Mahindra Rodeo: Test review, specs, price

Mahindra Rodeo 125

Mahindra two wheelers is betting heavily on the Rodeo - essentially a slight cosmetic upgrade of the Flyte 125 scooter that started its life under the Kinetic banner. The mudguard for instance is changed and so is the speedometer console. We love the smooth revving 125cc motor that is quite punchy, though not as strong as the Suzuki Access 125. The backlight of the speedometer can be changed - adds to the bling factor. Telescopic forks aid in stability over bad roads. Overall, at Rs 41,000 (ex-showroom), the Rodeo is a good deal in our idea.

QUICK SPECS:
Engine capacity: 124.6cc
Engine power: 8 Bhp @ 7000rpm
Engine torque: 9Nm @ 5500rpm
Kerb weight: 106 kilos
Fuel tank: 4.5 litres
Price: Rs 41,000 (ex-showroom)
MotoSpecies Rating: 8/10

Yamaha YZF-R125 in India: Test review, specs, price

Yamaha YZF-R125

No. Yamaha has no plans to launch the YZF-R125 but as there are strong (though false) rumors on the internet, we thought about having this bike on our blog. Basically based on the bigger R6 and R1 superbikes on the styling front, Yamaha's main aim is to provide a big bike feel, latest technology features and razor sharp handling to the masses, or the youngsters of Europe. For India, the R125 obviously doesnt make sense - we already have the 150cc R15 here, dont we?

QUICK SPECS:
Engine capacity: 124.66cc
Engine power: 15Bhp @ 9000rpm
Engine torque: 12.24Nm @ 8000rpm
Kerb Weight: 138 kilos
Fuel tank capacity: 13.8 litres
Price (in UK): 2999 pounds / Rs 2.2 lakh
MotoSpecies Rating: 9/10 (the price is too high!)

TVS Jive: Test review, specs, price

TVS Jive

TVS is one company thats on a roll. With the new 110cc Jive motorcycle, they have redefined commuting in India. Well almost. What is the one thing we all hate about commuting daily? Traffic jams and the constant never ending gear shifts, right? The Jive makes riding through congestion a breeze. To simply, there is no clutch and hence you cant simply shift with your left foot. And even do to neutral from 4th directly. And even start off in any gear! TVS aint charging any extra premium for all this - Rs 41,000 (ex-showroom) is all you need to spent for the Electric start version. One of the best bikes in India today.

QUICK SPECS:
Engine capacity: 109.7cc
Engine power: 8.4Bhp @ 7500rpm
Engine torque: 8.3Nm @ 5500rpm
Dry (not kerb) Weight: 105 kilos
Fuel tank capacity: 15 litres
Price: Rs 41,000 (ex-showroom)
MotoSpecies rating: 10/10

Hero Honda ZMR: Test review, specs, price

Hero Honda ZMR

Is this just a modified Karizma? Not really. The engine gets fuel injection, a very minor hike in power and oil cooling. The body gets a full fairing, new tail etc and the instrumentation console is all digitial. The bike is much smoother to ride, quicker and more fuel efficient too. So, where does it lack? At an Ex-showroom price of Rs 97,000, there are other cheaper options in the market. But remember, this is a Hero Honda, and also India's best touring machine. Order one in white please! It might be the quickest, or the fastest locally produced bike, but we do have a soft corner for this bulky beast…

QUICK SPECS:
Engine capacity:223cc
Engine power:17.6bHP @ 7000rpm
Engine torque: 18.35Nm @ 6000rpm
Kerb weight: 159kilos
Tank capacity: 15.3litres
Price: Rs 97,000 (ex-showroom)
MotoSpecies Rating: 8.5/10


All pictures: www.zigwheels.com

Yamaha Fazer 150: Test review, specs, price

Yamaha Fazer 150

After the success of the Yamaha FZ-16 and FZ-S, comes the faired version of the same 150cc bike, the Fazer. True to its bigger 1000cc cousin, the Fazer 150 too looks, well, big. It is comfortable, a change in handle bar makes riding it for long distance easy. The horn is louder too, but the relatively smaller 150cc motor is a big limitation for serious long distance riding, until unless you want to stick to 80-85km/h on the highway. Another negative aspect is the non-metallic tank that won’t let magnetic tank bag fit! Further at Rs 72,000 (ex-showroom), the Fazer is quite expensive for a small bike. Buy it for the looks though!

QUICK SPECS:

Engine capacity: 153cc

Engine power: 14PS @ 7500rpm

Engine torque: 14Nm @ 6000rpm

Kerb weight: 141kilos

Tank capacity: 12 itres

Price: Rs 72,000 (ex-showroom)

MotoSpecies rating: 7.5/10

All pictures: www.bsmotoring.com

Bajaj Pulsar 135LS : Test review, specs, price

Bajaj Pulsar 135LS

Bajaj's smallest Pulsar variant, the new 135LS, or Light Sports seems good value for money. First ride impressions seem very positive. The bike is mainly aimed for today's congested city traffic and its ability to veer in and out of traffic seems very good. The 135cc engine makes use of 4-valves and DTS-i technology and is very punchy. With a low weight of just 122kilos, the bike can give bigger 150cc bikes a run for their money. The LS looks sporty too and comes with goodies like tubeless tyres, semi digital speedometer etc. At Rs 51,000 ex-showroom, we think this is one of the better buys in this segment today.

QUICK SPECS:
Engine capacity: 135cc
Engine power: 13.5PS @ 9000rpm
Engine torque: 11.4Nm @ 7500rpm
Kerb Weight: 122 kilos

Tank capacity: 8 litres
Price: Rs 51,000 (ex-showroom)
Motospecies rating: 9/10

All pics: www.bikeindia.in

Royal Enfield to launch Bullet Classic 500 on 4th November

Royal Enfield has often been criticized for launching newer and modern products outside India first. The same happened with the Classic 500. However, within a few days, 4th of November to be precise, the Chennai based manufacturer will roll out Classic in India as well.
The Classic sports a 500cc fuel injected engine that produces 29PS of power - this helps the bike attain a top speed of around 145km/h on the speedometer. But the Royal Enfield Classic 500 is not about performance - its all about the old world charm, the nostalgic feel, the Bullet thump..

Expect to pay around Rs 1.5lakh for this one!

Honda launches Aviator 110cc

Wasn't Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) plagued with issues with its labor strike at the manufacturing facility? In the midst of all these, showing its commitment towards the Indian market, Honda has launched a new version of the Aviator scooter, which now gets the same 110cc that powers the new Activa. The Aviator 110 is around 15% more fuel efficient than its predecessor and goes on sale with a sticker price of Rs 42,000 (standard model) and Rs 47,000 (deluxe model, with front disc brake), ex-showroom Delhi.

Pictures from : www.vicky.in

Updated Maruti SX4 launched with automatic gearbox

Maruti Suzuki yesterday launched an updated refreshed variant of its mid-size sedan, the SX4. The launch also included a new automatic gearbox variant that will only be available on the top end ZXI version. 

Apart from this, the SX4 also gets the following changes.
1. The engine gets a power boost to 104.7PS, up from 103.4PS on the older car. The torque however remains the same.
2. Its gets a new sporty honeycomb grille
3. New sexy 10 spoke 16-inch alloy wheels
4. New dual tone interiors
5. USB connectivity for the music system

The new SX4 range starts at Rs 6.68 lakh for the base version, going upto Rs 8.36 lakh for the top ZXI automatic version with ABS, EBD and airbags. The SX4 hasn't been doing very well for Maruti and this move could change the whole story here. There isnt any other good automatic car around this kind of money - the Honda City for example sells for almost Rs 2 lakh extra for a similarly equipped top-end model. 

Welcome to Moto Species : Who are we?

The first thing, we sure, that will strike you guys (and gals) is the blog name - Moto Species? What in world are we trying to do here would be the obvious question right? Well, we choose this name because all other names were already taken up on Gmail and Blogspot. Secondly, we do consider ourselves fans of anything that has wheels and an engine - we are crazy about automobiles, nut-cases in the real sense and as passionate about cars and bikes as you guys are. And hence this little blog about the happenings of one of the biggest automobile markets in the world - India.

You can get in touch with us at motospecies@gmail.com
Till then, keep revving and do leave us your comments in the posts above.