Scoop: New TVS 125cc Bike Spy Pictures

TVS has been faltering a little in this race of a better volume seller. It was recently taken over by Honda in India. Taking stock of the situation the company seems to be working its way up now. Very recently TVS launched a cosmetic facelift of their Apache series of bikes, and now these spy pics pour in confirming a new feature rich 125cc bike from them.

New 125cc TVS Bike in 2012

If you remember TVS has displayed a smart looking 125cc Radeon bike at the Auto Expo hinting that there might be something on the same platform that they would be bringing in. From the spy pictures here, there are differences in the bike that is being tested and the Radeon displayed at the Auto Expo. There could be two things – either this is not the Radeon or these might be the production version changes on Radeon itself. Nonetheless, it must be understood that even Radeon was a replica of Jive with a green & white color and different badging.

We had also told you a few days back that TVS is planning to launch a 125cc bike to replace its Flame series which is not really a benchmark in terms of sales. From the spy pics, the test bike bears a little resemblance to the erstwhile successful Victor series of motorcycles. The black theme is followed all through the bike including the engine, swingarm, alloys etc. The biggest eyecatcher here are the petal disc brakes which we have seen in TVS’s Apache models and have been known to provide fantastic bite. We expect that TVS might launch this bike somewhere around August or September this year. Things will get clearer, along with its name soon as we try to dig in more.

Also, attached above is the picture of Radeon from the Auto Expo so that you can check out and compare the two bikes.

Will Harley Davidson Assemble More Cruiser Bikes in India?

Harley Davidson seems to be completely impressed with the Indian market. As of now, the company is enjoying the monopoly status when it comes to cruiser bikes. Though every single Japanese player has a model in this segment, nothing equals a Harley, right? The company is also playing the right game when it comes to pricing and hence the rate at which the company is seeing a northward trend is really amazing and cool.

The company is now seriously considering assembling more models in its Haryana facility which is located at Bawal. The specialty of this plant makes it very unique. This is Harley Davidson’s second plant outside the United States. The first one being situated in Brazil and the second one being this. That’s the way the company sees the Indian market and the growth that we’ve all been observing out here for quite a few years.

The US bike maker’s current Indian portfolio includes a vast array of 15 models, out of which 5 are assembled in the Bawal plant.  The company is all set and ready to go ahead with this decision after studying the market and the customer’s feedback on this. Commenting on this, Mr Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley – Davidson India said, “We are keen to start assembling more models at Bawal. But such a decision will depend on customer feedback. If there is demand for a particular model we might explore the option of assembling more models here in the country,”

Mr. Prakash had mentioned that assembling a few of the models locally would end up in cost reduction of the bike. In fact, this was the strategy adopted by the company in getting the price of one of its model – SuperLow which is the cheapest Harley in India as on date. Earlier, this bike was priced at a whooping 7 lakhs which was a lakh and a half higher than the current pricing.( Oh, my gosh! )

Harley Davidson Cruiser Bikes Sales in India

The company has managed to sell 1000 units in the Indian market so far since August 2009, when it first stepped into the Indian market. The response has been good and, in some places like Ahmedabad, we have sold more bikes than expected,” he added. The company does not reveal India figures or break-up of its region – wise sales. In 2012 alone, the company is targeting sales of nearly 1,000 units across the country. It has over 1,000 customers in the country. Market sources said that the above 800cc bike category was nearly 1,600 units in India.

Harley-Davidson Showroom in Goa?

The company has been firmly keen in opening up more dealerships along the length and breadth of the sub-continent. The company plans to open up two more dealerships in the cities of Kochi and Goa. “Typically, 30 per cent of our sales are from the smaller metros. And we will look to expand in other smaller metros soon,” Mr Prakash said. The one on the former city might see the inauguration by October this year and the latter by the last month.

Harley-Davidson currently has eight dealerships in India. Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh.

Now, will  the coming up of Triumph Motorcycles make the company recalibrate its whole strategy by putting itself more competitively? Let’s all wait and watch the fun game that’s all in the pace now.

Bajaj Platina 100cc: The rising star of entry level segment.

Bajaj Auto never intends to pave into 100cc segment and this is the sole reason, we have seen at least 125cc version of each 100cc Bajaj motorcycle (125cc Platina, 150 cc Boxer). This is also the sole reason why company exited this segment in the year 2007. The company also discontinued some of its successful 100cc motorcycles. However, soon it realized that the era of 100cc segment is not going to end sooner. Today, the gap between Bajaj Auto and Hero Motocorp is more than 2,50,000 motorcycles each month which was 35,000 units in year 2006.

Hero Motocorp vs Bajaj Auto in 100cc segment

During these five years Hero Motocorp has increased its presence in 100cc segment as Bajaj Auto exited the same. It’s the first choice of buyers in the 100cc segment.  Although the share of 125cc motorcycle is increasing and it account for 34 motorcycles per 100 motorcycles (according to industry statistics), 100cc segment will further evolve itself with recent new launches in this segment.  So, where Bajaj Platina 100cc comes into picture?

Bajaj Platina 100cc was launched in the year 2006 and it became runaway success with selling five lakh motorcycles in just 8 months of its launch. Soon, Bajaj Auto decided to exit 100cc segment and launched 125cc Platina. However, the 125cc Platina failed to fetch significant sales as compared to Platina 100cc. The company further re-launched 125cc Platina but it also failed and finally the company discontinued 125cc Platina.

100cc Motorcycles: Low Cost, Low Maintenance and great fuel efficiency

The bottom line of the above three paragraphs is, entry level segment still wants 100cc motorcycle and does not want to upgrade to 125cc or higher. Currently this segment is ruled by Hero Motocorp’s CD-Dawn and CD-Delux. However, the current sales trend suggests that Platina 100cc is gaining wider acceptability in the entry level segment. Last year Bajaj Auto’s average monthly sales of Platina 100cc was 30,000 units which has now jumped to average monthly sales of 50,000 units this year. This is despite of negligible brand promotion and advertising expense.  All these incremental sales are coming due to mouth to mouth publicity.

Bajaj Platina has now established as low cost, low maintenance and high resale brand. Most of the buyers are happy on their decision to buy 100cc Platina. According to them, the motorcycle requires very less maintenance and returns fuel efficiency of 65-70 Kmpl even after five years of use. The motorcycle looks decent in the 100cc entry level segment as the original design comes from Kawasaki Bajaj Wind 125. Overall, it is a good package in 100cc entry level segment.

Despite the above fact, Bajaj Auto does not intend to further invest in Bajaj Platina 100cc as far as engine or marketing efforts are concerned. The company will produce this motorcycle as per the demand of the market. Last year it capped its production to 30,000 units but this year the company has to increase the production due to rising demand. The demand scenario is going to boost only due to rising fuel cost.

Morale of the story:

Indian consumers want proven successful engine, good looks and fuel efficiency. Such two wheeler brands do not require much push on marketing front as these brands have proven itself over a time period. Discontinuing such brands may work against the company.

Yamaha to Offer World’s Cheapest Bike Priced at ~ Rs. 27,500

According to news reported by Hindustan Times, Yamaha India will develop a motorcycle which will cost as low as $500 (around Rs. 27,500 as per the current conversion rate).  The company plans to export this motorcycle in the African market where demand for cheap motorcycle is growing at a robust pace. Beside this, the company also aims to cater the entry level segment in India by launching the cheapest motorcycle. Currently, the 110 cc Crux is the cheapest offering from Yamaha India which cost Rs. 38,365. Hero Motocorp’s CD-Dawn is the cheapest motorcycle in the India at a price of Rs. 36,300.

Yamaha Low Cost Motorcycle for India and Africa

Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive officer and managing director, India Yamaha Motor  said “Our product benchmark right now (on cost) is the YBR 110 and Crux, but we would like to develop a bike in the low-cost segment for markets like Africa. The target is to make a bike that will cost $500 (about Rs. 27,500). I think such a bike will have a lot of demand in Africa as well as in India.”

Why all the two wheeler manufactures focusing Africa?

According to an estimate, there are more than 4 million two wheelers sold in Africa each year. Nigeria accounts lion’s share in the African region with more than 1.5 million units of two wheelers sold each year. The two wheeler market in Africa has grown at around 30% rate and it has still potential to grow at this rate for the next decade. Beside this, the African market is largely under penetrated due to low per capita income. It is not surprising to know that motorcycles are used as a taxi in Africa due to low per capita income.

Africa’s four million plus two wheelers market is largely penetrated by Chinese and Indian manufacturers. Japanese manufacturers have very less presence in this market. Bajaj Auto’s Boxer is the largest selling motorcycle brand in the African region. Bajaj Auto exports 60,000 units of Boxer each month to Africa and it is surprising to know that Boxer entered in the African market only six years back in July 2006.

No doubt, if an Indian motorcycle manufacturer can sell 60,000 units a month why not a Japanese manufacturer. Yamaha sells around 40,000 units of motorcycle (including export) from its India operation. If, it will capture 50% of what Bajaj Auto sells, it will add additional 30,000 units. This is nothing but representing 75% on its current sales in volume terms.

Will it be easy to replicate success of Boxer?

Boxer is much dominant brand in Africa now. In fact, it’s most visible vehicle in the city of Lagos in Nigeria.  It is also surprising to know that Boxer sells on 50% premium compared to Chinese motorcycles and it is growing at the rate of 40% in the African market.  Keeping this in mind Honda Motor Corporation of Japan had purposely developed ACE CB125 ($600 motorcycle) for this market. It was launched in the September month last year. However, it has failed to make any large impact on Boxer’s sales.  Bajaj Auto also enjoys very good distribution channel in Africa which is key to penetrate this market.

Apart from Bajaj Auto, Honda and Chinese manufacturers, Yamaha will have to compete with Hero Motocorp too. Hero Motocorp has very ambitious plan as far as African region is concern. It is also planning to set up an assembly plant in this market. Hence, it will not be easy for Yamaha to get runaway success in the African market.

Hero Motocorp’s fourth plant in India to hit by land acquisition delay

According to news reported by Hindu Business Line, India’s largest two wheeler manufacturing company, Hero Motocorp’s fourth plant announcement may take some time due to delay in land acquisition.  This is because of the last small plot which is yet to be acquired from the private parties.  Hero Motocorp’s new plant will come up on the land which is very close to General Motor’s car plant in Halol, Central Gujarat. The new plant is expected to spread across 300 acres.

Hero Motocorp New Production Plant in Gujarat, India

Earlier in March, it was reported that Hero Motocorp will announce its new plant in the month of April. However, due to above land acquisition delay the company has not made any announcement yet. One of the top officials of Gujarat confirmed that, the announcement for new plant will be made within a month as the development is in the advance stages. He also confirmed that the land issue will be cleared soon.

The new plant will come with an investment of Rs. 1,200 crore and it will have installed capacity of 2 million units. The new plant will focus more on export front upon which the company is working aggressively. Currently export account for 2% of Hero Motocorp’s total sales which the company intends to make 10% of total sales within 5 years. The company aims to export 1 million units in the next five year. The company will start exporting to Africa and Latin America from the current quarter. The company has currently installed capacity of 6.6 million units and it is expected to go up to 7 million units by July-August.

Triumph Motorcycles to Set Up a Plant in Karnataka

It’s been quite some time since we discussed about Triumph Motorcycles, the iconic British brand. The bike maker launched its breed of bikes at the Indian Auto Expo early this year. Now, the company is all set to open up a new plant in the state of Karnataka at Kolar by pumping in a sum of INR 215 crores.

Triumph’s proposal has finally got approved by the Karnataka State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC), they have approved the allotment of 30 acres of land at the Narsapura Industrial Area in Kolar district.

Triumph has already revealed the ex-showroom prices for its motorcycles in India, which are provided below:

Bonneville – INR 5.50 Lakh
Street Triple – 675 INR 5.75 Lakh
Daytona 675 – INR 7.00 Lakh
Speed Triple – INR 8.00 Lakh
Tiger 800XC – INR 11.40 Lakh
Storm – INR 17.00 Lakh
Rocket III Roadster – INR 22.00 Lakh

The company has plans to both assemble few of its higher end bikes and to manufacture a few bikes depending on the mindset of the Indian bike market.

Business Line had quoted, ‘The SHLCC meet chaired by Chief Minister, Mr. D. V. Sadananda Gowda, who cleared the proposal, has offered incentives and concessions as applicable in the industrial policy of the State, and has instructed to give employment to family members of the land losers.’

KIADB has also been instructed to supply 1.92 lakh liters a day (LPD) water and BESCOM to service power requirement of 4000 kva that would be required by the company.

With the company coming up with its new factory out here in India, it would prove a direct threat to  Harley Davidson and let’s hope that the competition only gets intense, by which we, as part of global  biking community will have more things to think and write about.

Bajaj Auto to increase its production capacity to 6.3 million units

According to news reported by Business Standard, country’s second largest two wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto is planning to increase its production capacity by more than 25%. The company has currently installed capacity of 5 million units (4.5 million two wheelers and 0.5 million three wheelers) which is not sufficient for next financial year 2013-14. The company aims to increase its production capacity to 6.3 million units (5.7 million two wheelers and 0.6 million three wheelers) to cope up with the increasing demand of its motorcycles worldwide. The company has set target of selling 5 million units worldwide during the financial year 2012-13.

Rajiv Bajaj, MD Bajaj Auto ltd. said, “For the current year, we have the capacity to produce and sell five million units. Investments have already been made at our plants. We are looking at increasing productivity to manufacture 6.3 million which will come on-stream next year. Our goal is only one. We have to become a bigger, better and stronger motorcycle manufacturer on a global basis. Our every move is aimed at going up the value chain. We want to increase our global market share while maintaining good profitability.”

The capacity expansion will take place across the company’s three plants, Waluj, Chakan and Pantnagar. The company will utilize its additional capacity for new global markets and new variants of Discover and Pulsar. Last year the company exported 1.27 million units of motorcycle across the world which is more than 33% of its total motorcycle sales.  The company aims to increase its export to 50% of its total production in the next few years. It is to be noted that the company’s export is increasing at 25-30% rate and it is adding new geography every year. Bajaj Auto has appointed new distributor in Mexico and it will start exporting to Argentina in the next six months.

Yamaha R15 Wins India Design Mark [I Mark] Award

Yamaha needs to be patted on the back for one best thing they did. I’m referring to their decision of bringing the R15 to India roughly about 4 years back. The bike set benchmarks in all aspects (including pricing!) and in fact this was the bike that proved the real potential of Indian motorcycle market. Today’s motorcycle enthusiast is spoilt for choices, but still demands more and more. One main reason for the huge success that the R15 has embarked is its styling and the physique which got even more sexier in the R15 V2.0 with styling cues borrowed from the R6.

Now, what makes me talk about this entire story? Here is the reason for having mentioned all this. The YZF-R15 has won the coveted India Design Mark (I Mark) award by the India Design Council.

The India Design Council is affiliated with India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry and is made up of eminent people in academia, design and industry organizations. Its India Design Mark (I Mark) awards program was organized with the cooperation of the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, organizers of Japan’s Good Design Award (G Mark), and preparations began in 2010. Adopting the same high standards as its Japanese equivalent, the submissions and judging for the first edition of the India Design Mark Awards was completed recently and the winners announced. Of the 71 applicants, 31 were awarded the I Mark, and the Yamaha YZF-R15 was one of four products from three Japan-based companies to receive the coveted award.

Commenting on this achievement, Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & MD, India Yamaha Motor said, “I am very pleased with this recognition that our flagship bike YZF-R15 has received. The bike which was introduced in 2008 has witnessed tremendous fan following and the upgraded version launched in 2011 only added more to an already great performing bike. This award not just realizes our efforts but also motivates us to continue creating more new and innovative products.

In a recent press release, Yamaha claims that, ‘In the Indian market where motorcycles are viewed primarily as practical forms of transportation, the YZF-R15 was launched in 2008 under a unique product concept that proposed the “fun of riding” as a new priority of value in a motorcycle. Its subsequent success as the first full-fledged “supersport” model in its displacement class succeeded in boosting Yamaha brand value in the Indian market significantly. In the autumn of 2011 the YZF-R15 underwent a model change that gave it an even sportier design. The model stands out for its body design based directly on the Yamaha supersport YZF-R series models, and is highly regarded for its sporty performance, comfortable ride and ease of use in around – town riding. ‘

About the products of Japan-based companies awarded the I Mark: The four products from three Japan-based companies that won the I Mark award this time are all products manufactured in India, and although they are the products of foreign companies, they received the India Design Mark (I Mark) award because of the recognition they have won in the Indian market. The primary purpose of the I Mark award program is to increase design awareness and promote value of design in the industry and society, to raise the demand for good design from users and manufacturers and improve the overall quality of life by encouraging good design. The award recipients are recognized for outstanding design that meets these criteria.

Now this should probe other manufacturers to bet with the styling of the R15 and come up with better products. But, for a true Yamaha Maniac, his heart would always murmur, ‘Yes Yamaha!’

Petrol Price Hiked by Rs. 7.50 per litre, Effective midnight

FreeStyle Motocross Action Sports event by X-Fighters Comes to India: June 30 in New Delhi

The FreeStyle Motocross action sports team Red Bull X- Fighters are all set to perform the bone chilling stunts in New Delhi on June 30. The event is labeled as the X-Fighters Jam and will feature the world’s finest motocross riders like Nick Franklin, Nick De Wit, Gilles Dejong and Jimmy Verburgh. The incredible show will be performed in Rajpath, New Delhi and will be accompanied by fireworks and music by popular DJ Artists.

The FMX(FreeStyle Motocross) event has been introduced in Asia by Red bull who is the official sponsor of the event, FMX  is hugely famous and enjoys the cult status in the cities they have already performed, recently X-Fighters have performed in Sri-Lanka and Pakistan too. This is the first time X-Fighters will be performing the gravity defying aerial stunts in India.

Learn more about the event history at their official website.

Here is one video of FMX to get you guys excited:

April Two Wheeler Sales down by 12.4% in Indonesia

World’s third largest two wheeler market Indonesia, has shown major fall in two wheeler sales for the month of April 2012 too. There are total 6,17,508 units sold in the Month of April 2012 which is down by 12.4 % compared to 7,05,165 units sold in the April 2011 as reported by Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI).  However, on the month on month basis the country has registered mere 0.35% fall in two wheeler sales. Last month there were total 6,19,678 units of two wheeler sold in the country. The sales is led by Japanese manufacturer Honda followed by Yamaha, Suzuki and others.

The first four month of 2012 has registered de growth of 5.27%. There are total 25,49,185 units of two wheeler sold during the period compared to 26,90,965 units of two wheeler sold during the same period last year. The country has registered de growth for the all the months of 2012 except in February when sales grew 9.2%. It seems that the target of 9 million units set by Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI) for the year 2012, will not be achieved. Indonesia’s two wheeler market is softening and the slowing sale is proof of the same.

Honda CBR250R ABS 1,000 KM Ownership Review by Ratan

Hey readers, I am Ratan, 19 year old guy from Mumbai.

First and foremost, a very big thanks to Bikeadvice forum for helping me inchoosing the right bike !!!

Before the main review, I would like to tell you guys about my short story on how I got my hands on the ceeber.

I am from a middle class family and I thank my parents for giving me this machine regardless of its price. I learned riding on my dad’s  5 year old Bajajdiscover 125cc which we still have. After getting the learning license, I told my parents about my desire to get a good sports bike. My first preference was the R15 v1 (that time v2 hadn’t launched), they told me that they will gift me the bike on my birthday on 31st December,  2011. I was very happy that time and since then I started some research on bikes and then on September 6th, R15 v2.0 launched. enquired from the showroom and they told me that v1 production has stopped and only v2.0 is available. The bike looks awesome but me and my parents dint like the rear seat because it is too small and has no grab rails for safety. so I decided to buy the HONDA cbr250r with ABS, after convincing my parents about the ABS and its safety , they agreed.

On 1st Jan 2012, we went to VENETIAN Honda showroom, took the test drive and booked the RED  cbr250r for Rs. 5000/- , they said the waiting period is just 20 days. I was very happy as it was a great start for the new year 2012. on 19th Jan 2012, I got a call from the showroom and luckily my dad was home that day. We both went , checked the bike , made payment of 1,90,477 and got the bike. I was a bit nervous so I told my dad to ride it and I sat as a pillion, filled 500rs petrol and we came home. this was how I got my mini fireblade.

Now comes the 1,000 KM review of the Honda CBR250R ABS

I have just completed 1000 km on the ODO. 1st service was done at 400 kms. Used semi synthetic oil as I had read on the net that full synthetic oil should be used after the bike is at least 4000 km old.

I will go feature by feature , telling about my ride and rating every  feature of this bike individually.

Honda CBR250R ABS Looks : 4 out of 5

The bike looks awesome (not as awesome as the R15 v2.0). Almost every person on the street turns back to see which bike it is. It is a joy to ride such a wonderful looking bike. the Red + grey combo rocks. Out of the 4 available colors (red , black , silver , HRC) HRC looks the best but red is the most noticeable and attractive color.
Quite futuristic exhaust , nice cockpit , fat tyres, large 296mm disc , large looking fuel tank , etc make this bike look one of the best lookers in the 2 wheeler market in India.

Honda CBR250R ABS Handling : 3.5 out of 5

The handling of the bike is good, I will give it 3.5 out of 5 because I find it heavy in traffic jams. I weight just 67 kgs and the bike weighs 167 kgs, I find it a bit difficult to ride on very slow speeds in traffic jams specially at 5 to 9 pm in the evening, but in corners it is amazing , I would say it is almost as good as the R15 in cornering, but R15 again is light weight so it handles better in traffic. I would rate R15 4.5 outa 5 in handling, but since CBR250R is heavy and a bit difficult in traffic , 3.5 is proper.

Honda CBR250R ABS Performance : 4.5 out of 5

This is one powerhouse, almost 26 ps power. Though the bike feels underpowered on 1st and 2nd gear, but as soon as you reach higher gears you can actually feel the power. The bike loves to be revved hard, I cannot explain it but you can only understand when you ride it at higher gears, the bike is amazingly powerful. It has a great mid end and top end but lacks the low end. It needs to be revved, you won’t enjoy it riding below 4k rpm, max powerband is at 8500 rpm and max torque at 7000rpm.

Honda CBR250R ABS Fit and Finish : 3 out of 5

Fit and finish includes the paint work , the welding works , nuts , bolts , and plastics. I am not totally satisfied with the fitting, specially the mirror bolts, my bike is of the new batch and hence there is no rusting problems and grab rail quality issues, but still the fit and finish is not up to Honda standards (it is good but when you spend almost 2 lacs, you expect top notch finish), the rubber material on the foot pegs are slightly torn, the paint work (black paint) on the clip on handles is not that great. The plastic of the fairings doesn’t seem strong (same in case of R15) or i guess I am expecting too much  so I would rate the fit and finish 3 outa 5 which is not that good keeping in mind the price I paid.

Honda CBR250R ABS Comfort : 4 out of 5

Quite comfortable bike, for the rider as well as the pillion. My mum and dad went mahalaxmi temple from borivali. It was a small 100 km up down total and they said the bike is very comfortable and is a joy for the rider as well as pillion. That time I thought that I made the right choice by not buying R15 v2 since it has no comfort for pillion and less comfort for rider. (I was a big r15 fan until they came up with a dangerous rear seat) I am 6 ft tall and I get no back pains, very slight pain in palms when I ride in traffic jams because continuously have to keep the clutch in friction zone and also because of a slight sporty seating posture.

Honda CBR250R ABS Mileage : 4 out of 5

Now by looking at the 4 star rating, don’t expect 50 kmpl, the bike gives me 27 kmpl mileage in city and 35 kmpl on highways. I rate it 4 out of 5 because for a 250cc , ~26ps performance machine, 27 kmpl in city is really really good. Before 1st service I was getting only 24 kmpl, but now i get 27-28. I mostly ride in cities, for long trips (100km+) on highways, my dad uses CBR.

CBR250R ABS brakes : 5 out of 5

The best feature of this bike is the brakes, made by NISSIN, so not much to explain here  . Mine is the ABS version which is made by nissin, the standard CBR  brakes are made by bybre and I dont know how good or bad they are, but my CBR’s brakes are just fantastic. The bike never skids, I’ve purposely tried braking hard on muddy type roads which have gravels, it does not skid, I have also tried applying rear brakes very harshly (didn’t have the guts to pull front brakes strongly on the road filled with gravels) and the bike stops very quickly without locking the tyres. I think ABS is a must on Indian below average quality roads in city. Roads on highways are comparatively very decent. Brakes is the part that I love the most in my bike. Safety first !!!

Honda CBR250R ABS Tyres :  2.5 out of 5

Indian CBR 250r tyres are provided by continental (contiGO).
The tyres look great but do not perform that good. It has just average road grip. While cornering, you wont feel confident. It “feels” the tyres are not holding on to the road very well while cornering. Apart from cornering , the tyres are decent..  but still , for the price paid, we expect real good tyres. MRF zappers are good, Pirelli sport demon is the best. Will buy Pirelli after 10,000 kms because now my parents won’t let me spend much on my bike 

Honda CBR250R ABS service centers : 2 out of 5

Honda seriously needs to take care in this area. I am not satisfied with the service, yes they changed the oil and oil filter .. thats ok.. but even minor parts are not available in the service center.
Actually, the bolts on my RVM becomes loose after every 100 kms, I don’t know how, maybe because of continuous vibes , the bolts loosen. The showroom person had told me that they will fit a new bolt. but what answer do I get from the service center ? I get an ans “sir woh bolts abhi available nai hai” which means they aren’t available. Simple bolts of the CBR’s RVM not available ?? damn, so I bought new bolts from local shop and fitted them, now there is no loosening and one more dis satisfaction was that I was charged 1000 Rs for teflon coating, I think that was too much but I wanted the bike to look new all the time, but recently i read in bikeadvice that most of the service people just wax polish the bike which just lasts for a week or so. Teflon coating takes one entire day and hence these people just polish the exposed surface of the bike. so I was very sad
that my 1000 Rs went in just for fake teflon coating. HONDA are you listening?

Ok now enough of ratings  now lets look at the bad part of the bike (not many)

Honda CBR250R ABS CONS:

• As mentioned earlier, I am not very happy about the fit and finish of the bike.
• Service centers not good, spare parts issues and lack of skilled mechanics (they are good for small bikes but they lack knowledge about CBR).
• 167 kg, very heavy in traffic (maybe because I am new to such heavy bikes), however my dad never complains about this (he is an expert rider who owned a RD350 and yezdi in his younger days).
• Front mudguard is very small, hence every time you ride in water or sticky mud, the mud enters the radiator fins. So I will have to take care during rainy seasons.
• Saree guard looks bad, design is pretty odd, also, the saree guard does not have place to keep the foot, so how would a female wearing sari sitting on CBR place her foot when she sits sideways.
• There should have been a rear tyre hugger like R15 v2, it would look bit odd but without it, every time I ride even slightly in water, the drops comes on the back of the pillion and also, the area below the seats gets dirty.

Conclusion:

Nothing much to say here, it has won 17 bike of the year 2011 awards  and the best sports/race/touring  bike in INDIA by overdrive magazine on par with Ninja and R15. Overall, its a racing + tourer. It is fast and comfortable and suitable for long rides. I have not made any long 100+ km rides till now but will surely take the bike for long trips when I am free from studies in vacations.
Ninja 250 obviously is a better and faster bike, but then it costs 3 lacks 20 thousand in India and gives 20 kmpl mileage in city and also doesn’t have ABS (though without ABS also its brakes are top class). So overall CBR250R is a value for money bike. Ninja looks better and performs better but CBR is VFM and that’s what made it the bike of the year.

That’s all. Hope you liked the review, whatever I wrote in the review is true based on my experience, no bias and I m not simply praising the bike because I own it.

Hero Motocorp’s Performance During the FY’2012

Hero MotoCorp Ltd. (HMCL) has reported record results for the Financial Year 2012 – the first complete financial year since embarking on its solo journey. Solo as the company decided the break the tie up which existed with its erstwhile Japanese competitor – Honda.

Fueled by its landmark sales of over 62,35,205 units in this fiscal, the company registered a total  turnover (Net Sales & Other Operating income) of Rs 23579 crores, as compared to Rs.19,397 crores reported for the last fiscal. The company reported profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 2378.13 crores and an operating margin of 10.69 per cent, in the fiscal. The company’s PAT in the previous year (2010-11) was Rs 1927.90 crores.

Riding on its highest ever quarterly sales of 15,72,027 units of two – wheeler, the company’s total turnover (Net Sales & other Operating Income) in the Q4 of FY’12 grew to Rs. 6035 crores, a growth of 11.95 per cent over Rs. 5391 crores, recorded in the corresponding quarter in last fiscal. EBIDTA margin for the quarter stood at a healthy 15.33 per cent.  The strength of the operations and the resultant strong financial position translates into a dividend payout of Rs. 45 per share.

Regarding this performance, Dr. Brijmohan Lall, Chairman, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, said, “The financial year 2011 – 12 has been a phenomenal and exciting year for us. This was our first full year since we began our solo journey and we have created a record by selling more than six million two – wheelers during this period. It amply reiterates the kind of trust our customers repose in us and our products. We are committed to keep bringing such innovative products for the customers across segments and provide them the best of after-sales service.”

Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd., said “FY’12 was a year when we demonstrated not just our intent and vision for the future, but also our ability to consistently deliver. Even as we successfully made the transition to a new brand identity, and created an anthem for the country’s youth with the “Hum Main Hai Hero”campaign, we went on setting new industry benchmarks. It gives me sense of satisfaction to see that we are successfully playing our small role in the progress of our country. Even as the rest of the world was talking about an economic slowdown, we added over 62 lakh new two-wheelers on the country’s roads in just 12 months.

Foraying into the Exports

As we, at  BikeAdvice has been reporting for a long time, HMC is very seriously considering the idea of foraying into the export market. Here is what Mr. Munjal had to say about this. “We are, however, not going to rest on our laurels. We are raising the bar to bring in technologically-advanced two-wheelers with value-added features. We are actively looking at new markets in Africa, Latin America and other parts of the world to expand our global footprint. Our exports to some of these markets will commence in the first half of this fiscal. And to be able to meet growing demand for our products, we are also adding capacity at our three existing plants. We will also be soon announcing the details of a Parts Centre to cater to our rising volumes. And while all these initiatives take shape, we will also be adding about 400 more touch points this year to our already large distribution network. Undoubtedly, FY’13 is certainly going to be yet another action-packed year for us at Hero.”

During this year, the company also managed to get into few alliances for the development of new vehicles and for the existing line – up as well. Hero MotoCorp forged alliances with the US – based Erik Buell Racing (EBR) and Austria – based AVL to quickly scale-up and supplement its own in-house R&D capabilities and engine technologies. Through the strategic partnership with EBR, Hero MotoCorp also made its debut in the exciting world of international motorcycle racing, by participating at the AMA Pro Racing National Guard Superbikes Championship in the US.

In order to partially off-set the rising input costs, Hero MotoCorp has raised prices on most of its products in the range of Rs 500/- to Rs 1000/-. This new pricing has been in effect from 2^nd of May.

Talking about the new product front, Hero MotoCorp launched two new models in addition to few refreshes during the year. “Impulse” which is the first Hero branded bike introduced an entirely new segment in the Indian two-wheeler market, the “off-road on-road” segment. The company also launched a new 110cc scooter “Maestro”, further strengthening its steadily growing presence in the gearless scooter segment.

During the Auto Expo in Delhi in January early this year, Hero MotoCorp showcased a concept Hybrid scooter – “Leap”. It also unveiled a 110cc Passion X Pro and a thrilling new 125cc bike, Ignitor – to be launched in the domestic market over the next few months.

Taking forward its association with sports, Hero MotoCorp sponsored the men’s and women’s hockey qualifying events for the London Olympics 2012. The event, titled “Hero FIH Road to London” and held in Delhi in February, saw the Indian men’s hockey team qualify for the London Olympics.

Adding to its illustrious list of young achievers as brand ambassadors, Hero MotoCorp brought on board current heartthrob of Hindi cinema Ranbir Kapoor during the year.

Hero MotoCorp received a slew of awards for its performance and products during the year. “Impulse”, the first Hero-branded motorcycle and the country’s first on-road-off-road bike, was adjudged the “Bike of the Year” at the ET Zigwheels Awards and BS Motoring Awards 2012. The trans-roader also won the “Motorcycle of the Year (up to 150 cc)” at the NDTV Car & Bike Awards 2012, at the ET Zigwheels Awards, and also at the Car India & Bike India Awards.

Hero MotoCorp also received accolades for its highly-innovative rebranding initiative. This initiative won the CNBC Awaaz-Storyboard special commendation for “Effective Rebranding of a New Corporate Entity” at the CNBC Awaaz Consumer Awards 2011. The company also won the “Most Recommended Two-Wheeler Brand of the Year” award at the same awards.

Let’s wait and watch the way the company would perform in the coming financial year where it has got bunches of new plans to go ahead with.

Hero Motocorp is looking for creative partner for its brand Ignitor

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

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

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

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

KTM Duke Submerged in Water, Will it ride through?

KTM Duke Exhaust Submerged in knee depth water

When we first time saw the KTM Duke underbelly exhaust, everybody doubted about its performance in rainy reason. I was also surprised that would it be able to perform well in India, where you have to ride your motorcycle in knee deep water in a rainy season. However, the below video can show you the power of KTM Duke’s Underbelly Exhaust. Pulsar 200NS also has the same exhaust so we can assume that it will be as powerful as KTM Duke’s Exhaust.

Discuss this KTM Duke test with other Bikers in Bikeadvice discussion community.

Honda Motorcyles launches Dream Yuga Priced at Rs. 44,642 Ex-showroom

New Bike - Honda Dream Yuga Price: INR 44,642

HMSI (Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India ltd.) has launched today its mass market motorcycle Dream Yuga. Dream Yuga has been priced at Rs.44,642 Ex-showroom Delhi for base version which is bit higher than what market was expecting. Dream Yuga has been positioned slightly below the CB Twister motorcycle which is available at Rs. 45,140 Ex-showroom Delhi.  HMSI aims to sell 3,00,000 units of Dream Yuga in the current financial year.  As reported earlier Honda has also announced Akshay Kumar as itsbrand ambassador for India.

Honda Dream Yuga is powered by 4-stroke, air cooled, 109cc engine which generates maximum power of 9 bhp@8,000 rpm and maximum torque of 9Nm @ 6000 rpm. It comes with 4 speed transmission and self start as an option. The motorcycle offers 72 KMPL in actual riding conditions as per Honda. It has segment first tubeless tyres.  Apart from this, it has maintenance free battery and vicious air filter similar to Honda CB Twister. The motorcycle looks sober and decent.  The motorcycle will come in three variants. The base version of the bike is priced at Rs. 44,642, the mid version is priced at Rs. 46,134 and the top end variant is priced at Rs. 48,125 (All prices Ex-showroom Delhi)

On the launch event HMSI’s President and CEO Keita Muramatsu said “Honda retained the brand Dream as part of a global strategy that was first launched in 1949. This new bike is very economical with better mileage.

Yadvinder Singh Guleria, operating head for sales and marketing at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter said “We want to sincerely increase our market share in India. We need mass-market products to do that. Our ambition is to be number one in market share by 2020.”

HMSI aims to sell 27.5 lakh units in the financial year 2012-13 compared to 21.07 lakhs unit in the last financial year. Dream Yuga is going to play an important role in the ramping up production beside Honda Activa. Dream Yuga’s pricing suggest that Honda wants to take premium of its brand name.  The motorcycle has been priced 10% higher than what we were expecting. The lower price might have done wonder for Honda but let’s see how Dream Yuga will perform in Indian two wheeler market.

Bajaj Auto is now world’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer

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

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

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