Indian Motos Blog » Honda

HMSI mulls over liter class products for the Indian market

Shrawan Raja — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 05:25:47 +0000

For the past ten years or so, we have been pitching bikes with engines the size of coffee mugs against each other. And then due to the consistent nudges (in installments of 20 cc) from Bajaj we finally gave in to the pleasures of horsepower. We have now graduated to the quarter liter class. Miraculously, the transit from 250 cc to 650 cc has taken less than a year. The Hyosung GT 650R has faced competition from the Ninja650R in less than three months! And in response to this trend, Honda has reportedly expressed interest in bringing down 500 cc and 1000 cc products for its Indian portfolio. Even though Honda already sells the CBR 1000 and VFR 1220F in the CBU form, these fall prey to the custom duties. The eye watering price eventually is burdened on the bhp struck purist petrol head. The good news is that a sub-500 cc bike might be assembled on the Indian soil for domestic markets itself. To back this plan, HMSI will increase the localization of parts from 75% to 90%! Personally, we’d like to pitch CBR600 against the Yamaha R6..But then again we are all allowed some wishful thinking!

Yoshimura Aftermarket Exhaust for Honda CBR250R

Shrawan Raja — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 05:37:06 +0000

Seems like the only thing grabbing attention of all the bike aftermarket part manufacturers is the CBR250R. We have already seen various aftermarket jobs for the CBR from Ride it, Kittisak and Tauco customs and now we have the famed aftermarket exhaust manufacturer Yoshimura offering their own fleet of aftemarket exhausts for the bike. Yoshimura has come up with their new R-77J Street Sport slip-on end can exhausts available in stainless steel and carbon end cans, both available in 3 sleeve versions; Stainless, Titanium and Metal Magic and feature a removable dB-Killer (sound deaden-er).

The exhaust promises a considerable improvement in peak power and torque while saving on weight.

Yoshimura Aftermarket Tech Specs

CBR250R R-77J | Street Sports slip-on | Stainless end cap 180-420-5V50 Stainless Steel £493.07 180-420-5V80 Titanium £575.25 180-420-5V20 Metal Magic £575.25 CBR250R R-77J | Street Sports slip-on | Carbon end cap 180-420-5W50 Stainless Steel £575.25 180-420-5W80 Titanium £657.43 180-420-5W20 Metal Magic £657.43 Noise Output (decibels) With dB-Killer fitted: 86 dB @ 4,250 rpm Without dB-Killer fitted: 94 dB @ 4,250rpm

Honda CBR250R concept by Ride It

Nazish Siddiqui — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:36:19 +0000

At the time when the Indian motorcyclists are getting ready to lay their hands on this 250cc other parts of the world have people who have started conceptualizing and customizing it to their tastes. A new concept called "Race" from Thai tuners Ride IT is in the design and development phase in where are pondering over giving the CBR250R a thorough makeover. The new paint and sticker job could just be stage 1 of the tuning operation.

They have also used light weight carbon fiber wherever possible and equipped the bike with an all new exhaust. The entire stickering and the rear seat cover makes the bike fit for display on a racing track. It would not be a bad idea if HMSI seek some ideas from these concept models and introduce one in the Indian market. After all no one minds an extra option specially in our country where products sell more because of their looks rather than the capabilities. Coming back to the Honda CBR250R in India I'm yet to see one on road yet. I'm glad that at least one bike manufacturer has taken this step of introducing a 250cc bike while keeping the price within the range of most of the people.

Kittisak Racing modifies Honda CBR250R

Shrawan Raja — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 23:59:53 +0000

Kittisak Racing a Thailand based bike tuner/modifier showcased their newly tuned CBR 250R at the BKK MotorBike Fest 2011 which was a part of the Bangkok International Motor show. According to Kittisak Racing, the Honda CBR 250R which has not even completed an year in its life cycle was a perfect bike to play with and showcase the capabilities of both the tuner and the bike. The CBR250R has proved how comfortable the bike is both on the track and for everyday use as its if very affordable on price and is highly efficient on fuel consumption.

Sure the bike is a lot of fun in its stock form but there are a lot of enthusiast who want to upgrade the performance soon after getting used to the stock output. The CBR is one of the most affordable sports bike and further modification usually does not involve second thought for its owners. It is for such customers Kittisak has come out with their own version of the CBR 250R which includes a host of performance modifications but what catches your eyes first is the stark yellow paint job which has been called the Bumble Bee (Yes slightly influenced by the Chevy Camaro from the Transformers movies) . After studying the bike, Kittisak Racing was cure enough of the flexibility of the engine of the bike and hence it proved to be the perfect choice for them. The list of additions is exhaustive but everything is highly desirable and purposeful.

A few important modifications on the long list - * Carbon Kevlar Stop lamp and Tail * Engine Protector * Frame slider * Darkened Front Headlamp with Angle Eye, LED and projector. * DID performance chain setup * Yoshimura Full Freeflow Exhaust System * LED turn lights * Handlebar stabilizer * Ban Diablo Tire and Brembo rear petal disc setup * Bumblebee Yellow Paintjob with fairing graphics The bike is a now a tasty composition of performance and looks and will keep all those who are hungry for more horsepower and looks satisfied for long.

Honda CBR250R customized by Kittisak Racing

Source - motor-modified

Tauco Custom builds Honda CBR250R Street Fighter

Shrawan Raja — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 09:57:52 +0000

It has been truly said, where there is a will, there’s a way. Well here comes another example to prove the saying from Jakrata. A marine expert by profession and also a doctor Mr. Rudi Hutagalung decided to go a little off track his professions and decided to create something new or something with his own touch. No matter its commuting or touring, Rudi prefers higher displacement bikes which are more fun to ride than the scooters. Rudi, at first was hooked on to the Kawasaki Ninja 250R but then went for the new Honda CBR 250R as it’s more affordable compared to the Kwacker and comes very close in terms of performance; also it is the newer of the two. Rudi after acquiring his new possession, the CBR 250R decided to make a few changes to its looks. Near Rudi’s residence is Tauco Custom, a workshop renowned for bringing extreme modifications on bikes.

Rudi wanted to get rid of the fairing of his CBR 250R and go for a minimalist or naked looks though still keeping it somewhat true to its roots, i.e he basically wanted a Street Fighter. The headlamp has been taken from a Yamaha Byson (FZ16 in India). A few changes have been made to the handlebar to provide for a more comfortable riding posture. Alteration to the ride height have also been made to keep touring comfort in mind says Rudi.

A compact side fairing panel has also been created which is a trademark of the customization. Made from a 0.8 mm thick galvanized plate it is aerodynamic as well as light weight. With his new CBR Street Fighter the creator wants to set an example for other modifiers who should go ahead taking inspiration from Rudi’s Street Fighter and improvises and experiment. Source - motor-modified.co.cc

Bike Taxi Project Given the Green Flag

Shrawan Raja — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:05:51 +0000

Next time if you are around Fort Kochi and you call out for a taxi, don’t be amazed to see a bike come and park in front of you. Yes, Bike taxi service has got the green signal from the civic authorities of the Kerala state and soon the service would be provided in the first phase of the project i.e. in the heavily visited tourist zone of Fort Kochi. The Bike Taxi Project has been initiated by Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUPD) which is a local self Government Department of the Govt. of Kerala with an objective to increase growth potential of and to reduce poverty in the state. As per the initial functioning, a five member group will be facilitated to operate Bike Taxi’s in the permitted areas, although this team will have to be approved and suggested by the corporation councilors and welfare committee which fall under the civic body.

A conversation with the city Mayor informs that the Bike Taxi scheme falls under the ‘Livelihood Improvement Scheme’ of KSUDP, giving opportunities to unemployed or low income families to generate more revenue. The project finances have been planned and two banks have shown interest to invest. 35% of the project cost would be invested by KSUDP, 5% would be contributed by the beneficiaries and the rest 60% would be funded by the banks in association. The 5% cost which would be paid by the beneficiaries themselves in form of their part of investment in the venture would be approximately Rs 75,000. The project has been launched and now the civic authorities are waiting for the beneficiaries to come forward and once that is done final decisions on the routes and fares would be jointly taken. As per our information, attempts to introduce Bike Taxi’s have been made several times earlier as well but couldn’t get the green flag as they faced strict law and order. Source - BikeAdvice.in

Honda EV-Neo is a proper scooter for India

Shrawan Raja — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 19:03:55 +0000

Every automobile manufacturer is thinking about the social responsibility and are significantly trying to cut down on the carbon emission. The phase of increasing oil prices and the concern for the environment are forcing automobile manufacturers to think about the future aspects regarding these concerns. Might not translate into sales volume, but electric vehicles are gaining popularity in the Indian market as well as the other parts of the world, And to cast a spell, Honda is working on its electric EV- Neo scooter which they are currently testing in Barcelona, Spain.

What is the Honda EV-Neo scooter?

The scooter is targeted at the urban population as a low cost and flexible transporting solution. It uses a Lithium-ion battery with a 2.8kw motor which takes about 3.5 hours to full charge the battery. With a rapid charger you can even charge it in 30 minutes and that gives the range of 34km at 30km/hr on a level ground.

Why are they testing the Honda EV-Neo in Barcelona?

Barcelona City council and RACC, Spain's leading Automobile Club along with Honda are doing research and development in Barcelona. Motorcycle accounts to 30% of all vehicles in Barcelona which makes it an ideal destination for testing. On similar grounds, Indian market is also on the same marketing pattern. It will be a success in the Indian market as well because Honda is one of the largest two wheeler manufacturers in the country and has the technology ready. There are many brands that operate with electric two-wheelers, but no one apart from TVS has really made a realistic effort to make in roads.

Why should they test the Honda EV-Neo in India?

The electric vehicles has zero emissions and have a huge appeal since the climate change awareness in the country. Foundations like TERI are working on these issues and have also earned a Noble prize for that. India as a developing nation is one of the largest two wheeler market in the world and the electric vehicle is a great alternative. Not only EV-Neo is a compact solution for the congested roads in India, but affordable as well. By Alok Grover

1,800+ bookings for Honda CBR250R in India

Rakesh Sridhar — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 03:35:13 +0000

The Indian motorcycle industry is known for its poor response to the premium and high-end motorcycles. It can be justified since "Mileage kitna hai?" is the first question encountered by a person looking for an automobile. Though acclaimed for their insane power delivery, the legendary RD350, the Yezdi 350 and other high performance vehicles lost out in the market because of the economy factor. Partly, this has been the reason causing apprehension to all the major manufacturers from brining in the high capacity motorcycles. In the post Indo-Japanese 100cc motorcycle era, it was Kinetic which brought in the first twin-cylinder bikes which failed miserably. After being cautious for a reasonable amount of time, Kawasaki brought the Ninja 250 to India. It was a bold step from Bajaj considering the steep price of the baby Ninja despite being a CKD model. A CBU would have made the things worse. It was but natural that the technologically advanced Ninja ran away with a host of awards in its first year of launch. The first anniversary also had a surprise in the form of the Ninja crossing the four-digit sales figures. Kawasaki and Bajaj were happy with this result which exceeded their expectations. But, sadly, the joy of IKM (India Kawasaki Motors) is short-lived as the Honda CBR250R notches up 1800 bookings in its very first month of launch. The CBR is attractively priced at 1.5Lakhs for the base version which is almost half of the sticker price of the baby Ninja!

The CBR250 belts out an impressive 25Bhp of power and boasts of all the latest technologies. Borrowing the looks from its bigger sibling, the VFR1200, the CBR looks good. Combining all these alluring attractions is the price which makes it a clear winner when it comes to the 250cc segment now. Though there are several launches lined up in the segment, it will be tough for the competitors to post figures as good as the CBR250R. The concomitant of this extremely high number of bookings is the waiting periods which Honda should handle with caution. It will be natural for anyone to leave a product for another attractive product rather than waiting for months together. So here's our question to Honda, "It is awesome to see your CBR250R's bookings. But will the customers get their dreams fast?"

Will you imitate the Honda CBR250R Repsol edition?

Rakesh Sridhar — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:30:00 +0000

When we think of motorsports, the two major events that come to our mind are MotoGP and World SBK championships. The sheer thrill and the exhilarating excitement provided by the MotoGP is often complemented by the special racing livery of the monstrous motorcycles. The flashy graphics have evolved to induce an element of character to these racing machines than being just advertisements for the sponsors. The graphics have motivated several petrolheads among us to decorate our own machines with the stickers similar to some of the popular racing machines. And when it comes to the cosmetic modification culture in India, "46" of Valetino Rossi is by far the most favored among the bikers. But these cosmetic changes were always done after-market till HMSI (Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Ltd.) launched the "Unicorn" with special racing paint jobs. The Unicorn was sold in two racing skins - a Repsol Honda (orange-white-red) and a GP edition (blue-white-green). Repsol racing colours are clearly the most favourite after-market customization for Honda two-wheelers all over the world. So when Honda launched CBR250R in just three colours - Red, Black and Tri-tone (Red-White-Blue), it was a huge disappointment for many of the fans.

In this article, we present to you some of the images of a special Repsol edition Honda CBR250R displayed at a recent property exhibition. We can clearly see the efforts of the graphic artists to make the CBR250R look like the Repsol Honda RC212V. But sadly, due to the smaller dimensions of the CBR, the stickers look crowded and untidy. The Repsol stickers on the muffler and the rear body make the motorcycle look more like an animation rather than a reality. Though the modification increases the cost considerably, we can expect this model to sell well (if lauched) as the customers in this niche segment are usually emotion driven rather than being logic driven. Also, looking at the fact that several people spend huge amount of money to buy performance add-ons like the after-market exhausts, this model seems to be a very viable option. Though this model was specifically modified for the property exhibition, it is attractive enough to inspire the designers to make a similar customization for the CBR250R even if Honda doesn't launch the Repsol edition. Honda will launch the CBR250R by April in India and I'm sure many enthusiasts will play with color combination and do more justice to the original Honda Repsol edition. Source - tmcblog.com

Honda plans foray into used vehicles business

Rakesh Sridhar — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 10:40:48 +0000

"Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed" - But when it comes to motorcycles, we see, hear and learn that a sea of them are being made everyday but are they all destroyed? Well, the answer is no! Indian motorcycle market has a total sales of around 8 lakh bikes every month. So the annual figure amounts to about 1 crore bikes! But after a year or two, a better motorcycle is launched in the same segment with a lot of attractive options tempting the consumers to change their machines. So round-about 10 million bikes are due for change every two years. Where do these old machines go? Some are kept by the dealers, some are kept by the owners themselves as their spare vehicle while most of them are pushed over to the second-hand two-wheeler brokers who thrive all over the country. Once these bikes land up with the brokers, the quality of the bike depreciates considerably due to poor stocking conditions. Lack of standardization of the rates for second-hand two-wheelers is an another problem encountered. After contemplating on all these aspects, HMSI (Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Limited) has decided to take advantage of this hitherto untapped opportunity of dealing in the second-hand two-wheeler sales.

Though Hero Honda already runs a similar program called 'Sure' since 2005, 'Sure' is implemented only in the semi-urban areas and trades old vehicles only for a Hero Honda. In contrast, Honda's initiative concentrates on the direct purchase and sale of the used Honda two-wheelers. According to the experts, this move will improve the brand good will of Honda and aid the penetration of the brand into the rural areas. Industry estimates report the size of the second-hand two-wheeler market to be double that of the newly sold two-wheeler market. We can be sure that the other companies will also be vying for their pie in this market. If this is the way to go, the consumers looking for a second-hand two-wheeler can be assured of a tension-less peaceful procurement process. Eventually, every company will offer several benefits for their second-hand bikes leading to the availability of high quality low-cost used two-wheelers. Rest assured, we can be confident of witnessing a great competition in this market this year. Source - mydigitalfc.com