Lean burn engine, you must have heard this when TVS launched its apache but before apache Royal Enfield incorporated this technology in Thunderbird. In the Lean Burn engine included valve angle has been reduced from 80 to 55 degrees for better flow, and the combustion chamber has been made more compact to promote faster, cleaner burning. Repositioning the valves allows the spark plug to be more centrally located to shorten the flame path. The pushrod-actuated valve train has been lightened and strengthened, and the bike also gets other improvements in bearings and lubrication in the interest of longer engine life. The compression release activates automatically with the electric starter, or you can use the manual release with the kickstarter. Finally, the Pulse Air System helps it meet most emissions requirements. Royal
Malyasian Grand Prix
Reigning world champion Fernando Alonso secured his first victory for McLaren as he claimed a pillar to post win in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Alonso climbed above Kimi Raikkonen in the title race, leading home Lewis Hamilton for a McLaren one-two and their first win since
“The team has done a lot of work on the car but we never expected to be that competitive.” Alonso had rounded
Massa, who had been fastest in practice and took pole, briefly passed Hamilton on lap three, but the British rookie came round the outside of his Ferrari to move back up to second.
Raikkonen’s own early attempts to move up the field were thwarted, but the Finn delivered a thrilling finale to the race as he chased down
“That was the most difficult race I have ever had,” said
Alonso and
There was also some welcome progress for the Renault team as Giancarlo Fisichella finished sixth with rookie Heikki Kovalainen winning his first point in eighth.
Super Aguri’s Anthony Davidson took 16th while David Coulthard retired his Red Bull on lap 39 after informing his team that he was “not comfortable with the car”.
Results from the Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang:
1. Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:32:14.930
2. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren +00:17.557
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 00:18.339
4. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 00:33.777
5. Felipe Massa (Bzl) Ferrari 00:36.705
6. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 01:05.638
7. Jarno Trulli (Ita)
8. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Renault 01:12.015
9. Alexander Wurz (Aus) Williams-Toyota 01:29.924
10. Mark Webber (Aus) RedBull-Renault 01:33.500
11. Rubens Barrichello (Bzl) Honda 1 lap
12. Jenson Button (GB) Honda 1 lap
13. Takuma Sato (Jap) Super Aguri-Honda 1 lap
14. Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1 lap
15. Ralf Schumacher (Gear)
16. Anthony Davidson (GB) Super Aguri-Honda 1 lap
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1 lap
18. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 1 lap
R. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-
R. David Coulthard (GB) RedBull-Renault 19 laps
R. Christijan Albers (Ned) Spyker-Ferrari 48 laps
R. Adrian Sutil (Ger) Spyker-Ferrari 56 laps
Key: R = retired
Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, 1:36.701, lap 22
source:BBC sport
Bullet
Overview:
What’s special with Bullet?
What’s new in modern Bullet?
Of these offerings, Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 5S, Bullet Machismo, Thunderbird share the same engine and mechanicals. All three features the same 346cc four-stroke engine and five-speed gearbox. The bikes all share the same chassis and dimensions too, so they will behave almost similarly on the road. Though they are similar there are some fine differences when comes to performance and design. Machismo and Thunderbird only features all aluminium engine.
Thunderbird:
Electra features a traditional 4 speed gearbox with right foot gear shift similar to its mighty sibling Bullet 350 and Electra embraced the modern technology through transistor coil ignition (TCI). Bullet Electra-5S features much advanced digital TCI and 5 speed gear box with right foot gear shift, but Electra- 5S retains the same cast cylinder engine. Electra 5S is more upright, and feature simple handlebars, a teardrop fuel tank and a raised-saddle seating position. Electra 5S tail-lamp unit is broader and more perceptible than Electra. It is the cheapest modern bullet available in the price range of Rs73,000 – Rs82,000.
Bullet Machismo:
The Machismo is a few sporty and feature big bike add-ons such as glass visor and stitched side storage bag. It is the only one to feature a spring coiled twin seat and looks good with lot of chrome. Optional leather saddle bag and polycarbonate windshield makes Machismo a perfect mate for your touring.
Bullet Machismo, Bullet Electra 5S and Thunderbird are modern machines featuring advanced ignition systems like electronic CDI and digital TCI as opposed to much problem making contact breaker unit in Bullet 350, left foot gear shift as opposed to characteristic Bullet’s right foot gear shift, optional electric start and optional disc brake at the front. Machismo is priced between Rs75,000 – Rs 79,000
It is the old Bullet which retains the same old cast cylinder engine, traditional 4 speed gearbox with right foot gear shift and flat line seat. Full mug guard and traditional badge on the fuel tank makes the Bullet 350 unmatched for many years. I’m sure that it will lead in the coming years too. Bullet 350 is priced at Rs 66,000.
But don’t underestimate the Bullet; Royal Enfield has been rated as the best in Total Customer Satisfaction (TCS) in TNS auto survey for the last two consecutive years, in Cruiser segment. Thunderbird won the BBC wheels best cruiser award in 2002. Believe me! There are decent numbers of female Bullet riders.
Things you should look at before buying a second hand bullet:
Important Bullet Clubs/Communities: Here are some useful links which enables you to meet fellow Bullet owners and you can discuss about buying/selling or maintenance tips for Bullet
Enfield Community links 2
Bullet’s Future:
Bullet’s competitors Yezdi (popular Yezdi phrase for its bikes “Forever bike forever value”) and Yamaha -Rajdoot (the makers of RD350 which is still loved by many hard core bike enthusiasts) had shut their shop due to labour problems and stringent emission norms also the low mileage and starting trouble leads to the low sales of the vehicle and eventually shut down of Yezdi and Rajdoot. Although the
Ferrari’s 2007 formula one car
Felipe Massa and Kimi raikkonen’s F1 car -tech Spec
F2007 technical specifications
Carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Ferrari longitudinal gearbox, Limited-slip
differential, Semiautomatic sequential electronically, controlled gearbox – quick shift
Number of gears: 7 +Reverse
Brakes: Ventilated carbon-fibre disc
Suspension: Independent, push-rod activated,
torsion springs front and rear
Length: 4545 mm
Width: 1796 mm
Height: 959 mm
Wheelbase: 3135 mm
Front track: 1470 mm
Rear track: 1405 mm
Weight with water, lubricant and driver: 600 kg
Wheels (front and rear): 13″
Engine
Type: 056
Number of cylinders: 8
Cylinder block in cast aluminium: V 90°
Number of valves: 32 Pneumatic distribution
Total displacement: 2398 cm3
Piston bore: 98 mm
Weight: 95 kg
Electronics: Magneti Marelli
Fuel: Shell V-Power ULG 62
Lubricant: Shell SL-0977
The Logan is Here!
Overview:
Engine and Fuel efficiency:
Indian petrol
Design and Dimensions:
Already the European
Engineering and Pricing:
Safety and Security:
For this money
Colours:
The
Pricing:
The price of the 1.4 litre and 1.6 litre petrol versions of
Verdict:
Yes, the true champ is here! The 1.4L petrol
|
Breadth(mm |
Height(mm) |
Tech spec section |
1742 |
1525 |
Features—Comfort section |
1740 |
1534 |
Expected Launches:
Ford will launch new Fiesta which will feature a 1.6L Duratorq oil burner which will generate 90PS@4000rpm and a torque of 204Nm@1750rpm to take on
New Palio Stile from Fiat..
Overview:
Fiat launched its new hatchback Palio Stile in two petrol engine variants, Palio Stile 1.1(SL, SLE and SLX variant) and Palio Stile 1.6 sport. Palio Stile is the first product from the Ranjanagaon plant, the plant was revamped as a part of Tata – Fiat JV. Both the partners are ramping up their plans for
Fiat follows Hyundai in engine selection; Fiat has de-powered the palio stile with 1.1L which is earlier powered by 1.2L engine. But here is some good news for the driving enthusiasts Fiat has retained the powerful 1.6 litre petrol engine in the new Palio Stile. The new palio stile offers two engine options a 1.1L engine which pumps out 57PS@5250 rpm(under powered compared to Zen estilo, santro and indica xeta) and a torque of 92Nm@2750 rpm whereas the same 1.6L delivers same power and torque. 1.1-litre engine makes the Palio Stile eligible to qualify as ‘small car’ under the government’s norms and hence become eligible for lower excise duty. The lower capacity motor is 25 percent less power than the current car’s 72bhp, but the pulling power of the engine from low speeds is expected to be better than on the existing version. This will be a big improvement as the last palio lacks pulling power at lower engine speeds. The better low speed torque is also likely to have a positive impact on fuel economy — overall, a step up. The motor is from the Fiat’s excellent FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotised Engine) family, the same as that of the current NV. So you can expect it to be smooth and free-reving. And with innovations like the Electronic returnless Fuel System, an advanced 32-bit Engine Management system and 30% fewer moving parts Fiat claims 15kpl in city run and 17kpl in highway for its 1.1L stile palio under test conditions.
Design:
Fiat has retained almost the same dimensions for its palio stile, the only change is palio is little bit stretched by 64mm without any increase in its wheelbase. Thank you Fiat! Palio stile 1.6 sport is the only sporty B segment hatchback available in the country. Fiat Palio Stile stands apart for its soft, simple and pure design that enables the car to have a dynamic, harmonious look. The imposing aerodynamic front is marked by the Sparkling Double Barrel shaped Head Lamps placed above a stylish bumper. Palio stile looks solid yet dynamic look in side view.
Exterior changes includes
*a new front bumper
*a wider black anti-matter grille, double barelled headlamps
*new tail-lamps and door handles. On the inside, are the new interiors with plush beige upholstery and a classy dual coloured dashboard in warm browns and brushed metal, typical of the Italian style that typifies the design of the Fiat Palio Stile. The 1.1L Palio Stile will be offered in six colours- Furnace Red, Ozone Blue, Alpine Green, Mint White, Carbon Black and Magnesium Grey. The Palio Stile 1.6 Sport comes in Formula Red and Carbon Black. Fiat’s new red logo does not feature in Indian Palio stile; it retains the blue backed badge.
Safety and special features:
Fiat claims its Palio stile is equipped with auto intelligence system which includes Double Crank Prevention System – A unique engine guard system which prevents re-cranking of the engine when already on, Reverse Gear Lock – A sensible reverse gear lock prevents any accidental engagement of reverse gear and ensures that you always travel the right way and an engine Immobiliser – a high security system which ensures the engine start only when your coded key is inserted and acts as a theft prevention device (a must device for indian vehicles especially when the recovery ratio of the lost vehicle is very poor) along with Fire Prevention System (FPS) and child safety lock. All the safety systems are standard on all variants of palio stile. Rear wiper is standard in 1.1SLX and 1.6 sport and sadly there is no defogger in palio stile too.
Price and Service:
Maruti first, Tata motors second …
Business world, one of the leading business magazines of India has come with a list of most respected companies in India across various sectors. In Automobile sector, they ranked Maruti Udyog as first followed by Tata motors and Ford India. According to the article, Maruti which holds the 55 % share of the 1.2 million indian market overshadowed its competitors by the 2 lakhs to 5 lakhs range products.
In the auto ancilary sector, Businessworld ranks MRF as first followed by Bharat forge and Apollo tyres.
Harley Davidson’s Indian Foray
Overview:
Other than sports bikes which we seen in last post there are three important categories you must know – classified on the basis of riding position rather than engine power they are cruiser/chopper/custom, touring and naked/street/muscle bikes.
Cruisers/cult bikes: The riding position places the feet forward and the hands up, with the spine erect or leaning back slightly, which many find to be more comfortable for long-distance riding. Harley Davison and BMW are the important manufacturers in this category. Harley Davidson cruisers may hit
Naked Bikes: as the name indicates, these are the basic form of the motorcycle stripped down to its fundamental parts. The emphasis is on functionality, performance and ergonomics rather than aerodynamic body panels and exaggerated riding positions that are most common on sport bikes. Suzuki Bandit is the popular bike in this category
Touring: meant for touring equipped with large capacity fuel tanks (for long ranges between fill-ups) and windshields (to offer a high degree of weather and wind protection)
The Indian Policy..
When US Trade Representative Susan Schwab will be visiting
Indian Scenario..
More than 7 million motorcycles sold last year in
Tough road ahead for Harley..
Price of the smallest Harleys, the 883cc powered Sportster, is more than $6,600 (Rs. 2.9 lakh) in the
Not only price affects Harley’s Indian foray it is not able to meet the technical requirements too. Indian two wheeler norms are already one to the tightest to follow and with new auto fuel policy which will be imposed by 2008;
Harley-Davidson itself does not expect to sell too many motorcycles in
What should you know about before importing bike/car Part-2
In the last post ‘what should you know about before importing bike/car’ you were fed up with rules and regulations for importing bikes. Now let’s know some technical (fancy terms) which will be helpful to you while importing bikes.
Supersport: term used to denote bikes which have 4 cylinder engines and engine should be less than 650cc.
Maxi sport: term used to denote bikes which should be below 750cc in case of 4 cylinder engine and should be below 1000cc in case of twin cylinder V type engine
Superbike: term used to denote bikes which are powered by engines of sized around 800 cc to 1100 cc.
Hypersport bikes: term used to denote bikes powered by engines are usually sized around 1100 cc to 1400 cc
Though they are categorized there is no definite methods for classification some of the bikes falls under more than one category. Suzuki, Honda,
Some of the popular brands in each category
Supersport |
Maxisport |
Superbike |
Hypersport |
Suzuki GSA R600 |
Suzuki GSX R 750 |
Honda CBR 1000RR |
Honda CBR 1100XX |
Honda CBR 600RR |
Aprilla RSV1000R |
Suzuki GSX R1000 |
|
Yamaha YZF R6 |
Ducati 999S |
Yamaha YZF R1 |
Suzuki GSX 1300RR |
Triumph Daytona 650 |
MV Agusta F4 1000S |
MotoGP bike and it’s sibling
Now we will see the technology behind the hottest sports bike ‘Honda CBR’ which is derived from its big brother 2006 world champion Nicky hayden’s Honda RC211V
Boeing 747 takes off at 320 kph—it’s the top speed of a Ferrari. MotoGP bikes break two bills with power to spare. MotoGP is the ultimate motorcycle racing series, a pure combination of advanced technology and athletes psychotic enough to pilot these overpowered machines at speeds most wouldn’t dare with four tires on the ground. Riders lean so severely into turns that they scrape their elbows and knees on the asphalt; brake so hard they have to force their weight over the back end of the bike to keep it from flipping; and accelerate so violently that their front wheels often leave the ground. The only reason the riders make it out alive is because they drive the most precisely engineered motorcycles ever made.
Take, for example, Honda’s RC211V—the bike 2006 world champion Nicky Hayden rode to victory in the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix last July. The most advanced machine on the MotoGP circuit, it weighs less than 150kg yet packs more than 240 horsepower (around 20 times more than recently launched pulsar 200cc). It rockets to 160 kph in less than five seconds and can hit 346 kph. Oh, and it costs about $3 million (13.5 crores).
The Technology…
- Chassis
When you’re leaning the bike so far over that you’re almost parallel to the ground, suspension doesn’t do much; the frame itself has to soak up some of the bumps to keep the rider from losing control. Honda alternated the frame-wall thickness on the RC211V and CBR so that key areas can flex. - Engine
The MotoGP league mandates that every bike have a 990cc engine (2007 regulations mandates 800cc), but that’s about it. Honda chose five cylinders versus three or four because five smaller pistons can get up to their 15,000rpm redline faster. The CBR sports a four-cylinder with a marginally sane 11,650rpm redline. - Suspension
Instead of attaching the rear shock to the frame, as is conventional, Honda hid the suspension on both bikes inside the arm that connects the wheel to the frame. This freed up space for engineers to move the engine and fuel tank to tweak weight distribution. - Fuel Injection
MotoGP bikes need to accelerate fast and still have power at high rpms. To achieve this balance, Honda inserted a second bank of fuel injectors that kick in north of 5,500 rpm, doubling the amount of fuel in the cylinders. The CBR has a dual-stage system as well, but it’s tuned for lower top speeds (“only” 176 mph). - Tires
The middle section of a MotoGP slick is smooth, hard rubber that can handle speeds up to 346kph. The edges are more porous and soft for grip on sharp corners. The stock bike gets treaded Bridgestones or Pirellis rated to withstand a measly 240kph. - Radial-mounted Brakes
To fit the massive 320-millimeter front-wheel rotors necessary to stop the RC211V, Honda had to offset the calipers from the forks. The CBR has the same size discs, but they’re made of steel, whereas the RC211V’s are made from lightweight carbon fiber.
Source:popular science
In the following post we will see about Harley Davidson’s Indian Foray.
What should you know about before importing a car/bike Part-1
Overview:
Thanks to Indian growth story, Cult bike maker Harley Davidson is likely to make its Indian foray soon. While dhoom 1 and Dhoom 2 have given a definite dimension to India’s premium bike market, Rolls Royce and Maybach are already getting decent numbers in their order book. Many youngsters and business honchos are following their sports or film’s hero and love to ride their dream machines.
Here are some rules and regulations which you must know when you are importing cars or bikes. When Sachin imported Ferrari and when Kingfisher Vijay Mallaya imported Lamborghini these regulations and the consequent uproar flashed in our TV screens. A complete knowledge on this will help you to import your dream machines and enjoy!
For importing a new bike you have to pay 105 percent duty and100 percent duty for a used one. In case of cars, for a completely built unit or CBU you have to pay 111 percent duty (60% on CBU imports plus countervailing duties and other levies). Whereas the duty on “completely knocked down” or CKD models which are assembled in country, is only 38 to 48 percent depending on engine displacement. These are based on EXIM policies (export and import policy) which are framed on 2002. Here are the few terminologies and conditions you must know
Customs duty: Tariff imposed on import/export on autos and auto ancillaries. In this year budget peak rate of Customs duty from 12.5 per cent to 10 per cent and also Central Sales Tax (CST) from 4 per cent to 3 per cent.
Excise Duty: Excise Duty is an indirect tax levied and collected on the goods manufactured in India. In last year’s Budget had reduced the excise duty on small cars (petrol engines within 1200cc and diesel engines within 1500cc) to 16 per cent, while maintaining it at 24 per cent for all other cars and utility vehicles.
Homologation: Process of certifying that a particular car is roadworthy and the Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) provide this clearance. According to existing norms, every original car model brought into the country by an individual or a manufacturer must have homologation clearance. Even domestic car manufacturers need a homologation certificate for new models. There are some exclusions as well
•Manufacturers can import left hand drive vehicles only for testing and research purposes.
•Individuals importing top-end cars can waive off the testing — or homologation — requirements. Any individual can import a vehicle priced above Rs 20 lakh without sending it for road-worthiness tests.
•Import of new vehicles is only permitted through Customs ports at Nhava Sheva, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi Air Cargo and at ICD, Tughlakabad
•Very important note for Non Residential Indians (NRIs) – individuals coming to India for permanent settlement after two years of continuous stay abroad can bring in a car provided the vehicle has been in their possession for at least one year abroad. This now ensures that individuals coming to India do not bring in an absolutely new car.
An example will help to understand things better..
If X wishes to buy Suzuki GSX R 1300 Hayabusa(dhoom bike), here is the route ?
Import bikes prices in India are a tricky thing.
Since they can only be imported you will just have to find a reputable importer! The price you can expect to pay for a new bike is based on the following:
Price of bike in the country you wish to buy or the country the dealer has contacts in. + Freight charges + Import Duty @105% + Misc charges.
Eg. NEW from the US $10000 USD(Rs 4,50,000) + $500 Freight + $10500 + $500 = $21500 USD(Rs 10 lakhs).
Import vehicles duty and license structure:
Import of passenger cars / Jeep / Multi-utility vehicles / motorcycles / scooters / mopeds etc. are restricted items of import and can be imported against an import license. However, individuals coming to India on Transfer of Residence after two years continuous stay abroad and other importers may import these vehicles without a license but on payment of customs duty. The various customs duties leviable on vehicles imported into India are as follows:
Customs duty for second hand vehicles
Vehicle |
Basic Duty |
Addl. Duty |
Spl. Addl. Duty |
Total Duty |
Cars |
105% |
32% |
4% |
More than 150% |
Motor cycles/scooters/ moped |
105% |
16% |
4% |
More than 125% |
Customs duty for new vehicles
Vehicle |
Basic Duty |
Addl. Duty |
Spl. Addl. Duty |
Total Duty |
Cars |
60% |
32% |
4% |
More than 110% |
Motor cycles/scooters/ moped |
60% |
16% |
4% |
More than 85% |
Click here for rules and regulations to be followed when importing vehicle and for complete duty structure on vehicles and their parts/ancillaries
Troubles with Second hand vehicles:
The restrictions/conditions imposed on import of cars by importers for commercial purposes shall not be applicable in the case of passengers bringing their own car on Transfer of Residence. However, these imports shall be subject to the condition that the vehicle should have right hand steering and controls (applicable on vehicles other than 2 and 3 wheelers). Value of these vehicles for the purpose of levy of customs duty is CIF value, where C stands for the cost of the goods, I is the insurance and F is the freight. Cost in the case of new vehicles is the transaction value between the seller and the buyer, however in the case of old and used vehicles cost is arrived at by taking value of the vehicle in year of manufacture and after allowing depreciation at following rates.
•For every quarter during 1st year 4%
•For every quarter during 2nd year 3%
•For every quarter during 3rd year 2.5%
•For every quarter during 4th year 2%
•Thereafter subject to a maximum
depreciation of 70%
Here are the few useful sites you must visit before importing your dream machine
http://www.cbec.gov.in
http://www.dhi.nic.in
Since the guidelines are very strict and the duties are very high many follow grey market for buying thier dream machines. Here’s the economictimes report on muscle bike’s grey market. Government is checking the loopholes aggresively, pay the duty and enjoy you dream machine with complete satisfaction.
Bored with economics, relax! in the following posts we will have a look on popular imported bikes in India such as Suzuki Hayabusa, Yamaha R1, Kawasaki Ninja,Honda CBR and also about great Audi, Bentley and Porsche cars.