10 THIS MONTH WE CARRY TWO comparative tests. In one we have THE pitted the new Hyosung 250 Comet R BIKE India Magazine, 401B, Gandhi Empire, against the bike of the year, Honda 5th Floor, 2 Serene Estate, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411 040. INDIA CBR 250R, and in the other the all-new Tel: +91-20-32930291 / 2 Fax: +91-20-26830465 Honda CBR 150 against the Yamaha Email us at: [email protected] R15. We also carry the report of a EDITOR Aspi Bhathena RIGHT LINE ASSISTANT EDITOR Sarmad Kadiri comprehensive road test of the COPY EDITOR Deepak Upadhye Maestro scooter from Hero MotoCorp. EDITOR AT LARGE Navroze Contractor MOTOGP EDITOR Mat Oxley The Comet R is the same motorcycle SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Adhish Alawani that was sold by Kinetic back in the CORRESPONDENT Ravi Chandnani SENIOR STAFF WRITER Saeed Akhtar 1990s. The air-cooled, four-valve, V- STAFF WRITERS Sridhar Chari, Rommel Albuquerque, Piyush Sonsale, twin engine is a copy of the Honda VT Gasha Aeri Alawani, Mohnish Bose 250 from the 1980s minus the liquid ART DIRECTOR Ramnath Chodankar SENIOR DESIGNER Ravi Parmar cooling. The Comet is going to find it DESIGNERS Varun Kulkarni, difficult to compete with the likes of Santosh Wadhai, Shajib Shamim SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Sanjay Raikar the CBR 250 and Kawasaki Ninja 250 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS DPPI with its dated technology. PRODUCTION EXECUTIVE Dinesh Bhajnik ADMIN. EXECUTIVE Roshni Bulsara CREATIVE DIRECTOR & HEAD PRODUCTION THE COMET IS GOING TO Atul Bandekar FIND IT DIFFICULT TO EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Hoshang S Billimoria, Aspi Bhathena, COMPETE WITH THE LIKES Navroze Contractor OF THE CBR 250R AND PUBLISHER Marzban Jasoomani MARKETING & SUBSCRIPTION HEAD OFFICE KAWASAKI NINJA 250 WITH Next Gen Publishing Ltd. Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills ITS DATED TECHNOLOGY Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013. India. The Honda CBR 150R may look Tel + 91 22 43525252 Fax + 91 22 24955394 similar to its elder sibling, but it is an REGIONAL MARKETING OFFICES all-new motorcycle and has nothing in Next Gen Publishing Ltd. common barring the looks. Its DOHC Plot No. 225, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, Okhla, New Delhi – 110020. India engine is extremely refined and Tel +91 11 42346678 Fax + 91 11 42326679 develops the same amount of power REGIONAL MANAGER Ellora Dasgupta as the Yamaha R15, but at higher RPM # 903, 9th floor, ‘B’ Wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road, and less torque. This gives the bike a Bangalore -560001. India Tel + 91 80 - 66110116 slight mechanical advantage for high Unit No. 20, 3rd Floor, Modern Towers, RPM performance, but, at the same No. 35/23 West Cott Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600014. India time, loses out on bottom end and Tel + 91 44 39149889 Fax + 91 44 39149892 mid-range power and torque. The twin Chandan House, 3rd Floor, Mithakhali Six Roads, spar chassis is better than its elder Ahmedabad - 380006. India Tel +91 79 40008000 sibling's and I wish Honda had put the Richard G.C. Territory Sales Incharge (Circulation), 250 engine on the 150 chassis. Hyderabad. Tel + 91 9949217127 The Hero Maestro is nothing more NEWS-STAND DISTRIBUTION than a re-dressed Honda Activa with a India Book House, Mumbai. plastic body. Tel +91 22 22840626, Fax +91 22 2835099 Printed by Marzban Jasoomani Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013. Published by Marzban Jasoomani Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati ASPI BHATHENA Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013. EDITOR EDITOR Aspi Bhathena Member www.bikeindia.in 12 IGNITION Triumph unveil the 20Rumbler at Tridays Bajaj Discover 125 ST CONTENTS JUNE 2012 launched Honda CB Shine gets a new garb Bajaj Pulsar crosses 50 lakh unit milestone Honda Dream Yuga launched Suzuki Hayate launched Ducati-owners Audi build an electric pushbike Vyrus to launch a new PILGRIMAGE ON TWO bike soon 70WHEELS Yamaha sign MoU with Starting from the Bike India garage, Tamil Nadu govt to set the Honda CBR 250R ventures out up a new factory to discover the heart of incredible Brammo announce India, including Varanasi and the Empulse range of temples of Khajuraho electric bikes REGULARS 8 YOU! 14 MAILBOX 18 TECHNO MAIL 20 IGNITION 30 MOTOWARE 32 DO IT YOURSELF 34 YOUR STUNTS & RIDES 36 COLUMNS BACK END 98 APEX RACING SCHOOL 102 MADOX 104 MOTOGP SPAIN 108 MOTOGP PORTUGAL 114 WSBK 116 NATIONAL SUPERCROSS 120 BI BUY-BOOK Bike India // June 2012 www.bikeindia.in FEATURES THE NUMBERS REIGNING MONARCH 48GAME 60CHALLENGED Design guru Glynn Kerr Honda CBR 150R on the factors that affect COVER challenges Yamaha STORY the world of motorcycles R15 v2.0 THEY SURE LOOK BIG SCOOTERS FROM SHARPER NOW 82BMW 52That’s what we had to Roland Brown goes for a say when we saw the ride on BMW’s powerful 2012 TVS Apache RTR scooters in France series with a facelift CLASH OF THE MASTER STROKE 90QUARTERS ` 80 We ride Hero The Hyosung GT250R, MotoCorp’s first a new entrant in the COVER 54 WWW.BIKEINDIA.IN independent offering STORY market, takes on the JUNE 2012 BOUTS VOLUME 7 ISSUE 011 in the scooter segment Honda CBR 250R SPARRING CBR 150R & GT250R TAKE ON THEIR RIVALS FIRST RIDE BMW C600 & C650 GT NEW TVS APACHE RTR180 TESTED HERO MAESTRO TRAVELOGUE: HONDA CBR 250R IN CENTRAL INDIA PUBLISHING Design: Ramnath Chodankar Photography: Sanjay Raikar www.bikeindia.in 13 14 people even claim that it is not suitable for MEANWHILE, Indian roads.) ON THE WWW 2) Engine overheating. ,CZmi<Zc6jidbdi^kZ!)%&7! De^c^dch!fj^eh!fjZg^ZhVcYXdbbZcih 3) Clunky gearbox (refinement issues). [gdbdjgdc"a^cZ[dgV 4) Exhaust manifold coming off. [email protected] lZaXdbZhi]Zk^Zlhd[^ihgZVYZgh#EZcYdlcBIKE India I might have decided to opt instead for the >> PAINSTAKING EjcZ)&&%)%!>cY^V# @CDLHDB:I=>C<I=6II=:DI=:GH9DC»I4email Honda CBR 250R, but then it is not a street CRAFTSMANSHIP dg BIke India bike the way the KTM 200 Duke is. Now I am Vcnl^iin!ad\^XVadg^c[dgbVi^kZ^YZVi]Vi]^ihndjgWgV^c! VcYbV^a^iid/ waiting for feedback from the people who are <VcY]^:be^gZ!*i];addg!'HZgZcZ:hiViZ!@dcY]lVGdVY!MAILBOX going to have their Dukes serviced for the +91 20 26830465 second time. Fax Ankit Verma, via e-mail Hello, Ankit, We came across no problems in the KTM 200 Duke that we tested. Similarly, the people >> IT'S MERIT THAT COUNTS known to us, who are using this bike, have not Have been a fan of your magazine since day A newspaper or a magazine does not need reported any such problem to us to date. one of its publication. And now that I sponsors or any extraneous stuff to boost it if it However, should we get to know about any of finally have an Internet connection and is able to pack a punch of its own and Bike the problems mentioned by you, we shall Facebook, let me share with you wonderful India does exactly that. No wonder I find certainly take cognisance of those. people something that I have been working myself standing at the news stand in my upon,using a Yamaha Enticer tank as the neighbourhood as soon as a new issue of the >> WORTH WAITING FOR AN platform. It isn't much, but 52 hours of magazine is out. UPGRADE? gruelling paintwork has satisfied myself and The April 2012 issue was full of good stuff. Although this is my first letter to you, I have I want to share it with fellow Indian bike Hats off to Saeed Akhtar for exploring the north- been a die-hard fan of your magazine since its enthusiasts. Hope you like it. Comments east, for the region needs to be highlighted before inception. I really love the way you bring us up and suggestions are welcome to help me the biking world! The journey on a full fairing to date in respect of whatever is happening in improve myself. motorcycle was quite laudable. the world of motorcycles. It has taught me a lot Anirban Ray Of late, the biking scenario in India has of things even in decision-making. However, I changed a lot despite the fact that fuel prices find myself rather confused as I want to buy a >> INCLUDE 'EM IN BUY BOOK keep soaring all the time. We find that middle- Bajaj Pulsar 150. I came to know recently that Awesome photographs of the Monster 795 class families are no longer stuck only to 100-cc Bajaj are going to upgrade the Pulsar 150 to 150 in the latest issue. When can we see the economical motorcycles. Now we find them NS by June 2012. Will it be worth waiting for Aprilia and BMW in the Buy Book? going for bikes such as the KTM Duke 200 or the upgrade? Please advise me. Ankit Pandey Honda CBR 250R, etc. Now-a-days people Zaed Hossain Preo, via e-mail seem to veer more towards power and styling. >> MORE CRUISERS, PLEASE? Similarly, after-market products have also seen Dear Zaed, I have been wondering for so many years a rise in sale, not to forget the customisation We do not think that the Pulsar 150 is likely to about why the Bajaj Avenger doesn't have a market, where a lot of options are available.