R15, Karizma ZMR to attain the fastest 0-100 times 0-60 times quater mile and even in braking test it became the fastest bike accept the top speed n which the Pulsar 220 and Yamaha R15 won. If in the comparsion of Apache and Pulsar 220 below are the figures.

	Apache RTR 180	Pulsar 220 Dtsi
0-60kmph	4.45sec	4.6sec
0-100kmph	13.1sec	13.46sec
Dry Weight	137kg	152kg
Top Speed	125kmph	144kmph

(claimed)

When you ride the bike for the first time you will release the clutch notice that Apache it has a lot f eageness to move forward. You will love to ride a bike like that. You will not even notice when you have reached the redline as the enfgine is so rev happy and it short stoke engine helps you to each the redline very easily and then when tou put the bike in 2nd gear the same rev happy character will help you to reach the redline in every gear even in 5th gear but if you rev it you may blow the engine.

On one day I was on the highway and the road was nearly empty. So I got a chance to rev the engine and in the first gear I was able to do 45km/h and on secound gear 65 in secound gear ad 90 in third gear and and austoushing 116km/h in fourth and 136 in fifth gear I was amazed when I got at that speed.

The car drivers had their face amazed when they saw me when I was over taking them. The bike cut through speed of 128km/h like hot knife through butter. But after 128km/h it takes time to reach the top speed. I also noticed that itcan easily cruise at a speed between 115-120km/h. Also the exhaust sound it is the best in 6k rpm. The bike being the power to weight ratio low help to attain that speed very easily.

Ride and Handling

Apache they are usally famous for their handling. The way the Apache handles is that no Indian bike have this type of handling it can corner like no other india bike can corner while in city or on race track. Due to Apache RTR 180 swingarm length thus wheelbase has been increased it gives better cornering experience at race track in city and better stability at top speed.

The bike can corner so brilliantly that once in hilly roads when I coned the bike the small steel which is used at the footrest it touched the ground and got scratched with the tarmac but it didnot can any imbalance. The city ride it is very comfortable the suspension setting of the rear shock absorber has 5 setting and it can be fully adjustable for hishay road it can be set hard and on bumpy roads it can set to soft and the applied accesory is given in the toolkit to adjust the setting.

And it quite a lot easy to set the supension setting. But the factory setting it set in the middle for the normal or city purpose. The tyres in the bike in the bike are made by TVS and they are the TVS srichakra and are the best tyres by TVS so for the fron tyre is 90/90 17 at the front and 110/80 17 at the rear and it is the first TVS bike to have both front and rear tyre tubless.

The TVS tyres are made from 42 compund which consist of both the hard and the soft compound. So the tyres are a lot long lasting than other brands like mrf or ceat. The RTR has both the front and the rear disk brake and they are petal disk and these disk radiate a lot of heat than ordinary disk.the disk brake are the best in the indian market.

And if the brakes arent applied correctly there may be chances of skiding and the brake applying distribution should be 60% front and 40% rear so as to expirence the best braking. The brakes have helped me so much that to helped me from preventing from accident. And I am very greatful to TVS for develping such an ausom brakes. But if in rains the bike can fail to work and so it is dangerous to ride in rains. Even though I have never faced any bike skid RTR any problem.

Rumors

One main thing which I want to tell to all the bikers that the TVS Tyres They Are Very Good in fact have found that my brother Pulsar 220 skidding in water but didnot find any skidding of TVS tyres so what ever the rummor is spread that TVS tyres are bad I am very much against it. And also ibike dosent looks small on any person unless you are above 85 kg and height above 6foot 5 inchies. I am myself 5foot and 10inches but the bike suites on me.

Positives

• Angine and its Performace
• Looks
• Handling
• Brakes
• Exhaust note or sound

Negatives

• The gearbox is notchy when ever I change gear from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd the gear it slips back or get struck in the nectral. Also a problem which I fouch was that there is two neutal in the bike when I change the gear half the engine can be reved like it is neutral. I said about this problem to the service centre but they did not care about the problem and say that this problem is in every Apache.
• Vibration in the bike are redced a lot but there occur at the speed of 65km/h to 70km/h and then they disapper. This is not usally a problem but they shall be removed for such a wonderfull bike because this has got a lot on disgrace on Apache RTR and therefore people buy other bike rather than Apache.
• The speedometer error when ever the bike attains a speed of excess of 130km/h the hi speed is recorded as 160km/h it is usally a great confusion created by the people that their bike goes to 160km/h. I myself experied this error a lot of times.but the 0-60 recorder is correct.

Verdict

I am very much satisified a TVS product. And TVS has created a bike keeping a detail on every pary on every design. TVS being the independent company has learned so much from their older bikes that now they have developed a motorcycle without much negativities.

And in the futire TVS will make their products even better and will rise above every bike maker in India. In the end I am very lucky that I have chosen TVS Apache 180 and in the end I always think that The Truth Is That The Machine Choose Me. Becuse it the bike which chose the rider not the rider the bike.

Regards,
M.Raja