Gadget-giri

Dear readers, I most humbly apologise for not posting more often. I've just received my new iPod 60GB (yes, video) and I've spent most of the past week fiddling.... so sorry. Er... and thank you Daddy!

Hero Honda Glamour FI Launch release

As usual, below I've pasted the full release. First opinions? Hideous. But then, the Glamour always was. I think the seriously messy area above the engine can't really add or take away from that (er... thank god?). The bike certainly looks silly. The rest when I swing a leg over...

Hero Honda reinforces technology leadership with India’s first
Fuel Injection motorcycle technology

Hero Honda Glamour FI will feature Honda’s first 125 cc
PGM-FI Engine (Programmed Fuel Injection)

• Programmed Electronic Fuel Injection (PGM – FI) for the best drivability & lesser gear changes in traffic
• Real time Mileage indicator (RTMI) for achieving optimum mileage
• Bank Angle Sensor – Cuts off fuel supply in case of a tip over - an industry first safety feature
• Lowest Emissions – will meet even the most stringent emission norms of the future
• No carburetor – less maintenance
• Starts easily in all weather conditions – even in very low temperatures

Mumbai, June 26th, 2006: Hero Honda Motors Ltd., the ‘World No.1’ two-wheeler company, today announced the launch of India’s first Fuel Injection technology for two-wheelers, with the 125 cc Glamour FI. The new technology eliminates the need for a carburetor, offers the most comfortable drive and the lowest emissions, in addition to a host of other features, which will be available for the first time to Indian two-wheeler riders. The Glamour FI will be launched in 2 variants – Drum Kick at Rs. 49,990/- and the fully loaded Disc Self at Rs. 53,990, ex-showroom Delhi. [roughly Rs 5500 more than the non-FI versions] and will be available in 60 towns at over 180 Hero Honda dealerships throughout the country. Hero Honda plans on extending the Fuel Injection technology to other models gradually.

Glamour FI, based on stylish 125cc motorcycle Glamour, has better fuel efficiency and ease of engine start, due to the effect of PGM-FI. Riders can view the digital real-time fuel economy indicator situated at meter face, to know the bike’s fuel efficiency at any given point of time. Its design is more refined, with its engine integrated with black color and its unique FI logo.

Speaking on this momentous occasion, Mr. Brijmohan Lall, Chairman, Hero Honda Motors said, “The Hero Honda family is elated to have set yet another precedent in the Indian two-wheeler industry. Fuel Injection Technology has till now been used in cars and is being introduced in two wheelers for the very first time in India by Hero Honda, with the help of Honda Motor Company. This is the technology of the future for all two-wheelers and we feel privileged to be the first company to offer this technology in India, with the launch of the Glamour FI.”

According to Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director, Hero Honda Motors, “Today’s launch reiterates Hero Honda’s superior technological edge and pedigree of bringing world class technology to India. Through the years, we have successfully endeavored to deliver the best value proposition to our customers and we will continue to provide them with products that incorporate the most advanced technology, design and fuel-efficiency”.

The Glamour FI has a distinctive PGM - FI feature (Programmed Fuel Injection), a first in two-wheelers. This is an intelligent computer controlled electronic fuel injection system which scans critical engine operating conditions through sensors and provides input to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to inject the accurate amount of fuel as per the requirement. The sensors include - throttle position, engine operating temperature, intake air temperature, manifold absolute air pressure and crank angle.

The RTMI takes input on distance traveled and fuel consumed from the speed sensor and ECU and displays the average mileage for the preceding 10 seconds.

The Glamour FI has a Bank Angle Sensor, an industry first feature, is an important safety feature which cuts off the fuel supply & ignition if the bike tips over (falls). Apart from these the motorcycle has a FI Malfunction Indicator Lamp which diagnoses any malfunction of sensors and indicates the same to the rider and a LCD Fuel Gauge displays fuel level in the fuel tank which is easy to read and contemporary. Apart from the new FI technology, Hero Honda’s Glamour also showcases new body coloured grab rail and rear view mirrors.

The overall two-wheeler market in India has been growing rapidly, reaching approximately 7,300,000 units in 2005, a 15% increase from 2004. The market is expected to grow further in 2006, up to approximately 8,500,000 units, a 17% increase from 2005

[CLAIMED BENEFITS FOR PGM-FI]

• Offers improved fuel efficiency & better emission performance
• Excellent drivability owing to quick throttle response
• Excellent cold starting ability (no choke operation)
• Consistent engine performance at varying altitudes and ambience temperature
• Ability to run the bike at lower speeds on top gear without engine knocking that translates into less gear changes in congested traffic conditions.
• No starting problems after long storage periods.

[CLAIMED BENEFITS FOR RTMI (Real Time Mileage Indicator)]

• Enables the rider to know the "Real Time Mileage"
• Provides an opportunity to adjust riding style to get the optimum mileage

Full Glamour FI specs from Hero Honda:

Engine
Type
Single Cylinder Air Cooled, 4 Stroke Sohc
Valve Train
2 Valve
Displacement
124.8cc
Bore & Stroke
52.4 X 57.9 mm
Comp. Ratio
9.2:1
Starting
Kick Start / Electric Start

Performance
Max. Power
6.72 KW/9 bhp @ 7,000 RPM (no change)
Max. Torque
10.35 NM @ 4,000 RPM (no change)

Transmission
Gear Box
4 Speed Constant Mesh
Clutch
Multiplate Wet Type

Electricals
Battery
12V- 2.5AH(Kick) / 5AH(Self)
Head Light
35/35 W Halogen Bulb

Chassis
Type
Double cradle

Suspension
Front
Telescopic Hydraulic Type
Rear
Rectangular Swing Arm With Hydraulic Shock Absorber

Brakes
Front
240mm Drum Type/ 130mm Disc Type
Rear
130mm Drum Type

Tyres
Front
2.75 X 18" 42 P
Rear
3.00 X 18" 6pr, 52 P

Dimensions
Kerb Weight
Kerb Wt - 125kg (Standard)/ 129kg (Deluxe)
Wheel Base
1,265mm
Length
2,005mm
Width
735mm
Overall Height
1,070mm
Ground Clearance
150mm
Tank Capacity
12 Lts./1.5 reserve

Other posts about
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Yamaha Gladiator: Images Launch Expo photos Expo text Compared to the Shine
Suzuki Heat: Expo text Expo photos Zeus Ride Report
Honda Shine: Mumbai launch TVC criticism Launch Compared to the Gladiator
TVS Victor Edge/GLX: Launch

CRASH! Almost...

Hey guys, almost had a nasty, nasty crash yesterday. And for the first time, I came within an inch of thrashing someone on the road. I was on a stretch where the outside lane is always full of parked stuff, and two autorickshaws were running parallel in both of the other lanes. At thirty kph. So far, so good. I came up on them on my Yamaha Gladiator, with my headlight running full blast. It being a overcast day, I decided it was best to keep the damn thing running. So after I flashed the chap on top lane twice and got no response, I honked and he stuck a couple of fingers out as a sort of, 'okay dude, come on past then.' He left me a two foot hole to crawl through, so I did just that. Snagging a lower gear, I accelerated through to find there was a chap crossing the road in front of both the ricks. He was, in fact, almost through the mid lane, and about to cross into my path.

I got on the brakes for everything I was worth and even slid further right until my peg was grazing the median stones gently. Honestly, I could not have done more. If we crashed, we crashed.

Meanwhile, the old man panicked and began to backpedal furiously. At which point I understood that I needed to get on the throttle and get out of here. Which I did.

On my right, the outermost auto had braked in the meantime and the middle auto jinked right so that as the man fell to the ground, he skirted around.

Even as I felt that cold snap in the chest you get from situations like these, I was boiling with rage. Why the f would the auto guy ask me to pass him if there was a chap crossing the road? I'd done nothing to provoke him. I'd flashed my headlamp and honked once. Bastard. I really, really wanted to thrash him. However, the brain kicked in and I rode on. And calmed down. Malicious bastard. If I see you again, I'll...er... stop and have a chai to calm down.

People are strange...

Sometimes you have to stop and think as to how different from 'normal' people you really are. And I have feeling I know why. But before I got into that, and how that relates to motorcycles. Let me make a, er... hypothesis. We tend to classify people into stereotypes. Maybe that specific word, stereotypes, has too many negative connotations. So let me use the word typographies, instead. What I mean is that many first impressions are functions of your experiences with people and how you've built an elaborate experience-based web of patterns. So in time, you tend to associate certain traits, with certain sorts of tendencies or behaviour patterns. To give an example, for instance, (no prejudice intended), say you're about to meet a chap called Anthony Thomas. In my mind, it brings up a picture of a dark skinned malyalee who will probably have a strong mallu accent. Similarly, an Arjab Bhattacharjee would probably be a talkative, slightly sticky, football-crazy Bengali chap and so forth. Again, I mean no offence, and all the names are fictional, but you get what I'm hinting at, right?

So on a motorcycle, it would make sense to assume that other people, car drivers, traffic police, pedestrians etc. are also 'judging' you by their own sets of typographies, right? They're thinking, 'wearing a shirt, tie and trousers... hmmm.. executive. Probably a bit ruthless, so he won't be courteous, will be pushy...' In which case, that's another thing you could use to your advantage, right?

On the other hand, that also means that one of us, wearing full riding kit, in India, would be unclassifiable. That means, they've never seen anything of the sort before, so they don't really have a pigeon hole to slot you into. That means, the pedestrian has no set of guidelines or parameters he can evaluate you against. Which, is scary. Take an example here. A ped is waiting to cross the road. This being India, he hasn't bothered with the subway or the foot overbridge or the zebra crossing. He's just located a convenient place to cross. In the meantime, you're approaching that same place at say, 40 kph. He spots you coming from a distance, and he needs to make a decision as to whether he is going to run across, or wait for you to pass. Here's the problem. He cannot make that decision. He simply doesn't know what you will do. If you were an old man in a tatty helmet on a ratty bike, he'd run across no question. They always slow or stop. If you were a young lad wearing a cool t-shirt, bandana and had your legs hung out in the breeze, he'd wait, knowing that you wouldn't stop. He'd probably get a scare, and honked at, if he ran cross.

You, are the unknown. He could therefore, choose to run across, start and then change his mind, turn and attempt a run back to safety. That could cause a crash. Or, he could stop, and another ped, waiting with him could run across, again causing at least a heart rate flutter if not a crash. Since the data was muddled, their decisions could be drastically different.

So what can you do? Get stereotyped. I, for instance, always appear aggressive. That's face as covered as possible, torso hunched forward and over the bars, but not overtly. Eyes looking at everything with beady, I-don't-care concentration. And inside, I'm focussed, brakes are covered, and all stopping distances are factored in. In fact, the ped could probably change his mind two or three times and I'd still be able to stop with space in hand. <Er... touch wood> I also use the tools available to enhance the impression of aggression. That means flashing headlamps, and as rarely as possible, but honking on occassion etc.

This does two things for me. Since I look so aggro, most people won't cross, get in my way or cause trouble. On the other hand, I reciprocate by being polite. Sure it surprises them. I've stopped to let old ladies past, and they've actually completed long toe to lid looks before deciding to continue waiting. But it mostly works.

It sometimes does backfire of course, especially when the young, cool T-shirt type decides that I'm asking to be raced. In those situations, I just pull over and wait for the nuisance to go away.

I guess I could also adopt a non-aggro, I'm-not-worth-messing-with sort of stereotype. But invariably, it conflicts with the riding kit and the speed with which good riders get through traffic.

To bolster what I'm saying, I remember reading at a Suzuki dirt bike tips website, 'look like a pro.' The contention was that if you ape right, you're probably getting some of it right in the process. The tip was on body positioning and cornering lines, of course. But it works in commuting as well. Be polite and quick, but look aggro, you'll find it easier going.

No, the look is not a license to dodge.

Thought of the day

I absolutely, totally, irrevocably, undisguisedly, utterly hate cricket.

Nippon Gawky

I'm in Japan. My hotel room overlooks the Tokyo bay and in the distance, a bridge rises mightily like a finger arcing forcefully across the bay connecting the two sides. I draw the curtain, change and go out. My guides are waiting downstairs...

By the time I return, it's past midnight. I've spent the day on the back seat of the bus, kneeling on the back seat, staring kid-candy-shop like at all the bikes parked on pavement everywhere I look. The room service chaps have managed to leave the window ajar, and I can feel a cold thirteen degree draft blowing through the room. Then, riding on the thin breeze comes the familiar, haunting howl of an inline four being caned. Like a pack of wolves, all letting out their pent up sorrows, many more howls join in. My ears follow the sound till it fades and waits till the howls return, going the other way... Two hours later, I find myself sitting on the window ledge. Feeling very, very cold. I'm clad in a yutaka (a japanese around the house robe of sorts) and I've been perched with my legs dangling out into the night, thirteen floors up. I have the same welling of emotion I had the first time head Andre Previn and the Royal Philharmonic playing Mars, The Bringer of War, Gustav Holsts' shattering, powerful composition, from The Planets. I shiver, as much from the cold, as from the motorcycles.

Crap! it's two thirty. I've to pack and be out of the hotel by five thirty am...

When to overtake

As you can tell, I've nothing better to do except thinking about motorcycles. So here's more of my ruminations. Yesterday, while commuting home, for some cosmic reason (I can't put my finger on it), I started noticing the situations in which I was not overtaking cars (even though I probably could have) and others where I was (although at first glance, it wouldn't seem to be a good place to pull one).

Here's what I noticed:

• Intersections
  They're a good place to overtake cars going the same way. They 'cover' you against other jackasses who're jumping their lights, and they're usually more careful than elsewhere. It's important to be in their mirrors before the intersection, though. Also, most people I've noticed rarely swap lanes mindlessly through intersections. Some very obvious exceptions to this idea, obviously apply
  
  
• Gearshifts
  If you have space and notice the car you're planning to put a move over is either going to change gear (hand moving to lever and other subtle signs), that is also a good time to pass the car. When he engages the clutch, he 'loses' drive for a moment, and the space between him and the car ahead will open up a bit... should you need it, it'll be an escape place.
  
  
• You just made eyecontact with a driver
  That's a really good time to pass. He's noticed you, he knows you're there. Flash and pass. Simple. Wave a thank you.
  
  
• Coming around obstructions
  If you are coming around an obstruction on the road (like a lane blocked off), the widening road is a good place to pass. But care is needed. You need to be at some distance from the car you're planning to pass, but need to be on the throttle earlier than him. You also need to keep an eye peeled for debris in the space you will need to overtake. The distance gives him to notice you. And gives you time to plan an escape, evasion or abort should he be planning to run wide (aggressive drivers usually will).
  
  
• Inside line
  This, done wrong, is a potentially fatal move. You've been warned.
  The timing is absolutely crucial. As is the reading of the driver you're passing. First of all, this move is not to be tried on anything longer than a midsize car. They're too long for this. On shorter vehicles, you're capitalising on their laziness. The drivers are usually loath to turn the steering wheel, and will tend to run a bit wide. You pass them just before they actually start turning their front wheels. This is the time when they're either off the gas or better still, on the brakes. This means you, skilled rider and all, can get past quicker.
  
  
• Outside line
  This, done wrong, is a potentially fatal move. You've been warned.
  Again, the timing, reading of the driver you're passing and the amount of space you've got is crucial. First of all, this move is not to be tried on anything longer than a midsize car. They're too long for this. On shorter vehicles, you're capitalising on their laziness and the available space. Don't run into 'enemy' lanes while doing this, mind. Again, what you do is take a wide lane, maintaining about a half lane between you and the driver as you pass him. Make sure he knows you're there and you do have to corner harder than him. However, don't try it if you have less than one full lane on your left. This is the place to go to should the driver run wide. Don't try this on motorcycles, when they have trouble, they always run wide. And be sure that there isn't another Rossi behind and left of you, planning to outside line you as well.
  
  
• Turn-offs and driveways
  I generally tend to put off overtakes when I spot places where cars/bikes could be joining my traffic stream. Unless I can clearly see that they're clear for a fair distance. I'll take up an overtake ready position, but I usually won't pass until I can see down that road/driveway. That means being in the powerband, ready to go. The moment you spot that the road is clear, vrooom. It's done.
  
  
• Stopped traffic
  Filtering, splitting lanes, or moving between stopped traffic is one of our privileges. That means no abusing it also. I find that I never filter if traffic is moving, unless I make eye contact with the driver. I'm quite happy to pass when the others are stationary, though. You do have to watch out though. Stopped cars means people can open doors in your path. You have to watch the heads in the cars, and ensure that you don't do a mirror high-five as you pass. The Scorpio, for instance, has mirrors at the exact same height as most Indian motorcycles. And never filter more than 5 kph faster than the traffic. No matter how much the chap behind you is honking.
  
  
• Bad patches
  If you're willing to bash through bad patches, they make great places to overtake. Especially, if two lanes are well-kept, and one is cratered. Obviously, this has more than little to do with your mechanical insensitivity and your off-road ability. Most of the traffic will queue up to take the better road, leaving the bad patch open for you. Beware of auto rickshaws, which generally forget that other people exist when they see a bad patch and make haphazard and drastic course changes.
  
  
• Curving undivided roads
  I'm very heavily dependent on sightlines on these sort of roads. There's a stretch of Cadell Road (between Hinduja and Shivaji Park), which makes a great example. This stretch has a long, but not sharp curve with poor sightlines. I tend, therefore, to never bother with top lane here. However, I'm sure that if I could see oncoming traffic properly, I could safely pull out, overtake and pull back in without a second thought.
  
  
• Off throttle moments
  When do drivers come off the throttle? Those are all, as long as other hazards are low, good places to pass. That means, weather (rain, consequently low traction), other motorcyclists (aiming for the same move) can mean an abort.
  
  
• Compulsive lane changers
  I don't overtake these driver and/or riders. I simply pull up parallel at the next intersection and then accelerate away. No point, too unpredictable.
  
  
• Aggressive drivers/riders
  Again, I'd rather stop for a soda, fill fuel, visit the ATM... whatever... than take them on. Since they're usually quick (and reckless), just slowing down for a bit is enough to have them disappear. If not, take a different route home. You don't want to be there when they do finally crash.

Enough, eh?

Other overtaking related posts: How to overtake, Parallel attack

Down and out

And then one time, I was at my mechanic's delightfully un-motorcycle shop, talking shop. It was located in one of Delhi's urban villages. It had two dingy rooms crammed full of mobike parts, RD350s and people milling about fretting about their prides and joys.

I'd just finished an elaborate tale of a friend who got his pants caught in his bike's sidestand and toppled over midsentence and how no one present ever got over it. Especially because no one tried to. He'd get ragged about it every single time we'd be together and so forth...

Anyway, tale over, laughs still rolling, I got on my RD, flicked the sidestand up and swung the kick starter down with the vehemence that comes from a combination of 'my bike's the fastest of this lot' and 'I'm off' and a bit of 'I'm a swashbuckling hero' It tilted the RD to the right. And the ground happened to slope away from the bike right about there. There was a moment when the laughter just stopped like somebody'd hit a pause button, or taken a sledgehammer to the speakers.

And then it returned. I didn't join in.

Distant memories

Yesterday, I had some free time and decided to return to my favourite Internet pub, Google. I asked for my usual poison, 'Motorcycle Safety Tips.' The bartender slapped it down with a smile in 0.00000263557 seconds having browsed a list of 4,888,997,654,3321 cocktail recipes.

My first sip took me to sportrider.com's safety pages. Which is a pretty comprehensive site, in terms of the amount of safety related articles on it. It confirmed some of the rules I commute by. See this article. You will read the article, of course, so I won't rehash/regurgitate/return to the same old stuff they've already said.

However, I did notice one thing. While I was doing most of the things the article points out already, I saw yesterday that I was riding close to cars. And I haven't always. I find that from a given point in time, my safety margins aren't constant. Often they grow smaller and smaller until suddenly, I have a moment. Thank god, they're never big ones , but it will something like a car turning into my lane while I'm in it, or a surprised honk from a car driver who obviously didn't see me. This results in a 'oh shit' and a consequent rise in safety margins. And the sinusoidal curve of sorts repeats.

Which means no matter how hard I try, I can't really make it a constant. If I could, I'd actually be riding like a god. So far, I'm still human. There's always hope, I guess...