Spoke to the salesperson at Solitaire Honda in Mumbai today. He confirms the single variant and said that the OTR Mumbai price would be somewhere around Rs 7L to7.5L. Definitely quite an amount for a 1.2 vtec engine.

I had seen the car in Singapore and have to say that it looks gorgeous, though a little MPVish. Had seen a black customised version as well!

Bookings have started, and the booking amount is 50k.

And here is a small little fact - He says that he already has about 8 bookings . How could I forget that it is a Honda!

Maruti Suzuki Ritz in May 2009

Maruti Suzuki Ritz in May 2009 exclusive

Guys here they are cudnt wait till the evening!
Dont know which is which variant (interior pics) as i went in a clicking frenzy before the secuiry guys came back and asked me to leave. but could manage to remove some. also please note one of the interior pic has a jvc 2din player with screen and 6 speakers i wonder if it is original factory fitment from MSIL
the pics are from my mobile cam so please excuse the quality. blame nokia!
Enjoy the pics

There it was. Gleaming in the sun with a purposeful meanness that only a very capable contender could exude. I was in front of the direct descendant of the 900RR, which, 16 years ago demonstrated to the world how Superbikes should be. The 2008 Fireblade also has the DNA of the RC211V, which many say was the ultimate motorcycle to ride. It was such an incredible motorbike which actually got Rossi to change over to Yamaha, just because he needed to prove that he did not win because of the fantastic machine underneath him. A machine which was lightyears ahead of the competition. The 08 Blade had the the same DNA, but for the real world - the road and the track days.

Restarting its four years development cycle the Blade is back with a bang, it looks different and it behaves different. The only think which perhaps constant is the unbelievable modesty it defines itself as the champion of the road and the track in many a journalist's and test's books across the world.

Now then, I have personally ridden a Blackbird and a 05 Blade for decent number of miles and I know how smooth and reliable they were. I was also a sucker for how the Blade 05 looked, specially its ultra sharp profile.

When Honda released the first pictures of the 08 Blade I was disappointed. It looked just short of a fantastic design if the nose had been a little more sharper. But then, my disliking stopped there and then. In my heart I knew that superbikes were more about the performance and real life riding than just looks (which are subjective anywhich ways). Delivering more on looks, I have started liking the new blade even more than the previous avatars. Why? Because its radical, a deviation from what the norm would be. The front a tad bit taller than the rear, which in superbikesense, shouldn't be. The exhaust side stump looks fantastic, the minimalistic graphics coupled with sanely done cutwork on the panels and plastics looks fantastic and graspable. Its simple yet very complex at the same time and often defies the way superbike should be looking from some angles.

Going further from the looks, the performance and reviews further rationalizes the reason why lots of people swear by the Blade - its the overall package which matters.

My first impression of the Blade in flesh confirmed this and more, it is one hell of a talented motorbike and the sheer number of research and grey substance gone into developing this machine coupled with the incredibly rich lineage its got shows through. And if that wasn't enough, its performance in the WSBK championships are a testimony of what it is actually made of.

And of course, as usual it was pointless taking the Blade and doing anywhere the crazy stuff it can do in Delhi for in every square meter there lies a mass of humanity, some dressed in khaki, some in white!

The color to get would be Black or the European white and black - just stunning!

So now we have to wait and watch till January 2009 comes by and Honda India launches and infuses the Indian motorcycle scene with this incredible DNA.

First Impression: Yamaha R15

I already had the first glimpse of R-1-5 back in the month of January during Auto Expo 2008.But I never had the opportunity that time to look into the smaller details of the bike. Its only after Ayush (One of the first customers of R-1-5 in Delhi) had given us the opportunity for a photo shoot that I came so close to the bike.

Looks: I already had an initial impression of the bike as I had seen it sometimes back. My first reaction remained unchanged this time round also. When Yamaha had thought so much about the bike and this is the most important launch for them in years why they have compromised with the final looks?.The bike looks a bit disproportionate. I’m not only talking about the rear but the complete bike as a package. The perfect lines which starts from the front seems to get lost somewhere in the middle. In an effort to keep a balance between Supersport and the normal Indian buyer they compromised with the overall looks. When the FZ is coming out in near future Yamaha should have gone all out with this product. That said the bike looks absolutely superb from front or when the bike approaches towards you.
Switchgear quality is average and I would have loved to see better switchgear for a product which costs 1lakh.The rear view mirrors are pretty well built and are very useful. Light looks good but need to check their usability in night.

The console is neatly done and looks imposing. The panel looks nice from a distance but a closer look at some of the points gives you the feeling that the job could have been better.

Riding Position and Stance: I rode the bike for 5 minutes in a very bumpy surrounding. The riding position is sportier than a P220 and P200 but less sporty than Apache RTR. All concerns about tall riders facing problem can now rest as I found the seating perfect for me. For record I’m 5’11”.
Power Delivery: I easily felt there is very little power at lower R.P.M which is like any other Supersport so no complaints on that front. But it will be interesting to see how the bike fares in stop-go traffic as most of the buyers will use the bike for daily commute.

Right now I won’t comment on any other important aspects of the bike and I’m looking forward to have a proper test ride of the bike so as to have a complete idea about the bike.

So did this bike set my pulse racing and and its worthy of saying “WOW” as Yamaha promised us on the R1 launch. I would say no and will give it a 3/5 for looks and first impression. I though always judges a bike through its performance so I would reserve my final verdict.And yes I’m looking forward to FZ16.

First Impression:TVS Apache RTR FI 160

Engine and Performance:
One of the problems that the earlier generation Apaches and to an extent the RTR is the engine roughness. The performance was never a problem. With the addition of Fuel Injection that problem seems to have gone out of the window. The power delivery is very smooth and the throttle response is very crisp. The gearbox too is precise with positive shifts every time you tap the lever. The first gear is a bit weak and you don’t feel the true potential of the 150.7cc mill. It’s only when you slot into second gear that the RTR FI starts to show its true colors. Once past 5k r.p.m it accelerates with authority. Shifting while in the power band, I began to feel at home and was excited enough not to resist the urge to go faster and faster. That said if you shifts the gear in lower r.p.m’s then you feel a tremendous loss in power and it takes quite a while to hit the power band again. So correct shifting is the key if you are riding the bike in day to day traffic. But personally I don’t have any complaints about the character of the bike.
TVS says: The bike was not properly run-in and maybe the tuning was not correct and hence the loss of power in lower gears. You won’t feel the loss of power once the run-in is completed.
Some rough figures which I tested
1st gear-Didn’t wanted to rev the bike too much
2nd gear-70 at 10K r.p.m
3rd gear-92 at 10k r.p.m
4th gear-104 at 10k r.p.m
5th gear-Tested only till 116 but I got feeling that it will touch close to 130.
**All the above speeds are speedo indicated.

Ride and Handling:
A look at the weather and the overall surrounding and I knew that I won’t be able to push the bike on the corners which is the main forte of this bike. It has been raining pretty consistently from past couple of days. That said I tried to give my 100% during the test ride.
To provide that racing intent Apache RTR FI has that perfect seating position, courtesy the clip-ons and perfectly positioned rear sets. You have the option to select between two seating modes based upon your requirement to ride on road or race at the track. Also it gives an option to people of various heights to adjust.
Apache’s compact geometry and 17-inch front tyre makes for quicker turn-ins in a series of corners but it is far more enjoyable on tight corners. But in city traffic I found it a little bit cumbersome to steer at high speeds.
I’m on a bit taller side and I felt the bike to be a bit cramped specially when trying to get behind the bike for that special moment when you try to attack the corner very hard. People with a height upto 5ft10inch will enjoy the bike more than the taller guys.

TVS says: Most of our test riders fall in the category of 5ft10 inch to 6ft2inch and they didn’t face any such problem. That’s the beauty of those two seating positions which a lot of option to two different dimension of people. It has more to do with spending more time with the bike.
Could be yes.

The ride is a bit on the stiffer side bit I have no complaints as I always prefer a stiffer setting than a softer set-up. The gas charged shocks responds quicker to surface inconsistencies and also dissipates rebound damping energy thereby completely eliminating the bouncy aspect. But for longer hours of riding on a not so smooth road the back will take a bit of beating.

Chassis and Suspension
TVS says: We take extreme pride in our chassis and suspension development which is typically suited for both track and road conditions. The project engineers did extensive research in fine tuning the suspension and worked on the chassis to keep the balance and that’s why we feels proud in saying that this is a track tool.

Braking Performance:
Petal discs not only look cools but perform pretty well. Front disc brakes are very sharp and there is a sense of surety whenever you apply it. The rear disc is also very sharp and you don’t feel any sponginess in it. Infact people who have a tendency to use the rear disc brakes more should take it easy before using it properly as it may turn out to be a bane rather than boon.

TVS says: Most of our buyers are enthusiasts who know the correct technique of braking and hence we believe that they won’t face any problem.

Tyre Performance:
As against the popular belief that the TVS tyres are not good and specifically loses traction on wet conditions I found them pretty decent even if not excellent both in dry and wet conditions. But to be very frank I would have loved to see tubeless on the FI variant.

TVS says: We accept that the tyre quality in our earlier models( Read the first generation Apaches) were not great but now it is at par to the competition if not better. It’s the perception of public that we need to change. Tubeless would have added the overall cost and the bike is made especially for normal street and track and we don’t see the need as such. But in the higher capacity models you can expect to see tubeless.

Pillion Comfort:
I had the opportunity to have not one but two pillion riders who regularly sits behind me. As per my conversation with both of them this is what they have to say.
“The rear seat is pretty hard and a bit narrow. The two piece grab rails are pretty neat and very usable eve in the case of heavy braking and you don’t feel any pain in the hand. On sudden acceleration you don’t feel like falling backwards but on hard braking you have a tendency to fall on the rider”.
Note: The pillion have the experience of sitting only on Karizma and Pulsar 220 so the above lines are plain comparison with the said bike.

Miscellaneous:
Headlights: Works fine and provides ample light on night.
Horn: Does its job without creating major fuss but there is no need for any market fitments.
Switchgear including clip-ons: Pretty ok but for something bigger I would like to see a better finished product.
The best is definitely the digital meter with those added on features and the new blue backlit which makes it even more interesting.
Fuel efficiency: It’s difficult to predict the actual fuel efficiency but I got somewhere around 46 so a proper run-in bike will easily give 50-55 in day to day riding condition. On highway it will be a slightly more.

A short compare with RTR Carbed version:
Though both the bikes looks identically equal but on a closer look you can see the difference in the racing stripes pattern and also the different color backlit speedo. Rear disc is not there and also all the important FI is missing from badging. The difference is the exhaust note is prominent and with your eyes closed you can say that it’s not the FI version. After riding the FI RTR I didn’t liked the carbed one not because it’s a bad product but because FI variant is much better. The throttle response is not that crisp and you can feel a slight roughness in the engine. TVS had cleverly given only one FI variant to differentiate the product and they should seriously think of just continuing the carbed version in the price sensitive zones.


Official Press Release

TVS Motor Company introduces Fuel Injection
in the 160cc Category
- Company launches feature rich Apache RTR FI -

New Delhi: July 09, 2008 : TVS Motor Company, today unveiled its feature rich TVS Apache RTR FI, thereby introducing fuel injection for the first time in the 160cc category. This bike offers riders the instant thrill and superior performance of a fuel injected 160cc engine and is packed with rich and innovative features including a blue backlit speedometer that introduces data logging for the first time in the category. Data pertaining to the last three zero to sixty timings and the last three top speeds are logged and displayed on the speedometer. The bike’s new retractive tank scoop and open chain case gives it an even more racy cue.

Designed to ignite passions of enthusiasts, the naked aggression of the RTR FI makes it a clear leader in its class. It raises the bar in terms of power and performance, agility, dynamics, and ride comfort. The RTR FI is powered by a 159.7cc fuel injected engine, which develops maximum power of 15.9 Ps at 8500 rpm and a peak torque of 13.1Nm at 6500 rpm.

“With this launch, TVS Motor Company has given the common man an opportunity to experience high end technology in the performance segment, giving the rider a combination of an exhilarating ride performance with minimized emissions. The fuel injection technology deployed in the RTR FI gives the motorcycle crisper throttle response and enhances fuel efficiency.” H S Goindi, Head - Marketing, TVS Motor Company said.


“The RTR FI has further strengthened our presence in the premium segment and we also have firm plans to introduce more products in this segment by the year end” Goindi added.

The RTR FI is driven by a microprocessor consisting of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) made up of sensors, a fuel pump and an injector. The ECU receives the data from sensors, processes it and delivers optimum fuel metering and ignition timing. The bike top speeds at 120kmph, can reach 60kph in 4.8s and 100kph in 17.7s.

Priced at Rs. 64,990/- ex-showroom New Delhi, the Apache RTR FI offers instantaneous response throughout the rev range to maximize rider feel, better idle stability, excellent drivability, better fuel economy and performance consistency at various altitudes and environments.

Innovative technology, a premium and racetrack performance bred product, powerful elegance in body design and superb ride dynamics make the new Apache RTR FI the new showcase of technology.