We're Noobs 3: Chris Pfeiffer

See if you can spot why this stunt video is S P E C T A C U L A R!
If you didn't spot it already, that performance was in the wet!

Related links

• We're noobs 2: Urban Freestyle Trials
• We're all noobs

Need a laugh?

Absolutely hilarious. Don't miss the captioned photos, either.
Click here and then click on Biker Yoga on the left navi bar
Heads up: bikernewsonline.com

Hidden riding tips

I was reading an article about the new Yamaha YZF-R6, when I noticed that there are riding tips hidden in the articles. the specific passage was talking about the new electronics. It said that the systems helped settle the bike into corners by controlling the engine braking. To be precise, the computers don't completely close the throttle when you brake. This reduces the suddenness and intensity of the fork dive. (I'll post the exact quote in a bit, can't find that Cycle World). The whole intention is to ease and smooth the transition from an extended suspension state to a compressed one. the point is that it tells you what you could be doing to ride better. Freddy Spencer was known for closing the throttle fully AFTER he had begun to brake. or was it Eddie Lawson. He was doing manually, then, what the new R6 does electronically, now.

The next time you read about the latest in motorcycle electronics, remember to think about whether there is a thought in there that might help you go faster.

Image: Yamaha

Vote only!

I'd like to know a little bit more about you guys, demographics wise. So please, if you haven't voted already, please scroll down a bit and click the poll. The poll closed in the middle, but I've reopened it. Thanks!

How old are you?

Yamaha YZ-R150 : Check out this blog!

I was just pointed to this (seems like that blog has been taken off air. The Google Cached version is here) blog. And it sounds right. I've met a few, um, I guess you could call them people who know about the bike, but are bound by contract (or otherwise... if you say one clear, un-obfuscated word, we shall tie you to an R1 saree guard and drag you around the Nurburgring until your a** shines like fresh armco) to say nothing more than adjectives. These persons uniformly said that the market leader's bikes were, in fact, slow. And that their new bike would change the way we looked at performance motorcycles. They alluded to that fact that what we are buying are mere motorcycles, and we're only adding the word performance as a prefix because we've nowhere else to put it.

In that light, the suggestions that the blog makes do seem to be accurate, give or take a few percentage points. The cosmetics, on the lines of the R125 would be wonderful, although in that department, that V-Ixion is likely to be a greater influence. The monoshock, stepped seat (will not be a single seat, no way. If it was, I'd buy myself a celebratory beer) are a no-brainer. The 150cc displacement isn't. As of yesterday, the FMSCI two-wheeler racing regs allow motorcycles up to 165cc. Yamaha will surely want to show off the R150's prowess in racing. So I'm not sure that the motorcycle will actually be a 150. If I were Yamaha, I'd give myself an R1. No, no, that's not what I was saying. I'd definitely push the limits, and make a 164cc motorcycle.

The blog also quotes some performance numbers, which again, seem to be on target. A 22 bhp, 120 kg motorcycle should manage in the region of 150 kph, with the right gearing. Again, if I were Yamaha, I'd gear it for about 140 kph too. In which case, economy would roughly be 35 kpl (hard) and yes, about 40 kpl (civil). For all this to happen, and to meet the emissions norms, fuel injection is definitely on. Four valves are actually 70s tech that are yet to make in impact in India. Fingers crossed. Maybe our engine heads will finally cross over into the 70s. But seriously, that kind of top end power will requires lots of fuel and air flow, so four valves, still SOHC though, I'd fall out of my chair if the engine head turned out to be DOHC.

In any case, I hope what the blog is saying is true. Including the price. Rs 80,000 for something like that, might cause a real (as opposed to virtual) dent in my household budget, even.

Oh, speculating is lovely, innit

Related links:

• Yamaha YZF125: Wanted
• Yamaha's new 150: What's the story?
• Other Yamaha posts
  

Motorcycles: Happy New Year

Now that the awards are given (posts below), it is time to wish you a Happy New Year. I would love to do a wishlist 2008 like I did last year, but if you guys don't mind, I'd like to hold that till the Auto Expo has blown right over, leaving us clues scattering in the cold Delhi wind.

What steps forward did we take last year, then? Um, lets see. Bajaj showed that it is rapidly understanding how bikes become one cohesive, emotive units. Yes, I mean the 220 and the 200. Now, if the quality were to go up one notch and the KTMs would start going on sale... In the process, we now have hi-po headlamps, fuel injection and tubeless tyres. From other Pulsars, we have LED tail lamps, digital dashes. All small steps to be sure. But the big step, Bajaj wise, was just how good the 220 felt in motion. That, was the big step forward. The same is true of the TVS Apache 160. One more motorcycle that came together. Especially the aluminium bits in the package, the crafted levers and stuff. Plus the quick handling and the raging motor. From the Flyte, we learnt that with the right guiding hand, even perpetual 'errors' can be erased.

From the Karizma, we learnt that cosmetic jobs may not always work. From the Unicorn, we learnt, they sometimes, though, they do work.

From the Access, we figured out that packaging is important. From the Machismo 500, we figured out that that's not always obvious.

From the Discover 135, we learnt that a little more displacement can be nice. From the Shine upgrade, we learnt that more displacement, sometimes, is not the end-all and be-all.

And more or less, that would be about it. 2007's biggest achievement is that India's first CBU motorcycles are now on sale. The problem is that, more or less, is the only really big step forward.

2008, on the other hand, is glowing with a lot more promise. All the best to you. And may your fingers hurt from being crossed in anticipation and before you get drunk on 31 December 2008, may you have lots to celebrate.

And if you're wondering, Asahi is now available in India. Another beer that I happen to love.

Oh crap: read this

I wrote this one year ago.... Time flies. Nothing changes. Sigh.
In the new year...

Rearset's Annual Motorcycle Awards: List One

Design of the year
iPhone

One more year has passed, and nope, the design of the year award, once more, swings over the motorcycles' collective heads and lands squarely in Apple's lap. What a lovely, lovely, looking instrument.

Performance motorcycle of the year (tie)
Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi & ...

I whole-heartedly, totally without cheek confer this rather prestigious award on the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi. I think the Pulsar 220 is a stormingly good motorcycle. From the Bajaj family, all told, I don't think there has been a single motorcycle that could be accused of being more at ease with itself, and of being more than the sum of its parts. Super job.

Now, why is this a tie? Because, I don't think the P220 has as much performance as it should have – both for the money, and for the displacement. It'd be easy to say 25 bhp is better than 20 bhp, but what I mean is that I would have been happier if the motorcycle felt more muscular on the power delivery front. Powerful enough to justify the Rs 15,000 over the P200.

You want muscular feel? My second pick for the award, and I'm sharing the goodies on this is the TVS Apache RTR 160, the first barely-legal motorcycle in the country. May there be more. A more aggressive motorcycle than the RTR we have not had in quite a while and that alone is deserving of an award. Hey... there's an idea.

Naked Aggression of the year
TVS Apache RTR 160

Well, I've already said most of the it. The TVS Apache is easily the most aggressive of all Indian motorcycles and you've got to love it for that. The engine's very-much race bred and feels it. The chassis is a rabbit being chased by a predator but with far more ability. Direction changes are lightning quick, almost borderline unstable when you string them together. But it looks great, goes really well and personally, I think it's the right size for a 150cc single. The competition's a bit large, no?

Deserving bike of the year
Suzuki Access 125

This is the scooter that should have stolen all the twist-go thunder. It had a nice engine, superb build quality and all of that. But that Activa-clone style...

Scooter of the year
Kinetic-Sym Flyte

I want Kinetic to drink more of whatever the chaps from Sym are drinking. After the promising, but ultimately flimsy Blaze, comes the normal, but for a Kinetic, stonkingly good scooter. Japanese build quality, a solid quality feel, superb handling and ride quality... I love that scooter. Wish it had 10 more bhp

Bike of the year
Bajaj Pulsar 200 DTSi

This is the sole serious award I hand out. And this year, my Bike Of The Year is the Bajaj Pulsar 200. In my book, this is easily the most sorted of all of the Pulsars, and feels absolutely great to ride at any pace you choose. Stunningly good looks – especially given the ultra-insistent family resemblance – complete a very muscular, modern, fresh looking package. And for the performance, the price is hard to argue against as well. More like this, please.

Read about last year's winners

Rearset's Annual Motorcycle Awards: List Two

Still here, so what of the year
Hero Honda CD-Deluxe

Despite the brand new engine, it changed absolutely nothing. That has to be an achievement. Imagine if the US launched a Space Shuttle, which returned after years in orbit and billions of spent dollars. The first words the astronaut says, 'Well, the shuttle runs quieter than before. And... yeah, that's it.'

Too late of the year
TVS Flame

The Flame is the motorcycle that the GLX upgrade (cosmetic upgrade 2007) should have been. Then, by now, the court case would have been closer to a solution. And TVS's sales wouldn't have been at half-mast. I mean flagging.

Famous no show of the year
Bajaj Sonic

So much for Collection 2006, the theme of Bajaj's 2006 Auto Expo Stall. The Sonic, which still gets an enormous amount of web traffic at this blog is still firmly under wraps. Don't tell me they'll unveil the upgraded Sonic at the Auto Expo...

Rehash of the year
Suzuki Zeus CD

'Hey, the Zeus isn't selling, wonder why?'
'Let's do a customer poll.'

'What do you mean they miss the electric starter, alloy wheels and stuff that the competition we have. Can't they see the build quality'

'Oh all right, have it your way. Call so-and-so-san and ask him to send you the production specs for the alloy-electric-disc version.... Can't believe they didn't spot the amazing build quality. Nuts-san!'

Worst named bike of the year
Hero Honda Hunk

Self-explanatory. Cue rustic, lantern-jowled man in black muscle tee pumping iron while indiscriminately leering at female passers-by from shop window. Ugh.

Disaster of the year
Hero Honda Spendor NXG

The idea was to fiddle as little with the super-acceptable Splendor package and create a replacement that would eventually take over from the ageing, slow, stupid sterile Splendor. No such luck, I'm afraid.

Product of the year
Electric bikes

Ecoweenies be damned. Anything that has a top speed of 40 kph, takes ages to get to it is a hazard of a public road, no matter whether it has zero tailpipes or eight. Unless all you plan to do is go to the shops to buy toothbrush replacements, steer clear until their performance becomes more respectable.

Did not notice it only of the year
Hero Honda Karizma R

What's there to notice? The additional plastic does not an all-new bike make. Ditto yellow clock faces.

Most improved bike of the year
Honda Unicorn

What can I say? The black alloys cut down the 0-60 kph time by 0.4 seconds. Polished engine fins and red text on the crankcase is worth an extra 6 kph. Absolutely amazing. No wonder the sales are up 20 percent. Or something like that.

Most meaningful cosmetic upgrade of the year
Hero Honda Hunk

What well-crafted plastic will do, eh? The best bike of last year, gets the best plastic of this year. Then gets saddled with a name that will, in time, become a nomenclature nadir of some repute. So close, yet so far...

Manufacturer of the year
Yamaha

I made a list of launches this year. There was one name missing. . Then, they made up for it. And how.



Read about last year's, erm, winners