Honda CBR 250R Ownership Review by Sherman : BikeAdvice

Honda CBR 250R Ownership Review by Sherman
Kawasaki ZZR1400 – New Video
TVS Apache 180 Ownership Review by Akshit
Yamaha R15 Ownership Review by Rahul

Honda CBR 250R Ownership Review by Sherman

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:20 AM PDT

Original Source: Honda CBR 250R Ownership Review by Sherman from BikeAdvice.in

Hello Everyone! My name is Sherman, and this is the story of my new baby, the black Baby Ceeber aka CBR 250R (ABS). I've been following this site for over a year now, and I know for a fact that these reviews have helped out countless folks (hell, I've been there too!) I've always wanted to contribute, but never really got around to doing so.

You know what they say- the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. But Deepak's Ownership Review Contest No.10 was like a shot in the arm to a lazy bum like me, so here I am, and without further ado, I now present to you, the one, the only. Baby!

Wait a minute. "Baby?!" That's what you must be thinking, right? Who in their right mind would name their bike "Baby"? Well, I have thought of a hundred different names before I honed in on this one. The Black Widow? Nah, that'd mean I was dead. The Black Panther? Nopes, it reminded me of Bagheera from The Jungle Book. Black Devil? Noo!

I thought I was beginning to sound quite strange by then with all the weird names, and when the name Dark Temptation actually popped into my head, I knew I was on the totally wrong track (For all those who have forgotten, Dark Temptation is the name of the chocolaty fragrance launched by Axe deodorants some years ago).

It was time to just look inside my heart and call her what I knew she was to me. And it struck me – Baby. She's my baby. She's gonna stick with me, and stand by me, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, till rust do us part. It just sounded perfect. Baby. And as we all know, nobody puts Baby in a corner (the famous line from Dirty Dancing).

Even then I thought I'd jazz it up a bit by tweaking it to "Babe", but for some obscure reason, it kept reminding me of a cute and fat little pink pig and that was the last straw. My Baby she will be. Before I get into more details, I'd like to start with how all this actually came to pass.

I had struck a deal with my Dad that in return for not riding till I was 18, I would be presented with a bike when I turned a major in 2004. It was difficult, but I kept my word. It was going to be a second hand bike to start with, I knew that. You see, there is this unspoken rule in my family that the first vehicle is always a second hand one.

I guess it's because if you can learn to care for it when it isn't new, then you're really worthy of having a new ride. Or something like that. I just thought it was a brilliant excuse for my folks to not spend extra cash. Anyway, I chose a secondhand Caliber 115 Hoodibaba! in excellent condition (she was a 2004 model).

The rationale being that I would rather have a bike which was simple yet stylish and could go on and on than have a Pulsar (which was all the rage then) that I would have to park in my garage and say goodbye to every morning before walking off to school because of the paucity of cash to fill her up (I knew a lot of friends with such issues).

And even years later (I still have my 115); I have never once thought that I made a wrong choice. She was my first love. But enough about her, I will save that for Review No. 11 (Deepak, are you listening? Anyway, with the Indian biking scene finally opening up, I knew it was time for me to take the next step.

I was mulling over buying the Ninja 250R, but once I saw the pics of the baby Ceeber, I just could not decide which one I wanted, that is, until the C-ABS tilted her in my favour. Finally, I knew what I wanted, and thankfully, I didn't have to rob a bank to have her. Thank you Honda!

So I booked her in January, as soon as bookings were made open, at Haiku Honda in Domlur (Bangalore). Turned out I was only the 2nd person to book the C-ABS model there. And from then on began an unending wait. Being an MBA student, I had to go to Europe for a study tour in April, and then to California for my internship for the next two months, and even while I was drooling over the Ducatis and Harleys.

I couldn't help thinking about when I'd get my Baby. It had been over 5 months since I booked her, but seemed more like 5 years, not helped by the fact that no one from the company could even offer a tentative date as to when the bike would be out. It was during one such bright and sunny day in California, that I got a text on my phone.

It was Haiku Honda, asking me to call them back urgently. I did so, and imagine my anguish when the lady said, "Sir, your bike is ready; you can come now and collect it." It felt like my heart just shattered into a thousand pieces. It was a struggle for me to tell them that I wasn't in the country and it would take me at least 20 more days to reach Bangalore- could they hold it for me until then?

"Sure sir, no problem, we'll sell this bike to the next person on the wait-list and you can buy it when you come here, if it is available." She said that very sweetly, that much I'll admit, but she could've told me just as sweetly to jump off a cliff. Which was precisely what I felt like doing right then.

But life goes on, and I was back in the country in 20 days, and I popped into the showroom to enquire about my chances and get a test ride. I was a little apprehensive, for I had never ridden any bike above 150cc before, and certainly not one with the 1down, 5up gear sequence.

But the CBR surprised me- I didn't find her in any way difficult to ride, in spite of having almost exclusively ridden a 111cc bike for the last 6 years. And all that power between my legs just felt awesome! Yes, I'm still talking about the CBR, so please focus people!

"Sorry sir, your model hasn't yet come", was the reply I got upon my enquiry. OK, I said, and booked a holiday trip to my hometown of Mangalore to drown my sorrows. The following Monday, I got a call, "Sir, your bike is here, if you can come now for the formalities, you can take it tomorrow."

Deja vu? But this time citing some emotional excuse (I don't even remember what I said that time!); I got them to hold it for me till Thursday, when I would be back in Bangalore. On Thursday, when I went there, I was shown my bike. Only thing was- it wasn't my bike! It was a silver non ABS version.

Imagine being pointed to someone else's wife saying you could have her- that was exactly how I felt! I raised a hue and cry, and told the person in charge there without mincing any words that if they didn't have my bike there within the week, they could keep the deposit and cut my name off the list.

And if they did that, I would write a review so scathing, that people would think twice before even stepping foot into the showroom. An image of an angry Hulk kept popping into my head, and I told myself it was time to calm down, and taking a few deep breaths, I left the showroom.

Luckily, God heard my prayers. Or maybe it was the manager who heard me. In any case, I was told in a couple of days that my model had arrived. I couldn't take it anymore- I rushed to the showroom, and there she was, a Black CBR250R, her silver spots gleaming under the spotlight.

I just wanted to get astride her and ride away into the sunset like a prince from all those fairy tales I read when I was a kid. But I was brought back to reality when I was told that if I paid the cash today, she could be mine the next day. What?! The next day?! Man, this couldn't be happening to me!

In spite of all my entreaties and curses, they would not budge. So I paid a hefty advance, submitted my documents and began counting the minutes to when I would finally take possession of her. The next day, I got the long awaited call, and off I was again. I took a few friends along, and was made to wait while the bike was being spruced up.

But it was all worth it. When she was finally presented to me, boy oh boy, was she gleaming! She cost Rs. 1,97,651 on road plus a few hundreds more for the number plate and a Teflon coating. And I was smiling from ear to ear listening to all the praises she was getting, and when I did ride off into the sunset, the looks of admiration I got from everyone on the road just made my day.

I would like to take this moment to thank my Dad for making this possible- thank you Dad, for this awesome ride. Up until the first 500 kms, it was a struggle not to take her to her limits- I mean, come on, mine was a filmy love story so far, and now finally, against all odds, me and my Baby were one.

But I restrained myself commendably, well, except for 3 occasions when I just lost my head and rode like the wind, hitting 130 kmph without any fuss. I did feel a little guilty later, but hey! I deserved it! One of the first things I did was to equip myself with a DSG riding jacket and Axo gloves, the first time I've ever used riding gear.

Now we look like we're made for each other, the black & silver combination on my Baby mirroring the black & silver on me. Do you remember the old series in the 90's that used to air on Doordarshan, called Street Hawk? Well, I kinda feel like that when I'm attired.

After 500 kms, it was time for the first free service. I don't know why they call it a "free" service, when I was charged 1,048 bucks for it. I should shoot off a mail to Honda I guess. But performance-wise, she became even smoother after the service. Smooth as butter.

I have had her for two and a half months now, but managed to cover only 1,500 kms during the period. Actually, considering the situation, I’d say it's pretty good. I stay at my college hostel and my classrooms are just a 5 minute walk away. And so far this year, I didn't get a chance to go on long weekend rides, so when you realize that the entire stretch of 1,500 kms is ridden purely within the city of Bangalore; you know that's an achievement!

I'm not going to mention the specifications of the CBR in my review; you can look them up from the company website. I will, however, tell you about my actual experience with the CBR 250R, which I think will be more useful to a potential buyer looking for actual user knowledge than a list of specifications on paper. Like I said- been there, done that!

Handling

She lets herself be handled quite well, and the only problem I have with her on that front is the turning radius. It is HUGE! I mean, on my Caliber, I could almost bend the handlebars back towards me and take a V-turn backwards (only slightly exaggerating, of course), but the turning radius on my Baby is almost like an Avenger.

It takes a majestic U-turn, no doubt, but the fairing prevents it from minimizing the radius. But once you get used to it however, you will have no problems judging turns to perfection. Rider fatigue- nil. I find her comfortable to ride or stop (thanks to the C-ABS), with no backaches whatsoever. There was a slight ache in my wrists for the first few rides, but it went away after that.

And of course, I am yet to answer the eternal Indian biking question- Mileage? Ah, yes, I had forgotten. I think the mileage is pretty good for a bike of this calibre, it gives me around 35-40 kmpl quite easily, maybe a little more. I would like to remind you again, that this is under pure city driving conditions, which does not include long rides, and also considering that I've hit a top whack of 151 kmph on her.

And what a ride that was! It was on the elevated toll way on a well illuminated night, with not a vehicle in sight. Let me tell you how she speeds up first. The meat of her performance lies within the 4.5 to 9k range on the tacho. Under 4.5, I won't say she's sluggish, it's more like she's modest and doesn't want to show her capabilities off to the world.

Only you know, with a hand on her throttle, of the fury she can unleash if you let her. But between 4.5 and 9k, man, is she in her elements! One moment the needle's on 4.5, and I swear, in a blink of an eye it's on 9 and it's time to upshift! The sheer acceleration is simply brilliant!

After 9, even though it can go all the way to 11.5, it's rather boring compared with the adrenaline rush you just got getting there. The 6th gear is for cruising I feel, because you can get to 135ish in 5th gear without any problems, but when you upshift into 6th, your speed keeps increasing at a diminishing rate, just like the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility. Sorry, no academia in a bike review.

After 135 kmph, you need a lot of road, patience and belief to finally get her to 150 kmph, but if you can persist, she will get you there. On that ride, I had a weighted backpack on me which I could feel was creating some drag in spite of me bending over, so without it and with some more road.

I reckon I could just squeak up to 155kmph on the speedo, but that's the maximum possible. It's still pretty good for a bike actually, considering my good ol' Hoodibaba could barely make it to 100 kmph after some major engine tweaking. And the good thing about it is- Zero Vibration even at such intense speeds.

Now to the Pros & Cons

Pros

The envious stares you get from everyone else on the road because of her killer looks.
Raw power on tap till 135 kmph, top speed in excess of 150kmph on the speedo.
Smooth and vibration-free handling at any speed.
The comfortable riding position; you can actually choose your riding posture (upright for normal travel and bent over for speed).
C-ABS. This is the single best feature I love most in my bike. In fact, just minutes into my first ride back from the showroom, a tempo cut across in front of me and braked. I too slammed on my brakes instinctively, and with a sinking heart, as the distance was just a few inches between both vehicles. But in spite of my reaction time to brake, she came to a halt well behind the Tempo. And what's more, I was in total control the entire time! C-ABS saved my bike a few scratches and dents, and saved me a broken heart. Ever since, I think it's a great piece of technology that every bike should have, especially on slippery roads. On the flipside, I sometimes feel unsafe on other bikes now upon hard breaking at higher speeds.
The headlines are normal 12V 60/55W H4, but they're pretty bright – no need to upgrade them I'd say.
Comfy seats for both rider and pillion- long distance travel is not an issue.
The ignition responds with the lightest touch- some say that not being able to kick start it might be a problem, but I'm OK with having just the electrical start. Only time will tell who's right.
The tyres are pretty grippy too, never once have I felt them slip even under acute cornering.

Cons

The saree guard just doesn't gel with the rest of the bike, so I got it removed on the very first day. You would be mad to sit on it in a saree anyway, so no big deal.
The front fairing is styled in such a way, that any water on the road along with the dirt stuck with it is all over your shoes and your jeans, unless you're travelling under 10kmph. And if you are, the vehicle overtaking you is gonna splash you with a lot more muck, so it's a lose-lose situation in any case.
And just so the pillion doesn't have a smug smile on his face at the ordeal of the rider, the (lack of) rear mudguard will make sure that enough water/muck is splashed over the back of the pillion’s shirt too. Hence, it is always advisable to ride with a waterproof jacket that is easy to clean. And if the pillion's got a backpack on, well, Lord have Mercy is all I can say.
Another tiny niggle I have with the Ceeber is the positioning of the brake. On my Hoodibaba, I could keep my foot on the footrest, resting lightly on the brake pedal, and press down when required to brake. On the CBR however, the seating position is such that the footrest is a little lower (or the brake pedal extends a bit higher). Thus, resting your foot on the pedal means that the brake will be slightly activated, but not enough to hinder speed. Still, I found it quite uncomfortable initially (maybe because I have no prior experience on such bikes?), and my ankle felt quite sore for the first few rides. Used to it now.
The engine radiates heat quite easily, even in city traffic where you don't get a chance to speed up. You can feel it on your legs when you're in traffic, and then the cooling system does its job. However, the engine gives off a peculiar smell when it heats up. Initially I was concerned thinking my engine was overheating, but the mechanic at the service centre told me not to worry, it was probably the paint on the engine wearing off. Even after 1,500 kms it still gives off that smell, but now only after high speeds, and the intensity has reduced.
The horn is a puny one compared with the size of the bike, but I'd still go with it in the name of preventing unnecessary noise pollution.
No centre stand- not a problem for me though, coz I never use it anyway.
Last but not least, the very stares of admiration I keep getting are now becoming a source of irritation. Riders actually switch lanes all of a sudden when they see the Ceeber, just to ask me how much she cost, and what's the mileage and what's she like, etc- all this when I'm still riding. When this first happened I couldn't help but think that I must be on the hitlist of some biker gang, but now I'm used to it. It still irritates me sometimes though, but in a good way.

Conclusion

The list of Cons may appear larger in size than the Pros, but to me they're just minor niggles. I've just stated whatever I could think of in case it comes in handy for those looking into my review to make up their minds about the CBR. I mean, is a normal-sounding horn really a Con? Some may feel so, I don't. Even if it is, it isn't a make-it-or-break-it deal for me. But it might be for others, you never know.

The bottom-line is: I knew what I wanted. I knew it was time for me to upgrade from a 111 cc bike to the next level (my long-term aim is to own a Harley Davidson Fat Boy). I was clear that I wanted looks, power and safety, and in high doses. I don't do wheelies. I don't drag race. I don't stunt and I do not take part in on-track races.

I wanted a bike which was as comfortable in the city as it would be outside it. One on which I wouldn't have any problems pottering about in traffic or speeding up on the highway. One who would set my heart aflutter every time I saw her, and who would keep me safe even under most intense braking at high speeds.

I got what I wanted, and a lot more, when I bought my Baby. If these are your needs, you couldn't go wrong with the CBR. Don't expect everyone to understand, though. Even today, a lot of guys come up to me and tell me that I'm a fool to buy the Ceeber when I could've had an entry-level car at this price.

I don't even bother answering them. I just smile and walk off to my Baby. After all, who can explain true love?

Regards,
Sherman

Share on Facebook

Kawasaki ZZR1400 – New Video

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 06:58 AM PDT

Original Source: Kawasaki ZZR1400 – New Video from BikeAdvice.in

As I've been reporting for a long time about the yet to be launched 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400, thee rumours in the industry claim that there are more chances for the Japanese major to launch the bike this month and it looks like the initial market for the company will be America.

We don't need any more teaser images to guess how the bike will look like. The company has come up with a video which showcases what this bike is really capable of. The video is really stunning and is compared to perform at par with a small aircraft.

The 2012 Kawasaki ZZR1400 will sport Traction control which the ZX 10R houses.ABS will also be a part of the package f0r this bike. The bike is more likely to host insane power, which is why this bike is one of the most anticipated one across several nations. The engine's displacement is anticipated to be 1429 cc.

The ZZR1400 will not be more of a track bike but a powerful highway sporty tourer. The chassis is expected to be one of the best in the market and it is also likely that a turbocharged version will be made available in addition to the standard one which will be the base model.

Isn't the video great to watch? Let's wait for the review of this machine to see if this is the wya the bikes really performs or not.

Regards,
M.Naren.
Author – BikeAdvice.in

Share on Facebook

TVS Apache 180 Ownership Review by Akshit

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 06:55 AM PDT

Original Source: TVS Apache 180 Ownership Review by Akshit from BikeAdvice.in

My name is Akshit Saini And I belong to Hoshiarpur (the land of saints) in Punjab. I alway wanted to own different bike and wanted my bike to be a very special because for me owning a bike was me was a dream come true. And for me I had a philosophy that Four wheels move your Body Two wheels move your Soul becuse the sheer fun of riding the bike cannot be expirenced in four wheeler.

It all started when I was a small child I had a very less affection for bikes. But as I grew older My affection for bikes increased and my eagerness for owning a bike also increased. My father first owned a CD100 which I liked the most because I thought thhat riding a bike was one of the most difficult task in the whole world.

But I loved to sit on that bike all day long and in my free time I also used to clean my bike and on weekends I would go with my father for long drives on bike. First I started to learn the bike from my friend bike. And I was usally afraid from riding the bike.

Because I was confused between the clutch the brakes. But after riding it became a lot more easier and also a lot of fun than the traditional gearless scooter. And in the end I had more affection for the bikes than Scooter and my erg for owning the bike increased.

And from that day I was all day after my parents to own me my own bike but my parents refused and said you are not that young to ride a bike and said that in +2 they will get me a new bike as I was in +1 I had to wait for a whole year TO buy a bike. So I had a full whole year to decide about my bike. The first four bikes that came to mind was the Pulsar 220 dtsi, Yamaha r-15, Apache RTR 180, Hero Honda Karizma ZMR.

Comparsion Review Of The Four Top Indian Contendors

Bajaj Pulsar 220 it is the best loking bike in the market at presen with it vertical stacked projectors and the all alluminium exhaust and semi fairing. It 220 cc engine is very good and produces the highest power in it segment excluding the Honda CBR 250R and the Kawasaki Ninja.

Its engine is stress free even at top speed that helped it to became the fastest indian untill the Honda CBR 250R came and destroyed the competion. But even though every biker loved it because it was the fastest bike in under 1lacs. Even the Yamaha, TVS and herocant match the top speed of Pulsar 220.

I was in love with bike and madly fallen in love with the bike but my elder brother had also fallen in love with the bike and when I came to +2 class my brother bought a new Pulsar 220 dtsi and then I removed Pulsar 220 from my mind. And also when I searched for the bike on the internet there was a long list of problems which many Pulsar 220 owners had in their bike even my elder brother faced a lot of problems.

Next is the Yamaha r15 it is the bike in which I fell in love at first sight it was a mini R1 and it was a pocket rocket. It was just the bike which was just meant for racetrack as its short wheelbase helped in flicking the corners with ease and it aerodynamic body helped in straight line stability and less air resistace it was a perfect bike in every angle.

But the problem was that my mother dont liked the bike because at the front two headlmps she used it call it cats faced bike (please dont mind the r15 owners) and therefore she refused it to own me the R15 and even I was just againts the rear taillight and the front and the rear tyres because there just spoil the looks of the bike and the newwer version 2.0 is the best loking bike in the market and it has no cons inthe bike.

Next is the Karizma ZMR there is a nothing for which I shall had bought the bike except the looks and the reliability of the Hero Honda engine. And I was also to thin that I would so with the bike because it was the bike which was not meant for me. So I ignored the bike because it it suit me. Even though I had riden the bike and had falen in love with the bike because of engine refinement and the long crusing ability but I did not go for any long trips there fore I ignored the Karima ZMR.

Next and the last bike in my list was TVS Apache RTR 180 ever since I had seen the bike it was in the tv commercial of Apache 180 I fell in love with the bike the way the bike was shown in the commercial I fell in love with the bike when and I was eager to see the bike in flesh so I went to TVS showroom and I asked them to show the Apache RTR 180.

But they apologized that they didnt had the bike at present and you can see the Apache RTR 160 at it was available so as I had never ridden any Apache so I took a test drive of RTR 160 as soon I relesed the clutch the eagerness to move forward was a lot a lot than any other indian bike.

So I tok the bike to 25 at first gear 40 at secound gear 55 at third gear and 70 at fourth gear and didt had a chance to use the 5th gear even though I was a lot impressed with the bike and then I asked them that I wanted a test drive of RTR 180 they said they will provide me with a test frive on monday as their bike stock was coming on monday as it was saturday I had a one day gap.

So I was ever eagerly awaiting for the bike test drive as monday came I went to the showrom in the afternoon and I asked then for a test drive they smiled and said to wait for two minutes as they said the their srock came just now and after washing the bike they will provide me the test drive I was very eager to see the bike as soon as they washed the bike a TVS sevice person came to me and said that the bike is ready as soon I saw the bike my eyes widned it was just like it was shaped by angels and was powered by devils and the word that came from the bike was beautiful.

It was the best loking bike I had ever seen in the market and when I took the test drive it was far more better than RTR 160 and I fell in love with the bike and I said my parents that I wanted to own the Apache RTR 180 and also shon then the brochure and they agred but they said I had to wit for a long 4 months.

So I said them to book the bike and they agreed and the next morning my parents they gave me Rs3000 for the booking and I booked the bike in colour pearl white as there was a long 2-3 months booking on pearl white but I had to wait for along 3months for the bike after about exhat 3 months 2 days I got a call from the showroom that my bike has arived and you can come and take the bike delivery.

But there was about a month left to own the bike so I told the showroom that it would take some time for me to take the delivery and I informed them not to sell the bike and the agreed that they wont sell the bike.in the end I got my bike in feburary,2011 and a last I was very happy that I got my own bike.

About the Bike

The history of Apache starts from a 150cc bike which was the TVS Fiero. It was originally developed by Suzuki and it was basically developed at in japan and was tried and tested by the japaness. In fact it is the bike which is not like the R15 which is a scaled down version of R1.

But basically it is the engine which is tried and tested so as to develop only for the racing purpose and ever componet of the bike is tested so that it can withstard the high reving character of the bike and it can overrev in at top gear and no indian bike in the market can rev upto 12000rpm at stock onition but only Apache RTR 180 can. Here are some of the tecnologies of the TVS Apache 180.

Looks an Features

First of all when you see a Apache RTR 180 in white it looks a very different bike and because of its white colour it helps the bike to stand apart in the trafic becuse Apache 180 being the first bike to support the white colour other than that of the cops bike. Even though now the karizma R15 and others bikea had copied the Apache white colour.

But even though Apache white help him to look different. And also the commbination of the grey RTR stickers helps the bike to stand apart. Also at night the grey colour look the best and it shines like silver next diffence is in the cockpit of the bike the clip one are black in colour and same as that of 160.

But only differene is they are in black colur and the in centre plate of the bike there is the RTR 180 sticker which shines and shows that you belong to the racing tribe and there are change in the speedometer as the there is a white background and there is a huge circle with honey comb design in it and also there are thousands of derivation for the correct rpm setting next change is the blue light which looks the best and this helps it to stand apart than other bikes.

In the marketand also there are same special features in the speedomeer as it can save the top spedd and 0-60 times and it also has a service reminder so that it reminders you when to service the bike these features are not available in any other indian market. There are some minor changes it help to stand apart than RTR 160 some are golden coloured forks.

The neon white strip, the rear removable fender and the iluminted key ring also there is increse in the swing arm length and the change in the exhaust. So that delivers that same lod voice of the RTR. There is also the advantage of the handle bars as they are fully adjustable so that it can be adjusted accordingthe the riders choice.

Engine and The Performace

As I dissued you about the the technolgy used ithelps it to become the most powerfuly most torque and fastest bike in its category. The oversquare engine which helps it to produce 17.3ps of powerand 15.5nm of torque. The helps to to become the fastest bike in its segment. The bike dry weight is 127kg despite the fact the bike weight weight is 137kg with the 90% fuel and toolkkit. This help it to become 1kg heavier than RTR 160.

Therefore the power to weight ratio is the highest it category. Therefore it is not compared to Pulsar 180 but always compared to Pulsar 220. And according to the overdrive magzine it was the fastest of the three bike the Pulsar 220, Yamaha R15, Karizma ZMR to attain the fastest 0-100 times 0-60 times quater mile and even in braking test it became the fastest bike accept the top speed n which the Pulsar 220 and Yamaha R15 won. If in the comparsion of Apache and Pulsar 220 below are the figures.

	Apache RTR 180	Pulsar 220 Dtsi
0-60kmph	4.45sec	4.6sec
0-100kmph	13.1sec	13.46sec
Dry Weight	137kg	152kg
Top Speed	125kmph	144kmph

(claimed)

When you ride the bike for the first time you will release the clutch notice that Apache it has a lot f eageness to move forward. You will love to ride a bike like that. You will not even notice when you have reached the redline as the enfgine is so rev happy and it short stoke engine helps you to each the redline very easily and then when tou put the bike in 2nd gear the same rev happy character will help you to reach the redline in every gear even in 5th gear but if you rev it you may blow the engine.

On one day I was on the highway and the road was nearly empty. So I got a chance to rev the engine and in the first gear I was able to do 45km/h and on secound gear 65 in secound gear ad 90 in third gear and and austoushing 116km/h in fourth and 136 in fifth gear I was amazed when I got at that speed.

The car drivers had their face amazed when they saw me when I was over taking them. The bike cut through speed of 128km/h like hot knife through butter. But after 128km/h it takes time to reach the top speed. I also noticed that itcan easily cruise at a speed between 115-120km/h. Also the exhaust sound it is the best in 6k rpm. The bike being the power to weight ratio low help to attain that speed very easily.

Ride and Handling

Apache they are usally famous for their handling. The way the Apache handles is that no Indian bike have this type of handling it can corner like no other india bike can corner while in city or on race track. Due to Apache RTR 180 swingarm length thus wheelbase has been increased it gives better cornering experience at race track in city and better stability at top speed.

The bike can corner so brilliantly that once in hilly roads when I coned the bike the small steel which is used at the footrest it touched the ground and got scratched with the tarmac but it didnot can any imbalance. The city ride it is very comfortable the suspension setting of the rear shock absorber has 5 setting and it can be fully adjustable for hishay road it can be set hard and on bumpy roads it can set to soft and the applied accesory is given in the toolkit to adjust the setting.

And it quite a lot easy to set the supension setting. But the factory setting it set in the middle for the normal or city purpose. The tyres in the bike in the bike are made by TVS and they are the TVS srichakra and are the best tyres by TVS so for the fron tyre is 90/90 17 at the front and 110/80 17 at the rear and it is the first TVS bike to have both front and rear tyre tubless.

The TVS tyres are made from 42 compund which consist of both the hard and the soft compound. So the tyres are a lot long lasting than other brands like mrf or ceat. The RTR has both the front and the rear disk brake and they are petal disk and these disk radiate a lot of heat than ordinary disk.the disk brake are the best in the indian market.

And if the brakes arent applied correctly there may be chances of skiding and the brake applying distribution should be 60% front and 40% rear so as to expirence the best braking. The brakes have helped me so much that to helped me from preventing from accident. And I am very greatful to TVS for develping such an ausom brakes. But if in rains the bike can fail to work and so it is dangerous to ride in rains. Even though I have never faced any bike skid RTR any problem.

Rumors

One main thing which I want to tell to all the bikers that the TVS Tyres They Are Very Good in fact have found that my brother Pulsar 220 skidding in water but didnot find any skidding of TVS tyres so what ever the rummor is spread that TVS tyres are bad I am very much against it. And also ibike dosent looks small on any person unless you are above 85 kg and height above 6foot 5 inchies. I am myself 5foot and 10inches but the bike suites on me.

Positives

Angine and its Performace
Looks
Handling
Brakes
Exhaust note or sound

Negatives

The gearbox is notchy when ever I change gear from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd the gear it slips back or get struck in the nectral. Also a problem which I fouch was that there is two neutal in the bike when I change the gear half the engine can be reved like it is neutral. I said about this problem to the service centre but they did not care about the problem and say that this problem is in every Apache.
Vibration in the bike are redced a lot but there occur at the speed of 65km/h to 70km/h and then they disapper. This is not usally a problem but they shall be removed for such a wonderfull bike because this has got a lot on disgrace on Apache RTR and therefore people buy other bike rather than Apache.
The speedometer error when ever the bike attains a speed of excess of 130km/h the hi speed is recorded as 160km/h it is usally a great confusion created by the people that their bike goes to 160km/h. I myself experied this error a lot of times.but the 0-60 recorder is correct.

Verdict

I am very much satisified a TVS product. And TVS has created a bike keeping a detail on every pary on every design. TVS being the independent company has learned so much from their older bikes that now they have developed a motorcycle without much negativities.

And in the futire TVS will make their products even better and will rise above every bike maker in India. In the end I am very lucky that I have chosen TVS Apache 180 and in the end I always think that The Truth Is That The Machine Choose Me. Becuse it the bike which chose the rider not the rider the bike.

Regards,
Akshit Saini

Share on Facebook

Yamaha R15 Ownership Review by Rahul

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 12:58 AM PDT

Original Source: Yamaha R15 Ownership Review by Rahul from BikeAdvice.in

About one and a half years ago, I was sitting in my room alone and thinking of getting a new bike. I was still in college then and drove around in an old Bajaj Calibre which used to belong to my father. As I searched the internet for second hand performance models and cheaper new bikes, I found a very interesting deal.

A Yamaha R15 was up for sale. It was only a year old and the owner needed immediate cash, so he was selling it for forty five thousand only! I was delighted to say the least and immediately called home. I asked my parents for the money and they simply refused. They even made it a point to make a joke about it by offering me five thousand to buy the bike.

I checked my account balance and it was only rupees six hundred and ninety seven. I couldn't sleep that night. I had to come up with a way to get her. I always liked the Yamaha R15 but at over a lakh I always thought she was out of my league. But I was determined to get her.

Over the next few days I laid an entire plan which would help me earn the money over the next 4 months. I sold some of my old stuff and put the money into a small business. I also started teaching 3d Max software and worked freelance on architectural visualization projects. (I was studying to be an architect back then). I worked for it morning to evening ran, my own business and taught students.

4 months had passed. I was considerably thinner and richer by fifty thousand. I went home and eventually made my way to the Yamaha Factory Shop (YFS) in Kolkata. My parents didn't know anything about my plans and they were shocked after learning that I had amassed so much money in such a short time.

Now the Yamaha factory shop is a super showroom. They have hundreds of each model in stock and if you are lucky you may catch an R1 or MT-01 in the servicing area. On the first floor on the display pedestal she stood in all her sleek black glory, my Yamaha R15. I named her right then, sweetheart.

Adjusting to My New Bike

If you are moving from a commuter bike to a R15 the first thing you notice is the different riding posture. The legs go back and the hands move a little forward, giving you the racer feel. The six gears are also there. The gear ratios are very different as well. In the initial stages I tried to get attuned to the engine sound as that sound tells you when to shift.

Being an NFS fan, I am very fussy about the 'perfect shift' as it gives you that high adrenaline pick up. I rode my bike for a few hours every day, tuning myself to the machine and it was very smooth at all times. As the bike was doing its first 500 kilometres I never took it over 70.

That is what the manual recommends; 4000 rpm at 6th gear gives you the speed of 60 km/h. I am one of the rear people who actually believe in reading the manual. After the driving it for over the first 500, I took it over for it's first servicing and coming out of it I hit 100 km/h for the first time. No vibration, absolute stability and that continuous drone of the engine. Absolute bliss.

Advantages

Yamaha has probably said everything about this bikes features. You can all go over to the manufacturer's website to take a look. But what does it mean to the end user? First of all, the six gears make it suitable for power and mileage modes. Just take it to 50-60 in 6th gear and it should give you over 45 km/l.

Or go to the over hundred mark on 6th gear and blow the wind and gas at the same time at only 30 km/l. I have done both and they both have their own advantages. The bike is very stable at high speeds and even in corners. Probably the best in cornering barring the Ninja. Don't let the thin tyres fool you; they hug the track like glue.

All round pick up is very good, provided you shift well. The dual headlights are very useful in the dark highways at night. In the looks department, I have nothing to say. Always pulls eyes, always people ask about the price and mileage as well! (It's India, after all). Whatever shortcomings the first one had the version 2.0 makes up for it.

Disadvantages

Firstly the rear tyre is great on track but unstable off roads or roads with pebbles. In India, depending on where you live this may be a problem. Shouldn't be much of big deal if you live in a big city. Secondly, the power band from 4000 rpm. Some people say that the bike feels sluggish on 2000 rpm mark. I say if you shift right you can overcome most of it. But, yes there is a problem of power lower down. Go above 4000 for unleashing the little monster.

Spares can be a problem Specially the fairing. Many people the fairing of R15 and put it on their bikes. The most common one is Fazer with R15 cowls. But I have seen Pulsar 220, Pulsar 180, CBZ and even a TVS Victor with R15 fairing. So parts can be a problem if you manage to damage them in a minor accident.

Accidents

I have had one accident with my bike where a trashed the right side of the bike and the entire right cowls, footrest, and headlight plastic had to be replaced. It cost 3750, including everything. So repairs aren't really very costly. The only problem is the parts. I found everything apart from the right main panel.

It actually took me 6 months to get them. (In the mean time I used the cracked one). The battery is really small and if you want to go for extra electrical accessories then you better watch it. You may fry the battery with Xenon headlamps.

Accessories

Yamaha provided original accessories for the R15. Apart from that you get a lot of aftermarket stuff. If you have the taste and the budget you can seriously make your bike look unique.

Note: The Yamaha accessories are really hard to get in showrooms.

Upgrades

I wasn't too happy about the lower power band and I decided to do something about it. The Daytona performance kit was a dream as it is very hard to get in a Yamaha showroom. I had the money from the business which was started for the bike itself. I decided to go the whole way and buy myself a Two brother's vale exhaust system. You can see that in the first picture or the video posted below.

After Effects

The boom is really loud. But that is not everything. Gear it up and it's a different machine you are riding. The sound turns heads and your new found speed and pick up delight you. It's almost like getting a new bike. Now the money I had to spend is considerable. You can get this from plannetdsg.com based in Pune. It's worth it!

There was a time when I had to go to college every morning driving for over 40 kilometres. I always started from my home at 7:35 and reached before 8:00 am. I was never late, thanks to my beauty. In these early winter morning rides, I wore black leather jacket, black leather gloves, a balaclava and my red graphics helmet. I used studds then, now I have switched to an AGV. (Endorsed by Valentino Rossi).

In those trips I got to speeds at 134 km/h. Due to the loud boom of the exhaust cars would clear the right lane and let me pass when they saw me approaching. For one month I continued in this fashion and only once I was overtaken by BMW 5 series which was doing over 160!

Recently my bike turned 1 year old. Her birthday is 7th July. The relationship has been glitch free for the entire period she has been with me. Next year I might go for the big guns in an R6 when it's launched. But I will not sell my true first bike, the one I bought with such difficulty. She is my sweetheart an icon of my youth and of my achievements.

PS: If you want to reach the high speeds with your R15, get an iridiam spark plug, a V.A.L.E. exhaust system, a K&N air filter. The Daytona sproket as well. Lean on your bike and shift at 7500 rpm. You will go over 150! Always ride safe, wear a full face imported helmet, and armoured jacket with gloves and boots. Happy riding!

Two brother’s exhaust R15 Video. I am there! With my loud bike!…

Regards,
Rahul Mazumder

Share on Facebook

Autosol

Tuesday, October 11, 2011