Now Avail Interest Free Loans for E-Bikes : BikeAdvice |  |
- Now Avail Interest Free Loans for E-Bikes
- Solar Bikes Hold Promise for the Future
- Honda VTR 250 is Rumoured to Foray into India
- TVS Victor Likely to Re-enter India
- The Story Behind Bajaj Pulsar Ad – Hunto
- Honda Unicorn Review by Chetan Bedse
| Now Avail Interest Free Loans for E-Bikes Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:57 AM PDT
Original Source: Now Avail Interest Free Loans for E-Bikes from BikeAdvice.in After playing a central role in agriculture and white revolution in Gujarat, the cooperative sector is all set to spearhead a green revolution of a different sort in the state. Through their ‘Flood E-bike" scheme, the 270-plus cooperative banks and 50-odd societies are going to offer loans at 0% interest to buy battery-charged two-wheelers.
‘Flood E-bike’ is a social initiative to promote ecofriendly transport through our member banks," Mehta said. He added that the federation has tied up with Hero and Electrotherm for e-bikes to be offered under the scheme. Both these companies are going to offer a range of 12 models to customers of Gujarat. "Any consumer who wants to buy an e-bike would be able to get a loan up to 70 per cent across the state. The loan amount is repayable in 12 equated monthly installments," he said giving details of the scheme. "This scheme will also enable member banks to reach out to small and medium customers and promote financial inclusion in the state," Mehta added. Manufacturers of e-bikes are also happy with the scheme as now their products will be affordable to the middle and lower middle class. "At present we are selling 200 e-bikes per month. I am expecting our sales to go up by three to five times when the scheme is implemented," said Arun Singh, business head of the auto division at Electrotherm. "Gujarat currently sells around 2,000 e-bikes every month. Till last year we used to sell only 500 e-bikes which have increased to 2,000 in last two to three months owing to increased petrol prices. And with this scheme, sales are expected to increase further," said Jaysukh Patel, managing director, Oreva e-bikes. Earlier, due to non-registration at RTO, e-bikes did not have any finance scheme available, Patel said. "This scheme would be advantageous to the lower income group in particular who depend on public transport," he said. "Total market size of two-wheelers in the country is around two crore units. An e-bike saves a large amount of petrol. Even if 10% of the market shifts towards a greener vehicle there will be huge savings to consumers as well as the country," said Singh. This is an amazing step taken by the Govt of Gujrat. A great move towards a sustainable and a better tomorrow. Team BikeAdvice appreciates the members of this great initiative. A model movement for India at the right time. Source : dnaindia.com Regards, Related posts: |
| Solar Bikes Hold Promise for the Future Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:50 AM PDT
Original Source: Solar Bikes Hold Promise for the Future from BikeAdvice.in Worried about the petrol price hike? Here is an eco-friendly solar bike which will provide relief. Two entrepreneurs made a bike which runs solely on solar power. They will soon apply for the patent of the solar bike.
Ayubkhan Pathan and his nephew, Imran Pathan, owners of Alright Electronics and Electricals, made the solar bike out of an old bike in three months. A solar panel is attached to the front of the bike with the help of which the battery attached to the bike is charged. Once fully charged in the sun, which automatically happens even when the rider is travelling in the sun, the bike can cover up to 250 km in bright sunlight at speeds of up to 50 km per hour. The battery supply is automatically discontinued when the battery is charged. The bike starts with a switch: it does not need a kick or a starter, said Ayubkhan, who hails from a farmer's family from Malwad village in Shrirampur taluka of Ahmednagar district. After completing his graduation in science in 1988, he started Alright Electronics and Electricals in Pune in 1990. He has earlier made solar emergency lamps, solar inverter and other solar equipment. The uncle-nephew duo has set up a huge solar emergency lamp at Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple in the city and at the dargah of Hazrat Kamar Ali Durvesh, at Khed Shivapur, which Ayubkhan claims is the largest in the world. "The bike also has a battery back-up as people may also travel at night,'' said Ayubkhan. The bike has a multipurpose socket, so that the battery can be charged with an electronic supply charger during the monsoon, when there is little or no sunlight. "The panel is attached in front of the bike. We may have a smaller size panel which can be placed in the body. It will also have LED headlight, a turn indicator and a break indicator. The weight of the bike can be further reduced by up to 30 kg. That will mean better mileage," said Ayubkhan about the modifications. He says if solar battery charger pumps are set up after every 50 km, it would motivate people to use such bikes on a large scale. News Source : dnaindia.com Disclaimer : The image shown here is just to show how a solar bike would look like and is no way connected with the project mentioned here Regards, Related posts: |
| Honda VTR 250 is Rumoured to Foray into India Posted: 16 Jun 2011 06:48 AM PDT
Original Source: Honda VTR 250 is Rumoured to Foray into India from BikeAdvice.in It’s been pouring rumors in the Indian bike market. Just a few hours back, I posted a write up on TVS Victor's rumour to be re-launched in Indian soil. Now, the Honda's naked bike – VTR 250 is rumoured to foray India by either the end of this year or early next year. The company should have observed the demand for 250cc bikes in India with the launch of its CBR 250R.
There are at present only 2 bikes in this segment namely the Honda CBR250R and the Kawasaki Ninja 250. But, the latter of these two is indeed pretty expensive to own. Hence, there has been a considerable demand for the former. While Yamaha's R25 and the so called FZ 250 seem to have no present ideas of a possible ticket to enter Indian, this second bike from Honda would strengthen itself to maintain the dominance of this Japanese manufacturer in this particular segment. We expect this bike also to be priced competitively as in the case of CBR 250R. The speculated price of this naked machine is INR 1,50,000 as the ex-showroom price. In the International market, the VTR 250 is available in shades of Italian Red, Graphite Black and Pearl Sunbeam White, however we are not sure on which colours would the Honda VTR 250R enter India. Also, this being a naked bike, it certainly would have a good demand in the sub – continent. The Honda VTR250 is a 90° V-twin engine bike from Honda that has so far had only one major upgrade. Note that the word Major is highlighted. The original VTR250 was a faired model sold only in the USA and Canada from the year 1988 to 1990. The present model VTR250 is a naked bike, produced since 1997 to the present day, available only in the Asia-Pacific region, and from 2009, in the European nations as well. The Honda VTR 250R is also referred to as the Interceptor 250 in few countries across the globe. Speculated Spec List of the Honda VTR 250R Engine Type – Liquid-cooled 4-stroke DOHC V-Twin Regards, Related posts: |
| TVS Victor Likely to Re-enter India Posted: 15 Jun 2011 11:42 PM PDT
Original Source: TVS Victor Likely to Re-enter India from BikeAdvice.in Have you ever wondered why the TVS Victor is still not removed from the TVS Motors' homepage? The Victor which once dominated the Indian roads and gave a fierce battle to the Hero Honda Splendor and all the other bikes in that segment is rumored to re-enter the Indian soil with a slightly refreshed looks.
Though, the bike is still in the website only in list of bikes for the international range, one should remember that TVS Motors has explicitly said that it is planning to launch a new bike and a scooter by the end of this year. As per the spy image published in June edition of Autocar, it is pretty similar to old Victor GX. The 'Scooty' brand is pretty synonymous with the scooter segment in India, as against Victor for commuter bikes. I could still remember God of Cricket – Sachin endorsing the Victor bikes, to be still more specific, the violet coloured one. The colour also added up to the success of the bike in India. It was new and fresh at that point of time when commuters had not much colour options to buy and own. Also, TVS can put its collars up for having designed and brought out the first indigenous bike – the Victor brand. For all those who think it is the Pulsar, please correct yourself, for it's the Victor. Though, the reasons for downfall for this bike is unidentified, it certainly is a reliable and a low maintenance cost incurring bike ideally suited for city commutes. Following the Victor GX 100 was the GLX 125, the 125cc bike from the same Victor brand which again did not go well in the Indian bike market. The company certainly needs a good bike to launch immediately owing to the flop of the much hyped Flame DS 125 and Flame SR 125. There might be even plans for the Victor to replace the Flame. But, we are highly unaware if the bike in the spy pic caught in Chennai is for the domestic market or for overseas. But, if my guesses go right, it should come to India late this year and might slowly replace the Flame at a later point of time. Sorry to say that we are unable to publish the spy pic published in Autocar at this point of time owing to the unavailability of the same in digital from, but we assure you we'll soon come up with the pic for our readers. Do you personally feel that this is the right time for Victor to re-enter? Will it dominate the market again as it did years ago? Post your views and comments below. Thanks to 2wheelsindia.com and Autocar India Regards, Related posts: |
| The Story Behind Bajaj Pulsar Ad – Hunto Posted: 15 Jun 2011 11:36 PM PDT
Original Source: The Story Behind Bajaj Pulsar Ad – Hunto from BikeAdvice.in The war between the two wheeler manufacturers is never ending. The war for better sales, better production and better quality is always there. Bajaj is one of the very tough competitors of every other two wheeler manufacturer as it has got many models like Pulsars and Discovers that have been outperforms for the company as far as the sales are concerned. According to the reports at Economic Times, Bajaj auto doesn't wish to compete with Hero Honda any longer rather it plans to take on Honda and other Japanese bike makers. Bajaj has literally planned to wage a war on Honda and the other Japanese motorcycle makers in the sports bike segment. Economic Times states that Bajaj has already started taking baby steps to nail down their Japanese mates. The latest Pulsar Ad stating "Pulsar sells five times more than any other Japanese bike" says it all about the company's strategy. The company is focused to nail down Honda and other Japanese manufacturers. No doubt Bajaj is one of the best sellers as far as the sales figures are concerned. The company has identified their toughest competitor to be Honda and the employees and the higher dignitaries of the company are open about it. Bajaj Auto’s Marketing GM Milind Bade has also identified a tough competitor in Honda and said that before Honda comes and attacks, Bajaj wants to be in a strong position to ward off the threat. He further said that the company was always ahead of Honda in the terms of sales but the consumers aren't aware of the fact and that is the main reason the Pulsar advert is so scripted. As far as Honda is concerned; it wants to slowly and swiftly venture in to the market through its wholly owned subsidiary HMSI. In the advertisement Bajaj describes their unlimited potential and points out to the sales of Pulsar. The advert shows Japanese people saying "Hunto" which is for Unbelievable because Pulsar sells five times more than any Japanese bikes. Economic Times reports that Bajaj did start a war against their competitors especially Honda and Japanese makers. Rakesh batra, Auto analyst, says that the real threat to Bajaj is Honda and not hero. He further said that Bajaj is concentrating on its global positioning by pitching its voice against Japanese makers which will help brand reach a global status. On the contrary; Honda did not comment but Japanese bike maker Yamaha said that it is the performance and not the advertisement that makes a bike sell. Yamaha further said that the company only believed in actions and not reactions. All in all; it looks like Bajaj has planned to take on every other manufacturer of the country. We will havet to wait and see how far this war goes on. Share on FacebookRelated posts: |
| Honda Unicorn Review by Chetan Bedse Posted: 15 Jun 2011 11:30 PM PDT
Original Source: Honda Unicorn Review by Chetan Bedse from BikeAdvice.in Hi friends this is chetan bedse from Jalgaon, This is my experience with one of the smoothest and reliable Indian Bike the Honda Unicorn. I have had experience with two different Unicorns one is a 2006 model and another is a 2008 model more or less both were the same except for the one difference, the later was smoother and the former was little more aggressive.
Here is my review about my friend's bike. At first he was very confused to choose the bikes in the 150cc segment because of that he had many options like Bajaj Pulsar (which is common), Hero Honda CBZ Extreme, Hero Honda Hunk (lack in finishing), Suzuki GS150R, Yamaha FZ, FZ-S, Fazer are awesome looking bikes but mainly lack in mileage.
Because of all these research and home work, he taught that thinking is such a waste of time and finally decided to go for the Honda Unicorn. The bike also feels very comfortable and also rides like a dream with the completely silent engine sounding characteristics. To start off with one can say Unicorn has the most refined engine among the Indian bikes and no other manufacturer can beat the quality of this machine.
When one rides this bike the first thing he would feel is the comfort and ride quality, It is unbeatable and top class, the engine glides like butter and the riding position and handlebars gives you a quality and comfort ride throughout. The 150 cc engine producing 13.3bhp at 8000rpm and torque 1.3kgm at 5500rpm Is the smoothest I have ever rode and there were no vibrations even on 100+ kmph speeds. The gear box too is the smoothest only Yamaha has similar quality in other Indian bikes, It has great pickup and a reasonable midrange too, But the new editions have smoother engines and their throttle response is not very quick and if you have not revved the engines during the run in time you won't be having a descent midrange, and I personally feel that the new version is too smooth and hence you feel like riding an underpowered engine in a big body. If you are on the adrenaline pumping category then you won't be satisfied with the new Unicorn, when the bike is idling you won't feel the engine running and might hit the start button again. Even though the engine produces the same power as of a 150cc Pulsar it always had an upper hand while on road and the 2006 model even managed to do a 112 kmph as indicated by the meter and since one of my friend was lagging behind in a Pulsar.
It seemed real too, But the 2008 model didn't perform on that par the highest ever got on it was a 103 kmph. The disk brakes are good but little spongy, but not bad and with the rear combination it is passable though not as sharp as apache's and Fz's. The electric start system seems to have problems during cold start, and sometimes it even takes few extra kicks to start in the morning, and there seems to be complaints about carburator in the new ones.
It gives a very descent mileage of around 55 kmpl making it an ideal commuter and will give around 60 kmpl on highways. The build quality is top class and all the parts used are of superior quality and hence the bike gives you a solid feel and is reliable as the brand name itself, the 2006 model I mentioned before still has the same smooth feel and it never had any major spare part change or overhaul except for the normal wear and tear. Ride quality is another big plus, with the monoshock setup, a wide comfortable seat, well positioned handlebar and a correct posture this machine is the most comfortable one to ride after the bullets and Karizma, it takes out small potholes on road with ease and is not much of a strain to your back, it is best for a long distance travel too, and this bike has a very comfortable pillion seat too ( your girlfriend may not like the looks of the bike but will surely like the seat). Handling is another advantage with the long wheelbase and good tires, but the weight of the bike makes it little trickier during cornering and on low speeds or traffic zigzags you will surely feel the weight, but the bike is extremely stable at all speed ranges and even at high speeds handling is quick and safe.
The Honda service is average considering the fact the bike is build with maximum quality the service is not on par with it though. Sadly this bike sure looks outdated in today's bike market, it has a very simple appearance (I personally liked 2006 version better than today's variant), even the 125cc Stunner and 110cc Twister looks far better, and if your fashion conscious this bike is not for you. It will not get you any attraction and sometimes may even be confused with a passion or shine, and it surely won't look hot alongside an FZ or an apache (again looks are more of a personal choice though). The instrument cluster too is outdated compared to other bikes in its category it doesn't offer any gizmos but still does majority of the deeds right, headlights could have been brighter, horns are not much help they sound like ones of the 100cc bikes, indicator design is not crash proof (rubber fixed) like Pulsars and Apache's.
Looks apart, still Unicorn is one of the most reliable and sought after bikes in India, you have to wait 50+ days for the delivery, and your parents will love it, that may not be the case with your girlfriend though, If you're looking for a descent looking not very fancy reliable bike then Unicorn is for you, it has good power, good mileage, descent looks and a good resale value so this bike is for the family person who doesn't mind not having fancy instrument clusters and LED tail lamps. If you want same kind of performance with some added style you can consider hero Honda Hunk and CBZ Extreme they both have the same Honda engine but less refined. So happy biking guys. Regards, Related posts: |
"We are going to launch the scheme within a fortnight," Jyotindra Mehta, chairman of Gujarat Urban Cooperative Banks Federation (GUCBF) said. "In 2009, we had launched "Operation Flood IT" to promote spread of computers and information technology in rural and semi-urban areas. We were able to finance around 1,10,000 computers under the scheme.
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