Yamaha India has stricken the carburetted versions of the FZ-S and Fazer, along with their scooter, the Ray, from their rosters.

Just recently, Yamaha has chosen to discontinue the carburetted version of their ever-popular FZ-S, as well as its semi-faired cousin, the Fazer, in India. The news isn’t shocking, as the updated models that Yamaha had launched in 2014 in the form of the fuel-injected version 2.0s were receiving relatively better responses from Indian motorcycle buyers.

The version 2.0 motorcycles feature a new version of the original FZ’s 153cc single-cylinder motor, which is built around Yamaha’s BlueCore philosophy that the company claims is to maximise fun without compromising efficiency. And efficiency is one area where the new bikes really outdo the older ones. So it was natural that Yamaha chose to discontinue these older models. However, the base model in the FZ family, the FZ16, which is basically the first one of these which Yamaha had launched back in 2008, is now the only non-fuel injected of these still on sale in the country.

Yamaha has also pulled the plug on its first-ever scooter for the Indian market, the Ray. The Ray was specifically designed with women riders in mind, and the company launched a more male-oriented version in the form of the Ray-Z later on. Sources in Yamaha India also said that the company was looking to now focus more on their latest scooter, the Fascino, which is apparently making waves as a ‘fashion-segment scooter’. In any case, Yamaha India is looking to launch the Ray-ZR, a new version of the Ray – which was unveiled at Auto Expo 2016 – in the next couple of months. This new scooter features the same 113cc Blue Core engine from the Ray, but gets an optional disc brake at the front, alloy wheels along with revised body panels and styling. As of now though, the Ray-Z still continues to be on sale.

Courtesy : Autocar

Indian Air Force inspires Royal Enfield’s new Squadron Blue-coloured Classic 500

Royal Enfield, the world’s oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, has introduced a new colour – Squadron Blue – for its Classic 500 range of motorcycles.

The bikemaker says the inspiration for the new colour variant has come from the Indian Air Force and is a tribute by Royal Enfield for its longstanding history with the soldiers of the skies.  Commenting on the choice of colour, Rudratej Singh, president, Royal Enfield, said, “The Classic 500 Squadron Blue is a tribute to Royal Enfield’s war-time presence and association with the armed forces. We wanted a variant with a genuine armed forces heritage for our customers and for this, Royal Enfield turned to the Indian Air Force for inspiration.

We had to be very particular about the colour to create an authenticity and also provide the motorcycle its post-war appeal. This inspiration led us to create the Classic Squadron Blue which is now available at price of Rs 186,688 on-road Delhi.” Royal Enfield’s tryst with the armed forces began way back during the World Wars where the motorcycle was extensively used by the British Army. The manufacturer received its first-ever order from the Indian Army in 1952 for 800 motorcycles. The company started production in India from 1955 onwards and has been supplying to the Indian Army ever since. The Indian Air Force also started using Royal Enfield in the 1950s and it has been most popularly used by the Air Force Police. Royal Enfield's motorcycles continue to be one of the commonly used motorcycles in the Indian armed forces and also state police. The Classic is one of the most successful products in the Royal Enfield stable and has been the company’s bestselling model. The new Squadron Blue variant is powered by the 500cc Unit Construction Engine.

The motorcycle is available at an on-road price of Rs 193,372 in Mumbai, Rs 189,350 in Chennai, Rs 198,649 in Bangalore and Rs 196,700 in Kolkata. It may be recollected that Bajaj Auto’s recent move to introduce its V brand of motorcycles, which embodies metal from India’s venerated aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, has seen a handsome  response from motorcycle enthusiasts and the general public. Earier today, the company announced the bike's pricing at Rs 62,000.

Courtesy : Autocar

Iconic Indian two-wheeler manufacturer Royal Enfield inaugurated its first dealership in Thailand. The new showroom is located at Bangkok and is the second Southeast Asian dealership for Royal Enfield after Indonesia

Expanding its global dealership network, Royal Enfield (RE) inaugurated its first dealership in Thailand. The new Royal Enfield showroom has been situated in the capital of Thailand at Bangkok. The first RE retail store in Thailand has been set up by General Auto Supply Co. Ltd. The complete portfolio of its motorcycles will be made available at the new dealership alongwith the official Royal Enfield apparel and accessories range. 

Speaking about the new store , Arun Gopal, International Business Head, Royal Enfield said,  “Royal Enfield is today one of the most profitable automotive brands in the world and we believe that our future growth will come from our international markets such as Thailand where motorcycles are a popular medium of commuting. Our phenomenal success in India gives us the confidence to thrive in similar markets like Thailand and Indonesia, which will play an instrumental role in fuelling our growth in Asia. We see a huge potential for our evocative, all purpose, and middle-weight (250-750cc) motorcycles that will allow customers an optimum choice for upgrade”, said Mr

Royal Enfield has been expanding its global retail footprint across UK, Europe, Latin America, Middle-East and now in South East Asia. Its latest store in the Southeast Asian market prior to Thailand was in Indonesia. Royal Enfield announced its entry into Thailand, the fifth largest two wheeler market in the world in Dec 2015, at the Thailand International Motor Expo. The Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500 has been priced at Rs 3.45 lakh in Thai market while the RE Classic 500 retails for  Rs 3.64 lakh and the Royal Enfield Continental carries a sticker price of Rs 4.21 lakh. 

Courtesy : Zigwheels

Company to commence S340 e-scooter production by end of year; to be sold online only.

Ather Energy, a Bangalore-based start-up, today unveiled an electric scooter called the S340. The scooter is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, has a top speed of 72km/h and a range of upto 60km, according to the company. The S340’s IP67-rated battery can last for as much as 50,000km. The vehicle achieves an 80 percent charge in 50 minutes in fast-charging mode and can be charged from any five-ampere socket.

The scooter gets features such as LED lights that respond to ambient light conditions, a touchscreen dashboard, on-board navigation and drive modes like Sport and Economy to enable a personalised experience. The touchscreen is integrated with a S340 mobile app that keeps the rider connected with the vehicle, and can also sync navigation routes remotely.

The company has a manufacturing unit set-up in Bangalore, and production of the S340 will commence by end of this year. It is planning to build an online-only purchase model with doorstep delivery and service. It will also start pre-ordering in Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune initially in the next quarter. The company is still working on the price of this scooter.

“The future will be connected and inevitably electric, and the Ather S340 has been built as a manifestation of this philosophy,” said Tarun Mehta, CEO and co-founder. “The electric vehicle has been designed and built mostly in-house with engineering precision,” he added. Ather Energy aims to set-up a public charging infrastructure in every city it operates in, by partnering with government and private enterprises.

The company has been founded by IIT graduates Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain in 2013 and has received funding from Tiger Global and Sachin and Binny Bansal (Flipkart founders). According to reports, Ather Energy, which has raised Rs 81 crore till date, is planning to invest Rs 25 crore for the manufacturing of this scooter.

Courtesy : Autocar

The new V15 motorcycle from Bajaj will be launched towards the end of March; likely to be priced close to Rs 70,000.

Even before they were revealed, Bajaj’s new 'V' family of motorcycles gained instant appreciation and fame for having been made from the metal of the scrapped warship, INS Vikrant. The video that teased the 'V' family gave us only a glimpse of the new motorcycle, or motorcycles, that were to come. Now Bajaj has taken the wraps off the new V range and here’s when we come to know just how exciting the motorcycles are.

Cruiser? Or, Café racer

The new V is more café-racer albeit with a hint of cruiser. This is down to the stance because of the 18-inch front and 16-inch rear tyres. The V15’s wheelbase is also 10mm longer than the discover, giving it the solid stance. The 780mm seat height also highlights the low stance of the motorcycle, making the saddle some 15mm lower than that of the Discover! Its contemporary design mixes sporty and muscular bringing a new flavour to the commuter space. Bajaj has taken many cracks at the commuter space and this family of motorcycles looks set to live alongside their successful and more simple-looking Discover range. From the wind deflector on the headlamp to the boat-tail rear, and the swoopy design in between, there’s a lot to like on the V. The chrome dual shock absorbers at the rear, the white contrast stitching on the seat, the removable cowl for the rear seat and the smart instrument cluster, all make it very appealing. The instrument cluster features a fuel gauge that switches from green to red as the fuel level dips really low. Chunky tyres give it a stronger stance and the smart, slim ten-spoke alloy wheels are hung off telescopic forks with blacked-out siders.

Underneath it all…

When it comes to the chassis the V has a fairly conventional setup that is aimed to provide durability and reliability. The chassis is a dual-cradle setup and uses stouter than usual 33mm diameter telescopic forks at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear. The engine is an air-cooled DTS-i 150cc two-valve, four-stroke motor. This engine makes 11.8bhp of power. That puts the V about 2bhp down on power compared to its 150cc siblings in the Discover family.

The V also boasts of 1.3kgm of torque. Due to its two-valve head, it offers a solid 1.2kgm of torque from 3,000rpm, while peak torque is available at 5,500rpm. While this should also result in good fuel efficiency, the company hasn’t disclosed the ARAI test figures yet. Bajaj Auto. Eric Vaz, said that the V15 will offer a real word fuel economy figure of about 60kpl with pillion on board. He also stressed, that the V15 isn’t a motorcycle for high speed cruising but will offer hassle-free performance requiring minimal gear-changes. 

In keeping with its commuter oriented positioning, the V15’s chunky tyres are Eurogrips that should offer good longevity as well. Also, the gear shifter has a heel shifter as well. Lastly, the footpegs and brake pedal are large and wrapped in soft rubber again pointing at convenience and hassle free use.

Production will commence on February 5, 2016, with the  launch scheduled to take place towards the end of March. The V15 will be offered in one variant that comes packed with electric start and disc brakes as standard. Prices will be revealed closer to delivery date, and are expected to be somewhere close to Rs 70,000.  Dealers all over India have started accepting bookings for the Bajaj V. 

Courtesy : Autocar