BMW made a bold move by choosing to take a new direction for the GS range. Will the R 1300 GS carry forward the legacy or will it pave its own way? Story: Joshua Varghese Photography: BMW Motorrad India The BMW GS range of motorcycles are known worldwide for their ability to go round the globe, a feat that was immortalised by Ewan McGregor’s documentary, Long Way Round. Years have flown by since then and the GS has had key transformations along the way but the latest iteration of this iconic motorcycle may be its most significant overhaul yet. To go away from a formula that is considered gosp ..read more

Having trouble to finding sporty, naked motorcycle under 400 cc? Here we have the full specification comparison of some contenders in this space. Below are the detailed head-to-head specs for five motorcycles: Motorcycle Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z KTM 390 Duke TVS Apache RTR 310 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 Triumph Speed 400 Price (ex-showroom) ₹ 1.85 lakh ₹ 3.11 lakh ₹ 2.64 lakh ₹ 2.92 lakh ₹ 2.34 lakh Engine Four-valve, DOHC, single-cylinder Four-valve, DOHC, single-cylinder Four-valve, DOHC, single-cylinder Four-valve, DOHC, single-cylinder Four-valve, DOHC, single-cylinder Displacement 373.3 ..read more

The Honda NX500 is one of the most accessible twin-cylinder adventure tourers available in the Indian market. We took a ride on one to find out how it performs Story: Charan Karthik Photography: Sanjay Raikar The NX500 is the CB500X’s replacement and Honda have given it a more dynamic styling, a modern dash, and a little more oomph to add to the big bike feel. It is a decent looking motorcycle, although its front end is likely to polarize opinion, giving rise to heated discussions around a coffee table as it’s not for everyone. However, at the front, you will not miss the beautiful silver-col ..read more

For Online Subscription Digital Subscription A Reasonably Priced Good Motorcycle I was not able to go for the first ride of the Aprilia RS 457 organised in January this year at the Kari Motorway racetrack in Coimbatore, but I had an opportunity to ride it last month. It may be recalled that the RS 457 was unveiled just before the Indian MotoGP race in September last year and it was not possible for us to bring you an in-depth report at that time. The twin-spar pivot-less chassis of this motorcycle is made of cast aluminium and it is a two-piece unit split in half at the headstock and bolte ..read more

TVS flew us down to the Madras International Circuit to attend the selection round for their Young Media Racer Programme. Read on to know how we got selected for it Story: Charan Karthik Photography: TVS Motor Company It was five o’clock in the morning and the alarm was ringing. I just could not get up because I had not got proper sleep the night before. Race day jitters? Not so much. I was just too excited to sleep and kept imagining scenarios. Anyway, an hour later, I went down for breakfast and, by 8.00 am, we were on the racetrack, drooling at TVS’ race-spec Apache RTR 200 4Vs. Let me re ..read more

The V-strom 800DE makes a departure from tradition in a noticeable way. We seek to analyse the upshot. Story: Joshua Varghese Photography: Sanjay Raikar When Suzuki revealed the V-strom 800DE globally, many wanted to know what the “DE” in the moniker stood for. Some say that it stands for “Dual Explorer” while others choose to believe it is inspired by Stefan Hessler’s (Hessler Rallye Team) V-strom Desert Express concept builds. While we are at it, one should also know that Suzuki claim that the “V” stands for versatile because, unlike the V-stroms of the past, there is no V-twin engine in th ..read more

The Ather Rizta promises to be a family scooter while retaining the fun-to-ride aspect that is synonymous with the Ather brand. We take a closer look. Story: Sayantan De Photography: Sanjay Raikar The founders of Ather Energy set out to create a performance scooter with handling to match, and this they achieved with the 450 series, but it packed a bunch of thoughtful features to make life easier on a day-to-day basis. However, “performance” anything is a niche market in India, so Ather decided to apply their know-how to create their version of the ultimate family scooter, and they called it t ..read more

BMW’s sport tourer gets a performance boost with the M badging. BMW have recently launched their long-distance performance bike, the M 1000 XR, at Rs 45 lakh (ex-showroom). BMW introduced their M model range in 2018, featuring exclusive M components and M features. BMW Motorrad have now introduced the third model, the all-new M 1000 XR; taking the total to three M models: the M 1000 RR, M 1000 R, and the all-new M 1000 XR. A 999-cc, in-line four, liquid-cooled engine, with 201 horsepower and 113 Nm of torque, powers the M 1000 XR. This engine produces 31 horsepower more than the S 1000 XR a ..read more

The latest motorcycle to join our garage is one of our favourites in the segment. The Suzuki V-strom SX was extremely impressive during the first ride. Unlike most such events where we get to spend a few hours astride the motorcycle, Suzuki India arranged for us to ride from Madurai in Tamil Nadu all the way to Kochi in Kerala. That was a good ride and the motorcycle showed great promise for everyday use as well. Within a few days of its arrival at the office, the authorities decided to dig up one of the roads on my way to work. They shovelled all the earth back in but it has not been surface ..read more

The Motomax Instashine is sold in a small packet roughly the size of one’s palm for an unassuming price of Rs 25 per unit but it is extremely useful to have. My first impression of the Motomax Instashine was that it was just an ordinary sponge and that I had to purchase a bottle of polish as well to use it with but this is no ordinary cleaning accessory. For the price it is being offered at, the Instashine sponge is a steal because it allows one the flexibility needed to clean a car or motorcycle at the last minute. Furthermore, it can also be used as a fine tool to add finishing touches to a ..read more