TVSApacheRTRFi160

Bornandraisedforracetrack,TVSApacheRTRFI160isaverystylishandeyecatchingbike.Its smoothandflawlessfinishmakethisbikedesirabletothemarket.Thisbikeislikeamusthavefor every biker and racer. Real supportive and safety features are provided for better control and excellentridingofthistwowheeler.Itsimplyrendercompletetouchofperfection. Stylishcharacteristics:

SplitgrabrailsEnsuresoptimumblendofdesignandfunctionality SilencerDesignedwithdetailsandsoundengineering RearsetfootpegsLightweighted,sportyandassureeveryridingexperiencelikeatrack ridingexperience RacingGTstripeEpitomizetheRTRFI160racingpedigree ForgedbrakeleverLighterinconstructionanddelivergreatlooks AerodynamicairscoopsAssurethattheairisdirectedtowardstheengineunittohelp bettercoolingefficiency EnginefairingThisfeaturebasicallyfunctiontosavetheRTRenginefromelementsand harshridingconditions BlackalloysLightweightandcancopeupwiththetoughestofsurfacesandreduced weight

Salientfeatures:

Taillamps RotoPetalDisc Digitalspeedoconsole Oversquareengine Polyshocks Cliponhandlebars

Colors:

Yellow Blacksilver Red Mattgray

HeroHondaHunk
Price: KickStartRs.5400058000 SelfStartRs.5600060000 ThenewlylaunchedHeroHondaHunkisfullyfeaturedwithalltheessentialfactorswhichenables ittostandoutfromallothertwowheelers.Hunkisakindofbikeforwhichallthebikeloverslook for.Withsharp,musculartonedbody,thisbikeisextremelygoodlooking.Hunkistheresultofa newagetechnologythathelpsinlowfuelconsumptionandimprovedriding. SomeSalientFeatures:

BroadmuscularFuelTankwithcapacityof12.4ltrsminimum. Engine4strokesinglecylinderOHC Glaringheadlightwithaggressivevision PowerfulDiskbrakes Telescopichydraulicshockabsorber Fieryringedchromespeedometer Punctureresistanttubes Revolutionaryinertsuspension Sportysaddle

Availablecolors HeroHondaHunkisavailableinthefollowingfivecolors. 1.Red 2.Blue 3.Black 4.PantherBlack 5.Silver

YamahaFZ16
PricerangeRs60,000to70,000 YamahaFZ16isamasterpieceborntorevolutionizetheerawithitseyecatchingfeaturesand specifications.Thisbikeisequippedwithcertainspecialfeatureslike:

Aircooled,4stroke,singlecylinder153ccenginefeaturedbyitsheartstirringpickupand featuringanelectricstarter. Monocrossrearsuspensionunitthatassuresfastrunningperformanceandhandling. Indiasfirstradialtyrewitha60%aspectratio Goodshockabsorptionanddampingcharacteristics Multireflectorheadlight Steelfueltankhavingcapacityof12literwithuniquelystyledplasticresincover FullLiquidCrystalDisplay(LCD)meter

Specifications:

StartingmethodElectricstarter Compressionratio9.5:1 Maximumoutput14PS/7500rpm Maximumtorque14N.m/6000rpm Engineoilvolume1.2liters

Colors: VariouscolorsavailableinYamahaFZ16are:

Lavared Midnightblack Flamingorange

HeroHondaCBZXTREME
CBZXTREMEfromHeroHondahasrockedthenationwithitscuttingedgetechnology&sleek design.Thelatest&updatedversionoftheoldCBZhavecreateditsownnicheamongthebike loverswiththemanyadditionalfeaturesmakingitanawesomebikeperfectforajoyride.Boasting of150ccverticalengineandasinglecylinder,itsspeedisonemajorfeaturewhichactsthebike's USP. OtherFeatures

CBZXTREMEhasmanyadvantageousattributeswhichmakesitdifferentfromitsolderversion. Someofthesearelistedbelow:

Powerfulwindscreen Maximumpoweris10.6KW@8500rpm Maximumtorqueidof12.80Nm@6500rpm Selfandkickstartoptions Minimum12.3litersfueltankcapacitywith1.5litersasusablereserve

fromtheconsumerpointofviewBajajisthebestbcozitspoductsarecheaperandoffergood fuelefficiencythenHonda.Andwhoisconcernedforbikesperformanceafter5to6years.Is thereanyone?No.Pulsarisverycommononroadsbutthisallduetoitsunbeatable performanceineveryrespect.

MarketShare:
Pulsar:43% HeroHonda:59% BajajAuto:17% TVSMotors:15% Yamaha:5%

PulsarVsHunk
WhileHereHondaisworldsleadingbikemaker,BajajisleadingIndianbikemarketer.There certainlyliessomuchofadifferencebetweenthetwo.Hondahasbeenthereforlonginthebike marketandisknownforserviceaswellasreliabilityandBajajhasbeenaninnovator.Everynow andthenitcomeswithsomethingnewandinnovativeandnodoubtBajajbikeshavemassappealas well. IntheIndianroads150ccsegmentmotorbikeshavegainedpopularityandisnowestablishedmarket

leadersinworldofbikingbecauseofitsawesomeperformancewithreasonablepricingandeaseof handling.ItwasBajajwhointroducedBajajPulsar150ccDTSi(DigitalTwinsparkignition) poweredenginewithtaglineofdefinitelymale.Wonderfulmarketingcaptionasanalyzedby punditsitcreateduproarin150ccbikesegmentasawhole.However,BajajPulsar150ccfaced competitionfromtheHondasHunkmodel.Thereissomeamountofconfusionamongstbike buyersastowhattheychoosebetweenthetwo.Theycantgoforamarketingtaglineandinvest about60kplusrupeesonabike.So,hereisabriefcomparisonofthetwobikesintermsoflook, performance,reliability,pricing&more. Looks:HeroHondaHunkmodelportraysamajesticlookwithitsexquisitestyleandsideskirtin thetanks.Availableinfourcolorsofblack,blue,silverandred,Hunkhasathumpandmuscular lookwithitsgoldpolishedfrontforksandsilverfinishedcentralsection.Equippedwithbutterfly likeheadlight,Hunkreflectsasportylookwitheveryonestoppingbytogiveaglanceasitgraces theIndianroads. However,itsthelookoftheBajajPulsarthathasauniqueappeal.Thefueltankishugewith muscleandthedesignofPulsarhasbeentweakedinJapantomakeitasoneshowstopper,andthe telltaleheadlightandtherazoredgedtailendofthebikegiveitafreshnewlook.Pulsaralsohasso manygadgetsandhifielectronicgadgetstoimpress.Maybelookswise,Bajajpulsar150ccDTSi seemstobettertheHeroHondaHunk150cc,butagainlooksareverymuchsubjective,aintit? Performance:The150ccengineofHunkproduces14.2Ps@8500rpmandpowers12.98Nm torqueat6500rpm.Itisherethatthe150ccBajajPulsarDTSiengineproduces14.09Psat 8500rpmand12.76torqueat6500rpm.ThusthepowerdeliveryofBajajPulsarisbitmildin comparisontootherbikesinthe150ccsegment.Althoughtheengineissmoothyetitmakesnoise andlosesitssmoothnesswhenpushedhard.However,HondaHunkmodeldoesnotvibrateevenata speedof80kmph. TheBajajPulsar150ccmodelhasadvantageofbetterthrottleresponsivenesswithitsfeatureof DigitalTwinsparkignition.Similarly,TheHondaHunkmodelalsorespondswithaslightesttwist. InthePulsarmodelclutchworksperfectlybutguessthegearboxneedssomemodifications. However,theHunkmodelofHondaboastsofa5speedgearboxandtheclutchisextremelysmooth andthegearscanbeshiftedwithslightesteffort.Pulsar150ccisknowntohavenotchygearshifting andtheclutchisnotassmoothasitisintheHunk. FuelEfficiency:MileagewiseHondaHunkgivesabout5560km/Lfortheeconomyridingand65 km/LonalongdriveandPulsar150ccDTSigivesaround4550km/Lmileageoneconomyride andabout55onlongdrive(shoulditbedrivensmoothly). Brakes:Whataboutthediscbrakesofthesetwomotorbikes?Pulsarisequippedwithgooddisc brakes,butitneedstobeappliedcarefullyasthebrakesofBajajPulsarareextremelysensitive. WithapplyingfrontbrakestooquickinthePulsarmodel,ithasatendencytotoppleover.However, thefrontwheelofHondaHunkhasa240mmdiscbrakeandtherearwheelisequippedwith130 mmdrumbreaksandthatbyitselfprovideswithenoughstabilityintheIndianroadconditions. Dashboard:Ifyouareafanofdigitaldisplaypanels,IamafraidthattheHunkmaydisappointyou alittlebit.WhiletheHunkhasnicelydesigned3dialdashboarddisplayingallthenecessarydetails, PulsarsdigitalconsoleisseductiveformanyPulsarfans.

Quality&Handling:Pulsar150ccDTSigeneratesmorenoise,asitgetsolder;saya2yearold pulsarisnoisierthananewPulsar,buthardlythereisanysuchdifferenceinHunk.However,ifthe riderisfondofspeeddrive,hisPulsar150ccDTSiwillgetheatedupwhendrivenat60kmphspeed forsometime.Yowza!HeroHondaHunkstayscoolnomatterspeeddrivingforaconsiderable lengthoftime.Italsomeansadifferencewithmaintenance.Pulsar150ccDTSiwarrantschangein clutchplatesmoreoftenthanaHeroHondaHunk.Sospeedhandling,HunkbettersthePulsar. Comfort:TheridingpositionofPulsargivesasportykindoffeelingincomparisontotheHunk model.Pulsarcanboastofaplushridequalitywithgreatshockabsorbers.Thereareafewwho complainofawkwardseatingpositiononapulsarandthataBajajPulsar150ccdoesntmakea pillionriderfeelascomfortable,especiallyifitsafemale.TheridingpositionofHondaHunkis comparativelybetterwithraisedhandlebarsandneatlyplacedfootpegs.Theinnovativegascharged rearsuspensiongivesanicefeelingaswell.Additionally,thecushionedseatsofHunkmodelare extremelycomfortableforlongdistanceride.ThefrontseatoftheHeroHondaHunkmodelis separatedbyastepfromthebackseatandmakesthepillionfeel,maleorfemale,quitecomfortable. Technology:Thedigitaltechnologyincorporatedintothishighflyingmotorbike,BajajPulsarthat givesagreatsatisfactionofarareanddaringridingexperience.Thebikewasdevelopedtoridein anykindofterrainwithitsnitrogenassistedreargasshockers;telescopicsuspension,optimizedand improvedexhaustgassystem.WhileagainHunkisalsoanewagetechnologydrivenbikewithlow fuelconsumption.DigitalconsoleofBajajPulsarcouldbenocompetition,asmostnewagebikes willhavethatfeature.AgaintheHunkisslightlyheavierthantheBajajpulsar150ccasitweighs 145kg.HeroHondaHunklackstheLEDTaillamps,digitalmeterandhasslightlyhardgearbox. Pricing:Asregardsprice,BajajPulsar150ccDTSiispricedcompetitivelyatRs.59,190(ex showroomDelhi)andcomingtoaboutRs.68,000onroad.OntheotherHeroHondaHunkispriced atRs.55,000(exshowroom)withautostartasoptionalandcostingaboutRs.65,000onroad. Verdict:Butallsaidanddone,inthe150ccsegmentonthemarketingfrontPulsar150DTSikicked offHeroHondaHunk,butincorebiking(bywhichImeanquality,handlingandreliability)Hunk kickedthebuttofPulsarandthereisnodebatetothis.StillbetterIwouldsay,askanownerwho ownsaHunkfor2yearsorso,heisstillahappymantohavespentverylittleonmaintenanceand thePulsar150ccDTSiownerwouldhavechangedclutchplates,shockabsorbersandisalready lookingforanupgradeofPulsar(ifheisadiehardPulsarfan)orsomeotherbettermodel.The sparesofBajajmaybecheaperthanHondabutevenAutoCarIndiaacknowledgedthatBajajasa wholesuffersfromqualityproblems.

150ccShootoutGS150RvsPulsarvsUnicornvsAchiver
The bikes in the Indian 150cc segment cater to a wide ranging audience like the executives, the youth and even the commuters. The past year witnessed a reshuffling in this segment as the Yamaha YZF-R15 and the FZ16 as well as the Apache RTR Fi took the performance game a notch higher. When the news of Suzukis Lanza 150cc crept in, the crowd awaited eagerly to see what the Japanese manufacturer had in store. But contrary to the performance oriented expectations, Suzukis latest offering, the GS150R is an executive

commuter. Can the bike mark a mark for itself in the Bajaj and Honda dominated market?

AsIrodetheGS150RoutoftheSuzukidealershiptobeginourextensiveroadtest,Iinitiallydidnt revthebikeabovethe3,000rpmmarknotbecauseIwantedtocomplytotherunningin proceduresbutbecausetheenginessmoothnesswithinthisrevrangehadmebowledover.Itfelt utterlysmoothandpotentatthesametime.Thehealthylowendtorqueofthemachinemadesure thatIdidnthavetoshiftgearsfrequentlywhilecommutingthroughthecity.Butthisshortride fromtheshowroomtotheofficewasnotenoughtojumptoanyconclusionsespeciallyknowingthat theGSscompetitionincludespotentplayersliketheHondaUnicorn,theBajajPulsar150DTSiand theutterlysoftandsmoothHeroHondaAchiever.Withoutanybiasedopinionsaboutanyofthe contenders,Igotdowntospendingtimebacktobackwiththesefourmachines. Designandconstruction: WhenwepostedtheGS150RsimagesontheBIwebsite,manypeopleincludingus,thoughtthat thebikelookedalotlikethePulsar,especiallythesideprofileoftheheadlightassembly.Butthatis wherethesimilarityends.Lookatthebikeintheflesh,andyouwillimmediatelynoticethattheGS ismoremuscular.TheSuzukisbeefytankrisesfromtheseatinamannersimilartobiggersports bikes,andfeelshigherthanthatoftheUnicornortheAchiever.Butsincethehandlebarsarehigher too,theseatingposturemakessurethatthetankdoesntbrushagainstyourbody.Theworsttank designoutofthefourbikesisthatofthePulsarduetoitscrotchunfriendlyhump.Howeverifyou arecomfortablewiththat,thetanklooksmuscularandappealing.
The GSs headlight, stacked up LED taillight and body integrated blinkers aptly reflect the design clues taken from the K6 GSX-R1000. The two-tone stripes, which in recent times have become an integral part of all Suzuki sports bikes, are used on the GSs bikini fairing, tank and body panels to further highlight the Suzuki DNA. Below the bikini fairing are two air vents which are just a design element and dont serve any significant function except maybe reducing aerodynamic drag by a miniscule margin. Another distinctive design element of the GS is the swirled spoke design of the alloys as compared to the straight spoke wheels on the other bikes here. The wheels on all the four contenders are from the same production house Enkei and are equally strong and durable to take on the Indian road conditions. On the whole the design of the GS is distinctive in its own subtle way. It looks refreshing, without being too loud or pompous, its got a character of its own and wont be lost in the crowd of dated commuters.

ThebuildqualityoftheGS150Rsbodypanelslookedrobustatthefirstglanceandtherewereno worrisomepanelgapseither.Novibesorsqueaksfromthebodythroughoutourtestingfurther corroboratedthebikesimmaculatebuildquality.Butagain,thisisabrandnewbikein consideration.Alongtermtestwillgiveusabetterideaonitsdurability.TheUnicornsplastics wereknowntobeshabbyandbrittleatonepointintime,butthethirdgenerationbikeseemstohave improvedalotinthisregard.TheGSandtheUnicornbothfeaturechromebitsonthesidepanels housingthefuelcock.Thetreatmentlooksgoodagainstthetwobikesblackenginesascompared tothegreymillsonthePulsarandtheAchiever.Overall,IpersonallyfeelthattheGS150Redges aheadofthecompetitionintermsofdesignandconstructionwiththeUnicornrightonitstail.The Pulsarlooksaggressivebutisnowdatedandseriouslyneedsaredesign,notamerefacelift.The Achieverisanunderdogonthedesignfront.Itsneitheruglynoroutrightaggressivebutforabloke lookingforasubtlydesigned150cccommuter,thisbikesurelymakesthecut. Engine,performanceand handling

ThoughtheGS150Rsenginefeltsmoothinitially,spendingtimewiththeUnicornmademerealize thattheHondawasstilloverallthesmoothestpackageofthelot.TheGS150Rfurtherdisappointed whenIcoulddistinctivelyhearthesoundofvalveclutterandaslightknockingfromtheengine. Thesesoundsgetamplifiedinhigherrevsandvibeskickinafterthe7,000rpmmark.However,they arelesserthanonewouldexperienceonasimilarcapacityPulsar.ThoughtheHondahastheleast vibes,theAchieverwiththesameUnicornmillisthesmoothestofall.WheretheAchieverlosesout istheclankygearshifts,especiallyinthefirstthreegears.Theseclanksarecomparabletothe Pulsars,theonlydifferencebeingthelattersenginecomplementstheshiftclanksinmaking disturbingsounds.TheUnicornsgearshiftsarebuttersmoothasexpected,buttheGScomesquite closeinthisregardtoo.
Power may not be the priority for these bikes target audience but it deserves a mention. The GS took everyone by surprise with its short ratio six-speed gearbox which accounts for superior acceleration without significantly compromising the top speed. Its acceleration not only outclassed the Unicorn and the Achiever by almost half a second but was also on par with the Pulsar 150 a bike known to be the quickest so far in the bunch of executive commuters. The GSs 108km/h top speed, however, puts it in the same territory as the Unicorn and Achiever. The Pulsars 113km/h top speed makes the Bajaj the fastest of the lot.

TheGSboastsofaveryhealthypowerratingof14PS.TheSuzukienginemanagestoextractclose to58kmpland65kmplinthecityandthehighwayrespectively,thusmatchingthefuelefficiencyof theUnicornandtheAchieveralbeitwithadditionalpower.ThePulsar,thankstoitssportierengine, onlymanagestobecloseto50kmpl.

City commutes Commuting in the city is where these bikes will spend most of their time. The GS150Rs seat, though visually sporty, is sufficiently wide and very comfortable. No butt aches were reported either by the riders or pillions even after hours of rigorous riding and testing. The back seat is not very high either which makes it easy for the pillion to get astride. The Unicorns seat though not as wide, is still very comfortable both for the rider and the pillion. The Achievers seat too doesnt leave us with anything to complain about. The Pulsars seat, in its quest for being sporty, turns out to be too slim and for some odd reason quite hard too. The fact shouldnt be a bother to commuters looking at a daily travel distance of 10-15km. For longer hauls, however, the other three bikes have an edge over the Bajaj when it comes to comfort. The only irritating aspect on the GS is its conventional yet imbalanced toe heel shifter. If you consider the toe section to be at sea-level, the heel section is as high as Mount Everest making it uncomfortable for the left ankle. This is not the case with the other bikes at all. To make matters difficult for all the bikes, I made sure I had a heavy pillion and rode them through bumps as well. The GSs gas damped shocks offered excellent cushioning and did not bottom out even once. The chassis-suspension setup on the GS has been designed well, and works well for riding solo, as well as with a pillion. It was the same case with the Unicorn as well. However I would give the Unis monoshock an edge over the GSs units. The Achievers soft suspension offers great comfort at low speeds and with an average payload, but try leaning it hard or loading it with some well fed journos, and it begins bottoming out at the slightest hint of an undulation. The Pulsars rear shockers too are quite well designed and dont bottom out. But the same cant be said about the front forks which love to dive every time they see a bump or a pothole.

Comingtotheinstrumentconsole,theGSincorporatesadigitalreadoutforthespeedo,odo,trip andfuelcounters.TheselfcheckforLCDisslowerthanthePulsarsbuthasafunkyfadeineffect whencheckingallthedisplayunits.Ifyouaretheresponsibletypeandwearyourprotectiongear (especiallygloves)evenwhencommutingtooffice,thenyouwouldbehappytoseetheinclusionof adigitalclockinGSsconsole.Alsoondisplayarethreemodeseconomy,powerandIknowall (punintended).Intheeconomymode,thewhitewarninglightblinkseverytimetheenginerevs exceed4,500rpm,indicatingthatyouareexitingtheeconomyrange.Thelightwillremainonasyou cross6000rpmthusindicatingthatyouarewayovertheeconomyrange.Thepowermodewill simplyswitchthelightonat8,000rpmtoindicatethatyouaregoingclosetotheredline.Selecting

thethirdmodemeansthatyouknowwhatyouaredoingandhencewillnotbringonthelightno matterwhat.Overalltheunitisverywelllaidoutandinspiteofthelargefontsforthespeedoand tachonumbersitdoesnotappeargaudyoroffensive.ThePulsarsunitisequallywelllaidoutand thewhitefasciaonthenewbikelooksclassy.TheUnicornandtheAchieverreallyneedtopullup theirsocksinthisdepartmentandupgradetodigitalunitsinordertostaywiththetimes.

CONCLUSION
TheAchieverhasthesmoothestengineandthesoftestsuspensionofthelotandcaterstoahardcore citycommuter.ThePulsar,ontheotherhand,isstilloneofthehighestselling150ccbikesoutthere butneedstoupitsgameintermsofenginerefinementandgearshifttobeonparwiththenew contenders. TheUnicornhasbeentheundisputedkingofthissegmentwiththesmoothestenginesetup,great ridingdynamics,goodmileageandtheHondareliability.Thoughitisalmostimpossibletodethrone theUnicorn,theGS150RcomesfreakishlyclosetotheHondainallthesedepartmentsandedges aheadwithflashystylinganduptodategizmos.ButsincetheUnicornischeaperbyRs1,500and hasprovenitsmettletimeswithoutnumber,itstillretainsthetopspot.Asapackage,theGSisgreat andbetterthantherestofthecompetition.ItwillprovetobeathornintheUnicornsarminthe timetocome.