I was in search of a good budget riding jacket just before my Mumbai-Bangalore-Mumbai ride and had researched on many of the jackets available. Once i came across the Xplorer from BikingBrotherHood, I decided to buy it after a good research about it. I emailed to BikingBrotherHood to get a personal review on this jacket and they did fail to deliver on my expectations in their response. I ordered for my size in Red and the jacket was available 3 days prior to my ride. It costed me 5999 Rs at the Andheri Dealer “Helmet Store”



Has been over 4000 kms I am using this jacket, and it is one of the best of the lot. The quality is superb for a budget jacket. It comes with CE rated armors at the elbows, shoulder and the Back. The quality of the armors is good and they fit perfectly in their places.

xPLORER JACKET – RED – Bikingbrotherhood

The build quality is great with a combination of 600D Cordura and Mesh. I felt that the jacket comprises of Cordura the most, unlike few others I tried on before getting this, but the mesh is very well in place for optimum air flow. I initially thought that it might get hot due to less mesh as compared to others, but surprisingly the air flow is best and keeps the body ventilated without the thermal liner.



The jacket has a detachable thermal liner which serves well against the 4 am cold. On my Bangalore ride, the jacket kept me warm and protected from the December morning cold. It has a reflective piping at the back ,front and the sides which is good in the dark

The new versions of this jacket(which I have) do not have a rain liner inside the jacket but an external rain jacket is given to wear it on the jacket, which I feel is the best as the jacket does not get wet which is not the case when the rain liner is inside the jacket.

The jacket has a zip pocket at the back below the back armor to keep the rain liner and is very convenient. I haven't tested it in rains, but the build quality is assuring.



The jacket has adjustable straps on the arms and elbows and the waist. It has zippers near the wrist for adjustments and straps to get snug fit. It has pockets to fit in the Chest armor too, which is excellent. Although it has to be bought separately, at this price budget , a provision to do so is quite convenient. I am yet to order the chest armors so have no idea about the quality, but as listed on their website, the armors are in compliance with pre-Standard Pr-EN 1621.3 level 1. It has a zip to be attached with Riding pants.

It has 4 pockets, two on the outside on either sides and two on the thermal liner. One pocket on the thermal liner is a big one and can hold wallets and some other stuff. Whereas the other one is a slim one to store headphones, watch, etc.



I recently washed the jacket and it’s very easy to remove the armors and stuff.

I tested this jacket on my Bangalore, Goa, Nashik and other small rides and my personal view on this Product from BikinBrotherhood is awesome.


Do PM me if you need to know anything else about this Jacket. Also I bought the full gauntlet gloves from BikingBrotherHood for which ill post a review too.

Along with my purchase of the Xplorer jacket and knee guards from BBG, i also bought the full gauntlet gloves at Rs 4000, which are the only ones they offer except the winter/water proof full gauntlet gloves.

After trying on the DSG primal and Aspida Ares , which fits my budget, i tried on the BBG full gauntlet gloves and there it was. The comfort and protection it offers at the price point is awesome.



These are full gauntlet leather gloves with ample amount of protection to the wrist, palm,fingers and knuckles. It has carbon protection at the fingers and on the knuckles. Extra protection to the pinky finger and the palms. The knuckle protectors sit on the second layer of the gloves which offers better knuckle protection.



The fingers are a little pre curved which makes the movement easy. The grip is excellent and feels a snug fit gloves yet very comfortable for touring. I had very sore knuckles during the breakin on my Bangalore ride, but it went off after the first 2k kms. I would say it took a more time to break in.

They are breathable with a pretty good airflow. Although during my goa ride in January last week, I had a bit of sweating on the costal road. Might be due to more humidity and slow speeds on the costal goa highway, but i was feeling a bit if heat. This eventually waded off at dawn.



The gloves have double velcro straps at the wrist and a small adjustment strap below the palm. This makes the gloves fit well and do not move. There is carbon protection on the wrist too and an ample diameter to tuck the jacket in the gloves.

The gloves are going good after 4000kms and i do not see any wear and tear yet. Also, the beat thing in comfort i likes is that the stitching at the finger tips is though inside, but its soft and i do jot feel a thing ! Feels like it is on the outside and doesn't hurt my finger tips like some other gloves I read the reviews about.

Overall , its a good buy for me and my requirements. Do PM me if you need to anything more about this.

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Hi
My name is KETAN MAJALKAR and i am currently based in pune..besides the love for biking am also the aircraft mechanic.. Looking forwrd to know some great people with same craziness...😁😁😁😁

Thank you @xBhp

I, myself Karthik currently a engineering student and own a honda unicorn 150.

Hi all!

I'm planning a trip from Bangalore to Guwahati (Assam) somewhere in April 2018 on my Yamaha FZ. I'm curious if the bike could sustain the long ride, nearly 3200 kms ? And also, I'm planning to take the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh-Orissa-West Bengal-Assam route, basically the NH-16 route. Any inputs regarding the road condition would be highly appreciated too! :):)

P.S. This being a solo trip, if somebody really interested to join for the trip, please inbox me!

Warning: Long Post, Novice Writer, Few Pics

Hello Folks,

I could not even think in a hindsight that this day would arrive. But thanks to God's grace, my parent's blessing and my wife's support, I am able to realize the dream. After so many years of drooling, watching every video and review possible, contemplating and wishing to own it one day... finally I bought a 2012 Yamaha R6.

Prologue

Much like most of us, 2 wheelers / bikes have always been a thing of fancy for me. The TV series Street Hawk is what I remember to have started it all… that black bike was kind of a wet dream to be honest in those childhood days.

Being from a small town, a bicycle and then a two-wheeler were the main mode of transport for most people. I too was not very different. Used to ride bicycles during the school days, then graduated to the legendary Luna (handed down from my eldest sister to my elder sister to me) for a couple of years. But when I turned 18 I had to get on a bike and so the tug of war began…

The Yamaha Rx135 that I didn't get, the CD100 that was handed down and the Classic Pulsar 150.

My cousins had a Yamaha RXG. I am not sure if anyone remembers that bike, but it was something which Yamaha launched when the RX100 was discontinued before the RX135 launch which I assume was a rebranded RXG with 1 more gear… but anyways they got 1 between 3 of them and I wanted 1 for myself being the only son... which my father flatly disagreed because of the not so good mileage and even worse reputation of getting people into trouble. He offered me to get something else, but I flatly refused. We both stayed held to our guns but finally someone had to give in…

My dad had a very short daily commute and we used to stay in the old city... So, having a car was out of question and everyone in our family had their own two wheelers predominantly from the Bajaj stable. My dad up to now has owned around 12-15 different 2 wheelers the first one being a Bajaj as well for which I guess they had to wait for around 6 years for delivery. He fondly remembers that in those days they did not get any choice. The dealer called about the vehicle being ready for delivery and they got it in whatever condition it was no questions asked... take it or leave it... Getting vehicles with torn or damaged seats was common in those days and he too had been smitten by the bike bug just a few years back when he saw a Kawasaki Bajaj 4S. Being the kind of guy he is... he got the bike for himself in the same month but that affair didn’t last long as he faced some reliability issues with the bike and decided to sell it off within a year for Hero Honda CD100.

So, when my turn came to get a bike the CD100 had been in our family for around 2-3 years already. Do you remember the guy in the first para that gave in? Yup... you guessed it right... that’s me... I decided to use the CD100 for a few years until something good launched in the market…

Then came the Pulsar in 2001… Obviously I had just got the CD100 few months back so there was no way I was getting a new bike this early, but my father finally gave in in 2003 and I got the Classic Pulsar 150 just before the DTiS version launched. I was happy that I got the classic because the DTiS felt a bit lighter to me compared to my bike and the round light looked a million times better compared to the cowl (my personal opinion). This bike is still in my hometown and is sparingly used by my nephew. I used it during my master's and my first job in Pune. This is my wife's favorite as well as this was the one which we used to roam around the city when we met for the first time.



The Pulsar 220F

For my first job I moved to Pune and got my P150 transported as well, unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of the proper procedure that time and, so we didn't get a NOC from my state and hence I could not get my bike registered in Maharashtra. I didn’t realize that having an out of state bike could be such a struggled. I could not go much further away from my house and had to limit my travel within a fixed radius. My friends use to lend me their vehicles every now and then, but I did not feel much comfortable asking favors on a regular basis so one fine day I went for a job interview (which I got rejected from btw) and on my way back booked the Pulsar 220F from the Probiking showroom. The Duke 200 and the R15 were other candidates that time but I chose the Pulsar considering the pillion comfort and the ample torque available on tap along with a stable ride. It served me well for the next 4 years and…



Then came 2014…

We moved to the US in Sep 2014 and with a heavy heart I had to sell my beloved P220F to a colleague after getting it serviced and replacing the tires at my expense. We had taken care of each other for 4 years and I wasn’t going to part with it while it was in an average condition.

When you relocate to a foreign country the bug to get your dream bike grows multifold due to the available options, the comparative lower buying and maintenance costs but when you are with your family, the needs take priority over the wants and, so I had to work on getting a car first.

I got the license in 2 months and was looking for pre-owned options but slowly moved to getting a new car and in came a 2014 Honda Civic EX. As it was year-end, and 2015 model was already available this had some discounts available, so we went ahead and bought it. If I had waited a bit more, I could have got a pre-owned car and saved money, but I was just thinking of using it for a few years at-least and I am glad that the decision paid off. Unfortunately, few unforeseen expenses and a level of uncertainty in the job kept my plans of getting the bike at bay. I was just an observer here like in India thinking of getting a bike someday every time I saw one.

Fast-forward to 2017…

The job uncertainty was still there but at a higher level now considering Mr. T came into office. For me though it was a decision of now or never as it had been almost 2.5 years and I didn't know how much more I would be staying so if I had to get a bike it had to be now without thinking about the future or consequences. By March / April I took the riding course, got a license and was looking at preowned R6s at dealerships and craigslist. I looked at a few ZX6Rs and GSXRs as well, but I would quickly shift my focus on the R6 as that was the only bike I wanted to buy.

Like a car though I wasn't going to get a new one this time but for different reasons altogether. Modifying a bike to a certain extent is what people do for sure in the US (fender eliminators, shorty levers, custom blinkers, frame sliders, and even exhausts are some of the most common mods) and I wanted to save myself a little bit of pain and money in that area along with the money saved on getting a preowned bike. Moreover a 07 or a 17 R6 wasn’t going to make much difference for me at my skill level of 2 in 0 to 10.

Thought getting a good bike within your budget with relatively low mileage is a bit tough in craigslist. Most of them where way high compared to the KBB price and ones that were within budget had some kind of damage.

Initial test ride and self-realization

But in around May I found a good R6 around 90 miles from my place. I contacted the owner and on the next weekend went to see the bike. It was a 2012 black, around 5000 miles, no scratches, damage, etc. and the asking price was also reasonable. So, I offered the owner to take a test ride under the condition that if it falls, I pay for the damages. He agreed but accompanied me as a pillion. I took a short ride at low speeds near his residence and in a matter of minutes it hit me that I might have aged a lot in the last 2.5 to 3 years. The riding position was so extreme that it broke my back completely (not literally but the pain was on a similar level). That experience plus the creature comforts of a car made me realize that it might not be something that I would be comfortable riding on a day to day basis. There's a saying that you should never meet your heroes, for me that’s exactly what had happened that day and I was totally put off and took of my mind from getting a super sport.

The Fz-09

After getting a heard hit from reality I decided to shift focus on getting a middleweight naked bike. Though all the bikes are competent the Fz09 has been ruling all of them in sales and thus a had a high availability in the 2nd hand market. I found a recent year model with less miles and decided to take a look on the coming Sunday. The owner was in his early 20s and wanted to sell this for a down payment towards his truck. I like it and just asked him to give me a day to make my mind.

The next day in my office I came to know that I might have to relocate somewhere within US in July. All the major expenses were immediately suspended, and the bike was also part of the list as in case I had to move, it would have added around 500-600$ in movement and other costs plus setting up a new house from scratch brought its own set of issues. So, I messaged the owner informing him about my decision and that was the end of it…

The demo day that changed my mind

July came, and I was still in the same city with still a bit of uncertainty, as usual browsing craigslist, cycletrader, dealer websites, etc. just to look at their inventory and to see getting good bikes being sold... On one website thought I came to know about a Yamaha demo day where test rides for most of the bikes are available which is not generally the case at dealerships. This was something I wasn’t aware of before as I am sure I might have missed many of them in the last few months. As the dealer was just 60 miles away, I headed over there with my wife over the weekend. The rides were distributed in slots across the day. You can take 3 test rides but at a time book only 1 slot. My choices for test rides were the R6, Fz09 and the R1. Unfortunately, the R1 was booked for the entire day so I could not get a chance to ride it. But in the first slot I selected the R6. Despite my previous experience, I approached this with an open mind. This would have been a first proper test ride for me and boy this was really an eye opener. The bike was so awesome to ride at somewhat higher speeds (still within the limit though) in the absence of a pillion. Though the position was as aggressive as before, this time I was able to move my body a little bit for a more comfortable ride. This was around a 25-30 mile ride and I was smiling ear to ear inside my helmet. The power and the rush was just something I had never experienced before. The moment that ride ended, my mind was made.

Still, why to let go of an opportunity lay before you? So I went ahead and took the Fz09 for my second ride. The bike is a true hooligan and handles extremely well. All those stories of it being a wheelie machine are true and you have to be gentle with the throttle. Obviously, I am not skilled enough to take these bikes to even a quarter of their limit and with my limited capability was just able to device that the overall experience on the Fz09 wasn’t as special as being on the R6. To confirm my feeling about the R6, i took the test ride again and was glad to confirm the same feeling.



The S1000RR bug…

Surfing craigslist gives you all kind of options and the S1000RR seriously made me go weak in the knees especially the 2014 and prior models. Though I did not reach out to any owners considering the kind of power a 1000cc would throw at me, the higher maintenance of a German machine, the insurance costs, etc., I seriously considered getting it when we visited a dealer that had a 2012 S1000RR at a killer price. Hell, even my wife and her group of friends were bowled over that bike and I got a nod in the first go from her to get this in-spite of it costing a bit higher than my budget for the R6.

We might have made the deal that day but the sales representative, a very experienced gentlemen told me that the bike had just come in a day before and there are few checks, factory recalls and periodic maintenance that are to be done on the bike and he wanted me to take a proper test ride before I made any decision which was fair on his part and I got a call from him 2 weeks later on a Wednesday inviting me for the ride but I could not visit him due to work on the weekdays and when I went there the same Saturday the bike had been sold already./

I checked out many s1000rrs online but most of them were priced steep with high miles and I again thought of getting a 600cc rather than a 1000. Maybe the next bike would be this few years down the line.

This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as well as in August I was first moved to a city 100 miles away from my place and then I got another job in San Francisco in November, so having bought a bike would have definitely been a hassle with all the movement involved from East to West coast.

Dec 13 2017

I got settled in the new job and as usual was browsing Craigslist in my free time to check for motorcycles.. I had seen a few but nothing that interested me. It was the usual affair on 13th Dec when a 2012 Yamaha R6 caught my eye. It was a single owned, low mile (5300), clean title bike. I checked the contact details and found a phone number listed. I immediately texted him and got a reply stating the bike was available. The place was again around 60 miles from where I stayed so I promised him to call back on Friday to discuss further on this.

Once I left office on Friday, I immediately gave him a call. The guy sounded genuine and was gracious enough to meet somewhere near his place. He could not come to a place which would be equal distance for both of us as he was not comfortable riding the bike on the freeways which was the main reason for him to sell it in the first place, so the next day I along with my friend drove down to his place. I called him when we were about to reach as decided and he told that he is trying to get the bike jump started using a portable charger as it was idle for some time and the battery was dead. I thought it would be a good idea to hear the bike getting started with a cold engine and decided to go to his place instead.

His place was in a pretty remote location and the area looked pretty rural. So at first we got second thoughts but then decided to go ahead. We found his house and entered the gate, got out and started looking for him. Seeing us he came out and met us. The guy was originally from Mexico having moved to the US around 12-15 years back, working in construction. He was a typical biker but preferred dirt bikes (he had a CRF 450 as well I guess) to super sports which suited the setting he lived in.

He had stored the bike in his outhouse away from the elements and it was in pristine condition at first glance apart from the dead battery. He had fitted the bike with few accessories like fender eliminator kit, flush mounted indicators(front), a dark windscreen, frame sliders, swing arm spools, shorty levers and a GYTR slip-on exhaust.

So while the battery was getting charged, we discussed the overall condition, usage, reason for selling, getting the bike inspected, etc. He didn't have any service records as he moved recently but was happy to get it inspected by a dealer.

After 30 mins or the battery had enough juice to jump start the bike post which I took a test ride and then we went to a nearby dealer and got the bike inspected. While the bike was getting inspected we wanted to grab a bite and asked our new friend to join us as well and I guess that was the first time he tried vegetarian food which he liked I assume.

We returned back and got an OK from the dealer on the condition of the bike but just few minor things like engine oil, brake fluid, etc. had to be taken care of thought not immediately. We returned back to his place and did a bit of discussion on the bike and the selling price. The price was firm according to him which was fair at the first place but I wanted some discounts considering the bike needed maintenance. Finally we decided on the price he quoted which included a spare helmet and delivery of the bike to my place either by riding or on his truck. After a little bit of thinking he agreed and the deal was done. We returned and on the way back I was so happy that I immediately called my friend back in India who is also passionate about superbikes and gave him the news. He was so excited to hear this and wished me all the best.

The night I was a bit nervous as this was a major decision I took and still was having the 2nd thoughts. I called my wife (she is still in East coast by the way due to her job) who as usual talked some sense into me as I am an overthinker. She told me to chill and enjoy the ride.

The next day I got below update from the seller around 11:00 in the morning and I got excited….



He texted me again when he started and within 2-3 hours he reached at the my friend's place with the bike on his truck. This is when I was quickly able to capture this once in a lifetime vid.



We offloaded the bike and completed the transaction. He told me that on his way to my place, every time he saw the bike in the rear-view mirror, he wanted to turn around and return back as he loved the bike so much, but preferred selling it as he did not use it that much and could use the money towards another dirt bike. He also had a Astar mesh jacket which he won't be using now and so we did a small deal around that as well as it fit me just fine. I thought of using it for some time while I would be buying my own gear during the next few months. Post this, he took my leave with a promise to help me in case of any issues with title transfer. My friend's wife and twin daughters were gracious enough to do the customary puja and off i was to my place experiencing my own dream bike for the first time!!

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Hi Guys, I'm Gagandeep and I recently joined this forum. I own a Pulsar 200 Dtsi (2008) and I'm passionate about riding. Looking forward to some good time here. :)

i am new here myself dipankar sarkar from golaghat assam . is anyone from assam ?

Hello beloved riders,
This is Sundar from Chennai. Thanks for providing this wonderful forum for shaping budding riders to community. I am a thorough follower of this forum for last couple of years.

I bought a new Gixxer 155 in Pongal(Harvest festival) and it was an accident (fall in love, of course). Before making any post on Gixxer forum, i wanted to learn all the pages (i know its about 800+ and now i'm near 300+). Will share my experience with ownership thoughts after my first service, which is scheduled in a week from today.

For the mods, thanks for your approval on my membership. I'm excited to know, that i can talk to @sandeepcf, @devils_friend, @Habshar in gixxer forum. Waiting to complete other 400+pages to start...

CBUs to now have only 50% import duty

http://www.cbec.gov.in/resources//ht.../cs26-2018.pdf

Hi xbhpians,

This is Pradeep from Bangalore, I joined yesterday and too excited to be a part of this group. I currently ride a access125 but planning to buy a bike and I know u guys would definitely help me select one. I used to ride pulsar 150 for nearly 7years but changed to scooter after daughter was born in 2013 but the desire to ride bikes hasn't died yet. I did few breakfast rides with my cousins HD 48 and since then the urge to ride bikes has become more. I cant afford a HD but I am looking for a bike which I would be riding for weekend rides and very occasional city rides. I was looking at RE C500 stealth black but saw lotta owners complaining about the inefficient EFI used by RE. Now that's put me in a dilemma whether to buy RE or not. Explored a bit on the net and saw few suggestions how to maintain the RE efi and still confused. I badly need your opinion guys. Should I go for the RE C500 stealth black or shud I wait for interceptor (lil out my budget but can manage). Or do you guys suggest any other bike for weekend rides.

Hello everyone,

When i was planning to own a NS160, i searched the internet for brief description regarding the technical details of the bike. But there was nothing other than comparison, ride review and basic details. May be because it is a new model, that nobody has much description. And that left me with some real technical doubts. And what attracted me was a thread about NS160 in "XBhp". At first i bought a Tvs Victor 110 in 2003 & had it for 4.5 years (55000 kms), Then a Bajaj Discover 125 in 2007 & kept it for 3.5 years (43000 kms), Then a Bajaj Pulsar 150 in 2011 & kept it for 7 years (148000 kms). Victor really was not a nice one, i sold it wilfully. But gave the discover just to get my dream bike and sold my dream to get hold of this Beast. Bought NS160 just one month before. I am here to clear my technical doubts and to help others with what i know.

Hi guys,

Planning to buy a bike but totally confused. I had shortlisted bikes only from the RE stable but after reading about the EFI problems don know if i should I go ahead. My usage is very limited in city and weekend rides. I am mainly looking for cruiser for a relaxed highway ride.
I had shortlisted C500 stealth black, TB500 and TB500x (if launched this month). Now the problem with these bikes is the efi and rusting of the TB. So please help me to finalise a bike. I am open other options also. Thanks in advance. [emoji3]

It was in the month of May, 2017 we last went for a long ride. There were a few short ones but they were not enough to satiate our hunger. Few plans were made and cancelled. Meanwhile I got transferred, had to settle at new office, travelled Deoghar and Chennai in November and December with family. And in between all these, what I was missing the most was riding.

My friend bought himself an upgrade in the form of brand new Fazer 25 from his old fazer v1. He was eager to try his new machine on a long ride. And suddenly all the pieces of puzzle fell in places and a plan was made overnight.

And here we came riding after a long and distressful 8 months.....

The plan was to start early, but weather god had other plans. There were forecast of light raining, and it WAS raining in the morning. But I was in no mood to refrain myself. So I start at 8:30 when the rain stopped with much resistance within the family. The road was calling me, how can I ignore?

The last time we visited Purulia, we took the Durgapur-Barjora route. This time we took the Raniganj-Mejia route. The journey till Raniganj was fairly uneventful with riding along the NH2 with an average speed of 80kmph.

Raniganj is famous for coal mines and the roads are full with Trucks, Dumpers carrying coals to their destinations. We slowed a lot in the traffic and following a number of trucks reach the Mejia bridge on river Damodar. Mejia is a nearby thermal power plant whose coal is supplied from Raniganj through this bridge by rail and road. No passenger train moves along this route, only coal supply wagons.

We stopped there for some photo shooting. There had been some complaints from my friend regarding very few photos en route. I too agreed with him, cause I tend to cover as many places as possible which leaves very little time to shoot pictures on the way. But this time was different. I signalled him to stop for photos and he more than happily obliged.





[IMG]



https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180214/1da07bf42d9b848ce7f5ca81b8e3cadc.jpg[/IMG]

Rest after approval

Dear fellow Members of xbHP

Its been a long time since my last post . I asked all of you for your opinions whether I choose the R3 the Rc or wait for bmw g310 r... And i am thankful for all your feedbacks..

Sorry to disappoint you but i dint buy any of that, rather i dint buy any bike at all and kept my itch keeping me mad for a looong time.

The wait continued day after day i kept my savings going on and on . But was unable to keep my patience and finally decided to get a middleweight ..

I took a few test rides of bikes in my budgets like the z650 , the ninja 650 and benelli 600i..
I must admit the ninja was good with the initial torque and the handling but i was not verymuch happy with the riding posture..

The z650 was equal in all aspects with the ninja 650 but the riding posture was better and since i have been riding fz s for a few years the handle made me feel much more confident during traffic..but still something was missing ....

Finally inspite of plenty complaints in the bike i went for the test ride of benelli tnt 600i ... And man that bike blew me away.. i seriously mean it.. the bike has its flaws like an old instrument cluster .. a high kerb weight .. but when it runs it blows your mind.. perfect wide angle handle .. and the sitting posture is also very nice.. But my friends the best is yet to come “the Growl” vroooooom vrooooom... yes in line 4 symphony.. the best sound you can hear .. that sound attracted me too much and i just couldnt control and bought the beast..

Been waiting too long after payment and the formalities were going on .. yesterday the showroom called and informed me that my bike is ready for delivery so I am going to pick it up tomorrow..

Its like a dream come true.. MY FIRST UPGRADE.. MY FIRST INLINE 4..
MY BEAST.. MY BABY..[emoji7][emoji7]

Wish me luck friends.. need it much..

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February – March 2018 Issue



Content Highlights:

In the February 2018 issue of the xBhp Magazine we ride the soon to be launched Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster in America and also drive the Polaris Slingshot there! We ride an exciting new motorcycle on the Indian scene, the TVS Apache RR 310. We have four incredible travelogues of reaching the new highest motorable road to taking an automatic scooter in the Himalayas to the scenic coastal route of Konkan to riding the snow in Uttarakhand. We also have a dream story of participating in one of the toughest rallies in the world, the Baja 1000. All this and lots more in this issue…

Content Contributors:
Deepak Gupta
Sagar Raikar
Sachin Sen
Nitinjit Singh Bawa
Arunabh Majumdar
Ziuar Rehman


You can also get the magazine delivered to your doorstep via itsallhere.in . You can download a digital copy of the magazine from Magzter

Hi all,
New joinee here. Have driven bikes for 18 years now. Drove dad's Hero Honda Splendor till 2015 regularly, but have been comfortable driving most - Pulsar, Unicorn, Thunderbird, FZ, etc. Haven't biked regularly since 2015 (as in...on a daily or frequent basis) due to changing nature of my job. Finally in a stable job and want to buy a bike now. Strongly considering a Classic 350, but I would appreciate some inputs given my background -

• Profile: 33 years old, 5'10", 85 kg. On the heavier side but athletic.
• Usage: I commute to office in an office car (with driver). Bike will be more for domestic purposes, weekend intra-city usage and occasional inter-city travel (say within 150-200 km). I enjoy biking whenever I do it but not the Kashmir-Kanyakumari types. Not a die-hard Enfielder either, but I think it is a classy and long-term option. If I get a bike now, will not look to buy again for at least another 10 years. Don't mind spending 1.6 on the Classic 350 but not exactly floating in money. :P

Given all this, in a quandary if I will be able to do justice if I spend 1.6 on an RE. I would appreciate some perspective on -

• Whether it is worth the expense given I'm not going to use it for office commute and usage will be pretty limited to weekend rides locally and the occasional (read not more than 4-5 times a year) inter-city drive.
• If not a Classic 350, would you recommend a lesser expensive but 150+ bike for my sporadic usage? Say a smooth and steady Unicorn or something like that?

Cheers,
Late Biker

Last few years have been great for the Indian motoring enthusiast, with affordable and lovely looking pocket rockets available that don't break the bank!
It all started with Bajaj teaming up with KTM and we all know how it turned out. The market accepted the (initially) odd looking alien like Dukes with open arms and slowly the other companies realised they've to follow suit!

Millennials today worry less about mileage and looks do matter, because motorbikes nowadays aren't just a mode of transport to reach from point A to point B, they're tools to arrive at the destination in style! In come the Gixxers and Hornets. Dukes and RCs if you're short on time. But then, there were none to very few bikes which gave you the ultimate feeling of an attention grabbing magnet, bikes which were fast as well as attractive. Bikes that make people stop in amazement with their jaws dropped on the floor!

Ducatis, for example have that aura; but then how many people can afford buying and maintaining one?

Enter TVS-BMW. BMW showcased their GS310R and people lost their minds. Online publications heaped praises and the Indian enthusiast lay waiting. Meanwhile, TVS showcased a sharp looking bike at the 2016 auto expo, nicknamed The Shark (Akula). Pic taken off the internet.



But then we see so many concept bikes from desi manufacturers that look awesome, only for none of them to see actual production. Only CS400/Dominar comes to mind that made to the road, with few fancy bits cut off to keep costs in check. Add to that TVS' perception of being lazy (RTR 200 for example) meant people had already assumed that Akula may not see the road anytime soon.

A little over a year later, TVS dropped a bomb!





Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is a desi bike that looks like an Italian and has sufficient kit to keep one engaged and happy at the same time. It's priced very well for its segment and manages to perform decently in Indian conditions as well.

Specs wise, here is the breakdown (pic sourced from the internet):



With the above stats, it's supposed to be decent on the track as well as the open road. How well does it actually fare? Let's find out!

First of all, I'd like to thank TWIC motorcycle rentals, Mekhri Circle (Bangalore) for letting me know that the bike has arrived and I wasted no time in booking it for a day.
P.S - I'm not related to them in any manner nor is this post an advertisement for their business channel. For more details, kindly get in touch with them over their Facebook page or the website.

Now, let's break down the review categorically.

Looks:

10/10. TVS has managed to carve out a beauty. Just look at it!



Engine and gearbox:

The engine is developed by BMW and tuned by TVS to offer the best of both worlds on this bike. It has the 313 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine known from the G 310 R with four valves and two overhead camshafts together with electronic fuel injection. The capacity of 313 cc results from a bore of 80 millimeters and a stroke of 62.1 millimeters. A salient feature of the single-cylinder engine in the G 310 GS is the fact that its cylinder is tilted to the rear and its cylinder head is rotated by 180 degrees: intake at the front, outlet at the rear. This configuration follows the logic of a straight, power-enhancing supply of fresh air-fuel mixture and also has positive consequences in terms of the bike’s architecture.



With enough grunt to propel the bike to 100 in about 7 seconds, this bike is deceptively quick. Before one realizes and looks down at the speedo only because the surroundings start to get blurred, does s/he see that they're well above the three digit mark! TVS claims a true top end of 160 kmph, while there are a few YouTube videos of the bike doing roughly 165 on the speedo.
The engine does roughly 17 kmph per 1000 revs and 102kmph comes at a meaty 6k revs in top gear.

The 6 speed gearbox is co-developed with BMW and the gates are well specced out. Gear ratios are neither too short nor too tall and deliver a linear pickup.
There is slight clunkiness and the fact that I managed hitting 2 false neutrals in 430 odd kilometers means that these aren't Honda smooth. It could however also be due to the fact that the bike was new with only 900 km on the ODO when I rented it.

Suspension and chassis:

At the front, we have 39mm golden USD telescopic forks and at the rear, a meaty 7 step adjustable monoshock. Even with the rear set at comfort, I was able to enjoy twisty bits well. There's no abnormal dive on hard braking and road bumps are absorbed really well.





Chassis is a steel tubular trellis frame shared with BMW 310R, but tuned for this bike with a different subframe. The following pic sourced from Autocar shows the chassis in all its glory.



Below is the full (and maybe boring to some) video of my ascent and descent from Nandi hills outside Bangalore.



Tyres and Brakes:

The bike comes shod with Michelins, 110 section at the front and 150 at the rear. While these aren't as good as the Metzelers, they're no slouch. They offer acceptable to good performance on ghats and highways alike and people should have no complaints in this regard.

Finally, we get a bike with dual channel ABS that doesn't act wooden under hard braking. The system isn't intrusive, yet delivers when needed.
300 mm front rotors do a PHENOMENAL job of dropping anchor and I'd buy this bike just for the brake set up alone. The way it sheds speed reminds me of 2017 Duke 390. Well done TVS!



Want to see some braking action? Here you go!



Lights:

Another highlight of the bike are the Bi-lux LED projectors! They illuminate the road really well. Low beam and pilots are lit as soon the the bike is started.



Low beam output:



High beam output:




Seating comfort:

Seat height for the rider is 810 mm and anyone above 5'9 can firmly place both feet on the ground. The tank has proper recesses for tucking in the knees while riding and holding the same under braking. However, the rear seat is placed on the 13th floor and only a Mila Kunis can be seated there comfortably. Placing saddlebags while touring can also be a little tricky. I wished the foam padding to be a bit more because anything over 150 km at a stretch and the gluteus maximus started complaining.




Console readout and switch gear:

The bike has a radically placed console one isn't used to in general. But all readouts are well spaced out and can be read easily. Gear position indicator is a welcome add on.



Switch gear is of good quality and looks like it is built to last. Switchgear is sealed and is of non contact type. Usage of WD40 in rains would certainly be limited here. :D


Riding stance:

Anyone coming from a CBR 250R would find this bike comfortable to begin with. It is slightly more aggressive but way more comfortable than an R15 for example.


Vibrations and FE:

TVS and vibrations have as much of a horror story as Skoda and it's Indian service facility! But I'm glad to report that they're well contained.
There are vibrations at the tank under 3000 revs and they smoothen out as you ride. Also, a dry chain dramatically increases the vibrations at the foot rests as well as the bar ends, so please keep the chain slack in check and lubed.
Gone are the days of old where Apaches competed with burly cruisers in vibes.

I managed an FE of 34ish over 400 km with speeds ranging largely from 80 to 140 at times. On the highway, the 11 liter tank should keep one happy for 350 to 370 km.




Exhaust note:

Better than the Dukes, but not as musical as RTRs of yore.


Ease of maintenance:

Since this is a faired bike, maintenance won't be as easy as a naked bike, but still TVS has paid attention to details and kept most things accessible.
Oil and coolant changes can be done easily, the swingarm has all necessary details should one pay attention. Yes, reaching the spark plugs can be a little cumbersome.

Nifty location for oil.





Easy to read instructions on the swingarm.



All in all the bike is good. But how good? Is it comparable to CBR 250R on the highway?

Frankly, nope! The bike has great headlamps, suspension and brakes but things that matter on a highway - tank range, riding comfort, ease of placement of luggage etc, the Akula falls short on. But then this is not a dedicated sports tourer. If one makes subtle adjustments in his riding style, planning of breaks and creative packing, most of these issues can be sorted out.

And boy, does it not look gorgeous?



Also, size wise, it competes well with the big tourers.






Until next time...

Attached Images

                     

*"Driving with your ears plugged can get you arrested. The Hyderabad traffic police has started booking commuters caught using earphones or headphones while driving under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Instead of simply imposing fines, the police is filing chargesheets against offenders and detaining their vehicles.

Vehicles will be released only after the offenders complete a jail term and undergo counselling.

About 192 cases have been booked so far this month, of which six offenders are put behind bars."

Source: https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nati...ace-music.html

Please provide step by step karizma bike servicing and replacing repairing bike with tools pics and methods to learn and implement on our own.Also wiring head lights to tail. Tools are important please