Yamaha R1 & Yamaha MTO1

Barring the fact that 99.9999% of the Indians can't afford these bikes, the size and muscle of the these bikes is awe-inspiring.





Meanwhile, the Yamaha dealership at Ahmedabad were taking Rs25000 for advance booking of R15. I said I would rather wait for the actual launch.

Amazing Yamaha Gladiators

That's Planet Yamaha, the Yamaha showroom in Ahmedabad.

I was in Ahmedabad in early May. And after checking an ad about the launch of R1 and MT01 in Ahmedabad, I decided to visit the Yamaha showroom. Not for booking, just out of curiosity :), of course. Inside I was hoping that R15 might also be on display. It wasn't. Though the biggies were there. And alongside there were these new Gladiators.

I must admit, I was nothing less than thrilled after having seen these Gladiators. Immaculate in fit and finish. Even earlier I didn't think that a Yamaha bike is worth comparing to the others in the category. Not to say that other bikes are bad, but having driven Yamaha RXG135 for 7 long years, and having driven Fazer for a while, I was convinced that other bikes (no matter what the sales say) might not match up in performance.

True to my thinking, very soon after having checked the new Gladiator when I checked the TVS Flame, I rubbished all comparison between the two. Even the Honda Shine or Hero Honda Glamour (or whatever) or Bajaj XCD do not compare to the Gladiator. If it's performance and style, it's the Gladiator. Surprisingly, apart from XCD, even if it comes to fuel efficiency it's the Gladiator that takes the cake. And at the current price-point, definitely Gladiator is the best 125cc bike, if you are considering buying one.

Divine Dance

Divine Dance
Originally uploaded by twentyfourbees

This is the path right outside our house compound in our native village, Basera in Rajasthan. The barrenness is stricking, more so in this picture. I had my cousin's Pulsar 220 to roam around the village.

In Rajasthan - On Pulsar 220

26th April 08. Clicked just outside Basera, my native place in Rajasthan. As you see from my face (though I'm smiling) it was really hot out there. Late April. Touching 40-41 degree celcius.

While I reached there directly from Jaipur, my cousin (on my insistence) got his bike from Bhilwara. Quite brave to have driven the bike for 70 kms in the simmering afternoon.

We had planned to ride the P220 from Basera to Bhilwara (about 70 odd kms) in the evening on 27th Apr. However, we felt that a morning ride would be better suited - it would be cooler and therefore, much more comfortable. We set out for Bhilwara at 6:00 in the morning. Reached at 7:00am.

One hour of exhilarating drive. The roads in Rajasthan have never been better. P220 was amazing. By far the best ride I've had. I was wondering if P220 is such, how would the CBR and the R1 be! Or for that matter, even the Ninja 250!

Big Dukes in India

It's called HYPERMOTARD; what a name!

Read yesterday morning about the launch of Ducati bikes in India. Of course, these will be imported units and the price range is Rs15lac to Rs50lac! Woohoooooo! Company officials say that they would import just 50 units to begin with this year. Depending on the response, future course would be determined... The engine power of the Ducati superbikes would be in the range of 90 horsepower to 180 horsepower!

Here's a little article from The Economic Times:

Italian motorcycle major, Ducati Motor Holding has arrived in India. The company has brought its five different models including the flagship Monster range. These superbikes were launched in Delhi on Wednesday along with a host of accessories and merchandise from the Ducati stable.

The company launched Hypermotard, the classic 1098, 1098R, 848 and the flagship, Monster. The Monster S4Rs is a bike without compromise, a true superbike in every way. It has all the legendary superbike power and character along with potent desmodromic Testastretta engine. The new, amazingly powerful Ducati Monster S4Rs is as unique as its name and a pace-setter that all other naked models look forward to.

Ducati's Monster S4Rs is a masterpiece of technology and design. Its a harmony of design and precision of the engineering. The styling is that of a spectacular and customs the appeal of size and power. In addition to the common features shared by all Ducati Monsters with single sided swing-arms, like the small upper fairing, vertically stacked twin exhausts exhausts and longitudinal stripe (bigger and centrally positioned on the S4Rs), the S4Rs also incorporates a large number of eye-catching racing components.

The S4Rs features new graphics and colour schemes to enhance the 999-derived front end and the Y-spoke wheels that recall the racing origins of this naked superbikes. In fact, Ducati Corse has contributed a large number of small but important details to this Monster, details that might not be noticed under a full fairing but that cry out for attention on this meanest of all Monsters, like the triangular oil cooler.

You can read a little more here:
The Financial Express
Hindustan Times