Vespa is all set to re-enter the Indian market and to help it on its way, World Bank arm IFC will fund the Italian 2-wheeler company with Euro 45mn. Vespa will utilize the funds to make eco-friendly scooters, motorcycles and LCVs in Vietnam and India.

Chairman and managing director Piaggio India Ravi Chopra -

A Vespa is a Vespa, its not a scooter. The Vespa will be designed for the Indian consumers’ tastes, something that offers them iconic value. It is a lifestyle product meant for the elite, for people who like to be distinctly known to possess something unique in nature

Vespa has taken a leave of 15 years in India and in its third attempt, it will try selling scooters and three-wheelers. The first product from its stable to be introduced in India is the 125cc Vespa LX scooter in 2012 at the company’s newly constructed Baramati plant.

Vespa is also working on gearless scooter suitable for short people. It will be designed for women riders wearing sarees as well.

Vespa LX 125 Technical Specifications

Engine and Transmission

Engine: Single-cylinder LEADER 4 stroke with electronic injection

Capacity: 124cc

Power: 7.65 Kw / 8250 rpm

Max Torque: 9.6 Nm / 7250 rpm

Cooling: Forced Air Cooling

Starter: Electric and kick starter

Transmission: Automatic

Suspension, Brakes and Tyres

Front Suspension: Single sided trailing link with hydraulic shock absorber

Rear Suspension: Hydraulic shock absorbers with preload adjuster

Front Brake: 200mm disc brake

Rear Brake: 110mm drum brake

Front Tyre: Tubeless 110/70 – 11″

Rear Tyre: Tubeless 120/70 – 10″

Dimensions and Weight

Length: 1770 mm

Width: 740 mm

Height: 1140 mm

Weight 114kg

Fuel Tank Capacity 8.5 litres

Yamaha has launched a new 125cc motorcycle in India. The Yamaha SS125 is the Japanese company’s offering for someone looking for performance close to a 150cc bike, and gas mileage that’s in the league of 100cc bikes.

The Yamaha SS125 is positioned between the YBR110 and the FZ16. Powered by a 125cc engine producing 11bhp, mated to a 5-speed gearbox, the SS125 is a souped up Gladiator.

Yamaha says features like aerodynamic racy under cowl, tachometer, lowered front cowl, light weight aluminum alloy wheels and front disc brakes make for an attractive proposition. Yamaha also claims that its fuel economy figure is around about 70kmpl.

Yamaha SS125 Technical Specifications

Engine

Type Air cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC
Cylinder layout Forward-inclined single cylinder
Displacement 123cc
Bore & Stroke 54.0 x 54.0 mm
Compression ratio 10.0:1
Maximum output 11 PS/7500 rpm (8 KW@7500rpm)
Maximum torque 10.4 Nm/6,500 rpm
Lubrication system Wet sump
Fuel supply Carburettor

Starting method Electric starter and kickstarter
Clutch type Wet, multiple-disc
Ignition type CDI

Transmission

Type 5-gear Constant mesh
Primary/Secondary reduction ratio Prim r = 68/20 (3.400); sec r = 45/14 (3.214)
Gear ratios 1st – 33/11 (3.000) 2nd – 32/18 (1.778) 3rd – 25/19 (1.316) 4th – 23/22 (1.045) 5th – 21/24 (0.875)

Chassis

Frame type Diamond tubular type
Suspension (front/rear) Telescopic fork, Swingarm
Brake type (front/rear) Disk, drum
Tyre size (front/rear) 2.75-18.4PR, 3.00-18.6PR
Battery 12V-5AH
Caster/Trail 26.0 degree/90.0 mm
Headlight 12V 35/25W Halogen bulb

Dimensions

Overall length x width x height 1995 x 730 x 1110 mm
Seat height 795 mm
Wheelbase 1,295 mm
Minimum ground clearance 155 mm
With oil and fuel 125 kg
Fuel tank capacity 13.6 litres
Engine oil volume 1 litres

DNA Money is reporting that Bajaj Auto will sell its Pulsar range of motorcycles in Europe through KTM brand outlets. Bajaj, which owns a major stake in the Austrian auto company, will utilize its stores in other parts of the world to sell its Pulsar range, it was reported.

Bajaj Auto is currently working on introducing the Pulsar 135cc in the Indonesian market. Bajaj anticipates to sell 35,000 units of the Pulsar 135LS in Indonesia every month. The Indonesian subsidiary is a loss making one, and by 2012 it hopes to break even.

Source – DNA Money

Thanks to our friend Kranti Sambhav of NDTV, we’re able to show you some low-resolution images and technical specifications of the newly launched Bajaj Avenger 220.

Bajaj has induced fresh life into the Avenger by transplanting a 220cc motor, lifted from the Pulsar 220. Priced at 69,930 (ex-showroom Delhi), the Bajaj Avenger 220 is the only cruiser you can buy in India for under a lakh of rupees.

Bajaj Avenger 220 technical specifications

Engine

Type 4-stroke, single cylinder, DTS-i, air cooled with oil-cooler
Displacement (cc) 219.89
Max. Power (Ps @ rpm) 19.03 @ 8400
Max. Torque (Nm @ rpm) 17.5 @ 7000
Starting Electric

Suspension

Front Telescopic
Rear Hydraulic Shock Absorber

Brakes

Front Disc, Dia. 260 mm
Rear Drum, Dia. 130 mm

Tyre

Front Tubetype Unidirectional – 90 / 90 x 17″
Rear Tubetype Unidirectional – 130 / 90 x 15″

Fuel Tank

Total litres(reserve, usable) 14 liter full (3.4 liter reserve)

Electricals

Battery 12V, 9Ah
Head lamp 60 / 55W
Horn 12V, 30W

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1475 mm
Ground Clearance 169 mm
Kerb Weight 154.5 kg

According to Business Standard, Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto limited, said in a recent interaction with the media that the company will launch an all-new Pulsar next year in India.

The new Pulsar will have “a completely new look, advanced engine and advanced technology.”

Bajaj has shown a couple of modified Pulsars, created by modification house Phoenix at the Jakarta Auto fair last month (click here for full details). The company could revive the 150 and 180cc Pulsars or could put a completely new Pulsar with higher displacement on the market.

Bajaj, during the launch of the Pulsar 135LS late last year, said it was working on higher displacement Pulsars displacing up to 400cc. We’re expecting to see a 350cc Pulsar with liquid cooling, mono-shocks, futuristic styling, dual discs, and four-valve engine.

Image for representation purpose only, has no connection with the story.

Image Source – Morukai

News Source – BS Motoring

Motoroids is reporting that Yamaha will launch their next 150cc motorcycle for the commuter in need of power on the 5th of next month.

Motoroids has also spotted a mule testing in Pune. They claim the launch of the SZ 150 will take place in Delhi and the prices, as usual, will be disclosed on the same day. There are no reports of bikes reaching dealer showrooms as of yet, so we’ll keep a close watch on the developments.

Source – Motoroids

Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha has unveiled its first electric scooter offering. The scooter christened the EC-03 is the first of a series of electric scooters which the manufacturer plans to launch in its home country of Japan.

Yamaha has designed the EC-03 on the philosophy of it being a ’smart minimal commuter’. The EC-03 has a 50v Lithium-Ion battery pack supplied by Sanyo and is powered by a Yamaha Integrated Power Unit (YIPU).

The YIPU comprises a brushless DC motor, control unit and a planetary gear transmission system, all of which are integrated into the hub of the rear wheel of the scooter.

The YIPU of the EC-03 has power and torque outputs of 1.9 hp and 7.1lb-ft respectively. The scooter has a range of 43 kilometres alongwith a top speed of 30 kmph while having a 55 kg rider onboard. The EC-03’s batteries take six hours to attain a full charge. The EC-03 electric scooter weighs just 56 kgs, which is about 30 % of the weight of a conventional petrol powered 50 cc scooter.

Yamaha has started accepting bookings for the EC-03 electric scooter in Tokyo since July 15 and will start accepting bookings countrywide in Japan from September 15 2010. The company will put the EC-03 up for sale from September 1 in Tokyo and the rest of Japan can get their hands on it a month later.

Yamaha aims to become the market leader in electric motorcycles by the year 2020. The company aims to do so by expanding its presence in electric two-wheelers other than its home country of Japan by venturing into markets like China, Europe and Taiwan. India may not be on the company’s radar for now, but this could change as soon as the Indian two-wheeler matures and Indian customers are offered electric two-wheelers at wallet friendly price points.

Yamaha EC-03 Electric Scooter Official Promotional Video

Source - Auto Evolution

Suzuki has revealed the technical specifications of its 2011 model year Suzuki Hayabusa superbike. The bike will be powered by the same 1340 cc liquid cooled, four-stroke, 4-cylinder engine mated to a re-worked 6-speed transmission.

The engine uses pistons made from Aluminium alloy and the compression and oil control rings of the pistons have been coated with a chrome-mitride lining using the Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) process. This ensures that the pistons are lightweight while at the same time reducing internal friction and improving the sealing of the cylinders.

The engine is fed fuel via the Suzuki Dual Throttle Valve (SDTV) electronic fuel injection system which consists of two 12-hole, fine-spray injectors for each of the bike’s 4-cylinders. The intake air for the engine comes via a ram air intake system alongwith a high volume airbox.

Suzuki has equipped the bike with its Suzuki Clutch Assist System (SCAS) in order to limit back-torque coming from the engine and thereby enable smooth downshifting of gears on the bike. The bike is also equipped with Suzuki’s Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) system which enables the rider to choose from three different power delivery modes of the engine namely A, B or C mode.

The braking duties of the bike are handled by twin 310 mm disc rotors upfront in conjunction with a single 260 mm disc rotor at the rear. The bike has been fitted with Tokico brake calipers mounted radially in order to reduce unsprung mass and improve the handling characteristics of the bike. The bike weighs in at a hefty 260 kgs and is held up by a 120/70 ZR17 M/C tyre upfront and a 190/50 ZR17 M/C tyre at the rear.

To please the green brigade, Suzuki has fitted the bike with its Pulsed Air Injection System (PAIR), which lowers the bike’s emissions by igniting the unburnt hydrocarbons coming out from the engine after combustion.

The bike still retains its five-pod analogue instrument cluster consisting of a speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and engine temperature indicator alongwith displays for the S-DMS, gear position, time, neutral light and a low fuel warning lamp in the centre pod.

The vertically stacked front headlamp has been boosted by increasing its intensity and the LED tailamps now have two lenses, a clear inner lens and a red outer lens.

The bike is available in two colour schemes of Pearl Mirage White with Golden graphics and Peral Nebular Black with Black Graphics. Suzuki has not yet revealed the pricing for the bike, but one things for certain, Suzuki will try to make available this bike in India as soon as possible for the many Hayabusa afficionados waiting to get their hands on one of these mean machines.

Source - Motoroids

Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) has plans to setup an assembly plant for its bikes in India. The cult bike maker also plans to establish a product development centre for the design and development of bikes for the Indian market.

Rod Copes, Senior Vice-President, International Sales, Marketing and Business Development, HDMC -

Going forward, we’re going to be looking at product development at more international bases. What’s the product that customers in different countries want? This will be in the third phase of our growth strategy in India—the first two being the launch with CBUs (completely built units) and the assembling of CKDs (completely knocked down kits).

Harley-Davidson is definitely looking to setup an assembly unit for its Indian operations, but it first wants to ensure that there is a sufficient sales volume of its bikes, in order to justify the high investment that an assembly unit will require. The company believes that it will reach a financially viable sales volume figure for an assembly plant over the next two years.

Harley-Davidson currently imports its bikes into India as completely Built Units (CBU’s), paying 80 % import duties for the bikes. The company could bring this figure down to 30 % if it starts to assemble its bikes from Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits sourced from abroad.

The company is looking to further expand its dealer network in the country from its present figure of just 3 dealers to around 12 over the next few months. The company is also looking to start rental services of its bikes through its dealer network by the end of next year.

Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India -

We are looking at cities and states with strong biking cultures for setting up dealers.

Harley-Davidson currently has a range of 12 models in India starting from a price of Rs. 6.95 lakh and going all the way up to a whopping 34.95 lakhs. The company has a tie up with ICICI bank to offer easy and hassle free finance services to its prospective customers. But, if you’ve been dreaming of a Harley-Davidson and don’t have the money to chalk out on the full payment or the finance scheme’s down payment, wait and save up for a couple of years and hopefully by then your dream Harley-Davidson ride should be much cheaper and will also be assembled in India.

Source – Livemint

Microsoft Chairman and Co-Founder Bill Gates along with Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla, has invested £23.5 million into a company by the name EcoMotors. The investment by the two IT honchos is to further the development of EcoMotors Opposed-Piston Opposed-Cylinder (OPOC) two-stroke engine.

Bill Gates, Microsoft Chairman and Co-Founder -

EcoMotors has developed a promising technology that could help reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions in a low-cost, globally relevant way

The OPOC two-stroke engine developed by EcoMotors possesses two-cylinders in an opposed configuration with a crankshaft in between the cylinders. Each cylinder has two pistons which move in opposite directions to each other. This design configuration completely eliminates engine components such as the cylinder head and the valvetrain, thereby resulting in an engine which is compact, lightweight, simple and efficient.

The main advantages of the OPOC engine are:

1. Lighter, more efficient and less polluting when compared with a conventional engine.

2. The OPOC engine produces 1 hp per pound of engine weight.

3. 50 % fewer moving parts when compared with a conventional engine.

4. Low Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH).

5. Runs as a fully balanced 4-stroke, 4-cylinder engine.

The OPOC engine can also be connected in multiple modules with the help of an electronically controlled clutch, in order to obtain a range of different power outputs. The OPOC engine can also function as a variable displacement engine, thereby offering good fuel economy, optimised performance and reduced emissions.

EcoMotors is currently developing two versions of its OPOC engine namely the EM65 and the larger, more powerful EM100. Both the engines can be used in single or multiple module configurations depending on the requirement.

EcoMotors will be using its OPOC engine in a car which it is currently developing and which will be capable of delivering a fuel economy figure of 100 mpg. The company is also reportedly working on the design of a motorcycle using the same engine.

It seems as if the OPOC engine developed by EcoMotors has the ability to resurrect the dying breed of two-stroke engines and bring them back to life with a bang and prove to the world that two-stoke engines while being powerful can also be fuel efficient and low emitting.

Technical Specifications of the EM100 OPOC Engine

Cylinder bore: 100 mm
Dry weight: 296 lb.
Dimensions (LxWxH): 22.8 x 41.3 x 18.5 (Inches)
Power: 325 bhp @ 3,500 rpm
Torque: 664 lb.-ft @ 2,100 rpm
Power Density: 1.1 hp per lb.

Principal Components of the OPOC Engine Module

Source – Visor Down