I saw the Harley Davidsons roll by!

Bangalore witnessed a great event lately. Great atleast for the bikers around. A bunch of men (as Ben would have put it) startled the city astride Harleys, the potato sound booming and bystanders gawking. Yes, I was one of them. Out on the road in the morning, running a small errand for the wife, I noticed these mighty metal monsters hogging up the road. It was a great feeling. Completely child like. I remembered the time when I had seen the P180 for the first time. And the time when I had brought home my very own Hornet 250. It was a humbling experience to watch engineered metal at its desirable best. I hear that the Harleys in India will be priced between four and fourteen lacs and I also hear that their market research claims there are enough buyers even at that price range!

Just awesome. If any one of you happen to buy one, lemme know so I can come over and ride one. No matter what I am told in that department, I need to feel it first hand!
- Rahul

Yamaha tickles our man Neo!

Our man Neo does not mind when an R15 blows him into the weeds while he is riding over to the office on his old, red P180. He does not even wince when the spec sheets of the latest arrivals read seriously advanced figures. Neo was, till now a very happy man.

The Yamaha FZ16 changed all that. A franctic call came to me once in the middle of the night. "Darn Rahul! These Yamaha dudes have slapped a 140 section rear on the FZ16 man!", Neo blurted out. I heard him out and hung up, sure of the fact that he would not sleep all night. He would feel destroyed. Its not about cubic capacity or bhp mates. Its all in the rear rubber! Road test on the All New Monoshock website soon!

Motociclismo ‘s’ 2008 bike of the year awards

More than 35,000 readers of the major Italian bike magazine Motociclismo voted for their “Moto dell’anno 2008” (Bike of the Year 2008) and scored Ducati a best ever result in Sport Bike, best in Supermotard and a major result in the Naked Bike categories.

Choosing from 280 models split into 12 categories, including 125cc, Cruiser, Naked, Dual, Enduro, Supermotard, Touring, Sport Bike, Sport Touring, and three scooter categories, the public’s favourite and most eagerly awaited award was for best Sport Bike. For the first time ever in the history of such awards presented by motorcycle magazines, a single manufacturer – Ducati – had recorded an unprecedented clean sweep of votes and claimed the first three places.

The Ducati 1098 took the coveted first place with the Desmosedici RR in second and the stunning new 848 filled the ‘podium’ with third place to achieve the previously unmatched haul of trophies. Ducati’s domination of the Sport Bike category is a clear indication of the credibility and respect that the Italian manufacturer enjoys in this specific sector, traditionally a bench-mark and inspiration in the motorcycling world.

Ducati’s success that evening, however, did not end there. Once more, the highly original Hypermotard took first place honours in the Supermotard category and the beautiful new Monster 696, despite being launched just a few weeks ago, took an incredible second place in the Naked Bike category. To complete the impressive haul of awards, the Multistrada scooped third place overall in the Dual category.

The Hero Honda Hunk does not let down!

Sit astride the Hunk and you will immediately start feeling great. That massive tank ahead of you feels substantial. The retro styled instrument console with analogue readouts and the new improved rear add to the style statement.

The gear shifts have become slicker, however, missed gears are still in the ballpark if handled carelessly. Handling is a tad better now and the bike rides a bit stiffer with more feedback.

The front brakes on the bike we got were spongy but that front wheel just comes up like your daily bread. Amen! Full road test report here>>

Cruise Control - The whole weekend, spent riding the Avenger 200!

The whole weekend was skooshed riding the Avenger 200 oil cooled number. We went on the highway, along the back roads and just about anywhere where good smooth tarmac was to be found!

The road test report for the same will be up on the site in a day or two. Till then, you can enjoy this desktop image of our man scraping the Avenger pegs to kingdom come!

Enjoy!

Mod God - Souping up the Pulsar 200!

Hi,
Its always great fun reading your road tests online. I loved yourreport on the Pulsar 200 and it helped me making a decision on buying one. So finally I have a Pulsar 200 which is just a week old. I want to fit a K & N air filter after reading the benifits it has to offeras well as the sweet sound it makes ;-) I won't be jetting the carb, and I wanted to know whether this would still affect the fuel consumption (positively/negatively) and the warranty of the bike. A few people have advised me to fit the filter after the warranty period is over, but I don't really agree with them, as the filter does not really have to do much with the same. But, I've read somewhere that its not advisable to fit the filter without jetting the carb as the carb won't work efficiently if it does not get the necessary fuel supply as compared to the extra air which would be pumped. This i think would affect the engine performance adversely too. If I go ahead and do the jetting, by how much kms will the fuel consumption ideally rise? Please tell me what should be done, will take your advice. Secondly I would like to know about the Iridium spark plugs by NGK, and how will they affect the performance of the bike, both with respect to the fuel consumption and performance. I have tried my best here in Pune to get information about them for my Pulsar 200, but my efforts have been useless so far. The last question, is it possible for fitting the rear disc brake arrangement of the Pulsar 220 to the200? Kindly advice. Thank you very much :-)
- Bhushan Patil

Hello Bhushan,
1) The current air filter on the P200 is perfect. A K&N air filter is no doubt a great unit but we would not want you to tamper with the breathing settings of the engine. You may have an issue with the warranty also as this qualifies as a modification done to the engine parts! Also, there will not be any significant changes with the filter alone.

2) Why would you want to rejet the carb? Never tamper with a carb till it is absolutely necessary or if there is an issue. Modifications to a well researched engineering product can have adverse effects on it's life, emissions and other crucial factors with a very small amount of rise in performance. Best avoided!

3) The disc brake unit can be fitted on the P200 rear. But it will need quite a lot of work on the swingarm, the wheels and hub, the rear brake fluid reservoir location and hoses. Again, we are not sure how it is worth the expenditure!

Bhushan, the P200 is a great bike the way it is. Please ride it well, look after it and after some time, you can upgrade to a larger capacity bike which has all the performance you need. People even modify their Busas and R1s for more performance. But that, beats the whole point!
- The Monoshock Team

When less is more - CBZ Xtreme

Get this: 7 out of 10 men think that they are, er, not big enough! I hope you understand what we are saying. The reality is that size seldom matters to the other side. So, stop drooling at big cubes. That is the typical manly thing to do. Concentrate on performance instead!

So while most of you were preparing for the Dewali night, we were having fun with this red explosive too!

Full story and stunning wallpapers here>>
- Ride Safe

All the Ducati you need till 2009! Only on Monoshock!

The smashing new 2008 range of motorcycles from Ducati will be unwrapped at the EICMA show in Milan!

No hard feelings if you cannot make it to the show mate, we have all the action for you right here. In a one of it's kind mind blowing PDF on the net, we put together all the Ducati that is going to be present!

So buy yourself some wafers, a beer and spend the evening reading this up. You can right click this link and use the 'Save Target As' option to save the whole document on your er, hard drive!

Monoshock Exclusive: The Ducati Monster 696 - Rise of the machines!

The new Ducati Monster 696 is the next generation naked and the final word in urban excitement. Ride the Monster 696 around your favourite downtown routes in relaxed style or, when the spirit moves you, unleash its dark side to deliver more naked performance than ever before.

Design: Refined style and design are the clear motivations behind the new Monster and the continued perfection of the Desmo engine ensures that its ‘saint and sinner’ image will impress any rider. A comfortable and confidence-inspiring chassis combine with the famously smooth and powerful Ducati L-Twin engine to provide the most enjoyable riding experience. The balance of new technologies expressed in stylishly finished materials is shaped around the original cool Monster heritage.

Maintaining its traditional Monster silhouette, the 696 now looks more muscular than ever. Its wide tank tapers to the thin waistline of a comfortable narrow seat ensuring sure-footed confidence when at the traffic lights. The large diameter Hybrid Trellis frame blends stylishly into an aluminium sub-frame and swingarm while minimalist instrumentation and simple controls at the front of the Monster contrast with twin, bold, Ducati-style mufflers at the rear to enhance its urban-ready image.
With a fuel tank form created with ingenious removable outer skins that enable quick and easy colour swaps, changing the personality of your Monster has never been easier. The quickly removable rear seat cover makes it even easier to completely colour coordinate and, when removed, reveals a place for your favourite passenger.

Chassis: The 696 ergonomics have been improved with subtle but effective changes to the riding position. A shorter reach to the bars and a slightly lower, more forward footpeg position, together with the lowest seat height of any Ducati and a reduction in weight, empowers any rider to become the master of this Monster.

The chassis of the new Monster is made up of a new Hybrid Trellis frame with larger diameter tubes directly inspired by the 2007 World MotoGP title-winning Desmosedici GP7 machine. To this is attached a rear aluminium sub-frame.

The front brake system is the envy of its class and becomes the new benchmark for the category with two 320 mm discs and four-piston radial calipers. At the rear, the dual-sided aluminium swingarm draws inspiration from Ducati Corse’s finest racing products in this area. The instrumentation is now totally digital and continues the tradition of all Ducati’s latest-generation hypersport models, guaranteeing lightness, ease of use and a wealth of information.

The new exhaust system stands out for its re-routed downpipes that now give the underside of the Monster a cleaner appearance and terminate with twin, bold Ducati-style mufflers.

The headlamp unit is characterized by a new triple arc main beam, while the rear light uses modern LED technology. The unmistakable tank boasts ingenious removable outer skins which makes it easy to change the personality of the Monster 696. In line with the latest-generation Ducatis, the new Monster 696 has undergone a weight reduction of 5kg from the previous model and now becomes the lightest bike in its category (359 lbs – 163 Kg).

Engine: The engine of the new 696 is an evolution of the previous 695 version. Measuring 696cc it boasts a series of updates and refinements.
Power output gets a 9% boost to 80 hp (59 kW) and an 11% increase in torque to 50.6 lb-ft.
This new engine continues to have the best horsepower per litre ratio of all Ducati’s air-cooled units, and it ensures a smooth and powerful delivery for a relaxed but thrilling ride in all conditions.

This increase in power has been achieved by the introduction of new cylinder heads, which are now similar to the ones on the 1100 2V engine fitted to the Multistrada and Hypermotard. Bore and stroke remain identical to the previous 695 model at 88 x 57.2 mm, but the pistons and combustion chamber have been revised to optimize the fluid dynamics of the new ports.

The camshafts now rotate on bearing surfaces directly in the cylinder head and are supported by means of oil pressure. The elimination of the bearings has enabled the weight of this unit to be reduced considerably and the layout simplified.
Furthermore the cooling fins of the cylinders and the cylinder heads have a new shape, and an improved casting process allows them to be produced closer to one another so as to increase their number and improve thermal exchange.
Like its predecessor, the new Monster 696 has an advanced APTC clutch, which makes down-shifting safe and helps keep the clutch lever action light and easy, especially in urban riding where frequent stops require high use.

Like every bike in the new range, the Monster 696 also has a new scheduled maintenance programme that reduces costs for the customer.

Have something to say? Use the comments link below and be heard!

Time testing the P220

For something as contemporary as the P220, we thought we could do with a time test. What with quality issues plaguing the other Pulsars and things like that!

So we took our test bike round and round the roads till we clocked a thousand kays! Yes, our road test reports will be out soon.

Till then, here is a desktop wallpaper of our man, Mc. Veggie Sumit putting in his share of kays on that odo! Also fits widescreens at 1280 x 960 pixels!
- Enjoy!

We road test the Bajaj XCD 125!

The new kid on the block from Bajaj certainly has a lot of swirl going into it.

The design, the motor and that awesome paint and sticker job has us floored. Probably the best commuter today with 70 kays to a litre on offer in the harshest of city riding conditions.

The full road test is here>>

Enjoy

Will the Hunk flunk?

So the Hero Honda new kid is called the Hunk. Hmmm, whatever I have seen and heard of the bike is quite virtual. I am waiting to swing a leg over and punch the starter motor button.

However, let me tell you that I am not expecting any surprises here. The 14.4 PS motor, with exact figures for power and torque as the Xtreme and 3 kilos of extra weight is not really retina splitting material.

However, what keeps me thinking, is that why was this bike launched. I think India has some empty spaces in the bikes segments. The first one is the one for a cheap, fast and deadly 150cc which every dude can afford. The second is the 175cc - 220cc segment where innovations and technology can do wonders to your sales numbers. The Hunk does neither. The rear of the bike looks really out of place. The mudgaurd/ number plate assembly looks like a cheap after market fitment. They odo/ speedo was left analog and the gas charged shocks will probably not do miracles to the already great CBZ Xtreme handling.

Which leaves me to wonder what HH are thinking with the Hunk? Or is that they have stopped thinking at all?
- Rahul

Walking the ramp, er, runway - Ducati Style!

A more appropriate location for the presentation of the new 2008 Ducati Apparel Collection couldn’t be found. The stage for this event will be the “Guglielmo Marconi” International Airport in Bologna where, on Thursday, October 18th at 7:30 p.m., the fashion show for the newest clothing items from the motorcycle company of Borgo Panigale will take place.

In the A3 area on the ground floor, a real fashion show will be organized that will begin the “take off” of the newly proposed Ducati clothing line that is already present at Ducati Stores (one of which can be found on the first floor of the airport), perfect for the many fans that are already excited about the recent MotoGP world title won by Casey Stoner in the seat of a Desmosedici.

The items in the Ducati Apparel 2008 collection can be admired (and eventually purchased) next month (November) at the Ducati website!

All the Suzuki you ever need!

Hello People, here is a machine our ed is in love with. The Suzuki GSX1400.

We found some great pictures and loads of info on Suzuki Cycles on this page by Jarmo Haapamäki!

A site, put together with a lot of passion. Get there and leave a word of encouragement for our man Jarmo - Way to go!

Could this be your next Suzuki?

"Ya know, Sometimes, the Synner feels that he's the Friggin' Oracle or somethin'...

A while back, he made a post on small capacity sportbikes makin' a comeback (albeit, 400CC) and bada bing! Yamaha launches the R125 soon after... He'd be extremely surprised if at least one more bike isn't unveiled between the R125 and the R6."

The entire post from Monoshock columnist Synn is here. . .

From track to road!

An assembly line exclusively dedicated to the Desmosedici RR has been set up at the Borgo Panigale factory. Everything is now ready for production (which will begin in October) and for delivery of the first bikes.

The Ducati Desmosedici RR is the first and only true MotoGP replica, destined to celebrate this prestigious race category’s era of maximum engine size (1000 cc) and establish a new milestone in terms of Italian technology, components, performance and style.

More in the September Issue of Monoshock!

Harley Davidson RR250

Yes, you heard that right. This Harley, won three world championships in the 250 cc class in a row! These high revving two stroke parallel twins were developed by H-D in Italy and were ridden by Walter Villa to win three world championships in 1975, 76 and 77!

These bikes boasted 246cc twins producing 53 bhp and were capable of top speeds of 225 kays an hour. They had bare basic body work, twin discs up front and a superb expansion chamber to be one of the quickest and fastest 250s of that era! A Harley eh? Not bad. At only a 109 kgs!

The Megola Racing Model

This, dost is the world's most unconventional motorcycle! Only 2000 (only?) of these were built between 1921 and 1924.

Designer Fritz Cockerell was heavily inspired by the rotary aero engines of World War I and came up with a 5 cyclinder radial mounted engine inside the front wheel! Now beat that. For each forward rotation of the front wheel, the engine rotated in the opposite direction 6 times.

It was a 640cc, 5 pot, 14 bhp machine that was clocked to a whopping 148 km/h! Darn, our heads are going round in circles...

Stop or my mom will shoot!

"We havent had that spirit here...
Since 1969"

Yeah, that is right out of an Eagles mega hit number, but why? You ask.

The Honda CB750 in the picture here was an inline 4, 736 cc 67 bhp motorcycle which could go upto 200 kays an hour! Not happy? But before you write this machine off and assign it a footnote in your knowledge base, please consider that the CB was produced in 1969! Darn! Right?

Oh, and why that heading for this post? The CB750 was the first production machine in the world to have hydraulic disc brakes!

Once Britten, Twice....

Say hello to this design legend, the Britten V1000, designed by a legendary man, John Britten.

The 60 degree V-Twin is an integral part of the chassis and the front and rear suspensions are bolted on to this! Actually this bike takes the word multi tasking to a new level, with almost every part performing dual functions! It was a 985cc 165bhp beauty that was capable of 304 km per hour! Only 11 bikes were ever built and John died even before these bikes could come into their element. Here is to you John!