February 2010

www.motoroids.com
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 007

STAR Pulsar 220S

WARS
The incredible VFM
performanance machine tested

Fastest motorycles slug it out with

their most improbable nemeses Pulsar 135
takes the fight
to the FZ16

Classic 500 VS LB 500

Has the new tech made the Bullet any faster? Honda CBR 400RR VS Kawasaki Ninja 250R
RMX 2010 MRF International Challenge Pankaj Trivedi’s Indi motorcycle diary
 February 2010

T
he February issue of Motoroids2 is nothing short of a dynamite, with the most sought after
motorcycles slugging it out in a never-before battle with some very unusual opponents. Taking
the centrestage on this month’s cover is the CBR400RR, that even after being about 20 years old
teaches the current mainstream performance flagbearer, the Ninja 250R a thing or two about
performance. The rare bike is a gem to ride, especially in the Indian conditions, and exemplifies what an
ideal performance machine for our country should look and feel like. Don’t miss the intriguing comparo.
In another unusual shootout, we have pitted the newly launched Pulsar 135 into a fistfight with the
FZ16. The four-valve 135cc is a revelation in terms of performance for its size, and gives the current 150cc
segment king more than a good run for its money. What comes as a double whammy is its aggressive
pricing that makes the new Pulsar a great proposition for the seekers of the perfect value and performance
combo.
We have been fascinated with the new RE Classic ever since the bike hit the tar. The induction of a unit
construction engine has done a world of good to the refinement and performance of the bike. In a bid to
find out how much better it is when compared with the earlier flagship model, the LB500, we put both the
bikes under VBOX scanner and tested them exhaustively to bring to you quantifiable figures. Be prepared
for some surprises as you flip through those pages.
India’s biggest biking get-together, the RMX took place near Mumbai last month, and we were the
official media partners for the event. Needless to say, we were there to experience all the lunacy as more than
500 Bulleteers from across the country congregated to celebrate bikeism in the most fun way possible. Read
the most detailed log of this fun event and burn in the flames of envy as you see the pictures of the lucky
guys present there enjoying every moment of their presence at the extravaganza.
Pankaj Trivedi is a very familiar name to the adventure biking aficionados of the country. The maverick
rider once rode all the way from the UK to India and went on to create the world record for taking a
motorbike to the highest altitude (on land) in the world. Now the vagabond has decided to embark on
a crazy journey through the heart of India for three months. Pankaj plans to make a documentary on his
exploits when he finishes the ride. He shares his crazy experiences with us through his words and pictures
in what he calls the Indi Motorcycle Diaries. It’s an indispensable, inspiring read for all those who want to
accomplish such a brave ride, so make sure you have a read.
Apart from all the speciality stories, we have all our usual sections in place, encapsulating the mad
times we have here at Motoroids while preparing this unique magazine for all you folks. Go on, immerse
yourself in some unadulterated biking action and let us know if you can think of a way in which we can
enrich your experience. As we have always said, Motoroids2 is a magazine that has always belonged to its
readers.
On a concluding note, the 400RR on test this month has me completely smitten. I sincerely hope
and wish to see such beauties getting produced in the country, that’s really just the kind of stuff we need. I
currently don’t have enough money to buy this collectors’ item, I was born on the 13th of May though.

“
Rev freely,
India’s biggest biking get-together, the RMX took place near Mumbai

”
Amit Chhangani
last month, and we were the official media partners for the event
amit@motoroids.com
02
 February 2010

Contents Regulars
BRAKING NEWS 04
News with a pinch of salt

LETTERS 08
What our readers have to say
Features
BIKERS 09
Because you are important
CHAKAN EXPRESS 12
Pulsar 135LS vs FZ16 BIKER PERSONALITY 49
We get talking with Sarath Kumar
GETTING NAKED! 20
We road test the naked Pulsar 220 MOTO CLUBZ 65
Gutzy Roadies from Chennai
MINIATURE MARVELS 25
Ninja 250R Vs Honda CBR 400RR MEN AT WORK 66
re Marvels
Motoroids behind the scenes...
THE BULL FIGHT 33
Bullet Classic 500 Vs LB 500 CRAZY, CRAZY, WORLD!! 67 25 MNininjaia2tu50R Vs Honda CBR 400RR
For the light hearted
RMX 2010 43
The annual Bullet gathering

INDI MOTORCYCLE DIARY 54

Pankaj Trivedi’s travel tales on two wheels 33 The Bull Fight 20 Getting Naked!
LB 500 Vs Classic 500 We road test the naked Pulsar 220

Columns
MINDREVVIN’ 10
Amit Chhangani

THE FAT BIKER 11

Rohit Paradkar

THE HIGHWAYMAN 11
Dr. Arnob Gupta
a l C h a ll e n ge 2g0u1n0!
Internation ason has be
39 MThReF2010 motorsport
se
12 Chakan Express
Pulsar 135LS Vs FZ16 03
BRAKING NEWS- Stoppie
February 2010

News that makes our heart skip a beat

Suzuki to unleash
more warheads
Pulsar 220 goes naked!
As was expected for quite some time, Bajaj last month unveiled the replacement to its ‘street-fighter’
legend, the Pulsar 200. The new bike came in the form of the Pulsar 220 sans the loved and hated quarter
fairing. Visually the bike looks similar to the good ol’ 200 save for the rear disc assembly, the new metallic
‘Pulsar’ monogram and the cheaper quality ‘220’ vinyl on the tail. Bajaj has priced this bike at an interesting
Rs. 73,000 in Pune. Whether that price tag is alluring enough or not to change some buying decisions is
something that our colleague Pradeb Biswas has been trying to find out ever since the bike came to our office
for testing. You can read his report on Page No.20 of this issue.
Meanwhile, our sources at Bajaj have also disclosed that the new Pulsar 150 is on its way to the showrooms.
The 2010 model will receive the same styling treatment as the 180/200. The bike however gets some tweaks
to its engine and the resultant mill produces 15 PS worth of power – that’s similar to the classic Pulsar 180
when it first came out at the start of this decade! By the time you read this issue, we are sure that the first
lot of the 2010 P150 will already be standing in the showroom warehouses. The price tag will be heavier by
hardly Rs. 500 over the outgoing model in every city across the country.

The CBR1000RR and the YZF-R1 are

already selling in good numbers in the Indian
market. The famed quartret will be complete
when the Ninja and the Gixxer 1000s joing the
battle. The third missing piece in the puzzle, the
Gixxer is already on its way to India. Within the
next few weeks, Suzuki is expected to launch
their highly regarded track tool – the GSX-
R1000! Yes, the K10 Gixxer Thousand is all set
to take on the recently launched ‘10 YZF-R1
and the refreshed Fireblade. That’s not it. The
litre-class Gixxer will be joined by the Suzuki
Bandit - a bike made illustrious (alongside the
Hayabusa) by the famous Bollywood flick, Dhoom. The bike will be available in India in its
1250cc guise with a quarter fairing that gives it the ‘1250S’ tag. Its too early to speculate though
if the ABS version will be launched or not. The expected ex-showroom price for the GSX-R1000
is Rs. 12.5-lakh and that for the Bandit 1250S is Rs. 9-lakh.

04
BRAKING NEWS- Stoppie
February 2010

News that makes our heart skip a beat

TVS to launch the Scooty

Streak Hybrid in March
The TVS Scooty Hybrid, California Superbike
previewed at the Auto Expo
2010 will hit the showrooms School visits India
in March. Powered by a parallel
hybrid system that incorporates The California Superbike School is undoubtedly one of the best in the world when it comes to training
a 90cc four-stroke engine and riders and aspiring racers to the nuances of superbike racing. Red Rooster Racing, one of India’s leading
an electric motor powered by race teams, in a bid to promote and improve the standard of racing in India, recently organized a training
a lead-acid battery, the Scooty camp in India with the help of the UK wing of the California Superbike School. The 4-day camp focused
Hybrid will be the first bike at training some of India’s best known racers as well as some newbies around the Sriperumbedur race track
of its kind by any major two- near Chennai. Kudos to Red Rooster for taking up such an initiative!
wheeler manufacturer in India.
At Motoroids, we think of this
development as a very important
one as the Industry, for some
reason, is still not taking such
future technologies seriously
enough. In that context the new
hybrid vehicle highlights the
foresight of TVS. Keeping the depleting reserves of fossil fuel and escalating prices of petrol in
mind, such practical and economical city runabouts make a very strong case for themselves. The
move by the Chennai based manufacturer is appreciable in every sense of the word.
While a host of other companies are making electric two-wheelers, no other company has thus
far ventured into the hybrid market. Pure electric scooters have range and outright performance as
their Achilles Heel. Hybrid scooters offer a much more practical solution in terms of both power
and range.
The new Scooty will reap the benefits of hybrid technology and deliver better fuel efficiency
and more pulling power (owing to the high torque produced by its electric motor). However, the
new-age bike will still not exceed the price point of a traditional scoot by much. Featuring four
different modes for electric-only, engine-only, Hybrid (power) and Hybrid (economy) operation,
the new scooter will perform in accordance with the rider’s demands. The hybrid will be capable
of running for 30km on a single charge without any aid from the engine. The range, however, will
be much better when the vehicle runs on the engine-electric mode. If the boffins at TVS are to
be believed, the new bike will cut down CO2 emissions by 30% while also bumping up the fuel
efficiency by the same percentage.
At Motoroids, we believe that such efficient technologies will have to be increasingly
incorporated in all mainstream bikes if we have to tackle the rising concerns about global warming
and fuel prices in an efficient manner. We, thus, look forward to the launch of this milestone
machine with great anticipation.

05
BRAKING NEWS- Slide
February 2010

News that’s neither here nor there

Poor man's FZ on its way

Only 200 Ninjas The FZ line up has been
doing pretty well for Yamaha
on the road yet since its launch. But inspite
of healthy numbers in the
premium segment, Yamaha
is losing out a prospective
share in the lucrative entry-
level 150cc market with
their absence. But its set to
change now as Yamaha is in
the final stages of launching
the SZ (or S2?) – the low-
key model that the Jap bike
maker displayed at the Auto
Expo. The bike uses the
same engine and chassis of
the FZ-series, but saves cost
with conventional shock
absorbers, drum brakes etc.
The whole exercise will allow
the bike to be launched
in the 60,000-rupee price
bracket, where it will take
on the Unicorn, Pulsar 150
and the GS150R. This move
is contradictory to Yamaha’s
said plans of sticking to
Its been four months since the Ninja has been launched and from what we hear, only the performance/premium
200 units have been sold to the public as of now. Ironically though, the low number of segment of the Indian
sold units is not being blamed to lack of demand, but instead a shortage of supply on motorcycle market. The bike
Kawasaki’s part. Prospective customers, as per our knowledge, are complaining that the was expected to be launched
Pro Biking showrooms are indicating a four month long waiting period for the next lot in the 3rd week of Feb,
of 250Rs to be ready for delivery. Sad state we say, considering the demand is so high, 2010, but as per our sources
Bajaj-Kawasaki should leave no stones unturned for making sure the supply meets the some last minute problems
demand. are delaying the launch.
06
BRAKING NEWS- Crash
News that shouldn’t have been news
Bajaj gets European
Bajaj Auto has, for long, been marketing its twin-spark DTS-I
technology successfully on its Pulsar and various other brands.
Another of the company’s inventions namely ExhausTEC that
claims to boost the mid-range torque and hence performance of its
bikes has been featuring on a variety of the company’s two-wheeler
models for years now.
ExhausTEC is a device incorporated in exhaust system of some
Bajaj bikes, where ‘TEC’ stands for Torque Expansion Chamber’.
The technology improves the scavenging process and is claimed to
improve engine torque at low revs without compromising anything
at mid or high engine revs. The Silencer also has a characteristic
patent for its ExhausTEC
tonal quality to it, and emanates a pleasant sounding low frequency
‘boom’ sound.
Bajaj was recently granted patent rights for its “ExhausTEC”
technology in Europe after a series of stringent examinations. The
priority for this European Patent is derived from the corresponding
Indian patent application dated August 6, 2004 and is valid till
August 5, 2024. Bajaj Auto was granted the “ExhausTEC” patent in
India by The Indian Patent Office in March 2009.
While it’s worth a cheer to know that an Indian automaker has
been granted the patent for a mainstream technology, what boggles
us is, what it takes such a long time in granting these patents. Bajaj
February 2010
technology
has been incorporating ExhausTEC systems on its machines for
years now, but it was only last year that the company managed to get
a patent from the India authorities. Moreover, we just hope that this
time the patent has been granted after proper scientific examinations
and doesn’t lead to a controversy like the DTS-I row that surfaced
earlier last year. Hopefully there isn’t any ambiguity about the
technology this time around, and any claims made to challenge the
patent will be handled with reason and not end up in a blame game
of bureaucrats.
07
 February 2010
STAR LETTER Founding Fathers
Any self respecting automobile enthusiast will
be aware of the various manufacturers across the
Your bouquets and brickbats for the January
globe. It will be interesting to know how many of
issue of Motoroids2
them know about the owners or founders of those
automobile companies. The feature article on Bullet Day-dreamer
Soichiro Honda has helped me in realizing what a
great man the founding father of Honda is. There I am a big fan of Royal Enfield motorcycles and
are books and documentaries available about the aspire to buy one someday. Apart from daydreaming
Honest Coverage founding fathers of automobile companies but are
very expensive to buy. Owing to Motoroids, one gets
about them, I continously read reviews about different
Bullets so that I can narrow down to one particular
to read feature articles about such individuals free model which will suit me the best. The Bullet Classic
The past few months have made me realize of cost! Thanks for including such articles about 500’s picture on the cover of your January issue
that Motoroids is the fastest way of staying abreast the men behind the globe’s auto companies and made me very happy, for the manufacturer has finally
with the latest happenings in the automotive world. increasing our knowledge base. launched a new advanced bike. After reading Rohit’s
A case supporting my point is the coverage of this first ride report of the 500 Classic I am convinced that
year’s Auto Expo by you guys. Going through your this is the motorcycle which will be mine in some time.
exhaustive coverage of the event made me feel - Jenicks Rajiah
Unless, Royal Enfield launches a new Bullet which
as though I attended the event in person. Your Motoroids says is better than this one! I am now working
website was the first one to consistently update towards increasing my bank balance. Meanwhile you
live happenings from the Expo. However, I felt that guys take care and thanks for providing us bikers with
the coverage of the same in the e-mag was a bit a terrific magazine free of cost!
dragged and boring. But I must say that the feature
on the event was even more in-depth and detailed.
It did not feel like a rip off from the press releases - Rakesh Reddy
issued by the manufacturers. Since the first issue,
Motoroids has given truthful, accurate and blatant
reviews of all things automotive. I hope that doesn’t
change ever.
- Jaspreet Singh Gujral

Chopper Fan
Not every biker is into sport riding or stunting.
Some of them like their beasts low and long for
cruising around town. Thank you Motoroids for
appreciating that and consistently providing us with
reviews of choppers. Your magazine has reviewed
three custom choppers till date. Cheers to that! A
chopper is all about individuality, style, appeal, aura
and street presence. The photographs and layouts of
the unique motorcycles always end up doing justice
to them. A fact worth appreciating is that unlike Send us your letters at
few auto mags, Motoroids does not rely heavily on letters@motoroids.com
Photoshop for making the images look good. Instead
the location and angles of the images contribute to
the overall appeal of the story. I am confident that If you wish to contribute to
Motoroids being a magazine ‘by bikers for bikers’ the magazine, in any way by
will continue to review choppers in the future issues providing content, have a look
too. Cheers!! at the last page for the exact
email addresses to send the
- Rajas Thanekar mail to.
08
 February 2010

BIKERS
Share with the world your great adventures on your bike.
Send us your pictures along with a small description at
bikers@motoroids.com

st Ride (BFR)
hi shares with us some snaps from their regular Sunday morning Breakfa
Team 456, a biker club from New Del

mbai recently
the GRz Stuntshow held in Powai, Mu
And Santosh Gambhire shares snaps from

09

Columns
W
hen I first came to Pune I was
an impossibly naïve character.
So naïve, I didn’t realize I was
looking like a complete joker
wearing that cheap, ill-fitting imitation of a
Repsol Honda tee. In fact I hardly knew it
was a cheap imitation, and strolled around
the office with great pride, flaunting my
passion. The act must have triggered some
furtive smirks amongst my colleagues when
I was around and some belly-rattling laughs
when I was not. Thankfully, my office mates
never made the fact obvious to me, and very
patiently bore with the B-town lad who
Mindrevvin’ took his own sweet time learning corporate
etiquettes.
AMIT CHHANGANI However, even after being uncouth,
I was reasonably good with telling good
I seem to have found the mechanical motorcycles from the bad ones, right from
love of my life, finally! the first day. For example, the expression of
“
my experience with the Bullet Electra that
offered gearshift and brakes on the correct
Now that’s the kind of performance I would side was so demeaning I almost got fired by
love to tame on Indian roads without having a my editor. That report was the expression of
”
massive, unused reservoir of power a Japanese bike lover who rode an RE for the
first time. And that, I think should be proof
enough that I was generally good with my
evaluations. The original copy was shown the
way to the bin though, for obvious reasons.
In the following years, I rode scores of
motorcycles – new and old, big and small,
geared and automatic, friendly and scary,
all varieties imaginable. Some of these bikes
were incredibly appalling, especially the
ones made for the bald, middle-aged stingy
people and promising to circumnavigate the
earth 500 times in a little less than half a
litre of fuel. Needless to say, I dug my fangs
relentlessly into paper for all such bikes,
spitting out the last drop of all the venom
my brain could produce. Thankfully some of
these pieces went into print without being
altered much, something that doesn’t usually
happen in the Indian scheme of things.
There were other instances when I got
completely smitten by some bikes. The
LML CRD100, the R15 on the racetrack
and Stuart Lima’s K5 Gixxer 1000 on the
extreme end of the spectrum were the bikes
that had me completely bowled over. While
the CRD was a revelation going by the puny
engine that propelled it, the R15 was a
pleasant shock for most Indian auto journos
as regards handling. Stuey’s Gixxer was the
first bike that scared the stinkiest shit out of
me with its uncontrollable acceleration and
that deafening howl from its lovely Racefit
exhaust.
Even as I appreciated these machines
from the core of my heart, there never was
a compelling craving within to make me lust
for any of these beauties. I never wanted to
own any of them. The CRD would make
a laughing stock of me among my friends,
while the Gixxer would surely kill me sooner
than I could fathom. The R15, even the
Ninja 250 are nice bikes, but they’re a good
distance away from quenching my hooligan
instincts, the limits of which I know very
well. And knowing those limits, the 600 and
litre class sportsters get automatically struck
off the list. The essence of this entire rant
is that I have never been able to find a bike
that I would crave to own and ride every day.
Bigger bikes were too manic for my liking
and abilities, while the smaller ones were too
timid. Anything in between wasn’t either
sporty enough, or was too much of it. But all
that changed when I rode the CBR 400RR
recently – or the BabyBlade as they loved to
call it.
I laid my hands on the beauty a few
days back when it hit our garage for a wacky
comparison test with the Ninja 250R.
Draped in hues of red, white and blue, at
first it looked similar to numerous other
performance bikes I have ridden save for its
nineties’ round twin-lamp styling. The 400cc
mill dishing out a few more than 50 horses
sounded tasty, but nothing to sweep me off
February 2010
my feet. I first took her out for a kilometre-
long one-way ride to the grocer’s and whoa!
It shattered my perception about the ideal
performance bike for India.
The first thing that smashed the nail
bang into my head was its angry, throaty
growl. Once she gets talking, she never lets
you know that she’s running 600 less cee cees
than her elder sisters whose exhaust notes
are worth giving an arm and leg for. The
aftermarket Yoshimura system made this baby
sound like the sweetest thing in the world,
and guaranteed jolted twists of every neck in
a region of 400 meters as soon as I wrung
the throttle open. It sprints to 100km/h in
6.5 seconds flat and keeps intensifying its
violent advance through the air ahead until it
reaches 200km/h, after which it sobers down
a bit to reach its top speed of 220km/h. Now
that’s the kind of performance I would love
to tame on Indian roads without having a
massive, unused reservoir of power. That’s
the kind of performance I would like exploit
to the hilt without having to risk my life.
That’s the kind of performance I can think of
taking to its extreme to master my steed on
the limit. It’s manic enough to scare, yet sane
enough to not be termed as overkill. With
its inconvenient, low handlebars and big
tank, it makes you feel you’re riding a proper
superbike – the inline four powerplant revs
just the way a superbike should, while the
compact dimensions and the correct amount
of power make sure that you’re not struggling
to save your life every time you attack a
corner in full force.
The production of this beauty stopped
in 2001, and unfortunately there are hardly
any more 400s available in the market. But if
there ever was just the perfect sportsbike for
an Indian enthusiast, I am sure this would be
it. So finally, after five years of learning, the
naïve B-town lad has a bike to crave for. And
guess what? He’s finally found something
worth saving up for!

Columns
ROHIT PARADKAR
THE FAT BIKER
We are ready to ride at the drop of
a hat. But are we ready to handle
the aftermath of an accident?
I
have been harping on the fact that it is the
dawn of biking in India – bigger bikes making
an entry in our market, motorsports gaining
good momentum, awareness and acceptance
to sport and stunt riding increasing by the day,
etc. What has also spawned in the process is the
realization of the biking brotherhood and thus,
the formation of biker clubs. When we started our
biker club, the Rubber Smokin’ Angels back in
2003, till until now, I have come across a lot of new
clubs, groups and communities that is some way or
the other strive to contribute to the motorcycling
culture. Most ride out every week for their stunt or
sport riding practice, or to showcase the numerical
strength of their club, or to meet other clubs riding
down from various cities, or for a simple breakfast
at some café in the hills. And while we too look
forward to some such getaway every week, I have
been left wondering about some things, especially
after a depressing incident that recently took place
– the death of a biker kid.
If we are to take things at face value, there is
nothing too shocking about some fatal accident
these days many happen everyday at some latitude
and longitude. But when its one of your own who
is the chosen one, the incident tends to shake you
up. A weekend getaway with your biker buddies
sounds exciting, but it still brings along the risks that
surround biking. We are always ready to ride out
at the first glance of a holiday, but what we seldom
prepare ourselves for, is the disaster that may be
awaiting us at the next junction. I’m not talking about
the protective riding gear or safe riding here, but the
ability to tackle the aftermath of an accident. Since
the worst we expect is a broken bone or smashed up
motorcycle we always presume that help will easily
be available, especially in a country so populous, it’s
impossible to find solitude. We seldom carry a list
and contact numbers of hospitals in and around
the destination we are riding to, totally ignoring the
fact that an ambulance might be required in such
situations. We tend to have lock codes on our cell
phones to protect our privacy but ignore the fact that
it makes it impossible for helpers around us to contact
our family in case we are knocked out cold!
But apart from all these basics (as most may call
it), the most important thing you need in your cell
phone’s contact list is phone numbers of friends in
high places – especially if you have collided with some
one else. Given the state of affairs in our country,
irrespective of the medical condition of the biker
who has crashed, the locals in the vicinity of your ride
itinerary will want to have a brawl with you! Even a
responsible biker clad in safety gear from head to toe
will be looked upon as a sinister street racer, irrespective
of the speeds the guy has been maintaining – forget
reaching a judgment as to whose fault it was. In our
case, our biker friend was hit by the Sarpanch’s vehicle
– which meant that all the villages in and around our
destination were ready to burn down every bike that
looked fast even when parked. The police would not
help much either and instead termed the kid to be
fast and reckless since he had ‘racing clothes’ on him!
As the case gets complicated by the day, it leaves me
wondering about two things – is riding gear equally
safe after the accident? And do I need to be Police
Commissioner’s bum chum to be qualified enough
to ride on the sacred roads of India? Help me find an
answer by writing in to rohit@motoroids.com!
February 2010
DR. ARNOB GUPTA
Y
ou’re embarking on your first long solo ride. So what can
you do to minimize risks as you tread into unfamiliar
territory? Plenty, starting with what you do even before
you set off. Namely, your gear and the stuff you take
with you.
Mistake#1: Got helmet, am dressed
Prepare for the crash, which you do not want to have. A
proper med kit. Helmet. Riding/ankle length boots. A tough
jacket. Back protector once you can get hold of one . Elbow
and knee guards. Proper gloves, with palm protection. Why?
Simply because all this can mean the difference between getting
back onto your bike and riding on, and a horizontal trip to the
hospital with a broken knee, and a mashed hand.
Mistake#2: Attitude
The highway is a place you don’t take risks ever. EVER. If
you are in the habit of taking gambles on the road, you WILL
THE HIGHWAYMAN
pay the forfeit. It’s just a question of when. Added to which are
the empty roads which lure you into seeing how far you can send
Mistakes noobs make
the speedo to the east, when around the next corner is a bull that
has just decided to cross the road to introduce itself to that cow both to see and be seen, because of
with loose morals on the other side of the road. the angle.
Mistake#3: My stopping distance is the empty road I can Mistake #6: Keeping up with
see ahead the others.
Not true. It grandly assumes that oncoming traffic will stay Call it peer pressure. Or whatever.
on the correct side of the road. You have to give oncoming traffic In the city you get to do 0 high speed
on the wrong side time to react and slow down (happens very turns. On the highways, it may be
often when somebody makes a dog’s dinner of an overtaking one every 2 km. It’s a skill you don’t
pass)– and this eats into your stopping distance. Be prepared to have yet. Trying to follow the guy in
stop within HALF the road you can see. front whose brake lights don’t even
Mistake# 4: Using the whole road in the corners come on before the corner is simply a
Especially true for blind corners! Using the whole road means recipe for disaster. Take it easy, ride at
that there is no room for evasive action in case of emergencies, YOUR speed. When Rossi up front
but staying in the centre of your lane means, that in a pinch starts missing you, he’ll stop/turn
you can actually flick the bike upright and scrub off speed in back.
a straight line in case you have to. But for that you need road, Mistake # 7: The marathon first
which you won’t have if you take a corner at top speed. It’s also a ride.
common error to go in too fast and then discover that the corner Keep it short (max 4 hrs) and
has a reducing radius/gravel/wrong camber. take breaks. The first ride out of town
Mistake# 5: Staying on the fast lane IS dangerous, no need to make it
Unfortunately, the authorities have planted trees and shrubs even more dangerous with fatigue,
on many medians, which means that you will not see breaks in tingly fingers and a sore butt added
the median until you are upon them. Too many people have this to the equation. Avoid riding at night
cute habit of hopping out of the shrubbery onto the centre of the on the highway until you have at
fast lane. Riding to the left of the lane marking, assuming it is a least 3-4 rides under your belt. It’s a
two lane road gives, you a very valuable couple of seconds extra, different ball game altogether.
11
Does the impressive new Pulsar 135 manage to bowl out the FZ 16 on the 150cc wicket?
Words Amit Chhangani Photography Ashish Pol

L
“ ook son, a two-wheeler
is meant for commute.
And trust me, someone
like you doesn’t need
a motorcycle to prove his
rowdiness. What do you need a
big motorcycle for? I have been
using my Kinetic Honda for the
past 15 years, and I have made
it to every appointment in time.
Moreover, I don’t want to see you
splattered on the rear windscreen
of a car. No big bikes for you.”
“But dad, Pulsar 150 is not a
February 2010
big bike”
“Oh, so you want me to buy you a Bullet now? That’s the only bigger
bike around. Just forget about it, you are not getting any fast machines
just yet”
It’ll be wrong to blame the fretful dad for being sceptical about his
son’s skills. No one would want to hand his offspring a knife to slash
himself. Whatever the reason for their scepticism – lack of knowledge,
their son’s terrible track record with dad’s stolen scooters or friends’
borrowed bikes, or plain disbelief – Indian parents won’t feel comfortable
gifting their son a Pulsar 150, or any 150 for that matter as their first
13
 ‘proper’ motorcycle. It’s too big, too
bad and too fast for their comfort.
The positioning of the new
Pulsar 135 in that context is bang
on! It carries the most sought after
‘Pulsar’ brand on its tank, it’s got a
brand-new 4-valve tech from Bajaj,
it’s deceptively small, and it costs
substantially less. So now fresh into
college kids have an appeasing line
for their obstinate dads. “Fine then,
I’ll live with the Pulsar 135!”
But the real question here is
whether they are really buying
a potent machine or fooling
themselves along with their
guardians as they decide to opt for
the 135. Is it good enough to work
as a substitute for a proper 150
machine in terms of performance to
“
If one has the money, the
FZ definitely makes for a
more desirable machine for
a youngster, but the real
question is whether the
P135 matches the bigger Yam
”
functionally
be called a good compromise? We
pit it against the current leader of
the 150 crop – the Yamaha FZ 16
to see whether it has the firepower
to pose a serious threat.
Let’s make a few things very
clear at the very outset though. The
FZ definitely has a much superior
aspiration value as compared with
the Pulsar. It looks bigger and
more imposing with aggressive
streetfighter looks – it can arguably
be called the best looking 150 on
Indian roads. Plus it comes packed
with goodies like a mono-shock
suspension, wide radial tyres and an
engine that’s got a really meaty mid-
range to suit city riding. If one has
the money, the FZ definitely makes
for a more desirable machine for a
youngster, but the real question
is whether the P135 matches the
bigger Yam functionally.
A quick look at our test figures
for the two bikes suggests that
it does – in terms of straight line
performance at least. It’s quicker
off the block, and the revvier,
peakier engine ensures that the
lighter machine gets propelled to a
higher top speed than the FZ too.
Let’s do bit of number crunching
to substantiate our observations.
The FZ’s 0-60 sprint time is 5.67
seconds, 0.4 seconds slower than
the Pulsar. The 135 opens the gap
further on the FZ as the two bikes
advance to the 80 km/h mark.
The Pulsar even with its smaller
engine goes on to post a higher
top speed of the two, showing a
speedo indicated 125km/h before
running out of breath. The FZ,
on the other hand, starts feeling
harassed after the 100km/h mark.
Top whack isn’t something the FZ
prides itself upon. The engine is
 QUICK FACTS PULSAR 135LS QUICK FACTS YAMAHA FZ16 February 2010
Testing Consultants
Displacement 134.66cc Displacement 153.00cc
Maximum Power 13.5PS@9000rpm Maximum Power 14PS@7500rpm

t u f f S t a t s
Maximum Torque 11.4Nm@7500rpm Maximum Torque 14Nm@6000rpm
0 - 60km/h (sec)
0 - 80km/h (sec)
5.27s
10.03s
0 - 60km/h (sec)
0 - 80km/h (sec)
5.67s
11.0s S
Rider: Amit Chhangani (FZ16)
Price OTR Pune Rs 56515 Price OTR Pune Rs 72856

Helmet: KBC Scratch and Burn

Jacket: Icon Merc Mesh
Gloves: DSG Primal

uncharacteristically lazy for a Yamaha and
doesn’t like being forced into going above
the 6500 rpm. Put it in a higher gear, and it’ll
happily pull you along without any signs of
splutter or stagger. Push it to the limit, and
you’ll know it’s displeased.
The Pulsar, on the other hand invites
you to treat her badly. A smaller capacity
engine means that the juices flow only once
you go relatively higher up the rev range.
However, the Pulsar never feels wheezy. It’s
got great amounts of urgency and confidence
for a 135. It challenges proper 150s with
confidence which was always missing in
the previous similar pretenders. As regards
performance, the Pulsar, then, is a properly
accomplished tool, which can give any 150 a
good run for its money, its own elder sibling,
the Pulsar150 included.
But like most good things, the P135 too
has a darker side to it. The amount of engine noise and
vibrations that the 4-valved engine emanates brought
a frown on the foreheads of almost all the fellow riders
who swung a leg over its saddle. The engine note
from the newly developed engine is rather loud and
harsh. Not that Bajaj has traditionally been known
for the smoothness and refinement of its engines, but
the P135’s mill is exceptionally noisy. The vibes at
the handlebar and the footpegs after 6000 rpm are a
little too unsettling. Of course there are people who
appreciate uncouth behaviour from their machines
as it augments the feeling of speed and involvement.
However, our opinion at Motoroids is that it’ll work
in Bajaj’s favour to eliminate the excess vibrations.
The FZ in comparison feels way more smooth and
refined. Although the engine noise at high rpm,
especially when you are trying to push the bike hard
around uphill twisties feels rather characterless and
whirry, and doesn’t entice you to go faster. After 6500
rpm, the FZ’s engine tends to turn down any requests

15
 February 2010

Stuff Stats or commands to enthral any

Rider: Sagar Sheldekar (P135LS)

further. The FZ, then, isn’t for
the jockeys who like whipping

Helmet: Cross DOT

their steeds to go faster until
they get frothing mouths.

Jacket: Shift Mesh

It’s for the riders who enjoy a
steady gallop on their stallions.
Around the twisties, the
Gloves: DSG Primal Pulsar exhibits its handling
prowess with élan. The smallish
machine is a joy to throw
around corners. Unlike its
earlier 135 and 125 cc offering,
Bajaj has managed to endow
the P135 with a very reassuring
pair of wheels. The light weight
of the machine along with its
compact dimensions and a
laudable handlebar-saddle-
footpeg geometry lends it great
nimbleness to bend and rise up
again quickly. The suspension is
slightly on the stiffer side, which
really helps when you cling on
the handlebars while hanging
off around sweeping corners. A
relatively shorter saddle height
means putting the knee down
isn’t really an issue. Clip-ons
are a rarity on bikes of this size,
and the Pulsar is the first bike
below the 150cc category to
sport the feature. Not only the
Pulsar’s clip-ons look cool, they
have been positioned just right
for a great mix of comfort and
sportiness. All in all the Pulsar
culminates into a great riding
experience owing to its keen,
he
tting t revvy engine and great handling
a ns pu traits. The only negative, as we

”
m e
ght ue
d d l e hei ly an iss mentioned earlier, are the harsh
sa al engine sound and the vibes at
s h o rtern isn’t re
y
tivel knee dow
A rela 16

the handlebars and the footpegs.
The FZ has a relatively upright seating
position. The straightish handlebars offer
a new kind of an experience to a rider who
hasn’t ridden such a bike before. It doesn’t
take much time to get used to the set-up
though. Once on the move, the FZ delights
you with its straight line stability which is a
result of its mono-shock suspension, great
chassis and widest-in-class radial footwear.
However, right from the very moment you
board the machine, you get a feeling that
February 2010
this one isn’t meant to be thrown around
bends with disdain. The upright stance, the
meaty mid-range power, and foot-pegs that
love digging into the tar sooner than you
ever think don’t make for a very rewarding
experience when you get into Destroy mode
and start assaulting corners. The stability of
the machine isn’t an issue at all, mind, it’s just
that when you take this baby to its extreme
limit, certain things indicate that it isn’t
enjoying its time there. Comparing apples
with apples, the Pulsar is definitely a more
17

accomplished bend carver and
would entice a track junky much
better than the bigger Yamaha any
given day. Then again, the reason
why it accomplishes the feat is
because of the fact that it’s meant
to be sporty, quick and nimble.
The FZ on the other hand prides
itself upon its cool quotient and
doesn’t make any pretensions
about its agility and speed. It
does what it’s meant to do very
well – look great and make for
an accomplished, relaxed ride. It
isn’t a bike for the restless rebel for
February 2010
sure.
With its beautiful form,
which has been beautifully
executed by Bajaj designers, the
new Pulsar is definitely the best
looking machine this side of
150cc – however, the bike that it’s
up against – the FZ still takes the
overall aesthetic accolades. The
FZ looks bigger, has more street
presence and that streetfighter
look really adds to its appeal.
All in all the Pulsar 135
really has the 150cc leader licked
in terms of performance and
handling. However, the FZ still
rules in terms of street presence,
aesthetics, straight line stability,
refinement and desirability. So if
you aren’t too tall (as the 135 is a
real pocket rocket) and don’t have
anything more on the agenda
apart from performance on a
budget (don’t even think about
refinement), then don’t think
twice before bringing home the
baby Pulsar. Its delightful looks
will add up as a bonus. However,
in case you’re looking for
something more substantial with
oodles of style and presence, then
look no further than the FZ.
As for the big question we
asked in the opening page of this
article…do we hear a very strong
LBW appeal? Oh yes!
18
 February 2010

“
With its beautiful form, the new Pulsar is definitely
the best looking machine this side of 150cc

19
 B
ajaj Auto is infamously
known for scrapping
off models which don’t
fare too well on the
sales chart. The manufacturer
has earlier stopped production
of a few models within six
months of their launch. Unlike
other motorcycle makers,
Bajaj does not believe in the
philosophy of ‘sales picking up
with time’. A motorcycle needs
to get popular among buyers
within a short span of time,
else it gets the boot! A couple of
months back, the manufacturer
decided to pull the plug on its
Pulsar 200.
The decision was a
mysterious one and failed to
make any sense. The tribe of
200 owners was increasing by
the day. It even featured on
the ‘to buy’ list of majority of
Getting Naked
The new variant of the P220 strips off its
quarter fairing to don the traditional Pulsar
bikini. Pradeb Biswas gets steamy with it…
Photography Eshan Shetty
collegians who were about to
graduate from the mundane
commuter life. It also allowed
Pulsar 150 and 180 owners to
upgrade to a bigger motorcycle
within the same family. Then
why was the decision to scrap
it taken?
Well, the answer to the
question has just been given.
The ‘new’ naked Pulsar 220
fills up the void created by
the demise of the 200. This
motorcycle marks a new era of
platform sharing for Bajaj. For
the first time, two motorcycles
catering to different segments
share the same engine and
cycle parts! The only difference
between the 220 F and the new
naked one is the ‘Pulsar brand
facial identity’ of the latter.
In terms of styling, the
naked 220 borrows all design
 s
cues from the 200. There a few performance. In fact, the 220cc

t u f f S t a t
visible differences though which mill is the soul of this motorcycle.

S
distinguish this motorcycle from Majority of owners buy a Pulsar
the discontinued Pulsar 200. The 220 only because of the fact that
fatter front forks, rear disc brake it gives them a healthy chance of

Rider: Pradeb Biswas

and clip-ons would be a direct give out-accelerating an R15. The new
away to the keen eye. With the naked 220 doesn’t disappoint in
220 stickering on the rear cowl, this regard for it’s a full three kilos

Helmet: Angels Racing

even a bimbo will find it easy to lighter than the 220 F. During
differentiate between the two. our acceleration runs it took

Jacket: DSG Nero Textile

Along with the Pulsar 200’s 4.17 seconds to reach 60kmph
looks, even the ergonomic from standstill. The 0-100kmph
gripes have been passed on to its run was achieved in about 15

Gloves: Spidi Strada

replacement. The front seat is not seconds.
adequately padded and ends up Thanks to the 32mm
arming the fuel tank with immense carburetor, it will be child’s play
‘testicular affinity’. Each time you to consistently extract a fuel
pull the front lever back in an efficiency of around 30 kilometers
enthusiastic manner, the muscular per litre. While riding the naked
tank attempts to render your 220, the change in engine note
family jewels black and blue. The upon opening up the throttle
phenomenon happens with such is adorable. The rev-hungry
regularity that you seriously start engine lets out enthusiastic vibes
contemplating about wearing a whenever the tacho needle heads
groin guard for future rides. northwards to its limit. The
The inadequately padded seat eagerness in delivering its horses
also ensures that one has to resort to the rear wheel is characteristic
continual bum breaks on even to this engine.
moderately long rides. The pillion
rider faces the
same problem
for the rear seat
comfort doesn’t
fare any better.
In fact the
Pulsar 220 has
been notorious
for offering bad
rear seat comfort
among the entire
motorcycle
fraternity. If
you are buying a motorcycle with
the intention of occasionally taking
your better half along on long
rides, then overlook the naked 220.
You won’t be earning any brownie
points from the ladies for sure.
Why you should buy this
motorcycle is for its straight-line
 The Pulsar 220, right
from its fuel-injected version
has been known to be a good
handler thanks to its nice
set-up and the grippy MRF
Nylogrip Zappers mated
to the fat forks and clip-on
handlebars. Unfortunately
though, the same cant be said
about the new naked variant.
It is advisable to exercise
caution with regards to
generous throttle inputs on
the new 220 as the chances
of you ending up in a slide at
the limit are quite high. Our
test mule, which belonged to
the first batch of naked 220s
came shod with Eurogrip
rubber on both ends.
Owing to the recent strike
at the MRF plant, which held
almost the entire two-wheeler
industry at ransom, Bajaj had
to resort to having another
tyre manufacturer under its
kitty to avoid such mishaps
in the future.
If you are planning to
choose between the 220 F
and the naked version for
sports-touring, then please
stop reading this road test
right away. The 220 F will
suit your needs better. The
nocturnal capability of the
naked 220 is nowhere in the
league of the 220 F. The 220 F,
with its projector lamp offers
by far, the best illumination
across brands and models.
The naked 220, however isn’t
as good as its elder sibling.
The white light emanating
lamps aren’t potent enough
to provide illumination to
match the bike’s speed. On
high beam, the illumination
gets even worse.
If you are planning to buy
a motorcycle in the 70-80
grand price range, then here
is a questionnaire for you to February 2010
judge your needs. Do you seek
a two wheeled companion
purely for straightline bliss?
Do you prefer speed, even if
it comes with a sore bum and
a set of hassled private body
parts? Will your chest swell
up with pride at bike meets
as your bike is big on cc and
size than those of your peers?
Is it too difficult for you to
stretch your budget by Rs 6k
for better illumination?
If your answers to
the above questions are
affirmative, then the naked
220 is your two-wheeled soul
mate.
With a (OTR Pune)
price tag of Rs.73,000 the
naked 220 is roughly six
grand cheaper than the 220
F. The naked 220 is an all-
rounder that scores more
than its competitors in quite
a few departments. Bajaj’s
overall quality has gone up a
notch lately and spares being
cheap maintenance won’t be
an issue either.
It is a performance
motorcycle on a budget that
quite a few motorcyclists
would be tempted to own. It
is an attractive proposition to
those who always wanted to
buy a performance machine
but were held back owing to
budget issues. The naked 220
is currently the most value-
for-money performance
motorcycle available in
the country. If you are a
speed freak with budgetary
constraints, go ahead and
put your money down on
it. There’s no way you would
end up regretting it.
22
 PULSAR 220 DETAILS
01.
From this angle it is difficult to
distinguish the naked 220 from
its Pulsar siblings

05.
02. The digital console is no different to the unit
The wolf eyed bikini on the faird Pulsar 220
fairing is too common
a sight and dilutes the
premium-ness of the
220

03.
The 120 section Eurogrip tyre lacks 04.
grip. It is highly recommended that you The naked 220 gets a plain
upgrade to a better set of tyres ASAP vinyl sticker on the rear
cowl while on the 220 F its
a monogram one
 , t hisar
e
e c tiv Pulasnd

”
p d
p ersrnatehearts
i n to inca ger part
i n gs a rea bigycle
th is c
p ut yclet withality

“
Tootorc lbeier qu
m 00 abett
2

QUICK FACTS
Displacement 220cc
Maximum Power 21.04PS@ 8500rpm

Testing Consultants Maximum Torque 19.12Nm@7000rpm

0 - 60 (sec) 4.17
0 - 100 (sec) 15.1
Price OTR Pune 73,000
Miniature W
hen Kawasaki reincarnated the
rotting EX250 into the new
Ninja 250R the whole world
sat up and took notice. And

Marvels
when the bike landed on the Indian shores
last year, our biking fraternity was more
than elated, for at last, a true blue quarter-
litre multi-cylinder motorcycle had arrived.
But that was not the end of it. Since our
market has been deprived of a large variety of
With technology scaling new heights, can 2010 born Ninja 250R hold its ground against a crude 400cc machine conceived in motorcycles, almost every new high-capacity
bike that’s launched educates us about a new
the late ‘80s? Words Rohit Paradkar Photography Ashish Pol genre of motorcycles. Like the R1 taught us
what a litre-class ‘super-sport’ machine is,
while the ‘busa introduced us to the idea of a
‘sports tourer’. Similarly, the Ninja 250R put
forth another genre – the ‘learner’ bike. As the
name suggests, a learner bike is a motorcycle
that’s easy to come to terms with, is easy to
maneuver, has a power-band that’s easier to
absorb than glucose and which prepares you
to tackle higher capacity motorcycles when
you are ready for an upgrade. In the case
of the Ninja though, it’s not just any other
learner bike, but an entry-level track tool
that promises to teach boys and girls alike,
the concept of circuit racing. This sort of
a low capacity track focused machine has
been absent from the product portfolios of
the motorcycle makers for over a decade
now – with the last notable learner bike for
the track being the Honda CBR400RR.
 And that brought us to an interesting
question. With over two decades worth
of generation gap between the 250R and
the 400RR, has the technology progressed
enough to make the little green Ninja a
better all round proposition than the
BabyBlade? Lets find out…
While looking for a clean example
of the 400RR, we stumbled upon an
immaculate 1991 model. This year of
manufacture made it fall in the NC29
category (the earlier models being stamped
with a NC23 classification). What
made this bike special in its era was the
technology it was laden with – its inline-
four cylinder engine had gear driven cams,
gull-wing shaped swingarm, aluminum
bean frame chassis, large carburetors,
17” wheels etc. In fact when the NC29
came onto the scene in 1990 most of its
technologies hadn’t even graced that era’s
600 or litre-class machines in the market.
More importantly, the CBR400 was one
of the first bikes to bear the double-R
tag, which stands for ‘Race Replica’ thus
making clear its intentions of being a
potent track tool! The NC29 lent these
technologies and a lot of styling cues like
the twin headlamps, jelly-bean
body form, mass centralization
and bodywork sculpting to the
first ever ‘Fireblade’ – a series
that revolutionized the way litre-
class track machines progressed
from then on. It was after the
introduction of the CBR900RR
in 1992, that the NC29 too got
the proud ‘Fireblade’ tag (and
also the ‘BabyBlade’ nickname)
and the legendary White-Red-
Blue splash graphics similar to
the actual Fireblade. The Ninja
that we decided to pit the 400RR
against is the 2010 fuel-injected
model that is available for sale in
India.

“ With over two decades worth of generation gap between the 250R and
the 400RR, has the technology progressed enough to make the little

”
green Ninja a better all round proposition than the BabyBlade?
 Design and Ergonomics
Even with a design language borrowed from
the current generation of Ninjas, the 250R doesn’t
make the CBR400RR look all that dated. Yes, the
two round head and tail lamps, the comic font for
the ‘CBR’ lettering and the psychedelic graphics
on the 400 aren’t exactly 21st century – but still
have enough substance in them to wring the necks
of the onlookers as they go ‘oh ****’ looking at
the stationary bike. The fat 150-section rear tyre
adds the extra oomph factor that one likes from a
sports bike as compared to the Ninja’s 130-section
rear tyre, which looks nothing bigger than that of
a Pulsar 220. The CBR400RR’s design is a clean
execution – like the rear footpegs for example; since
you are not going to need them frequently, they fold
back cleanly below the rear fender as if they never
existed. The support frame for the visor and rear-
view mirrors is slim, follows safe organic curves and
doesn’t protrude like similar units on other 400cc
machines of its time. The 17” wheels, the ‘bucket’
seat and the upswept chunky tail give the 400RR
a sporty low-slung stance while the large fuel tank
adds further to the big bike feel. The Ninja on the
other hand sports a smaller tank, and a comfortable
(and roomy) rider seat, but in turn ends up looking
like a full faired street bike than a focused track tool.
Since we are talking about entry-level track tools
here, the 400RR’s peg-seat-handlebar geometry is
better suited for high speed cornering as compared
to the comfortable posture of the Ninja. Well-
endowed women or fat bikers like me however may
find it difficult to fill into the RR’s narrow seating
space and will hence feel more welcome on the
Ninja’s saddle. But speaking of women in general,
the 400’s low seating allows even a five feet tall rider
to comfortable rest her or his feet on the ground –
completely flat! However, I’m not in a position to
comment on the ergonomics of the bike for riders
below the 5-feet scale, ‘cause as you might have
made out already, Eshan Shetty wasn’t available for
this shoot…
Ride and Handling
The Ninja 250R without doubt is a potent
cornering machine. Its lightweight construction
gives it the kind of agility that even Rossi can vouch
for. The 400RR on the other hand can feel like a
baby elephant until you get used to it, thanks to
the high footpegs, large bodywork and heavier mass.
But once you put some track time under your belt
you will realize that the 400RR is lot easier to lean
into the corner, thanks to the better weight bias.
The large tank aids in hanging off the bike as it
lets you lock your arm against it when getting your
knee down. The RVF400 inspired large, flat seat
aids sliding off the saddle furthermore. The 400RR

QUICK FACTS - Ninja 250R

Displacement 249cc
Maximum Power 33 Bhp
Maximum Torque 22 Nm
0 - 60 (sec) 3.6 secs
0 - 100 (sec) 8.3 secs
Top Speed (km/h) 160 km/h

QUICK FACTS - CBR400RR

Displacement 399cc
Maximum Power ~50 Bhp

Testing Consultants Maximum Torque 32.5 Nm

0 - 60 (sec) 3.87 secs
0 - 100 (sec) 6.7 secs
Top Speed (km/h) 200 km/h + (est.)
 s
employs a mono shock absorber mated to the

t u f f S t a t
Gull-wing swingarm to provide the rear damping.

S
The RR uses a stiffer setup for precise handling
and hence loses out on comfort when tackling
bumpy roads during those weekend getaways.
)
Rider: Amit Chhangani (Ninja 250R
But fortunately, the shocker is adjustable for
damping which makes life somewhat easy. The
front employs conventional telescopic forks that
are steered by one of the best clip-on setups I have
used till date. Even with the absence of a steering Helmet: KBC Scratch and Burn
Suit: Angels Racing Konvict
damper, we hardly had any problems negotiating
the bumpy highway stretches and speeds over
160 km/h. The Ninja too has one of the best
suspension setups in the business and given its
relaxed riding position we talked about earlier,
Gloves: DSG Primal
Boots: AGV Sport Laguna
makes for a more comfortable vehicle when its
comes to ride quality. Handling wise the bike’s
smaller size imparts more confidence in a newbie,
but as the rider starts getting better with every
lap, the 400RR offers a lot more learning material
– thanks to the extra (almost double) power.

Performance

Speaking of which, lets get to the engine. The

400RR in its NC29 guise produces a little over
50bhp at a peaky 11,500 rpm. What this translates
into is a meaty yet controllable midrange. What
that means is that the 400RR is a tamed beast
when negotiating a corner and once at the apex
the BabyBlade hands you over enough firepower
to achieve the kind of corner exit velocity that
can shame even today’s litre class baddies! And
why I say firepower is because when the NC29
executes everything that I just said, it will scream
louder than a cannon blast. The Ninja’s exhaust
note on the other hand sounds like a kitten trying
to roar like a lion! The 400RR’s first gear stretches
almost upto 100km/h mark and will achieve this
figure in a mere 6 seconds (on a new bike). The
bike accelerates all the way to a ‘mechanically’
restricted speed of 180 km/h. The interesting part
however is that the top speed restriction comes
into play as per the position of the speedometer
needle! So a simple km/h to mph converter is
enough to remove the speed limiter and allows
the RR to achieve speeds up to 225 km/h – that’s

the kind of top speed most 600cc machines were
restricted to even at the start of the 21st century!
Even after 19 years of mechanical wear on it, our
“
The Ninja 250R without doubt is a potent cornering
machine. Its lightweight construction gives it the kind
of agility that even Rossi can vouch for
Stuff Stats
test bike was hardly a few microseconds off
the company’s claimed timings – which in
itself speaks for Honda’s much talked about
reliability over other bike makers.

Rider: Rohit Paradkar (CBR400- The Experience

RR) Technical specs and features apart, when

Helmet: Icon Mainframe Subhuman

you put forth wads of cash to buy such
precision machinery, you are also looking

Suit: Fieldsheer Revo Sport

at an experience that justifies the whole
exercise. The Ninja as we mentioned in our
earlier tests, is one of the best (and probably

Gloves: Spidi Strada Leather

the only) quarter litre bikes out there. But I
personally feel that the bike is too mellow.

Boots: Alpinestars SMX-4

Though it performs exceptionally well for its
cubic capacity, it doesn’t demonstrate a zest
to compete. Its silent exhaust note makes
it look like a destitute kid muted by the
atrocities of some environmentalists. The
powerband, though err, powerful enough,
is as expressionless as a butcher’s cold eyes.
Contrary to these little shortcomings,
the 400RR comes across as a bike that is
dyed in the psychedelic ‘90s and which
hallucinates itself into believing that it’s a
litre-class junkie. It will shout it out while
you make an entrance - even if the needle
is hardly tipping the 40 km/h mark. It may
not have a powerband enough to break
your neck, but has more than enough grunt
to encourage you to go faster with every
passing lap. Your spine won’t chill with fear
when you are entering a corner, nor will a
distant spot suddenly turn into a truck in
the blink of an eye. At the end of the day
the 400RR gives you the experience and the
pride of owning a ‘superbike’ while negating
most of the risks involved. It has so much
flamboyance and eagerness to perform that
for a second one tends to forget that the
bike is over two decades old!

Verdict

And that brought us to the golden

question – which is a better learner bike
then, the 2010 Ninja 250R or the age old

“
CBR400RR? Well, the answer is simple. Yes,
the 400RR comes across as a bike that is dyed in the psychedelic ‘90s and which the 400RR even after a 20-year generation
hallucinates itself into believing that it’s a litre-class junkie
“
Technical specs and features apart, when you put forth wads of cash
to buy such precision machinery, you are also looking at an experience

”
that justifies the whole exercise
01

Details: CBR 400RR

05 01. proportionately fat 150-section rear tyre make it
The round twin-headlights reflect the preferred look like a true blue ‘superbike’
design language of the ‘90s 06.
02. The large radiator provides ample cooling but
02 Even with the absense of a steering damper, the directs the hot air into the riders face
steering assembly of the 400RR remains stable at 07.
high speeds
The one word that makes all the difference
03.
A hadle-bar mounted choke which the 400RR
08.
sported in the ‘90s is now becoming popular on The four pipes and the inline four engine give it a
06 modern street bikes like HMSI’s Stunner (carb) soundtrack like none other

04.
Inspite of being an entry level track bike the RR
sports twin acclerator cables for better throttle
03 control and faster engine braking
05.
The stubby tail, funky turn blinkers and a
09.
Twin disc rotors offer a confidence inspiring bite
10.
Plonk in a Yoshimura full system and what you
have is monster that makes you go deaf faster than
the motor’s acceleration

08 09 10

04 07
gap, is in every mechanical way a better learner bike
for the track than the 250R – its just a little bigger in
size, a whole lot faster in corners and straights, a lot
more cooler with its looks and exhaust note and most
importantly – more forgiving! What’s more, a DRI
cleared legal 400RR will cost you almost the same as
a brand new Ninja 250R. So is the 400RR the bike
to buy over the Ninja? Yes! Contrary to my answer,
self-proclaimed experts will tell you that finding
spares for this 20-year classic is a major hassle. Well,
it’s not exactly true. The 400RR was imported in
“ which is a better learner bike then, the 2010 Ninja 250R or the age old
CBR400RR? Well, the answer is simple
Europe in such high numbers that many dealers still
stock spares in plenty – so finding what you need in
this internet age isn’t much of a ‘hassle’. Should you
drop the bike and need any of the bodywork then
even Thailand can be your savior for it was one of the
most lucrative markets for the 400RR after Japan.
And should you be one of the more lucky learners
who do not drop the bike but like any other biker
will need the basic wearable necessities like clutch
plates, spark-plugs, brake pads etc. then you will be
surprised as most of the 400RRs wearable components
match those of other Honda/Hero Honda machines
like the CBZ and the Karizma! The Ninja on the
other hand comes with comprehensive insurance,
engine warranty, authorized service network and
most importantly, easy availability as compared to a
CBR400RR. What it doesn’t come with however is
the innocent insanity, the feel-good factor, the power,
the focus and the capability that not just make a true
sports bike but also a true sport rider – and all these
facets are a part of the CBR400RR, making it our
obvious choice.
 Vs

BULL FIGHT
Two Royal Enfield beasts lock horns to substantiate the superiority of their testicular fortitude
Words Gauri Lokare Photography Ashish Pol
 February 2010

L
ast month Rash made his
intentions clear about pitting
the LB500 against Royal
Enfield’s latest creation – the
Classic C5. And upon reading that
conclusion in Rash’s first ride report of
the C5, my dear friend Baljeet Singh
Kochar of the ‘Roadshakers’ clan
immediately called me up to know
when and where our team could meet us by RE was a better machine than his the two contenders stand face to face. other hand, dyed from head to toe in
him for a showdown! The battlefield was own LB500 that had stolen our heart a When the two metallic hunks stand the green (or blue?) colour, with its long
right in our backyard – the legendary few months back – and we of course, firm together, they have this masculine sweeping fenders and 18” rims stands
ghats of Mutha near Pune. The battle were arrogantly denying his claim! aura that surrounds them. But both like an innocent looking wild cat ready
however was different. Instead of As the day of war dawned, we these bikes have their own reasons of to pounce on its prey. But the analogies
defending the individual steeds that thumped to the holy battleground of marking their presence. The LB500 apart, I personally feel that the LB500
we were riding, Baljeet was ready to fist Mutha to find out who had thicker metal with its shining chrome and 19” wheels, sports the old school macho look that
fight just to prove that the C5 lent to of the two. To begin my evaluation I had stands tall with pride. The Classic on the you expect from a Bullet, while the 34
 February 2010

Not convinced with a black and white drag race, Baljit takes the LB 500 for a 0 - 100 km/h sprint... ...And then tries to beat the score on the Classic 500
35
Classic C5 looks ‘classic’ no doubt, but comes across
as a rustic old bike restored by a new age mechanic February 2010

“
with 21st centaury tech and paint. Nevertheless I
still love the round taillight on the Classic and the As the two Bullets shot off the start line we
option to make the C5 a single seater in a jiffy – were expecting the small hillocks around us to

”
which unfortunately the LB500 doesn’t allow. rupture for a cinematic climax
Moreover my entire team thinks that the Classic is
a much better looker than the conventionally styled
LB500 and that I should dump my head in a gutter
if I thought otherwise. That pretty much settled the
design debate in the C5’s favor, forcing me to come
to the engine.
This was one department I knew my beloved
LB500 would excel in. We decided to settle the
score with a plain drag race on a quarter-mile
straight. As the two Bullets shot of the start like
we were expecting the small hillocks around us to
rupture for a cinematic climax and probably a photo
finish– but it was not to be. What we had instead
was the LB500 winning hands down as it finished
at least two bike lengths ahead of the equally
large hearted C5. But Baljeet wasn’t convinced at
that. He wanted us to strap-on our VBOX timing
equipment to find out the actual 0-100 km/h sprint
timings. The LB500 shot off for the sprint shouting
like a mighty gladiator. The C5 on the other hand
continued to leave us scratching our heads, as it
coughed the entire 500 cubic centimeters out of its
cylinder while it made a run for the 100 km/h mark.
As the laptop pulled out the data from the VBOX,
the LB500 was 0.4 seconds faster in its acceleration
to the ton, than the C5. The big Punjabi was out of
words on this one.
With a victory each under their belts, the
Bullets now had to prove their agility around the
corners. Knowing Mutha like the back of my hand,
I set off on the C5 first. It would be stupid to say
that the Classic did not handle like my Karizma,
but nevertheless the bike was well planted in the QUICK FACTS - C5 QUICK FACTS - LB500
corners. Can’t say the same about the seat though –
the bugger kept shaking as if it were imitating Dev Maximum Power 27.2 Bhp Maximum Power 23.6 Bhp
Maximum Torque 41.3 Nm Maximum Torque 40.85 Nm
Testing Consultants 0 - 60 (sec) 4.63 0 - 60 (sec) 4.36
0 - 100 (sec) 14.43 0 - 100 (sec) 14.07
Roll-on (40-80) Roll-on (40-80)
3rd gear 6.14 sec 3rd gear 6.12 sec
4th gear 6.81 sec 4th gear 6.36 sec

36
Anand’s ‘neck boogies’. S t u f f S t a t s Stuff Stats
Lokare (C5) Rider: 0)Baljeet Singh Kochar
I have always been a big fan of the MRF

Rider: Gauri
Zappers, no matter what bike they are shod on

(LB50
and probably that gave me some extra confidence
to push the bike (MRF marketing guys can
Helmet: Angels Racing
Helmet: Cross DOT
write to me at gauri@motoroids.com for the

Jackreetse:ntIcon Hooligan
endorsement money). The LB500 was the next

Jacket: DSG Nero Textile

to go. Frankly, it was a horror riding that bike
after the C5! The 19” tyres have a tread pattern
Rep
Gloves: DSG Primal
similar to a ’95 Bajaj M80 and did not handle
any better either. The overall setup had a certain
reluctance to lean into a corner and the braking Gloves: DSG Primal
required before every corner needs a ‘five-year’
planning in order to avoid a crash. As I returned
back to the starting point, all I could give the
LB500 was a negative nod. And that meant a lot
of brownie points for the C5.
The fourth and final test for the two was a
simple ‘trump card’ round. This was the last and
final chance for the LB500 to prove its mettle.
We sat over a coffee and compared the two bikes
on a list of parameters illustrated on the final
page of this comparo.
After a comparison between some bare
minimum yet important stats, the LB500 gained
a one up on the Classic by a narrow margin.
So out of the four simple tests that we put the
two bikes through, both the Bullets bagged two
victories each – which essentially is a tie! So what
is the verdict?
The LB500 undoubtedly gives you the best
value for money. So if you already have one, the
money involved in upgrading to the Classic is not
justified. On the other hand,the LB500 excels
over the C5 in outright acceleration and top
speed, but then again, touring on a Bullet is not
only about riding on straight roads – it includes
a lot more, from twisties and high altitude slopes
a
to off road patches and river crossings. And
b 5 0 0 hader
this is exactly where the Classic’s facets come l n
into play – fuel injection, tubeless tyres, better u p o f thento a corvery
set an i re e

”
handling characteristics, sprung seat etc. For a rall ce to le ed befo nning in

“
o v e
buyer looking for a brand new Bullet, RE has left The eluctang requir ear’ pla a crash
very little choice when it comes to choosing the ain r akin ive-y void
ultimate performance Bullet. So for now, C5 is certd the br eeds a ‘f der to a
an rner n or
the way to go! co
LB500

Power 23.6 bhp

Torque 40.85 Nm

Weight 185 Kg

Fuel Consumption 36 kmpl

Price (OTR Pune) 1,17,000

Classic C5

Power 27.2 bhp

Torque 41.3 Nm

Weight 187 Kg

Fuel Consumption 34 kmpl

Price (OTR Pune) 1,42,000

 MRF International Challenge 2010
MRF officially kick starts the 2010 motorsport racing season with a three week event held in
Chennai this month
Words Gauri Lokare Photography Aditya Bedre

T
he motorsport racing scene in India has just climbed up a
notch with the recent MRF International Challenge 2010,
held at the Madras Motor Race Track at Sriperumbudur
in Chennai. The event which was the biggest motorsport
initiative taken by the tyre manufacturer, saw some of the elite
International racers pitting against each other along with nation’s best
racers. The event was held across three consecutive Sunday’s starting
from 31ST of January, 2010, then on the 7th of February and finally
bending on the 14th of February, 2010.
The different categories in which motorcycle racers competed were
the Underbones Class which was meant for bikes donning engine
capacity of 130cc and below; Indian Bikes Class for 165cc with below
4 stroke engines and the regular two stroke categories. Superbikes
were also in action which had separate categories for Indian racer,
International racers and a category where Indian and foreign racers
competed with each other.
Round One (31st January – 1st February, 2010)
A huge crowd was treated to a spectacular display of skill and
audacious racing as the MRF International Challenge 2010 roared to a
great start. Gautam Gambhir and Naraian Karthikeyan sent the crowd’s
pulses racing as they went around encouraging the competitors before
the race began. David Jones, the Welsh champion, was in a league of
his own on the 600 cc Triumph bike, undoubtedly the most powerful
machine on the grid while winning both the Superbike races that had
some competition in the mid-field rather than up front. Emulating
Jones was India’s top rider, Dilip Rogger who tried his best to keep pace
with the foreign riders. Nevertheless, he topped in the Indian category
in both the races the first of which saw M Gautam surviving a bad
crash in the ninth lap. The first race in the ‘Underbones’ category saw
 01.
Sriskandarajah waves to the crowd after
claiming victory in the first race of Round 1

02.
Shyam Shankar put up a great show
throughout the championship with consistent
visits to the podium

02 03.
Sriskandarajah, Sarath Kumar of Ten10
Racing and Shyam Shankar dog fight
01 throughout the race
04.
Aditya Bedre shows off his shutter-bug
instincts as he captures Gavin Hunt in the
frame
05.
Sarath Kumar of Ten10 Racing accelerates
his way to victory after an intense battle with
Sriskandarajah
03

a tough fight between Shyam Shankar and
04 Sumit Lucas Toppo for the podium finish.
Shyam Shankar edged past his opponent
Sumit Lucas Toppo for the first place in
the last lap with K. Umesh Babu finishing
third. The second race in the ‘Underbones’
category was a three way fight between
Shyam Shankar, Fahad Khan and S. Sharath
Kumar. Sharath Kumar piped his opponents
in the last 100 meters to take the podium
with Shyam Shankar and Fahad Khan
coming close second and third respectively.
In the Group B 2 Stroke 165CC category it
was K. Umesh Babu of Chennai who won
the race with S Rajkumar finishing a close
second and S Murali coming third. In Group
D 4 Stroke category it was Sriskandrajh of
Chennai who finished first with Shyam
Shankar and Sumit Lucas Topo coming
second and third respectively.

 from Australia.
05
Round Two (7th – 8th February,
2010)
The second round of the MRF Challenge
2010, was a perfect mix of nail biting
finishes, exciting races, mind boggling stunts
and the over enthusiastic crowd. Excitement
had reached its peak level amongst the
entire crowd during the stunt show and at
the finale which ended with a photo-finish
in the last race of the day. In the Superbike
category, David Jones had evidently reserved
his “first position” in both the races through
his remarkable performance. After him
were, Gavin Michale and Roger Maher who
finished second and third respectively in
both races. After the race event concluded
for the day, the crowd was treated to extreme
stunts performed by Javier Villegas and Matt
Schubring from the US and Jorel Dermudez
Round Three (14th – 15th February,
2010)
The final day of MRF Challenge 2010
couldn’t have been more exciting at least for
the fans of the Tamil movie star, Ajith Kumar
who made an appearance on the race track.
Ajith himself was passionate about racing
but had to part ways with the track following
a severe accident.
In the Super Bikes category, racing
sensation, David Jones once again showed
a masterful display of skillful riding in
winning hands down. In fact, such was his
dominance that he even established a new
track record on the first day of 1 minute
and 42 seconds! Among Indian riders it was
once again, Satish Kumar bagging the first
place while M. Gautham and Alok Shashidar
finished second and third respectively. Alisha
Abdullah, the only female racer in the event
had to retire along with Shrey P who was
aboard on a stock Honda CBR, as
they both couldn’t finish 80% of
the laps done by the race leader. The
01.
Group B + Group D race saw some Gavin Hunt opens the gap on the
racers falling off their RX’s by losing local competition
grip in the gravel.
This racing initiative by MRF
02.
is a step put forward in the right David Jones burns some rubber after
direction as now the Desi riders can taking victory
really compare themselves with the
mainstream International racers and
03.
figure out for themselves where they The Formula 1600 kart which
lack in performance, technique and was launched for the 3-week
racing technology. championship
04.
The R15s battle it out with Sarath
leading the way
05.
National Champion Sriskandarajah
crashed on the last corner of the last
lap
06. & 07.
Notice the front wheel floating as the
racer exits the corner. Unfortunately
in doesn’t land the way th rider
expected it to - leading to high speed
crash. Motorsport is not for the weak
hearted!
08.
David Jones sprays champagne after
winning all the six races of the 2010
MRF International Challenge!

03 02 01

04 05 06 07 08
 February 2010

At the end of the Second round of the MRF Challenge 2010, the spectators were treated to an incredible
visual delight of extreme stunts performed by Javier Villegas and Matt Schubring from the U.S and Jorel
Dermudez from Australia

42
The Grand- Daddy of all Royal Enfield motorcycle gatherings was held
near Mumbai last month. We bring you a comprehenive low down on
the event
Words Riddhi Rathis Photography Aditya Bedre & Riddhi Rathi

RMX
 T
he annual Bullet Fest was just a
week away and this year it were February 2010
the Inddiethumpers Motorcycle
club from Mumbai playing host to
the gathering of over 650 Bullet riders. The
event christened as RMX, was scheduled to
be at Vikramgadh, approximately 120kms
from Mumbai. This is probably the most
awaited events for many hard core bullet
riders and I for one was determined to be a
part of it, come what may!
I pestered a friend called Guruprasad
Ramnath, who like all good friends, was
running too busy on the 23rd and the 24th
of January. Thank God for friends, who can
cushion tantrums for he finally agreed to
join in the festival. And so we hoped on his
Machismo350 and rolled onto the highway.
The ride from Mumbai, just before the sun
set was a sight to behold. We were greeted
with long empty wide roads and the crimson
skylight just before the sunset. Before I knew A rider racing to the
finish line in the
the camera batteries exhausted themselves Time Trials event
out.
The party was already revving at Sajan
Nature Park when we arrived set on the
outskirts of Vada, right in the lap of country Inddiethumpers Assembly
roads with a bunch of riders caught up in Wars team consisting Akhtar,
Ishtiaque, Vivek, Prashant,
the middle of a singing session. And they did Mayank and Jaspal who bagged
not sound like anything I’ve heard before. the second place
Thankfully, I am a big fan of originality. While

Baljit Singh, from Roadshakers

Roadshakers Pune, cheer their
wheelspinning his team members,
RMX Freestyle event saw many Bullets literally dancing to the competing in the
tunes of their talented riders LB 500 Bike Assembly wars
 These hard core Bulleters put in months and
months of preparation and planning to make
their steeds look like this! It does nothing much
but leave you in a dazed state of mind wanting
for more!

Guru was busy tucking his baby to sleep in the

parking lot, I was ogling at the sea of chrome
lined up. Bullets of all shapes, sizes, models, and
colors, rustic, yellows, greens, painted and not
so painted adorned the parking lot. They were
all there! I sent a small silent prayer of thanks,
upwards. The registration desk had friendly
faces who guided us to our lovely tree top huts.
After settling in I quickly changed out of our
riding gear and headed out for the rock show
being held in the event arena. It was good, but
could have been better. The concert ended soon
and dinner was served, modest yet very tasty.
The next day, started very late for all of us.
The schedule was thrown off completely with
everyone struggling to clamber out of their beds.
‘Time Trials’ a race event which was promised
to be filled with action and entertainment was
next on cards so I hurried out of our cozy little
nest and made my way to the event venue. The
venue was bubbling with excitement, chatter
and laughs. The Trials started and one by one we
got to see bikers speeding, skidding and literally
flying to the finish line. Next on the itinerary I
read arm wrestling. But unfortunately I missed
the hunks and the chicas showing off their
biceps as I headed towards lunch, where by the
way, the good old Pooranpoli was perceived to
be a variant of Aloo Paratha by many distant
travelers.
Later we stayed around for the ‘Bike
Hall of Fame
Time Trials [Dirt track event]
1st - Baljeet Singh Roadshakers (Pune) 3:37.76
2nd - Indrajit Malvi Wanderlust (Nagpur) 3:44.39
3rd - Raza Hamid Roadshakers (Pune) 4:00.61

Assembly Wars Relay

1st – Wanderers (Hyderabad) - Devadatta Das, Md
Aleemuddin Izaz, N Srinivas Reddy, Vishweshwar,
Pavan Kumar Macharla & G Gopi Krishna
2nd – Inddiethumpers (Mumbai)- Akhtar Patel,
Ishtiaque Bagban, Vivek Mallya, Prashant Prabhu,
Mayank Shah & Jaspal Singh,

RMX Freestyle
1st- Pavan Kumar Macharla - Wanderers
2nd – Indrajit Malvi - Wanderlust

Biker Olympics Towing

1st – V- 40 - Dominic Dewakar & Sudeep R Mishra
2nd – Royal Beasts – Karna Verma & Simran
3rd – Roadshakers – Rahul & Rohan

Best Modified Bike Technical

1st – Anthony Ollukaran - (Individual)
2nd- Girish Potphode – Wanderlust
Best Modified Bike Cosmetic
1st – Vivek Soni (Individual)
2nd – Ashish Prabhu Inddiethumpers
Olympics.’ The evening surpassed us in a blur of motion. Every
two minutes or so, like the snooze button of a faithful alarm, we
would hear a thump somewhere, a growl really close by. Once
the Biker Olympics was done with, it was time for various club
moderators to screen their respective club presentations. The
clips shown were an invite to peak into what life is all about on
two wheels. It was spectacular. Once all the clubs finished with
their respective club presentation it was time for prize distribution
ceremony accompanied by beautiful fireworks, loud music, beer
and loads of dancing and more beer all night long.
After the eventful night, the morning sunrays felt
unwelcomed. We soon packed up, wore our RMX tee shirts
which felt like well earned trophies, wished good luck to fellow
riders and rolled once again onto the roads of Vikramgadh.
No words were exchanged further. I was busy assimilating and
absorbing the experience from Sajan Nature Park. The thump
felt stronger. Rocky, our bike seemed to be one happy soul.
 Amit from Inddiethumpers tries out the
Maya from Madras Bulls takes away the title Mountain Dew bike
Men’s Beer Guzzling competition in action. Rishi in women’s ‘Beer Guzzling’ competition
from Roadshakers took the first place

Roadshakers, Pune’s Royal Enfield club,

Yep, they did on a Royal Enfield! To Leh- A moment of bliss captured for eternity! swinging a leg at RMX
Ladakh in June, 2009

With much that is going on, every biker must find

Death Metal rock band group from Mumbai, Inddiethumpers, the host club for RMX this his/her own way to claim those needed winks
year having a blast as usual!
giving a performance on the first night
 otorcyclee s, each
E n fi e ld M m of the
n fo r R o y al e s e a re s o
assio . Th
b ra ti n g a common cpiples and way of life
cele prin
th e e v e n t calls forique identity, set o.f
h n ..
Even thoudgs out with its own euir respective clubs
club s ta n from th
ning tee’s
bikers don
 February 2010

W
torsports.
hen the average mo his
In 2008, he started
motorsport eer by tak ing
enthusiast is professional racing car
rt in the loc al cla sse s and ended
around 18 years pa nner’s trophy
the du de co nti nu all y up bagging the wi r TVS
of age,
t att ain ing rac ing in two races. The same yea
daydreams ab ou ard their
as
get s we t dre am s Racing took him onbo
glory. He als o 125cc class.
ing big bo re mo tor cyc les official rider in the ations of
about rac t pit He exceeded the expect
sur rou nd ed by ho winning the
and being of the factory team by for them
r Bik er Pe rso na lity
girls. Ou trophy
s quite championship
this issue Sarath Kumar, wa Joe’ in his debut year! TVS Racing
ort
similar to the ‘Motorsp with retained him for the next season
pe ct. Th at’s on ly that it didn’t
in that res W e and Sarath ensured
the firs t sen ten ce. decision for
respect to no n turn out to be a bad
est ion him ab ou t his
didn’t qu them.
s.
racing motorcycles dream rat h In 2009, he represented
TVS
At 16 yea rs of age Sa ee rac and
es
to bre ak aw ay racing team in thr
Kumar de cid ed the podium!
‘wa nn ab e tee na ge rac er’ finished each race on bigger
from the
giv ing a sho t at In the same season a
stereotype by knocking on
his rac ing dre am s. Lik e opportunity came outfit
realizing
of top run g rac ers his door. A private racing ered
the major ity 0 Racing off
too had namely TEN1
in our country, Sarath the him a co ntr act to race for them.
en tio na l en try int o and raced for
an unconv of He joined the team
mo tor spo rts . A few races of
world of the them in the remaining
wh o we re bit ten by he made
his friends the the season. Once again
g wo uld he ad ov er to as the
racing bu
ek en d to co mp ete his team proud by finishing and
track every we up in two rac es
sure that first runner
in various events. To en in another!

New Sensation
g the rol e of a tru e occupying rd place thi
10
he was pla yin
acc om pa ny the m He has started the 20
wo uld te too .
friend, he
ry rac e. season on a winning no race
at each an d eve durance
ays He won the en
Since childhood he alw the Ka ri Speedway

On The Block
tow ard s conducted at
had an inc lin ati on ich was part
a spo rts pe rso n an d in Coimbatore wh Speed.
becoming
som e tea m. He of the Mecco Festival of
being pa rt of of 66 laps
ab ou t it bu t wa sn’ t The race comprised
always dre am t 90 minutes
t ho w to go ah ead an d and lasted for over for all
sure abou
rac es we nt by, with a compulsory pit-stop
realize it. As the maturity
a fas cin ati on teams. Sarath showed his
Sarath de vel op ed factory
d de cid ed to get by keeping his cool while
for the spo rt an him by
A few years ago Sarath Kumar would attend motorcycle races to watch his friends in action. en ce in it. He riders tried to unnerve
a firsthand exp eri ghts. His
Nowadays his competitors are having a tough time keeping him in their sight during races! f tha t tha t the challenging him to dogfi
convinced him sel nsistency
ing his ch ild ho od on-track maturity, co
only way of rea liz will take
Words Pradeb Biswas Photography Aditya Bedre
ou gh the wo rld of and hunger for winning
dream wa s thr
49
 him places.
When quizzed about his racing philosophy, Sarath calmly replies
that his sole goal while racing is to win irrespective of any trouble
that might crop up. His career graph proves that he isn’t lying! He has
also charted his future racing plans. This year he is aiming to win the
national champion title. In 2011 he intends to move up the ladder
and race in the 600cc superbike category. In the same year he also
plans to compete in the Asian Road Racing Championship.
While talking to him, one can easily gauge his deep passion for
racing. He is comfortable with the risks and injuries that usually
accompany an active career in motorsports. Sarath calmly mentions
that he doesn’t worry about likely crashes or injuries for they are bound
to happen once in a while. He considers Valentino Rossi and K Rajni
as his racing idols. Apart from being a professional motorcycle racer,
he also plays the role of a full time student. He is currently in the 12th
standard.
He also faced the common dillema of gaining parental support at
the start of his career. When he first expressed the desire to compete in
motorcycle races his parents got worried. Like the majority of parents
Check out Sarath’s perfect head angle, lean angle and body posture. Now compare they too considered it to a dangerous sport. After he took part in the
it with the other competitors. No wonder he is a consistent podium finisher
first couple of racers they saw his potential.
This made it easier for Sarath to convince his
parents about his racing ambitions. His parents
now completely support and encourage his
passion for racing motorcycles.
Sarath too agrees that the state of
motorsport in our country needs drastic
improvement. He is unhappy about the fact
that racing is still looked down upon in India
and very few people are aware about it. He
feels that if the events and the racers get more
coverage by the media then more venues will
open up for the sport in the country. It will
get a lot more people interested and the racers
will get more recognition.
As the conversation aproached its end,
he didn’t forget to thank his team Ten10
Racing for their support. He feels that the
help provided by Ten10 Racing has aided
him in realizing some of his racing dreams.
The humble teenager further adds in that he
will do his best to make sure that he wins
more races for the team this year. Majority of
motorsport critics and followers believe that
in the next five years, a select few Indian racers
will make a mark on the international circuits.
We reckon that Sarath Kumar might just be
one of them. Watch out for him!
Sarath Kumar won the 2010 gruelling
Endurance Race He has also notched up a few podium finishes in the 2010 R15 Championship
New gear, more often than not will work perfectly. We tell you what state it’ll be in after it undergoes some hammering
long term report
Amit’s TVS Jive
The clutchless wonder is the tool of choice for all my short commutes
I have been using the Jive as my
short-distance commuter for over two
months now. It’s surprising how you
can make things incredibly convenient
by incorporating simple ideas into your
products. The clutchless Jive has really
made those grocery store and ATM
visits so much more hassle free with its
clutchless, almost twist-and-go ease.
It’s not probably as enticing to ride as
something, say a 150cc motorcycle, but
somehow every time I have to make
a short trip around the office (which
also happens to be our home) the Jive
emerges as the obvious choice, for
obvious reasons.
The bike has clocked a little more than
600km on the odo and is now due for
its first service, for which we really seem
to be having a tough time chasing the
good blokes at TVS. But that apart,
the Jive has been a real joy. Just slot in
the key, hop on, dab the starter button
and trundle away without a bother in
the world. There is oodles of torque
available in any gear at any speed, and
you really don’t have to bother about
the engine stalling. The Jive tends to
spoil you rotten with its ease of use, so
whenever you have to take a ‘proper’
motorcycle out for a short trip after
sufficiently experiencing the Jive, you
really feel hassled.
In the past few months, even though
we have used the Jive strictly in the
stop-start city traffic, it has managed to
return a really impressive fuel efficiency
ACID TEST
figure of around 6okmpl – something
impossible to attain for a gearless scoot.
And that’s where the beauty of this puny
machine lies, fusing the convenience Electric starts on cold mornings are
of a moped with the dynamics, fuel a bit of an issue with the Jive
efficiency and speed of a motorcycle.
We always thought the Jive was an
ingeniously functional experiment,
and our experience with the bike has
substantiated the fact.
It’s not just flowers, butterflies and
rainbows though, as there are some
negatives to the bike as well. Cold
morning starts, for example are an
irritant. We all know, engines take a bit
of their own sweet time warming up
when bothered on a lazy, cold morning.
However using the clutch helps you
keep them running for those initial We have the only Jive in the world
few moments when you’ve just cranked that shows ‘F’ on an empty tank
the mill up. With no clutch, you can’t
do that with the Jive. So you end up
pressing the starter button repeatedly in a while, we do get an urge to make
and wait for it to warm up, or use the someone suffer you know.
good old kick to expedite the process. Also, as you cannot blip the throttle
The choke doesn’t help much either. properly in the absence of a clutch
Another problem, which we are sure is lever, downshifts are slightly jerky.
specific to our particular bike isn’t really Most pillion riders have complained
a problem for someone who knows about it. Be a little cautious though,
about it, but for someone new, it may and it’s not so bad. Also, getting used
turn out to be quite an issue. The fuel to shifting at the right rpm mark
gauge reads full when the tank is empty helps.
and vice versa. So the needle kisses the All in all, the Jive serves its purpose
‘E’ mark as we tank our Jive up. We feel brilliantly. The very fact that I’ll prefer
honoured to have the unique piece with it over anything else for a ride within
us though, and don’t have any intensions the city is testimony to the fact.
to get the gauge corrected. Every once Kudos to TVS for the brilliant idea!
 ACID TEST
ROHIT’S TVS WEGO
With MRF not sending any stock of
the R15’s Zappers to the showrooms,
my R15 was left with a tyre that was
skidding even when the puny engine
sent 1 Nm of torque to the rear wheel.
So basically, I was left with no bike to
commute on. But for once, luck decided
to favor me as TVS suddenly, out of
the blue, decided to give us not one,
but two long termers – the Wego and
the Jive! Since we were busy with the
road-tests for the magazine and then
the disappointing Auto Expo 2010, we
hardly had time to allocate the long
termers between us. But after I ranted so
much about the lack of optimum engine
braking on the Jive, Amit decided to give
me the Wego as my long-term vehicle.
At first it felt a tad disappointing – a
puny little scooter after having ridden
bikes for all this while. I love the way
the design flows on the Wego, its styling
is up to date too. But somehow I was
not able to digest the picture of a fat
me commuting through the city on a
tiny scoot! But as they say, time heals
everything and so the reluctance soon
died down. Rather it was over come
by the fact that I needed a commuting
vehicle desperately until my R15 came conditions by eliminating the constant need to shift gears or cooking of the clutch plates for majority of
back in shape. the commute. And since I’m a typical irresponsible bachelor, the storage space comes in handy to store
As the time passed I slowly fell in love away my gloves, hand-free headset etc. which I otherwise tend to forget at office or home!
with Wego. The scooter happily tip-toes I have clocked around 600 kms on the Wego now in the past few weeks and the bike has been returning
through the urban jungle that surrounds me a fuel efficiency in the range of 38-42 kmpl. Though its too early to expect any sorts of mechanical
me and doesn’t grudge one bit. The issues, the only problem that the scooter has given me is a bad puncture – which substantiates the
Wego’s automatic gearbox makes life need of a tube less tyre on a new vehicle like the Wego. The R15 should be back in action soon, but
easy while in the stop-and-go traffic I’m having my doubts whether it will replace the Wego as my everyday commuter now, thanks to the
convenience an automatic scooter offers!
Promotional Feature February 2010
Continued from the previous issue:

Revolutionising
automotive servicing Dr. Venkata Ramayaih tinkering with his Austin

T
he eldest Son of Shyamappa, Dr. Venkata Ramaiah was a Rebel & a non conformist to the core.
He rejected all the traditional family professions to take up Medical course & went on to become a
Successful Doctor. Most of his prime time was spent in a Small town called Chikkaballapur about 65
kms from Bangalore. This Rebel had an Engineer inside him & always loved to Tinker around with
his Cars & house hold equipments. A strict Disciplinarian, his obsession with Cars and Cameras provoked him
to tinker around with these gadgets and understand them deeply and thoroughly. When he was blessed with a
son there was a WHAT IF question in his mind which was the turning point which changed the entire out look
of this family. He realised that his son Venkatesha Murthy was intelligent and practical and seeing that the first
profession that came to his mind was that of a Mechanic (he had seen his father Tinker around on Cars, Tractors,
Truck etc though not very educated). This prompted him to get in touch with his roots again & get the next
generation connected to their roots.

As events took a turn, Shyamappa came back to the native

hometown and took under his wings the 8 year old Venkatesh Young Venkatesha Murthy
as his apprentice, teaching him basic preventive maintenance with the family moped
on the family car. These sessions between Grand Father and
Grandson planted the Seed of Automotive obsession in the
young Venkatesh’s heart.
Six Years later when young Venkatesh finished his 10th
std, his Obvious one course choice of education was to get a
Diploma in Automobile Engineering.
Venkatesha Murthy, A true conformist, was groomed
purposefully by his Grandfather Shyamappa to make a come
back to the industry which had been the profession for
generations. Shyamappa ensured that his Grandson was well
armoured to face the industry with more knowledge and logic
than just the sheer emotion of passion
Venkatesha Murthy Joined his Diploma in Automobile
Engineering from the Famous Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic
in Bangalore. He was the Baby of the class & was a resident
in the hostel. During this time he started experimenting with
electrical equipment & some basic electronics. He also explored
the used material market (fondly called Gujree) to find a few
items to recycle & reuse and create new innovations.

Continued in the next issue:

53
Indi motorcycle DIARY
Biking for him is nothing less than a religion; the rider’s seat is a holy place & riding is his form of worship…
Words & Photography Pankaj Trivedi

Meet Mr. Pankaj Trivedi, a passionate biker from Mumbai suffering from wanderlust. To satiate his addiction this time around, Pankaj has rolled on an yet another biking trip in which
he will travel extensively through 12 states in the country and bring us back 36 intriguing stories to talk about. And that’s not it. He’s pursuing this all by himself, with no back up of
any kind or crew to assist him. It’s just the Rider, the Bike and the road. In this first chapter of the Indi Motorcycle Diary, we bring you the low down on the travel tales of this nomad
for the month of January, 2010.
Day 1: Leaving Mumbai
run, for
Limca Book record

A
fter lots of planning Raid the Himalaya, and for a
I
and preparation, a trip. As soon
ng fo r Northeast Indi
started rolli as I was out of the
city, I was
my biking trip this able to open the throttle and
fficult to to
morning. It was di uldn’t the bike went smoothly
rly be ca us e I co It fe lt sta bl e, an d
get up ea ab out 110Km/hr.
ni gh t th in ki ng ng th e rid e.
sleep all d enjoyi
Somehow I starte rgot everything else,
the big trip ahead. on I fo
myself up So me one with my
I managed to haul of the and just beca drink and to
an d w as ou t
at 6 a.m Forgot to
t nothing bike. re passion for
house by 8 am. Bu ab out eat.. just pu me.
.
te r
Lake
went sm oo th ly. Af overtook
2 kms from home, driving
I had lef t m on ey an
I realized riding
d I stopped near Vado s
alm os t 45 0k
dra,
m
D a y 2 : O n t h e
th e ki tc he n ta bl e! after covering 40 minutes.
license on hours and
turn and in 4 ke e boat had
So I took a u- ed to refuel the bi 1500 as soon as th

D
e. I never I ne ed re ay tw o of m y It got a
headed ba ck ho m
e my as well as m
y tu m m y. Be fo
ea m jo ur ne y reached mid- lake. anded
to se n, I dr dem
imagined I’d ha ve
t getting on the
bi ke ag ai
ce d at little heated and I
so on , bu ec ts co m m en ck ashore.
own door ag ai n so
saw the bolt th at co nn
m . w ith to be dropped ba
to the chassis was 7. 30 a. I entered
there I was. ning the engine in th e Back on dry land,
e m or t was missing, my teeth ra ttl in g ce again.
Fina lly , af te r th
e ro ad out and the nu a stone and da y I pl an ne d the super-haggle on t only
fiasco, I w as ou t on th biting cold. To e I was no
easy and so I pi
cked up ching at This tim r a good rate, but
again. I was going feel of banged the bolt back in
to to go for bird-wat g fo
. So after lookin ith
just tryi ng to ge t th e n. As th is w as a the Nalsarovar Lake o so meone wiser and w
se ns e how chassis agai I was on a look w ith th e ho t cu p als
en t ah ea d
the bike , tr yi ng to rary fix, warming up y some integrity. I w named
age and to tempo mechanic shop. For of masala ch ai , I sta rte d m
boatman
it handles with lugg t fo r a nce of 2 with a
balances ou w bike and rode a dista wn to Ramazan, and agreed upon
a
understand how it . I was twenty rupees, I got the ne ho te l do
and brak es w ith lo ad the gr ea se -m on ke y km from my price of Rs.150.
oi ce of bolt and the lake’s edge. ations!
happy w ith m y ch
it on, an d I w as ba ck What price varti
is a very to put As I park ed th e bi ke I w as da with
y
bike. The Karizma, India. I on the road to Nalsarovar. bo at m en We started our
for mobbed by a he rd of tea at th
good touring bike es s. Th e a warm cup of
in the past haggling for bu sin t. But I
have used th is bi ke
.5 0- 15 0 boatman’s little hu
ari to Leh rates ranged fro m Rs
think it was the w
armth of
for my Kanyakum I fin all y
for the boat rid e. bers that
in g w ith his family mem
made my ch oi ce , go than just
at Rs .5 0 moved me, more
the cheapest on e as invited
ta ke m e the cup of tea. I w
and he agre ed to at their
w he re I for a lovely lunch
deep inside th e lak e, g-hearted
to se e lo ts of little home where bi plicity.
would be ab le dwelled in sim
e Pelicans, souls r Indian
migratory birds lik in go s, The purity of ou ve for
s, Fl am lo
King Fisher d th at , culture and true
etc. But I so on re ali ze perienced,
alw ay s be tte r, guests is what I ex
cheaper is no t dance.
ce turned in abun
when my fine choi
an who
out to be a conm to Rs.
ice
tried to hike the pr
Day 3:
Ramazan’s
Kingdom

F
irst activity of the day began with me
making a hot cup of Earl Gray tea after
which I rolled out for the day. My day
began with a surprise… a flat tyre! The
adventure for the day had begun and so had
the hunt for a puncture repair shop. Luckily, I
found one at the end of the road, just around the
corner.
After the repairs were done, I arrived at the
lake and looked for Ramazan, my trusted guide
for Nalsarovar, but could not find him anywhere.
I met up with his father, who asked his younger

iar
Day 4: Famil
son to take me on the boat and assured that
Ramazan would join in shortly. Once in deep
waters, I got busy with my cameras. It wasn’t
long before Ramazan joined us while I was taking
pictures of kingfishers. I was happy to have my Faces
friend back on board and we ventured further
into the lake. It was then I sighted a multitude

T
of feathery flamingos. It was an absolute treat for ndering over the
the eye. I soaked it all in, enjoying every moment he next day, I was po ideal to reach
be
through the lens and capturing those moments route which would tch. The route
of Ku
the little Rann
forever in time. mgam- Dasada
After nearly three hours of venturing in the I planned was Vira jwada I would
a. From Jin
lake, our stomachs were rumbling with hunger. – Jenabad – Jinjwad s to Vasada Dada Temple
km
It was time to get to Ramazan’s home for another then go off-road 20 ed this
ld ha lt in night. I had visit
round of their staple diet- Bajra ki Roti, Baingan where I wou m e great
ars ago and have so e and
ka Bharta, Lasun ki Chatni and some fresh onions place about two ye er
’t wait to get back th
and buttermilk. memories. I couldn
As we got off the boats and headed towards the relive all of it. sing at a steady sp
eed,
hutment and the community, my eyes wandered I was on track, crui hed Jinjwada. As I
l I reac
about, soaking in the culture of the little village. enjoying the ride til ing the flags that guided
w
I was engulfed by the aura of the place. It was moved further, follo a sign saying “ROAD
e ac ro ss
warm as sunshine which came from the warmth me, I cam point.
w no flags after that ided
of love and togetherness in the community. A CLOSED” and I sa gu
past experience that
shed covered in blue plastic sheets from above and It was instinct and accurate
where to go. I was
the sides was something they identified as a home. me in determining Vasda
ment and reached
Mother Earth lay there as the ground to protect enough in my judg I was warmly greeted by
.
them and cuddle them when tired. An earthen Dada temple by 5 pm me across two years ago.
ho I ha d co
oven on the ground with some firewood burning Patel Bhai w eating
ty time talking and
was enough of a kitchen for them. Not much they We spent some quali I tucked myself to sleep
hich
owned or possessed and probably it was this, that for an hour after w zing at
i w ith two blankets and ga
made them the happy people they really are, with on a charpa
ght sky above.
not having to worry about losing anything. Just the starry winter ni
living each day as it comes.
 y 6 : R a n n o f Kutch
Da
to Junagadh
25 kms, it
circles. After more

T
he ne xt m or ni ng I crossroad
up by got better. I was at
was w ok en guide me.
ge th ud with no soul to
sensin g a hu ncts rode
s w hi ch I trusted my insti
on m y leg finally I
nd . Th an ks to straight ahead and Meduk
tossed me arou glimpse of the
e co w an d its ca lf that were saw a
th ain.
w lo ok in g str ai ght into Mount ded to spend the
no
anding to I deci
an d de m nu Dada
m y fa ce
ob lig ed . night in the Va
be petted. I ha pp ily met three
e sh ed , I temple where I
After the cows lef t th g me in a
er at th e men, each greetin
enjoyed a warm sh ow e. Before
different languag ed into
Day 5: Happy sulfur spring an d pa ck ed up to
it, I was forc
the temple I knew a multi-linguistic
Birthday! ge t go in g. Pe op le at
affection taking y. I
bestowed so much of ant me crash course in philosoph
dn ’t w er gy to
over me and di I ha d was developing an
all
th ele ss, so ph y
to go. But none th em
ilo
this disconnected ph ke rode
rience to th an ke d
was an amazing expe e into to. So after I d got on my bi

I
t was m y bi rth da y to da y ca m t an d care they class an d just saved myself
n’t be lie ve see how a new life fo r th e su pp or
ited with away.
I ha
u w ou ld d the calf, offered me, I reun sanity! I now decide
d
and yo
th e fir st on e to being. The cow licke much on m y w ay fro m in
he d
who w as so my bike and w as d re ac
It w as a D og ! cleaning it up with of the to stop in Palaswa an Th e
wish m e… is a pa rt jk ot .
sn iff ed an d w ok e affection. This bo nd ing,
to Palaswa.
d th er e w as no the highway to Ra a good
Yep, a dog initial mother-child es the 8kms ahea e roads were
me up licki ng m y fa ce ! Th is
the calf iden tifi sib le ro ad , as it ha d rained a four lan d I was happily
birthday where vi an
surely was the first all its five senses. ig ht ag o an d lo osened the change at 100kmph. Upon
ki nd . Af ter mothe with r
calf took
fo rtn
I thought cruisin
g
d
wish of its
m or ni ng , The wobbly-legged orld for soil. For a moment mehow reaching Junagadh, I crashe
in th e to th we bu t so fo r th e
freshening up y da y its first steps in pendence. I of turning back on at a Bharat Bhai’s pl
ace
to sp en d m in g. I w as I ha d
I decided
dience… survival
and inde continued rid t whose reference
with an unusual au myself was totally overhwelmed
by ith str ee t tyres and nigh mine.
I en jo ye d off ro ad w
th e lu gg ag e got from a friend of
500 cows! perience.
sh grass, this ex e evening I decided the weight of
feeding them fre ed and to spin in
sh In th made the rear tyre
cleaning up the cow . t time and
es to have some quie
playing with th e ca lv e desert. I was
M ak ar Sa nk ra nt i, rode off into th ce, breeze
Being
tra ct ed a hu ge one with the silen of the
the temple at st openne ss
. It was and va ,I
crowd of devotees kitchen desert. While coming back
an d th e ce of th e
lunch time e th an was lost in the silen hour. I
ls fo r m or et
hosted mea at the suns
yone who desert w feel the chill in the
500 people. Ever no
r little bit could r was done and I
came here did thei io n of breeze. Dinne
th e pr ep ar at under the
to help in found myself again
the meals. and felt warm
nc h I w en t ba ck to dome of stars ts.
Post lu the blanke
e and saw under
the animal jambore calf. It
to a
a cow giving birth
 Day 8: eS asan
Gir For st

I
xt day and met
l
Day 7: Brinja
woke up early the ne a predefined
at
up with the driver
arded the jeep
Overload
location by 6 am . Bo
all my gadgets
and I was set with
moment possible.
to capture every
cold yet serene with
variety The morning was

I
orning with a huge its golden glow to
t was a fine chilly m d on the table. After I the sunrise adding
lai
of breakfast already hing, land.
illuminate the forest e sighted 8 lions,
lit tle bit from everyt ir.
managed to eat a to Sa sa n G Soon ther ea fte r, w
Bharat Bhai led me
on the road ere cu bs walking together
ooth and there was
gr ee ne ry all of which 5 w e
The roads were sm d and happy. s of the forest. Th
on the mud path th em se lves ,
te
around and I was ela halt for a cup of masala among
to cubs gaily played watched over by
e ly
It was tim cers and a
up with 3 forest offi Gir. The while being close e
chai where I met La te r on we spotted som
me to the hote l at the lionesses. It w as a fin e
teacher, who guided ng me over at his place for l Gaai.
havi owls, deer’s and Nee nature. We heard
teacher insisted on idst
ed for a round of
Roti, Dal, morning spent am ks
lunch and so I ob lig m m onkeys and peacoc
e most common an
d ex tensively alarm calls fro na l to ot he r
Rice,Chatni and th alert sig
this region- the Br in ja l! Five out which serve as an of a lio n in
found vegetable in presence
t here I had eaten
Br in ja l in all animals about the
of seven days spen lp do w n my proximity.
I continued to gu tel and worked
its forms. Anyway, en co un te r the I returned to the ho . Soon it was
ed that I do not pictures
lunch and only pray er. on uploading some g
same vegetable for
dinn
e computer ur an d time for the evenin
ent some time on th past lunch ho ai n in to th e
I sp once ag
Post lu nc h,
r a walk into the pe riphery of safari so I hailed
and later on went fo hted few deer’s and a seven forest.
sig the hotel, I was
the forest where I On returning to p,
ad e by the lions. ed for dinner. Ye
day old ki ll m
nner, so I started
heading starving and head and bread awaited
It was time for di an ka Bharta’ more Baingan Bhar
ta
here more ‘Baing
towards the hotel w me!
me!
and bread awaited
Day 9:Siddi

L
ast night I worked until late
and I found it very hard
to open my eyes and rise
up at 5 am for the sunrise
safari. On reaching, the forest office I
teamed up with an SBI banker from

Day 10:
Agra with whom I shared the cost of
the safari.

Magnif
Once aboard the jeep, our guide

Sightingicent
received a phone call indicating
sightings of a lioness and her cubs.
We headed in that direction and on
our way saw some deer, foxes, Neel
Gaai, owls and sambhars.

U
Our guide narrated an odd
incident, which took place on
pon reac
Christmas Eve, where a lion found hin
the Gir fo g surface! It was b
himself on a bridge with 2 vehicles rest divin ea
counter I e interactio utiful! A
closing on him from both sides. The met the n between
a ele
lion got paranoid and tried to escape man touri n interesting sunli ments of nature
ng India g
the situation and as a result of panic, Maruti 80 in a in p ht, water and wind
0. On sta erfect harm
jumped over the edge of the bridge a convers rting on, on
ation, I we were re y! Furter
leaping towards his death. What a to know came to ally lucky
th spo
sad waste of life! I was left wondering visited 8 st at Vinit had mati t a lion and lioness
ate ng!
what those vehicles were doing in a of 3 month s in a period Back in my
s. We mutu ho
decided to ally I w
restricted area at that hour of the as busy tr tel room,
night! the forest in venture into the ansferring
da
I returned back to the hotel was very ex the 800 and I and ta onto my comp
c lo
with a flow of random thoughts same as no ited about the Soon st track of time.
w we could , it was tim
at places a st
and unanswered questions. My jeep t our own op evening safari e for the
will. free and w
partner and I decided to go on an this time w ith Vinit
evening safari, but he then did not It wasn’t e opte
we were in long before go in the jeep alon d to
turn up for the same. So I headed fo a driv g with
towards Siddi by myself. adventure. r some more some er and a guide. At
Ju
Siddis are descendants of African into the fo st 500 meters a Sa distance, we heard
rest and w mbhar call
a flat tyre! e .
migrants that arrived here over 600 Having the got driver immedia The alert
years ago. They are natives of Gujarat, replaced w tyre out tely figured
e now w the directi
cruising at a e on
but they continue living the African speed of 20 re call and let the v of the
way and speak the local dialect. Most hr. Soon, km/ dow ehicle run
w n
of them have taken to Islam. Their a lake wh e came across gear, the slope in neutral
ic le
dress and lifestyles seems Indian, due to th h shimmered Wha ading into a ravine.
e reflectio t a magnificie
the sunlig n
but their looks and hairstyle remain ht and cre of It was a Leopa nt sight
African in origin. A truly unique an illusion ated was rd!! It sure
a
community in itself! diamonds of a million leopa jack pot for us as
on the wa rd sighting
ter’s rare. s are very
 Day 12:
Rock Ri The Moon
de

I
was feeling
as I had n a bit bored, the m
o o
bike for the t ridden my on th on. It seemed like I w
past day an e moon’s su a
half and th d a Earth rface, right s
e re fore decide . I w o n
to feed m
y d adventu as feeling a lil bit ove
off on a li passion and take rous and
decided to
r
tt ride all the
destination le adventure. The way to the
fa
th path was
Falls, locate is time was Bhojde slippery, ro lls. The
d covered in ck
Sasan Gir. about 50kms from
Damji Bha slush, ditc y and
p o th o le s. But h es and
Day 11:
also accom i’s
panied me brother myself and I managed to save
ride who h for the a the
t several in bike from falling
Barter in
ad
before. Afte never been there st
r fun though ances. It was great
times, we fi losing our way four
the Modern
. I felt sup
n The locals er elated.
route to th ally found the right thought I
was crazy
Time
e falls. It w to ride a
rocky path as narrow bik
o probably, is e to the falls. It
which look pposite an ashram
ed like the has made it the only bike that
surface of to the falls
so far.

I
spent the entire morning
making the video for my blog.
It took a awful long time to
process a high definition video
on a small laptop. Later in the day
I worked on still photographs and a
video coverage of the resort I stayed
at – Damji Bhai’s farm. It was more
like a barter arrangement; I shot the
videos and photographs for the resort
while he hosted me at the resort.
In the evening I was invited over
for dinner at a farm house by Damji
bhai’s brother. Amazed by the work I
was doing, they showered me with a
lot of love and respect. It was a gesture
of heartfelt appreciation. I was very
happy to have something different
for dinner, other than my staple diet
of Brinjals. It was corn roasted on a
campfire that I really enjoyed.
 3 : C h i l l s N T h rills
Day 1 fu l lig ht s had reduced the
visibility of
ch ha d po w er e weather
w ar ds m y next vehicles whi ro ad s w er e no t too wide, either. Th hy. The

T
I headed ou t to Th e was tired and ac
he next morning the road ahead.
er. I ha d sp en t the last 2 hours ve ry co ld po st su nset, and my body pidly. I now felt the
destination – Jaisa
lm I was put was still further ra
g m arke tin g str at egies for the resort on th e te m pe ra tures dipped down r chai at Barmer. I asked the tea
discussin urs. I was stopped fo was not very
d in loss of riding ho cover 900kms chills even more. I e in Barmer, but I
up in which resulte be ab le to ha t th ere w as to se lmer.
at 7: 00 am an d w asn’t sure if I would as a sin gl e ro ad w ith stall person w t I heard, so decided to ride on to Jaisa . On my
road s w wha s on
night. The first 90km as on interested in d covered 750kms and decided to pres in front of
to reach Jaisalmer by which regulated my speed. Soon, I w ng So fa r I ha s th e ro ad
loads of speed brea
kers r refueli s decided to cros
cr ui sin g at a ste ad y speed. I stopped fo w ay, a couple of wild boar t somehow managed to control the
a four lane road, by 1:45 pm.
aged to reach Morbi lmet was completely me. I was at a a mishap.
high speed, bu
m s an d m an
afte r 12 3k he d se the cold
crossing Morbi, my et bike and averte rther with more such chai stops to ea
A short while after on hi tti ng th e he lm
I continued fu inated fort
ith bu gs which died violently to Santanpur. I had dy. W ith th e beauty of an illum
splat te re d w way s in m y bo and started
r. M ov in g fu rth er, I was on my co nt in ui ng fu rth er I and numbnes e landscape, I had reached Jaisalmer
viso On of th
ms without a break. w was now a part hotel.
already covered 430k ached Sanchur at 6:40 pm. Riding no look in g fo r a
crossed 600kms an
d re
Th e tru ck s an d ot her heavy motor
tting dark.
a tough as it was ge

rrow
Day 14: A Na
Escape
long ride, I slept

F
d an d exhausted from the
ee lin g fa tig ue was sore with an
e m orning. My body
un til lat e in th gleaming through
e morning sun was
ac hi ng ba ck . Th here I took some
e Jh ro kh a of m y hotel room, from w p of tea, I was
th having a cu
of passersbys. After
pictures and videos rt, exploring its beauty.
off for a walk in th
e fo lanes admiring
a ca m er a, I w alk ed down the narrow el of the place.
With lture and fe
e, absorbing the cu gs.
the stone architectur ed me in the form of colorful paintin
lo rs su rrou nd ming th e co rd s of
Myriad co fo lksongs and strum ngi. I enjoyed
w er e sin gi ng
Musicians and Sara
uments like Sarod t clothing of men and
local musical instr br an
rful land. The vi
walking in this colo eliness of the fort.
e liv ride
women added to th while in the afternoon, I decided to
After re sti ng fo r a m at a ca m ps ite
th e de se rt to at te nd a cultural progra fo lk da nc er s
back into with
a de ar fri en d. Th e camp was housed by grou ps of
owned by songs sung
vibrant costumes on od was accompanied
performing in their od fo
ty of wine and go
local musicians. Plen
for dinner at this
too. to Ja isalmer, I stopped
On m y w ay ba ck in an interesting
Si x. ’ I was engaged
restaurant ca lle d ‘Ju ly a foreign couple
ow ne r of the hotel and
conversatio n w ith th e room in the fort
pe . Af te r w hi ch I headed back to my
from Euro
to bed.
and tucked myself
Day 15: Arabian
Night

T
oday’s day was
spent on doing the
jobs on the ‘To do’
list. Replacing the
tyre was first so I headed out
in search of a tyre shop. After
that was done, I went on to
pay my phone bills. The rest
of the day was quite relaxed.
In the evening, I headed
towards the campsite at Sam
sand dunes for an Arabian
themed party organized by
a friend called Gajendra. A
number of campfires lit up
at the campsite and added a
warm glow to the ambience
of the evening. I was thrilled
to get a glimpse of the most
sensuous dance forms of
Rajasthan, performed by the
Kalbelia “snake -charmer”
community.
The kalbelia dancers wear
long black skirts embroidered
with silver ribbons and as
they spin in circles, their
bodies sway acrobatically to
the tunes of Pungi, Dufli
and melancholic notes of
the “Been”, the wooden
instrument of the snake
charmers. Good food and folk
1 6 : U n m u s i cal
art, all of this in the desert Day
Night
sands, had me totally absorbed
and this was one of the most
invigorating experience I had
been a part of.
sand and
trails of displaced

N
ext morning after s of dust.
a scrumptious cloud ever on arrival, I was
with H ow
breakfast m ed iately disappointed
im
Gajendra at the isy loudspeakers
ck to my to hear no
dunes, I he ad ed ba e music. It was
om . Th e af te rn oon blasting som ical. My ears
hotel ro all mus
tlessly in not at t accustomed to the
was spent relen ed to ge
rring data tri of
securing and transfe blar in g noise coming out
to p. sy ste m bu t it
to the lap I had the poor
quality
th e ev en in g, a ru ck us th an
In more of
the desert seemed else. The forcefully
planned to head to yt hi ng
endra had an m
camp site, as Gaj musical thrown reverberation fro
m e ov er fo r a m so m eh ow
invited ic syste
e of his the mus a
night hosted by on d over didn’t match the silence of
H e ha d in vi te t ev en in g at th e
clients. dh pur soft ambien
gr ou p fro m Jo t on m y bi ke
a music dunes. I go
folk songs. sand om.
to sing traditional m psite, an d ro de back to hotel ro
ro de to th e ca
I eagerly
breeze and
enjoying the cool behind
high speeds leaving
Day 17:
Riding on
the Dunes

T
he next morning
I was in for a rude Day 18:
awakening. I was
asked to vacate the Delights Desert
room booked for 5 days by the
owner who wanted to house

T
another customer who was
willing to pay more! Facing onight I
harsh realities of the world planned to had over questions
ca a
around and feeling bitter in the desert mp myself and th bout life,
inside, I packed my bags and so I en and race. What is it e human
myself in gaged me th
left. conversatio with the pe at bonds
with the n that th o p le I meet,
lo
To recuperate from this some tips cals and got prov ey are willing to
fr id
negative experience, I headed loaded the om them. I Wha e things for free?
out for a long ride on the sand b ik e with t is the com
the essenti
dunes accompanied by a local als like slee all that connects mon link
bag, a tent, ping race the human
?
who knew the desert landscape packets, c utensils, food I
lo
like the back of his hand. chose a lo thes, etc. I where returned to the site
Riding on the golden cation that the Korea
safe from w
sands of the Thar Desert has the winds as camping and th ns were
pitched the an ere
been my best moment so far in tent there. d up with a couple I met
Once the guides of camel
this trip. The tyres of the bike I went for a camp was set, dinn who invited me for
so er.
began sinking into the sand. the evenin litary walk in in th So we all indulged
I realized standing on the g. Little fu e simple y
I met a gro rth et
foot rest made riding easier. up of Kore er dinner cooked tasteful
camping a n s camp over a
in the d
The more I rode, the more I and they esert triv fire and talked about
in ial
learned how to ride efficiently a cup of te vited me for dinn things in life. Post
over the sand dunes. Gliding a. I contin er all the ca
my solitary ued left m
over the desert sand with the w a lk and was except on el guides
soon imm Rumi e, called
ersed in
sunset in background was an thoughts deep cha who stayed back and
experience that will remain and pond tted with m
ered e for long.
deeply engraved in my mind.
 Day 20b: aK uldhara
d
– The a ndone
Village

D
t Minister’s
ue to an ex- cabine stival of
fe
death the desert ed. This
as ca nc ell
Jaisalmer w me to a
turn of event took ading to
I was now he
new a destination. of Kuldhara which

Day 19: Tanot

ge
the deserted villa red
ne d va ca nt for several hund e
has remai lik
ry goes something as
Temple years now. The sto
the caste system
this… In that era, in love with a man
ng
w

very rigid and falli g to a different caste

an be lo ng in
or a wom wn
e Minister of the to

T
visit the was unacce pt ab le. Th of
oday I planned to with a Brahmin gi rl
Tanot Temple whi
ch is at however fell in love ch resulted in tussle
hi
a distance of 16 0k m s from Kuldhara village w and the villagers. The
from e M in ist er
Sam and 14 0k m s between th vacate
eafter ordered to
I cros se d so me villagers were ther other
Jaisalmer. On my
way migrate to some
ts built on tombs their homes and ained
Chattris (monumen this village has rem
place and ever since
of Maharaja’s.) t, I crossed a abandoned. .
20kms before Tano ch had raw e the village though
u whi I was raring to explor has restored two
village called Rana locally available ent
The tourism departmurists. The sandstone
ly
homes made of on homes for visiting
to
O n m y way, I passed the and the intact struc e
ture
materials. ca rv in gs ,
orial where both structures,
e give a fair idea of th
Indo- Pak war mem it out back in of the Shiva’s Templ tim es.
ed
countries had battl dian Company le of the historic
culture and lifesty he re,
1971. Th e en tire In doned homes lay
e su rv iv ed their fate. The Almost 800 aban hundred years.
at that tim e untouched for seve
ral
the power of templ this abandoned villa d
ge, I
belief of people in is Havin g vi sit ed
more after th to Jaisalmer whe n I ha
strengthened even was on my way back I rode the next 7kms
incident. I met up with
n.
a flat tyre once agai ed last time but it the
On the way back sh op I vi sit
nel’s, riding all the to the tyre
I had to ride to Jaisa
lmer
some army person se d. So
in North India and shop was clo
to keep minimum w ei ght
way from Poonch sitting on the tank
evlali. They were
heading towards D s accompanied ar tyre.
on the punctured re tions again, the tyres
bike
twelve men on six To avoid such situa
y tru ck . We had some good the bike was thorou y
ghly
by one arm were changed and
a round of ‘gol- an even longer jo ur ne
conversations over serviced too. As
s.
gappa’s and banana continues ahead…
The su n w as no w setting in and
its appearance in
the moon made
on. Once the sun
the opposite horiz e
as immersed in th
made an exit, I w
ce of the desert.
moonlight ambien
This month Motoroids caught up with ‘Gutzy Roadies’ - a motorcycle and stunt
group from Chennai. Here’s all the important information about this club.
1. When and where was the club formed?
A. The Club was formed by Vimal aka VeeMAX in August 2007
along with bike enthusiast’s - Abishek, Senthil and Yaseen,
to spread the biking brotherhood among the youth. The Club
operates in Chennai.
2. How often do members meet up?
A. We meet up every once a week for our Stunt practice ses-
sions and other discussions pertaining to the club.
3. Which aspect of riding is the group more into?
A. The bike becomes a way of life and a commitment to all
roadies who are involved in the club activities, so we respect
all aspects of biking – Freestyle stunt riding, touring & racing.
We happen to have a major presence in Stunting, because we
believe it is very flashy and provides ample space for bikers to
show their talent, innovation and grit. However, Stunting is an
individualistic choice and no one is compelled to be part of it.
4. What distinguishes this biking group from others?
A. We were the first to show the ‘ Dark Art’ of stunting in a
safe way and promote it as a sport, by performing at public
shows initiated by Tamilnadu Government. The club is also
known for introducing new forms of stunt acts in India such as
circular wheelies and no hand wheelies.
5. How many riders are currently associated with the
group?
A. More than 50 members
6. Where is one most likely to see the group in action?
A. Every weekend post lunch at Chennai Cholvaram Air Strip.
7. Is there any biking hierarchy within the group?
A. No. Everyone is treated equally and in a respectful manner.
8. Are there any requisites to joining the group?
A. The rider must be over 18 years old, must own a two
wheeler and hold a valid license. Riders without appropri-
ate riding gear are not entertained to participate in the club
activities. Besides this, we make sure that we do not indulge
in street racing, obey traffic regulations and are not under the
influence of alcohol or drugs while riding.
If you are interested in joining this group, drop in
an email to gutzyroadies@hotmail.com
If you want your biking group to be featured on
this page, drop in a mail to clubs@motoroids.com with your
group’s pictures and answers to all the questions above
Just in case you thought we ever work....

Lady in r Motoroids’ very own tri

ed. o of idiots. Praveen’s fri
case of ‘l ..in search of Pr his recent Tarkarli ride ends on
ove at fir adeb in r
st sight’ ed...Sure
ly, a

is
s o n to b e sad about h
a rea ke
4 0 0 R R g ives Mithilesh e a l h is g lo om with a fa
The to con c The most common ‘diffe
uy. He tries rent’ type of a bike ph
Ninja 250 b Clicking yourself in the
chrome reflection of a
otograph.
smile Bullet

Devil wears Fields

heer along with
also one of the M horns. Hrishikesh
otoreps, on his rid ,
e to Konkan Humpty Dumpty had a great fall! Humpty Dumpty had yet another great fall!
 February 2010

For those love affairs - The ‘Small Love Bus’

Clearly, there isn’t a way he could have gained
control back. Quit hoping

When they say ‘Avoid feeding the animals’ they Tough army life sometimes leads to some very disturbing THE BIG MAC!!! When they say ‘A big Mac’ wish
really do mean something things... they meant this!
 Think you can get crazier than
this? Send us your crazy pictures at February 2010
Crazyworld@motoroids.com and we’ll
feature them here along with your
name.
Disclaimer : The pictures in this feature have been procured from the
Internet and are not owned by Motoroids

Chrome,
Wave, Buzz...
Gogola???

You know your dog is losing sight when...

Track less travelled!

Royalty somehow cannot keep their instincts at bay Would it be a crime? If it doesn’t rhyme? 68
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