2013 Kawasaki Ninja 250R Unveiled

Kawasaki has unveiled the specs and photos of its 2013 version of the Ninja 250R. The new version has massive changes compared to the earlier version, it somewhat resembles the Ninja ZX-10R. This time with this futuristic styling, Ninja 250R is here to kick some serious Ass!

It provides a host of changes from the revised angular bodywork with large slotted vents and a floating mount windscreen to a new tail section. It also gets a new exhaust muffler and new design for the alloy wheels,new disc brakes at the front and the rear. Also to mention is the digital speedometer in the 2013 version which everyone so wanted in the Ninja 250R. This time the riding position is also a bit relaxed compared to the previous version.

Kawasaki have not only made changes in the styling and design of the bike but also have upgraded the bike in terms of performance.  Changes include dual-throttle valve, new pistons, new cylinders and new crank cases  to boost low end and mid range torque. ABS is also available as an option now with Kawasaki claiming it to be the world’s smallest unit.

The available colours for the new Ninja include

•  Lime Green, 
• Lime Green/Ebony (special edition), 
• Passion Red, 
• Passion Red/Stardust White (special edition), 
• Ebony/Metallic Moondust Grey (special edition)
•  Pearl Stardust White.

The new Ninja 250R is expected to reach Indian shore by 2013 with slight price increase in accordance with the changes made, in Japan this bike is sold at INR 2.34L.

 

 

 

 

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2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R priced at INR 5.80 lakhs(ex-showroom), bookings underway.

A week ago there were reports that  Bajaj Auto might start the bookings of the 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R very soon, now there are news that the bookings have already started and deliveries will start  as early as 20th july. This news would surely delight every biker who has been waiting for this mean machine from Kawasaki.

Bajaj seemed to take its own sweet time in launching the 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R, while Kawasaki has already launched the 2013 model on their website.

Earlier this year there were speculations that Bajaj Auto might retain the price tag of INR 4.57 lakhs(ex-showroom) price for the 2012 version as well to stay ahead in the rising competition, but now be ready to shell out another INR 80,000 for the latest version that brings the price of the 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R to INR 5.80 lakhs(ex-showroom).

2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R Highlights:

• The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R has a Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 8-valve 649cc Parallel Twin with FI engine which generates 72 Bhp of peak power at 8500 rpm and 60 Nm of peak torque at 7000rpm.

• For improving the power delivery from low to mid range, smaller tweaks have been used.

• Kawasaki claims that the fuel efficiency of the 2012 Ninja 650R has been improved to 17.7 kmpl.

• Redesigned fairing with air vents

• Adjustable windscreen

• Instrument cluster which includes fuel range, Economical mode etc

• New twin-spar perimeter frame for easy handling

• Redesigned seats, fuel tank, rear tail light display

The 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R will be available in CKD units and will be assembled in Bajaj’s Chakan plant.

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2012 Suzuki Inazuma 250 prices revealed.

The Japanese motor expert Suzuki has recently launched its 250cc parallel cylinder motorcycle in United Kingdom at an on road price of  £3 ,499 (INR 3.01 lakhs) which means that it has been priced about £500 (INR 42,700.) cheaper that the Honda CBR 250R and it is around £1100 (INR 93,940 ) cheaper than the Kawasaki Ninja 250R which is quite tempting. It is said to be available in showrooms by September.

The Suzuki Inazuma 250 is naked which gives us a good picture of its power house, the engine. Like the GW250, Suzuki Inazuma 250 will have a DOHC 250cc fuel injected, parallel twin engine.It can churn out a maximum power of 26 Bhp and 24 Nm of torque. It is mated to a six speed transmission.
Suzuki claims it to have the best fuel economy of 30.48kmpl amongst its 250cc rivals.

Suzuki GB's Paul de Lusignan said, "Since we announced the Inazuma 250 we have been very pleased to see the level of interest it has generated both at Motorcycle Live and in our dealer’s showrooms. With this newly announced price, 250cc power and superb fuel economy it’s a very real alternative for the commuter. Combine this with Suzuki's renowned reliability and our superb dealer network and its fair to say that the Inazuma offers excellent value and peace of mind motorcycling."

Suzuki Inazuma 250 in India

Suzuki Inazuma was first showcased at  Motorcycle Live last year.  Being a tough competitor for its fellow Japanese rivals Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha in foreign soils, Suzuki has decided deliver the same in India too.

Suzuki  will bring in the Inazuma 250 as a direct competitor to Honda CBR 250 ,Kawasaki Ninja and the recently launched Hyosung Comet GT 250R.

Suzuki will definitely have an EDGE over its two existing rivals Honda and Kawasaki. If Suzuki manages to fix a price that falls below Honda CBR 250R and Kawasaki Ninja 250R like in United Kingdom where it has been considerably priced lower than its japanese couterparts, the combat would become all the more interesting.

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TVS Motors partners up with BMW Motorrad.

Chennai-based TVS Motor Company is said to be in talks with German auto maker BMW AG's unit, BMW Motorrad. Having seen KTM, Triumph and other companies successfully establishing themselves in the Asian market, now BMW has decided to enter as well.

TVS Motors Chairman, Mr Venu Srinivasan, has confirmed that the company is in talks with premium German auto-maker BMW’s motorcycle division, BMW Motorrad, for a tie-up.

While TVS Motors builds two wheelers and three wheelers, BMW Motorrad exclusively builds high performance motorcycles, it would be great to see these companies from different part of the world come together with a unique product for the Asian market. TVS motors has been in the Indian market for quite some time now and has been doing exceptionally well in the entry level segment. TVS motors are now thinking of joining the 200cc club by launching a range of products by 2014-15.

Mr Srinivasan said “We are in discussions with BMW for a tie-up, but at this point I can’t reveal more details. However, equity sale is not being considered” 

Eleven years after parting ways with Japanese partner Suzuki Motor Corporation, Chennai-based TVS Motor Company is looking at a new collaborator. The joint venture between TVS and Suzuki spanned for a decade before they parted ways to go alone in India. Now TVS are in talks with BMW, basically with the success of various motorcycle company in India, BMW also wants to enter the mass volume spectrum of two wheelers, especially in the 200-600cc segment which is currently the hottest in India.

BMW motorrad which  is known for its innovative and cutting edge performance motorcycles will help TVS access technological know-how to develop more powerful motorcycles and be better equipped to compete with larger rivals such as Hero MotoCorp Ltd and Bajaj Auto Ltd.

A technological alliance between TVS and BMW definitely shows us that the success of Austrian bike maker KTM hasn’t gone unnoticed in the European market.

If talks with BMW conclude favorably, TVS will join Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto in tying up with global two-wheeler makers to source technology for making high end motorcycles.
A pact with BMW will definitely change the fortunes of TVS.

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Triumph Motors to set up bike assembly plant in Karnataka

UK-based premium bike-maker Triumph Motorcycles has zeroed in on the southern State of Karnataka for its local assembly plant, which may start well within a year. It had previously held talks with States such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra for the same.

Its third such facility globally after the UK and Thailand, the Indian plant will help Triumph price its models more competitively in the world's second-largest two wheeler market. This strategy follows another niche player, Harley-Davidson's, which started similar operations at a facility in Haryana last year.

Triumph signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karnataka Government about a month back, an official close to the development told Business Line. One of the pre-requisites for the location had been proximity to a port for both importing completely knocked-down (CKD) kits and later exporting bikes, if required.

“About 40 acres of land has been identified by the company at Narasapur (Kolar district) on the Bangalore-Chennai highway. This is about 50 km from Honda's upcoming motorcycle plant,” the official said.

The brand, which launched itself in India at the Auto Expo in January, is looking to assemble the Bonneville, Street Triple, Speed Triple and Daytona 675 models locally. Later, it may consider full manufacturing as well.

“We are gearing up to commence our Indian operations at the earliest. Of the seven motorcycles that will be entering the market, we will be assembling four of our bike models in India. We will be looking at setting up the CKD assembly facility in a propitious location,” the company said in a reply to emailed queries.

Starting from July, up to four dealerships will be appointed in 2012, with a target of around 12 outlets within the next three years. Triumph's local headquarters will likely be in Delhi, sources said.

“While the plant would take around a year to come up, the bike models would be launched earlier to build excitement around the brand. Though initially imported as fully-built units, the pricing will be kept on the lower side keeping in mind the reduced costs after local assembly starts,” a source said.

Premium bike-makers present in India include Ducati and BMW Motorrad, apart from high-end models from Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda and Korean player Hyosung. Starting from around Rs 5 lakh and going up to around Rs 45 lakh, most of these models are imported into the country.
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ECU remap by Kiirus Autosports for Kawasaki Ninja 250R priced at INR 20,000.

Recently we had notified you  about Kiirus Autosports coming up with an ECU Remap option for the KTM Duke 200 .Kiirus Autosports is the first company with ECU remap option for the newly launched KTM Duke 200 . We have a good news for Kawasaki Ninja 250R owners as well , yes you guessed it right !!
Kiirus Autosports , the ace tuning company is about to offer ECU Remap for the Kawasaki Ninja 250R .
The Ninja 250R's particular ergonomics, chassis design, and engine placement have resulted in a motorcycle that straddles the standard and sport classes.

Kiirus for Speed in Estonian is the first Software Programming company which offers complete Auto programming solutions for new generation vehicles that are controlled by ECU (engine control unit).Remapping or Programming the existing chip in Kawasaki Ninja 250R will give dramatic improvements in performance and economy .

The ECU Remap option was received well among the KTM Duke 200 owners since they got a medium though Kiirus to get the real juice out of their machines since  the rev limiter which usually kicks in at 10,500 rpm in stock form was increased upto 11,700 rpm at each of the six gears which is 1,200 revs higher than what the motorcycle does in stock form . This 1,200 rpm over rev  resulted in the Duke 200 managing top speed  of about 150 Kmph or even more. We expect a similar sought of a boost in performance for the Kawasaki Ninja 250R as well .

Kawasaki  Ninja 250R is the among the top rated motorcycle when you talk about quarter litre bikes , its performance , handling and looks are spot on . People in India always tend to ask the same question , that why is Ninja 250R costly ?
 For all those people , Ninja is imported from Thailand as a completely Knocked Down unit and then assembled in Bajaj Auto’s Chakan plant . Anyway, moving on to the Ninja 250R remap solution by Kiirus AutoSports, the remap is said to boost power of the Ninja 250R to upto 36 Bhp.
WOW !! Thats hell of a lot of Power ...

The guys at Kiirus have analysed the Ninja 250R's engine and found out that the engine featured in India is different than the engines in the European market due to various norms laid by the Indian Government on the manufacturing of vehicles . Apart from the boost in power,  Ninja 250R will benefit from a higher rev limit than the stock motorcycle’s limit . Kawasaki Ninja 250R already has great top end , this option is especially for those who are hungry for more power and want to get past any bike in their segment in a flash  . Kiirus Autosports have performed this ECU remap on few of the Ninja 250R in Mizoram and found out to be working well .

This ECU Remap will  increase the top end of the bike by nearly 10-15 Kmph , currently the top speed claimed by Kawasaki is 176 Kmph .Also it solves the problem of engine overheating in slow moving traffic .
With this Remapping , you might also get an increase in mileage by 10-15 % .
The overall cost of this ECU Remap option is about INR 20,000 .
So what are you waiting for ??
To get in touch or contact Kiirus Autosports , check out the below mentioned details ,

Abhishek Mukherjee, the owner of Kiirus AutoSports can be contacted on +91-9594060920 or through email: info(at)kiirus(dot)in.
Abhishek Mukerjee is the one operating Kiirus Autosports in and around Mumbai .

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Yamaha planning to launch 250cc motorcycle in India

Yamaha Motors India has determined the potential of 250cc sports bike in the Indian market and has planned to manufacture a 250cc sports bike locally. When a vehicle is manufactured locally, it attracts zero import duty, thereby allowing the firm to price the product reasonably. When a motorcycle is assembled, it will attract a 30% duty, which will of course be collected from the customers by increasing the price tag. Kawasaki Ninja 250R is one such bike in India which is assembled here, which when compared to the price of locally manufactured CBR250R is very high.

We earlier mentioned in our article of upcoming motorcycle launches in 2012 that Yamaha may launch its 250cc motorcycle in India. According to news reported by Business Standard, the company is now planning to manufacture its 250cc motorcycle in India which is schedule to launch in this year.
HMSI has been clocking an average of 3,000 units of CBR250R every month, which is local made. When the Yamaha’s adversary, Honda, has gained the success in the 250cc sports bike category, the firm obviously should not shy away from launching a product in the same segment.

The firm has collected feedback from customers who already possess a 250cc sports bike in India. They feel that there is still a lot of scope for improvement in their 250cc bike which could make it a perfect sports bike. Yamaha is studying the market condition and requirement by the book.
Yamaha already sells Fazer 250 in several foreign countries. The question is, whether they will launch the Fazer 250 or design a new bike especially to cater the Indian market.

Roy Kurian, national business head, India Yamaha Motor, said, “The market for 250cc is growing and we are studying that. There are a couple of models in that segment and people are upgrading to 250cc bikes. We will do 100 per cent localization of that bike”.

It doesn’t make any sense in speculating the R25 without any official news from the firm. We’ll keep you updated on this, so keep visiting bikoholic.com
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Piaggio Vespa LX 125 launched at INR 66,661.

Recently we had reported about the launch date of Piaggio Vespa LX 125 on 26th April 2012 and here it is .
Piaggio’s iconic Vespa after so much of wait finally launched their LX125 scooter at INR 66,661 ex showroom Mumbai .

Vespa is making an entry back into India after a 13 years gap. Globally the Vespa has become a cult and has a massive following. Piaggio will be hoping the re-entry of Vespa into India will be received well. The company has confirmed the Vespa will be slotted as a premium scooter.

The Vespa was the world's first scooter & is presently sold in more than 100 countries and now. This launch took place at  Mumbai and following the event  there is going to be inauguration of the Vespa plant in Baramati on 28th.

High Points :

•  The Vespa LX125 has a four stroke 124cc engine & an automatic transmission. No manual tranny on offer, nor does the front have telescopic forks. Electric start is standard. Kerb weight = 110 kilos.There is an under-seat storage compartment, as well as another storage spot behind the leg shield.
• Piaggio Vespa LX will be incorporated with the air cooling and  electronic injection system.
• Piaggio will offer a long list of accessories at its showrooms. Apparently, it will be possible to heavily customise your Vespa.
• The first year's sales target is 30,000 units.
• Piaggio's Baramati factory will make the Vespa. The plant has an initial capacity of 150,000. The Vespa will hit Indian roads on 26 April 2012 .
• Dealer roll out in 35 cities. Existing Piaggio dealers will be part of the Vespa network, but only via new, dedicated Vespa sales outlets.
• The Vespa LX125 will be made available in 7 colours- red, silver, yellow, orange, blue, black and white.
• Price would be around INR 65,000.
• The scooter is expected to offer a mileage of around 45 kmpl.

Technical Specifications:

Engine capacity- 124 cc 

Max Power-10.26 BHP @8250 RPM 

Max. Torque- 9.6 Nm @7250 RPM

Transmission- CVT

Expected fuel efficiency- 50 km/l

Weight- 114 kgs. 

Fuel tank capacity- 8.5-litres 

Considering the fact that the Piaggio Vespa will be introduced as a lifestyle vehicle, the pricing factor will surely be above the reach for people capable of buying scooters like Honda Activa, Dio, Pleasure, TVS Scooty Streak.

The deliveries will begin from the month of May, 2012. 

The color options in the Vespa LX125 Scooter include Black,White,Red,Yellow,Blue and Pink .
Though the price at INR 66,661 ex showroom Mumbai seems to be bit on the higher side but its still not too far.

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Bajaj Auto discontinues Pulsar 220 Street Fighter version .

Recently we came to know that Bajaj has Discontinued Pulsar 220 Street-Fighter Silently .
Bajaj had launched another variant of Pulsar which was 220 S where 'S' stands for street a couple of yeas ago .
It was around INR 3000 less than the Bajaj Pulsar 220F the F referring to the quarter fairing . The looks of the bike were similar to that of the Pulsar 200 dtsi . Pulsar 220S was minus the bigger fairing and the 55W projector headlamps that featured on the Pulsar 220F .

After the unveiling of the Pulsar 200NS , we noticed that the number of Pulsar 220S featuring on road had dropped considerably , then while checking the  Bajaj’s official website it had  no mention of the 220S in  the bike manufacturer’s product portfolio.
We also came to know from some of the dealers that in the monthly sales report, Bajaj Pulsar 220 street fighter didn’t catch up so well in the market .

With the launch of Pulsar 200NS which is packed with the best in class features some of which are even new to the Indian masses . This is definitely a strategic move by Bajaj so that when the Pulsar 200NS is launched it gets the entire spotlight .
With Bajaj announcing the launch of fully faired Pulsar variant , expect the Pulsar 220 F to also be discontinued
What do you think about this move by Bajaj ?
Do you think the 220 Street Fighter should continue?
Let us know through your comments .

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Jorge Lorenzo wins MotoGP season opener in Qatar

Jorge Lorenzo staged a late surge to win a superb opening race of the MotoGP season in Qatar.
Lorenzo looked set for second behind defending champion Casey Stoner for most of the race but took control with three laps left and won the night race by 0.852 seconds ahead of Dani Pedrosa.

Stoner is the 2011 MotoGP champion, led almost the entire opening race of the 2012 season, held Sunday in Qatar.But Casey Stoner slowed down which allowed Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa to surge past .After that astonishing control by Jorge Lorenzo in the last three laps , there was nothing that was going to deprive him of clinching the season opener at Qatar

“We were by far the fastest out there but, after four laps, I started to get real arm pump, my arms were shaking off the bars and I was holding on with two fingers,” Stoner, an Australian, said at a news conference after the race.

Lorenzo, the 2010 champion and runner-up to Stoner in the 2011 championship, started on the pole Sunday. His win deprived Stoner of his fifth victory at the Qatar Grand Prix in six seasons. Stoner moved past Repsol Honda team-mate Pedrosa into second at the end of lap two, and took the lead over the finish line a lap later.

There were few problems with the factory ride which affected some high profile names in Qatar , Valentino Rossi, the seven-time 1,000-cc MotoGP champion, finished 10th on the day, and said afterward that he could not race effectively on his new Ducati. Nicky Hayden, his teammate, finished sixth.

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Buddh International Circuit to open for general public on 22nd April, 2012

Always had a dream to drive on a Formula One race track ??
To quench your thirst for speed , to push your vehicle to its limits then this is the right time to do so !!!
Buddh International Circuit is set to host the first of six Open Track Days on April 22, which will let the general public take a joyride in their cars and bikes at the circuit .

The Buddh International Circuit is an Indian motor racing circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, near Delhi. The circuit is best known as the venue for the annual Formula One Indian Grand Prix, which was first hosted in 2011.

The circuit is roughly 5.14 kilometres and is be designed by F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke. The track is spread in an area of 875 acres. The initial seating capacity is  around 150,000.The sprawling circuit is a part of Jaypee Green Sports city and will also be used for hosting one or more rounds of Moto GP championships in the year 2012.

There will be six track days every year , first of which takes place on 22nd April ,  there will be three sessions for cars and one will be kept aside solely for bike-riders. But its not that you get your vehicle and zip around the circuit , you need to get yourself registered first since they have restricted the total number of people per session to 30 . So in all 120 Race Enthusiast get a chance to drive on the BIC per day .

Most importantly about the cost of the session  , it has been pegged around INR 8,500 per session for Car drivers , we would also like to mention that there are some introductory offers as well . If u want to spin around the track for three session then BIC is offering a discounted price of  INR 20,000 .

As far as the Bike riders are concerned ,  the charges have been pegged at INR 6,000 for a session .The Open Track Day will be between 7am and 6pm and every session is going to last for about 3 hours . Buddh International Circuit is well connected via all means of transport , so reaching there is not an issue at all .

So what are you guys waiting for ???
The registration for the first track day is open and the forms are now available on the below given link .
Jaypee Sports website.

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Bajaj Auto sells 5 million PULSAR'S.

From a bike to a religion and from a religion to a mania...the Pulsar stands as a true testament to a counter-culture. A culture that challenges mediocrity, laughs at convention while imbibing a live free, ride hard spirit. Engraved in the DNA of every Pulsar is an attitude that is also translated to every biker, who gets his daily dose of pride riding a Pulsar.

Hardly had Bajaj thought that they would be able to sell five million units of the Pulsar brand, when they launched the bike more than ten years ago. During that time Hero Honda was in full swing with its Splendor , we could see every second person in India riding a Hero Honda Splendor . The only performance oriented bike were the CBZ and the Fiero to some extent .
People just used bike for commuting , what else can you do with a Splendor ??

But after Bajaj launched its Pulsar series , it totally redefined the Indian Automobile sector , you can consider it as a revolution . The launch was done with Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 180 . From there on , Bajaj never looked back and has still been going strong with the Pulsar brand.The mark of five million units is certainly an achievement in itself. The announcement of Bajaj Pulsar crossing the five million mark was made during the declaration of the last month’s sales report .

Generation of Bajaj Pulsar's

The journey for Pulsar series was full of criticism but inspite of all these barriers , Pulsar series was always received well among the customers which made the Pulsar brand successful .
Around the world only few brands have been able to reach this milestone , few of the bikes from Indian contingent who have reached this milestone include the Hero Honda Splendor , Hero Honda Passion and Bajaj Discover .

As far as Pulsar is concerned, it crossed the one million mark in 2006. In about three years’ time, the bike crossed the three million mark. It took only a year to reach the four million mark. Then within a year Pulsar rolled out its 5 millionth unit .WOW !!!

Bajaj Auto is now ready with an all-new Pulsar 200NS which might be available in showrooms by April end , if the bike is received well among the Pulsar Maniacs then there is no stopping the Pulsar which might double its pace in the current financial year.

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Honda overtakes Bajaj Auto as the second-largest player in the country's two-wheeler market.

Honda is the world’s second largest two wheeler maker by volumes, second only to Hero MotoCorp . After its alliance with Hero was over , Honda was all on its own in the unpredictable Indian Market . After overcoming all these barriers Honda did manage to tighten its grip without Hero's assistance .

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India had jumped to spot number 3 in overtaking TVS in January and
February.  The next target was to overtake India’s second largest bike maker Bajaj which is a segment leader in the premium category. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) had recorded an 11.2% sales growth in February over the previous month at 1.97 lakh units. The company was just short by 7000 units .

But for the first time Honda overtook  Bajaj Auto as the second-largest player in the country's two-wheeler market . Hero Motocorp continues to be the market leader by selling  a whopping 5 lakh plus two wheelers in March 2012 . TVS is currently in the 4th spot , way behind the leaders in terms of monthly and annual sales.

Honda managed to sell 212,812 units, higher than Bajaj Autos 201,183 units, in March 2012. But Bajaj Auto need not worry since 35% of Bajaj Auto Limited's sales are overseas . Not only that , Bajaj is way ahead of Honda in terms of Annual sales .
This battle between them is going to intensify  in coming days, particularly with Honda's entry into entry-level segment.

Honda plans to launch the Dream Yuga 110 commuter motorcycle by may end ,
To know more click HERE

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Bajaj Auto tightens its hold on KTM Power Sports by buying another 6.3% stake.

Bajaj Auto has tightened its grip over the Austrian Motorcycle KTM by buying another 6.3%, taking its total tally in the Austrian motorcycle to a little over 47% . Bajaj Auto is the second-largest shareholder in KTM. Other large shareholders include Stefan Pierer and Rudolf Knuenz-hold more than 51% stake. Currently Bajaj Auto are only willing to be the minority stake holders in the Austrian Motorcycle KTM .

Bajaj and KTM are working together well as a team , KTM is helping Bajaj by providing technical assistance whereas Bajaj has provided a great platform for KTM to launch its Duke series under its name . Bajaj launched the KTM Duke 200 a few weeks ago , and the response that the Duke 200 is receiving is tremendous .

Over the next few years now Bajaj Auto,  will launch bigger and more powerful Pulsar and KTM motorcycle models in the 200cc to 700 cc range will take on rivals Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki and build on its leadership position in the premium motorcycle space.
Bajaj aims to position the Pulsar in the value-for-money sports bike segment and Austrian partner KTM's motorcycles at the premium end of the market.

This strategy of KTM-Pulsar acting together in the sports segment is a valid strategy anywhere in the world not just in India and they will look at leveraging this in many of the overseas markets in Latin America, Africa and South East Asia .

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Yamaha Named Strongest Motorcycle Brand of 2012 by Harris Poll

When you think of soft drinks, you picture Coca-Cola. When you think of cell phones, you picture the Apple iPhone. When you think of cookies, you picture Oreos. When you think of motorcycles, you picture … Yamaha?

That’s right. Yamaha edged out Harley-Davidson as the strongest motorcycle brand in the U.S. for 2012, according to the Harris Poll EquiTrend study of the country’s healthiest brands.

According to the Harris Poll EquiTrend study of the country’s healthiest brands, Yamaha has come out on top edging out Harley Davidson. Yamaha is now the strongest motorcycle brand in U.S for 2012.
Harris Poll EquiTrend has been comparing brands in various categories since 1989 to determine the overall healthiest brand in U.S. Brand equity, Customer connection and the overall hype are the parameters on which brands strength is judged.

For this year a total of 38,529 consumers over the age of 15 were surveyed, in which they were asked to rate 40 randomly selected brands. Every brand out of 1,529 brands were evaluated 1000 times, on the basis of rating received from a varied range of people belonging to different ages, genders, ethnicities, regions and income. All the ratings were weighed using the same methodology Harris uses for Election Polling.

In the motorcycle segment five brands were evaluated by consumers namely Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Yamaha topped with a rating of 50.88 edging out last year’s winner Harley Davidson, which received a rating of 50.33. Score for the rest of the brands were not revealed, but it was told they are below the category of 48.20.
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Kollam City Police Department now equipped with White Karizma R Bikes

Most Indian cities are prone to extremely crowded streets generally restricted access and to ride the legendary bullet used by Police forces in India through these narrow lanes makes the job even tougher . That is why nowadays we see Police forces equipped with Bajaj Pulsar in metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Delhi .The use of Royal Enfield's Bullet by Police forces have come down in recent times due to its heavy construction and high maintenance .

Recently we saw this image surfacing on Kollam Facebook Page and it is getting a lot of response from bikers. In this image you can see that Kollam City Police Department is using which Karizma R bikes. Karizma fans would be delighted to see this picture.Four white Karizma R bikes in the first batch have been inducted as a trial cum service run for this special squad of Kollam police.

In recent times crime record in local areas have gone up and mostly the road that leads to local areas is narrow and crowded ,  Pulsar and Karizma are convenient in terms of speeding and handling with ease. A bullet is a bit tricky at times with its traditional engine and heavy weight.

This new move by City Police Department of Kollam definitely does not  rule out  the possibility of Police forces using higher displacement Sports Bikes in the near future but only riding these bikes won't help , they should work on their fitness as well .

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Bajaj Auto caught testing an all new Discover or could it be the new Pulsar 150?

We saw Bajaj Auto gunning straight for the jugular of the world’s largest motorcycle maker, Hero MotoCorp, with a brand new television Ad campaign for the Bajaj Discover 125 DTSi commuter motorcyle, called “chalta nahin, daudta hain” .Now they are in the news once again and this time  Bajaj Auto has been spied testing an all new Discover, which like the 2012 Pulsar 200 NS, could spawn an all new motorcycle series.
But whether its the new discover or an all new Pulsar 135/150 is still unknown .
The thing that deviates our mind whether its a new Discover or Pulsar is the installation of a monoshock, which has kept us guessing whether its a Discover or Pulsar 150 .

Recently we had seen Bajaj unveiling the all new Pulsar 200 NS then there was other big announcement coming from the sidelines of the 2012 Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS unveil is that Bajaj Auto is already working on a fully faired variant of the Pulsar 200 NS. With Rajiv Bajaj confidently asserting that the Pulsar 200 NS’ price tag will be well under the INR 1 lakh mark and now there is a speculation of the all new discover unveiling in next year or so , the price at which it will be positioned at remains unknown at the moment.

The Pulsar 200NS will be launched in the month of April and along with that Bajaj  is also working simultaneously on the next gen Discover or even Pulsar 150,  thanks to our friend Rohit Paradkar who has spotted the new Discover/Pulsar which is being tested in India and could be launched by early 2013. Like the Pulsar the Discover too has been a big success for Bajaj Auto and we have always seen the goodies that are on the Pulsar always to some extent feature on the Discover as well . So expect a few goodies from Pulsar 200NS to feature in the all new Discover/Pulsar 150 .

Highlights of the New Discover/Pulsar :

• Small faring  
• Digital-anolog instrument cluster.
• Gas filled Mono shock absorber at the rear.
• New Alloy wheel design
• New Exhaust
• New Rear Fender

 Bajaj Auto though, seems to be focusing more on the finer aspects of motorcycling like better performance and more fun per kilometer rather than sheer volumes. Bajaj’s motorcycles being more profitable for the company, than competitors. The latest Discover/Pulsar might help them tighten their hold in market .
For further updates on this news , stay connected with bikoholic.com

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Mahindra Racing Team wins 2012 ITALIAN 125GP CHAMPIONSHIP .

In 2008, Mahindra & Mahindra acquired Italy’s Engines Engineering, who had been constructing race bikes and providing specialised components and technical support for teams in MotoGP since 2003.


Last January, Mahindra Racing was unveiled and with it a new set of dreams unfolded as an Indian team featured in Moto3 for the first time and this year they featured in 2012 ITALIAN 125GP CHAMPIONSHIP

The Italian Championship is the leading national track competition in Italy and a launch pad for Italy’s best young motorcyclists as they head towards the international arena. It is staged on the country’s best racetracks from March to October over six weekends and has 8 rounds. The event is organised by FMI

The Italian Championship has been a launch pad for many well known names in MotoGP. Valentino Rossi -The  Legend of MotoGP is one of them .


Mahindra Racing Team's road to victory .
Italian rider Ricardo Moretti earned a remarkable victory for Mahindra Racing Team in the season-opening race of the 125GP Italian Championship at the Mugello Circuit on Sunday. Sarath Kumar was unfortunately forced into an early retirement due to a technical issue. It was Sarath Kumar's first weekend on the Italian track

Moretti started the race from the pole, thanks to the outstanding performance displayed in the two qualifying sessions. He consolidated his position up front with a swift starton Sunday and quickly extended his lead. Such was his dominance that Moretti opened up a 10-second gap over the second-placed racer , while Kumar got off from the 8th row - the 22nd spot on the grid.

Moretti got a good start in the race as he maintained the lead which he quickly extended. Kumar, on the other hand, didn't get the best of the starts but was able to settle into a good rhythm and overtook several riders.

As the race went into its second half, Moretti's advantage on the runner-up grew to an amazing ten seconds , while Kumar kept pushing hard before being forced to pull up with an early retirement due to a technical problem and wasn't able to complete the race with just 3 laps to go , it was an unfortunate incident for the young Indian rider .

The race ended with an overpowering victory for Moretti, who crossed the finish line with a big margin over the rest of the field.

Riccardo Moretti credited his performance to the pre-season testing done by Mahindra .
"We started this season in the best way possible. My start from the grid was a good one and since I was in the lead I tried to push at my best to get the best margin possible," Riccardo Moretti said .

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Suzuki Motorcycles to spend Rs 2,000 crore for Rohtak plant .

The Government of Haryana on Friday gave a green signal to Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd's proposal to establish a plant in three phases at Rohtak, entailing an investment of Rs 2000 Crore .

The project will be done in three phases. During the first phase the company will invest around Rs 500  crore which will be completed in 2014 with a capacity of 5 lakh units per year . The project will be completed by 2019 and after the full functioning of the plant , it would be able to churn out 20 lakh units per year which is an astonishing figure .

Currently Suzuki Motorcycle India operates a manufacturing plant in Gurgaon having annual capacity of 2.5 lakh  units per year .
Overall Suzuki is going about their business not in a rapid pace however in a very ambitious pace. Suzuki needs to step on the accelerator to stay in the league of other motorcycle companies operating in India.

Recently the company had launched the Suzuki Swish motorcyle for the Indian roads. Click here to read more.
Do you own a suzuki motorcycle or are you considering one in the near future , this plant will sure help Suzuki to boost up their production and improve their services? 

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Willie G Davidson to bid goodbye to Harley-Davidson on April 30

Chief styling Engineer at Harley Davidson for 50 years, grandson of Harley co-founder William A Davidson and even though I said these, Willie G  needs no introduction.

In an announcement by Harley Davidson, it was revealed that the senior vice-president and the Chief Styling Officer at Harley Mr. Willie G. Davidson will be retiring on 30th of April which ends his prolific 49 years with the company. In another release it was confirmed that Willie G will still be the ambassador of the Harley Brand and the Chief Styling Officer Emeritus for special design projects.

Willie G, 78 joined the company in 1963 as the first head of styling. Super Glide, Low Rider. Heritage Softail Classic, Fat Boy, V-Rod and Steer Glide, were crafted under his design regime. Also he is one of the 13 executives who purchased the company from AMF in 1981.

“Throughout my life, I have been truly fortunate to have the opportunity to marry my passion for design with my love for this amazing brand that runs so deeply in my veins,” Willie G. said in a release. “What’s most rewarding has been to see the impact our motorcycles have on the lives of our customers. Everything we do in styling is based on the notion that form follows function, but both report to emotion.”

Ray Drea, Vice-President and a co-worker with Willie G will now be taking over the styling department.
Keith Wandell had few words to say of Willie G “Everyone with a love for motorcycles owes a great deal to his vision and talent, and all of us have been blessed by his presence. His legacy will continue to grow, thanks to the talent he has nurtured in the Harley-Davidson styling studio.”

No doubt about the fact that even though he retires, many models coming out will have his design printed all over it and he will be influential for a very long period of time. Thank you Willie G, for telling the world how its ridden.
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