Being MotoVlogger

Bajaj Auto has stopped taking bookings for the Bajaj Chetak electric scooter. Thanks to the pandemic slowdown, the company's production for Chetak, hit a snag and has slowed down. This is of course a temporary course of events and Bajaj will pick up bookings soon. The deliveries for the scooters have been delayed as well and the current waiting time for the scooters is around three to five months. Bajaj will deliver the scooters to customers who booked it before February 29, sometime between August and September 2020. The customers, who booked it after February, will get the deliveries only after September, so, that will be a long wait. Also Read: Bajaj Chetak Design Patented In Europe (Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter) Even though Bajaj Auto resumed manufacturing at its plant in Chakan, the lockdown rules say that the plant cannot operate at full capacity, so there could be a delay before Bajaj resumes manufacturing Chetak scooters . Bajaj's suppliers for Chetak have had ...

Bajaj-Triumph originally announced a timeline of 2022 to introduce its first co-developed product and the launch will happen as scheduled. Shoeb Farooq, Business Head - Triumph Motorcycles India confirmed the development in an exclusive interaction with carandbike on the latest episode of Freewheeling with SVP. While responding to a question about whether the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has deferred the timelines for the first model under the partnership, Farooq confirmed that the development was very much on track, and the companies will meet the previously announced launch period. Also Read: Exclusive: Triumph Rocket 3 GT India Launch Confirmed Next Year Speaking to carandbike, Shoeb Farooq said, "A couple of months delay should not delay the timeline the partnership is looking at, which is sometime in 2022. Because, during the press conference during the contract launch also, I understood that everybody is pretty happy with the progress that the partnership is making on th...

Triumph Motorcycles India will launch the mid-spec variant of the Street Triple family, the 2020 Triumph Street Triple R in June 2020. The Street Triple R was never offered on sale in India before, and previously Triumph used to offer the base S variant and the top-spec RS variant of the Street Triple family. This time around, Triumph has changed its strategy to offer the R and RS, instead of the S and RS variants. In fact, before the current Street Triple with the 765 cc engine was introduced in 2016, Triumph had the last generation Street Triple on offer in India, with the 675 cc engine, but even then, the higher R variant was given the miss for India. The top-spec RS variant was only introduced with the 765 cc engine. Also Read: Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro To Be Priced At Around Rs. 16 Lakh The Triumph Street Triple R has a slightly different state of tune on the 765 cc inline three-cylinder engine "If you see the premium bike industry, the roadster segment is a growing ...

The new generation Triumph Rocket 3 was unveiled last year and quickly made its India debut at the 2019 India Bike Week in November. However, Triumph Motorcycles India at the time only brought Rocket 3 R to the market and the touring-friendly GT version was given a miss. Nevertheless, those who were waiting for the new Rocket 3 GT will be able to get their hands on one as early as next year. In an exclusive interaction with carandbike, Shoeb Farooq, Business Head - Triumph Motorcycles India confirmed that the new generation Triumph Rocket 3 GT will go on sale in the country in 2021. Also Read: 2020 Triumph Rocket 3 R Launched In India Speaking to carandbike on the latest episode of Freewheeling With SVP, Shoeb Farooq said, "We launched only the Rocket 3 R in India this year and now we are planning to include the GT, the touring variant in the Rocket range. Given the response to the R, we want to complete the portfolio. So the R would continue and the GT will also add on to the...

The Triumph modern classic range is set to expand in Indian soon with the introduction of Bonneville T100 black. The BS6 version of the bike will be launched in the market in June along with the BS6 version of the bigger, more powerful Bonneville T120 Black. This was revealed exclusively to carandbike on our online show Freewheeling by Shoeb Farooq who heads the Triumph motorcycles' business in India. While the retro design is the same there is a lot that differentiates the T100 black from other iterations of the bike when it comes to its looks.  Till June Triumph is also offering to pay first 3 EMIs on the Bonneville range For a more exclusive look a lot of components in the T100 black get a matt/jet black finish. These include mirrors, headlamp rim, indicators, engine and wheel rims. Farooq said," This has been a long impending demand from our customers, the overall size of the industry is still niche and when you start looking at the variants within that volume you have...

It is no secret that the next launch from Triumph Motorcycles India will be the Tiger 900 middleweight adventure bike. While it was supposed to be launched in India in May itself, but the COVID-19 pandemic threw a spanner in the works. Nonetheless, Triumph will be launching the new Tiger 900 in the middle of June 2020. An exact launch date should be coming your way in a few days from now. The Tiger 900 is a significant leap over the Tiger 800 in terms of design, usability, engine performance and even features. It definitely justifies the tag of 'all-new' in this case. The motorcycle of course, will be launched digitally. Also Read: Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro To Be Priced At Rs. 16 Lakh (India will not get the Tiger 900 GT Pro variant for now.) In the latest episode of Freewheeling with SVP, Shoeb Farooq, Business Head, Triumph Motorcycles India, said, "The first of the launches (In June 2020) that we are looking at is of course the Tiger 900 , which ideally, we we...

The Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, the top-spec variant of the new Triumph Tiger 900 range is expected to be priced at between Rs. 16 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi). Speaking to carandbike in a candid conversation on Freewheeling with SVP, Shoeb Farooq, Business Head, Triumph Motorcycles India revealed that three variants of the new Tiger 900 range will be offered on sale in India. At the top will be the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro, followed by the Tiger 900 Rally, and the touring oriented variant the Tiger 900 GT. Both the 900 Rally and 900 Rally Pro will come with spoked wheels with tubeless tyres. Also Read: New Triumph Tiger 900 To Get Three Variants In India The new Tiger 900 is up to 5 kg lighter, has better weight distribution and lighter front end Triumph Motorcycles India has already started pre-bookings for the new generation Tiger, for an amount of Rs. 50,000. While early indications of the bookings do not show customer preference for any particular variant, Triumph is expe...

The increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country and the resultant lockdown, which is currently in its fourth stage, has affected the livelihood of many people. With the lockdown restricting public movement, auto-rickshaw drivers, who depend on daily earnings, are one of the most affected ones. Offering a helping hand to this community, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd (PVPL), has distributed more than 11,000 ration kits to the families of needy auto rickshaw drivers, each of which could feed a family for two months. Also Read: Coronavirus: Piaggio Announces Multiple Relief And Safety Initiatives To Fight COVID-19 Piaggio has distributed more than 11,000 ration kits to the families of needy auto drivers Talking about this initiative, Diego Graffi, MD & CEO of Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. said, "In these exceptionally difficult times we stand with the auto driver & transport worker community to provide our relentless support. They are facing difficulties in this unpreced...

Royal Enfield is planning to extend the 650 cc platform to include new models in the next couple of years, Royal Enfield CEO Vinod Dasari revealed to carandbike. The 650 Twins, the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650, have firmly established Royal Enfield in the global map, Dasari said, making the 650 Twins global in terms of excellence, global in terms of reach and even making Royal Enfield global in terms of size. Now, the logical next step would be to expand the family to offer more options to fans and enthusiasts. Also Read: Royal Enfield Scrambler 650 Limited Edition Unveiled The suspension set-up looks stock, but what the MCH Scrambler gets are fork gaiters, Michelin Anakee knobby tyres, and an engine bash plate "One of the things that we need to do is to have several variants of the 650, and I'm sure our fans are very excited about all the potential opportunities, so like I said, P is a platform, there were two models, the Interceptor and the Continental G...

TVS Motor Company recorded a decline of 10.70 per cent in revenue from sales at Rs. 16,455 crore in FY2020 as compared to Rs. 18,217 crore in the previous financial year. The company's profit for the year also went down by 11.6 per cent at Rs. 592.25 crore as compared to 670.14 crore recorded a year ago. However, through sustainable cost reduction it has improved the operating EBITDA margins from 7.9 per cent to 8.3 per cent before accounting for one-time costs. These one-time costs are Rs. 22 crore for dealer discounts to transition to BS6 and Rs. 32 crore for COVID-19 relief work.The company's total sales in the same year went down by 16.61 per cent at 32,63,302 units as compared 39,19,702 units sold a year ago. Also Read:   BS6 TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, RTR 200 4V Prices Hiked By Up To ₹ 2,500 In the last quarter,Q4 of FY2020, TVS recorded a decline of 20.08 per cent in total revenue at Rs. 3,506.6 crore as compared to Rs. 4387.6 crore it recorded in the same peri...

Bajaj Auto has always maintained that the Chetak electric scooter is a global product and the company is now one step closer to its European launch. The Pune-based manufacturer has officially registered the Bajaj Chetak design in Europe, according to the documents filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The company had applied for the registration in February 2020, and it will be valid until November 2029. While Bajaj hasn't officially declared any plans to introduce the Chetak in Europe anytime soon, the registration offers a safety net to the company to safeguard its product design, should it choose to enter the market at a later date. Also Read: Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter Launched In India The Bajaj Chetak was launched in India in January this year, reviving the brand's iconic nameplate and marking the company's foray in the electric mobility segment. The Chetak sports a classic-retro Italian design that has been often compared with the...

Suzuki Motorcycle India has launched the BS6 compliant Suzuki Gixxer 250 and Gixxer SF 250 motorcycle. While the 2020 Suzuki Gixxer 250 BS6 naked streetfighter motorcycle has been launched at Rs. 1.63 lakh, its fully-faired sibling, the 2020 Gixxer SF 250 BS6 is priced at Rs. 1.74 lakh, (both ex-showroom, Delhi). However, an additional Rs. 900 will get you the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 MotoGP edition with the Metallic Triton Blue livery. Suzuki will start despatches for the new 250 cc Gixxer range in the coming week, while deliveries will commence by mid-June, given the ongoing lockdown. Currently, over 50 per cent of Suzuki Motorcycle dealerships are operations across India. Also Read: BS6 Suzuki Gixxer 250, Gixxer SF 250 Pre-Bookings Begin Commenting on the launch Koichiro Hirao, Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited said, "We are pleased to introduce the BS6 Gixxer SF 250/ 250 in the Indian market. Inspired by the legendary motorcycles: Hayabusa and GSX-R,...

TVS Motor Company has increased the prices of the Apache RTR 160 4V and the RTR 200 4V in India. The BS6 versions of the RTR 160 4V and the RTR 200 4V were launched in November last year. The RTR 160 range gets a price hike of Rs. 2,000 while the RTR 200 gets a price hike of Rs. 2,500. The old and new prices along with the quantum of price hike are given below. All prices mentioned are ex-showroom, Delhi. One of the reasons of the price hikes could be to offset the losses caused by the impact of COVID-19 on various automotive manufacturers and in this case, TVS. Also Read: BS6 TVS Apache RTR 200 4V Review (The TVS Apache RTR 200 4V also gets a price hike by Rs. 2,500) TVS Apache RTR Models New Price Price Increase Old Price RTR 160 4V Drum Brake Rs. 102,950 Rs. 2,000 Rs. 100,950 RTR 160 4V Disc Brake Rs. 106,000 Rs. 2,000 Rs. 104,000 RTR 200 4V Dual Channel Rs. 127,500 Rs. 2,500 Rs. 125,000 Also Read: BS6 TVS Apache RTR 160 4V Review Along with t...

The Triumph Tiger 900 will be launched in India soon. Triumph Motorcycles India has already teased the launch and has started taking pre-bookings online or at showrooms, for the bike at Rs. 50,000. The Tiger 900 is a world different from the Tiger 800 in terms of engine specifications, design and even variants. The new Tiger 900 will be launched in three variants in India. These are GT, Rally and Rally Pro. Needless to say, the Tiger 900 will be BS6 compliant as well. This is the first time that the top-spec variant of the Tiger will be coming to India along with the other variants. The GT range will replace the Tiger 800 XR range and get alloy wheels, primarily meant for touring on tarmac. The Rally range will replace the Tiger 800 XC range, getting more equipment along with wire-spoked wheels shod with tubeless tyres and will be more off-road friendly. Also Read: Pre-Bookings Begin For New Triumph Tiger 900 (The Tiger Rally Pro gets six riding modes, including an Off-Road Pro m...

Royal Enfield is going on the product offensive with a string of new products planned for the next three to four years, the company's CEO Vinod Dasari revealed to carandbike in an online interaction in Freewheeling with SVP. According to Dasari, Royal Enfield's product development team has been hard at work over the last few years to significantly accelerate Royal Enfield's product plan. With new platforms, and models and variants under each platform, Royal Enfield intends to launch a new motorcycle every quarter for the next 3-4 years, Dasari revealed. Also Read: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 To Be Launched By End Of June 2020 The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 will employ the new 350 cc platform, with a new engine and new double-cradle frame "One of the things that we've done over the last 3-4 years is to significantly accelerate new product plans. We will remain a mid-sized company, that's somewhere between 250 and 750 cc. In this range, there are five levels th...

Almost all two-wheeler models of the TVS Motor Company have made the transition to BS6 with the exception of the TVS Victor 110 and the TVS Scooty Zest 110. The company said it is working on the BS6 compliant version of the Victor 110 and it is expected to be launched in the coming weeks. Like other BS6 models, the Victor 110 too is expected to get a fuel injected engine. The BS4 version gets a 109 cc single-cylinder, 3-valve, oil-cooled engine that makes 9 bhp at 7,500 rpm and 9.4 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. The motor comes paired to a 4-speed transmission. TVS claims a fuel efficiency of 72 kmpl on the Victor, which is one of the best in the segment. Also Read: BS6 TVS Scooty Zest 110: What To Expect (Prices of the BS4 TVS Victor start at Rs. 54,042) TVS has already has a BS6 110 cc engine in its portfolio which also powers the Radeon, Sport and the Star City+. The BS6 compliant 109.7 cc single-cylinder engine is air-cooled now makes 8.08 bhp at 7,350 rpm while peak torq...

Latest patent images reveal a semi-automatic gearbox that Honda may be developing, for future motorcycles. The new system, will be unlike the fully automatic dual clutch transmission (DCT) seen on the Honda Africa Twin, and will have some inherent advantages, and Honda seems to be keen on developing the new semi-automatic system. One Honda semi-auto system was offered in the 1970s in the form of the Hondamatic gearbox, but the technology of the new system is different, and its main advantages over the DCT - weight advantage and simplicity in construction! Also Read: Honda Patents Reveal New Front Suspension Design The new system is not as complex as the DCT system and will be lighter in weight and simpler in contruction The new semi-automatic transmission eliminates the use of a clutch lever, but is mechanically far simpler, lighter and also more affordable than the DCT design. The DCT is a comprehensive dual-clutch set-up, and the old Hondamatic design used a torque converter ...

Indian Motorcycle has filed trademark applications for two potential new models from the American cruiser motorcycle manufacturer. The names, Indian Guardian and Indian Pursuit, have been filed with both the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Australian Intellectual Property Office. The two trademarks have been registered for use on "motorcycles and structural parts therefor", so there are no details available on the applications what the names will be used for, or if two new models with the trademarked names will be introduced. Also Read: Indian Motorcycle Trademarks 'Renegade' Name Indian Motorcycle's sister brand, Victory, has a history of introducing unique names for police motorcycle models Most reports speculate that the new trademarks will almost certainly be motorcycle names, but could be used for use by the police. The Indian Pursuit certainly has a law enforcement ring to it, and even the Indian Guardian has a similar vibe. However, it...

The Bimota KB4, the upcoming motorcycle from the Italian brand, based on the Kawasaki Z1000, has been spotted on test for the first time. Rendered images of the KB4 were only released recently, but now a near-production model has been spotted on public roads, undergoing test runs. Bimota, which is partly owned by Kawasaki with 49 per cent stake, has been busy at work, it seems, and even though the coronavirus pandemic has slowed down operations or development, the KB4 could well be on its way to an official unveil in the next few months, or latest by the EICMA 2020 show in Milan in November, if all goes as planned. Also Read: Bimota KB4 Teased In First Pictures The spy shots reveal the size of the upcoming Bimota KB4 as quite compact Recent low resolution leaked images also pointed to the fact that the Bimota KB4 is very much in development. But now with the latest spy shots of the bike, almost production-ready, there is no doubt that the KB4 will be revealed to the public. The ...

Pramac Ducati rider Jack Miller has been officially signed on to join the Ducati team for the 2021 MotoGP season. The 25-year-old Australian rider and the Italian factory team recently reached an agreement for the next season with the option to extend the contract for 2022. The rider is likely to join Andrea Dovizioso in the pits next year if Dovizioso and Ducati come to an agreement to renew the contract for next year. Miller joins the Italian team after a strong show of performance in 2019 that saw the rider pick up five podium finishes and eighth place in the overall standings. He steps in place of Danilo Petrucci that confirmed his exit from MotoGP earlier this week and could compete in the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) as part of the Ducati factory squad. Also Read: Alex Rins Extends Contract With Suzuki MotoGP Team Up To 2022 Speaking on joining the factory team, Jack Miller said, "First of all I want to thank warmly Paolo Campinoti, Francesco Guidotti and all the P...

We exclusively told you that Royal Enfield is working on a brand new 350 cc engine platform which will feature on the upcoming Royal Enfield Meteor 350, which will be launched towards the end of June 2020. Vinod Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield , confirmed the same and also said that Royal Enfield will sell motorcycles with the new 350 cc engine and the old BS6 350 cc UCE motor side by side, at least for some time. In the latest freewheeling episode, Dasari gave us a broad outline of the Royal Enfield 2.0 strategy and one of the key focus areas will be capitalising on the strengths of the new 350 cc engine. Also Read: Royal Enfield Working On A Brand New 350 cc Platform. Also Read: Exclusive: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Launch In June 2020  (The next new motorcycle launch from Royal Enfield will be the Meteor 350) "The UCE or Unit Construction Engine that we have, called the UCE 350, that was a transformation point for the company! Beautiful engine, beautiful performance! Beautif...

Okinawa Autotech, one of India's prominent electric-two-wheeler manufacturers, has announced its new custom hand-painting service for its electric scooter buyers in India. This service will be offered on current models and future launches as well. The scooters will be hand painted by professional artists with premium colours of good quality. The company will offer various themes such as crystal, chameleon, superhero and so on and so forth. Customers can also get their initials hand-painted on the scooters. Okinawa will be offering this service through its new website, which gives the customers the option to choose from various colours and themes along with the scooter model they want to purchase. Once the scooter is ready, it will make its way to the nearest dealership from where the customer can pick it up. Also Read: Okinawa To Launch Made In India Electric Motorcycle (The custom hand-painting service will be offered on future Okinawa models as well. Seen here is the honeyco...

Royal Enfield will be introducing a brand new 350 cc platform with the company's next product launch. The upcoming Royal Enfield Meteor 350 will be based on a completely new platform, with an all-new 350 cc, single-cylinder engine with a new gearbox, and with a new frame. Speaking to carandbike on the latest episode of Freewheeling with SVP, Royal Enfield CEO Vinod Dasari revealed that Royal Enfield has significantly accelerated new product plans over the past couple of years. Dasari told carandbike that Royal Enfield is now working on a brand-new 350 cc platform, after introducing the 650 Twins. Also Read: Royal Enfield Meteor 350 To Be Launched By End Of June 2020 The Royal Enfield Meteor 350 will mark the debut of the all-new 350 cc platform, with a new engine, gearbox, and frame "It's an absolutely exciting powertrain. So, we've learnt how to make many different models within the same modular infrastructure, with the same engine, the same gearbox and the fra...

The German government is planning to clamp down on noise pollution, and one of the ways the government is looking to decrease sound is to make motorcycle exhaust notes quieter. The government is looking to limit exhaust decibels of motorcycles, implementing riding bans on certain days, and installing acoustic cameras. The new ruling is expected to be voted on very soon by the German parliament, and hopes to ban motorcycles from certain areas on Sundays and bank holidays. On those days, only bikes powered by alternative drive systems (electric powertrains) will be allowed on the road. Also Read: Germany's Auto Heartland In Peril As 'Golden Age' Fades To enforce the new rules, some German states also want to give police officers the right to impound motorcycles when found violating these restrictions, or even confiscate them on the spot. This is in addition to the standard fines already given to violating riders. The fines can only be issued (to both cars and motorcycles w...

Chennai-based motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield has confirmed that it is working on a new engine platform that will sit between the company's popular 350 cc single cylinder and 650 cc twin-cylinder platforms. The company has said it will remain focused on the mid-sized category of motorcycles in both domestic as well as international markets while making sure that the bikes remain accessible to the consumer. Currently Royal Enfield dominates the 250 cc and above segment of bikes in India where it holds a whopping 95 per cent market share. The above 500 cc segment of bikes in India has grown 4 times since the launch of 650 cc twins Vinod Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield shared exclusive details about the company's future product portfolio of bikes on carandbike's online show, Freewheeling. When asked about a new platform, bridging the gap between the 350 cc and the 650 cc, he confirmed that the company is working on a new platform between them. He said," We are focuse...

Royal Enfield has plans of shaking up the way motorcycles are sold in India. The company has identified that mass customisation of motorcycles is going to be big and Royal Enfield has plans of making that available to all its customers. The basic idea is to get the customer more involved in the buying process and offer differentiation and customisation. Royal Enfield wants to create each motorcycle as a unique piece of machinery, and all of this will be done at the factory itself. In the latest freewheeling episode, Vinod Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield gave us a broad outline of the Royal Enfield 2.0 strategy and one of the key focus areas is mass customisation of its motorcycles. Also Read: Exclusive: Royal Enfield To Launch Meteor 350 In June 2020 Also Read: Royal Enfield Opens Unique Movable Dealership In Thailand Dasari said, "because of the crisis (COVID-19), few things are going to change. Three things will change. One will be significant amount of digitisation in the buyin...

There's some exciting news coming in from Royal Enfield as the motorcycle manufacturer is readying to launch its next product in the market. Now, we have been telling you about the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 for a while now, but the launch of the motorcycle was delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. However, carandbike can now confirm that the Meteor 350 is closing in on the launch date and will hit the market by June 2020. Vinod Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield, confirmed the development to carandbike on the latest episode of Freewheeling with SVP . While Dasari did not confirm the name of the motorcycle name, he did say, "Hopefully by the end of June, we will be ready to do that." Also Read: Royal Enfield Meteor 350: What We Know So Far In an exclusive report earlier this year, we told you about the Royal Enfield introducing a brand new model by the end of April 2020. Those plans, however, were thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic and the company has been ready with the model ...