Thursday, June 30, 2011

Hero Honda Karizma ZMR Review by Mahindra : BikeAdvice

Hero Honda Karizma ZMR Review by Mahindra : BikeAdvice

Link to BikeAdvice.in

Hero Honda Karizma ZMR Review by Mahindra

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 06:56 PM PDT


Original Source: Hero Honda Karizma ZMR Review by Mahindra from BikeAdvice.in

Hi all readers, am Mahindra from Coimbatore, currently doing Engineering Degree in Electronic Communication. Here in this review am not going to compare any other performance bikes. As am riding Hero Honda Karizma ZMR now is because of my mom. I thank her first before starting the review. This is purely based on my experience and instincts. This is a long story down there with some great pics… :)

I was like other boys just knowing the name of the bike and its cc and used to tell tons of stories without knowing facts. I thought biking is just for travel purpose from point A to point B but it was more than that when I entered to college life. Some blogs like BikeAdvice, XBHP, XKMPH, and Motorbeam made me to realize the true spirit of biking and most importantly the technical knowledge part.

Initial Stages of my Life

I had some experience with Indian bikes in beginning. My dad had a legendary Yamaha RX100. Till this date many people has some craze on RX100 which was rocking in roads at 90's. Many times I used to hop on it and will fall from it in a bad way. Then he got 2006 model Splendor+ which used to be real fuel efficient commuter.

And lastly my dad laid his hands on 150cc bike which is to be 2009 model Unicorn. A bike with good pick-up and a class apart comfort. Unicorn used to be my favorite bike than 150'cc due to magnificent comfort it gives (one must ride this bike to feels its comfort and butter smooth gears). In this bike only I fully learned to ride in traffic and highways. So I have some experiences in bikes with different categories.

Choosing the Right Dream

Like all teenagers I too had the madness of buying new bike. After tired requests from my parents they finally agreed to buy me. As my dad itself got a 150cc bike so I never thought about fuel efficient commuters. So I chose its sibling unicorn dazzler because comfort was my priority than performance. To my result no one liked the looks of it not even by my friends.

My parent's regretted it. Wow! this is the turning point for me to get my dream which I used to stare in roads and magazines. Guess what? Its Karizma. I simply named it to my parents due to anger for rejecting Dazzler (Are u going to buy me a Karizma? It possess all looks and everything what u expect from a bike with loud voice).

To my surprise they said ok in one question. I was excited in tons of joy. This bike in my school days in a magazine a black Karizma was glittering in full page, I can't even remember magazine name but the looks stored in my mind. I never have imagined such a bike to own which is always a dream and my parents have said damn ok for it.

I started analyzing and researching then I found a new variant karizma was launched. I was impressed by its stunning and gigantic looks. And I start requests for ZMR. As whooping a price 1lac+ it took hardly six months to convince my parents. All this regards for convincing my parents and made them to understand my passion for bike goes to BikeAdvice and Xbhp. As they considered the price tag then I started analyzing on other bikes in this bracket. It was

  • Karizma ZMR
  • YZF R15
  • Pulsar 220F

Also I do some occasional long rides. Am a guy always find comfort so Pulsar 220F striked out from the list and am a 5ft 11' inch with 83kg weight so I will look like a monster sitting in R15. So my choice left out with ZMR. Somewhere ZMR was tailor made to me.

ZMR in my Life

My parents agreed and I booked white ZMR. To my eagerness they said it will one month+ waiting period. Then I saw 4 Black ZMR closely standing in showroom. Wow! What a metallic paint finish it was sparkling. Then love went to Black Beauty. Then I bought Karizma Black ZMR 2011 model with everything registered.

It was 27th May 10 A.M the day where I watched in roads and magazines was in my hands. I got bike from a service engineer and he gave the keys to me. I sat on the bike and put keys in. The engine roared to life with an engine note from silencer and my name was welcomed in the dashboard (this makes something special as my bike greeted me).

The words can't express my joyous at that moment. I did some pooja and while returning home I noted many turning their heads to my bike. This is where an owner gets pride and I too had it. I think this a whole lot of story. Sorry for boredom with my stories. Let's look on to bike's part.

Styling

To say I love the way huge built it looks. Please Don't judge ZMR looks by viewing in pictures, its looks and hugeness, entirely awesome to see it in real. Its headlamp may look odd in pictures but it has the best headlamp design which is perfectly matched to bike's hugeness. Rear part is not that much attractive but it's really a head turner everywhere you go.

To my instincts I love its looks. Those ZMR logo makes the bike looks bold. Split Grab rails designed to latest trend which is common in every bike and gives some aesthetics. To say it is has 'SuperBike' looks.

Performance

In ZMR u never the feel the adrenaline rush as like p220 or apache 180. But it goes more equal to P220. Because of its 160kg of dry weight and large windscreen u can't feel those rushes. But it really has breath taking pick up but will appear as linear smooth delivery. Power is provided at all rpm range.

Just a slight twist of throttle bikes zoom's off. The FI really makes the bike's throttle very crisp. I am satisfied with performance that I needed. Am not going to race nor a drag race my bike so I don't expect raw power. I feel everything I got. Oil cooling is also provided for stress free engine from overheating after long rides. Bike is overall packed for ultimate touring.

Handling & Stability

This where I need to tell you the most. Handling is the superior part in ZMR. Even though it is clip-on handlebars you don't need it to bend to hold it. Sitting posture is not up-straight nor sportier somewhere in the middle of these two. It offers the best comfortable ride. I love handling of FZ and in ZMR also has wide handlebars gives u more confidence at all levels.

It is stable at all speeds as far I gone. Rear tyres are not bigger but it offers best road grip. Even I attacked a corner heavily and close to touching my knee bit it's all stable and sticking to the road. It can surpass comfortably even the largest potholes of India. Front disc brakes are not that much sharp as like apache or Pulsar but it can stop this beast at minimum time.

Rear disc has given right amount of power so it plays very well. To say it has best rear disc brake. The bike has low ground clearance due to full fairing and sometimes huge speed breakers will hit my center stand. But this is not a problem. To ride in city is bit complicated due to its power but in highways you are the king.

ZMR is not meant for city usage. To my college I travel 35kms daily but city riding is only for few kms so it is best companion to me. Its wide rear glasses offers you best road part from behind but it's way too wide and this in traffic is very difficult to zip through the vehicles. Definitely it has some large turning radius people must be aware of the oncoming traffic from behind.

Dashboard

This is one thing which is kept Above all which are available under 250cc. When u put keys in the blue illumination appears and you will be greeted by a personalized message with your name. This is something more special and it impressed me very much.

A PGM-FI light blinks and checks your bikes sensors, fuel pump,etc. It has two trip meters for multiple records. A digital clock and real-time mileage indicator. Real time mileage indicator is bit funny thing and I don't think it is big kind of usage to me.

Pros: According to me,

  • Humongous looks like SuperBikes.
  • Best dashboard
  • Smooth gears shifting
  • Good initial pick up.
  • Best ever comfort
  • Good stability
  • Mileage is good for the power it gives

Cons: Every bike has some negatives and according me only these few.

  • Bit difficult under high traffics
  • Front disc brake is not that much sharp
  • Very wide rear view mirrors and hard to handle in traffics
  • For such whooping price tag it must have a liquid cooling system
  • Again for this price there must be update in gearbox to 6 gears
  • Rear tyre should have been bigger and so it suits well with gigantic looks of the front. So better aesthetics in rear end also.

Final Verdict

Am a guy who seeks in comfort as primary purpose. For guys who takes their ride for the whole day and returns to his home without feeling any stress of riding the bike. This ultimate comfort can be provided only by ZMR. No other Indian bikes to compare in this category except Bullet. So if u looking for this kind of attitude then ZMR is yours. For drag races or track usage please never opt this wonderful machine.

My dear readers for hell's sake please wear helmets and proper riding gears. Though riding gears may look like too fashion or something teased by your friends don't hear it. It offers you protection to its best levels when you meet accidents. I know the worth of lives as I miss some of my friends due to accidents. Just remember when you are going fast without responsible, there is someone waiting for you in home.

"With Great Power comes with Great Responsibility"- spider-man (Bit funny but is has meaning). Thanks you BikeAdvice readers for spending ample amount of time. Hats-off! To Deepak for this wonderful portal which changed everything.

Real thanks to Deepak providing me the opportunity to express my story. All ownership reviews in this blog is awesome. According to me in this blog Karizma ZMR and R15 are best and special ownership reviews posted ever in internet. For ZMR Owners Dhak! Dhak! Go!

Regards,
Mahindra

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Hero Honda Karizma R Ownership Review by Faizan
  2. Hero Honda Karizma R – Ownership Experience
  3. Hero Honda Karizma-R Review by Leonard
  4. My Hero Honda Karizma R Review & Photos
  5. Hero Honda Karizma ZMR Review by Shyam Prasad Nandigam

Bajaj Pulsar 150 & 220 Ownership Review by Jameer

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:22 AM PDT


Original Source: Bajaj Pulsar 150 & 220 Ownership Review by Jameer from BikeAdvice.in

Hello Bikers, First of all, I thank BikeAdvice team for providing us a chance to express our Ownership Reviews about our rides. This is where we can standalone and share some feelings & thoughts towards our lovely rides. From my side I have two ownership reviews. One is my old ride P150 DTSi and the other is new P220.

My first ride was the Pulsar 150 DTSi bought by April 2004. As everyone knows that pulsar was the eye catching and performance bike available in the market by that time. So I am a biker for life and Pulsar was the bike for me, with no hesitation I bought the bike. After that, it became a new companion for my life.

I just loved to drive my bike, if a longer ride or for a short commute to impress the girl next door. For everything it accompanied as my best friend. The performance and the capability of my first ride never let me think of an another ride. In my home town I drove my ride up to 2007. After that, I shifted to Chennai.

New place, new city and new driving style. I was quite surprised by the way people used to drive their Pulsars around here. Rash or Nice, Altered or Original, I just got impressed and I had the gut feeling that I have got the right bike for myself. I just moved my ride from hometown to Chennai. For my higher studies, it accompanied me a lot.

Sincerely it was a good support for my mini project 'Side Stand Safety System.' I just got a circuit kit placed in my vehicle ignition coil and chopped of some wires to finish the project successfully and I did that. After that when unwired from the circuit, it just started like as it was new. I was literally impressed and my friends were too in that (who did not came with their ride for the project experiment).

Then it was my first long ride planned and executed. guys planned to have a ride for Kone Falls, near Andhra border, a 125km commute to have a nice fresh water bath. I just out run by other friends in many occasions of this commute. PICS attached. Totally a 250km commute which was my first long ride.

Second one was the most memorable. Every guys dream place. Pondicherry was the next target. It was planned and dropped by friends. But all of a sudden we started towards there by 7.30pm. Since the booz shops will close by 10pm, we were in a hurry to reach there. I just took the ECR road and Walla, always my oddo needle will be at hundred (most times).

We covered this 157km route in 1.30 hrs and finally we got what we want. The drinks of course. All the other guys were joining shortly, since they were not able to ride as fast as our gang. Then as always boozed and enjoyed the whole night there. Return was an eye candy for me. We started by perfect 3pm and cruised our rides along the coast line for the beautiful sunset view and the driving brought a pure pleasure for me. Since then always wanted to look for a long trip in my mind.

And Walla, the third trip planned and executed in an awesome form. This time it's for the Worlds Second richest God visit. Tirupathi was my next location. But this time, it was quite different. I was the sole biker to ride along the NH 205. The road was very nice, as I planned to have a visit to my college mate. I just stared from Chennai by late evening to enjoy the night ride.

I just cruised at 70kmph along the NH and it was a nice climate, with the cold winds crossing through your body and every turn is relaxing as well. I reached my friends home after 4 hours of travel, with stops. I just saw my trip meter which clocked 194 km. I was quite impressed with my driving skills. After a good rest in my mate's home, next morning we just went for sightseeing his place, and then started to Lord Tirupathi Temple.

The road to the temple was quite nice since the uphill and downhill is one-way. You can take on the corners with confident since there was no opposing vehicles like as that of Ooty hills. When I reached the top, myself and my friend did the ritual formalities and we started to downhill from there. When I reached his home and saw my trip meter, I nearly covered 305km. Really impressed. (PICS Attached).

After that I returned to Chennai, by which I have covered totally 569kms. The disaster that thing happened which I never expected. Before starting to Tirupathi, I just went through a tough bump which nearly made the engine oil leaking from the sink. I just noticed that the bike overheated than normal during the up climbing of Tirupathi hills, but thought that, it was due to the uphill effect.

When I was driving all the way to home from college, the engine just got seized and literally my ride came to a standstill where I was so much confused and regretted myself for not seeing the mistake that I have made. Then I moved it to service shop where the total system had to be stripped off and I saw the fault.

The piston just got melted with the liner. Oh my god. I still remember that sight when the mechanic showed that to me. It brought pain to eyes and I was never able to forget that and forgive myself. After painstaking 7-10 days of work, I got my bike back. But as the mechanic told that the liner has been changed, your bike must be ridden as a new one and I did that too.

But I was not able to get the previous performance that I enjoyed for nearly four years. Since then, the bike stared to give trouble mainly for the engine side. After many services and fitments, I was not able to make my ride as the old one. So finally decided to sell it off. By the time it has clocked around 60,000kms.

The New Ride

This time all lesson learned from my old bike, I thought of getting a new bike which have oil cooled engine, rear disc and touring comfort. Then decided to get the P220. When I took the test drive, the first thing I was impressed is with the riding position. The mass transfer shift, the way it handled, the performance, the projectors, everything impressed me a lot.

And I got my new ride by March 2011. Now with my new ride which clocked around 9000kms is quite good to ride. Now planning to have a long tripping covering nearly 1100kms to my hometown. Will update to BikeAdvice about this trip. But never able to forget my old black beauty. Still I love it. Once again thank you all for allowing me to share my thoughts and review.

Regards,
Jameer M

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTSI UG3 : Ownership Review by Vinodh
  2. Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi Ownership Review and Experience by V.Deepak
  3. Me & My Yamaha R15
  4. Bajaj Pulsar 150 UG4.5 Review by Laxmikanth Venkatraman
  5. Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTSi Review by Anant Singhal

Was Honda Under-prepared While Launching the CBR250R?

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:39 AM PDT


Original Source: Was Honda Under-prepared While Launching the CBR250R? from BikeAdvice.in

It was after much fanfare did Honda launch the very sought after 250 cubic capacity bike and named it (probably inaptly) a CBR, in January this year. The promise was that the deliveries would start by April. After a slight delay, they did start delivering CBRs to the respective owners but at a snarling pace.

A bike which was obvious to create big sales caught Honda unawares probably due to the response. They were not ready to process so many deliveries and hence the waiting time of the bike kept on increasing. Dealers were the ones who were at the receiving end as they had to face the wrath of 'kept-waiting' customers and inadequate response from HMSI.

We have seen traces of prospect buyers who are still kept waiting for their CBRs deliveries after having booked in January. According to some showrooms people who have booked in February will get their bikes in July and so on. Ironically, HMSI also quotes horrendously high waiting periods for its 150cc Unicorn and 110cc scooter Activa.

The story doesn't end here. Coming from Honda and considering the immense agonizing pain one suffers after putting down his money on the table, the least expected is a 'lived happily ever after' journey thereon. It's not the case with CBR, unfortunately.

Call it luck or fate, owners are reporting big time issues with the quality of the bike. Most of the owners are telling a tale which makes us believe firmly that Honda did this project in a 'jiffy' or something is/was wrong somewhere. Apart from the engine bit almost everything feels to be fitted not to Honda standards for sure, not at least of what we have known Honda for. Yawning gaps between joints, bad quality of plastic, wires dwindling out like poke-me man etc, it comes equipped with all.

Only a short stint of breath and we have heard issues related to engine heating, rubber footrest peeling off, loose mirrors, unfastened screws , plastic and finishing issues etc. Call them dealer issues related to PDIs or company's overlook, these (even if miniscule) issues are not one expects after waiting for insane amount of days and paying over one and a half lakh of rupees.

Ohh and what happens after you need a service for your bike? Humorous stories make way! At most of the places, which include a few big and prominent cities, Honda doesn't have servicemen trained for servicing CBRs. At a few places the 'Hit & Trial' formula is applied on your hard earned (literally!) CBR, making things even worse for you.

What if I want to get my regular stuff changed during my standard service interval? You don't do it, simple! Well, at least that is what is happening at many places. At the first service at 1000 kilometers, Honda recommends changing the Oil Filter along with oil. But only if HMSI service dealers have the opportunity of stocking the CBRs oil filter, yet!

And only God can save you in case you happen to have an accident. Yes, God will be the one saving you from an accident but what happens after you are saved? If it's a major issue with your bike, do not bother about things much, keep your bike in a showcase for sometime and wait for the time to pass by because most HMSI service dealers do not have the arsenal (read spares) and the acumen (read training) to get your bike to shape.

Even if the fall/accident is not major and needs change of basic outer stuff, rest assured you would have to ride your bike without them for many days together. Huge cries of large waiting periods and non availability of spares and trained servicemen are big time rampant on big forums and sites. Many people have questioned this decision of Honda to launch the bike without being able to handle the sales and service part. They could have taken their time and worked out the ground basics first before proceeding with the launch.

However, on the positive front, Honda seems to taking note of the issue and working hard towards resolving the same. They are working big time on cutting down the waiting period and are trying to clear out the backlogs as soon as they can. Another plant which would become operational soon will help CBR, Activa and other HMSI products prospect customers further. Service people are being trained to cater to a technically superior bike like CBR. We just hope that a wonderful bike like CBR does not go bruised just because of some unwanted and uncalled for issues.

- Saad Khan

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Honda to Cut Waiting Period by Expanding Production Capacity
  2. Karizma ZMR Faces Availability & Spare Parts Crunch
  3. What's Up with the Honda CBR250R?
  4. Honda Trying to Convince Hero Honda
  5. Sai Service Appointed As The Authorized Probiking Dealer For Bajaj In Pune

Yamaha Fazer – Black Cyber Green

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 01:14 AM PDT


Original Source: Yamaha Fazer – Black Cyber Green from BikeAdvice.in

A while back, Yamaha rolled out the Kick Start version of Fazer along with new colors. Here are some photos of the ‘Black Cyber Green’ Fazer.

- Yogesh Yadav

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Yamaha Launches New Variants of FZ Series Bikes
  2. Yamaha Fazer 150 To Be Launched On July 6 2009
  3. Yamaha Fazer White Variant Photos
  4. Yamaha Sells 85,000 Units Of FZ In 2009
  5. The New Colours of Yamaha FZ-S

The Top 5 Best Looking Scooters in India

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:54 PM PDT


Original Source: The Top 5 Best Looking Scooters in India from BikeAdvice.in

When you talk about scooters in India, the first thing that comes to mind is the iconic Bajaj Scooter. But that era is long gone, the scooter market which was neglected after the 100cc motorcycles came into picture, was revived with the launch of Honda Activa in 2001. Since then the scooter market is increasing year by year. This has resulted in quite a few launches in recent times, though the options aren't many but they are not bad either.

Thus, here I compile the list of Best looking scooters in India which are currently in production and this is completely my personal opinion.

1. Honda Aviator

Honda's third offering in the Indian market after the Dio and Activa, Aviator was launched in the year 2009, and has already become quite popular in the market. One look at Aviator and the only word comes in mind is handsome, the muscular front stance, the indicators along with the front nose give it more of an angry look.

The telescopic front forks along with the 12" alloy wheels (available only in the deluxe variant) and the disc brakes (again available only in deluxe variant) makes Aviator a worthy looker.

The speedo meter is large with big markings for speed along is housed along with the fuel gauge. The triangular shape housing surrounded by garnish finish (again available in the deluxe variant) looks simply amazing. The side panels are plain but the name is embossed in chrome and it looks great.

The rear is an interesting design, the body coloured grab rail, the multi reflector tail lamp, and the indicators that sweep alongside the side panels adds muscular touch to the rear.

The Aviator is the first scooter to be targeted at the urban male and the muscular stance make it stands among the crowd. But the worst part is all these features are available only in the deluxe variant which is expensive as compared to the base variant.

2. TVS Wego

Wego or rather "We Go" the TVS's answer to the Honda supremacy. After launching the scooty in its various versions, TVS finally made a scooter worth looking. One look at Wego and it looks mean and sharp; the long oval indicators, TVS popularly calls them as Golden –eye indicators, along with the headlamp shape give Wego quite an aggressive look.

The telescopic forks along with the 12" wheels not only provide comfort but look great as well. The Wego has been the first in the country to provide 12" alloy wheels as standard. The speedo meter is large and uncluttered with two dials one showing speed and the other reading the fuel.

The side panels are plain jane without much graphics, the rear is the most interesting with a sharp rear, the indicators are integrated into the LED tail lamps looks nice and classy. The Wego also has the fuel cap located behind the seat; this definitely saves the effort of opening the seat every time it goes for a refuel. The Wego is worth a looker and looks great in white and my personal favourite black.

3. Suzuki Access

Suzuki's only offering in the Indian scooter market, Access is the most powerful scooter in the country in terms of engine capacity.

The indicators are uniquely styled more like a tear drop, the small scoops just below the Suzuki symbol looks great.

The headlamp has a unique shape to it. The instrument cluster is uniquely styled with the speedo meter and the fuel gauge are arranged in circles are stacked together nicely.

The chrome finished exhaust adds to the look. The wide grab rails and the wide seat make the scooter look big. The rear is again plain and simple with the indicators nicely integrated in the tail lamp cluster; the indicators are uniquely designed and not fitting into any particular shape. The Access is the simplest looking scooter available in the country, but simplicity looks beautiful as well.

4. Honda Activa

Activa can be considered as the scooter solely responsible for changing the fortunes of Honda in the country. Though in the earlier iteration Activa looked pure dull, but the latest iteration has made it a good looking scooter.

The front is pretty plain with two scoops side by side; the headlamp assembly is the most unique featuring integrated clear indicators. When it comes to instrument cluster there are no flashy designs just simple arrangement of speedo meter and a fuel gauge surrounded in a trapezoidal fashion.

The grab rail is grey in colour and looks great with the varied colour combination the scooter comes in. The tail lamp is trapezoidal in shape and along with the clear lens indicators looks great. The Activa definitely looks much better in its current avatar as compared to the previous generation. The scooter looks eye catching in white and that's my personal favourite as well.

5. Honda Dio

The funkiest looking scooter in the country, the Dio when launched in 2001 along with the Activa had been doing decent numbers for the company. The Dio features the most stylish design from the Japanese company. The front is trendy looking with the headlamp shaped more like the autobot symbol (from the transformers movie) capturing the major part of the front end. The indicators along with the headlamp give the scooter an edgy look, along with the snazzier graphics make it eye catching.

The instrument cluster again is funky as the rest of the design, the trapezoidal shape housing houses a big speedo meter which is easy to read and a fuel gauge.
The rear again is very stylish and edgy; the rear tail lamp like a strip running through the back has arrow shaped indicators on both the sides. The Dio has a lot of snazzy looking graphics on both the sides and makes it worth a looker. The design of the Dio is more focussed towards the youth and it appeals a lot to them.

- Kunal Chanana

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Honda Aviator Review
  2. TVS Wego Review by Abinav Ram
  3. Honda to Increase Production of Activa
  4. Honda Launches New Aviator With a 110cc Mill
  5. TVS WEGO : First Look

More about Triumph Motorcycles

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:36 PM PDT


Original Source: More about Triumph Motorcycles from BikeAdvice.in

The hottest and the most sensational news as of now in the field of motorcycles in the one that  the iconic British brand Triumph Motorcycles has officially announced its plans to foray the India market.  I had posted a write up on the news and now it's time for you to know more about the brand.

The company was established in the year 1902 and is now headquartered at Hinckley, Leicestershire. Triumph Motorcycles is the largest British-owned automotive manufacturer, producing around 50,000 bikes every year.

The bike manufacturer's 2011 portfolio includes two brand new adventure bikes, and a strong future model development programme taking place presently, Triumph is set to continue to enhance its status in the market place.

Triumph has employee strength of around 1200 people employed all over the world and has offices in the UK, America, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden andBenelux, plus a network of independent distributors.

As mentioned in the previous write up, Mr. Ashish Joshi is appointed as the Managing Director for India. Mr. Ashish received his MBA from London Business School and an engineering degree from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Nagpur. He is also an alumnus of IMT Ghaziabad.

He started his career as an Engineer Trainee with Essar Steel and joined Royal Enfield in 1998.

At Royal Enfield he was involved in Sourcing, Sales, and Marketing and Product Management functions before relocating to London in 2003 to set up the business for Royal Enfield in Europe.

Until recently he was heading European operations for Royal Enfield and has hands on experience of market entry and establishment of motorcycle businesses in various countries of Europe and Asia.

Though the first Triumph was produces only in 1902, the company was actually started in 1887 itself.

Here is the Timeline of Triumph Motorcycles since its inception in 1887 to 2011.

1887: Triumph Cycles Co. founded in Coventry, England making bicycles.

1902: First motorised Triumph is produced.
1907: Jack Marshall and Frank Hulbert finish second and third in the first ever Isle of Man TT race on single-cylinderTriumphs.
1908: Marshall wins the single-cylinder class in second ever Isle of Man TT.
1910: Triumph invents the 'free engine' device, so that their machines can be started with the bike on the main-stand, rather than bump-starting.
(For all those who don't know what is Bump Starting, just read this:
Bump starting, also known as Push startingpop starting or crash starting is a method of starting a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine by engaging the manual transmission through the motion of the vehicle. The technique is most commonly employed when other starting methods like kick start are unavailable. )
1914: The British Government orders the Type H for dispatch riders at the front during World War I where despite the atrocious conditions it is known affectionately as 'The Trusty'.
1920: Type 550cc SD launched – the first Triumph to feature a chain-driven rear wheel. Meanwhile the 500cc 'Riccy' collects many world speed records including the flying mile with a terminal velocity of 83.91mph.
1937: Re-vamped single-cylinder Tigers launched as is the 498cc Speed Twin T100.
1940: Triumph factory destroyed during the Blitz on Coventry in November.
1942: New factory in Meriden opens.
1949: Original 6T Thunderbird launched as Triumph enters the American market in the late 1940s

1950: Triumph sold to BSA.
1954: 199cc Tiger Cub and Tiger 110 launched
1956: Johnny Allen sets a new unofficial world motorcycle speed record of 214.5mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats using a streamliner powered by a 649cc Triumph engine.
1959: Original 650cc parallel twin T120 Bonneville launched
1963: Steve McQueen attempts to leap to freedom on a 1961 TR6 in the classic film 'The Great Escape'.
1969: Riding a Bonneville, Malcolm Uphill achieves the first ever 100mph lap of the TT course on a production machine on his way to winning the Production 750cc race.
1971: BSA group records a loss of £8.5 million.
1971-75: The three-cylinder 'Slippery Sam' wins the Production TT five years in succession – the only machine to win five consecutive TT races.
1973: In a Government-sponsored move, a new company – Norton-Villiers-Triumph is formed. Meriden workers begin a two-year 'sit-in' when they're told Triumph production is to move to the BSA factory in Birmingham.
1983: The Meriden factory closes its doors. John Bloor purchases the intellectual rights to the Triumph name.
1984: The old Meriden factory is demolished and a housing estate built in its place – links to Triumph's history are retained via some road names bearing the names of some of the firm's most famous motorcycles.
1985: Research and Development for the new Hinckley Triumph era begins with a close-knit team at Unit 14, Bayton Road, Exhall, Bedworth
1987: The first of the new breed of Hinckley Triumph motors is run on a test stand – a 1200cc 4 cylinder with DOHC, liquid-cooling and four-valves per cylinder.
1988: A 10-acre site is purchased on Jacknell Road, on the Dodwells Bridge Industrial Estate in Hinckley, Leicestershire. Production equipment and tooling is ordered.

1990: The re-born Triumph Motorcycles is launched to the press on 29th June indicating their intent to appear at September's Cologne Show with the T300 series, a six-bike range based on the 'modular concept' of component sharing.
1991: In Triumph Motorcycle's first year 800 units are sold in the UK alone. Worldwide sales top 2200.
1992: The 5000th motorcycle leaves the Triumph factory in October.
Daytona 750 and 1000 models replaced by 900 and 1200 long-stroke versions of the modular motor. The 900 was identical to the Trident and Trophy, but the 1200 retained the high-compression pistons and high-lift cams of the Daytona 1000 to produce a claimed 147bhp at the crank.
Triumph Tiger also launched. All these models are launched at the annual Motorcycle Show at the NEC in Birmingham in time for the 1993 model year.
1993: The 10,000th Hinckley Triumph is produced in July. In-house paint and plating department introduced: a huge investment which ensures tight quality control.
First Hinckley Triumphs exported to Japan.
1994: First Speed Triple produced and backed by a new national one-make race series: the Triumph Speed Triple Challenge. The first round is held at Donington Park and the series attracts big names thanks to the lure of an £80K prize fund.
Triumph launches in Canada at the Toronto Bike Show.
A 40-acre site is acquired for development ready for when the time comes that production outgrows Factory 1.
At the Cologne Show, the new Thunderbird is launched with many modifications made within the limits of modular production.
The Daytona 900 Super III launched featuring some Cosworth parts and a high-compression motor.

1995: Triumph re-enters the US market.
Workforce is now 300 and production up to 12,000 units a year.
New line of clothing and accessories called Triple Connection launched.
1996: A black Thunderbird is the 30,000th Triumph made and is delivered to Australia.
1997: T500 series launched, including the updated T509 Speed Triple and the all-new T595 Daytona. Both are the first large capacity mass-produced motorcycles to feature fuel-injection. More than 900 pre-orders for the T595 are received.
Production passes the 50,000 mark for 35 countries around the world.
More than 11,000 fans have toured the Hinckley factory since the tours began in 1991.
Nick Sanders sets a new world record for circumnavigating the globe by motorcycle. He rides a Daytona 900 and takes 31 days, 21 hours to complete the 18,000 miles.
1999: In October 1996, Triumph began work on a new sports-tourer – the Sprint ST – which is finally released in 1999, beating even Honda's evergreen VFR800 in magazine comparison tests.
Heavily-updated Tiger also launched ready for the 2000 model year.

2000: Production tops 100,000 since 1990, output now up to 125 units a day.
Launch of the new 600cc Supersport machine – the TT600. This is the first mass-produced middleweight to feature fuel-injection and the machine wins praise for both the performance of the chassis and helps in the ultimate development of future supersport models.
New 790cc Bonneville twin released in the November.
2002: Factory 1 severely damaged by fire on March 15th. The blaze completely destroys the main stores, injection moulding area, chassis and final assembly lines.
Almost six months to the day, the rebuilt factory was fully operational and at that year's NEC show the new 4 cylinder Daytona 600 supersports bike is debuted.
2003: Bruce Anstey wins the 600cc Junior TT at a record race average of 120.36mph on a TT600. Team-mates Jim Moodie and John McGuinness help secure the team prize. Craig Jones takes a debut podium for the ValMoto Triumph team at the Donington Park round of the British Supersport Championship.
2004: Triumph releases the 2.3 litre Rocket III – the world's largest capacity production motorcycle.
Craig Jones wins the final round of the British Supersport Championship at Donington Park for the ValMoto Triumph team. It’s the team’s first short circuit victory.
2005: Fully-updated fourth-generation 1050cc Speed Triple and second-generation Sprint ST launched.
2006: Triumph's new supersport contender launched – the Daytona 675 Triple.
2007: New Triumph Tiger – featuring the 1050cc three-cylinder motor is introduced. Daytona 675 wins the prestigious Supertest and Masterbike awards for the first time. Critically acclaimed 675cc Street Triple is unveiled at Tridays festival and goes on to become the company's best seller.
2008: Production now tops 50,000 units a year. Glen Richards wins the British Superpsort Championship on the MAP Embassy Triumph 675.
2009: Triumph celebrates 50 years of the Bonneville. An all-new 1600cc parallel twin Thunderbird is launched. In June, Garry McCoy rides his Daytona 675 to third place at the Supersport World Championship round at Donington Park, the first podium finish at world level for Triumph in the Hinckley era.

2010: One make race championship, the ParkinGO European Series, is introduced and features Triumph Street Triple Rs battling it out at world superbike events. New Sprint GT launched in May. 20th anniversary of the re-birth of Triumph celebrated with Triumph Live event at Mallory Park on September 18.
2011: New Tiger 800 and Tiger 800XC released to critical acclaim. 500,000th bike of the Hinckley era, a Speed Triple 1050, assembled and auctioned off for 'Riders For Health'.

Regards,
M.Naren.
Author – BikeAdvice.in.

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Triumph Motorcycles to Foray into Indian Market
  2. Triumph Unveils 7 New Models for 2011
  3. Triumph Motorcycles Entering India – Officially Confirmed
  4. Triumph Motorcycle Plans to enter Indian Luxury Motorcycle Segment
  5. Top Ten Motorcycles Showcased at New York Motorcycle Show

Suzuki GS150R Facelift Spied

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:13 PM PDT


Original Source: Suzuki GS150R Facelift Spied from BikeAdvice.in

Greetings! Major part of two wheeler news depends on spy shots and secret pictures of yet to be launched bikes. In the middle of all the big news and expansion plans spy shots of 2012 GS150R surfaced. If the spy shots and the news is to be believed, Suzuki is going to launch a refreshed version of their 150cc bike called GS150R. Honestly speaking Suzuki is still not that great brand as far as the commuters are concerned. The company is trying to set themselves a platform wherein they can avail the much needed brand value and the customer base.

The spy shots confirm that the company has worked on their 150cc bike and is planning to roll out the refreshed version anytime during the next couple of months. The Suzuki GS150R is considered to be a fairly good bike in terms of performance. However the people are more focused on the looks of the bike and thus they try and avoid going for it. In its refreshed version Suzuki has tried nothing but cosmetic change, its another paint job. If the spy shots are to be believed; one can see that nothing much in the bike has been changed except for a few cosmetic upgrades.

As of now all one can see is that Suzuki has just made an attempt to upgrade its cosmetics. However the fact of altering the mechanics of the bike cannot be ruled out but most probably the company has just had a cosmetic change. In addition to the paint job, Suzuki GS150R also gets a new white color that will be available in addition to other colors. Also there is no date fixed as regards when the company will roll out this bike into the market. All in all, one can be pretty much assured that it is no more than a mere cosmetic upgrade.

- Atul

Share on Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Hero Honda Launches New 2011 Glamour
  2. Scoop: 2012 Suzuki GS150R
  3. Suzuki GSR 150 Lanza Expected This Month
  4. Suzuki GS150R Preview… New Kid on the Block
  5. Suzuki GS150R Photo Review

No comments:

Post a Comment