Category: New Bike Review
Everyday, we’re seeing more and more women riding motorcycles, and it’s a beautiful thing. No matter what your gender is, there is no better sense of freedom and expression than hitting the open road, track or trail with your bike, twisting the throttle and feeling all of your cares float away.
At YMC, we’re proud to have a legion of “biker chicks” who are not afraid to get behind the handlebars of a V-Star or kick up some dust on the trails with a TT-R. To help promote and motivate other women to try motorcycling, we’ve asked some women at Yamaha to tell us how they got into the sport and what kind of impression it has made on their lives.
Our first edition of “Biker Chicks” comes to us from one of our Graphic Designers, Amy Campbell. Amy’s pretty cool; she sings, writes songs and plays guitar in her band, “The Gnomes,” she isn’t afraid to hop onto a mighty cruiser, and she can probably beat me in an arm wrestle. Read on to find out how Amy started riding….
“The Story of an Outlaw Scooterist”
By Amy Campbell
I received an email last week practically begging female riders here at Yamaha Motor Canada to contribute some stories to the Bike Blog. (I think that Danny is just being lazy and has run out of things to write about. Who hired this guy anyways?) Anyhoo, I’ve been working here at Yamaha for almost two years and realized that I slipped under the radar, and had not written a blog introducing myself. So forgive my lateness and let me begin….
My name is Amy Campbell (or “Cowbell” as Huggy likes to call me), and I am a Graphic Designer here at Yamaha. Most of those flashy brochures and posters you find yourself collecting at dealerships or shows have graced my desk. But enough about the daily grind, I’m here to share my riding experience.
Before I started at Yamaha, I had purchased a little scoot, which was not a Yamaha (and for my own protection, I will not divulge what kind it was). When I brought it home, I did not have my license but would go out to the garage and pretend to ride it, making very realistic engine revving noises. I’d wax poetically over it, waiting for the day that I could take it out for my first real spin.
After Amy signs her big record deal, this cute little scoot could be worth some serious coin.
Now, it should be said that I am a very impatient person, and could not find the time to get my M1 permit written; the local DMV office had become my nemesis (who sets their hours anyway?).
In November of 2007 I became employed here at Yamaha, and vowed to actually get my license the following summer. As the days grew warmer, I got the itch and found myself hanging out in my garage at home with my helmet on, but my interest had shifted slightly. I still loved my little scoot but found myself flirting with the idea of a cruiser. Just thinking about all that chrome and the loud growl of the pipes made me feel as if I was cheating on my little scoot, but who was I kidding, I couldn’t fight the urge any longer.
So I took the riders training course offered by Humber College one (sweltering) weekend last June, and that was the end of my dreaming. I rode as much as I could last summer. I even loved how my gloves smelled faintly of gasoline (my mom tells me that I should have been a boy).
This summer brings a whole new experience for me, as I didn’t have to wait until July to start riding. I started riding in May and found I was not cut out for the early morning commute. The cold air was too much for me, and I’d arrive at work in the morning resembling a piece of frozen fish left out on the lake all winter. But my determination and passion for riding was not extinguished in those early mornings; I just wore my snowmobile get-up the next day!
Looking forward to getting out on the open road a lot more this summer, perhaps I’ll see you.
Amy “Cowbell” Campbell
Category: New Bike Review
Sometimes I forget how much fun it is to get out into the wilderness, suit up in my ATV gear and get covered in mud. There’s definitely something very primitive yet satisfying about it. I don’t know about you, but I spend the majority of my time inside in front of a computer, so I welcome the idea of getting my hands a little dirty once and awhile.
We certainly did that this weekend at the Haliburton ATV Bear Rally. Good times were definitely had by all. There were plenty of giveaways, new Yamaha ATV’s to try out and some great BBQ. There aren’t too many things in this world that can top a nice hamburger followed by a good ol’ fashion trail ride.
Chris, one of my colleagues and myself decided to head out onto the trails the day before the event to check out the conditions. As predicted, the trails were a ton of fun, except for one small section close to the swamp. Since the ruts looked pretty deep, I decided to go around and play it safe by staying on solid ground, or at least what I thought was solid ground. The second my front tires began to roll forward, I knew I was in trouble. Sure enough, within about two seconds, I was almost up to my waist in mud. Luckily, I reacted quickly enough, shifted my weight to the back of the ATV, put it in reverse and made it out safely.
Unfortunately, our good friend Jay Bretherick wasn’t so lucky the next day and had to get winched out of the mud by a Rhino. Even though he was good and dirty, he still had a smile from ear to ear. We come up with some silly and creative games at the Rally, usually ones that lead to more mud, more dirt and more water. Most people are hesitant at the beginning, but once they try it, they really get into it.
As I was interviewing one of the participants of the obstacle course, she thought it would be funny to pour some water over my head … I have to admit, it was pretty funny. The best part about it was that we got the whole thing on tape. Just have a look at the attached video. I guarantee you will have a good laugh.
The kids participating in the YRA are also a lot of fun to watch. For most of them, this is their first ride on an ATV or motorcycle. The instructors are very diligent about explaining that, “Wherever you look, is where you’ll go.” This point is really driven home when one kid falls, all of the others look at the kid and start to drive right towards him. It’s really funny to watch, but it’s pretty impressive how quickly kids are able to learn how to ride.
Well, until the next event, keep on smiling!
Aaron
Category: New Bike Review
It was all a matter of commuting from one place to another a few years ago. And then we saw the emergence of two of the most promising companies from India, TVS lead by Venu Srinivasan and Bajaj lead by Rahul Bajaj which changed the whole scenario and the mindset of an average Indian. They changed the very outlook of daily commuting to fun riding. Now what matters more to the enthusiasts is not just the travel from one place to another, but ‘How’ does it takes place. Both the companies have one thing in common; one product brand got them going. Pulsar did it for Bajaj, Apache did it for TVS. And without doubt both the bikes remain trendsetters and the very best in their respective worlds.
The best part about these companies is, unlike some better known bigger Japanese manufacturers, they believe in giving value to the customer for a single penny spent by them. After strengthening its sales in the 150cc segment with the ohh-so-fast Apache 160 RTR, TVS has launched a direct assault to Bajaj’s long term horse Pulsar 180, in the form of Apache RTR 180. The difference between these two bikes is the fact that Apache 180 is an upgraded version of Apache 160 whereas the Pulsar 180 seems to borrow much of its tidbits from the bigger sibling, the Pulsar 200 DTSi. We compare both of these spearheads, heads-on for our readers to enable them take an informed decision if they are caught in a fix between these two ‘quite similar yet differently character-ed’ machines.
Flash back three four years ago and all we saw was Bajaj ruling the performance roost single handedly with the help of their Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 180 siblings. Enter the Apache and its various iterations and have Bajaj mulling over what to do next? Though, Apache has not been to beat Bajaj in terms of sheer sales, but the least they have done is keep Bajaj at their toes. They have just not let Bajaj relax and sit pretty with the performance king title. Despite a few legal hiccups between these two companies, they have managed to keep their cool and play sportively. Read on for a comprehensive comparo between these two machines.
Engine: Apache now comes loaded with a 177.4cc 4 stroke air cooled single cylinder SOHC 2 valve mill which is a bored out version of the 160cc mill with a longer stroke. The engine remains an oversquare unit, similar to the 160. The bore and stroke of the new bike is 62.5 mm and 57.8 mm. The new bike is now capable of producing a peak power of 17.3 PS of power output, up by 1.9PS and the power comes at the same 8500 RPM of the 160. Peak torque of the bike is now up by 2.4 units to a handsome 15.5 NM and is produced at 500 rpm over the RTR 160 at 6500 rpm. The engine breathes through the big Mikuni BS-29 carburetor.
Coming to the latest Pulsar 180 2009 edition, a lot has changed in it from its earlier version. The bike has the same 178.6cc 4 stroke air cooled single cylinder SOHC 2 Valve mill which produces an enhanced output of 17.02 PS at 8500 rpm. Bore and stroke remains 63.5 mm and 56.4 mm respectively. Maximum torque is reduced by 1 NM to 14.22 NM from 15.2 NM of the earlier version and only Rahul Bajaj knows the reason for this! The reduction is very much feel-able in this bike. The moment you ride this bike, it feels a bit less torquey than its previous iteration. The bike breathes through the UCD 29 carburetor.
But it a worth mentioning point here, that TVS has still not been able to do away with the vibrations issue completely in this bike. The vibrations, though lowered, make the difference between the two engines evident. Pulsar seems a Honda in front of the Apache, it’s so refined. But credit must be given to TVS because of the fact that they have done a good job in reducing the harsh engine vibrations of the earlier Apaches. Moreover, the clutch of Apache feels more progressive in front of the heavy feel induced by Pulsar. In fact, clutches would be one of the factors Bajaj has not been able to improve. Since there launch, Pulsars have sported very bad clutch assemblies which fail to deliver even under slightest of loads. We see not a worth mentioning difference with this bike as well.
Chasis & Suspension: The Apache 180 has a Double Cradle synchrostiff chasis which aids to the overall dynamics of the bike. Front suspensions of the bike are the telescopic forks with a 105 mm stroke and the rear are the Mono tube Inverted Gas filled shocks with spring aid which TVS calls as MIG. The suspension set up has been reworked on this bike to compensate for the increased wheelbase and to aid in the overall drive-ability and stability. The best part about these is that they do not bottom out at any time and feel confident under high speeding.
On the other hand, Pulsar 180s chasis is a Double Downtube frame borrowed from the bigger sibling Pulsar 200. The front suspension is now meaty 37 mm inner diameter telescopic forks which has a 130 mm stroke straight from the Pulsar 220 and the rear remains triple rated spring, 5 way adjustable Hydraulic, Gas filled Nitrox shock absorbers with 101 mm travel. The overall look of the front suspension gives the bike a masculine look and also does the job pretty well.
The overall dimensions of Apache are 2085 mm x 730 mm x 1100 mm whereas Pulsars remain 2035 mm x 760 mm x1115 mm (L *B * H).
Handling: This is area where Apache seems to score comfortably over the Pulsar. Even the earlier iterations of Apaches have always been nimble, to the point and flick at corners. With this bike TVS has just taken the game ahead. The wheelbase is now increased by a good 40 mm to 1326 mm which makes it even more confidence inducing, more stable, especially during cornering than the previous Apaches. Even if we talk about the straight line ability, it has improved substantially over the previous iteration and makes it a lovely high speed handling machine. The precision and conviction with which this bike tackles the steepest of turns makes the rider lust for more. Add to this the higher ground clearance of 180 mm makes sure you have ample amount of space under the body for the earthen potholes to pass by easily. In fact, ride it and it crosses smaller potholes with ease.
Its not that Pulsars are way behind; actually, between these two machines it’s very less to distinguish the better one so small points like these look big. The case with Pulsars is that, they have improved drastically on this front but sadly, they still remain at the last in this league. But all accolades to Bajaj for making this bike one of the best handling Pulsars around (probably only after the new Pulsar 220 DTSi). The wheelbase has been increased by a healthy 25 mm to 1345 mm (from 1320 mm) which aids to the straight line ability of this bike to a great extent. Bajaj has also done away with the rectangular swingarm of the earlier Pulsar and this bike now comes loaded with an Oval section swingarm straight from the Pulsar 200 /220. As a result, the bike is easily one of the best cornering Pulsar 180 till date. Although, a point worth mentioning is that with the inclusion of all these features the bike feels a bit stiff and less nimble comparing it with the earlier iteration during city riding. Add to this, the bike also has a little longer turning radius. The ground clearance of this bike is 165 mm which makes it a tad more vulnerable to the ever so deadly Indian potholes. But all said and done, it’s a commendable effort from Bajaj, which makes this bike stand in the league of the best handling machines in India.
Under extreme braking Pulsar stands tall and feel more planted majorly because of the quality of tyres. Apache sports TVS Srichakra tyres which have now been fattened to 110 from 100 (in Apache 160) but fail to maintain grip on road especially in panicky situations. One more point to be noted is the change of rear tyre size from 18 inch of the earlier generation Apaches, this bike has a 17 inch rear tyre. We felt that, had Apache sported MRP nylogrip zappers of the Pulsar, it would have been quite a different story then. On the other hand, Pulsar 180 gets more meaty 120 rear section MRF nylogrip zappers which earlier did duty on the bigger Pulsars and as always, are so precise that we failed to pin-point any flaw in them. Front tyres of both the bikes are 90/90 * 17 inch in size and the good part about both the bikes is that both of them sport tubeless tyres which prevent us from the hassles of the traditional tubed tyres.
This is the end of Part One of this article. Since this article is a big one, Part Two of this article will be published tomorrow. Stay Tuned. Part 2 will contain information about Performance, Mileage, Braking, Instrumentation and the most important stuff: The BikeAdvice Verdict.
This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog
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Category: New Bike Review
Every Once in a while, we get to know something very unique, something in a league of its own, something that would truly define the very meaning it symbolizes. It has been in production for the past 3 decades, surpassing and outclassing every other bike the world had to offer in terms of both luxury and performance. The name in itself has turned it into an icon of modern times. The bike that changed the way people look at bikes, forever. Honda’s most innovative bike yet, The Goldwing.
Introduced in 1975, this very bike carved a niche for its own self, by the time it was launched. No one would have thought it would turn out to be a true icon of a motorcycle that it now is. Widely known for being the first to introduce car-like features, the Goldwing specialized in presenting the limitless potential of what can be done on a bike. It offered features that were not present even in cars of its time, let alone bikes, and continues to do so to this very day. At the time of its launch, it was among the first bikes on the world to offer water cooling, fuel pumps, and shaft drives. It even had the first transmission system that was placed underneath the engine rather than behind which was more of the same used in production cars. Today however, it features weather tracking systems, satellite radio, and a whole bunch of features that would put any standard car to shame.
It began as a prototype, in 1974, which Honda designed to show the world what the company was capable of. The bikes technical wizardry created such an interest among the public that Honda decided to enter it into production. And so the world witnessed what would be, the birth of a legend. It was initially launched as a touring motorcycle, and christened GL1000. Soon after the bike became popular, there was a large demand for aftermarket accessories, like fairings and luggage holders (since it was a touring bike). It took a while for Honda to recognize this trend as a profitable market but when they did so, they launched the GL1100, in 1981, fully featured with a trunk, Saddlebags and frontal fairing. It was the first production bike in the world to feature an adjustable air suspension. All of these features contributed into making this bike an instant success.
In 1983, Honda decided to upgrade the GL1100 and hence introduced new features such as an LCD dashboard, anti-dive forks and linked front and rear brakes. This was soon followed by the GL1200, in 1984, which had an all new engine with Fuel Injection along with amazing features such as an auto leveling rear air suspension, a driver-passenger intercom system (which used a pair of headsets with microphones), cruise control and a Panasonic Audio system with rear speakers.
This model was sold until the year 1988 when Honda unveiled the revolutionary new GL1500. This bike in particular was so ahead of its time that it completely outsmarted the competition and caused the withdrawal of several major players in the segment including Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki each of whom had a distinctive product that rivalled the Goldwing, Honda’s brand loyalty and innovation were of no match for the competition and hence the withdrawal.
The major changes that were evident in the GL1500 were numerous, the most important of which was the layout of the engine which was changed from a flat four cylinder layout to a flat six cylinder layout. This change, increased power and reduced noise which resulted in better rider comfort. Another major innovation was the introduction of a reverse gear. Since the bike weighed in excess of 400 kilos, Honda engineers foresaw the need for a system that would assist a rider in backing up without calling for help. The bike was more ergonomically designed for both passenger and rider and hence more comfortable.
The GL1500 continued to be sold for 13 years up until 2001, when, the revolutionary all new version was launched. This would turn out to be the most advanced and luxurious Goldwing Honda has ever produced. The 2001 version was launched amid high levels of expectation as there were no major updates undertaken to the 1988 version of the Goldwing. In effect the launch of the 2001 version signified a bike that implemented everything that Honda had learned over the years from the launch of the first Goldwing back in 1975. The project was kept as a top secret and nothing about it was known among the public as security was kept tight. It was finally launched the same year with rave reviews and the usual feature list that spanned the length of the the bike itself.
The most prolific change was with the engine whose already mammoth displacement of 1500cc was increased to 1800cc along with fuel injection. This newer bike was actually lighter than the outgoing model largely due to the use of aluminium and other modern lightweight materials. Another major change was the introduction of the ABS system which not only increased safety, but also ushered a new level of rider confidence. Honda continued updating this model and in 2004 it sent waves across the motoring industry with the launch of the first ever airbag integrated onto a production motorcycle.
The Goldwing offered the airbag as an option along with standard and other optional features such as, LCD display with Satellite Navigation system, Live weather forecasting system, Traffic Information system, Voice control and prompting, Heated grips, seats and backrests with individual controls for passenger and rider, Foot warming system that channels engine bay air onto the foot of the rider with the flick of a switch, 80 watt per channel audio system with an optional 6 CD changer and a total of 6 Speakers, Electronic cruise control, Electronic reverse gear, Adjustable front windscreen, 147 litres of storage space, remote controlled trunk opener with horn actuated bike locator, CB radio that allows communication between passenger and rider with the use of a headset, Self adjustable headlight level, Large 33 litre fuel tank, Computer controlled rear suspension system, Fully illuminated handlebar and control surfaces, Tire pressure monitoring system and an endless accessories list. This bike was an undoubted success which to this day carries on the very legacy it created of being the Ultimate tourer on the road.
On the whole this machine has been to the Bike world what Rolls Royce has been to the car world, the innovations implemented on this bike were in a league of its own, Its loyal followers swear by it as being the most reliable touring bike that’s on the roads today. Honda’s timeless engineering and innovation coupled with unrivaled levels of customer satisfaction has created nothing short of a masterpiece. The Honda Goldwing – Luxury, safety, comfort, convenience and performance combine together to provide an experience that’s like nothing else On Two Wheels.
- Arun S. Thampi
This is an article from from: BikeAdvice.in - The Indian Bike Blog
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