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