Three2Tango » Gearless

Suzuki Access 125

Dileep — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:02:44 +0000

Suzuki Access 125 was launched in September 2007, and has been doing decent business since then. It is powered by a 125 cc air-cooler 4-stroke engine with automatic transmission. The body is totally rust-free, and there is an option for having central locking facility. The under seat storage is quite good, the foot pegs are very stylish and tuck in neatly when unused. Provisions can be made for holding a spare tyre – something the Honda Activa does not offer. A long wheelbase (1250 mm), ample storage space, comfortable sitting position, and sleek trendy design offers a nice package of treat to the riders. Suzuki has spotted the potential in the Indian gear-less scooter market, and hopes to control the sales in the segment through the Access. However, the likes of Activa, Pleasure, Flyte, and Aviator will give the Japanese manufacturer decent competition. The Access is competitively priced for the segment, and this might help it stay ahead of the other brands.

Specifications:

Type	Scooterette
Top Speed	92 kmph
Fuel Consumption	42 – 51 kmpl
Engine	124cc, 4 Stroke, Air-cooled, OHC Power: 8.58bhp @ 7000rpm Torque: 9.8nm @ 6500rpm
Dimensions	Length:1780 mm Width:650 mm Height:1125 mm
Security Features	Brakes – 130mm Drum(Rear) Turn Indicators
Comfort and Convenience	Self Start Alloys Passenger footrest Low fuel & battery indicators
Other Specifications	Wheel Size – Front 90/100-10, Rear 90/100-10 mm Fuel Tank – 6.40 ltrs Colours – Black, Red, Blue, Silver, Grey
Price	48,500

TVS Jive

Dileep — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:02:10 +0000

The Jive, from the TVS production house, is just another commuter bike, which doesn’t have a very eye-catching appearance. Then what is it that propels the Jive to the headlines – it is a gear less, clutch-less bike – the first of it’s kind(In fact, the Hero Honda Street was the first gear less bike in the country, but it didn’t do too well). The bike looks very similar to the Star City, and it’s next variant, the Sport. TVS believes the Jive, being an automatic transmission bike, will be well-liked by the urban commuters, who have to keep flicking their gear pedals in the congested city roads. There is, however, a gear-indicator, which allows the rider to know which gear he is in at any time. The bike can be started in any gear, and there is also an anti-knocking mechanism which prevents the engine from knocking while riding at low speeds on a higher gear.

One may feel the need for power in traffic, which can be gained only through down shifting the gears. The bike has rotary gears that allow one to shift directly from the 4th gear to neutral by pressing down the gear pedal when on the 4th. The Jive is believed to produce an on-road mileage of 65 kmpl, which is a highly impressive figure considering the fact that it is an automatic transmission vehicle. There is also a sizable amount of storage space, under the seat, and the fuel-tank is pretty big as it can hold 12 liters of fuel. TVS Jive has been launched with a price tag of 42,500 (Ex-Showroom Chennai) which means that On-Road price of Jive is around 46,500 rupees. TVS Jive is available in 3 shades – Blue, Black and Red – and in 2 variants – Kick Start and Self Start. The motorcycle is propelled by a 110 cc engine which features innovative T-Matic technology (patent applied for), mated to the rotary gear technology coupled with an automatic clutch. How will this bike do in the Indian market? We believe there would be some who would simply love this bike, and some who hate it as well. For those who look for comfort and convenience, this bike does seem to be a winner.

Specifications:

Name	Jive
Type	Commuter
Engine Specs	Displacement – 109.7cc Engine – 4 Stroke, Single Cylinder, Air Cooled Power – 8.4 Bhp @ 7500 rpm Torque – 8.3 Nm @ 5500 rpm
Gears	4 automatic
Clutch	Automatic
Cooling Type	Air Cooling
Dimensions	Length:1975 mm Width:700 mm Height:1060 mm
Comfort and Convenience	Self Start Alloys, Pass light Low Fuel, Low Oil Indicators
Other Specifications	Weight – 105 kg Fuel Tank – 15 ltrs Headlamp – 12V, 35W/35W Wheel Size – 2.75×17 – 3.00×17 mm
Price(Expected)	Rs 46,500

Honda Activa 2009

Dileep — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:12:07 +0000

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) has launched a new variant of its gearless scooter, Honda Activa.

New Honda Activa

The new and improved Activa has a more powerful 110 cc engine., compared to it’s 102 cc predecessor. This new 4-stroke engine produces 8bhp at 7500rpm and 0.9Kgm of torque at 5500rpm. However, this increased power is not at the expense of mileage-loss. Honda claims that the mileage is improved by about 15% in comparison to the older version of the Activa.

Honda has kept the design simple but attractive; similar to the older version. The design of the headlight has

Activa 2009

changed and is now clear-lens. The winkers at the front and the rear are clear-lens as well. The new activa would be lighter and taller. It’s increase in height may not go down well with the female users. But maybe, Honda plans to make the Activa a scooter meant for the men.

The most exciting feature of the new Activa is the CBS or the Combined Braking System. This is the first two-wheeler in India which would have the CBS. The CBS is a mechanism which balances the engagement of both the brakes in the correct manner. This would be a very useful add-on, because for a lot of Indian two-wheeler riders, braking simply means locking-up the rear tyres and skiding out of control. How effective the CBS system would prove to be remains to be seen though.

The new Activa is available in two versions – activa standard and activa deluxe. The CBS is offered only in the deluxe version. The standard version is priced at Rs39,800 (ex-showroom Delhi). And the colours on offer are Geny Grey Metallic, Force Silver metallic, Candy Lucid Red, Wild Purple Metallic, Black and Pearl Sunbeam White.