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6January 2010

Aviator vs Wego 5000 km in the Himalayas Classic 500 first ride

Vardenchi Hammer: Gets you nailed with its looks

Southern Odyssey: 15 days

through South India on a Bullet

Classic

10th Auto Expo: Every bike from the grand biannual event dissected to the last detail

Our excitementat the Expo more or less fizzled out as familiar metal came out from under the wraps

“

”The Expo left us bike aficionados a tad disappointed. A lot of action was

expected with Bajaj having launched the Ninja 250 and others expected trying to match up. We were expecting bikemakers to throw a few surprises at us. The excitement, however, more or less fizzled out as familiar metal came

out from under the wraps. Corporate top honchos kept emanating sermons of their achievements without having anything really exciting to show to the people. Apart from the opportunity to see a lot of hot (but not new) metal at one place, and a few important announcements, there wasn’t much to get thrilled.

TVS and Honda, however, were two manufacturers that stood out amongst the crowd. TVS with its Qube and Hammerhead concepts and the Streak Hybrid scoot showcased its technological and design prowess splendidly. Even the Apache 180 with ABS proved that advanced safety technologies are adoptable in daily commuter machines, and it was nice to see an Indian manufacturer taking the initiative.

Honda’s entry into the 100cc segment is big news. Had the photographs of their Twister bike not leaked, their exhibit area could have been the epicentre of curiousity. With the decision to bring the new VFR to India, Honda have done their bit to prove that they don’t think of the Indian customer as second rung. The new Unicorn concept too was interesting – it’s high time Honda replaced the old work horse. A few concepts from RE and Mahindra Two-wheelers too were worth having a close look at. Harley’s aggressive pricing for the 883 Sportster was another important announcement that was received with cheers. That apart, this Expo lacked the excitement and thrill of its earlier iterations, as regards two-wheelers.

This month, apart from the Expo, we have the new Bullet Classic 500 as the highlight of the issue. While Rohit Paradkar had a short stint with the bike from Bangalore to Chennai, our latest joinee Praveen rode the bike for 15 days as a part of the Southern Odyssey. He was the only journalist to have completed the entire trip. Read about the experiences of these two very different riders about the Classic to know whether the new RE really suits you.

Another important story this month is Honda Aviator taking on its newest nemesis – the Wego, in a fistfight narrated by Mihir Gadre. The Japanese machine never had a tougher time proving it prowess against a competitor. Read the shootout to know if it manages to get lucky yet again.

This is the last of issue of Motoroids with Amit Chhangani writing as a bachelor. I have decided to tie the knot and will be getting married on the 20th of this month. May your blessings and good wishes be with us!

Enjoy the mag, and wish you a very happy and prosperous year 2010.

Rev freely

Amit Chhanganiamit@motoroids.com

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Columns

RegularsA NEW AGE CLASSICFirst Ride Report

AUTO EXPO 2010Comprehensive Report

RIDING WITH A SHAWDOWA solo motorcycle adventure

ROLLING SCLUPTUREVardenchi’s latest custom chopper

READY STEADY PO!RE Southern Odyssey

ROLLING SCLUPTURE

Vardenchi Chopper

AUTO EXPO 2010Comprehensive Report

READY STEADY PO!RE Southern Odyssey

A NEW AGE CLASSICFirst Ride Report

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BRAKING NEWSNews with a pinch of salt

LETTERSWhat our readers have to say

BIKERSBecause you are important

BIKER PERSONALITYWe get talking with Kiran Kumar Sindhu

MOTO CLUBZWe catch up with Reram from Shillong

HistorySoichiro Honda

MEN AT WORKWhat goes on (& doesn’t) at Motoroids...

CRAZY, CRAZY, WORLD!!For the light hearted

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MINDREVVIN’Amit Chhangani

THE FAT BIKERRohit Paradkar

MOTOMUSINGSMihir Gadre

Contents

Features

NOT JUST FOR THE LADIES!

Wego Vs Aviator

January 2010

03

News that makes our heart skip a beatBRAKING NEWS- Stoppie

Rossi comes to India

VFR coming to India

Auto Expo was not just about cine-stars running the crowd wild. For a chosen few, who understand the religion called ‘motorsports’, it was a dream come true as the motorcycle racing demigod Valentino Rossi set his foot on the Yamaha exhibit. It was the first time ever that the nine-time world champion visited our country and within no time, was amazed by everything around him – from the cultural beauty to chaotic traffic. Speaking to the media Rossi said, “This is my very first visit to India and I am impressed by the beauty of this country, although sadly I did not have much time to visit Delhi. I hope to be able to come back soon and have more time to enjoy this place. Yamaha has been doing great things here and the positive response from the market is the evidence that they have been going in the right direction. The new models YZF-R15 and FZ16, which are less-powerful replicas of the R1 and the Fazer, are definitely appropriate for this market and for the characteristics of the traffic here in India. In fact I am amazed at the traffic and the incredible numbers of cars and bikes on the road all the time, by day and night!” Rossi continued saying, “It was great to see John Abraham, I met him a few years ago when he came to a race so it was nice to see him in his own country, where he is very famous! I’m flying home now but it has been a very good trip; I am happy to have so many fans here in India and I hope that one day we will have the chance to race here.” Well, we hope we get a chance to see Mr. Rossi race in India someday!

No, it’s not the ‘car-on-two-wheels’ Goldwing that we are talking about here but the more practical, tech-laden VFR1200F which Honda displayed at this year’s Auto Expo. The bike is expected to be launched by May 2010 and will be available in both automatic as well as manual transmission options. The automatic version will feature the much talked about dual clutch transmission (DCT) and will feature a shifter on the switchgear unlike the conventional toe-shifter at the foot peg. The bike is expected to go on sale at a price tag of Rs. 18-lakh for the manual variant and Rs. 19-lakh for the automatic. The VFR1200F will take on the Suzuki Hayabusa in terms of riding ergonomics and genre but at a price point so steep, it will have a hard time dethroning the Hayabusa.

January 2010

04

Bikemakers lie

low at the Expo

John Abraham back with Yamaha

John Abraham has thankfully (and rightly) been portrayed as a biker-turned-actor instead of a high profile actor who merely owns some noteworthy motorcycles. So when brands revolving around the automotive sector choose him as a brand ambassador we wouldn’t frown the way we do when we see a cricketer endorsing an automotive brand. For Yamaha however, things sound and look weird. If we remember right, John was signed up as their brand ambassador a few years back and his signing cheque was accompanied by a spanking new 2006 YZF-R1. Then for some odd reason, Yamaha decided to junk his contract renewal in 2008. Whether this move came in because neither Yamaha nor John Abraham were doing notably well in their respective fields or was it just lack of confidence in their brand ambassador on Yamaha’s part, is something that’s not worth commenting on. Hopefully the partnership should prove to be fruitful this time around. Let’s give them our best wishes…

After the launch of the Ninja 250 by Bajaj in the later half of 2009, there were expectations from other Japanese and Indian manufacturers to reveal their 250cc offerings in the Expo. Sadly though, no power machines for the masses were displayed this time around. The Motoroids team went Expo-hunting, expecting some searing hot metal to be unwrapped during day 1 and 2 of the fair. To our disappointment, none of the manufacturers showed any signs of releasing a power machine in coming times. The only relief for the power hungry came in the form of the international beauties like the 2010 R1, and the Vmax.

Don’t mistake this silence for manufacturers’ lack of intent though. If you think the bikemakers have gone into hibernation, prepare to be shocked sooner than you think. We know for a fact that both Indian and Japanese companies are preparing their machines to fight it out in the power arena. It’s just that they don’t want to reveal their cards before they are hundred percent sure.

Marketing minds of auto companies burn the midnight oil to make sure their strategies are spot on, and we are sure there was a profound reason behind two-wheeler makers lying low at the Expo. Motoroids, however think that it’s important to involve the customers in the development of a product in today’s tough times. A revelation in the form of a concept at the Expo, and subsequent feedback from the prospects by means of surveys would have helped the bike makers create a better product for the enthusiasts. We hope the details on these long awaited power machines emerge soon enough.

January 2010

05

News that’s neither here nor thereBRAKING NEWS- Slide

MotoGP goes back

to 1000cc, confused

Schumi makes F1 return,

disappoints WSBK fans

January 2010

06

They say less is more sometimes. What better real life example can a motorcycling aficionado come across than witnessing the MotoGP getting back to its previous 1000cc engine capacity norm? With reducing the cubic capacity of the MotoGP bikes to 800cc the organisers were looking at making them slightly slower, easier to handle and thus safer for the riders. The strategy, however, backfired. With sophisticated engine technology, lighter weight and lesser power, the racing teams managed to put down the power to the tar better than ever, enhancing grip and control for the riders, making them ride on the very limit and helping them post even faster lap times than with the 1000cc machines. The result? Manic riding owing to more controllable power lead to more crashes than before, and the organizers were forced to put on their thinking cap once again. As a conclusion, the Grand Prix Commission announced that the MotoGP class would return to the 1000 cc motor limit starting in the 2012 season. Maximum displacement will be limited to 1000 cc, maximum cylinders would be limited to 4, and maximum bore would be capped at 81 mm.

We are sure that the racing teams have learnt quite a few things about traction and better handling with the 800cc engine limit, and they may just be able to improve the lap times on the 1000cc machines as well. We just hope that increasing the cubic capacity back to 1000cc works in favour of riders’ safety, and doesn’t end up making it even more hazardous for them.

When Schumi bid adieu to his F1 career, it seemed that motorcycles were his newfound love. Arguably the greatest race driver ever born, Schumacher after his stint with F1 cars, seemed keen to try his hand at motorcycle racing as well. The German was seen participating in a series of motorcycle race events across Europe and even had a podium finish in the SKOOX Cup at the 4.5km Pannoniaring circuit in Hungary. The F1 champ-of-champs also crashed his Triumph Daytona 675 on the French track of Bresse and sustained injuries, which according to him were the reason for him deciding against a comeback when the talks of his return were rife earlier.

The most exciting thing that happened during his brief flirtation with two-wheels was when Honda was reported to have offered a seat to Schumacher in WSB championship. The devotees of the German legend were delighted at the prospect of the most successful F1 driver giving a shot to motorcycle racing at the highest level. Most Schuni fans expected him to set the race track ablaze on two-wheels just as he did on four, year after year.

His recent announcement to make a return to F1 with Mercedes GP F1 team has drowned the hopes and excitement of all the motorcycle racing fans who wanted to see him racing. Even we would have loved to see the champion racer wheelieng away to some WSB wins. Alas!

News that shouldn’t have been newsBRAKING NEWS- Crash

- Prateek Saxena

Scooty woes

Your bouquets and brickbats for the December issue of Motoroids2

- Manav Arya

More ReviewsHey guys,

I was just reading the latest issue and I have to admit that you guys keep getting better with time. However the horoscope thing, I thought was a bit lame. You are better off without it. Please keep the crazy challenges going as they are far more interesting than having to read the reviews. Also, do some product reviews or game reviews. I would be happy to send you some stuff as well. And also like I said before, torture RASH. I would pay for it.

My family members are planning to buy a non geared scooter. The benefit of buying one is that all members of the family will be able to ride it. The scooter reviews in your December issue will help us in deciding which one will suit our needs. My family members obviously loved the December issue owing to above reasons. I was a bit disappointed though. Not much attention was given to motorcycles except for the Pulsar 135 story. I went through your last issue 8-9 times as the stories were relevant to my current purchasing decision. The average motorcycle enthusiast Motoroid follower must have been disappointed with the December issue. As usual design and layout were amazing and overall look has gone up. Also, Congrats guys for riding a Harley in India!. I am eagerly waiting for your next issue. Cheers!

Send us your letters at letters@motoroids.com

If you wish to contribute to the magazine, in any way by providing content, have a look at the last page for the exact email addresses

to send the mail to.

- Shruti Kalaiselvan

The Best IssueThank you Motoroids for dedicating an entire

issue towards dissecting the new launches in the non geared scooter segment. Majority of girls and older ladies ride scooties as they are very convenient in terms of handling and low weight. Your December issue will come handy while making a final decision on which scoot to buy. I also liked the writing style followed in all the scooter reviews. All other magazines carry reviews on scooters highlighting the technical details and don’t reveal much about the real world practical offerings. The styling and layout of your magazine has been improving with every issue. The December issue has definitely been the best till now in that respect. Like every other Motoroids fan, I am eagerly waiting for your next issue. Please continue to include stories involving scoots in your future issues too. Keep up the good work guys!

STAR LETTER

- Sameer Kulkarni

Congrats MotoroidsHi,

First of all, let me heartily congratulate for your Motoroids2 E-Magazine. I just downloaded the December edition. To be frank, I didn’t have high expectations as even the big auto magazines have gone from bad to worse in their current standards. But I was in for a big surprise. The Motoroids2 concept is super cool! I haven’t read the complete magazine yet, but just took a quick glance through the whole issue and was pretty impressed, which is why I thought of dropping in a line to congratulate you guys for the effort. This is exactly what I, and hopefully others as well, expect from an auto magazine. I feel it won’t be a bad idea if you went for a print version. I will definitely pick up every single issue. Keep the good work going and thank you for this wonderful treat!

January 2010

07

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

Clockwise from Top left- Bikers from Pune gather for an early morning ride. A Kinetic Blaze stands proudly after completing a doughnut. Motoroids reader

Navendu returns on his Fiero after a drag run. Another biker get his speed recorded on a speed gun. Some Pune bikers create some heat on a wet rainy

afternoon. Another friend from down south pulls off a stoppie at Kari. Our friend Bhuvan Chowdhary celebrates Christmas in a unique manner!

January 2010

08

Left to right (below): Some Bulleteers meet up for a ride and share the snaps with us. The gang waits in between for a re-group. The helmets stack up

as the bikers refill their tummies after a ride.

I swear to god, there have rarely been occasions in my life when I have woken up at 4:00 in the morning and taken a bath with ambient

temperature hovering around 5 degree Celsius. I did, to make sure I reached the Expo venue and got my media passes in time. So did Rash, who had shrunken to the size of a normal human being, and so did Eshan, who being the size of a kid in normal temperatures, has shrunken to the size of a mouse.

Anyway, we reached Pragati Maidan at about 8:00 and drove straight inside the premises. Sleepy security personnel found it too hassling to let go of the warm glasses of chai so they let us buzz through. No wonder people without media passes thronged Pragati Maidan on the first two days and made life miserable for both organisers and attendees. Lucky us, for the next day we got a bit late, and had to park the car in a zoo three kilometres away from the venue, as the parking arrangements had bombed.

The staff at the media centre showed up about an hour later than promised. We asked for a press-con time sheet, which sounded like the name of an extra-terrestrial material to them. From what we gathered, the only way to know which manufacturer was holding a press con when and where was to individually look at their invitations in your email and make a chart manually. Thankfully some friends from the media knew what to expect from the organizers and had taken the pain to make a handwritten list. We duly copied, as no such official document was available anywhere.

The press-con schedule is the most important document for media guys on the first two days. For some reason it was too difficult for the organizers to visualize

Much can be done to elevate the Expo experience from the current pathetic levels

Columns

that. Providing a printable press-con schedule on the Auto Expo website wouldn’t have taken much effort, but the unavailability of it surely made life miserable for dozens of journos.

Exhibitors, on their part committed the cardinal sin of offering goodies to the media. The unveilings and announcements took a backseat as cameramen and reporters shoved, pushed and fell over each other to get their ‘bags’. The violence these members of my community exhibited was shameful to say the least. Had it not been for the bouncers around the media registration kiosks, some of these guys wouldn’t have minded tossing the reception girls away and making a loot. I think all manufacturers should absolutely stop giving away goodies at their media counters. A media release CD and a plain paper press release is all they should offer. Making a few people unhappy is still better than getting the entire event disgraced at the hands of some clowns who call themselves journalists.

Then there were celebrity brand ambassadors who were supposed to unveil a few vehicles. As expected, their up tight behinds took much longer than expected to arrive at the venue getting some of the unveilings delayed by as much as two hours. Funny thing is, at some stalls, media guys were not allowed to leave either, as it would be inconvenient for Mr. Celebrity who is running three hours late, to enter if you crowded the entrance by trying to leave. Journalists were literally kept captive for about half an hour at some stalls before these buffoons walked in. Nonsense!

Amidst all this, if you had to answer the call of nature, you would be

in big trouble. Pragati Maidan is a maze, and trying to find a loo in an emergency could prove embarrassing, as there aren’t many. The ones they have made are not clean and some of the exhibitors had to arrange for their own mobile toilets as their top bosses would simply refuse to use the stinky common loos. It was no different at the media centre as well, where there was just one pot for all your excretionary requirements. Equality of sexes was splendidly practised by the organisers who had arranged for just one common toilet for both men and women. Journos eager to deliver a baby and banging the door of the pilgrimage, then, was a common sight.

Free food was organised for the media, which was handed over to you once the lady-in-charge made sure that you were duly embarrassed. You had to feel guilty of the fact that you were asking for free food, if you had to save yourself from the exorbitantly expensive and utterly tasteless food available at any of the food pavilions. The food parcels were distributed based more on the colour of your skin and your attire than the media pass which dangled redundantly from your neck.

Last, but not the least was the attitude of the crowd towards the whole event. Unruly and utterly inconsiderate, the youth ogled at the show girls who kept looking into the ground or at the roof to beat the gluttonous eyes of sex-deprived dimwits with single digit IQs.

It’s testimony to the power of the growing Indian auto market that the exhibitors agree to shell out more money than they do at the Frankfurt Motor Show and still participate in this shoddily organized event. But unless the organizers plan and execute this whole extravaganza a little better, the exhibitors and the visitors won’t have many good stories to tell back home.

Mindrevvin’ AMIT CHHANGANI

The press-con schedule is the most important document for media guys on the first two days. For some reason it was too difficult for the organizers to visualize that

“”

January 2010

09

Columns

This January I became two Auto Expos old in the field of Automotive Journalism. When I first visited the prestigious expo in 2008, it was exactly two days since

I ever took up the job of a staff writer with an automotive magazine. As I walked through the gates of Pragati Maidan in 2008 there was a lot of fear in my heart, probably because I was the junior-most auto journo around. The whole scenario of the expo, the aura that surrounded it – it was all novel for me. But with time you gel with surroundings and the actions related to your work and it wasn’t any different for me. This year when I entered the Expo, I was more confident and looking forward to an event that was as exciting or perhaps more, than the one I visited two years back.

But boy was I disappointed! The Auto Expo 2010 was a disaster if I have to put it plainly. Yes, the lack of serious launches or exciting concepts is one of the reasons. But what disappointed me more was the presence of celebrities which created the most chaos. If it is a motorsport personality like Valentino Rossi who decides to grace an exhibit,

If you happen to be at a traffic light astride any new bike, the first thing the guy waiting beside you will inadvertently want to know is how far your bike can go on a single litre of petrol. When you tell him, he

will give you a wise-ass smirk, as if he is much better off with his asthmatic little commuter, which gives him a thousand kilometers to the litre. I have even met guys with Karizmas and 220s at bars, who after a few drinks start telling you stories about how they managed to ‘do a 100’ on their recent trip. Now being sober I assumed that 100 must be the average speed they managed their journey, but no, what they were talking about was the mileage! Why are we as a nation so obsessed about this single parameter?

I remember, a while back the whole ‘manufacturer’s claim’ scenario had gotten so ridiculous that in a frenzy to out-claim their competitors, the figures had crossed the 100 kpl mark, albeit with little ‘*under standard conditions’ in fine print, declared underneath. Infact, before I read one those banners 10-times over in utter disbelief, I used to think that all of them read, “*NOT under standard day-to-day conditions.” To put an end to all the ridiculous ‘claims’ ARAI started their own testing. But, if you take a thorough look at their kpl figures, they feel distinctly diplomatic adopting a please-all, offend-none philosophy.

Pickup a magazine and even in a single issue you can find fuel efficiencies for the same car to be as varied as 28 kpl and 8 kpl. The ‘scientific’ Road Test figures that most of the magazines publish, are unrealistically high. What’s the point in calculating the kpl driving on the highway at 40 kph in 6th gear? Even if the journos were to report the actual fuel efficiency that they got over whatever period they had the vehicles with them, even that wouldn’t be realistic. Because, the test vehicles are not run-in at all and most of them push the test vehicles around like there is no tomorrow. Comparos are a wasted opportunity. Often, the comparos are just photo shoots with cars available only for a couple of hours. In other cases, the scribes are too lazy to do back-to-back fuel efficiency testing and most of the times put in the same old unrealistic figures that they generated during the road-tests of individual vehicles in vastly different conditions at different places and at different times. Long term reports are probably the closest you can get to real mileage figures but even those have their own set of compromises. Very few automotive publications actually maintain thorough records of odometer readings

it’s acceptable to an extent. But it was the presence of celebrities from every other field but automotive, is what’s disappointing. Like a famous actor for example, who is a biker himself and is now back with a certain motorocycle maker after a couple of years of divorce. The moment he stepped onto the platform at the bike maker’s exhibit the crowd went berserk! There was pushing and pulling, people shouting from the bottom of their bellies and jumping around like monkeys to get a glimpse of the cine-star. Even worse was the arrival of a superstar at one of the carmaker’s exhibits. The mere news of his arrival was enough for the crowd throughout Pragati Maidan and beyond to rush to the carmaker’s exhibit. The worse happened when the security guards tried to contain the crowd – leading not only to a thesaurus of abuses sung out by the angry audience but also to fist fights with the guards when the star finally arrived on the scene.

Nothing wrong in having your brand ambassador endorse your products at the Auto Expo. But when your celebrity representative is big enough for the crowd to go crazy, I feel the manufacturer should ensure that the rest of the infrastructure is in place to handle the side effects. This Auto Expo for one was one of the worst managed events ever. From issuing of the passes to having the right kind of security at the right places – everything was ill managed. There were brawnier bouncers providing personal security to each babe at a certain carmaker’s booth than there were at the entrance of the celebrity graced exhibits. What beats me further is the fact that the crowd that created the ruckus consisted of people who weren’t supposed to be at the Expo – for the days the celebrities came in were strictly for the media! The media is no saint either. One of the TV channels actually went to the extent to quoting that the vehicles would be on display throughout the length of the Expo, but getting a glance of these celebs isn’t a regular feat; so lets make sure we get them on the camera before anyone else does!? The gist of the matter is, there is/ should be a better way to have the celebrities endorse their sponsor’s products at events such as the Expo. The solution however lies with the organizers and the brands themselves. I sincerely hope they find it in time for the next Auto Expo…

THE FAT BIKER

ROHIT PARADKAR

MO

TOM

USI

NG

S

MIHIR GADRE

Auto Expo is turning out to be more than just an automotive showcase – its turning into a chaos!

Boss, average kya hai?

and tank-ups. The vehicles given for long-term testing are usually the same ones that got screwed by everyone during road-tests. They are mostly out of tune with long overdue first or second service and which have been ripped during their run-in periods.

So estimating the mileage of a vehicle remains a game of intelligent guessing. However hasn’t our country hankered after fuel efficiency for long enough? Isn’t 50 kpl from a 150cc bike or 45 kpl from a 125cc scooter good enough for us? Shouldn’t we now concentrate on improvements in other things like improving the quality, the reliability and the dynamics of our bikes? The manufacturers won’t focus their efforts elsewhere unless we, as a buyer, ask for it. This whole fuel efficiency debate seems rather pointless when you consider the cost of bad quality. An unreliable bike will screw your savings from fuel efficiency 10 times over.

Let’s be satisfied with whatever level of fuel efficiency we have achieved for a little while and focus on making our bikes world class products, the developing world beckons!

January 2010

10

With the Bullet Classic, RE h

as added a tinge of modernity

to their traditional, scrumptious Bullet preparation. Does

the new recipe excite the taste buds of Rohit Paradkar?

A New Age CLASSIC

Whenever a new Royal Enfield rolls out of the factory, for the audience outside the ‘Bullet’ cult, it’s just another iteration

of the same old thumpers that the world has gotten used to seeing in the last few decades. I’m one such person – be it the legendary cast iron mill, the AVL engine or a Y2K model, it all sounds the same to me – the most basic form of a four-stroke engine which needs to be drastically overhauled to keep up with today’s technologically advanced times. However, when we sampled the Machismo LB500 in our search for the ‘Fastest Indian’ last year, I knew that a potent thumper had arrived on the scene. Regardless of what people think, the LB500 was probably one of the best Bullets made throughout the last century. Being a Japanese litre-class bike devotee, I am not very fond of Royal Enfields.. However, I had somehow managed to develop a soft corner for the LB. So when the news of the Classic 500 came along, I was eagerly waiting to get my leg swinging around its cycle-seat. The chance finally came through last month in the form of a ride from Bengaluru to Chennai. Since the itinerary only included long highway stretches and absolutely no ghats or off-road sections, the 350-odd kilometer ride still turned out to be a mere ‘first ride’ than an exhaustive report. But nevertheless, here are my two pence on the C5 (RE’s abbreviation for the Classic 500) …

DesignThe C5 stays true to its ‘Classic’

nomenclature and takes design cues from its 1950’s ancestor, the J2. The C5 has interesting old-school design bits like the sprung cycle seat, headlight hood, a plain round taillight floating off the long, sweeping rear fender, the knee-pads on the fuel tank, the round tiffin-box style air filter housing (which actually houses the ECM) and oodles of chrome garnish. The rest of the bike’s surface is can be had in the distinctive bluish green, red or black colour. Speaking of which, the paint on the Classic looks decent (thanks to the new paint technologies adopted by RE for their export models) – and with the paint extended to

each and every millimeter of the chassis, it’s a welcome change to the eye after watching the conventional Machismos and Thunderbirds around. Overall the C5 has enough styling variation to stand out against its siblings – and that is what makes all the difference. Don the right attire like an old-school leather jacket and an open face helmet on the Classic and you are bound to end up looking like a retiree who still cherishes his hay days from the pre-independence British era. In fact the bike looks so old-school, that if our fair-and-lovely boy Mihir were to use it on a regular basis, it would spawn another ‘Simon Go Back’ movement! Dress properly, and ride this baby with some attitude – turning heads and craning necks are guaranteed.

EngineComing to the engine, the C5 employs a

brand new mill. It’s not the AVL 500cc lean-burn engine from the, err, LeanBurn500 – but instead a dual spark plug, unit construction engine (UCE) derived from the 350cc mill that powers the Thunderbird twin-spark. As you may have already guessed, the new engine has a different exhaust note as compared to the deep, pounding note of the conventional Bullets. There is a hint of a ‘wheezing’ sound alongside the thump – which makes it feel as if a poor old asthmatic is trying to replicate the thump of a Bullet by coughing every ounce of life out of his lungs! If you like your Bullet to announce its arrival, then make sure you opt for the optional upswept exhaust – for the stock one won’t sound any louder than a pipsqueak. Can’t blame RE though, for the ever worsening emission norms demand such incorporations. Like any other Bullet, the thump of the C5 sounds intimidating only when you rev the living daylights out of the engine. And since there is no rev counter to tell you where the red line is, you need to trust you ears to know when to shift to a higher gear. With the right shifts, the 500cc UCE managed to propel my test bike to a speedo-indicated top speed of 130 km/h, but brought along a lot of vibes.

January 2010

12

01. The Classic gets a new starter motor from Denso unlike the unreliable sprag-clutch starter motor on the earlier Bullets

02. & 03. What used to be a tool-box on the earlier Bullets, now acts as the air-box on the Classic

04. The crankcase gets the classic ‘RE’ logo embossed on its body

05. The new clock features a tell tale warning light for any engine/fuel-injection system malfunction

06. The fuel injection system is one of the

technologies that sets the Classic apart from the rest of the Royal Enfields

07. The Classic gets a hinged fuelfiller cap unlike the conventional unit

08. The ball and socket joint on the RVMs tends to go loose with the vibrations

09. The instrumentation layout remains similar to the conventional REs

10. The springs contribute to the cushioning of the Classic cycle seat

11. The new knee pads add to the Classic styling

07080901

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05

11

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03

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01. Finally the Bullet gets 18-inch rims!

02. The upswept exhaust looks great and sounds better but costs a premium of a thousand rupees over the stock

03. The Indian version of the Classic gets a kick starter too

04. Though the Classic uses 18” rims, the hub remains the same - making retro fitting of the new rims easier on older Bullets

05. ‘Made like a gun’ - hope the Classic stays true to the tag-line

06. The old-school taillight looks good and showed no hints of loosening out throughout the ride

07. Notice the paint chipping off already on the rim of the fuel filler

08. The rear sespension getsgas-damped shocks from the LB500, albeit with a colour-matched head

09. Instead of using the proven 500cc mill from the LB500, RE has plonked a fresh, technologically advanced fuel-injected, twin-spark plugged Unit Construction Engine (UCE) which is trulywonderful

10. The conventional headlight gets an old-school hood to contribute to the Classic styling

04

09

05

07

06

08

0203

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01

January 2010

15

from the short stint i have had with the ClassiC, there is no

denying the faCt that i like the new kid on the bloCk

The absence of a balancer shaft in a single cylinder engine as big as this is bound to emit vibes. Hence for my liking, the C5’s enjoyable speed range lies between the 90 km/h to 110 km/h mark – where the bike does not vibrate much, gives you a decent cruising speed and most importantly, it still leaves you with a few extra units of turning force to make those quick overtaking maneuvers. Speaking of which, the C5’s electronic fuel injection not only gives the bike a linear acceleration but very reassuring roll-on timings as well . There is no fluttering whatsoever as the ECM constantly churns out optimum air-fuel mixtures for a smooth engine performance no matter what temperature or altitude you are operating on.

Ride and HandlingAs I mentioned before, the

C5 emits unnerving shivers after the 110 km/h mark (not unnerving enough if you are the type who thinks that a ‘classic’ MUST vibrate). These vibes do hamper ride quality but if you remain in the 90-110 km/h zone you will not only be greeted with cruising comfort but also with some phenomenal handling. The Classic has finally ended the love affair between the Bullets and the 19” wheel rims. It instead employs 18-inchers shod with MRF Zappers both at the front and rear. The new wheels and tyres coupled with the gas-shocks at the rear make for surprisingly good handling etiquettes. This statement is based purely on my

experience while riding the bike on high-speed straight highways. However, keeping in view the poise and balance of the bike while tackling the undulations and sudden direction changes at high speeds, I have every reason to believe that the bike will handle well in the ghats. The only ugly piece in the jigsaw is the cycle seat which acts like a suspension itself! It contributes to the fairly decent ride quality but when you try to lean the bike into a bend, the inner spring tends to ‘bottom-out’! Expecting these springs to have their own pre-load setting is a little too much to ask for, ain’t it? But on a serious note, I do like it. The movement of the seat while shifting your weight does add a wee bit of nervousness to the handling, but it is that very nervousness that gives you the honest feeling of riding a classic motorcycle!

VerdictWell, from the short stint I

have had with the Classic, there is no denying the fact that I like the new kid on the block. But at an asking price of 1.6-lakh rupees I would have liked the Classic to feel equally comfortable and smooth at 125 km/h as it is at 90 km/h. However for someone not too interested in outright performance, the Classic proves to be a great combination of style, class, feel good factor and hopefully, improved reliability. For me, I guess I need to pit the C5 against its most immediate nemesis, the LB500 before I change my perceptions….

Motoroids visit every nook and corner of the 10th Auto Expo to cover the most important two wheelers for India!

COVER STORY

The TVS exhibit area at the Auto Expo has always been one of the more exciting

places to be at. The company has always been at the forefront of technology and innovation, with more patents applied for than any other two-wheeler manufacturer. In fact the Hosur based company is next only to Tata Motors in the Indian auto industry (both two- and four-wheeler) when it comes to applying for patents. From the sexy looking Taurus to the innovative Qube, the company has always lead the pack when it comes to showcasing its technological prowess. This time too, the TVS stall at the Expo was more exciting then most of the other two-wheeler manufactures who covered huge exhibit areas without showing anything substantial. Here’s a list of the yummy exhibits showcased at the TVS pavilion

Concept Vehicles

The major attraction at any automaker’s stall at a motor show is always the futuristic concepts. TVS took the lead this time from other manufacturers with hardly anyone showing any innovation in their exhibits’ lineup. The company showed two concept vehicles namely Hammerhead and Qube 2.0. While the Hammerhead is a quad concept the Qube 2.0 is a

more refined iteration of the Qube concept displayed by the company in the earlier Expo.

Hammerhead

The Hammerhead quad concept draws its inspiration from marine predators. The design of the concept embodies the fluid form of killer creatures of the sea emphasizing on layered interplay of surfaces and what TVS boffins like calling a ’Whiplash, edgy form’. The Hammerhead is an effort by the TVS designers and engineers to fuse the excitement and agility of a bike to the dynamic stability of four-wheelers.

The Hammerhead is powered by a race derived, forced air-cooled version of the potent and revvy RTR motor. The engine dwells within a cast-aluminium frame and awing arm to keep the weight of this aggressive looking machine as low as possible. Design highlights include a twin underseat exhaust, an LCD instrument console, dual projector headlamps (we hope to see them soon on one of the TVS production motorcycles) and tailfin spoilers to give the Hammerhead an extremely sporty and dynamic appeal. Hammerhead is TVS’s vision of a possible future quad that the company may market in the future as a leisure machine as well as a tool for alternate motorsport.

TVS

Qube 2.0

The Qube 2.0 concept is a development over the earlier Qube concept and tries to take the concept even closer to production reality. Sustainable mobility is the mantra around which the philosophy of the Qube 2.0 revolves. With a electric hybrid motor powering the wheels of this concept, the Qube promises to provide an indigenously developed balance between high efficiency and low emissions. Staying true to its name, the Qube has angular, yet rounded lines

with a clean, flat surface. Extremely futuristic yet practical in its design the Qube 2.0 doesn’t look too far away from becoming a production reality soon.

TVS people say that the Qube 2.0 follows a design philosophy of “less is more” which is strongly reflected in its form and surfaces. The award winning concept’s every detail is designed with care to give it an extremely distinctive and fresh feel. As officially stated by TVS, the stunning concept is now very close to reality and carries forward its DNA of iconic minimalism in its 2.0 version.

RTR 250 FCX Dirt Bike

Hammerhead Quad Concept

RTR 160 Race Concept

Qube 2.0 Concept Scooter

Production Vehicles

Scooty Streak Hybrid

TVS also unveiled one of the most practical, innovative, technologically advanced green production vehicles at the Auto Expo. The TVS Streak Hybrid is a really appreciable machine in the environmentally friendly context and shows the company’s eagerness to deliver real world solutions to the emission and efficiency faced by the world. The Streak Hybrid features a four-stroke engine and an electric hub motor as the two sources of power. The parallel hybrid system allows the usage of vehicle in both engine and electric mode individually as well. The power sources can be selected (battery or engine) as per the requirement of the user. The advanced hybrid system recharges the batteries as the brakes are applied. The Streak Hybrid also saves on charge by stopping the power source when the vehicle is stationary (eg. at a traffic signal.)

The Streak Hybrid features four modes for the rider to select from. The Electric Only mode makes the vehicle run solely on electric charge and is meant for short trips for zero fuel consumption, while Engine Only mode allows the Streak Hybrid to run only on the gasoline engine in situations where the charge is low. Apart from these two engine only and charge only modes, there are two hybrid modes as well. The Hybrid Electric mode runs both electric and gasoline sources as per the programmed strategy while Hybrid Power mode makes the most of both engine and batteries for maximum acceleration.

TVS Apache RTR 180 ABS

All of us are familiar with the revvy Apache 180. This time, however, TVS showcased an RTR 180 fitted with an ABS. If TVS introduces the technology on the Apache, it will become the first Indian bike to feature the safety technology.

The regulars

Apart from the aforementioned special exhbites, TVS also showcased its current lineup of two wheelers at the Expo. The newly launched Jive and Wego, along with the Scooty Streak and the Flame 125DS were also displayed at the TVS stall. RTR 180 ABS RTR 160-Race Kit

Scooty Streak Hybrid

Honda came to the Auto expo with 2 all new models, aimed at the top of the market and the bottom. The mighty VFR1200F

which is due for sale worldwide from the spring of 2010 and something that is designed to eat into Hero Honda’s bread and butter market share, the Honda twister.

Honda Twister

There is not much you can do to a 100 cc bike. The focus has to be firmly on “kya mileage hai”, with companies claiming all sorts of mileages [with varying degrees of truthfulness] to woo over the fickle customer. Hero Honda, riding piggyback on Honda reliability, could, till now charge a premium on their bikes in this segment, and when new sticker jobs were thrown in, grateful customers kept the cash registers ringing, overjoyed that they had got newer [better?] looks at no increase in price. And big brother was watching……

The newly introduced 109cc Twister produces the standard 9bhp for this segment and meets Bharat III norms, and Honda claims 70 kpl. But none of that is what will set it apart from the rest of the crowd. What will set it apart for the customer is the fact that it is a Honda, and a very good looking Honda at that, the company having realized that bling carries a lot of weight in this budget segment. They have not made the same mistake they made with the downright dowdy looking Unicorn – this

bike has carried forward design cues from the CB1000, including a pretty half fairing. The bike was actually parked next to it’s bigger stablemate at the expo to highlight the similarities to it’s target market, and it stands out from the rest of the 100cc crowd with it’s shortened muffler, nice looking front cowling and small chain cover.

With prices expected to be ranging from 42000 – 45000 the three variants [disc/self ], all having mag wheels and tubeless rubber. There are 5 colours, and sales will begin in February.

VFR 1200F

The Honda VFR series until now were powered by 750 and 800cc V4 engines, and this latest offering from Honda to be sold worldwide soon is an attempt to launch a head on attack on the sports touring market, by changing the character of the smaller Interceptor, and givng it the grunt to take on the FJR and the Kawasaki 1400.

Not just that, this bike has an advanced shaft drive system and can be shifted up or down by means of paddles on the left hand instrument cluster, similar to the FJR AE. Honda has also used it’s technological prowess to have a twin clutch system in this machine to make shifts faster, and placed the back cylinders together to make the bike narrower and centralize the mass better. The 1237cc 76 degree V4 motor turns out more than 170 horses and max torque is about

January 2010

19

HONDA

New CBF Stunner Race Bike

Concept Unicorn

129Nm at 8750 rpm. The machine weighs 267 kg and seems to be the perfect sport tourer. So far the only colour available is candy red and pricing, yet to be announced is in the range of 20L. The 1200F showcases Honda technology , from the dual shift automatic gearbox to the advanced shaft drive and we are eagerly waiting for road tests as and when the bike finally hits the roads. The VFR series was always going to be a hard act to improve, but Honda seems to have done that easily with some margin.

Honda Fireblade

The successor to the 954 RR, the 2010 Fireblade is essentially similar to the model introduced the previous year with the exception of a larger

flywheel, more colour schemes, and an easier to remove licence plate assembly for track days.

Powered by a compact 4 cylinder motor, the focus of the race derived Fireblade is to give the owner a very powerful, light motorcycle with the mass centralized in a manner to produce maximum agility. The short exhausts, lighter and more compact frame, redesigned brakes are all areas where Honda has knocked off weight, whereas the engine, now fed through ram air ducts churns out about 180bhp, which is more than the 1200cc VFR 1200F. A slipper clutch helps smooth out aggressive downshifts, and an optional combined ABS system is also available to reduce braking distances.

Though this can be used to tour, it is a serious track tool. Honda has for

some reason added a pillion seat and pegs, though they seem to be designed to be uncomfortable enough to let the pillion know that he has absolutely no business to be on this machine, spoiling the mass centralization/power to weight ratio/etc.

New CBF Stunner

The manufacturer launched its cosmetically upgraded Stunner at the

Auto Expo. The motorcycle retains its original 124.7cc single cylinder engine producing a max power of 11PS @8000rpm and torque of 11nm @6500rpm respectively. The only technical difference is that the new Stunner complies with the BS-3 emission norms.

The cosmetic upgrades include sporty mirrors, muffler cover, muffler tail cap and a half-chain case. The motorcycle also gets a tachometer and a weight balanced handlebar which aids stability. The new CBF Stunner has been priced at Rs.50,500 for the drum brake variant while the disc brake variant retails for Rs.53,500 ( both prices are ex-showroom Delhi)

Concept Unicorn

Honda showcased a concept motorcycle based on the Unicorn at its stall. When questioned about the possibility of this Concept Unicorn replacing the actual one and reaching showrooms, company officials chose to keep mum. The possibility of this concept making it to the production stage is actually quite high. The current Unicorn was launched in 2005 and received a few cosmetic tweaks in 2008.

The Concept Unicorn showcased featured a new biking fairing, tank extensions, dual-tone paint job, split grab rail, re-designed rear cowl and new tail-lamps. The concept retained the 150cc mill of the actual motorcycle on which it is based. Once launched, we expect this model to give the other cosmetically upgraded bikes in its segment a run for their money.

2010 CBF Stunner

VFR 1200F

Honda Unicorn Sport Concept

CBR 150R

Harley Davidson is now in India. Known for it’s iconic bikes, it has launched it’s bikes in a manner that will bring smiles to all

Harley fans across India, those who can afford the bike, that is. While dealer networks are being finalized for easy availability of spares, fans will get to choose among 12 bikes from the five families of motorcycles produced by Harley Davidson. The familes are the sportster series, the VRSC bikes, the Dyna glides, the CVO softail series, and the big tourers, the Electra Glides.

The 883 sportster series

These are the “small” Harleys, if there is any such thing. Stripped down of all accessories, and with a smaller 883 cc engine, this bike is no slouch. A dry weight of 248 kg translates to making it a much more nimble and easily manageable bike as compared to it’s sisters. This is the entry level Harley, and most new riders prefer to start with this machine, rather than it’s larger stablemates. A seat height of only 25 inches also makes it suitable for the vertically challenged, and contributes to being easily maneuvered by beginners. Overseas too, the 883 is very popular for it’s back to the basics attitude

to motorcycling – no extras, just a bike that promises a fun ride.

The security system is an optional extra, and the fuel injected air cooled EVO engine gives reasonable economy for it’s size, returning almost 20kpl on the highway, less in the city. Harley has been working hard on it’s engines and the multivalve EVO series is seen as pretty reliable. As with all Harleys a fairly low compression ratio of only 9.5:1 means it will not be too sensitive to poor quality fuel either, which is a big plus.

The most attractive thing about this bike is the price. Just about seven Lakhs will buy you one of these things. Compared to other imported bikes from other manufacturers, this is a a steal for the power offered. To get something churning out more horses will straight away cost you at least 3 lakhs more, which makes this bike very attractive even for those who are not Harley fans , but want a machine that does not suffer from horsepower anaemia.

The CVO series

The softail series is as retro as it gets, with plenty of chrome, low sleek lines, and the appearance of a hard rear end using a cleverly designed rear suspension where the shocks are

January 2010

21

HARLEY DAVIDSON

Dyna

Tri-coloured Special Edition Fat Boy

hidden from view. These bikes do not have the rubber mounted EVO engine, rather, they use the 1584cc twin cam 96B engine which has a balancer shaft.

The most famous, arguably, of the lot is the fat boy which is representative of the group, along with it’s chromed and polished shotgun exhausts. The fat boy will be coming to India, and was even displayed at the expo in one off orange white and green livery. A horseshoe oil tank and a helical cut 5th gear which should lead to much quieter cruising are other features of this bike and the softail series as a whole.

Rather heavier than the Sportster series at almost 314kg, these bikes have the same low seat height making it easy to get both feet on the ground, though range suffers some on account of it’s much larger engine. Optional security is available as well as a wide choice of colours. Your’s for about 18Lakhs.

The Dyna Glide

Before the distinctive VRSC series made it’s appearance, Harley introduced the Dyna series which has a custom look from the factory itself. Using the 96B engine instead of the older 88, it sports a “Tommy gun” 2 – 1 -2 exhaust, wider front forks, drag style handlebars, and a sissy bar as standard along with side mounted licence plates, so as not to break up the clean lines at the back.

Though sold in 2 colour schemes, a 2 tone option is available for the paint, as is the option of having a factory fitted security system. The tank capacity is about 17L which should give it a reasonable range. As with ALL Harleys, belt drive is standard.

The VRSC series

The bonafide Harley performance bike, this has a liquid cooled V twin, with the radiator hidden in such a manner that it actually enhances the looks of the bike. It has a slipper clutch for those fast downshifts, high performance brembo brakes, and the frame is hydroformed, unlike the rest of the lineup. The wiring is also cleverly hidden along the inside of the frame so as not to interrupt the clean lines of the frame.

This series is not, however, for looks. No slouch in the looks department, it keeps the fans happy with it’s [for a Harley] blistering performance, the advanced liquid cooled mill having

a lot to do with it, even though it displaces less cubes than some of the bigger bikes. Kits are available to increase the displacement and the power. Apart from optional security, there is also an ABS option.

Marginally lighter than the other big Harleys, this very potent performer can be yours for about 19 lakhs. The sinister looking ‘Rod on display at the expo drew a lot of visitors.

The Electra Glide

The pinnacle of the Harley lineup, these huge bikes can carry you, you significant other, and your belongings in supreme comfort over vast stretches of superslab, stopping only for food [for the rider and the bike]. These are the real tourers, unlike other “touring” bikes hocked off to Indian customers by other companies, who feel that adding a fairing to a 150cc bike makes it a tourer.

With all the gizmos that you can dream of, ABS, cruise control, music system and security as standard, this bike lets you know what it is all about as soon as you get aboard the sofa, er seat. The big 22 litre tanks will keep the 1700cc V twin engine humming along for well over 300+km, the rider protected from the elements, while the 4 way speaker system plays your favourite melodies. The tourapak luggage [which have their own power supply] is standard as are the heated grips

But all this extravagance does not come cheap – this bike will cost you SIGNIFICANTLY more than a entry level Merc…..and maneuvering the near 400 kg of bike may prove intimidating while getting into tight parking spaces.

Street Glide

XR 1200X

Sportster 883

Electra Glide

Last year, we witnessed the first step of Royal Enfield towards modernization with the launch of the RE Classic 350 and RE Classic 500. This New Year, we get to see just how

serious the company is about revamping the entire line up of Bullets which are offered in the country. Taking a look inside the Royal Enfield’s pavilion at the Auto Expo, we couldn’t help but jump with glee, as we saw some of the stunning creations from the company which are scheduled for 2010 and 2011.

Cafe Racer Concept

The bike which hovered most of the spotlight was the Cafe Racer Concept displayed in Royal Enfield’s booth. The concept bike in red and yellow colours features a rear set of footpegs and controls, clip- on bars, a stylishly slashed mudguard, old school racer seats termed as the ‘Bump Stop’ seats, a cool racing number plate instead of a tool box, Megaphone muffler and a Retro tail lamp cluster The company plans to launch the Cafe Racer sometime in 2012 and when it does, it is reported to house an engine up over the Standard Classic 500.

RE Classic 500 & RE Classic 350

The Classic 350 and Classic 500 were launched in the country in November, 2009 and evoked mixed emotions among the Bullet community. The move on the part of the company to finally evolve out of the old skool image and house the RE Classic’s with Unit Construction Engine (UCE) and EFI systems have left

January 2010

23

ROYALENFIELD

Cafe Racer Concept

a part of the community dazed and confused who are not yet ready to part ways with old engine while the other half is dancing with delight. We for one, were very thrilled to see two more variants of the RE Classic which were put on display. The RE Classic Chrome which is bestowed upon chunks of chrome and maroon livery and the RE Classic Battle Green which is in all new olive green matt finish. These two new variants will be first launched in the international markets (typical!) by April 2010 and then will be introduced in the country.

Bullet Standard 350 & Bullet Electra 350

The company also launched the Bullet 350 and the Bullet Electra 350 with the Unit Construction Engine (UCE.) Reportedly, the company claims that these machines will churn out a mileage of 51.4 kms to a litre and we can’t wait to check out if this indeed is true! The new

Standard and the Electra will go on sale in February and March 2010 respectively. Also, a new milestone was crossed by the company when they announced that from now on, all the RE motorcycles rolling out of the Chennai facility will house the UCE.

A couple of cutaway engines were also on display, which showed the differences

between the original engine that has been helping Bullets gain momentum for the last 50 odd years in more or less the same form and the spanking new 500cc UCE which is now housed in the RE Classic. The Thunderbird Twin spark also shared the stage with other Bullets.

Electra 350 UCE

Classic 500 Chrome

Standard 350 UCE

Thunderbird Twin SparkClassic 500 Battle Green

The Yamaha pavilion had suddenly shot to fame in the last Auto Expo with the attractive new R15 and FZ production bikes being

displayed accompanied by unique layouts. However, the expectations of the show-goers this year were somewhat let down by the compan in terms of the product line-up. The company which had revolutionised 2 wheeler market last year did not demonstrate any new technology to boast of this time. This time around, Yamaha instead of launching any new bikes launched its new brand image by inviting John Abraham and Valentino Rossi to its stand to draw crowds and create an impact. The exhibit area was large and similar to the area used at the last expo but sadly was not utilised to the fullest this time.

Production Vehicles

Yamaha YZF-R1 2010

There was sadly just a single R1 2010 model in traditional blue white livery placed on the stand. It hardly attracted enough eyeballs owing to its positioning and not so prominent colour scheme. It featured the new projector headlamps which characterizes its mean look. The new 998 cc engine develops

a cool 182.1PS of power at 12500 rpm making it one helluva screamer. This power is delivered to the wheels in a smooth fashion through a 6 speed gearbox. Sadly the most prominent and best looking white colour was not on display.

Yamaha VMax

The newly launched Yamaha VMax was also on display although not at a conspicuous location and shared its pedestal with 2 other lesser known steeds from the Yamaha stable. This was perhaps the most intimidating machine in the entire Auto Expo as it shone sheer brilliance and raw power which was evident from its matt black massive presence and the megaphone exhausts.

Yamaha FZ & Fazer

The Yamaha FZ family of motorcycles along with the touring spirit Fazer sharing the same 153 cc mill were huddled together on the stage with a Fazer 1000 for company. The larger motorcycle stood out in contrast to the more commonly seen popular FZ models of Yamaha.

January 2010

25

YAMAHA

2010 YZF R1

2010 YZF R15

Yamaha YZF-R15

This crotch rocket which had set the entire country on fire since its inception was however much downplayed at this year’s Auto Expo with just a single bike on display showing off the new white and red colour scheme. The White R15 also was singled out with hardly any other motorcycles next to it for company thus making it a rather lack of lustre display. No engine upgrades or changes were announced or released.

Concept Vehicles

The major attraction at any automaker’s stall at a motor show is always the futuristic concepts and in case of Yamaha this year they actually took a step back. The two concept vehicles on display were rather lack lustre as compared to the other production models on display. The playcards placed next to the two concept vehicles did not even have the names of the concept vehicles and had rudimentary details of the same.

Concept S2

Although not named anywhere in print the FZ based concept vehicle was called the Yamaha S2 and donned basically the same FZ engine and drive-train but with less attractive design and bodywork and most importantly drum brakes at both front and rear. It also had conventional twin shock at the rear thus giving it a rather plain look. The white colour added to the De-Glam quotient of the motorcycle. The rear fender was also a conventional one with a conventional grab-rail and tail light unit. The plastic parts were however nicely finished in matt black and perhaps were the most attractive feature of this concept motorcycle. No further specifications were given of this motorcycle but we expect this to be the poor man’s FZ probably made available at a little over 50K on road. Although not announced by the company officially but it looks like Yamaha too wants to take more of the entry level market share by introducing lower priced models like Honda and BAL. We must wait and watch to see the

outcome of the same soon.

Concept YBR

The Concept YBR was hardly a concept bike and looked a clone of the production Libero / YBX with some trim level changes. Sporting the same old

engine and drive-train it also donned the same body shape and panels with a new colour scheme.

Other Motorcycles

Besides the regulars, the other two international

motorcycles which were placed on display were the XJ600 Diversion launched by Yamaha in Europe and the T Max Scooter, none of which would be seen on Indian shores. There was also Rossi’s M1 on display from last year.

Concept S2

FZ1

VMax

Concept YBR

XJ6 Diversion

Overall the Yamaha stands which had raised the expectations of the masses really high, was a rather big disappointment in terms of bikes on display. However the ace up the sleeve for Yamaha were the two awesome guest appearances namely John Abraham who has regained the position of the Brand Ambassador of Yamaha again and the Moto GP Ace, the God of Motorcycle racing – Valentino Rossi. Besides these two icons the rest of the show despite some attractively dressed up models, still seemed like a dram show.

Stationed opposite the extremely popular DC stall was the BSA e-bikes exhibit area. The company had divided its show area into two parts with Ti Cycles (BSA’s parent company) occupying half the space. BSA showcased its entire range of e-bikes. The power capacity of the scoots displayed by the company extended up to 800W with the maximum range going up to 65km. The lineup included models namely Roamer Nuo, Roamer NXG, Diva,

Street Rider and Smile. Since electric vehicles are not perceived to be be very exciting, the company had organized some electrifying dance performances to bring the crowd to its stall.

Parent company Ti Cycles who had its stall adjoining the BSA area, displayed it’s entire range of bicycles.

BSADiva

ROAMER NXG

Edge bike

January 2010

28

BAJAJContrary to the reports of Bajaj’s predicted absence at the Auto Expo, we had stated on our website

that Bajaj would be present – and that’s exactly what happened on the 5th of January 2010. Set up opposite the Honda (HMSI) exhibit was the Bajaj pavilion which consisted not only the Bajaj bikes but Kawasaki and KTM as well. The Chinchwad based biker maker reportedly made a last minute

entry at the Auto Expo. As per some of the officials at the exhibit Bajaj picked up whatever bikes were available in their inventory and shipped them to Delhi for the Auto Expo. Here’s a gist of what was on offer:

Bajaj

The most highlighted bike out the entire Bajaj lot was the Pulsar 135LS – the executive commuter class Pulsar launched by Bajaj last month. The bike was displayed in both its available colours, red and black and stood alongside the other Bajaj models like the Pulsar 220, Pulsar 180, Pulsar 150, Avenger and the Discover 100. The exhibit did not include any concept that would prove to be a pointer to the brand’s future products.

Kawasaki and KTM

While the Bajaj production models inhabited one side of the artistic arc-like display structure, the other side was devoted to the imports, current as well as probable. The Kawasaki 250R was displayed in both its commercial colors – green and black, however there was no ER6n or Z1000 to be found. KTM on the other hand displayed the 990 Super Duke that we told you about; but the 690 Duke we speculated about was replaced with a 690 SM, an on and off-road bike.

KTM 990 Super Duke

KTM 690 SM

Traditionally Hero Honda has always showcased a cosmetically enhanced product portfolio at all Auto Expos. This time too there was nothing new for visitors to feast on in terms of products or concepts. In order to attract crowds, Hero Honda’s stall arguably offered the best visual treat among all competitors in terms of exhibit design at the Auto Expo. The country’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer surely had the numero uno stall with respect to uniqueness and innovation of exhibit design. Its stall featured a unique computer controlled water curtain. It comprised of a hundred odd nozzles set up at a height of around 20 feet which released water in a pre-programmed sequences. The effect was such that the falling water droplets resembled letters forming various messages which could be easily read. It was a breathtaking sight to view words such as CBZ and graphics like the brand’s various motorcycle logos being created with water droplets.

Merely reading about the effect created by the water curtains does not sound very fascinating, but trust us, the beauty and charm of the actual sight cannot be described using mere words! There were two water curtains which surrounded a rotating Karizma ZMR which was placed in the center. Another innovative attraction was a bike sculpture that was made purely out of scrap metal. It would be pointless to rant about the models on display at the stall in detail. That is because Hero Honda had its entire existing product line-up on display with no new bikes to talk about! We wish Hero Honda had at least showcased a concept motorcycle or even a few cosmetically enhanced or altered motorcycles from its existing range. That way we could have at least talked about the new products on display at its stall rather than ranting about the wet decorations. We sincerely hope Hero Honda dusts some visual aura on its bikes at the next Auto Expo.

HEROHONDA

Karizma ZMR

Bike sculpture made from scrap metalKarizma ZMR Concept

BeastMaster

Someone, somewhere,

sometime said something

very wise- ‘You don’t stop

riding, because you are

getting old; You get old because you

stop riding.’ Holding absolute truth

to the above mentioned statement, is

Mr. Kiran Kumar Sindhu from New

Delhi. An Electronics Engineer and

Tech Consultant by profession and

a true passionate biker by choice.

This 62 year old young man,

gears up in a Joe Rocket armored

jacket, a KBC ‘Magnum Mugell’

helmet, DSG Gloves, Alpinestar

knee & shin guards and Sidi ‘Street

Burner’ boots and swings his legs

on a 2009 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX

1300R which is mounted with GPS

and an iPhone to make those long

touring rides all the more blissful.

In a society where, good 25 year

olds switch from fast and furious

motorcycles to safe and practical

family cars, what made Mr. Kiran

do the exact opposite? “A bike is an

expression and validation of one’s

state of mind and body- much

more than a car can ever be. When

I ride a bike today, it tells me that

I’m still with it, alert and fit and

that I can cope with anything that

comes my way.” Mr. Kiran says. “

Also, when you take a trip in a car,

you carry your environment with

you, cocooned from the outside

world whereas, on a bike its the

other way round, one is right in the

nitty gritty of things, more in touch

with the natural surroundings.” He

further added.About nine months back, Mr.

Kiran saw the Suzuki Hayabusa

in one of the showrooms in Delhi

Words Gauri Lokare

At 62 years of age, Kiran Kumar Sindhu is making heads turn as he whizzles through the streets of South Delhi on his Suzuki Hayabusa

January 2010

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and instantly fell in love with it. It posed him with a challenge- to be able to tame and ride a beast like the Hayabusa. His friends said he was crazy to even think about buying the bike and most of the youngsters laughed at his move. Mr. Kiran’s wife stared at him with a jaundiced eye initially upon hearing her hubby’s decision but was glad that he was working towards keeping the biking spark alive. So soon enough, Mr. Kiran solemnly took up the challenge, got himself a Suzuki Hayabusa and proved everyone wrong. Initially, the Hayabusa’s aggressive riding posture tired Mr. Kiran out instantly. But his persistence paid off and soon he was zipping through the streets of South Delhi on most mornings. Mr. Kiran along with his machine have cruised through many places in the country with successfully covering most of the Northern and North Eastern states on the Suzuki Hayabusa. He is currently not part of any biking clubs but usually goes on biking plus camping rides with like minded friends who are game for such an adventure.

The biking bug got to Mr. Kiran when he started riding scooters at 18 years of age, back in 1967. His first bike was the Jawa followed

by a Yezdi 250, a Rajdoot 350, a blue/Chrome Bullet 350 and all in that order. Mr. Kiran accompanied by his wife and motorcycles have cruised through most of the National Highways in the country. Next in line to join Mr. Kiran’s garage, hopefully would be one of the Harley Davidson’s showcased for India in the 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi. With royal plans like these, Mr. Kiran’s biking feat is just about beginning!

A message he wants to share with the youth is “Follow your dreams, but do it safely. I’m really distressed to see that safety gear in this country is used by the commuters only to satisfy the law. Most of the pillions are always without helmets. Four kids are perched into various nooks and crannies on a single bike! Guys riding in chappals makes me feel really sorry. I feel that educated people who are seriously into biking, should spend some time sensitizing the general public towards biking safety. At every stop light, be friendly and tell guys not t take risks. In a nutshell, if you can’t or don’t want to don appropriate riding gear, don’t’ buy a motorcycle.” And that’s well said, Mr. Kiran! And we wish you the very best in all your biking endeavors in times to come.

At 65, Mr. Kiran is an Electronics Engineer by profeesion and a biker by choice

Mr. Kiran posing with his nine month old Suzuki Hayabusa

A Garmin 276C GPS & an iPhone on a RAM mountfor those long touring rides

The canine Joey, supervises Mr. Kiran as he carries out his routine maintainence chore

January 2010

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Words & Photography Jaideep Khodaskar

A solo motorcycle adventure takes Jaideep Khodaskar on a 5500kms, 15 days ride across the Himalayas. Here he shares his experience with Motoroids…

A SHAWDOW

Riding with

Riding solo is very exciting owing to the fact that

risk and reward, both belong to you. Biking for

me is all about the feeling of freedom and this

bug stung me during my college days, when I

embarked on a 5000kms ride through South India. Now I

am an International marketing professional, at 39 years of

age and yet the flame of Biking still burns bright. My big

solo adventure ride started from Ahmedabad at 5:30 a.m

on the 14th of August 2009.

Day One - The Ride Begins - Ahemdabad to Amritsar

(14th August, 09)

With an objective of witnessing the Independence

Day parade at Wagah border in Amritsar on 15th August,

I started a day earlier from Ahmedabad. And by evening

I reached Jaipur where I took a halt for the night. On

your way to Jaipur, you can see many trucks carrying the

Rajasthani marble which is globally very popular.

Day Two - Jaipur to Amritsar (15th August, 09)

Since I had to reach the Wagah border by evening, I

started really early at 3:30am so as to reach Amritsar in

good time. But as the saying goes, ‘Man proposes and God

disposes’- came true! It rained heavily that day and I was

compelled to slow down throughout the ride. As a result,

I missed the Independence Day parade! Once I reached

Amritsar, I checked into a hotel, dried all my belongings

and retired for the night.

Day Three - Wagah Border (16th August, 09)

I rode down to the Wagah border in the morning of

the 16th and it was an amazing experience. The stadium

was packed to its full capacity and people were cheering

for our nation at the BSF Parade where the BSF Jawans

presented an excellent parade.

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01, 02 & 03At Wagah Border in Amritsar. You can see the Pakistan side of the

gate, the on-going parade and women waving our National Flag and

cheering for our country

04.Heavy rains enroute Jaipur to Amritsar, compelled me to slow down

05. That’s me, after I was done loading the luggage onto to the bike for my

big adventure

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Day Four & Five - Amritsar to Srinagar (17th -18th August, 09)After resting well on the 16th night I geared up for my ride towards Srinagar and started at 5:00 a.m. The road conditions, terrain and ghat sections on today’s ride provided me with the synopsis of how the Ladakh region is going to be like. I managed to reach Srinagar in the evening at about 7:30p.m and hired a House Boat for two nights. During my stay in Srinagar I visited some of the tourist places in the city and also rode down to the popular Dal Lake.

01. At the Golden Temple in Amritsar

02. Posing in front of a waterfall at Gulmarg

03. Dal Lake during the day time

04. Dal Lake at sunset

05 & 06. This gentleman treated me to Tea and local bread in Srinagar

Day Six - Srinagar to Kargil (19th August, 09)On 19th Morning, I left for Drass sector and the Kargil war memorial. Enroute I passed through Sonmarg and it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been too. My sole objective to reach the Memorial on this day was to be present on the 10th anniversary of the Kargil War Memorial. The names of all the war heroes are etched in pink stone at the memorial. There is a Manoj Pandey war gallery with photographs of the war and some Pakistani arms and equipments seized during the war. The poem “Agnipath”, which was presented to the army by Mr. Abhishek Bachan is also displayed in the Gallery. For me, this was a very emotional experience which left me in tears and I would like to urge every Indian to visit this place.

From the War Memorial I made my way to Tiger Hills to enter the Kargil Town. All along the route you would see big and small memorials built by the Indian Army to immortalize the war and the non-war Heroes. One thing, which is totally commendable about the Indian Army, is the way they have built these memorials, keeping in mind the religion which the soldier belongs too. You would see a cross built for a Christian soldier and a temple for a Hindu soldier. Once I reached the Kargil town, I retired for the night at a tourist bungalow.

01. Beautiful landscapes engulfing Sonmarg

02. Entered the Drass sector in Jammu &

Kashmir

03. This is with the officer’s stationed at the

Kargil War Memorial

04. This is the poem ‘Agnipath’ presented to

the Indian Army by the Bollywood actor,

Mr. Abhishek Bachan

05. & 06. Small memorials built by the Indian

Army to immortalize the war and the

non-war Heroes

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Day 7- 8- Kargil to Leh (20th -21st

August, 09)I started from Kargil to reach Leh

on the morning of the 20th. This route

offers amazing landscapes and scenic

locales which you may never get to witness

anywhere else in the world. You also get to

experience almost all kinds of road terrain

which I can assure will bring out the best

in any biker and test his riding skills, focus

and patience. Once the challenge is passed,

it definable makes your confidence to soar.

About just 60kms before Leh, the roads

improve drastically providing an amazing

opportunity to ride on smooth, winding

roads which are surrounded by gorgeous

landscapes. You can see miles ahead of you

and whack the throttle open.I finally, reached Leh in the evening at

about 5:30p.m and retired for the night.

The next day was spent in acquiring visit

permits to places like the Khardung La,

Nubra valley, Panamik hot springs and

Pangong Tso lake.

Day 9- Leh - Khardung La- Nubra Valley

(21st August, 09)In the afternoon of the 21st, I reached

at the top of Khargung La which is the

worlds highest motorable pass standing at

18,380ft. It is very beautiful, icy and for

every biker it is now a ritual to have rode

till Khardung La atleast once. I took some

snaps here and proceeded further towards

Nubra valley. By evening I reached Nubra

valley and on my way I passed through

some of the breath taking locations.

You never feel tired when you are riding

in Ladakh as with every turn, you are

presented with an amazing view which

refreshes your spirit and mind completely.

I halted at Dishkit for the night.

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01. Long, smooth & winding roads grace upon you, enroute Sarchu

02. Hitched a ride on a camel with two humps, only found in the Hunder region03. Zojila Pass, which is filled with slippery slush

04. A kind & helpful Indian Army soldier clicked this snap enroute Hunder to Leh05. Beautiful rocky formations which Ladakh is known for06. Encountered snow-clad mountain passes while crossing Tanglang La

Day 10 - Hunder- Leh (22nd January, 09)On this day I rode to Hunder to see the sand dunes and to hitch a ride on camels with two humps! After the camel ride, I visited the Panamik hot springs which is a 25kms ride from Hunder. This whole region is very beautiful beyond anyone’s imagination. It offers a number of different terrains to ride through such as a desert, the mountain terrain, the smooth plains and fields of green landscapes. After absorbing the beauty to my heart’s content I made my way back to Leh.

Day 11 - Pangong Tso Lake (23rd August, 09)I started for the Pangong Tso lake on 23rd morning. The Chang La pass, the third highest pass falls enroute and the army offers complimentary tea here. By afternoon I was at the Pangong Tso lake. The beautiful salt water lake holds crstal clear blue waters of which the half of the lake flows across into China. After absorbing the gorgeous views and capturing few snaps, I made my way back to Leh.

01. With every curve, the Nubra

Valley presents a new scenic

location

02. This is at the Pangong Tso Lake,

half of which runs through China

03. Beautiful night spent under clear

skies and moonlight in Darcha

04. This is clicked at the Panamik Hot

Springs.

05. The only cold desert in the

Himalayan region- More Plains

06. Finally, at the top of the world!

Khardung La at 18,380ft

Day 12 - Leh - Darcha (24th August, 09)

On 24th morning, I started my journey towards Rohtang

pass and Manali. Enroute were some beautiful and interesting

places like the world’s second highest motorable pass, the

Tanglang La which is a steep climb upwards and the roads are

really bad and broken. Further ahead I encountered ‘More Plains’

which is a desert amidst Himalayas. It’s a beautiful sight of vast

open ground of around 6 kms in width and 20 kms in length

submerged with heaps of soft sand. After crossing More Plains I

reached Pang and stopped for breakfast. Furthermore, I crossed

Sarchu and reached a place called Darcha where I retired for the

night in a mobile tent.

Day 13- Darcha- Manali (25th August, 09)

Next day I started early from Darcha and reached Rohtang by

afternoon. Few more kilometers and I had made it to Manali at

4:00 p.m. I continued riding till Mandi and halted for the night

there.

Day 14- 15- 16- Mandi– Ahemdabad (26th- 28th August, 09)

On the morning of 26th I reached Chandigargh and got my

bike serviced. I stayed overnight at Hisar in Haryana. The next

day I started my ride towards Ajmer but since I Decided to visit

a Dargah, I had to halt at Beawer for the night which is about

45kms from Ajmer. The following day, I clocked in the final

few kilometers and reached Ahemdabad in the evening of the

28th. Overall it was an experience to remember, Riding with the

shadow – To the top of the world!

Words Photography : Pradeb Biswas : Eshan Shetty

Vardenchis latest creation doesnt confirm to old-school chopper styling cues. instead it creates a new metrosexual niche for itself!

SculptureROLLING

Not all custom motorcycles

maNufactured iN our couNtry have the iNdividuality or

character which allows them

to be the ‘apple of all eyes’

With a solid, clean and muscular design The Hammer lives up to its name

January 2010

39

There are no two ways about it. Vardenchi is currently the best custom bike builder in the country

The Hammer features the traditional belt drive and single sided swingarm setup

The rear wheel is a 17” car alloy mounted on the swingwarm’s hub from one side

Majority of motorcycles manufactured across the globe are mere products which need a fair

amount of marketing to attract buyers. Thankfully there are a few exceptions to the above truth. A testament to the above sentences is ‘Vardenchi’ custom choppers. Akshai Varde, the man behind Vardenchi is a custom bike builder whose creations do not need any amount of marketing to attract attention. A motorcycle passionately created by following the desires of a human heart, never fails in captivating a human mind with the desire of owing one someday.

Not all custom motorcycles manufactured in our country have the individuality or character which allows them to be the ‘apple of all eyes’. In fact, it is immensely difficult for anyone to not spot any ‘less than perfect’ design or engineering in every custom motorcycle. All Vardenchi creations always turn out

to be rolling sculptures and are the only ones for which the above two facts don’t apply! Actually, they possess the same raw appeal of an OCC chopper but at half the price.

This chopper will shortly start featuring in motorcycle history books and mark the beginning of a new era for custom bike builders in India. More dope on that later. First allow me the pleasure of introducing you to Vardenchi’s latest creation christened ‘The Hammer’. This motorcycle, like all other Vardenchi custom choppers features a single sided swingarm, lengthened wheelbase, chrome wheels, 200 section rear tyre, and altered steering geometry. Inspite of all the common features, the Hammer has distinct road presence unmatched by any of Akshai’s other creations.

The brief given by the buyer for this chopper was that it should be user friendly and comfortable for long rides. The buyer also wanted the

chopper to have a high level of finish, apart from having a clean, solid look, without being on the flashy side. Akshai wanted the Hammer to have a very well proportioned design, sport a funky and muscular look and possess the conviction of a production ready model.

Mumbaikars are so caught up in their daily routine that they generally fail to notice any off-beat thing or happening around them. Vardenchi Choppers are not ‘average things’ though but a rare two-wheeled motorized sculpture. Absolutely no one, however absorbed they may be in their iPod’s or PSP’s ever fails to miss this one of a kind phenomenon rolling by. Passerby’s stop dead in their tracks and other road users follow suit bringing traffic to a halt.

Soon local residents get unnerved by this unnatural phenomenon in their quiet neighborhood and threaten us to leave for another locality. And so we soon make our way from there, in

January 2010

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The racing stripes gives the chopper a sporty touch while retaining the clean look that the buyer wanted

search of another place for shoots and end up dazing people from another neighbourhood.

For a photographer, planning and executing the shoot of a custom chopper is more often quite taxing. Most of the creations are not photogenic (read: not well designed, have pathetic paint jobs) which necessitates one to look for open locations so that at least the background makes the photograph appealing. Also, having photoshop skills is an added advantage allowing one to enhance the subject to make it appear stunning.

Eshan, considers a Vardenchi photoshoot as a creative day off. Take a look at the pictures to know why. The chopper genuinely looks good from any angle owing to its flawless overall flow of design, proportionate body panels and high quality paint finish. The motorcycle does not need a picturesque location for it can be shot anywhere. The Hammer has actually been photographed around the by lanes of Bandra. A Vardenchi chopper has an innate ability to make any photograph appear delectable provided it is the subject.

Unlike the previous choppers that were based on at least a decade old Bullet engine and chasis, this chopper is based on Royal Enfield’s Thunderbird Twin Spark engine. In fact, the Hammer is the first Vardenchi bike to be powered by a TBTS engine. The performance of this chopper naturally leagues ahead of others in its clan. It also sets a new benchmark with respect to handling and ride quality. The detailing of accessories on this motorcycle like the front indicators and the rear LED tail lamp are very striking.

Another unique design features is the addition of brake lamps on the sides of the rear fender which look really cool. The motorcycle has also been coated in striking colors. Akshai added the racing stripes to give it a sporty edge while retaining the solid and sober look

A bigger and powerful headlamp ensures the Hammer can be ridden irrespective of weather conditions

The foot-pegs get chrome plating as well

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Like all Vardenchi creations, this chopper looks good from any angle at any location

The Hammer is powered by Royal Enfield’s new Thunderbird Twin Spark engine

The brake lamps on both sides of the rear fender are a funky design touch

chopper whose exhaust incorporates bafflers to reduce its sound unlike the usual free flow one. Akshai says that a loud exhaust increases rider fatigue during rides and this exhaust has been designed to sound good without being cacophonic.

Reading the following sentences will make all chopper enthusiasts in India roll their eyes in disbelief. Guys and gals, the Hammer is the first Vardenchi chopper that will be mass produced. It’s about time you bought a leather jacket, got a few tattoos, took a deep breath, and realized that Gods have finally accepted your request to reduce the financial hurdle in owning a custom chopper. The basic variant of the Hammer retails for a price tag of Rs.4.5 lakhs. Wait! Don’t start shedding tears of joy and allow your jaw to drop down till the collarbone yet. There’s more…

Akshai has confirmed that the Hammer will sport a lower price tag in the near future once it starts getting mass produced. He is currently targeting sales of around 200 units by November end and expects to sell around 2,000 units over a five year period. . The top end variant will cost a couple of thousand more as the individual demands of buyers will be incorporated. Don’t forget, it will be a mass produced custom chopper after all!

The Hammer is an instant ice-breaker with respect to complete strangers starting a conversation with you! Akshai and Eshan had just started discussing the Hammer’s finer details standing around it when three complete strangers joined in with their inputs about the chopper. One could sense that the dream of owing a custom chopper was uniting the people around us from different socio-economic backgrounds, culture, religion etc in pursuit of a common goal.

For a custom chopper, this motorcycle has been

that the buyer wanted. As noted earlier, the Hammer was designed to be comfortable for occasional leisurely city and long highway rides. Hence it does not sport a low slung and high handlebar look. There is also a visible improvement in the overall appeal and design proportions.

Mechanically speaking, the Hammer features the usual Vardenchi trademarks. Once again the belt drive system has been adopted for deliver power to the rear wheel. The set up offers quite a few advantages over the conventional method of using a chain and sprocket mechanism to deliver power to the rear wheel.

The mechanical loss of torque gets reduced to a minimum. The traditional single sided swingarm along with a 200 section rear tyre mounted on a 17’inch car alloy wheel have also been carried over. The rear rim is actually an after market car alloy. Its design allows the chrome wheel to be fitted to the swingarm’s hub from one side.

The front suspension has been borrowed over from the donor bike. The front wheel and disc brake set up have come from a Pulsar 220. The front suspension has been retained from the donor bike. The rear disc brake setup is the usual Pricol unit. This is also the first Vardenchi

The Hammer was designed to be a comfortable chopper that can be ridden everyday in style. This picture proves it

This chopper sets a new benchmark for other Vardenchi creations with respect to overall design flow, proportionate body

panels, and quality,

(Left-Right) Pritam Upadhay-Head of Operations at Vardenchi poses alongside Akshai Varde-the man behind Vardenchi choppers

adequately garnished in all departments. The Hammer is designed to be immensely rider friendly and coupled with its TBTS engine the overall desirability quotient of this custom chopper will be very high among enthusiasts. It took Akshai two months time to bring the Hammer to life.

When a motorcycle is built with passion, it shows. One instantly gets captivated by a variety of emotions like the need to have one, want to own one, desire to touch and feel one, dreams about riding one. The motorcycle ceases to exist as a product launched by some company solely to make profits or maybe for entering and existing in the market. Instead, it appears to be the two wheeled companion that you have been searching for since the day you were born. In today’s age even companionship comes with a price tag. Thankfully the Hammer doesn’t have an exorbitant one!

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the hammer is aN iNstaNt

ice-breaker with respect to complete

straNgers startiNg a coNversatioN

with you!

This is the story of a family who has revolutionised automotive servicing across generations by following what their heart told them to do and their

passion inspired them to pursue. This family has owned enterprises which have been operational for generations and has managed to uphold the same level of service culture and dedication as technology has changed over time.

This is the first part of a multi part series which traces the history and growth of this unique enterprise chain as it exchanged hands across generations and catered to vehicles right from the old multi-cylinder carburetted cars to modern day fuel injected motorcycles.

Centuries ago, a small Family migrated from Maharashtra in search of peace & prosperity to settle down in the nearby surrounding of Bangalore taking up farming as their new profession. Moving away from the traditional profession of farming and ignoring the then most popular profession of a lawyer, the educated generation of this family took a liking to machines and in the Beginning of this Century, this Family which was slightly in love with innovation began a Love affair with cars with the new breed of Youngsters becoming Automobile Enthusiasts

This Passion translated to a pastime then on to a Full fledged Profession. Their love for the Automobile began with a Simple Desire to Mechanise Agriculture. They re-invented agriculture by trying out the new Concept of farming with a Machine. This Machine was called the Tractor. The

Year was 1918 & Family consented to this Idea as the man power was an acute shortage in that era. Since the Mechanics to repair these machines were not present those years, Few Youngsters took lead in learning the Technology, working system & principles & started to tinker around the Tractor.

Experience Built Confidence: The new learning brought in new confidence which made the Youth to get the elders to embark on the newer adventure and buy a new contraption called the Car specifically the largest car made & sold in those years. The year was 1920. Over the years, the Expertise grew Friends & family started to seek help & Advice on Automobiles. This Ability to network & provide solution build the confidence in them to Procure New Automobiles for Friends & family from Madras (the old name of Chennai) & then retail them in Bangalore & its surroundings. 1928 saw the Adventurers entering the Field in a bigger way. They went ahead with their Car Dealership located in the Cant Area behind MG road. They were official Dealers For Austin Cars under the name The Mysore Provincial Motor co. They went on to sell Cars to Who’s Who of the state including Eminent Personalities.

The two brothers from this family Shyamappa and Sheshgiri Rao Duo went on to establish another Car Dealership for Studebaker cars under the name The Reliance Motor co. In this manner started a Romance with the Automobile, which went on for generations to come and eventually resulted in establishing the modern day service stations.

Continued in the next issue:

Revolutionising automotive servicing

January 2010

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The tractor of the family

Promotional Feature

Words Photography Mihir Gadre Eshan Shetty

Not just for

the ladies!We pit the two of the newest entrants in

the gearless arena in search of the best masculine scooter

Some five years ago, two scooters, the Scooty Pep and the Activa co-existed happily in the marketplace. Together they dominated the automatic scooter scene. People looking for a small scoot lapped up the girly

little pink, purple, orange or green Pep, while those looking for a big scoot went for the serious, grey or black Activa. Both TVS and Honda were doing fantastic business at either end of the scooter market. But then Honda breached the peace treaty with the launch of the Pleasure, targeted squarely at the Scooty Pep’s audience. TVS would not take this lying down and commenced the development of a family scooter that would be worthy rival to the Hondas. Meanwhile, some new entrants in the market had moved the game even further, with a couple of good 125cc scooters that changed people’s perceptions of the existing scooters. Some found the Activa to be too feminine. Hence, as a remedy for the situation, Honda launched a fourth scooter, the Aviator with the same powertrain as the Activa, the Dio and the Pleasure. With its tall ergos and muscular design, it was aimed squarely at the male scooterist.

We find out which one is the best scooter for a guy to er… scoot around on without a pair of earrings and a skirt.

Design and Engineering

Both of these scooters follow a vastly different design

philosophy. Honda designers went bonkers while styling the Aviator and came up with bold styling unlike any other scooter seen in the country. The flame surfacing, spoilered tail and the front apron garnish lend it a distinctive look. It doesn’t exactly look pleasing, but then, neither did Bangle’s BMWs. The Wego on the other hand fits squarely into the conventional mould. Its styling is sharp and very well detailed with some nice touches like the pilot lamps incorporated in the indicators and those stylish alloy wheels. But the design feels too try-hard. All the design cues have a ‘deja vu’ feel to them, like you have seen them on some other scooter before.

Both the scooters are extremely well built. However, the big surprise is that it is the TVS that trumps the Honda in the quality stakes. This is a phenomenal achievement for TVS. Not only is it the first time that anyone has outdone HMSI in terms of quality, but it is a pleasant surprise to see that the homegrown Wego has turned out to be the best built scooter in the country. The quality of plastics used is top notch. The Wego’s body is made entirely of metal panels and the panel gaps and clearances are millimeter perfect. However, I don’t see the reason why TVS opted for a metal body. It might be tougher than plastic but the weight penalties are huge, excess weight always hampers performance, fuel efficiency and even the dynamics of a vehicle, especially braking. Not to mention the exorbitant manufacturing costs. Even the repair costs for

The Wego has one of the best ride-handling charachteristics seen on any Indian scooter to date

The Aviator is bold and quirky, while the Wego is conventional and nicely detailed The Aviator has good handling but a choppy ride, the Wego has the perfect compromise

metal parts are so high that replacing plastic parts works out much cheaper than mending dented metal panels.

The Aviator’s biggest shortcoming is the ergonomics. The seat is set too high, which makes it a hassle for anyone shorter than 5’8. This hampers its family scooter credentials as well as its mass appeal. No problems with ergonomics on the Wego, though. TVS has tailored the Wego for the average Indian’s frame as well as to accommodate his entire family, if need be. Infact, in our thorough testing efforts we found it working perfectly well with a payload of 40 kgs (Eshan) to well over a couple of quintals (Rash and Gauri).

Engine and Gearbox

TVS has developed an all new 110 cc engine and CVT gearbox combo for the Wego. TVS is a seasoned player in the gearless arena. Its products have been a hit with the audience since the days of the 2-stroke, 60cc Scooty. The Wego continues to build on its predecessors’ lineage. The engine has that familiar

Scooty Pep soundtrack to it, but it is a bit more vocal and significantly more powerful. It has great low end pull, which makes the Wego feel quick off the line.

But the Honda’s engine is in a league of its own. It is a revelation when you take the Aviator out for the first time. The refinement is better than anything you might have ridden in your life. Abuse it all you want, but the refinement never falters. There is absolutely no CVT judder and the powertrain feels like it can survive a couple of nuclear wars, atleast.

Dynamics

Both these scooters represent a step forward for the scooter-kind with the adoption of bigger wheels and telescopic front forks. The Aviator keeps the 10-inch rear tyre but gets a 12-inch 90 section front wheel riding on the latest from MRF. It is setup a bit on the harder side which gives it best-in-class handling with amazing levels of grip through the twisties and great feedback for a scooter. However this compromises its ride quality. You can feel even the smaller ridges on the road, especially at lower speeds.

The Wego’s suspension setup is brilliantly judged. The Wego rides on 12-inch wheels on both ends and ride quality is one of the best I have experienced on a scooter. But that doesn’t mean that it is has a soft setup. The spring rates and damping are nicely calibrated. There is no excess wallowing at speeds and the Wego is able to handle winding roads with poise.

The Aviator is available with a disc brake on the DLX variant, while combined braking system is standard through the range, even on the drum brake equipped STD variant. The CBS is extremely useful in emergency braking situations. But a short ride on the disc-brake equipped variant really shows the shortcomings of drum brakes. They exhibit a distinct lag, are prone to fade and are nowhere near as powerful as the disc-brakes, and this is true for every scooter with drums. The Wego is currently available with conventional drum brakes, but the provisions for disc brakes are already visible and we expect them to find their way onto the scooter from early next year.

Value for Money

The Wego engine is a good all-rounder. Its fuel efficiency figure of 35 kpl is close to the benchmark in its segment. The Aviator engine on the other hand was developed for out-and-

The tasteful chrome logo on the Aviator is a total contrast to the humbler sticker on the Wego

The Wego has good intial shove, while the Aviator has the refinement and fuel-efficiency going for it

The Wego scores more than the Aviator in most deparments but the Honda scores best in terms of long term reliability

With respect to ergonomics, the Wego is better suited for the average Indian frame as the Aviator has a tall seat height

As products fresh out of the showroom, the wego tAkes the crown for ticking All the

right boxes. it hAs the AviAtor beAten hAnds down on most of the counts.

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when in doubt, buying JApAnese

mAkes for A sensible decision

out fuel efficiency. It might be a bit too civil to give the rider any excitement, but its miserly manner delivers the goods where it counts. The Aviator returned an astounding mileage of 50 kpl ridden with a free right wrist.

The Wego retails for Rs. 46,500 which is good value for money considering the fact that it comes with alloy wheels as standard and is cheaper than even the poverty spec variant of the Aviator. The Aviator is rather expensive with the DLX variant costing a whopping Rs 53,000 that comes with a front disc-brake, CBS and alloy wheels, while the STD variant costs Rs. 48,000 (All prices On Road, Pune). But the Aviator, being a Honda will hold on to its value better in the resale market.

Verdict

As products fresh out of the showroom, the Wego takes the crown for ticking all the right boxes. It has the Aviator beaten hands down on most of the counts. What a fantastic effort from TVS. But a few years down the line it is the Honda that has better chance of being more reliable, with the statistics backing it up. Gearless scooters always tend to come in handy for the entire family. In most of the cases they end up being with their first owners for as long as they are able to survive. These scooters find favour with the elderly, the ladies, old and young as well as the 16 year old kids, all of whom are least likely to take good care of them. Hence the reliability factor becomes more crucial than usual in this shootout. We don’t mean to suggest that TVS’ products have reliability issues, infact even today you can frequently spot one of those very first generation Scootys on the road. But, how many Scootys can you spot, that have proven to be more reliable than say an Activa bought on the same day? And that is the verdict of this shootout, my friends. When in doubt, buying Japanese, more often than not is a sensible decision. We are in awe of the Wego, but it’ll still have to pass the test of time to assure us of its long-term reliability. Feature-for-feature, however, it has the Aviator licked.

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Words & Photography Praveen Sathaye

A 15 day voyage across South India with 20 mad bikers and the Royal Enfield Classic 500

Ready Steady Po !!

After the success of the Himalayan Odyssey tours in the north, Royal Enfield took up another

experimental endeavour in the form of the Southern Odyssey, exploring the southern part of the country in the most exciting manner, on 2 wheels astride a Royal Enfield Bullet. I got the chance to be part of this tour

and test my riding skills on the newly launched RE Classic 500.

Day 1 (14-dec-09) – Track Day & Factory Visit

Day 1 started off with each rider being given the Southern Odyssey Tee with the odyssey war cry printed across the back “Ready Steady Po!” (PO being the Tamil equivalent of GO!) All were also allotted a number which would serve as identification all through this adventure. I was allotted a Sparkling Aquamarine blue RE Bullet Classic EFI 500, TN 03 C 5652; with 1640 Kms

on the odometer and she would be my partner for the next 2 weeks on this Trans South India extravaganza. The first day was purely “boot camp” day where the riders were given a brief idea about what this adventure was going to be like and then were taken to the Madras Motorsports Club race track and given a chance to ride the bikes all around the circuit and were taught basic motorcycle control techniques. Besides giving us the experience of freewheeling on an open track we were educated on the importance of correct braking, throttle control,

proper acceleration and negotiating curves. What helped the novices acquire riding skills helped the seasoned rider revisit the lessons he had learnt.

The 2nd half of the day was spent at the Royal Enfield factory where we saw how each RE Bullet is immaculately assembled by hand on their assembly line. The most interesting aspect of the bullet was the gold pin striping on the tank and other parts which is painstakingly done by ‘Hand’ even today by 2 expert automotive paint artists specialised in this art for over 15 years. Despite being a retro styled motorcycle, the new RE models are manufactured using modern day technology to facilitate better riding comfort and better performance from the motorcycle. The next generation engines were being tested for leakages and NVH levels extensively including a post-assembly / pre-delivery overall motorcycle performance test on a dyno, hinting at a probable increase in overall motorcycle quality from Royal Enfield in the years to come. The sight of the parking bay brimming with shining metal and chrome monsters made the day for most of us who love the bullet purely for its looks and intimidating presence. The day ended on a nice note with each individual participant getting to know each other and all the motorcycles arriving into the Chennai hotel and getting prepared for the ride of a lifetime.

Day 2 – (15-dec-09) - Chennai to Karaikal

Day 2 started with an early morning breakfast-briefing and moving to the Royal Enfield brand store where the Ride was officially flagged off by Siddharth Lal, CEO of Royal Enfield. The flag off was set to the backdrop of Trans music which hardly got noticed

January 2010

Braking practice on the MMSC Racetrack

Customised RE Bullet 500 Cafe Racer at the paddocks

due to the din and roar of 20 odd Bullets. The group of riders was escorted by few bulleteers from Chennai till the outskirts and on to the East Coast Road leading to Pondicherry. The ride theme changed to Ready Steady POUR as we were hit by the cyclonic thundershowers the moment we hit the ECR and got drenched in the first few kilometres. The ECR is an awesome stretch of tarmac, stretching from Chennai all the way alongside the coast to Pondicherry lined with the sea and coves on one side and old medieval temples and villages on the other. The roads were lined with colourful village deities and south Indian artefacts carved in stone. By the time we crossed Mahabalipuram the rains became blinding reducing our pace to a miserable crawl. Lunchtime saw us entering flooded streets of Pondicherry as we rode through knee deep water at the famous promenade and reached La Café, a hot and happening coffee joint famous for its 24 X 7 exotic coffees. The sleepy town woke up to the

thundering machines as we rode, people braving the showers to take a glimpse the juggernauts.

It was here that we came to know of the first casualty of the ride. Kanwardeep, affectionately called KD the chief co-ordinator of the ride got nudged by a car coming from the opposite side and fractured his pinky finger. He managed to also amaze the doctor treating him by asking whether he could wear his glove over the bandage and continue the ride. I guess the Doctor muttered something like “Bikers! Mad Chaps!”, in his strange dialect as he fumed out of the room. Well I guess that’s what the breed of motorcyclists is famous for; not getting bogged down by any adversity and living to ride. Somehow everyone managed to coax him into taking shelter in the support vehicle and continue the rest of the journey inside the backup car. After Pondicherry we moved further south along the coast till Karaikal. The rains were getting worse by each passing moment as we struggled to see the road ahead through half closed eyes and half opened visors. Finally after reaching the hotel each of us

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R a m e s h w a r a m temple famous for its towering gopurams and long corridors

THE ECR is a smooth stretch of tarmac with the sea alongside

Serene view from Le Cafe, Pondicherry

squeezed litres of water from our soaked clothes and snuggled up for a warm experience sharing session over few glasses of throat warmers.

Day 3 (16-dec-09) – Karaikal to Rameshwaram

The third day started early in the morning with inspecting the bike after their night out in the rains. Weather gods were slightly in favour of the riders and the downpour had reduced to a moderate drizzle making the weather somewhat pleasant to ride. We took off from Karaikal towards Rameshwaram our next destination. After Nagapattinam, the legendary fishing town which got completely wiped out in the infamous tsunami that hit us few years back, we took a slight detour to visit the holy shrine of Velankanni. Getting around south India can sometimes be tricky as we experienced this day when we got lost in Nagapattinam town and kept asking for directions to hit the highway. Almost all the milestones are in the rural language leaving us with limited numeric information; so we knew something was 48 kms ahead but couldn’t figure out WHAT!!?? Rains kept troubling us as we rode down the coast almost touching the sea shores at places but couldn’t get enough opportunities to stop by and enjoy the scenery. This was one stretch where I could actually open the throttle of the bike enough to see how fast it could go without scaring the rider. I managed a good 140 KMPH indicated by the Speedometer and on the smooth tarmac the only force I experienced was the bike pulling away at hard acceleration as the 2 zappers tried to gobble as much tarmac as they could. The bike holds steady at a comfortable speed of 80 – 90 kmph but anything more than that and the vibes start getting communicated to each and every part of the body causing discomfort and pain. On the highway at these kinds of comfortable cruising speeds, I managed to extract a good 32.6 Kms for each litre of petrol that I had filled in.

Finally late afternoon we reached the outskirts of Rameshwaram and saw the huge Indira Gandhi Setu, or Pamban Bridge that connects Rameshwaram to the mainland. This bridge gave us a spectacular view of the horizon. This was one of the few places in India where sunrise as well as sunset happens over the sea. Time constraints prohibited all of us to go further on to dhanushkodi but a few of the fast riders did manage to get a glimpse in time. After spending a good more than an hour at the massive bridge we rode into the bustling Rameshwaram town and ended the day with a quick inspection to all bikes which required attention. Some guys did manage to go to the temple while most of us just relaxed and recovered from the fatigue of having ridden in the rain as such.

Day 4 (17-dec-09) – Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari

The fourth day saw us move from Rameshwaram towards Kanyakumari. The day started off peacefully as we fuelled up and moved towards Ramnathpuram and then got off the main highway towards Ervadi. It was here that suddenly we were stopped by the Tamil Nadu police and rounded up for questioning. Wondering why we had been rounded up although all of us were wearing helmets and

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The 2 most famous monuments at Kanyakumari - Vivekananda Monument & Tiruvallavur statue

Fishing boats at Nagapattinam

obeying all the traffic rules, while everyone else in the village was wearing lungis, slippers and riding 3 + on the bikes; the reality soon came to light when the Police Inspector clarified that the Hotel owner at Rameshwaram had filed a police complaint over some non payment of dues and had reported a gang of 20 odd bulleteers as the offenders. Well, that definitely made us proud for a minute thinking at least he remembered the riders rather than the organisers of the ride, but then it also amazed us about the immense power of an influential network in a state run by references and ‘jacks’ as we call it. So once the cheque was given off and dues settled by the organisers we moved ahead towards Tuticorin, locally known as thootikodi.

The road to Tuticorin probably was the most amazing tarmac surface we saw in Tamil Nadu and most of the bikers were cruising at a comfortable 80 Kmph plus as the weather too had cleared out. Tuticorin has been a port of great historical value as was evident by the number of old classic maritime building all over the place. Interestingly despite the hot and humid climate there the Church was called the Church of the Lady of Snow. Coming to think of it, where in the world would the locals at Tuticorin ever see snow? Roads between towns were decent irrespective of them being National Highways or State highways while inside the city

it was an ever confusing network of one ways and roundabouts and friendly helpful people who kept pointing in diametrically opposite directions when you mention the tongue twisting name of your next destination. We passed through Uveri (YES! It’s pronounced THAT way only!) , and headed towards Kanyakumari on the road alongside the coastline dotted with small and beautiful village churches and scenic locations giving us ample opportunities to stop a while and admire the surroundings. After reaching Kanyakumari we ventured out to explore the southernmost tip of India. This is where we could see all the three different oceans surrounding India at one place; the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, marked by a different colour of the water itself. Kanyakumari like any other religious destination was jam packed with people and hustling with activity.

Day 5 (18-dec-09) – Kanyakumari to KottayamDay 5 saw us riding from Tamil Nadu into

Kerala and up the west coast this time. Unluckily for us, the cyclonic thundershowers had also moved in from the east coast to the west and were kind of following us here too. Luckily we woke up to a clear sky and saw that the weather was good to ride. Taking off towards Nagarcoil we entered Kerala and instantly saw amazing roads. Looks like the

Tamil nadu is doTTed wiTh many virgin beaches wiTh superfine sand

prisTine crysTal clear waTers

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The 16th century Portuguese church of the Lady of the Snows, Tuticorin

Rameshwaram is one place in India where the sun rises over and sets into the sea

Riding in tandem on the super smooth tamil nadu highways

government had spent significant amounts and got them surfaced. The change was welcome as I got a chance to whack open the throttle once again. We were joined by a French journalist couple also on this trip who would be penning their experience. After a brief stop at Neyyar Dam we halted at a small town called Nedumangnam, really difficult name to pronounce, for a quick lunch of Dosas, Parotas and Sambar. Asking the local people directions for such tongue-twister of a name was quite a difficult task for the folks who came from North India where names were relatively easier to pronounce. I guess that is one skill we must develop before we embark on a journey to discover south India. The group was still quite fresh in terms of Biker Lifestyle skills and parked the bikes in a really haphazard manner in front of the hotel. Each day we were given some tips on organized motorcycling and synchronised, aligned parking was the talk of the day.

After Lunch the road continued getting better and better coaxing us to ride our bikes even harder and with the Kerala traffic actually being systematic and giving you the right of way for overtaking we made it to Kottarakara in hardly any time. It was here that we realised that the silencer on the French folks’ bike had fallen off somewhere on the way and since they were under the impression that the Bullet was a Loud bike they did not notice it or bother to check why the bike was creating a din. Quickly a spare one was pulled out and fitted back on the bike and we moved off. Riding in the sunny afternoon after a heavy lunch called for a quick refreshing tea and I stopped at a roadside joint for some. I realised that a conversation between 2 guys who do not understand each other’s language can sometimes be interesting. The chai guy and I managed to not only discuss the new Bullet but he also suggested i should eat one of his sweet appam which would energise me. Yes it definitely did the trick as I felt very fresh after the quick snack n tea. Entering Kottayam we knew that it was time to make a mad dash to the back waters of Kerala if we wanted to have any good photographs. So after quickly dumping our luggage, we zoomed off towards Kumarkom and landed up next to the canals and waterways just in time to see the sun slowly go down and houseboats float with cosy couple sitting

on the deck cherishing their special moments watching the sun go down. The bullet made a pretty sight against the backdrop of the tranquil backwaters as the sun slid down into an orange luminous ball of fire and coloured the whole sky a beautiful tint of saffron. Looking at the shiny beautiful metal monster made my heart skip a few beats, guess I was falling in love all over again.

Day 6 (19-dec-09) –Kottayam to Kumily (Thekkady) The day started with mists and fog swirling around the Kerala backwaters as we got ready and rode off from Kottayam. The route was scenic and led us into the mountains now. It was time to bid adieu to smooth straights and start attacking the twisties of the ghats. The roads first snaked through foothills which were abundant with rubber trees each of them having a small plastic collector mechanism to collect the rubber sap dripping down. As we moved higher up, the tea estates started adorning the slopes of the hills with tufts of nicely trimmed and layered vegetation, and a small path cutting its way across through the thick brush. A small stop atop a hill at Vagamon earned us fresh tea made from the tea leaves produced locally at one of the farms and warm sunshine on our faces and body. The warm touch was welcome after the rains and mists and cold foggy weather we had been encountering so far.

It was during this leg that we also reached the highest point in the southern hills of this region. It was a hill called Kalvari Mount which started off with a smooth paved road at the foot and ended up as treacherous gravel ridden steep inclines at the apex. Not everyone had the courage to take a heavy metal Monster up this slope. The valiant few who tried, did meet with some amount of success and pride of accomplishing the hill climb. There were casualties as the heavy bikes did topple and broke off rear view mirror

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The canals and rivulets of the backwaters form the most efficient and largely used channels for transportation and communication in these parts

stubs but then what’s great about having fun without any bruises. Once this off road exercise was done we realised that it was not just tarmac where the Bullet was at home but throw in a small off road patch or two, incline added and it could also tackle them with some effort. Out of the 5 Bullets which went up the hill 3 were Classic 500’s and despite having Zappers (good on tarmac, but relatively hopeless on gravel), they managed to scale the mountain.

Descending from the mountains we rode back into civilization and into the small hamlet of Kumily which is next to the Thekkady camp which is the base location or the Periyar

sanctuary. Viewing the Periyar River with its half submerged trees was an amazing sight as evening set in with numerous birds chirping their way breaking the silence by their melodious sounds. As nightfall slowly crept in we parked the bikes and went into the forest once again on a night patrol trek this time on foot and managed to spot some deer, and wild hogs. We definitely did hope for a Tiger but then somehow the idea of being spotted by a tiger at dinnertime wasn’t one of the best ideas. It was a rather late night when we returned back to the hotel but the street was still bustling

with truckers and small tea shacks and eateries still dishing out hot n steaming delicacies.

Day 7 (20-dec-09) – Kumily (Thekkady) to Kodaikanal

Thekkady was our first encounter with forest roads which we immensely liked for their width, smooth maintained surface as well as the omnipresent green cover overhead. A straight road led us into Tamil Nadu from Kumily with lush green vegetation on both sides and mist laden

mountains in the distance. Once we crossed Theni and had a quick brunch of a south Indian snack the subsequent 40 odd kilometres slowly made us climb the ghats once again. Tea estates were replaced by dense forests as we snaked up the hill. There were small seasonal waterfalls at the sides of the hill running onto the road at places resulting from the rains that had happened a few days back. We entered Kodaikanal through a toll collection gate and immediately came across the silver cascade waterfall. The tourist season was at its peak as was evident by the huge number of vehicles that poured into Kodaikanal and the crowds that had gathered around the waterfall making it pretty difficult to stop there for a quick picture. The sky was a cool azure blue with tufts of clouds colouring it white. The city was adorned with lights and decorations and an old church was located right next to the hotel we had checked into. This was the best accommodation we had got in the entire journey so far and we really loved the comfortable and snug place. Since we had reached the destination well before afternoon we hunted and found a nice Punjabi dhaba for lunch. Post lunch we strolled around shopping for home made chocolates and marshmallows; the delicacies Kodaikanal was famous for. Coming back from our short shopping trip we ventured into the town on our motorbikes.

That night we had a campfire in the garden of the resort and extended an invitation to all the other people staying at the resort. It was a fun filled evening with each of us coming out with our musical and storytelling talents and amusing the audience. The british couple sang an English Christmas song, the couple from Toulouse had a French melody for us, while some of us tried our hands at english, dogri, punjabi and south Indian songs along with an impromptu version of the famous camp-fire song surangini composed and created by Srinivasan, one of the most enthusiastic bikers I have seen. The grand finale was a mad head-banging session to loud music

The beast at Periyar Tiger Reserve

Descending down lugging a 180 kg plus heavy metal Solid Iron beast Mount Kalvari was much more difficult than climbing up the same

drizzle or fog, The bikers Took all weaTher in Their sTrive

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Heavy metal lumbering like a juggernaut through the misty roads

Built like a gun - Indeed

Roaring through Kodaikanal

Raindrops keep falling on my head ...

and everyone letting their hair down and dancing in frenzy. A late dinner and we all slowly dragged ourselves back to the cosy comfortable beds and dozed off.

Day 8 (21-dec-09) – Kodaikanal to Munnar

The day was very overcast as we rose, We quickly had our breakfast and set off on the next part of the journey. Rains were getting thicker but the cold was still not affecting our biking spirits as we moved out braving the drizzles. Fog had started getting thicker and visibility was dropping down drastically. Our speeds were reducing and I was opening my visor every now and then to grab a quick look at the road ahead. Despite these conditions the dare-devilish locals were all up in high spirits wearing protective monkey caps and riding crazily horns blaring announcing the arrival of the kings. It was here that we encountered the next casualty of our ride. John Smith the brit gentleman was already struggling with his pillion and blinding rains and on one such left hander he scraped the side carrier of his bike and lost control. Crash, boom, bang he fell to the ground but managed to get up with some assistance. This was perhaps quite an injury as he was not able to straighten up for quite some time. Even at the ripe age of 60+ the very fact that he had undertaken such a ride with us was wonderful. His bike was taken over by our chief mechanic known as Mr SS, and we moved ahead towards the plains. Gravel on the wet road was making It more difficult for us to ride at speeds as now on curves we had to be extra careful not to end up in a slide.

Luckily for us rains stopped and after grabbing a quick bite we were off again and getting into our first proper forest road. We were briefed at the Annaimalai Tiger reserve gate itself about the various risks posed by wild animals to people who halt and tease them. We hoped to spot some creatures as the roads were now becoming desolate and there were signboards at various places indicating elephant crossings and

other notifications. The ride through the reserve was uneventful although we saw lots of indications of wildlife everywhere; I guess the sound of 20 RE bullets was enough to scare the living daylights of the wild animals, as it is they are rather elusive and shy creatures. We had a state border check post in the middle of the forest as we moved from Tamil Nadu back into Kerala and registered our names along with our bike details at the Chinnar wild life sanctuary check post. It’s a good thing that public vehicles are still allowed inside these reserves albeit with necessary notifications and with timing limitations. I presumed the roads were created first to connect places and dated quite long back and then the forest reserves were built around them under Project Tiger thus making this a protected place but with no alternate routes these connecting transportation arteries couldn’t be blocked.

After getting out of Chinnar we started off by climbing another set of small hills and started seeing the – ‘oh so omnipresent’ - tea estates once again. Entering Munnar we found ourselves in the midst of some election campaign but managed to crawl our way through the busy semi urban traffic to our hotel. The first thing all of us did after checking in was to take off our wet riding gear and spread it out under the fan as we cooled off.

Day 9 (22-dec-09) – Munnar to Valparai When we woke up the next day Munnar was still pretty overcast buy the clouds had started floating away already. We packed out stuff and went to tank up. Tanking up was more or less a daily

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ritual whenever we covered more than 200 kms as the effective range of the Classic 500 was just about 200 – 250 kms. We started the day by checking the newspaper for any weather updates and asking people at our destination point whether more showers were expected. Luckily for us none whatsoever were predicted. The Smith couple joined us in the backup van as we had already transported their bike further ahead. By the time we reached the first regroup point at a restaurant called Crystal Kitchen the weather had changed into a hot sunny day and it was quite a change from the foggy moist rides we had been having so far. Weather gods had been playing hide n seek with us throughout this journey as we encountered diametrically opposite weather every now and then. A quick south Indian meal at crystal kitchen and we moved towards Athirapally waterfalls which were a major tourist attraction right in the middle of the Kerala Forests. After winding up from the waterfalls it was time for us to stop and take a quick group photograph when we arranged all the bikes against one of the seasonal waterfalls coming down a rocky edifice. The sight of the score odd bikes lined up did make many

a passerby stop and click a snap or tow of this spectacle. After the group photograph we moved off again into the midst of the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary and rode on almost desolate forest roads lined with tall trees on both sides and traversing an occasional old bridge made over the fast flowing rapids coming down from the Parambikulam reservoir.

In the last stretch before Valparai, on a blind turn one of the bikers was startled by an oncoming bus and suffered a small skid, losing the bike’s headlight, but the bullet being

built like a gun took almost all the brunt on itself and the rider did not suffer a scratch. We reached Valparai in the middle of a chilly and cloudy evening and quickly checked into the hotel and rushed out for a quick bite. Riding on these ranges definitely did make most of us rather hungry by the time the day’s ride ended.

Day 10 (23-dec-09) – Valparai to Kotagiri-Anjangiri

Valparai is often reckoned as a favourite haven for most holiday goers in this region purely because of its rustic touch and isolation from the rest of the world. This was proven to us the earlier night when none of the mobile phones could catch any range and there was no wireless internet connectivity anywhere. No wonder this place is still considered as one of the most disconnected heavens in South India, with shops closing in at 8 and the whole town just going off to sleep and switching off the lights by 9 pm. We woke up to a slightly moist morning and zoomed off downhill towards ooty again and then moved towards the tea estate hills again. The descent was an interesting one with numerous hairpin bends all the way making the ride so exciting. After crossing Kotagiri and Keel Kotagiri, or lesser Kotagiri we descended further into forest land and after a rather bad patch of non existent forest roads, reached the Anjanagiri tea estate. This tea estate is bang in the middle of a forest and offers amazing view and a small temple on a mountain to add. The stay at Anjanagiri was one of the most exhilarating parts of this adventure as we had the tastiest food served in perhaps the most inaccessible parts of the southern hills and we stayed in small warm n cosy tents out in the open. After the dinner and the campfire we spent the whole night listening to the sound of the cicadas with an odd shrill cry of an unknown bird or animal from

Staying outdoors in tents in the midst of a tea estate surrpunded by forests has its own charm and thrills

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the forest.

Day 11 (24-dec-09) – Kotagiri-Anjangiri to MadikeriThe next day none of us wanted to leave Anjanagiri,

as the Srinivasan family who had hosted us had treated us to the best food and the most awesome places where we felt so much at home and one with Mother Nature. But then as per schedule we had to move further and after bidding goodbyes to the tea estate manager Mr Sitaraman and the 2 beautiful German Shepard’s Simba and Shadow we rode our steeds over gravel, slush and finally out onto the highway and towards our next destination, Sultan Bathery. It was here that a small spelling or pronunciation mistake (gudlur v/s gundlurpeth) took me all around the Mudumalai forest range and through Bandipur forest and Wayanand making me cover an additional 80 odd kilometres through 3 different states finally reaching the re-group point at Sultan Bathery. After a lazy lunch and some rest we moved off towards Madikeri which traditionally belongs to the carnatic province of Coorg known for its warrior clans. After so much of tea tea and tea what now welcomed us was the sight of coffee plantations. These were very different from the tea estates we had been seeing till now and had huge trees with small bushes of coffee plants in between loaded with the coffee berries. We reached Madikeri at dusk and after settling down decided to venture out to busy some spices, coffee and other condiments.

Day 12 (25-dec-09) – Madikeri to ChikmaglurThe next day we woke up to the sound of

some awesome 2 strokers as the owner of the hotel in Madikeri where we were staying started his vintage Jawa motorcycles in the morning. We all stood there admiring the respective beauties we possessed and then were escorted out by him towards somwarpet, another rural marketplace small town in the coorg region. It was a little after somwarpet that we came across vast meadows which looked so tempting that we actually stopped at a place and took our bikes off the road on to the small hillock. There was just a single tree on the hillock and after roaming around on our bikes we all lined up for a nice group photograph atop this hillock. Once the

Come coorg and the surrpunding landscape was abundant with Coffee estates

well deserved break was over, we descended and zoomed off towards sakleshpur. Post lunch it was a pretty straight forward ride till Arehalli, the outskirt village and then came across more coffee plantations, finally leading us into Chikmaglur. After reaching Chikmaglur, some of us immediately got freshened up and rode towards the Taj for a party while most of us just unwound as it was the penultimate riding day.

Day 13 (26-dec-09) – Chikmaglur to Bangalore

The last day definitely did make us all a little bit sad as we knew it was time to end this epic of a journey and luckily for us the final leg was hardly any distance too. We decided to stay off the highway so that we could catch a glimpse of the countryside we re riding through and come closer to the local environment. The rural roads also in this part of the country were good enough for a comfortable speed. Each village had a small village pond and a temple to adorn its boundary and it always provided us with the necessary landmarks to follow the trail. Taking the usual tea breaks at the roadside shacks we rode into Harenhalli, Mayassandra and Kunigal before we turned towards Bangalore and took one of the popularly used road stretches. It was here that we slowly encountered traffic, comprising of trucks, buses and an awesome number of other vehicles all going at different paces but with the sole intention of getting into our way. Or was it the other way, we were getting into their daily commute route? We reached

the NICE (NECE actually) road in no time after lunch and then headed straight towards Banerghatta where the final end point of the southern odyssey was decided. As we hit the NICE road, 2 of our fastest riders just took off without even knowing where we had to turn off the toll road and get into maddening Bangalore city towards Banerghatta. We reached the end point which was a resort in this part of Bangalore and was a nice quiet place where we parked the bikes and celebrated the culmination of an awesome experience. After we had nearly settled down, the 2 adventurers who had zoomed ahead managed to understand their mistake and finally located the resort rolling in as the slowest and the last of the riders. We booed them sufficiently enough for them to turn pink with embarrassment of jumping the gun. That night we had a small party at the resort and a slideshow of the photographs taken by all the riders to showcase the unique experience we all had gone through taking 3 south Indian states on 2 wheels in one helluva ride – The Southern Odyssey.

Although there were many riders coming from the media who joined up this adventure to experience the extravaganza that Royal Enfield had promised to take them on, only one (yours truly) actually stayed long enough to complete the entire adventure while the others just attempted specific legs of the same. This journey definitely taught me a lot about the Bullet, the Royal Enfield philosophy and most important, earned me some great friends too.

The Old meets New Old - A Standard 350 also rode alongside the Classic 350 on this epic journey

Boys will be Boys - Mad headbanging session at the campfire at kodaikanal

Clear azure skies and smooth tarmac characterised the surroundings in the southern plains

Posing on the way to Chikmaglur

TradiTionally The bulleT has always been a machine which has demanded a loT from The

rider. . haTs off To all The brave riders who have masTered This beasT

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Mighty beasts on this mighty ride

If you want your biking group to be featured on this page, drop in a mail to clubs@motoroids.com with your group’s pictures and answers to all the questions above

If you are interested in joining this group, drop in an email to reramshillong@gmail.com

This month Motoroids caught up with ‘’Reram - the Royal Enfield club from Shillong. Here’s all the important information about this club.

1. When and where was the club formed? A. The club was formed in the December 2006, at Jingkieng Nongthymmai, Shillong- Meghalaya when few of us buddies got together and started going for small weekend rides on our Royal Enfields.

2. How often do members meet up? A. We make it a point to meet up almost every week. The day and time are decided before hand and then informed to all the other members. Apart from discussing general rides and events, our meets are known for karaoke nights and local beer drinking sessions.

3. Which aspect of riding is the group more into?A. We are mainly into ‘Adventure Riding’ to promote eco tour-ism and ‘Social Work’ to spread smiles on as many people’s faces as we can, especially the needy.

4. What distinguishes this biking group from others?A. We cannot be different from other biking groups, as long as biking groups all over ride their bikes with love.

5. How many riders are currently associated with the group?A. There are 30 core members and 48 other riders.

6. Where is one most likely to see the group in action?A. Revving up and down the hills of the northeastern region of India through the winding curves, foggy conditions and fabulous locales.

7. Is there any biking hierarchy within the group?A. Well, we have a President, a Vice President, General Sec-retary, Treasurer and a General Body of hardcore riders who discuss and decide the events, rides, etc for the club.

8. Are there any requisites to joining the group?A. Yes. a) The rider must own a Royal Enfield motorcycle. b) participate in the rides organised by the club and c) should be a safe rider and also have some technical knowledge of the bike.

Innovator PAR EXCELLENCE

In the World War II ravaged and nuclear bombed Japan, one man toiled relentlessly in pursuit of a dream, that of personal mobility for everyone. He

was famous for his loud suits and wildly colored shirts that he wore deliberately to rebel against the crowd of ‘tuxedos’. Being a technically accomplished person himself, Soichiro didn’t give a crap about marketing gimmicks and believed that his products would sell themselves. With sheer industrious spirit and mechanical ingenuity, he created a multinational keiretsu like none other, known for its R&D more than anything else and which went on to become the largest producer of internal combustion engines in the world.

Soichiro Honda was born in Hamamatsu on November 17, 1906. Technical brilliance ran in the family it seems, as his father, Gihei Honda who was the local blacksmith was popular in the village as Mr. Fix-it. Gihei was known to have worked at various

vocations including dentistry when the need arose! The family was not wealthy, but Gihei Honda instilled into his children the love of mechanical things and development of new technology. Soichiro started assisting his father at his smithy and soon learned how to whet the blades of farm machinery and to make his own toys.

Ever since he was a toddler he was enthralled by the allure of the IC engine. Everyday, he would make his grandfather take him to watch a nearby rice mill that was powered by a small engine. Soichiro spent most of his day at his father’s smithy and thanks to his sooty appearance soon got the nickname ‘black nosed weasel’ at school. Soichiro Honda’s childhood days are full of examples of technical ingenuity. Soichiro’s school handed the school report to the students but required that it will be returned with stamp of the family seal so to make sure that the parents had seen it. Soichiro made a

fake family seal using a bicycle pedal rubber, not just for himself, but also for his friends. But, the fraud was soon discovered as Honda did not realize that the stamp had to be mirror imaged. His family name was symmetrical, so it didn’t cause any problem but some of other children’s family names weren’t.

In 1917, Soichiro heard the news of an aerial acrobatics show happening at the Wachiyama military airfield. Honda borrowed a bicycle from his father’s shop and rode 20 kilometers to the airfield. When he got there he realized that the tickets to the show were far pricier than what he could afford. But he watched the entire thing from the top of a tree. When Gihei Honda learned what his son had done, he was more impressed with his initiative, determination and resilience than he was angry with him for mooching the bike.

At 15, without any formal education, Honda left home and headed to Tokyo to look for work. By 1922, Honda was working in an

This month we take a peek into the life and times of the man with the ‘Power of Dreams’, the late and great Soichiro Honda.

Report Mihir Gadre

The Legend himself, in his trademark polka-dot suit.

Little Soichiro who was nicknamed as the ‘black nosed weasel’ by his schoolmates.

Soichiro(left) with Takeo Furisawa(right). Both of whom were responsible for taking Honda corporation to its lofty heights.

Various brands that continue to thriVe under the parent company

January 2010

auto shop in Tokyo called Art Shokai. Initially was assigned menial tasks, but gradually he became a trusted mechanic. He worked on making parts for a racing car which taught him things that would be invaluable later in life. The car won the Chairman’s Trophy with Soichiro Honda riding alongside as mechanic. He was 17 years old. Four years later he started his own Art Shokai auto shop in Hamamatsu.

Employees in the Art Shokai shop soon came to understand that sloppy workmanship and poor performance would not be tolerated, but while Honda’s tool-hurling antics did not always encourage loyalty, those who stayed recognized his total determination to succeed and to establish an engineering business second to none.

A self-taught engineer, he established his own company, manufacturing piston rings. He worked on a piston design which he hoped to sell to Toyota. The first drafts of his design were rejected. He found that he lacked a basic knowledge of casting. To obtain it, he enrolled in a technical high school pawning

his wife’s jewelry for collateral and applying theories as he learned them in the classrooms to his own factory. But he did not bother to take examinations at the school. When he was informed that he would not be graduated, Honda commented that a diploma was “worth less than a movie theater ticket. A ticket guarantees that you can get into the theater. But a diploma doesn’t guarantee that you can make a living”. Eventually, he won a contract with Toyota. But soon disaster struck and his factory was destroyed in an earthquake.

Due to a gas shortage during World War II, Honda was unable to use his car, and his novel idea of attaching a small engine to his bicycle attracted much curiosity. Honda focused his considerable energies on the engineering side; using all the experience he had painstakingly accumulated, including time out taken to study piston ring design at Hamamatsu Tech and subsequent experimentation with a small engine-powered bicycle. Also, Honda was sufficiently aware of his own managerial shortcomings. He left

the running of the company in the hands of Takeo Fujisawa, his most trusted friend. He then established the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu, Japan, to develop and produce small motorbike engines. Calling upon 18,000 bicycle shop owners across Japan to take part in revitalizing a nation torn apart by war, Soichiro received enough capital to engineer his first motorcycle. The first fruit of their partnership that hit the streets was that of a 98 cc two-stroke motorcycle appropriately named ‘Dream’, while the step-through, Honda Cub was the first international success for the Honda Motor Company.

Several times Honda Motor Co. sailed close to the rocks in the years that followed, for both Honda and Fujisawa were gamblers who knew that expansion would only be possible with risk. Growth at one stage was unprecedented, until the purchase of state-of-the-art machinery in the early Fifties led them perilously close to bankruptcy. Honda stated that “Without Fujisawa, we would have gone bust a long time ago” while

Fujisawa stated that “Without Honda, we would have never become this big”. Honda claimed that he had never touched nor seen the company’s official seal.

Later, when the Juno scooter flopped and bankruptcy loomed large on the horizon, his reaction was to embark on the Tourist Trophy race program that eventually made Honda’s name as an international motorcycle manufacturer. It took him five years, but by 1959 Hondas were racing on the Isle of Man. Two years later they won the TT.

Honda opened his first dealership in Los Angeles with six employees in 1959. Honda’s excellent engineering resulted in Honda motorcycles out-selling Triumph and Harley-Davidson in their respective home markets. By 1963, Honda was the top-selling brand of motorcycles in the United States and the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles by 1964. Take a moment to put that into perspective.

Honda had great successes in Formula1 as well as MotoGP. Soichiro Honda was the prototypical F1 engineer. He was always probing

new limits of technology and seeking feedback from the drivers/riders. Honda was the first major manufacturer to understand that motorsport was the perfect crucible in which to develop not just superior machines, but superior engineers as well and today every global player in the F1 game rotate its engineers through its motorsport programs.

Honda remained president until his retirement in 1973, stayed on as director, and was appointed “supreme adviser” in 1983. Soichiro was always a ‘larger than life’ personality. Both Soichiro and his wife Sachi held private pilot’s licenses. He enjoyed skiing, hang-gliding and ballooning at the ripe old age of 77. He was also a highly accomplished artist. He and Fujisawa made a pact never to force their own sons to join the company. His son, Hirotoshi Honda, was the founder and former CEO of Mugen Motorsports, Honda’s famous tuning arm.

Soichiro Honda died on August 5, 1991 of liver failure. But his legacy remains, in the form of millions of engines produced every year bearing his name.

Hirotoshi Honda, Soichiro’s son, the founder and former CEO of Mugen motorsports

Soichiro Honda’s own Art Shokai workshop at HamamatsuSoichiro Honda took keen interest in the Honda motorsport division.

Siochiro discussing the plans of the American factory with senior Honda executives

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Just in case you thought we ever work....

Introducing Motoboyz---the new poseur gay rock band in town

Where are the camels?? Damn you Global Warming!

The foodies have a taste of what ‘The Delhi’ can offer in the sweets department

Mirror Mirror On The Wall,

Who’s The Stupidest Of Them All?

The three musketeers keep themselves warm with

hot chai during one of the Auto Expo nights

Hmm...its true. Only men on RE Bullets attract other men who ride RE bullets!

Mihir, at work....naut!

A person is known by the company he/she keeps!

Exactly! So put a tab on that alcohol and step on the pedal

Extreme Front Wheel Drive!

Even after the great evolution, your stealing habits are still not gone! Ticket to a baseball game- $12, Beer at the

game- $7.50. This expression- Priceless!

January 2010

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The tourist buddy comforts the heart broken lion after a tough break-up with his mate

Because we care for our employees and respect their sleeping patterns

January 2010

69Dolphins are usually very friendly; untill they come in a pack!

Now, that’s a head turner! P.S- Beware of Dwags

Probably for this biker the sound of the engine is not musical enough

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

Think you can get crazier than this? Send us your crazy pictures at

Crazyworld@motoroids.com and we’ll feature them here along with your

name.

We always like to lead the path!

There’s not much difference in being brave and being stupid

Write to usFor feedback, suggestions, complaints, spy pics, or just to say hi - letters@motoroids.com

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