Royal Enfield motorcycles have been in continuous production for over 100 years, making them the longest running motorcycle brand in the world, and their success story continues with the introduction of a brand new engine for 2009.

Based on the popular and well proven Electra, now with the all new unit construction fuel-injected engine, the Electra EFI looks and sounds like a classic British single, but with a significant performance boost, excellent fuel economy and significantly reduced exhaust emissions.

· 280mm front disc brake for reliable stopping power
· Gas filled rear shocks for a smooth ride
· Electric and kick-start options
· Halogen headlight for a clearer view

Available in red, black, blue and silver.

DATA SHEET
Engine- Single Cylinder 4-Stroke,
Capacity- 499cc
Maximum- Torque 41.3Nm @ 4000rpm
Power- 20.3KW, 28bhp @ 5250 rpm
Ignition system- Electronic
Fuel Feed- Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI)
Transmission- 5- speed gearbox with left hand gear change
Starting- Kick & Electric Start
Petrol Tank Capacity- 14.5 litres
Fuel Consumption- 79.6 mpg (Under Euro III test conditions)
Clutch- 7 plate wet clutch
Braking System- Front – 280mm Disc. Rear – 152mm Drum
Suspension- Telescopic front forks, Gas filled rear shocks
Dimensions- Length – 2160mm Width – 800mm Height – 1050mm
Wheel Base- 1370mm
Ground Clearance- 140mm
Weight- 187kg
Tyres Front – 90 x 90 – 19” Rear – 100 x 90 – 19”
Electrics- 12V System
Fuel- Unleaded Petrol

Now if only they could build an Egli Super Bullet version. Royal Enfield, are you listening?

バイカーブードゥー

After decades of basically building the same old bike, Royal Enfield has come up with a new model. The main drive to build it probably came from its desire to penetrate the European market, where Euro III is now a requirement for motorcycles.

This new Bullet has Royal Enfield’s new 500cc ‘Unit Construction Engine’ (UCE), homologated for Euro III norms. Power output is about 27.2 bhp at 5250rpm and 41.3Nm of torque at 4000rpm. This new model is expected to be in the Europe Distributors showrooms by January 2009 and should be launched in India by end 2009.

If only they could hotrod this new UCE powertrain and build a Cafe Racer like the Egli Super Bullet 624cc BikerVoodoo reported on earlier. No need to crack their heads trying to do something different, just look at Harley-Davidson’s XR1200, Triumph’s Bonneville, Kawasaki’s W650, etc. and take the same route.

Click
continue reading "NEW ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET 500CC UNIT CONSTRUCTION ENGINE"

Here are images for Royal Enfield‘s ‘Trip‘ ad campaign in India. The images look very ‘American’ and the copy gives some ‘Bullet Points’ of the owner/rider’s profile with the tagline ‘Tripping Ever Since’. The ads were produced by Weiden+Kennedy (W+K)’s Delhi office.

Seen here is adventurer/bike builder Paul Smith. Notice that his bike has a rear disc brake! No, he’s not THAT Paul Smith … the one they made a few Triumph Bonnevilles with. Apparently there are lots of them around. More ads for the iconic Bullet below.

continue reading "ROYAL ENFIELD’S ‘TRIP’ AD CAMPAIGN"

Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, is reportedly in talks with Claudio Castiglioni, head of MV Agusta, according to a report by Autoblog. Tata Group certainly has the financial muscle to do it. In 2007 Tata raked in US$28.9 billion in revenue. The public listed company has recently acquired Corus Group, Jaguar, and Land Rover. It previously purchased Tetley Tea and Daewoo Commercial Vehicles in 2004.

バイカーブードゥー

Ever wanted to get away from it all, see things which no one you know has ever had the chance to see? Consider Enduro Himalaya. The Himalayas are not for the faint hearted the mountains sheer magnitude is a test in itself, add to that the unpredictable weather, the constant risk of landslides, sudden border closures and route changes … it sort of sounds like Camel Trophy, but for bikes, doesn’t it? Instead of Land Rovers, the vehicles of choice here are Royal Enfield Bullets.

Each night participants rest in strange, yet wonderful locations, including 1000 year old monasteries, strange ancient temples and wild isolated mountain wilderness. The group rides as high as a snow leopards and tread as carefully as mice as they take on treacherous tunnels way up in the mountains and wind their way through the pristine and remote ranges of the Tibet / India border.

Organised by Simon Smith, Enduro Himalaya draws on a team of over 30 riders including medics, mechanics, guides and communications experts. The price to take part in Enduro Himalaya is £3,450. For this fee participants will receive everything apart from petrol, lunch, kit and drinks in the evening. All other costs are met including flights, bikes, medics, mechanics, team leaders and support crew. Accommodation including breakfast and dinner are also included. Visa and travel insurance are not included in this fee. Expect to spend at least 17 days on this adventure with trips available in June, August, September and October 2009. The bikes used look like stock Royal Enfield Bullet 500s, with front disc brakes, crash bars and rear carrier racks.

I liked their slogan – “We take these risks not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us”. Check out their website and in particular the gallery which has a very nice soundtrack.

バイカーブードゥー

Behind each motorcycle is a philosophy, and Fritz W. Egli delivers them free. “Do you remember the good old days,” he writes in his prospectus “as motorcycles still made from steel and aluminium were built, not from colourful plastic”. His sideswipe at more recent offerings from Japan, China, et cetera are not new. However the Japanese reliability and performance image is what Egli was aiming for in his Egli Super Bullet 624cc, and the Swiss tuner has largely succeeded, albeit at huge costs and with great efforts.

For Egli, the Swiss Royal Enfield importer, a simple Bullet 500cc engine designed about 60 years ago was a desirable base on which to work his magic. Egli dismantles Bullets delivered from India and upgrades them with many improvements and new parts. Although greatly appreciated, this was simply not enough for one customer, who brought Egli the idea of building a Bullet-based light single cylinder sports motorcycle. Of course, the basis for this bike would be Egli’s famous central tube frame constructed from nickel-plated chromium-molybdenum steel, the hallmark of Egli’s motorcycle tuning efforts.

Egli’s trademark oil-in-spine frame form the basis of the Egli Super Bullet, along with a matching aluminium fuel tank

The engine could of course, no longer be stock as it usually is. An aluminium cylinder, US-sourced piston, larger valves in a redesigned cylinder head, longer stroke crankshaft (105mm), special main bearings, dry clutch, timing belt primary drive, 36mm Keihin flat-slide carburettors were added among other tricks (Egli’s option list for Bullet specials span 29 pages!). The output is 40PS from a 624cc engine fed via an electric pump from a classic-looking aluminium tank. The original 500cc puts out only 22PS.

Metzeler ME Z1 tyres wrap around 18-inch alloy wheels, attached to an Egli fork up front, and damped with Koni dampers at the rear. The front disc brake is equipped with a Spiegler 8-piston caliper, stopping the Super Bullet which has a total weight of 139kg. The Egli Super Bullet can easily attain 160 km/h.

The dashboard consists of a VDO oil temperature gauge, and a classic 80s-style Krober tachometer. Exclusivity is guaranteed as only two examples have been built thus far, at an outlandish price of RM125,000 (Euros 25,100 / US$39,200)! As exorbitant as it may seem, we must appreciate the efforts of Egli as the motorcycle scene would be much poorer without him and people like Dan Holmes and his DRS Cycles Bullet Racer.

I strongly believe Royal Enfield should build a series-production Egli Super Bullet for enthusiasts around the world. Mass production could make the Super Bullet more affordable and I’m sure Royal Enfield dealers in North America, Europe and elsewhere would love to sell Super Bullets in their showrooms. If you share my humble opinion, please record your thoughts in the ‘comments’ section by clicking the comment button below. Thank you!

PICS/INFO: EGLI RACING

バイカーブードゥー

The Times of India has reported that British motorcycle company, Triumph Motorcycles will soon be making inroads into India. “We plan to get in a series of models from our line-up. We are here to formulate a strategy for getting into India and are confident to find a partner by the middle of this year.” said Nick Bloor, Triumph export manager whose family owns the Triumph brand.

Triumph Motorcycles is currently in talks with up to 8 potential partners in India including Bajaj and a lifestyle product firm. The government of India has recently relaxed regulations to facilitate the importation of bikes over 800cc, by accepting testing and approval by any certified agency from the EU. It is believed that previously all incoming imports may have had to undergo stringent testing at ARAI (Automotive Research Institute of India).

With duties of up to 110% and up, the 2.3-litre Triumph Rocket III could end up retailing at over Rs 18 Lakh in India, where recently Tata Motors launched the world’s cheapest automobile, the Tata Nano at little over Rs 1 Lakh (US$2,500).

“These products cater to a different and niche segment and we come here with an eye on the future. We feel it is an exciting market with fantastic growth potential,” added Bloor. In reference to the Triumph Bonneville and its derivatives, Bloor said, “Powered by air-cooled parallel twins, their performance, brakes and fuel injection are tuned to current times, even though they are classic.”

Capitalising on the Triumph brand name’s strength, Bloor revealed that Triumph Motorcycles would also be looking into launching its clothing and accessories line in India. This would increase awareness of the brand and also serve to give a good revenue stream to Triumph dealers.

Triumph Motorcycles, the iconic British motorcycle marque, is solely owned by Bloor Holdings Ltd. First established in 1902 and now located in Hinckley, Leicestershire, Triumph has always set the pace for category winning machines. From the iconic Bonneville to the class leading Daytona Triple supersports bike, Triumph offers a blend of design, character, sex appeal and performance that combines to create truly distinctive motorcycles.

The rebel choice of ‘60s stars such as Steve McQueen, James Dean and Bob Dylan, today Triumph continues to attract a diverse range of screen heroes, music idols and sports stars such as Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage and Joseph Fiennes to name but a few.

SOURCE

バイカーブードゥー

In April 2007, Rediff News reported that Cagiva had tied up with Kinetic Engineering to build Cagiva singles in Pune, India. The primary player in this deal would the the 2-stroke, 125cc Cagiva Mito, as well as a 4-stroke version of the same. Previously Cagiva had exhibited a 60-horsepower 500cc Husqvarna-powered concept bike called the Cagiva Mito 500 at EICMA 2006. Apparently the idea for the Mito 500 seen here came from Giovanni Castiglioni, the son of MV Agusta Group President Claudio Castiglioni. Some parts may still come from Cagiva in Italy.

Kinetic‘s position as a distributor and partner of Hyosung bikes in India have led many (SOURCE) to speculate that the 4-stroke Cagiva Mito to be built in India may be Hyosung-powered, using Hyosung‘s 650 or 250 V-twins. However, the difficulties of shoehorning a V-twin into the space once occupied by a 125cc single has me thinking the Cagiva Mito 4-stroke will still be a big single.

I’ve been wanting Ducati to come up with a 500cc single for over a decade now ever since the Ducati Supermono was killed off and it looks like there’s finally an Italian single in the cooker, designed by Massimo Tamburini himself! Italian design and Indian production (think Tata 1-Lakh car frugality with lower procurement and manufacturing costs). Let’s keep our fingers crossed! The Cagiva distributor in Malaysia is Mofaz.

バイカーブードゥー

Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj told the press that Bajaj will develop two motorcycle platforms with partner KTM. Bajaj already owns 21% of KTM and will gradually increase this share to 25% over the next few months. KTM & Bajaj will develop the two new four-stroke bikes in 125cc and 250cc variants, which will be badged “KTM” and are to be launched in the second half of 2010. The bikes will cater to both European and Far Eastern customers. Sales are expected to hit 100,000 units per annum.

Bajaj is also introducing a low-cost small car to compete with the recently launched Tata Nano, which was launched by Tata Motors yesterday. Bajaj claims that their low-cost car would offer lower maintenance costs. Nissan-Renault are partnering Bajaj in this venture.

Bajaj sells the twin-spark Pulsar DTS-Fi, which is arguably India’s first fuel-injected production 2-wheeler. Bajaj is also India’s biggest 3-wheeler (Auto Rickshaw) manufacturer.

SOURCE

バイカーブードゥー

No, it’s not Italian. Vardenchi in the Indian language Marathi means “Varde’s“. Akshai Varde, a former flight attendant who spent his teens riding a Yamaha RD350 decided to customise his own 1977 Royal Enfield Bullet. Soon he was being stopped on the streets of Delhi, being asked by other bikers where they could get their own custom choppers. After completing another chopper for a friend, Akshai Varde decided to set up his own workshop. Equipped with only basic tools, a drill and a grinder, Akshai Varde along with his assistant Hassan would work on customers Royal Enfield Bullets.

Now, with an 8-man ‘brotherhood’ (as he calls his team) including Creative Designer Sandeep Padol, Engine Technician Mukesh Maurya and Metal Fabricator Mehboob, Akshai Varde runs a fully equipped Vardenchi Motorcycles shop, with a lathe, metal fabrication tools and even an in-house paint booth.

Vardenchi Motorcycles takes in customers Royal Enfield Bullets, and converts them into choppers according to the customers desires. First, the customer specifies their requirements, and Vardenchi trashes out the details. Once the customer approves a design, the Vardenchi team then gets down to metalwork. The customer comes in once for a trial fit and changes can be included up to this stage. Once everything is set, the bike is completed.

Vardenchi Motorcycles have produced over 30 custom bikes to date, almost all of them Royal Enfield Bullets. They can do almost anything, from RM1000 cosmetic jobs like painting on flames, names or even stickers to RM25,000 conversions including belt drive rear conversions with 350mm rear tyres. Vardenchi are now looking to export their custom bikes.

PHOTOS: Jeevan Balwant
VIDEOS: Nautanki.tv

バイカーブードゥー

Royal Enfield motorcycles have been in continuous production for over 100 years, making them the longest running motorcycle brand in the world, and their success story continues with the introduction of a brand new engine for 2009.

Based on the popular and well proven Electra, now with the all new unit construction fuel-injected engine, the Electra EFI looks and sounds like a classic British single, but with a significant performance boost, excellent fuel economy and significantly reduced exhaust emissions.

· 280mm front disc brake for reliable stopping power
· Gas filled rear shocks for a smooth ride
· Electric and kick-start options
· Halogen headlight for a clearer view

Available in red, black, blue and silver.

DATA SHEET
Engine- Single Cylinder 4-Stroke,
Capacity- 499cc
Maximum- Torque 41.3Nm @ 4000rpm
Power- 20.3KW, 28bhp @ 5250 rpm
Ignition system- Electronic
Fuel Feed- Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI)
Transmission- 5- speed gearbox with left hand gear change
Starting- Kick & Electric Start
Petrol Tank Capacity- 14.5 litres
Fuel Consumption- 79.6 mpg (Under Euro III test conditions)
Clutch- 7 plate wet clutch
Braking System- Front – 280mm Disc. Rear – 152mm Drum
Suspension- Telescopic front forks, Gas filled rear shocks
Dimensions- Length – 2160mm Width – 800mm Height – 1050mm
Wheel Base- 1370mm
Ground Clearance- 140mm
Weight- 187kg
Tyres Front – 90 x 90 – 19” Rear – 100 x 90 – 19”
Electrics- 12V System
Fuel- Unleaded Petrol

Now if only they could build an Egli Super Bullet version. Royal Enfield, are you listening?

バイカーブードゥー

After decades of basically building the same old bike, Royal Enfield has come up with a new model. The main drive to build it probably came from its desire to penetrate the European market, where Euro III is now a requirement for motorcycles.

This new Bullet has Royal Enfield’s new 500cc ‘Unit Construction Engine’ (UCE), homologated for Euro III norms. Power output is about 27.2 bhp at 5250rpm and 41.3Nm of torque at 4000rpm. This new model is expected to be in the Europe Distributors showrooms by January 2009 and should be launched in India by end 2009.

If only they could hotrod this new UCE powertrain and build a Cafe Racer like the Egli Super Bullet 624cc BikerVoodoo reported on earlier. No need to crack their heads trying to do something different, just look at Harley-Davidson’s XR1200, Triumph’s Bonneville, Kawasaki’s W650, etc. and take the same route.

Click
continue reading "NEW ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET 500CC UNIT CONSTRUCTION ENGINE"

Here are images for Royal Enfield‘s ‘Trip‘ ad campaign in India. The images look very ‘American’ and the copy gives some ‘Bullet Points’ of the owner/rider’s profile with the tagline ‘Tripping Ever Since’. The ads were produced by Weiden+Kennedy (W+K)’s Delhi office.

Seen here is adventurer/bike builder Paul Smith. Notice that his bike has a rear disc brake! No, he’s not THAT Paul Smith … the one they made a few Triumph Bonnevilles with. Apparently there are lots of them around. More ads for the iconic Bullet below.

continue reading "ROYAL ENFIELD’S ‘TRIP’ AD CAMPAIGN"

Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, is reportedly in talks with Claudio Castiglioni, head of MV Agusta, according to a report by Autoblog. Tata Group certainly has the financial muscle to do it. In 2007 Tata raked in US$28.9 billion in revenue. The public listed company has recently acquired Corus Group, Jaguar, and Land Rover. It previously purchased Tetley Tea and Daewoo Commercial Vehicles in 2004.

バイカーブードゥー

Ever wanted to get away from it all, see things which no one you know has ever had the chance to see? Consider Enduro Himalaya. The Himalayas are not for the faint hearted the mountains sheer magnitude is a test in itself, add to that the unpredictable weather, the constant risk of landslides, sudden border closures and route changes … it sort of sounds like Camel Trophy, but for bikes, doesn’t it? Instead of Land Rovers, the vehicles of choice here are Royal Enfield Bullets.

Each night participants rest in strange, yet wonderful locations, including 1000 year old monasteries, strange ancient temples and wild isolated mountain wilderness. The group rides as high as a snow leopards and tread as carefully as mice as they take on treacherous tunnels way up in the mountains and wind their way through the pristine and remote ranges of the Tibet / India border.

Organised by Simon Smith, Enduro Himalaya draws on a team of over 30 riders including medics, mechanics, guides and communications experts. The price to take part in Enduro Himalaya is £3,450. For this fee participants will receive everything apart from petrol, lunch, kit and drinks in the evening. All other costs are met including flights, bikes, medics, mechanics, team leaders and support crew. Accommodation including breakfast and dinner are also included. Visa and travel insurance are not included in this fee. Expect to spend at least 17 days on this adventure with trips available in June, August, September and October 2009. The bikes used look like stock Royal Enfield Bullet 500s, with front disc brakes, crash bars and rear carrier racks.

I liked their slogan – “We take these risks not to escape life but to prevent life escaping us”. Check out their website and in particular the gallery which has a very nice soundtrack.

バイカーブードゥー

Behind each motorcycle is a philosophy, and Fritz W. Egli delivers them free. “Do you remember the good old days,” he writes in his prospectus “as motorcycles still made from steel and aluminium were built, not from colourful plastic”. His sideswipe at more recent offerings from Japan, China, et cetera are not new. However the Japanese reliability and performance image is what Egli was aiming for in his Egli Super Bullet 624cc, and the Swiss tuner has largely succeeded, albeit at huge costs and with great efforts.

For Egli, the Swiss Royal Enfield importer, a simple Bullet 500cc engine designed about 60 years ago was a desirable base on which to work his magic. Egli dismantles Bullets delivered from India and upgrades them with many improvements and new parts. Although greatly appreciated, this was simply not enough for one customer, who brought Egli the idea of building a Bullet-based light single cylinder sports motorcycle. Of course, the basis for this bike would be Egli’s famous central tube frame constructed from nickel-plated chromium-molybdenum steel, the hallmark of Egli’s motorcycle tuning efforts.

Egli’s trademark oil-in-spine frame form the basis of the Egli Super Bullet, along with a matching aluminium fuel tank

The engine could of course, no longer be stock as it usually is. An aluminium cylinder, US-sourced piston, larger valves in a redesigned cylinder head, longer stroke crankshaft (105mm), special main bearings, dry clutch, timing belt primary drive, 36mm Keihin flat-slide carburettors were added among other tricks (Egli’s option list for Bullet specials span 29 pages!). The output is 40PS from a 624cc engine fed via an electric pump from a classic-looking aluminium tank. The original 500cc puts out only 22PS.

Metzeler ME Z1 tyres wrap around 18-inch alloy wheels, attached to an Egli fork up front, and damped with Koni dampers at the rear. The front disc brake is equipped with a Spiegler 8-piston caliper, stopping the Super Bullet which has a total weight of 139kg. The Egli Super Bullet can easily attain 160 km/h.

The dashboard consists of a VDO oil temperature gauge, and a classic 80s-style Krober tachometer. Exclusivity is guaranteed as only two examples have been built thus far, at an outlandish price of RM125,000 (Euros 25,100 / US$39,200)! As exorbitant as it may seem, we must appreciate the efforts of Egli as the motorcycle scene would be much poorer without him and people like Dan Holmes and his DRS Cycles Bullet Racer.

I strongly believe Royal Enfield should build a series-production Egli Super Bullet for enthusiasts around the world. Mass production could make the Super Bullet more affordable and I’m sure Royal Enfield dealers in North America, Europe and elsewhere would love to sell Super Bullets in their showrooms. If you share my humble opinion, please record your thoughts in the ‘comments’ section by clicking the comment button below. Thank you!

PICS/INFO: EGLI RACING

バイカーブードゥー

The Times of India has reported that British motorcycle company, Triumph Motorcycles will soon be making inroads into India. “We plan to get in a series of models from our line-up. We are here to formulate a strategy for getting into India and are confident to find a partner by the middle of this year.” said Nick Bloor, Triumph export manager whose family owns the Triumph brand.

Triumph Motorcycles is currently in talks with up to 8 potential partners in India including Bajaj and a lifestyle product firm. The government of India has recently relaxed regulations to facilitate the importation of bikes over 800cc, by accepting testing and approval by any certified agency from the EU. It is believed that previously all incoming imports may have had to undergo stringent testing at ARAI (Automotive Research Institute of India).

With duties of up to 110% and up, the 2.3-litre Triumph Rocket III could end up retailing at over Rs 18 Lakh in India, where recently Tata Motors launched the world’s cheapest automobile, the Tata Nano at little over Rs 1 Lakh (US$2,500).

“These products cater to a different and niche segment and we come here with an eye on the future. We feel it is an exciting market with fantastic growth potential,” added Bloor. In reference to the Triumph Bonneville and its derivatives, Bloor said, “Powered by air-cooled parallel twins, their performance, brakes and fuel injection are tuned to current times, even though they are classic.”

Capitalising on the Triumph brand name’s strength, Bloor revealed that Triumph Motorcycles would also be looking into launching its clothing and accessories line in India. This would increase awareness of the brand and also serve to give a good revenue stream to Triumph dealers.

Triumph Motorcycles, the iconic British motorcycle marque, is solely owned by Bloor Holdings Ltd. First established in 1902 and now located in Hinckley, Leicestershire, Triumph has always set the pace for category winning machines. From the iconic Bonneville to the class leading Daytona Triple supersports bike, Triumph offers a blend of design, character, sex appeal and performance that combines to create truly distinctive motorcycles.

The rebel choice of ‘60s stars such as Steve McQueen, James Dean and Bob Dylan, today Triumph continues to attract a diverse range of screen heroes, music idols and sports stars such as Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage and Joseph Fiennes to name but a few.

SOURCE

バイカーブードゥー

In April 2007, Rediff News reported that Cagiva had tied up with Kinetic Engineering to build Cagiva singles in Pune, India. The primary player in this deal would the the 2-stroke, 125cc Cagiva Mito, as well as a 4-stroke version of the same. Previously Cagiva had exhibited a 60-horsepower 500cc Husqvarna-powered concept bike called the Cagiva Mito 500 at EICMA 2006. Apparently the idea for the Mito 500 seen here came from Giovanni Castiglioni, the son of MV Agusta Group President Claudio Castiglioni. Some parts may still come from Cagiva in Italy.

Kinetic‘s position as a distributor and partner of Hyosung bikes in India have led many (SOURCE) to speculate that the 4-stroke Cagiva Mito to be built in India may be Hyosung-powered, using Hyosung‘s 650 or 250 V-twins. However, the difficulties of shoehorning a V-twin into the space once occupied by a 125cc single has me thinking the Cagiva Mito 4-stroke will still be a big single.

I’ve been wanting Ducati to come up with a 500cc single for over a decade now ever since the Ducati Supermono was killed off and it looks like there’s finally an Italian single in the cooker, designed by Massimo Tamburini himself! Italian design and Indian production (think Tata 1-Lakh car frugality with lower procurement and manufacturing costs). Let’s keep our fingers crossed! The Cagiva distributor in Malaysia is Mofaz.

バイカーブードゥー

Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj told the press that Bajaj will develop two motorcycle platforms with partner KTM. Bajaj already owns 21% of KTM and will gradually increase this share to 25% over the next few months. KTM & Bajaj will develop the two new four-stroke bikes in 125cc and 250cc variants, which will be badged “KTM” and are to be launched in the second half of 2010. The bikes will cater to both European and Far Eastern customers. Sales are expected to hit 100,000 units per annum.

Bajaj is also introducing a low-cost small car to compete with the recently launched Tata Nano, which was launched by Tata Motors yesterday. Bajaj claims that their low-cost car would offer lower maintenance costs. Nissan-Renault are partnering Bajaj in this venture.

Bajaj sells the twin-spark Pulsar DTS-Fi, which is arguably India’s first fuel-injected production 2-wheeler. Bajaj is also India’s biggest 3-wheeler (Auto Rickshaw) manufacturer.

SOURCE

バイカーブードゥー

No, it’s not Italian. Vardenchi in the Indian language Marathi means “Varde’s“. Akshai Varde, a former flight attendant who spent his teens riding a Yamaha RD350 decided to customise his own 1977 Royal Enfield Bullet. Soon he was being stopped on the streets of Delhi, being asked by other bikers where they could get their own custom choppers. After completing another chopper for a friend, Akshai Varde decided to set up his own workshop. Equipped with only basic tools, a drill and a grinder, Akshai Varde along with his assistant Hassan would work on customers Royal Enfield Bullets.

Now, with an 8-man ‘brotherhood’ (as he calls his team) including Creative Designer Sandeep Padol, Engine Technician Mukesh Maurya and Metal Fabricator Mehboob, Akshai Varde runs a fully equipped Vardenchi Motorcycles shop, with a lathe, metal fabrication tools and even an in-house paint booth.

Vardenchi Motorcycles takes in customers Royal Enfield Bullets, and converts them into choppers according to the customers desires. First, the customer specifies their requirements, and Vardenchi trashes out the details. Once the customer approves a design, the Vardenchi team then gets down to metalwork. The customer comes in once for a trial fit and changes can be included up to this stage. Once everything is set, the bike is completed.

Vardenchi Motorcycles have produced over 30 custom bikes to date, almost all of them Royal Enfield Bullets. They can do almost anything, from RM1000 cosmetic jobs like painting on flames, names or even stickers to RM25,000 conversions including belt drive rear conversions with 350mm rear tyres. Vardenchi are now looking to export their custom bikes.

PHOTOS: Jeevan Balwant
VIDEOS: Nautanki.tv

バイカーブードゥー