Upcoming bike launches of 2010-11

BMW K1300S



Expected: Nov 2010
Estimated price: Rs 10.2 lakh

German bike maker, BMW Motorrad is set to introduce its flagship bike, the BMW K1300S, very soon. The K1300S is the most advanced bike from BMW stable. In the international market, the bike comes loaded with a 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, in-line four-cylinder, four valves per cylinder and two-overhead camshafts. The displacement of the bike is 1293cc. The power train of the BMW K1300S produces awesome 175 hp of top power at 9,250 rpm and churns out 140 Nm of torque at 8,250 rpm. The bike can deliver a top speed of over 200 km/h with the help of a 6-speed manual transmission. Not to mention the sophisticated front 320mm and rear 265mm disc brakes complete with anti-lock braking system.

TVS Rockz

Expected: Nov2010
Estimated price: Rs 50,000

TVS, one of India's two wheeler manufacturer is planning to launch a very classy and stylish moped in the 125-cc segment. The all-new and classy moped will be named TVS Rockz. The USP: 50km/l.

Suzuki Skydrive

Expected: Nov 2010
Estimated price: Rs 45,000

Following the success of the Access 125, Suzuki is planning to introduce more two-wheelers in India. First up is the Suzuki Skydrive, which is also known as Suzuki F1 scooter in the international market.
The Skydrive is an aerodynamic scooter with both kick- and self-start options. It has a 124cc, 4-stoke, air cooled SOHC engine which generates excellent power and torque values.

Honda Interceptor VFR800

Expected: Nov 2010
Estimated price: Rs 8 lakh

Honda intends to launch a couple of sports and sports tourer new bikes in India. The planned bikes are Honda VFR1200R, Honda Interceptor VFR800 and Honda CBX Twister 250cc.

The Interceptor comes loaded with a liquid-cooled 90-degree V4, 4-stroke, DOHC, VTEC power plant with a higher displacement of 781cc. This advanced power train belts out a maximum power of 107bhp at 10,500 rpm and pumps out a top torque of 80 Nm at 8750 rpm. The Honda Interceptor VFR 800 incorporates 6-speed manual transmission for better use of engine power that also ensures amazing acceleration.

Hyosung ST7

Expected: Nov 2010
Estimated price: Rs 10 lakh

The new Hyosung ST7 is expected to be equipped with a 678cc, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, 90 V Twin, 4 valves per cylinder and DOHC valve configuration. Expected to develop a peak power of 60bhp and 63 Nm of top torque at 7500 rpm, the bike comes loaded with a 5-speed manual transmission. The Hyosung ST7 is expected to be packed with array of advanced features that will boost performance. The dynamic and sound braking system of the new Hyosung ST7 is also very classy with a 300mm disc brake at the front and 270 mm disc brake at the rear.

Honda CBR 1000RR

Expected: Nov 2010
Estimated price: Rs 12.5 lakh

The all new Honda CBR is loaded with very powerful and dynamic 999cc engine with a 6-speed manual transmission. The new and stylish Honda CBR is incorporated with dynamic disc brakes and advanced suspension system which absorbs maximum shock. The fuel tank capacity of the new Honda CBR is 17.7 litres with 3 litres of reserve.

Yamaha BWS

Expected: Nov 2010
Estimated price: Rs 60,000

Yamaha BWS 125 features a 4-stroke, single cylinder, 4-valve, fuel injection SOHC power train - the same configuration which is used in Yamaha bikes the world over. The engine of the Yamaha BWS 125 pumps out a top power figure of 6.7kw at 7,500 rpm and churns out a peak torque of 9.6 Nm at 6,000 rpm. The scooter uses V-belt automatic transmission. The Yamaha BWs 125 comes loaded with front disc brake and rear drum type brake; it has front telescopic shocker and rear unit link fork. The most fascinating feature is its massive 12-inch wheels. In addition, Yamaha BWs 125 sports a 6-litre fuel tank.

Vibgyor Shark

Expected: Nov 2010
Estimated price: Rs 55,000

Vibgyor Vehicles, a Kolkata based bike manufacturer, is planning to launch two new bikes in India. Vibgyor already has a product named Vibgyor Gallop in a few states in India. Now the company announced to launch two bikes - Vibgyor Shark 150cc and Vibgyor Hunter 125cc. These two bikes were launched by Sourav Ganguly at Delhi Auto Expo, January 2010. The Vibgyor Shark has been developed by the company's own R&D team and has used domestic components. The Vibgyor Shark will compete with Bajaj Pulsar 150cc, Hero Honda Hunk, CBZ X-Treme, Honda Unicorn, Suzuki GS150R, TVS Apache and Yamaha FZ16. The bike is equipped with a 4-stroke, single cylinder, SOHC air cooled power train with a displacement of 142.6cc.

Vibgyor Hunter

Expected: Nov 2010
Estimated price: Rs 45,000

The second bike from the Vibgyor stable - the Vibgyor Hunter comes loaded with 4-stroke, single cylinder, air-cooled, SOHC engine with 124.1cc displacement. The power plant of Vibgyor Hunter belts out a peak power of 9.64bhp at 9,000 rpm and pumps out 9.0 Nm of top torque at 8,000 rpm. The bike comes with self- and kick-start options. Vibgyor Hunter sports five-speed constant mesh gearbox.

Kawasaki Ninja

Expected: Dec 2010
Estimated price: Rs 6 lakh

The power mill of the baby Ninja 250 R belts out 33Ps of power at 11,000 rpm and 22Nm of power at 8,200 rpm. Acceleration and pick-up is unmatched with excellent control. It inherits and proudly sports the cutting-edge power, technology and styling of the Ninja Super Sports models. With rider focused ergonomics, styling and a host of features such as fuel injection, liquid cooling and petal disc brakes, it is a bike that never cease to amaze.

Yamaha YZF R6

Expected: Dec 2010
Estimated price: Rs 6 lakh

Yamaha has a number of pure sports bikes in its portfolio and some bigger displacement bikes have been launched in India including Yamaha R1, Yamaha R15 and Yamaha VMAX. The company intends to launch its most popular sports bike in India: the YZF R6. This sports bike has crossed a good number of milestones on the racing track. In fact, this is the dream sports bike for many professional bikers.

Yamaha Fazer 250cc

Expected: Jan 2011
Estimated price: Rs 1.25 lakh

After the huge success in 150cc segment with Yamaha FZ16, FZS, Fazer and Yamaha YZF R15, reports now emerge that Yamaha Motor India will launch the Fazer in the 250cc segment. The all new Yamaha Fazer 250cc is expected to come with a 249cc, 4-stroke, air-cooled, SOHC (Single Overhead Camshaft) petrol engine with five speed manual transmission producing 20PS of maximum power and 20Nm of maximum torque.

Demak DMX R

Expected: Feb 2011
Estimated price: Rs 60,000

Demak is soon going to start its operation in India and the company is also planning to launch two bikes - Demak DMX R and Demak Cougar. The powerful Demak DMX R is a racer bike with the appearance to match. The DMX R is expected to be loaded with a 150cc engine expected to generate a power of 14bhp.

Demak Cougar

Expected: Feb 2011
Estimated price: Rs 1 lakh

The Demak Cougar is expected to be equipped with an engine capacity of 250cc. The 4-stroke engine is expected to generate a maximum power of 19bhp.

Bajaj Sonic

Expected: Feb 2011
Estimated price: Rs 40,000

The new Bajaj Sonic is specially designed to target the large volume of young bikers with its sporty and macho looks. The Sonic is expected to be equipped with a 100cc engine with 4-speed transmission. The new 4-stroke engine of the Sonic is expected to be incorporated with a single cylinder and SOHC valve configuration for reduced friction. The bike offers a mileage of around 60 km/l and has a fuel tank capacity of 17 litres.

Hyosung GT 650R

Expected: Mar 2011
Estimated price: Rs 4 lakh

The upcoming Hyosung GT 650R is expected to be a powerful bike which will be equipped with an engine capacity of 650cc. The powerful and dynamic engine of the Hyosung GT 650R is expected to produce a power of 80PS at 10,000rpm and churn out a maximum torque of 67Nm at 7250rpm. The engine of the GT 650R is expected to be loaded with V-twin 4-stroke, 2-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC valve configuration.

KTM Duke

Expected: Mar 2011
Estimated price: Rs 1 lakh

Bajaj Auto and Austrian bike maker KTM are coming together in India with the plan to launch a premium segment bike. Bajaj KTM is expected to produce power bikes with 125cc to 250 cc engines, starting with the KTM Duke 125. The stylish and aggressive bike is specially designed to cater to the racer crowd. The KTM Duke 125 is expected to be powered by a 2-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC valve configuration with a displacement of 124 cc which will deliver 11KW of power.

Suzuki GSXR 1000

Expected: Mar 2011
Estimated price: Rs 5 lakh

Suzuki GSXR 1000 is a very powerful bike which is packed with a 999cc engine. The powerful and dynamic engine produces an awesome top power of 160bhp at 9,500 rpm and churns out a maximum torque of 110Nm at 8,000 rpm. The iconic super sport bike is loaded with MotoGP type brakes and suspension system.

Yamaha YZF R125

Expected: Mar 2011
Estimated price: Rs 90,000

The Yamaha R125 which is available in the overseas market has been loaded with a 124.66cc displacement, liquid cooled, SOHC, single cylinder power plant. This compact but sporty engine is capable of delivering 15 PS (14.5bhp) of maximum power at 9,000 rpm and 12.2 Nm of peak torque at 8,000 rpm. The fuel injected machine incorporates six-speed gearbox. In view to achieve greater performance and rigidity, it is equipped with a Deltabox chassis, aluminium swing arm and five-spoke lightweight alloy wheels. The Yamaha YZF R125 possesses somewhat the same body style and stance as higher R-series bikes like Yamaha YZF R6 and iconic Yamaha YZF R1. The front face and rear view of the bike are also borrowed from the R-series bikes. One can see the copied items such as dual headlights, compact tail side view and the low front face.

Yamaha Nouvo

xpected: Mar 2011
Estimated price: Rs 60,000

The company is going to launch the new Yamaha Nouvo - a strange combination of motorcycle and scooter - in the 135cc segment. This powerful scooter is expected to produce a maximum power of 8.77bhp at 8000 rpm and a torque of 8.62 Nm at 7000 rpm. The scooter is expected to be very fuel efficient and also very good performer.

Suzuki Gladius

Expected: Mar 2011
Estimated price: Rs 7-8 lakh

With the increase in the number of super bikes on Indian roads in the "High Class" segment, buyers have the option of many varieties to choose from. And Suzuki plans to cash in on just that. The Gladius is powered by a 645cc, 2-cylinder, solid V-twin engine. The bike has a great sporty look and its powerful engine expected to generate great power and torque figures.

Bajaj Blade

Expected: Mar 2011
Estimated price: Rs 45,000

Bajaj will launch the 125cc Blade targeted at women riders. With a 4-valve DTS-I engine, the Blade will generate a maximum power of 11.5bhp. The scooter features a light-weight, comfortable ride with good luggage space.

Honda CBR600RR

Expected: Jun 2011
Estimated price: Rs 6 lakh

Honda CBR600RR is one of the most successful racing machines in middleweight section across world. Comfort and performance are well taken care of in the Honda CBR600RR. The bike has won numerous race titles in world racing tracks including World Super Sport and AMA Super Sport. The CBR600RR comes with a liquid-cooled, inline, four-cylinder, 16-valve, DOHC engine with a displacement of 599cc. The power-packed mill of the Honda CBR600RR pumps out a wonderful 118bhp at 13,500rpm and belts out a stunning torque of 66Nm at 11,250 rpm. The ignition system is computer-controlled digital transistorized with three-dimensional mapping.

TVS Neo

Expected: Oct 2011
Estimated price: Rs 48,000

TVS Motors, the third largest two-wheeler maker in India, is planning to launch TVS Neo in India very soon. The TVS Neo is already being sold in Indonesian market and doing well. The company wants to bring the machine in India with a few changes. TVS Neo has different design but will not be new to Indian customers. In India, Hero Honda Street and Kinetic K4 had the same body design.

TVS Neo will have the same power-train that the Indonesian variant has - 110cc, 4-stroke, single cylinder, SOHC engine that generates a peak power of 8.5bhp at 8,000 rpm and delivers a top torque of 8.5 Nm at 4,500 rpm. The moped has self- and kick-start options.
Piaggio Vespa LX

Expected: Jan 2012
Estimated price: Rs 55,000

By the end of 2012, the Piaggio will launch Piaggio Vespa LX125 in India. The Vespa LX125 is expected to be manufactured in a brand new Piaggio production plant which will produce 150,000 two-wheelers every year. The Vespa LX125 will surely be one of the most gorgeous looking scooters on the road. The all new Piaggio Vespa LX will be very stylish, compact and affordable.

Piaggio Vespa LX is expected to be launched with only one model for the Indian market i.e. Piaggio Vespa LX. The single cylinder LEADER 4-stroke engine of the Vespa is expected deliver a power of 7.65 KW at 8250 rpm and torque of 9.6 Nm at 7250 rpm. The scooter is expected to offer a mileage of around 45 km/l.

Source: India Syndicate
Photos: Company websites

Bajaj 150 vs Honda Activa

All said and done, I'd like to introduce you to Roxanne, Bijoy's Bajaj 150 (or Vespa clone, as he very aptly puts it) that was built back in the 70's. It's a Vespa all right, the two-stroke motor with an aluminium enclosed drivetrain, the voluptuous curves and that 3-speed gearbox with a rear brake activated by a pedal that emerges from the right part of the footboard. Yet, it fits into the Indian landscape as easily as a turmeric-smeared ascetic trudging to the Kumbh Mela.



In case you're still tilting your head to the side and trying to kickstart it to life, the two manufacturers I was referring to are Bajaj and Honda respectively. And if you think scooters are passé, here's something to chew on -- Honda sold about 6,73,145 of their Activas, Aviators and Dios during almost the whole of the current financial year. Their motorcycle sales contributed 4,53,944 to the total sales in those same very months. The scooter is here to stay, irrespective of whether you like to hear that or not.



Now here's another machine that's thoroughbred Japanese, yet could very well be nominated as the "national" bike of Goa. Well, the reason I say that is that almost every bloke -- Goan or tourist -- rides the Activa in Goa. Obviously, the Activa has carved out quite a fan following since its launch in 2001. You hardly ever find these scooters in the second-hand market. If and when you do, they're easily in the Rs 25-30,000 bracket for an abused example. That in itself proves two things. One, people love their Activas and won't easily put them up on sale. Two, they age well and despite being run to the ground, will go about doing their thing reliably.

So why are these two machines that are seemingly poles apart, sharing the same page, you might wonder. Well, the answer is how similar they actually are. And shall we start from the most obvious, then? Roxanne and the Activa both have small wheels and floor boards. That in itself sort of classifies them into their genre -- scooters.



Piaggio was a company that built aircraft during the Second World War. But when the war ended, they didn't have any planes to build. The founder of the company, Enrico Piaggio, wondered how he could get his manufacturing plant at Pontedera churning out products once more. And he hit upon the idea of producing a small two-wheeler to get the war-ravaged Italians back on their feet, so to speak. The first design was a strange looking two-wheeler that was wittily referred to as the Paperino, Italian for Donald Duck. Mr Piaggio obviously thought nothing of it and asked Corradino D'Ascanio to come up with something better.



And he did. D'Ascanio was an aeronautical engineer who absolutely abhorred conventional motorcycles. He thought they were lumbering things that splattered his trousers with mud and got grease under his finger nails whenever he had to attend to a punctured tyre. He wanted to design something that would be easy to ride and clean to operate. Of course, it had to be good looking too -- after all he was Italian, remember?

The result was a two-wheeler featuring monocoque construction with formed metal panels covering the mechanicals and keeping the road and elements off the rider. Good old Enrico took a look at it and remarked that its round belly made it resemble a wasp. And so the two-wheeler was christened the Vespa, Italian for wasp!

An aircraft landing gear-like front end provided easy removal of the tyre -- merely four nuts had to be spannered. Enclosing the drive system at the rear kept grease and grime from getting splattered about and the provision of carrying a spare tyre was peace of mind at its best.



As I'm riding Roxanne -- excuse my language please -- while shifting through the 3-speed gearbox with the handle-bar mounted gear changer, I can't help but think how far scooters have come since their inception. You see, the Vespa isn't really the conception of the scooter -- it began far before Piaggio's wonderful contraption rode into the hearts of millions around the globe. While the exact first scooter ever made is debatable, the German Hildebrand & Wolfmueller, produced in the late 1800s, is widely regarded as the earliest known example.

But it is common knowledge that the scoot was conceptualised as a cheap, no-frills runabout that everybody with hands and legs could ride. As time went by, cars began to take prominence from motorcycles. This was when scooter makers realised that the masses could do with individual transport that cost less to buy and run, but offered a cleaner ride. From the drawing boards popped a bevy of designs, some practical, some totally outrageous. Suddenly, scooter manufacturers mushroomed all around the western world, offering car-like comfort at a fraction of the cost.



But the relatively good products sold in large numbers, so much so that to buy a Bajaj 150 or even a Lambretta for that matter, you would have to wait years to get yourself one brand new from the company. Taking advantage of this situation, scooters were actually sold brand new in the black market for a much higher price. And people bought them. Would something like this work now? Absolutely not. The Indian market space has flung its doors wide open and the fierce competition has no place for monopolies any more. The consumer is now king and he could care a certain rodent's rear end about high-falutin' companies. He has the power of choice on his side and he uses it rather mercilessly without any thought or remorse.


Source: Business Standard