R1

Those two letters say it all! In so many cases! True enthusiasts will get goosebumps hearing certain combinations of a letter and a number like R1. Try this - M5, Z4, H1, A8, C5... Too much already? Okay...

Well, here's the in your face truth! Superbikes are here! Whether you believe it or not, whether you believe the time isn't right, or the roads aren't good enuf, or the people aren't educated enuf, or if 99% ppl can't afford them... Yeah, yeah.. ALL TRUE! But still... they're here... (YES!) And it feels so good!

The reason this post is called R1 is simply because I worship it. The Yamaha YZF-R1 is, has been and probably always will be my favorite motorcycle (or should I say superbike?). I respect it firstly, because it was the first to break the 1000bhp/ton barrier (more horsepower than weight)... How's 174BHP and 172kg sound? Good right? That was 2004... This is 2007, well almost 2008 and the R1 now bears numbers of 189bhp and 172kg! Insanity personified!

The R1 will be in showrooms as (or even before) you read this, with a Diwali 07 launch planned. It will be followed by other heavyweights like the TDM900, XJR1300, FJR1300 and even the 1670cc MT-01! The YZF-R6 will be launched a little later because of the stupid "Only-800cc+-Euro III-compliant-bikes-can-be-sold" rule! Also expect the XVS1300A and the huge, gorgeous XV1900 Stratoliner. The catch: All the bikes will have Rs. 9 lakh+ price tags, for the "small" 900 - the R1 will be available for about 11.5 lakhs :(

Stay tuned. Cos it's only gonna get better. The GSX 1000R and GSX 1300R Hayabusa will appear in Suzuki showrooms in March 2008. Also expect the Bandit 1250S because it has a bottom-end of 108Nm (@3700rpm) that very few larger bikes (Big V-Twins exempt ;]) can match, which is more than ideal for the situation in our country. Good idea that...

Honda too will launch their big baddies the Hornet 900, CBR 1000RR FireBlade and the GL1800 GoldWing. Rune anyone?!

Bajaj has just purchased stake in KTM! Can't be happier! (What, should have been 49%?)
Anyway, RC, Adventure, Duke and SuperDuke better come soon... 250s seem a little too piddly now... But hey, they're most welcome.. The more, the merrier, rite?! And hey, Kawasaki?!

Lots of em coming... And the prospect of custom bikes seems more devilishly near than ever before!! Haha!!!!!

The Big Mach :) M500LB

It's here! The new Bullet Machismo 500 (AVL Lean Burn)... With 23.66bhp (@5600rpm) and 40.85Nm (@3000rpm) on tap, it's one hell of a ride! I was in love after the test ride and I so wish that that engine is a part of all Bulls, as an option of course!

The Ride:
A lazy afternoon, I cruise by my dealership and catch a glimpse of chrome, a lot of it (even on the battery box!) There it was, the one I had been waiting for, for so long! Keys in hand, off I went, down Market Yard road, the usual test route.

Acceleration was nothing short of breath-taking, and it leaves you with the feeling that there's so much more on offer, if you ever needed it! The U turn was taken in 4th gear, a near idle thump happening, so much was the torque. The bottom-end is unbelievable! The M500 can coast at 80-100kph all day and never get tired or leave you feeling like something was lacking.

Overall build quality too has improved a lot - less vibrations, cleaner shifts (and a muted thump) make you wanna believe you're not on a Bullet, which in a way is true. No more right shift, CB point, grandfather carb, 500cc this one is... For the afficionadoes, yeah, it's different, but hey, times change, and if retro suits your taste, the 350 Classic's always on the menu!

Moreover, at about 1.1 lakh on road Pune (without all the accessories) she's a good deal (no kiddin!) A bike everyone who likes bikes should definitely saddle up on. But head fast, cos only 500 bikes will be sold throughout the country every calendar year!