Honda’s Upcoming 160cc Bike NOT Based on CX-01 Concept!

Ever since Honda displayed the CX-01 concept at this year’s Auto Expo, the optimists have linked it to most of the possible future launches in the premium, sub one-lakh rupee bike segment.


The expectation cannot be term as completely unfounded as the CX-01 was designed at the Indian R&D facility of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Ltd.
The speculations reached their peak in May this year when Honda India officially announced that it will launch a new 160 cc motorcycle by September this year. A naked CX-01 cross kind of a bike with a fairly powerful 160cc engine would have definitely opened up a new niche segment in India.


However, what comes as a dampener now is this news snippet at Indianautosblog.com, which quotes HMSI’s Vice President of Sales, Mr Y.S. Guleria, who says that the upcoming 160cc bike will not be styled on the lines of the CX-01 concept. It further says that CX-01 will be made a production motorcycle, however sometime later!

Honda, as usual, wants to play safe with its new offering to compete with the likes of Yamaha’s new FZ and Suzuki’s Gixxer.

Suzuki Inazuma 250Z Launched

The Suzuki Inazuma 250 just had its prices slashed in India by Rs 1 Lakh. This was followed by a price cut, the equivalent of Rs 51,000 in Indonesia. The Inazuma 250 is far from the best option in its segment, but Suzuki is trying to make it work nonetheless. The Japanese automaker has just launched a special edition of the Inazuma in the UK called the 250Z. Before you get your hopes up for an Indian launch, you’d best know that this is just the addition of a few paint job options and no mechanical upgrade.

The cosmetic addition is made to the black colour of the Inazuma. There is an option of a red or blue overlay onto the main colour. The colours are applied to the fuel tank side along with a thin strip on the body paneling and headlamp cowl. The 3 spoke rim also gets a red/blue lining around it. The new editions come at an added cost of around £51 (Around INR 5000) over the standard model. Suzuki may decide to something along these lines for India as well. The massive price cut may have made news headlines, but it hasn’t necessarily improved the sales for the Inazuma.

The GW 250 Inazuma was brought to India at a price of Rs 3.61 Lakh and after a drop to Rs 2.61 Lakh (Both prices on-road Mumbai), Suzuki still isn’t moving as many units as they had hoped. One major reason for this is the anticipation of new models. With the launch of the Bajaj Pulsar SS 400 and KTM RC 390 slated to take place soon along with the Honda CBR 300R, Mahindra Mojo 300 among others, buyers would much rather opt for a higher displacement, lower priced, single cylinder option. Prior to the price drop there were only 3 units sold in the country. The Inazuma 250 is powered by a 4-stroke, liquid cooled, parallel twin cylinder engine that displaces 248cc. Maximum power output comes in at 26 hp while the peak torque comes in at 24.4 Nm. The Inazuma is brought to a stop by dual disc brakes and is available in two colours- Candy cardinal red and Pearl Nebular Black.

2014 Karizma R vs Old Karizma: List of All Changes, Details & Brochure [Spec Comparo]

Hero MotoCorp has finally updated its flagship products, the Karizma R and Karizma ZMR. Both bikes have carved out a niche segment of their own, positioning themselves as wonderful tourers as well a practical everyday bikes, okay okay at least the Karizma R has  

While the company had showcased these facelifts a few months back and officially promised a launch in March, they have, only very recently, gone on sale. Well, this procrastination has not made them any prettier, but prospective customers are pretty excited about the bikes.

The Karizma R was launched way back in 2003 and it became a great success. It captured the imagination of all, thanks to its easy handling and a huge (at that time) 223cc motor, sourced from the Honda CRF 230 supermoto series of motorcycles.

If you have been wondering, what are the changes the new Karizma R comes along with, well here is a list of each one of them but first the official spec comparo:

Specification	Old Karizma R	New Karizma R
Engine	223cc air cooled, single cylinder OHC	223cc air cooled, single cylinder OHC
Max Power	17BHP @7000rpm	19.2BHP @7500rpm
Peak Torque	18.35Nm @6000rpm	19.35Nm @6000rpm
Top speed	125kmph	126kmph
Acceleration	0-60kmph in 3.8s	0-60kmph in 3.6 secs
Transmission	5 speed	5 speed
Fuel tank	15L	15L
Kerb weight	150kg	154kg
Front tire size	2.75 ×18-42 P	80/100 18-47 P
Rear tire size	100/90 18-56 P	120/80 18-62 P

Differences in old Karizma & 2014 Karizma:

• Power Increase: The most significant change is the increment in power. Karizma R gets a fairly decent power bump of 2.2bhp but the peak power now comes 500 rpm later. This may mean a more meatier power band.
• Torque Increase: Next big change is the torque increment of 1Nm which comes at exactly the same rpm. This should mean more effortless load pulling capability and lesser gearshifts.
• Higher Top Speed: With all this power and torque bump, new Karizma has a slightly higher claimed top speed of 126kmph.
• Better Acceleration: The increment in power has meant a 0.2 second advantage in the 0-60kmph sprint. Again these are claimed figures.
• Increased Weight: But for some reason, new Karizma has put on some weight, a full 4 kgs at that.
• Wider Tyres: Thankfully, Hero has lent the new Karizma with fatter tyres and the rear finally gets the much deserving (asthetically at least) 120mm rubber. Along with being wide, they are also tubeless.      

What has remained same:

• Fuel tank capacity stands at 15 liters, though Hero has not shared the reserve capacity.
• The front and rear brakes also continue to be 276mm (front disc) & 130mm (rear drum). There is no option of rear disc for 2014 Karizma!
• The wattage of front headlamps also continue to be 35W but there are two of them now. However, only one is lightable at a time!
• New Karizma also continues with the same 5-step adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers and Hero hasn’t felt the need for a monoshock, yet!
• Rest the chassis, transmission and other mechanicals continue to be the same.

Cosmetic Changes:

• The redesigned fairing has got its fair share of criticism but it does attract a significant group of audience.
• The LED position lamps and the dual dynamic headlamps look outdated but have a typical Buell aura. The eyebrow like pilot lamps, however, look attractive specially during night!
• The rear tail lamps also get LEDs and seem to have been inspired from the Royal Enfield Thunderbird.
• The familiar instrumentation console looks interesting. The wider tires should help in increasing the handling prowess, as a thin rear tire has been one of the prime complaints of the older Karizma.
• The redesigned under cowl looks sportier than in the previous generation, split seats a new split grab rail though fail to give a lasting impression.

New 2014 Karizma R Prices:

1. Ex-showroom Mumbai: Rs 81,960
2. On-Road Mumbai: ~ Rs 94,000
3. On-Road Pune: 93,084

For some reason, Hero’s management thinks that the lesser 150cc Hunk & Xtreme deserve a rear disc brake but the more powerful Karizma doesn’t. However weird is that, that is Hero MotoCorp for you!

So, will you buy the new reliable 2014 Karizma over the more modern bikes we have on offer or you would want to wait for HX250R?

Yamaha FZ Version 2.0 Deliveries to Start by End July

Yamaha’s newly launched FZ Version 2.0 is rather an interesting product. The bike was launched at a gala event attended by Bollywood actor John Abraham, who is also Yamaha India’s brand ambassador. At the launch, Yamaha informed that the bike will be available beginning July 2014, however it has not been delivered to any customer yet.

According to ET Auto, deliveries of the FZ v2 will begin by the end of July.
Bookings are underway and you can book your FZ FI at Rs 5000 and assure an earlier delivery. The new 149cc fuel injected engine produces 13.1PS of power and 12.8Nm of torque which is a bit lower than the older version however it gets Fuel Injection as the main arsenal.
Yamaha claims that the new FZ v2 is 14 percent more fuel efficient than the older FZ carb. It also gets a crispier throttle response with a better power delivery. In terms of performance, Yamaha claims that it has not gone down and in fact, has increased marginally.

In order to achieve this, Yamaha has reduced the weight of the bike, making it the lightest motorcycle in the segment. This helps in maintaining the power to weight ratio, which in simple terms means a faster motorcycle or almost as quick as the older one. The Eco Indicator light in the instrumentation cluster helps the rider to know if the engine is being driven at an optimum range to extract maximum fuel efficiency.
The updated FZ v2 does not come cheap. It costs Rs 76,250 and the FZ-S V2.0 has an asking price of Rs 78,250 (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi). Thankfully though, unlike most manufacturers, Yamaha is not charging a bomb for the fuel injection update.

Bajaj Plans All-New Pulsar Lineup: Here is How it Will Look Like…

Bajaj Pulsar which has raised the bar ever since its launch in 2001 and a brand which brought affordable sports biking to the masses, has been at the receiving end with the increasing competition.
Now, thirteen years down the line, the Pulsar line-up is set to get a major overhaul. A major shift, which the company will expect propels it far beyond the reach of the competition. Bajaj has plans to launch a completely new Pulsar line-up which will stand something like this…
 1. Pulsar 150NS:
Recently spied just a couple of days back, the upcoming Pulsar 150 Naked Sport (NS) looks like a smaller version of the 200NS. The all-new Pulsar 150 will sport mono shock absorbers, underbelly exhaust, triple spark technology, petal disc brakes and an expected power output of more than the          current 15bhps.The bike is expected to be launched by the festive season in India.

2. Pulsar 200SS:
This is going to be the faired version of the much loved Pulsar 200NS and the first fully faired motorcycle from Bajaj. The engine will be the same triple spark unit shared with the naked 200NS but it will get fuel injection in place of carburetor. Power output is expected to be slightly better but it should result in an increase in fuel efficiency.
The twin barreled projectors with sharp fairing will surely look a cracker in full colors. The launch of the 200SS is being delayed for no known reasons, but we expect a final showdown sometime before the festive season, for sure.

3. Pulsar 200NS FI
Its only a matter of time before Bajaj launches the fuel injected Pulsar 200NS FI in India. The 200NS FI has already been released in a few of its international markets (like Turkey) recently. This is required considering the fact that Bajaj will need to distinguish the 200NS from its smaller siblings.
There are no significant changes expected on the power front but the throttle response is definitely expected to be crispier and smoother, plus the enhanced fuel efficiency should come as standard!

4. Pulsar 400SS:
Officially unveiled at the Auto Expo, this would be Bajaj’s flagship which will take charge of the premium segment. Though, it has been criticized of being a little too much, but it surely looks amazingly sporty and astonishingly macho!

It will house the same 373.2cc engine from Duke 390 but with triple spark plug technology and slightly lesser power. The analogue and digital combo on the instrumentation panel looks appealing. The Auto Expo model had Metzelers on them, as well as an ABS. though the later might just be available as an optional extra. The front had a normal round disc while the rear featured a petal one! Considering the way Bajaj is delaying the launch of the 200SS, 400SS’ introduction is unpredictable and may spill over to next year!

5. Pulsar 400CS:
A Sports Cruiser for India is just what the doctor ordered! Surprising everyone the Pulsar 400CS was unveiled at the Auto Expo and is possibly one motorcycle which hasn’t found any dislikers yet! Bajaj has gone bonkers with its design team and the 400CS looks absolutely awesome, without any flashiness anywhere!

It will have the same heart of the 400SS and an all-digital instrument console. Being a naked version, it will definitely be lighter and gets upside down front forks. Add to that the tiny stubby exhaust, and ladies and gentleman, we have a serious looker..a powerful one at that! Its launch is scheduled for sometime next year most probably by the second half of the 2015.

So, this is how the new Pulsar lineup will look like by next year. Yes, like you, I also have that one question – Will Bajaj update their Pulsar 180 as a Naked Sports or will it be discontinued?

The Pulsar 220 will definitely be axed as soon as its sales see a downfall. We are also clueless about the Pulsar 135LS as well. It will, in all probability, continue to be offered with refreshments and updates.

So, do you feel Bajaj will be able to strike back with these potent products against the competition? Which one are you waiting for?