TVS Motor Company has rolled out a special TVS Scooty Zest 110 “Himalayan Highs’ edition’. This is to commemorate TVS Scooty Zest 110’s ride to Khardung La Pass by a female rider, Anam Hashim. With this feat Zest 110 has earned a place in the India Book of Records for being the first 110 cc Scooter to reach Khardung La in the Himalayas.

The special edition, TVS Scooty Zest 110 Himalayan Highs, comes in an exclusive Himalayan High Brown colour, with beige pigmented panels and superior enhanced features such as new tapeset, body colour mirrors, body colour cover switch panels. The special edition scooter features a special emblem honoring the feat of reaching the highest motorable road in the world at 18,380 feet.

Mr. Aniruddha Haldar, VP Marketing, TVS Motor Company, said,
“The Scooty has been an iconic brand for mobility in India. It’s only fitting that the first 110 cc scooter to reach the highest motorable road is a Scooty Zest 110, and it was ridden there by Anam Hashim, a 21 year old Scooty Zest owner. We are happy that this feat has found place in the India Book of Records. To commemorate this historic ride, we are happy to launch the Himalayan Highs special edition. We continue to enhance the ride experience for the new age Indian woman.”

Braving all the challenges, Anam Hashim began her ride on the Scooty Zest 110 in Jammu and rode across Srinagar, Kargil, Zoji La Pass, Leh to the oxygen depleted highs of Khardung La over a period of 20 days.

Commenting on her memorable, record-breaking ride, Anam Hashim said, “Riding is my passion, I have always enjoyed trying new challenges. I was thrilled to ride TVS Scooty Zest 110 to Khardung La. The engine did not run out of breath, even beyond 10,000 feet and the ride quality was top-notch throughout the long hours of riding. Despite of all the dangerous turns, awful weather and vertigo inducing heights, TVS Scooty Zest 110 cc proved to be a super-reliable and dependable partner. Setting this record is truly an epic feeling.”

TVS Scooty Zest 110 is available across all TVS showrooms and is priced at Rs. 46,113 (Ex-Showroom Delhi).

The post TVS Scooty Zest 110 Himalayan Highs Special Edition Launched appeared first on xBhp.com.

Akrapovic has launched limited edition range of just 25 exhausts to commemorate its 25^th anniversary. The premium exhaust maker will be donating these 25 exhausts for charity and they will then be auctioned to raise much-needed funds for various good causes.

The 25 exhausts will be instantly recognizable with heat-resistant black paint over an ultra-lightweight titanium muffler. They will all feature an exclusive signature, the Akrapovic logo – which is dedicated to the company’s 25 years of exhaust technology innovations – and most important of all a number that will not only identify which one of the exhausts it is, but verify the rareness of these exquisite collectors’ pieces. Some parts of the systems also have special nano coatings to make sure they stay as good as new after use – that is, if they ever get used. The exhausts are all EC and ECE type-approved – so, if you managed to get your hands on one, you could still fit it on your bike and show it off in its full glory.

Available for a range of six motorcycles and one car, these rare exhausts will be limited to four of each for the BMW S 1000 RR, Yamaha YZF-R1, KTM 1290 Super Duke R, Ducati Multistrada 1200, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, and Honda CBR1000RR plus a one-of-a-kind exclusive car exhaust, a Slip-On Line (Titanium) for the BMW M4. The exclusivity of these unique exhausts will be further enhanced by the fact that they will not be available for purchase through any of the existing Akrapovic retail channels throughout the world. Instead Akrapovic is donating them to charity and they will then be auctioned to raise much-needed funds for various good causes.

Destined to become collectibles, the original prototype versions of these gorgeous pipes will be numbered 00 and kept by Akrapovic, to be put on show at the company’s headquarters in Slovenia and serve as a symbol to encourage the company in its endeavours for the next 25 years. These exhausts are the pinnacle of what Akrapovic has achieved over the last 25 years and are sure to increase in value due to the uniqueness of the design. So if you want one of these for your bike or car, or even to hang on the wall as a work of art – because they certainly are that – then keep an eye out on all of Akrapovic’s latest news features and social media networks to see when they are available for auction.

The post Akrapovic 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Exhaust launched appeared first on xBhp.com.

2016 WorldSBK ‘rookie’, Nicky Hayden took his first win of his WSBK career onboard his Honda CBR 1000RR Sepang, Malaysia in a ‘Wet Race’.

Hayden had been impressive throughout the weekend, starting with Free Practice all the way to qualifying, where he qualified 4th on the grid. In Race 1 (which is now held on Saturday), he started off strong, and was racing behind the podium contenders, before he started moving backwards with tyre troubles and eventually finished 8th.

Race 2 was a different kettle of fish. The torrential rain in Malaysia, saw the WorldSupersport race being postponed twice, before it was finally held after the WSBK race, instead of prior to it. The rain played a major role in the WSBK Race as well, with the grid lined up on a wet track.

The ‘Kentucky Kid’ got off the blocks and was fast straight away. Immediately pulling open a gap to Championship leader Jonathan Rea, Tom Sykes, Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano. After setting the fastest lap of the race, Hayden had pulled out a 4 second lead to Rea on the Kawasaki. But Italian Giugliano, also chasing his maiden win, had other plans. He started setting fastest race laps and overtook his teammate Davies before overhauling Rea as well. Davies briefly took Rea, only to be re-passed by the British rider.

Giugliano was steadily closing the gap to Hayden, but the American kept calm and crossed the line 1 second ahead of the Ducati rider, with Rea taking the final spot on the podium and extending his lead over Davies and Sykes.

It was a well deserved victory for Hayden, who got back onto the top spot of the podium after a gap of 10 years. The joy of the American rider was unbounded as he couldn’t help but cry as he relished his victory, which he dedicated to his father.

With this win, Hayden has joined Mighty Mick Doohan in being the only other rider to have won a race in Grand Prix as well as WSBK.

Before the season opener at Phillip Island,  xBhp had spoken with No. 69 Nicky Hayden about his expectations from WSBK in 2016. Read his interview here.

Photos Courtesy: WorldSBK.com

The post Nicky Hayden takes career first WSBK win! appeared first on xBhp.com.

Metzeler has introduced a new sport touring radial tyre ‘Roadtec-01′  for better grip on dry as well as wet roads. This new tyre is the latest addition in Metzeler Roadtec family, which includes roadtec z6 and z8.

As per company statement the new tyre will not only increase the motorcycle stability but also increase mileage by about 10%.

The Roadtec 01 tyre has completely new tread pattern. Area of contact with the asphalt is wider. Plus it made with dual compound solution with 100% silica on the shoulders and silica and carbon black in the central band.

Company Press Release

Mount Fuji (Japan), 10 May 2016 – ROADTEC™ 01, the new Sport Touring Radial tyre of the METZELER line, was developed to offer motorcyclists a high level of grip in different weather conditions, on both dry and wet roads, as well as changeable and low grip surfaces. ROADTEC™ 01 is also capable of offering a mileage of reference in its segment, thanks to more uniform and regular wear, and great stability both at high speeds and with the bike fully loaded.

As apparent from the name, ROADTEC™ 01 is the latest member of the ROADTEC™ family, the line of METZELER products dedicated to Sport Touring Radial tyres. These include ROADTEC™ Z6 and the much-appreciated ROADTEC™ Z8 INTERACT™ of which the ROADTEC™ 01is the designated successor and with respect to which it increases the mileage by about 10% as well as the grip on wet and low friction surfaces. With ROADTEC™ Z8 INTERACT™ the METZELER brand was already the best in class in the Sport Touring segment, as demonstrated by comparative tests carried out by independent bodies such as prestigious motorcycle magazines. The philosophy of the blue elephant brand, however, is to constantly invest in research and development in order to improve even those products which are already considered the undisputed market leader.

Features and advantages of the new ROADTEC™ 01

ROADTEC™ 01 is the latest evolution of METZELER sport touring tyres which, with respect to its predecessor ROADTEC™ Z8 INTERACT™, has among its strong points an improvement of the grip on wet and low-grip surfaces, an increase in mileage (+10%) and a high degree of adaptability to different bikes, riding styles and weather conditions.

• ROADTEC™ 01 has a completely new tread pattern. In particular, the front tyre has grooves that are more transversal with respect to the rolling direction of the tyre. This has made it possible to increase the mechanical grip on slippery surfaces and in different riding situations.

• The area of contact with the asphalt is now wider and shorter and, working together with the 0-degree steel-belt technology of METZELER-branded products, guarantees higher mileage and lasting performance over time.

• The innovative compounds are well adapted to the needs of different categories of motorcyclists. The dual-compound rear solutions, with 100% silica on the shoulders and silica and carbon black in the central band of the tread, ensure mileage and grip in the most varied conditions of use. The 100% silica front tyres ensure great safety while braking, in particular on wet surfaces and on those with low friction.

• The 0-degree steel belt together with the INTERACT™ technology improve stability and comfort, and guarantee foreseeable and precise behaviour, the best for enjoying the road.

• Dedicated sizes for Heavy Weight Motorcycles (HWM) and for enduro street bikes allowing to fit this tyre on a large number of motorcycles belonging to different segments.

The post Metzeler Roadtec 01 Sport Touring Tyre Introduced appeared first on xBhp.com.

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IndusInd Bank, offering retail finance to its customers at an attractive rate of interest on all two wheelers.

Mr. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “In 2wheeler industry, retail finance penetration is increasing and more & more customers are looking at various finance options. Riding on the aggressive network expansion plan & increased product portfolio, we will continue to create options that will enable customers to buy their favorite 2wheeler. Driven by this partnership with IndusInd Bank, we aim to further grow Honda’s retail sales.”

With this Memorandum of Understanding coming into effect from today, Honda’s customers can not only buy a Honda two-wheeler at an attractive rate of interest, but can reap benefits upto Rs. 7,500 through this retail finance scheme. IndusInd Bank will offer financing facilities to all eligible customers for purchasing Honda two wheelers through its network of over 1000 branches spread pan India.  Customers can avail loan upto 90% of the product value, with a repayment period of 36 months. Other benefits include zero processing fee and quick loan approval in just 1 hour through tab based technology used for field inspection and proposal login.

Mr. S.V. Parthasarathy, Senior Executive Vice President & Head – Consumer Finance Division, IndusInd Bank Ltd. said, “This alliance is a part of our strategy to remain a leading player in the field of two-wheeler financing. This association will bring about a synergistic benefit for both the organizations, enabling world class customer experience in terms of product and processes.”

The post Honda Two Wheelers inks finance MOU with IndusInd Bank appeared first on xBhp.com.

Ceat, the leading Indian tyre manufacturer has received five-star rating from British Safety Council (BSC) for its Halol Plant. Ceat’s Halol plant is the first tyre manufacturer plant in India to receive this award.

The audit, conducted using BSC’s international five star audit numerical safety grading system, measured OH&S performance against a number of key indicators. BSC placed a great emphasis on the plant’s approach to safety culture, occupational health, employee wellbeing, allocation of resources to health and safety and planning for change.

Arnab Banerjee, Executive Director-Operations, CEAT Ltd said,
“This achievement is a testament to CEAT’s continuous endeavor and commitment towards protecting the health and safety of its employees. This also demonstrates our commitment to continually improve on these counts.”

The post CEAT’s Halol Plant Receives Five-Star Rating by British Safety Council appeared first on xBhp.com.

MotoGP organizer, Dorna, has provided one bodyguard each to Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo for the racing weekend in Mugello, Italy.

It is being done to provide the two riders with extra security from the Rossi fans. Hilarious!

Regular spectators of MotoGP would know that Rossi had a fallout with Marquez at Sepang last year where the Italian accused the Spaniard of sabotaging his championship. Following that, Lorenzo’s thumb down gesture for Rossi after the Sepang race didn’t go down well. Since then, a certain section of the crowd and Rossi fans have been booing Lorenzo and Marquez.

Given that the next race is in Italy, there would an incredible number of Rossi fans and Dorna feels that it is a good idea for Marquez and Lorenzo to have extra escorts.

Helios Xaudaro, Event Director for Dorna Sports, commented, “We have asked the German company that provides us with security personnel for access to two more employees. Lorenzo and Marquez will also both have a bodyguard who will be prepared and will have a green light to act if the situation requires it.”

Both riders have been advised to keep a low profile in Mugello which appears like a bit of a stretch. However, it has been said that Marquez has declined to have any extra security guard.

News Source

The post Marquez and Lorenzo provided bodyguards for the Mugello Race Weekend appeared first on xBhp.com.

Two riders from xBhp are about to embark on a journey around India in search of 100Motorcycles. Machines that define the face of motorcycling India. Machines from the yesteryears to the state of the art. We will seek out the best amongst them and share each discovery with the world! The journey starts on 15th April! OLX India, in association with MOTUL India and supported by Triumph Motorcycles India, Wrangler Denims and Spartan ProGear Co bring alive this ride for you from around the country.

The post #100Motorcycles: Teaser – Yamaha R1M appeared first on xBhp.com.

Aspar Mahindra rider Pecco Bagnaia took a third podium finish in the sixth race of the 2016 season, finishing only seven hundredths of a second from a first race win after 20 breath-taking laps in today’s thrilling Italian GP.

Run at the magnificent Mugello circuit in a scenic mountainous setting outside Florence, the race was an epically close battle. Every lap looked like the first, as a pack of 20 or more riders ran into the first corner four or five abreast. Shoving, scraping and scrapping, the order changed constantly in a spectacular display of world class racing for the capacity crowd.

Second Aspar Mahindra rider Jorge Martin was part of the pack, running as high as eighth place several times, but crossing the line 14th. He was still just two seconds away from the winner in the thick of the brawl: the first 21 finishers were within five seconds of winner Brad Binder (KTM).

Mahindra has a perfect 2016 points record; and Bagnaia’s third time in third place lifted him to fifth overall in the points. The 19-year- old Italian had set the second-fastest qualifying time, only to be bumped back to the third row for straying minutely over the track limits. Undaunted, he finished the first lap in fifth place and played a leading role in the scrabbling pack for the full race distance.

The circuit’s long finishing straight meant that slipstreaming was crucial. Robbed of a podium last year by three thousandths of a second, Bagnaia played his cards better this time to cross the line three hundredths of a second behind second-place Fabio Di Giannantonio and six thousandths of a second ahead of Niccolo Antonelli (both Honda). Fifth-placed Fabio Quartararo (KTM) was another two thousandths of a second behind.

The ever-improving Mahindra MGP30 racer, made by the only Indian constructor in the World Championship, is at its strongest at circuits where roadholding and handling are more important than acceleration and top speed.

The next race, in two weeks, is at a similarly fast circuit in Catalunya, where high-speed changes of direction should again play into the hands of the MGP3O riders.

PECCO BAGNAIA – 3rd Place

“A good weekend for me and the team – I think my best in the World Championship so far. We’ve been consistently in the top five, and finishing third at Mugello is amazing. I pushed to the limit in the last lap to try to close the gap to Brad, and maybe if Quartararo had been further away from me I could have fought for the win. But third is a good result, and I am happy with my third podium this year. It was an amazingly close race, and you could go from first to eighth in one lap – which is not easy. It’s difficult to stay calm with bikes all around you. I tried to stay at the head of the group on every lap, but I went wide at the first corner with a few laps to go. I managed to go fast, overtake a bunch of riders, and finish on the podium. Hopefully we can continue with the work we’ve been doing here and will do at tomorrow’s test, and continue to fight at the front.”

MUFADDAL CHOONIA – CEO Mahindra Racing

“An incredible race, and once again it showed that Pecco Bagnaia and the Mahindra MGP3O are a fantastic combination. Our third podium this year matches our best record from previous seasons, just one third of the way into the year. Results like this reinforce our motivation to keep pushing the boundaries, and the conviction that we can take the step up from the third to the top step of the podium. Special thanks to our engineering team, who have worked tirelessly over the last three weeks to bring updates to this race – something made possible because our development facility in Italy is now almost firing on all cylinders.”

The post Mahindra takes 3rd podium of 2016 at Mugello in Moto3 appeared first on xBhp.com.

CS Santosh had a mixed opening day at the Afriquia Merzouga Rally, ending the day in 17th after a difficult start to the morning.

The post CS Santosh 17th on opening day at Afriquia Merzouga Rally appeared first on xBhp.com.

The future Yamaha R6 might look a bit closer to the current litre class sibling Yamaha R1 as per the images shared by a Japanese motorcycle magazine. However, the middle-weight motorcycle will remain same for the current fiscal.

According to these ‘2017 Yamaha R6′ images,  the new bike might share a few components with the elder sibling, and in fact in these images the front of the bike looks identical to the 2015 Yamaha R1.

These renders will definitely make all the motorcycle enthusiasts  curious about the final shape of the new R6, though we have some reservations about the authenticity of these images as they look pretty similar to the 2015 R1 and historically we’ve never had a Yamaha R6 looking like the Yamaha R1.

News Source

The post 2017 Yamaha R6 renders surfaced in Japan appeared first on xBhp.com.

Group of State Transport Ministers have approved amendment in the Motor Vehicle act in a bid to make city road safer. From now on Speeding, rash driving, jumping traffic signals, drunk driving, using mobile phone while driving and not wearing helmet may result in on-the-spot suspension of driving license or even Jail for 2-years.

The panel has also approved immediate withdrawal of advertisements, films and TV serials that show speeding and rash driving without “adequate warning” on the screen.

More than 3 lakh license have been suspended in the past six months for similar offenses.

According to the new amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act
1. For first time offenders, the fine would be Rs 5,000 or six months jail.
2. For subsequent offense there would be two years jail or Rs 10,000 fine.
3. Jail term of up to six months or Rs 2,000 fine have been proposed for drivers who fail to take crash victims to hospitals.
4. Driving without insurance could attract Rs 2,000 fine and 3 months jail for first offense and Rs 4,000 fine on subsequent offense.
5. Crash victims will be liable for compensation if they are hit by an uninsured vehicle.

Similar fines have been announced for vehicle component dealers found selling non-approved safety items.

News Source

The post Jail for 2-years, if caught racing on public roads appeared first on xBhp.com.

Stage two of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally brought the Hero MotoSports Team Rally another rock-solid day in the heat of the Moroccon desert. Joaquim Rodrigues consolidated his position in the overall standings, his team-mate CS Santosh moved into the top twenty.

The day was marked by two special tests, making the riders race 181 kilometres against the clock. Altogether 340 km of distance had to be covered. Rally rookie Rodrigues showed he´s a quick learner in the second part of the second special, when he was held up by dust from competitors in front of him. “J-Rod” took no risk, remained patient and got on the gas when the circumstances allowed to.

Joaquim Rodrigues, Hero MotoSports Rally team rider said,
“It was better than yesterday, I didn´t really get lost and finished the race pretty good. I´m happy because with each stage I understand better how this rally thing works. Now it´s about learning more and more and place my Hero well in the standings.”

Rodrigues was handed a 30-minute penalty on Monday evening after it had become clear he missed a waypoint during stage one.

Wolfgang Fischer, Hero MotoSports team’s Managing Director said,
“Today was one of the longest days of the rally,” offered India´s motorsport star CS Santosh. “My navigation was good in the dunes. I paid close attention to the roadbook and that went alright. I got a little lost on two occassion, but the overall feeling remains very positive.”

“On days like these it´s important to stay concentrated,”

“Our riders did a good job and there´s no reason not to be pleased. Tomorrow is the first part of the marathon stage, meaning the bikes can only be serviced by the riders on a very basic scale. I´m confident our boys are mentally and physically ready for the second part of the rally. Obviously there are no worries whatsoever regarding the bikes.”

Provisional Results Stage 2

1.Gerard Farres Guell, SPA, KTM 4:51:45 hrs
2. Adrien van Beveren, FRA, Yamaha +1:18 min
3. Stefan Svitko, SVK, KTM +1:33
4. Kevin Benavides, ARG, Honda +2:25
5. Helder Rodrigues, POR, Yamaha +4:19
11. Joaquim Rodrigues, POR, Hero +26:35
21. CS Santosh, IND, Hero +49:59

Provisional Overall Standings

1. Svitko 7:45:25 hrs
2. Farres Guell +3:37 min
3. van Beveren +3:51
4. Helder Rodrigues +4:50
5. Benavides +5:25
11. Joaquim Rodrigues +1:18:40
18. CS Santosh +1:45:10

News Source:  Hero MotoCorp Press Release

The post Afiquia Merzouga Rally 2016, Stage 2 Update appeared first on xBhp.com.

Honda has recently filed patents for its air-conditioning device for bikes. According to the leaked images, this will be a separate tank mounted air-conditioning unit which can be attached to your motorcycle like a regular tank bag.

As per the patent images, the AC unit comprise of a small blower unit with a rechargeable battery. It sucks in air from mesh intakes at the sides of the bag, through an intake chamber and then out through movable vents on the top towards the chin of your helmet. There is a separate flap underneath the bag that can accommodate cold pack or bag of ice for an even hotter day to make sure that the air blown out is chill enough to keep you cool during the ride.

Riding big bikes on a hot summer day is terrible, especially in tropical countries like ours. Device like this will be helpful for motorcycle tourers to keep them cool during the ride. But we really wonder, how it will work on high speeds.

Earlier we have seen air-conditioning units like BikeAir which weighs around 4.5kgs and can be attached to the motorcycle like a tank bag.

It will be interesting to see how Honda’s device will actually work in real world scenario. Though there is no information about how the Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer is planning to incorporate this thing with their motorcycles or whether these are true leaked imaged of Honda’s Motorcycle Air Conditioning device.

News Source

The post Honda Patents Air-Conditioning Device for Bikes appeared first on xBhp.com.

A MotoGP bike to be raced at the Isle of Man TT! Okay maybe not quite, but as close as you could get to actually having one.

Honda will be racing the Honda RC 213V-S at the 2016 edition of the Isle of Man TT with Bruce Anstey piloting the bike. The RC 213V-S is the production model which Honda launched last year, which is a watered down version of the Honda Production Racer, which the Japanese company had made during the CRT days in MotoGP. The Production Racer was the same as the factory Honda bikes used by Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa barring the addition of a seamless gearbox and pneumatic valves.

All the changes notwithstanding the RC213V-S is the closest thing you can get today on the road to a MotoGP bike. And it would be fantastic to see how this technological marvel will fare on the twisty, scarily fast roads of the isle.

The New Zealand rider will be running his Honda RC 213V-S in Valvoline Racing colours by team Padgett’s Motorcycles. Bruce Anstey will run a race prepared version of the exotic bike in the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT races. He is though yet to test the machine!

If you think that a MotoGP derived bike will blow the competition away on their slow production bikes, think again. Since this isn’t a production bike, there are no performance parts available off the shelf which would make it better suited to the rigours of the island course. With no previous data about the bike, the challenge of fine tuning it for the TT will increase exponentially.

Ten-time TT race winner Bruce Anstey –

“It has always been a dream of mine to ride a MotoGP bike at the TT and this is as close as I will ever get, Clive is the only person in the world who could put something like this together and if he says it is OK I am with him 100%. He hasn’t just pulled it out of the crate and said we are racing it. Clive and the team have done a lot of work to the bike to make it ready for the TT.”

“The RCV should be an absolute weapon because it has loads of power but it feels as nimble as a 600.” he said. “It should be stable too as it’s over 2 inches longer than a Fireblade but is still really small and compact. I am really looking forward to seeing how it handles through the quick corners because it will be able to turn so fast.”

Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles team boss Clive Padgett said that the idea for the incredible venture to race a production version of Marc Marquez’s Grand Prix bike on the 37 ¾ mile Mountain course originally came from a customer:

“I was having a few pints of Guinness with a customer who had just bought an RCV from us and he said wouldn’t it be great to see one of them going down Bray Hill. That planted the seed in my head and it has been germinating ever since,” he said.

He continued:

“The TT is all about pioneering innovation and I really wanted to do something different. I see this as being in the spirit of what Mr Honda did when he first came to the TT with his race bikes in 1959. I think this will bring even more global attention to the TT this year and that can only be a good thing. I am really giddy about it all. I might be over 50 now but inside I am still a 19 year old racer!”

Preparing the RC213V-S for the rigours of the world’s toughest motorcycle race has been a huge challenge for Clive Padgett and his Valvoline backed squad. “It has been a very difficult project to pull together,” he admits. “We have had to beef the bike up for the TT course and we can’t get anything off the shelf so everything has had to be made bespoke. Things like the wheels, the K-Tech forks, the rear shocks, the brakes and the radiator guards have all had to be specially made.”

The RCV’s standard package produces a mere 159bhp but with the £10,000 race kit fitted, which includes a titanium exhaust and a special ECU, the V4 delivers over 200bhp. “I love Bruce to bits and I wanted to give him the best motorcycle in the world to ride. That’s what this bike is all about,” concluded Clive Padgett.

Of the last 39 TT races that the team has started around the Mountain Course the Batley team has finished in the top four on no less than 33 occasions and of those 27 were podium places with 11 wins. The team is probably most well known for Ian Hutchinson’s five wins in a week in 2010. The team has also secured numerous lap and race records including Bruce Anstey’s RST Superbike win in 2015 in a record winning time of 128.749mph (1:45.29.902).

Padgetts Motorcycles, through their partner relationship with Honda, secured a number of the new RC213V-S machines in March 2016 and these will be available to purchase from the Batley based dealership.

The post A MotoGP bike at the Isle Of Man TT! appeared first on xBhp.com.

Triumph Street Triple 800 caught testing in Spain near company’s test facility. The company is planning to boost the Street Triple range with larger capacity engine from 675cc to 800cc. With the launch expected to happen in 2017, four variants with the more powerful engine will be introduced.

Triumph Motorcycles conducted an online survey, according to which firm is planning for a 110 BHP base model with non-adjustable Kayaba suspension; a 115 BHP ‘R’ version with adjustable Showa kit and radial Nissins; a 125 BHP ‘RT’ model with touring extras; and the RS, also with 125 BHP, plus Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes.

The survey listed few other changes as well including the addition of three riding modes, track mode and a new TFT colour display. It is also suggested that the RT variant would be optionally available in half-faired, sports-tourer form.

News Source

The post New Triumph Street Triple 800 caught testing in Spain appeared first on xBhp.com.

2017 Husqvarna 1301 power cruiser spied testing near the KTM factory in Mattighofen, Austria. The bike is based on the KTM 1290 Super Duke engine and will take the Ducati Diavel head-on.

As per the spy images, we believe that the company is building 1301 Husqvarna Power Cruiser for speed rather than comfort with those low handlebars and compact solo seat. The bike shares major components with KTM’s Super Duke R such as the frame, swingarm, wheels and V-twin engine. But with those swingarm mounted number plate holders and rear tyre hugger like Diavel it makes it a power cruiser.

We are expecting the Husqvarna 1301 to produce around 170 bhp of power since it uses the 1290 Super Duke R’s engine and chassis, which makes it more powerful than the Ducati Diavel.

It will be interesting to see what the final product will look like. We expect it to be showcased at the EICMA Motor show in Milan later this year.

News Source

The post New 2017 Husqvarna 1301 power cruiser spied testing appeared first on xBhp.com.

The Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220 Gold edition has been launched at Rs 85497/- ex-showroom Delhi.

Bajaj has come out with a gold painted Avenger. Love it or hate it, you just can’t ignore it. Lacking subtlety it is probably a bit much for a few, but on the other hand it’s eyeball grabbing colour might be what many a biker wants! With no other changes on the bike except the colour scheme, this gives the market another ‘bright’ option! It does remind one of the Yamaha Enticer from a decade ago though (google for the gold colour scheme!)

The Avenger has been pushing good numbers since it has been launched, and this should help boost sales for the Chakan based manufacturer.  Will bikers consider this a visual masterpiece or an eyesore? That as always remains an enigma. What we do want is to have a look at in the flesh before judging it!

Last year, Bajaj Auto launched the new Avenger range – The Avenger 220 Cruise, 220 Street & 150 Street. The new Avenger series redefined the cruiser bike segment to offer unmatched international styling and cruising comfort. The new Avenger 220 Cruise retained the classic cruiser comfort and looks while the all new Avenger Street range was designed for easy city riding. Post the re-launch, the brand catapulted to no 2 position in the sports segment with volumes crossing 25,000 per month.

BAL has launched an exciting new Desert Gold Edition of the Avenger Cruise 220. Inspired by the glamorous shades of the desert, the Gold colour together with the dark brown seat upholstery and back support provides a unique premium look to the Avenger Cruise 220.

Commenting on the launch of the new colour range, Mr Eric Vas, President – Motorcycle Business, Bajaj Auto Ltd said, “The Avenger has always been known for its world class styling and unbeatable cruising comfort. The introduction of the Desert Gold edition offers a remarkable new look for Avenger lovers. This is a unique colour and we are confident it will generate widespread excitement in the already growing cruiser segment”

All other specifications of the bike including Bajaj’s trusted 220 cc DTSi engine, remain unchanged. The Avenger 220 cruise dons a 5 speed gearbox to enhance the entire cruising experience for bikers. With raised handlebars, low slung seat and iconic windshield the Avenger 220 cruise is the finest cruiser bikes in the segment.

The new Desert Gold Avenger Cruise 220, is now available across Bajaj Auto dealerships at Rs 85,497/- ex showroom Delhi.

Read xBhp’s Review of the Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220

The post Bajaj Avenger Cruise 220 Gold Edition! appeared first on xBhp.com.

A raging desert storm was the biggest star in Stage 3 of the Afriquia Merzouga Rally. Figuratively and literally dominating everyone’s senses!

The Stage 3 was the first half of a two day marathon stage. Where the bikes had to be tended to by the rider themselves with no help allowed from the mechanics and teams. But the storm threw a curveball into everyone’s plans, with the race being interrupted at the second checkpoint. Leaving the race results as unclear as the stormy desert air!

With the conditions becoming too critical to guarantee a fair and safe competition, the race was finally interrupted at the second checkpoint. It is uncertain what this means for the riders who had already reached the end of the special test before the proceedings were halted. It looks as though Joaquim Rodrigues, who is one of only a dozen riders making it to the bivouac at 4 pm local time, has lost some ground on the leaders because of a minor crash. But a brave and courageous ride seems to have moved him into the top ten of the overall classification.

Regardless of how the currently provisional results will be confirmed, it´s clear that the decisive phase of the race has begun. The riders stay overnight in the bivouac in the Atlas mountains. Tomorrow the stage will be leading back south towards the town of Erfoud. 204 km of special test are on the agenda. Riders are scheduled enter the first road section at 6 am.

The post Desert takes Merzouga Rally and Hero by Storm! appeared first on xBhp.com.

Italians for sure know how to respect their legacy and heritage. From Ducati naming their superbike – ‘Panigale’, derived from the Borgo Panigale region where Ducati is based in Italy; to Pirelli prefixing their tyres as ‘Rosso’, which means ‘Red’. This colour has an important role in the history of Italian racing, this was the colour assigned to Italy in the early car races, as was Green to Britain and Silver to France. Eventually the colour coding grew less important, but Italians made sure that whenever the world sees red on an automobile it reminds them of an Italian brand, be it either Ducati or Ferrari, and now even their tyres.

When Pirelli called me down to Sepang for WSBK, they said I could actually ride on track the very next day of the race! So a horde of journalists descended to watch the races over the weekend. We were thrilled to see Nicky Hayden ride like a god in the wet and lead by a considerable margin at the front in pouring rain. But while ogling at the riders skills in the wet (with the Pirelli rain tyres), we knew we had the next day to ourselves – in the wet. I don’t know about others, but I have a serious mental block about riding a bike on the track in rain. I have done more than enough touring in rain and snow on big bikes, but the track is a different ball game altogether. You can sure go slow, but then be ready to slide if you decide to follow that faster rider in front of you. Dial your racer ego to zero and enjoy the ride – that’s the funda!

And that is what I did, and boy was I glad. Though it did not rain incessantly as on race day, the track had some very dangerous and big wet patches, especially in the corners. Around five journalists fell, mostly on the S1000RRs, thankfully I was not one of them. They were mostly the fast of the lot.

Pirelli has done really well on the Rosso III tyres to improve its wet grip and ride ability in low temperatures; however there is only that much that one can do to beat physics

What was nice is that they had an assortment of various kinds of motorcycles for us to ride on the track and feel how the tyre responds. I rode the Ducati Hypermotard, Suzuki GSX-S1000, Ducati Monster 1200, Aprilia Tuono, BMW S1000RR K16 – in ascending order of BHP, and let me tell you things got progressively scarier. It was an absolute blast to ride the S1000RR in RACE mode on the track in those conditions. The bike just picks up speeds like no one’s business. All the time I was wondering what kind of level do riders like Nicky operate at to ride like that in rain.

My favourite on track was the Suzuki, while least favourite happened to be the Monster 1200 because of the odd rearset position being very close to the exhausts which prevented me adopting a racing stance on the bike.

While the S1000RR was scary, the Tuono was fantastic in the way it sounds and how meaty the entire powerband is. Here are a few photos of me negotiating the patchy track with caution.

However, to see what these tyres can do we need to show you this duo – Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, the two nut jobs in WSBK for Kawasaki. Rea is the reigning WSBK Champion having won the title in his first year with Kawasaki. Sykes won the title in 2013 on the Kawasaki. The two are locked in battle this season for the title as well as being top dog in the Kawasaki team. A great rivalry which only adds to the drama for the spectators!

And finally the journalists from all around Asia in one photo:

And a few snapshots from the Sepang Pirelli Paddock:

Picture clicked with Ricoh Theta 360

Picture clicked with Ricoh Theta 360

And a bit about the tyres:

Pirelli has been producing and selling the Diablo for almost 15 years now. And with the march of time, technology and development must keep pace. The Italian tyre manufacturer has done just that by winning in the pinnacle of production motorcycle racing, World Superbike. As the company often repeats, “We sell what we race, we race what we sell”. With 12 years of experience in WSBK, the knowledge gained there is transferred to the tyre that we will use on public roads. As a result, the Diablo series of tyres have traditionally been ‘sporty’, made for road use, but proudly wears its track lineage on its sleeve!

Pirelli Diablo Rosso II had built quite a reputation for itself, and the Rosso III raises the performance bar further. With the improvement in electronics in motorcycles and increase in power, it is imperative that the rubber we ride on also keeps apace. After all, the 200Bhp of lethal power your superbike produces is transferred to the tarmac through that small contact patch on the rear tyre. Without the correct rubber, all the power in the world would be unusable! But in real world conditions, riders aren’t just looking for full-blown performance, but something agreeable with the wallet as well. And this is where the Rosso III has taken giant strides, in building a tyre which excels in performance without sacrificing longevity. So you get consistent feel from the tyre, right till the point when it is time for a new set of rubber.

So what’s new with the Rosso III?

New profiles, new materials, new compounds and a tread pattern from track cousin Supercorsa. Well that is quite a lot! The rear tyre gets two compounds, to aid both corner carving and straight line stability. The profile of the tyre is made similar to the track oriented tyres, this greatly aids tipping the bike in faster into a corner. The ‘flash’ tread which the Supercorsa sports, is now also used on the Rosso III. To top it all, Pirelli says that wet grip also has improved significantly over the Rosso II.

So who is the tyre built for?

The tyre is best suited for those who intend to ride on the streets, but don’t want to stop having fun on their superbikes! Perfect for use on nakeds and superbikes and even for sports tourers looking to have a blast while touring with luggage or even a pillion on board! The tyres are good enough for those who would like to enjoy a rare track session as well. The improved handling in the wet makes it suitable for those long rides where the weather is forever an unknown!

Pirelli allowed us to take a peek into the thought process that went into developing the tyre and why were the changes made.

The Fast Flash Gordon! The flash pattern tread used on the Supercorsa was employed here as well, because of the compactness of the tread strip, a good balance between full and empty spaces and excellent drainage of water. The orientation of the grooves follows the waves of wear, interrupting the forces that cause it, favouring more uniform consumption and a reduction of the stress to which the compound is subjected. The Void/ Fill ratio on the Rosso III is 9.5% at the front and 7.5% at the rear.

Compounded Interest! Silica is the magic word here, lots of it! The compound uses a high percentage of Silica with latest generation oils, resins and polymers. The rear tyre uses a dual compound. 40-20-40, is how the compounds are distributed. The two 40s being the sides, while the 20 is the centre. The sides use a compound which is 100% silica formulation, for fantastic grip while leaning the bike through a corner. This side compound is supported in the substratum by a harder compound which provides stability and precision through the corner. This substratum compound on the side is used in the centre on the surface. This also employs more than 70% silica. This helps the tyre remain stable at high speeds and also increases life. The front tyre on the other hand uses a single compound which is 100% silica. The reason for this is because, the front is instrumental in taking a corner and the rider needs consistency while tipping it in. A dual compound would mean a change mid-corner which could be disconcerting for the rider while pushing the front hard.

Rubber Profiling! The profile, as with the flash, was derived from the Supercorsa. So the rider has a larger contact patch while cornering. This also aids rapid direction changing, a boon in the chicanes on track! Compared to the Rosso II, the Rosso III has a profile which is higher in the central part by 2-2.5% and wider at the sides. The sidewall height has also been increased by 3 mm to give more flexibility of the sidewall in acceleration out of corners.

The Hidden Truth! That part of the tyre which we do not see and often forget to compare when selecting a tyre for our motorcycle. The carcass plays an equally important role as does the compound of your tyre. The radial casing on the Rosso III is very rigid to maintain the profile and helps the softer compounds to easily grip the tarmac. Again, this has trickled down from the Supercorsa and is made from high-performance Rayon. The density of the belt has also been adjusted.

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III Sizes

FRONT
110/70 ZR 17 M/C (54W) TL
120/60 ZR 17 M/C (55W) TL
120/70 ZR 17 M/C (58W) TL

REAR
150/60 ZR 17 M/C (66W) TL
160/60 ZR 17 M/C (69W) TL
180/55 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL
180/60 ZR 17 M/C (75W) TL
190/50 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL
190/55 ZR 17 M/C (75W) TL
200/55 ZR 17 M/C (78W) TL

Get your Pirelli Tyres in India at select CEAT Stores now!

The post Pirelli Diablo Rosso III: Red Devil Redux! appeared first on xBhp.com.