With celebrating Independence Day, the 15 Harley-Davidson owner groups also came out in support of various causes.

The Harley Owners Group celebrated Independence Day by hosting a ‘Freedom Ride’ that saw the participation of 15 owners groups across 18 cities. Ever since its inception in India, the Harley Owners Group has been organising the ‘Freedom Ride’ to celebrate the occasion in their own way.

As part of the ‘Freedom Ride’ the groups from multiple cities rode in support of various causes. Two Rivers, Harley-Davidson (Pune) took the initiative and rode for the cause of safety of riders; Nine Bridges, Harley-Davidson (Ahmedabad) and Diamond City, Harley-Davidson (Surat) rode to the Sabarmati Ashram to promote the use of khadi.

Other groups from Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kochi hoisted the national flag at their respective local dealerships and set off to various destinations such as McLeodganj, Lonavala, Vagamon, Ooty and Agra.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Activa is the first scooter in the country to reach this milestone.

Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Pvt. Ltd has announced the record-breaking sales figure achieved by the Activa scooter brand. With cumulative sales crossing one crore units, the Activa is the first scooter in the country to achieve this milestone.

The Activa was launched in 2001, as the first model in Honda’s portfolio. In its first year (FY 2001-02), Honda sold around 55,000 units of the scooter, which increased to 21 lakh units in FY 2014-15. Strong sales of the Activa brand over the years, has been one of the key reason for Honda's 59 percent market share in the scooter segment. Currently, there are three variants of the Activa on sale - the Activa 3G, Activa i and the Activa 125.

Speaking about the occasion, Keita Muramatsu, president and CEO, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd said, “This achievement is more significant since Activa (an automatic scooter) has gained the trust of one crore happy families in India. From reactivating the scooter segment in India in 2001 to leading the 'scooterisation' of industry today, Honda’s iconic Activa has changed the way Indians ride. We thank our valued customers and families who have made Activa the most preferred choice for commuting in India.”

Courtesy : Autocar

The Benelli TNT 25 faces its toughest competitor, the KTM Duke 200, in the battle of specifications.

The Benelli gets a 249.2cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that puts down 24.1bhp at 9,000rpm. The Duke 200 makes a marginally higher 24.7bhp at 10,000rpm from its 199.5cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine. With the larger engine, the TNT25 generates 2.1kgm of twisting force, while the Duke 200 makes a slightly lower 1.94kgm.

The TNT 25 is slightly longer, measuring 2,080mm, while the KTM measures 2,002mm. Here the KTM is the broader one, at 873mm, while the Benelli measures 805mm. The KTM Duke 200 is also taller at 1,274mm, and the TNT 25 stands at 1,090mm. As one might expect, the KTM is lighter too, weighing 136.4kg on the scale; almost 15kg lighter than the Benelli that weighs 150kg.

Suspension on the motorcycles are in the form of USD forks up front and mono-shock springs at the back. The KTM Duke 200 gets an alloy swingarm, while the Benelli TNT 25 gets a box section one. Both the motorcycles are brought to a halt using disc brakes, and don't get the ABS feature. At the front, both the motorcycles have 280mm disc brakes. While the Benelli gets a 240mm at the back, the KTM gets a 230mm unit.

The pricing for the Benelli TNT 25 is not known yet, but it is likely to be anywhere between
Rs 2.5 - Rs 3 lakh. However, the Austrian manufacturer has priced all its products very aggressively, and same is the case with the Duke 200. It retails for Rs. 1.45 lakh in Delhi.

Courtesy : Autocar

Hero to add new scooters to their Maestro and Pleasure lineup. Zir to come next year.

Budget-conscious scooter buyers have many options to choose from – you have the prominent Japanese players and our home-grown Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motors. And now, Hero wants to up the ante with its latest addition, the Maestro Edge. 

Based on the Dash concept shown at the 2014 Auto Expo, the production version looks exactly like the concept with a new badge.

Like the Maestro, the Edge will be Hero’s bread-and-butter model, so don’t expect a 125cc engine here. It will borrow the same 110cc motor from the Maestro to keep costs in check. The specs, too, will mirror that of the current scooter, and that means 8.1bhp, and 9.1Nm of pulling power. The Hero Maestro Edge will be in showrooms by October.

But, where exactly does the Edge slot in Hero’s line-up? Well, the Edge will be to Hero what, say, the Jupiter and the Wego are to TVS. Hero won’t just stop at the Edge. There’s also the upcoming Hero Duet, a unisex scooter aimed at young students. It, too, will run the same 110cc motor from the Maestro, and will be compete against the TVS Scooty Zest 110 and the Honda Activa i. With the Maestro Edge and the Duet, Hero will offer its customers more options to choose from, the way it does with its motorcycle line-up. The more the merrier, you see.

Hero is also working on the premium Zir, India’s first maxi-scooter. It will be the-range topper in Hero’s scooter line-up and should set you back by about Rs 90,000 (approximately). For that price, you get a single-cylinder, 157cc motor that makes 14bhp and 12.7Nm of torque. The Zir is expected to be unveiled at the 2016 Auto Expo.

So, where does that leave Bajaj, the only manufacturer that doesn’t have a model in the booming scooter market? Will Bajaj be forced to get going on that front? We think that should happen. Watch this space.

Courtesy : BBC Top Gear.

Part of Honda's global recall, the CBR motorcycles will be checked for a faulty starter relay.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India has announced a recall for its CBR 150R and CBR 250R to check for a possible fault with the starter relay. The announcement is part of a global recall issued by Honda Motor Company as the starter relay is shared with the international models as well.

The recall is a precautionary step to check for and replace defective starter relay switches due to incorrect application of the sealant. According to Honda, the defective switch may lead to a sudden loss of electrical power at any time, and worst-case scenario it could cause a fire in the part.

Honda will be checking all CBR 150R and 250R motorcycles manufactured between June 2014 and June 2015 for this defect and, if found, will rectify it free of cost irrespective of warranty, at the company's service centres.

Courtesy : Autocar