Marampa Motor

Mahindra two-wheeler after re-entering in the motorcycle space of the country announced that they are in the final stage of testing their upcoming premium motorcycle Mahindra Mojo 300. Viren Popli, Mahindra and Mahindra Executive Vice-President, said, "Right now we are undertaking some final tests before launching it in the market." This statement is an indication that the company will launch the bike anytime soon. Mahindra recently launched the re-badge version of its commuter bike Stallio christened as Mahindra Pantero 110. Mr. Popli revealed that the engine of this motorcycle has been designed at the research and development centre at Pune, set up at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The bike will feature a 300cc-single cylinder, four stroke, fuel injected motor, which operates on a 4 valve-DOHC layout and cranks out the maximum power of 25bhp. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, which transfer power to the rear wheel through a chain drive. The bike's suspension a

KTM, which is the highest selling premium motorcycle brand in Indian two-wheeler market this year, is fortifying the racing culture in the country by conducting 'KTM Orange Day' globally, where KTM owners gather to race and share their riding experiences. On last Sunday, KTM conducted the second version of its �Orange day� in Mumbai. The �Orange day� is conducted to make the customer experience the racing genes of the KTM Duke 200. It gives the KTM owner an experience of performance of 200 Duke and also an opportunity to interact with the fellow KTM 200 Duke owners on a race track.  With more than 223 world championship titles in the various categories, including the consecutive 12 prestigious Dakar rally titles, racing is integral part of brand KTM. The racing philosophy is demonstrated in the way the bikes are designed. By using light but high strength alloy components, KTM bikes have one of the best Power to weight ratio in its class. The �Orange Day� was organized at Inorb

Over the holidays, I found the perfect utility light for my dad to use while working on his motorcycles. My father is a serious collector, specializing in vintage British bikes. His basement and garage are full of Nortons, Triumphs, and BSAs, among others, and he spends countless hours restoring and rebuilding them.The perfect example of an artist-meets-mechanic, my dad is always on the lookout for new tools to help improve his restoration techniques. This year, it was me who found his new go-to gadget - a unique LED flexible work light (conveniently sold by Pegasus Lighting, the company I blog for!):   The light has 24 bright white LED and is battery operated with a long and sturdy flexible neck. It also has a solid clamp and magnetic base. My father said he had never found something quite so perfect for doing detailed work on his beloved bikes. (And trust me - he�s been doing this for a while). Let me show you the ways he can use this light: To light the body from above, my dad can

American auto marque Polaris Industries, which is best known for its All Terrain Vehicle being well sold in India, has confirmed that the company will launch its high-end motorcycle brand 'Victory' in the Indian market by the end of 2013. The Indian bike market has been showing a significant hike in cruiser and tourer segments in the past 2-3 years. So I think, it is the right time to introduce Victory in India which is already pretty well known in this segment. Victory cruisers qualify the excise limits, thus Polaris might import the bikes as completely build units that can result in hefty price tags of the Victory bikes. The company might have to face some fierce competition from a few of the already well-settled bike manufacturers like Harley Davidson, Hyosung, Honda and Suzuki. All the Victory bikes get power from a 1,731cc V-Twin four stroke, air/oil cooled engines, which come mated to six speed manual gearboxes. A carbon fiber reinforced belt drive is used to transfer

Paper Air Filters: The most commonly used motorcycle and ATV air filter is the paper filter. This filter consists of laminated paper fibers that are sealed at the ends or sides of the filter. Some paper air filters include supporting inner or outer metal screen shells. The paper used in these air filters is molded in a �W� pattern. This molded �W� is designed to increase the surface area and to decrease the restriction of air passing through the filter. The paper air filter must be kept dry and free of oil. If the paper air filter becomes excessively dirty or contaminated with oil, it must be replaced. Don�t try to clean a paper air filter with soap and water because this will damage the paper fibers and cause the filter to fail. You should use compressed air to clean a paper air filter. Be careful not to damage the filter. Foam Air Filters: It uses a special foam and oil to trap dirt and other contaminants. When this type of filter is dirty, you can clean it in a warm, soapy water so

Compression and Leak down Tests Compression tests and leakdown tests provide a good indication of the general condition of an engine�s piston, rings, and cylinder area. Compression Test Compression tests are done on both two-stroke and four-stroke engines. To do a compression test, remove the spark plugs. Then, using the compression gauge measure the compression of each cylinder while the engine is being rotated rapidly by the electric starter or the kick or pull starter mechanism. This test ensures that the engine compression is high enough to heat the fuel and air mixture to a combustible level. The compression reading will normally exceed 125 psi. If the compression is below 125 psi, it indicates possible worn parts, and more than an engine tune-up might be needed. Unfortunately, the results of a compression test can be deceiving. For example, if the engine isn�t in stock condition, if the battery doesn�t turn the engine fast enough, or if the testing procedures aren�t correctly fo

Avis and Effie Hotchkiss: Avis and Effie Hotchkiss were mother and daughter. In 1915, they rode from New York to California to attend the San Francisco World�s Fair on a three speed V-twin Harley Davidson which made them the first female riders to cross the United States. That Harley Davidson was equipped with a sidecar to accommodate Avis. It took them nearly two months to reach California. Upon reaching San Francisco, Effie made it a point to make a splash in the Pacific Coast ocean so that she experienced the waters of both coasts before making their way back to New York. Adeline and Augusta Van Buren: Adeline and Augusta Van Buren were sisters. In 1916, they climb up and down Pike�s Peak with a pair of Indian Power+ Bikes which made them the first people ever to climb up and down Pike�s Peak. They too completed a transcontinental ride. It took nearly two months to complete the 3,300-mile trip. Bessie Stringfield:   Bessie Stringfield was the first African-American woman to trav

The 2nd edition of the Vintage & Motorcycle show beginning tomorrow at Khasa Kothi hotel, Jaipur. More than 100 vintage to be staged on the show. The vintage collection includes classic motorcycles manufactured between 1933 and 1980, which was during the first and second world war probably. Some of the bikes left unmodified to preserve the heritage. Some famous iconic brands like BSA motorcycles, Indian, Harly Davidson, Royal Enfield, Triumph, James, Excelsior, Norman are also part of the show which will be a treat to the visitors.The show is organized by Convoy Control Club, a club of bikers, who are interested in vintage bikes and cultural heritage. The club is dedicated to serve the society with its enthusiasm. The club has been involved in various social causes, like HIV aids and rights of deaf and dumb. They organize bike rallies on various social causes to increase the passion for the vintage bikes and heritage. Mr. Upendra Shastri, President of the Convoy Control club sai

KTM,one of the famous Austrian motorcycle company, has recently acquired the brand Husqvarna from BMW Motorrad. It is now planning to launch their second bike Duke 390 in the next few months in India. KTM reported its best ever annual sales in 2012 with a total sale of more than107,000 units. The combination of KTM and Bajaj is getting better with the success of KTM Duke 200 which has already sold more than 8500 units. The next big launch after Duke 390 that KTM is planning is a toned-down version of superbike RC8. It is a 250cc racing replica of the RC8. KTM is also working on the tourer version of Duke 390. Bajaj is importing a few units of the RC8, only for displaying the bike at selected KTM outlets. The market of 200cc and above bikes are on peak these days and these bikes are performing well which is evident from the success of Duke 200 . This section is mainly ruled by the Japanese bike makers and there are few other bikes like Honda CBR250R and Kawasaki Ninja 250R which has

KTM,one of the famous Austrian motorcycle company, has recently acquired the brand Husqvarna from BMW Motorrad. It is now planning to introduce the brand in India which means KTM might become the leader in the off-road segment. The CEO of KTM Auto Stefan Pierer recently in an interview to Money Control talked about the combination of KTM and Bajaj Auto and the new acquisition. This acquisition will be beneficiary for Bajaj-KTM alliance as they are going to launch the brand Husqvarna in India. We know that Bajaj holds 47% stacks in KTM and both are already in a manufacturing alliance. Their first motorcycle KTM Duke 200 received a good response by selling more than 8500 bikes. Husqvarna is the cult bike brand, which is known for its off road riding. With Duke 200 proving that such bikes can be successful in India, it is a good idea to launch it in India. So, KTM is hoping to extend its current agreement with Bajaj to include the Husqvarna and launch the first made-in-India Husky wit

In 1817, Karl von Drais, a German baron, invented a horseless carriage that would help him get around faster. The two-wheeled, pedal-less device was propelled by pushing your feet against the ground, The machine became known as the �draisine,� and led to the creation of the modern-day bicycle. The term �bicycle� was not introduced until the 1860s, when it was coined in France to describe a new kind of two-wheeler with a mechanical drive. Orville and Wilbur Wright, the brothers who built the first flying airplane, operated a small bike repair shop in Dayton, Ohio. They used their workshop to build the 1903 Wright Flyer. Fred A. Birchmore, 25, circled the globe by bicycle in 1935. The entire trip, through Europe, Asia, and the United States, covered forty thousand miles. He pedaled about 25,000 miles. The rest was traveled by boat. He wore out seven sets of tires. There are over a half billion bicycles in China. Bikes were first brought to China in the late 1800s. About 100 million bicy

Michael Laverty produced one of the big surprises of the first major test of 2013 when he rode the Paul Bird Motorsport Aprilia ART machine to a best lap of 2.03.874. That left him just 0.083s behind Randy de Puniet and while Aspar rider Aleix Espargaro was comfortably the fastest CRT rider in Sepang with a best time of 2.02.628, Laverty trounced new teammate Yonny Hernandez and also finished ahead of the likes of Hector Barbera, Karel Abraham, Hiroshi Aoyama and Colin Edwards. The former British Superbike contender slashed close to three seconds off his pace throughout the test and he admitted that his eye-catching display would have surprised a few people. Having climbed up the rankings from 25th on day one to 18th on the overall leaderboard. Laverty�s impressive performance has boosted his confidence that he can be competing to be the top CRT rider in some races during 2013. Having tested the Aprilia ART machine in Sepang this week, Laverty is expected to switch to the PBM frame f

To increase the sales Mahindra Two-Wheelers has launched Rodeo Std, a cut price version of Rodeo Automatic Scooter. Rodeo Std is priced at Rs. 45,000, which is Rs. 3000 lesser than Rodeo RZ. With Mahindra Rodeo not doing well, Mahindra is hoping for a better sales with the new version. In order to slash the prices, Mahindra has removed a bunch of features, without affecting the outer look. The anti-theft locking mechanism has been replaced with a conventional key hole. Front fueling cap has been replaced and now fuel filling inlet has been repositioned under the seat, so you have to lift-up the seat for refueling. The under-seat light has been eliminated. The informative digital instrumentation console is now replaced with an analog unit, so there is no digital speedometer and tachometer on the Radio Std. The mobile phone charging socket has also been removed. Mahindra Rodeo Std automatic scooter is now available at all Mahindra Two-Wheeler dealerships across the country. Rodeo RZ St

I have previously owned three dedicated summer jackets but never been really happywith any of them. The first jacket was a $99 clearance bin item made by Dryrider that I purchased 10+ years ago. This was a very light weight item with minimal protection but maximum cooling. I expected to use it for a limited time until I found something better however I still have this jacket and was using it on

TVS Motor Company which is a chennai-based Indian two-wheeler manufacturer is preparing to launch two scooters and one motorcycle. The most important thing is the re-entry of TVS Victor, while the two automatic scooters will be India�s first Hybrid automatic scooter, Qube Hybrid and a 125 cc Automatic scooter. Qube will give all-new direction to the Indian scooter market. Qube was first showcased at 2010 Auto Expo and then at 2012 Auto Expo. The scooter has a 100cc four stroke engine paired with an electric motor which comes with extended battery pack to ensure a longer covering range.  These two scooters are expected to have a higher fuel economy of 70kmpl. TVS Qube will have three different riding modes namely Electric, Hybrid Economy and Hybrid Power. The scooter has a cool LCD display displaying battery charge, fuel levels, speedometer, odometer, time and other check-lights. It has regenerative brakes that will help to keep the battery charged to achieve more fuel efficiency and

Europe's largest two wheeler manufacturer KTM has acquired the motorcycle brand - Husqvarna, which was a cult brand of German bike major BMW Motorrad till date. We know that Indian two-wheeler major Bajaj Auto holds 47% stake in KTM. In a press statement, BMW Group confirmed stating it has signed a purchase agreement with Pierer Industrie AG (Austria) for the acquisition of 100-year old Husqvarna Motorcycles. The acquisition will proceed subject to approval by anti-trust authorities. Both companies have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. It was sold to Italian motorcycle group Cagiva and became part of MV Agusta Motor S.p.A, in 1987.  BMW acquired Italian firm Husqvarna from MV Agusta in 2008. BMW has invest in a significant amount in production and future product portfolio of Husqvarna in 2008. In fact some of BMW engineers had moved to Husqvarna's R&D set up. Both these companies have similar products, so synergies will be better utilised. KTM gets technology, di

HERO MOTOCORP : World's largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp on Sunday said it has recorded highest monthly sales of 5,57,797 units in January 2013. The company sold 5,20,272 units in the same month of 2012. The previous highest sales was in May 2012, when the company had sold 5,56,644 units. Hero has registered a growth of 7.21 percent. Hero MotoCorp Senior Vice-President (Marketing & Sales) Anil Dua said, "Our new motorcycle launches like Ignitor and Hero Passion X-Pro are receiving excellent customer response, while growth in our scooters, Pleasure & Maestro, is outpacing the industry growth. "The overall two-wheeler industry is again showing good volumes, and we are hopeful of keeping up the momentum," he added. During the month, the company also commenced construction of its fourth manufacturing plant and the Global Parts Centre (GPC) at Neemrana in Rajasthan. Hero Motocorp will invest a total of Rs 550 crore in setting up these facilities, th