The Korean bike manufacturer Hyosung is planning to make a comeback in the Indian market. As per motoroids, the company is planning to re-enter the Indian market with their two 650cc models- the GT650R sports bike and the ST7 cruiser. Both of them will have a V-twin engine capable of generating 82ps of power.

The company is planning to make a entry around November this year. This would not be the first time Hyosung will be bringing their models into the Indian market. A few years back they launched Comet GT250 street bike and the Aquila 250 cruiser through Kinetic dealerships, both of them priced under 2 lakhs rupees.

The GT650R and the ST7 are expected to be priced somewhere between INR 3.5 to 4.25 lakh.

More details on this news will be shared in the days to come. But for now we hope that these bikes make it to the Indian market soon and this time Hyosung has a better dealership network along with better availability of the spares. Hopefully the competition in the high performance segment is going to improve in India with the launch of such bikes.

Source: Motoroids

I have been using Pro-Biker’s MCS01 motorcycle gloves for almost two years now and they have been serving me well. If you are looking for gloves for city riding then the Pro-biker motorcycle gloves should do the job for pretty well.

If you happen to ride mostly within the city which is restricted to only a few kilometers on an average then the MSC01 are well suited for you. I would not recommend them for long tours as these gloves don’t have enough padding inside. Secondly, the amount of protection they have is decent enough but not of very high standard.

During the summers they are pretty comfortable and during the winters they protect your hands from the cold wind. You can also wear them during the rainy season as in the case of getting wet they don’t take much time to dry.

Now coming to another important factor i.e the cost, you would have to shell out INR 800 and if you are good at bargaining then you might be able to get some additional discount. I bought them for INR 750 after a little settlement with the shop owner.

So considering their cost, MSC01 is not a bad deal as it can be used on daily basis, can be used throughout the year and provides decent amount of protection in the city traffic, and lastly they look pretty cool.

Below is the detail regarding the material used for Pro-Biker MSC01

Palm: 65% Syn-leather Fabric; 20% PVC; 15% Genuine Leather

Back:  40% Nylon; 40% Polyester; 20% Genuine Leather

Lining: 70% Polyester; 30% Foam

Available Size: L, XL, XXL

Available Color: Gray, Black, Red

Now coming to the ratings, I would give:

Protection: 3.5/5
Comfort: 4/5
Looks: 4/5
Durability: 3.8/5
Overall Rating: 3.8/5

Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited (SMIPL) is planning to add three new products to its lineup within a time span of 18 months.

These new products will be for the commuter segment and will comprise of a 100cc motorcycle and two scooters.

Suzuki recently launched their 125cc motorcycle SlingShot and looking at how the things are progressing, it seems like they will be concentrating mainly on the mass segment in the months to come.

Suzuki already has a 125cc scooter called Suzuki Access 125 in their lineup which has been doing pretty well so far. Apart from Access and other local products Suzuki has brought in are GSX-R 1000, Bandit 1250S and Hayabusa from their international portfolio.

The company is also planning to expand its dealership network across India and their target is to have 350 dealerships by 2012 which is currently around 226. Apart from capturing domestic market, Suzuki is also planning to start exporting its bike to the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Personally I feel that Suzuki should have an exclusive product in the premium segment as well. We all know how Yamaha made a comeback in the Indian market with the launch of YZF R15 and FZ series and I don’t see any reason why Suzuki cant do something similar to this. Once they have the attention of the Indian bike enthusiasts who can make their brand go viral by going ga-ga over its performance and looks, I think it would be much easier for them to capture the mass segment as well.

Source: Business Standard

If you have any interest in motorbikes (specially Bajaj) and you happen to have some time to spare then you can try out this game.

The objective is to perform some tasks through stunts like wheelies, stoppies and donuts and gain as many points you can inside the stipulated time limit.

During the first round you are given a Pulsar 135LS where you have an option to choose the color of the bike between red and black. I am not sure about the later stages as I was not able to clear the first round myself It’s not like you breeze through the rounds and win Pulsars online. It really needs skill and practice as I found out.

Overall the Pulsar Mania game is great weapon to kill time and pull-off some daring stunts on your Pulsar motorcycle which you’re too afraid to do in real life. The graphics are decent for an online game and the background music keeps you pumped up while you are puling off stunts and impressing yourself.

If you have a slow internet connection then you’d only end up in despair as the game demands heavy plug-ins to be installed on your computer.

To play the game visit the zapak pulsar mania game page-

After meeting with huge success in the scooters market in India, M&M is now eying the motorcycle market. Over the past few months there have been indications from the company officials regarding their plan of entering the motorcycle market.

As per Anoop Mathur, Mahindra two-Wheelers’ president, they are already ahead of their sales target by selling one lakh scooters in just 10 months as opposed to their target of selling the same number of units in 18 months. Their immediate plan is to enter the motorcycle market.

As per Anoop Mathur they are planning to launch their first motorcycle by the end of 2010. This motorcycle would be assembled at the same manufacturing unit where the scooters are assembled.

As per the sources the company is working on a motorcycle at its Italy based Engines Engineering which was taken over by M&M in the year 2008.

We expect the first motorcycle from M&M to be from the commuter segment which is based on Kinetic Boss.

After bringing in a commuter bike, M&M would also be launching a high performance bike in the months to come. It was earlier reported the M&M has been talking to UK and Italian based motorcycle manufacturers to launch a high end product.

In order to penetrate the Indian motorcycle market, M&M would have to arrive with some unique and interesting products as it would not be easy to stand against the likes of Hero Honda and Bajaj.

Source: BankBazaar

Its monsoon time in India and the chances of encountering Aquaplaning is more these days than any other time of the year. So I thought this would be the best time to throw some light on Aquaplaning so you have better understanding of this phenomenon.

Aquaplaning or Hydroplaning is a phenomenon which causes your motorcycle to shed traction while moving over a wet road or surface. When you move over a wet road, the water on the surface tends to accumulate in front of your tires, if the amount of water is more than what the tire can push away, then a thin film of water builds up between the tire and the road making you lose contact with the surface causing you lose control of your motorcycle and resulting in a slide or a skid.

But I would say that motorcyclists are luckier than the fellow car owners as the chances of aquaplaning in motorcycles are far less than in a car. Motorcycles have narrow tires as compared to cars and secondly they are rounded than being flat which enhances their ability to push out the water to the sides.

For those who prefer wider tires for their motorcycle just for the sake of looks, better think twice as the chances of aquaplaning would be more with wider tires.

Factors contributing to Aquaplaning:

Aquaplaning can be caused by various factors which are mentioned below and whether your motorcycle will aquaplane or not will be dependent on all of these factors:

Tires:

Tires play a major role in Aquaplaning. If you have been neglecting the tires of your motorcycle for a long time then better have a thorough check and replace them if they are worn out.

Tires play a major role in order to prevent Aquaplaning

Size of the tire: The size of the tire determines the size of the contact patch which the tire would make with the road. The longer and thinner the contact patch is, the least are the chances of hydroplaning. Wider tires which are small in diameter are more prone to Hydroplaning.

Tire tread: Everyone of us knows that worn out tires have less traction. The tread depth ensures better traction on road and therefore reducing the risk of Hydroplaning as it gives enough room for the water to make its way out.

Tire tread pattern: The tread pattern contributes significantly to the amount of water the tire can channel away. Some tread patterns are more effective in doing this job.

Tire Pressure: Adhere to the tire pressure recommendation by the manufacturer. Improper tire pressure can affect the way the tire clears the water underneath it. Check your tire pressure regularly.

Water:

Apart from the tire condition, Aquaplaning is also dependent on the amount of water on the road. Some of the factors are listed below:

Water depth: The chances of Aquaplaning increases with increase in the depth of the water. When water comes in between the tire and the road surface, it reduces the overall friction causing the tire to ride over a thin layer of water which can cause the loss of control of your motorcycle.

Water composition: The overall composition of the water like the amount of oil, dirt, salt and minerals present in it can affect its overall properties and characteristics.

Motorcycle:

Motorcycle Speed:  As you increase the speed of your motorcycle the ability of the tire to hold on to the wet surface decreases. If you continue to ride at high speed on wet roads the chances of Aquaplaning rises significantly. Therefore it is always better to ride slow and carefully on wet roads which will help you control your motorcycle better.

Motorcycle Weight: Lighter motorcycles are likely to hydroplane more than heavy motorcycles. More weight causes the tires to stay in contact with the road and clear out water more easily. However one should ensure that the tire pressure is within the recommended values from the manufacturer. More weight on properly inflated tire increase the length of the contact patch and makes it thinner thereby reducing the chances of Aquaplaning. An under-inflated tire would behave the opposite way.

Another factor which can impact Aquaplaning is the composition and type of road surface you are riding on. Since this factor is not in our control therefore we will not talk much about it.

How do you know that your motorcycle is Aquaplaning?

It is very difficult to tell when your motorcycle is aquaplaning. You might feel the front wheel of your motorcycle is not making proper road contact. You will feel that the road grip has decreased which was there under normal riding conditions and causing your motorcycle to slide in a particular direction. You might also notice a sudden audible rise in the engine rpm.

What to do in case you Hydroplane?

The most important thing to remember as soon as you realize that you are hydroplaning is that do not apply your brakes immediately. Secondly keep the handle bar straight and do not turn it. After you have taken care of these two things slow down on the throttle smoothly. In case you need to apply the brakes then do it in pumping actions. Soon, you should be back in control of your motorcycle. Don’t panic.

If you feel your front tire is losing traction then you can lean a little forward so as to add some weight towards the front. This will help clearing away the water to a greater extent.

As a precaution it is always recommended to keep an eye on the road you are riding on. If you notice that the road is wet, try not to ride fast on it. Keep your speed slow and steady till the limit you feel that your motorcycle is in your control.

If you see that the road ahead has waterlogged, then try to judge which is the shallowest side, most of the times it is the edge of the road where the water is shallowest. At this stage, ride your bike in the first gear along the corner and feel the grip of the tires as you progress.

In the end don’t forget, its slippery when wet..

For all of you Yamaha bike owners, if you used to get your bike serviced at the Yamaha Pro Service Center, Mathura Road,New Delhi, then you have to find a new service center for your motorcycle.

Yamaha is closing the Yamaha Pro Service Center, Mathura Road, New Delhi w.e.f 15th of this month due to certain Government regulations.

The company is sending text messages to its customers for notifying them of this decision. The text message says:

We are extremely sorry to inform you that due to certain Government regulations, we are closing Yamaha Pro-Service Center, Mathura Road, Delhi w.e.f 15th June 2010

For those who don’t know, Yamaha Pro Service Center is company owned service center where your bikes are taken care of by Yamaha’s in-house engineers. The entire service center along with the visitor’s lounge is of high quality standard.

Motorcycles like YZF-R1 along with international models from Yamaha are also present at the Yamaha Pro Service Center, Mathura Road, which you can have a hard look at while you’re bike is being serviced.

So for some of you, it might be the time to find alternative service center for your motorcycle.

After getting the European patent for the ExhausTec technology in the month of January this year, Bajaj now gets the patent for it in China as well.

Bajaj introduced the ExhausTec technology in its bikes way back in 2004 and has already got the patent for this technology in various countries across the globe.

As per the company the ExhausTec technology improve the low to mid range torque in the motorcycles.

The patent has been granted by the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) to Bajaj Auto for its invention “ExhausTEC” by patent number ‘ZL 200580025898.7′ dated April 14, 2010.

Source: The Economic Times 

After a long time Suzuki is planning to launch a new model in India. Suzuki will be introducing another 125cc motorcycle called the SlingShot.

The SlingShot is expected to be launched in the 1st week of June this year. This bike will be equipped with a 125cc engine and a 5 speed gear box. The entire technical specs are not known as of now but we don’t expect them to be much different from the 125cc Zeus.

When Indian Motos Blog contacted the local Suzuki dealer regarding this development, a sales executive had this to say -

The bike will be based on the Suzuki Zeus and will have a 125cc engine. It will meet all emission standards so that it can be sold in major cities. We have no further information.

Suzuki Slingshot Features

From the images it looks that Suzuki has paid special attention to the looks of the bike and have tried whatever they could have done to make the 125cc bike more attractive and sportier. The bike resembles to Suzuki GS 150R a little bit as well, the fuel tanks perhaps could be borrowed from the 150cc motorcycle.

The all-analog meter console sits on top of the headlamp which is makes it a little peculiar when looked at. The console also has the gear shift indicator along with the traditional speedo, fuel indicator, etc. The alloy wheels have a different design and looks stylish.

The cost and the other minute details regarding the Suzuki SlingShot will be revealed very shortly, so keep following this space for more details on the SlingShot.

In order to further consolidate the Discover brand, Bajaj Autos is expected to launch a 150cc version Discover on 10th of this month. There was news that Bajaj has something big in its pocket which it will disclose to the world on 10th May but there is no confirmation of what exactly it would be. But it is more likely expected this “big” thing to be the Discover 150cc.

This 150cc bike would be targeted at the commuter segment and thereby expected to have better fuel efficiency than Pulsar 150. This bike will be placed just under the Pulsar 150 and above the Pulsar 135 LS and so would be the price. The bike is expected to have 14.1 ps of power and 12.8 NM of torque.

We will come back to our readers with more concrete news on this along with the confirmed technical specs of the bike soon.