6 Cyl. Turbo + 410 Nm Torque + 7 Wheels = ? EDIT: Pics on page 7!

raj_5004 · 14th January 2010, 22:40

Okay guys, now you may have guessed what i am talking about!

right, i am talking about a BUS!

As i have already stated in these threads-

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...le-thread.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...alerships.html

we have purchased two Ashok leyland buses for tour purposes & here i would like to share the experience of buying & customizing a bus.

why customizing? because normally only the chassis of a bus is purchased from the company & the body + interiors is built by some other firm, depending on your requirements. yes, fully body built buses are available but they are nowhere as luxurious or stylish as custom built buses.

firstly, let me share some specs of the chassis:

make: ashok leyland 4/89 222"
engine: hino series BSII 6 Cyl turbocharged intercooled diesel
max power: 84 KW @ 2400 RPM
max torque: 410 NM @ 1700-1800 RPM
transmission: 5 speed synchromesh
steering: power assisted
brakes: full air dual line

dimensions (in mm):
wheelbase: 5639
length: 10859
ground clearance: 249
turning circle radius: 11060

now, why ashok leyland & not tata or eicher?
AL buses have proven its worth down south. they are known to be the best for highways & also considered to be very reliable & fuel efficient.

why not volvo?
volvo buses are opted only for inter city travels. people opting for contract carriages within the city dont prefer volvos as it will turn out to be too expensive for them!

once the bus was purchased, next comes air suspension. AS is generally fitted on the rear wheels only. there are many brands of AS in indian market and also many firms who does the installation. infact, A.L. supplies its own AS fitment. they basically use the kits from a popular firm called wheels india. we opted to get that fitted. one kit costs 1.8 Lakhs.

after the AS is fitted, next comes the body & interiors. again there are many firms available & we opted for prakash which is based in bangalore. this is the most popular company down south. our deal with them is confirmed & we have selected the bus specifications, some details as mentioned below:
1) 49 seater with armrests
2) seperation between driver & passenger cabin
3) 8 JBL speakers + 26" LCD TV provided by me
4) ABS made interiors which include side walls, luggage compartment & top
5) ABS made driver dashboard
6) metallic painting with graphics

The chassis was supplied to prakash on 5th december but work commenced only on 18th december. however, the bus is about to be completed & we have received a delivery date of this 17th from them.

here are a few pics of the chassis before the body was built-

6 Cyl. Turbo + 410 Nm Torque + 7 Wheels = ? EDIT: Pics on page 7!-181220091403.jpg

6 Cyl. Turbo + 410 Nm Torque + 7 Wheels = ? EDIT: Pics on page 7!-181220091404.jpg

6 Cyl. Turbo + 410 Nm Torque + 7 Wheels = ? EDIT: Pics on page 7!-181220091409.jpg

the front chassis & the one standing behind are ours-

6 Cyl. Turbo + 410 Nm Torque + 7 Wheels = ? EDIT: Pics on page 7!-181220091408.jpg

6 Cyl. Turbo + 410 Nm Torque + 7 Wheels = ? EDIT: Pics on page 7!-181220091410.jpg

here the work is almost completed. this pic was clicked 2 days back & MMSed to me, so sorry for the poor quality-

6 Cyl. Turbo + 410 Nm Torque + 7 Wheels = ? EDIT: Pics on page 7!-0_image_142.jpg

this thread will be my ownership experience of the buses! hope the mods wont mind.

jkdas · 14th January 2010, 22:59

Great! was thinking or trying to drive one and write a report (if I could )

Could you also post how much it cost, experience driving one, time period taken to make it fully tour worthy? And the models available ( I understand you have a Viking one).

Bit OT, can you use Caps when needed etc, makes reading easier.

amk_2009 · 14th January 2010, 23:00

I am speechless! Never thought you would move from Scorp to AL!

Very interesting, I will be following this thread.

MARCUS_520i · 14th January 2010, 23:15

One question though; where is the 7th wheel??

raj_5004 · 14th January 2010, 23:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkdas

Great! was thinking or trying to drive one and write a report (if I could )

Could you also post how much it cost, experience driving one, time period taken to make it fully tour worthy? And the models available ( I understand you have a Viking one).

Bit OT, can you use Caps when needed etc, makes reading easier.

sure, i'll include CAPS.

COST:
chassis: 9.5 Lakhs
Body + interiors: 10.5 lakhs (depends on customisation)
Air suspension: 1.8 lakhs
Insurance, Tax & registration extra as applicable

EXPERIENCE DRIVING ONE:
i have not driven it yet as i will be getting the delivery only by this sunday.

TIME PERIOD:
you can say 2 months at the max. we got the chassis on Nov 18th & fitment of air suspension took a week. Then it was delivered to prakash on 5th Dec & we are getting the delivery on 17th jan, so thats 2 months. you can get it done earlier too.

Ashok Leyland MODELS AVAILABLE:
1) Cheetah (available fully built as 53, 56, 57 & 60 seater)

2) Viking 113 bhp: Different chassis length available (193", 210" & 222")
3) Viking 130 bhp: again 193", 210" & 222" chassis
Fully built viking buses available as 37, 41, 47 & 50 seater.
Viking 130 bhp is the preferred one for inter-city operations.
Viking has a choice of rubber ended leaf springs & air suspension.

We opted for Viking 113 bhp, 222" chassis with air suspension.

Ram_NP · 15th January 2010, 01:50

Wow! That's a nice and very different ownership experience to read.

It's good to see the pics of the chasis being transformed to a luxury bus.

I would request you to put more pcitures of the interioirs once it's delivered to you.

Looking forward to more updates on this thread.

anekho · 15th January 2010, 01:56

Nice thread raj!

Looking forward to more experiences of driving, and photos of the complete bus when it's ready.
Imagine getting all this for the price of approx a Honda CR-V!

Before anyone asks, "Boss, Mileage Kya Hai?"

So it will be used as a Tours & Travels kind of bus?

vinaydas · 15th January 2010, 06:13

well raj i think its time to update your garage

i liked the review and there is absolutely no doubt about AL buses in Kerala.
I have been overtaken 'n' number of times by these guys. People visiting from other states look at the drivers and call them reckless but i prefer the term "spirited"

jokes apart
i think Ashoks are extreme VFM compared to volvos which come close to 70 lacs onroad.

khan75 · 15th January 2010, 08:46

Wow! This is quite possibly the most interesting TD/initial report ever!

raj_5004 · 15th January 2010, 10:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by amk_2009

I am speechless! Never thought you would move from Scorp to AL!

Very interesting, I will be following this thread.

LOL!
dont you think driving this would be more fun than the scorpio? i am looking forward to it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARCUS_520i

One question though; where is the 7th wheel??

ok, i may sound stupid, but since now you have asked, even i am confused! even i could not locate the spare tyre in the pics! but i am sure AL has given one as they have clearly mentioned in their invoice that it comes with seven wheels.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ram_NP

Wow! That's a nice and very different ownership experience to read.

It's good to see the pics of the chasis being transformed to a luxury bus.

I would request you to put more pcitures of the interioirs once it's delivered to you.

Looking forward to more updates on this thread.

sure, i'll update this thread regularly. pics of interiors will come very soon.

normally, for the interiors, there are two options- CLOTH OR ABS PLASTIC (the one used in cars). we opted for ABS plastic in a TWO TONE SHADE OF BEIGE & DARK GREY as i felt the cloth was too loud. the ABS looked classier.

also, the hatrack (luggage rack) inside the cabin has integrated lights & fans so that (mischievous) customers cannot fiddle with them!

Quote:

Originally Posted by anekho

Nice thread raj!

Looking forward to more experiences of driving, and photos of the complete bus when it's ready.
Imagine getting all this for the price of approx a Honda CR-V!

Before anyone asks, "Boss, Mileage Kya Hai?"

So it will be used as a Tours & Travels kind of bus?

although driving a CR-V would get you more attention!

Mileage would be around 3-3.5 kmpl (3.75 if driven cautiously) on open roads in kerela, as i have heard from drivers & other tour operators.

i will update you with the actual FE figures once the bus arrives & starts running.

yes, it will be operated for the tours & travels kind (contract carriages).

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinaydas

well raj i think its time to update your garage

i liked the review and there is absolutely no doubt about AL buses in Kerala.
I have been overtaken 'n' number of times by these guys. People visiting from other states look at the drivers and call them reckless but i prefer the term "spirited"

jokes apart
i think Ashoks are extreme VFM compared to volvos which come close to 70 lacs onroad.

hey, we enquired about a volvo bus & it costs close to 90 lakhs on-road! i was obviously shocked!

but you cannot just compare an AL to a volvo! its like comparing a maruti to a BMW! although marutis are reliable & cheap, BMW has got class!

Quote:

Originally Posted by khan75

Wow! This is quite possibly the most interesting TD/initial report ever!

thanks mate.

nkrishnap · 15th January 2010, 10:58

Was looking forward to this thread!. I'm hooked to this thread. Would love to witness the complete work from ground up.

One question though why BSII. Is BSIII available? if yes how much more would it cost?

Nitronium · 15th January 2010, 11:03

Holy hell this is an amazing thread!

Anything for driver safety? Seatbelts? Airbags (if that's possible)?

raj_5004 · 15th January 2010, 11:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

Was looking forward to this thread!. I'm hooked to this thread. Would love to witness the complete work from ground up.

One question though why BSII. Is BSIII available? if yes how much more would it cost?

Simply because BSIII is not yet compulsory for heavy vehicles in kerela, so BSII is available!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitronium

Holy hell this is an amazing thread!

Anything for driver safety? Seatbelts? Airbags (if that's possible)?

Driver safety? no seatbelts so that he can jump out of the window as soon as he predicts a crash & thus save himself!

on a serious note, no seatbelts, no airbags & no crumple zones which is very very sad. but there is very little I can do about it.

muke31 · 15th January 2010, 11:44

do you know who takes care of passenger safety aspects and is it done by Ashok Ley while building the chasis or prakash(while building the body)
is there a crumple zone in bus chasis or body?

-MUKE

McLaren Rulez · 15th January 2010, 11:44

I too was suprised at the odd number of wheels. Its still six whether you have a spare or not. Same as how cars are four wheelers.

Anyway, very cool ownership report! I will be following this thread for sure.

14th January 2010, 22:40	#1
raj_5004 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Dubai/Mumbai Posts: 5,238 Thanked: 3,169 Times	6 Cyl. Turbo + 410 Nm Torque + 7 Wheels = ? EDIT: Pics on page 7! Okay guys, now you may have guessed what i am talking about! right, i am talking about a BUS! As i have already stated in these threads- http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...le-thread.html http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...alerships.html we have purchased two Ashok leyland buses for tour purposes & here i would like to share the experience of buying & customizing a bus. why customizing? because normally only the chassis of a bus is purchased from the company & the body + interiors is built by some other firm, depending on your requirements. yes, fully body built buses are available but they are nowhere as luxurious or stylish as custom built buses. firstly, let me share some specs of the chassis: make: ashok leyland 4/89 222" engine: hino series BSII 6 Cyl turbocharged intercooled diesel max power: 84 KW @ 2400 RPM max torque: 410 NM @ 1700-1800 RPM transmission: 5 speed synchromesh steering: power assisted brakes: full air dual line dimensions (in mm): wheelbase: 5639 length: 10859 ground clearance: 249 turning circle radius: 11060 now, why ashok leyland & not tata or eicher? AL buses have proven its worth down south. they are known to be the best for highways & also considered to be very reliable & fuel efficient. why not volvo? volvo buses are opted only for inter city travels. people opting for contract carriages within the city dont prefer volvos as it will turn out to be too expensive for them! once the bus was purchased, next comes air suspension. AS is generally fitted on the rear wheels only. there are many brands of AS in indian market and also many firms who does the installation. infact, A.L. supplies its own AS fitment. they basically use the kits from a popular firm called wheels india. we opted to get that fitted. one kit costs 1.8 Lakhs. after the AS is fitted, next comes the body & interiors. again there are many firms available & we opted for prakash which is based in bangalore. this is the most popular company down south. our deal with them is confirmed & we have selected the bus specifications, some details as mentioned below: 1) 49 seater with armrests 2) seperation between driver & passenger cabin 3) 8 JBL speakers + 26" LCD TV provided by me 4) ABS made interiors which include side walls, luggage compartment & top 5) ABS made driver dashboard 6) metallic painting with graphics The chassis was supplied to prakash on 5th december but work commenced only on 18th december. however, the bus is about to be completed & we have received a delivery date of this 17th from them. here are a few pics of the chassis before the body was built- the front chassis & the one standing behind are ours- here the work is almost completed. this pic was clicked 2 days back & MMSed to me, so sorry for the poor quality- this thread will be my ownership experience of the buses! hope the mods wont mind. Last edited by Dippy : 15th January 2010 at 17:37. Reason: Editing on request
	(1) Thanks

14th January 2010, 22:59	#2
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,685 Thanked: 1,497 Times View My Garage	Great! was thinking or trying to drive one and write a report (if I could ) Could you also post how much it cost, experience driving one, time period taken to make it fully tour worthy? And the models available ( I understand you have a Viking one). Bit OT, can you use Caps when needed etc, makes reading easier.
	() Thanks

14th January 2010, 23:00	#3
amk_2009 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Thane Posts: 64 Thanked: 15 Times View My Garage	Very interesting I am speechless! Never thought you would move from Scorp to AL! Very interesting, I will be following this thread.
	() Thanks

14th January 2010, 23:15	#4
MARCUS_520i BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 524 Thanked: 167 Times	One question though; where is the 7th wheel??
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 01:50	#6
Ram_NP BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Kolkata Posts: 353 Thanked: 23 Times	Wow! That's a nice and very different ownership experience to read. It's good to see the pics of the chasis being transformed to a luxury bus. I would request you to put more pcitures of the interioirs once it's delivered to you. Looking forward to more updates on this thread.
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 01:56	#7
anekho Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: . Posts: 1,997 Thanked: 685 Times	Nice thread raj! Looking forward to more experiences of driving, and photos of the complete bus when it's ready. Imagine getting all this for the price of approx a Honda CR-V! Before anyone asks, "Boss, Mileage Kya Hai?" So it will be used as a Tours & Travels kind of bus? Last edited by anekho : 15th January 2010 at 01:58.
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 06:13	#8
vinaydas BANNED Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,399 Thanked: 148 Times	well raj i think its time to update your garage i liked the review and there is absolutely no doubt about AL buses in Kerala. I have been overtaken 'n' number of times by these guys. People visiting from other states look at the drivers and call them reckless but i prefer the term "spirited" jokes apart i think Ashoks are extreme VFM compared to volvos which come close to 70 lacs onroad.
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 08:46	#9
khan75 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Atlanta/London/Dubai/Delhi Posts: 371 Thanked: 3 Times View My Garage	Wow! This is quite possibly the most interesting TD/initial report ever!
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 10:58	#11
nkrishnap Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,989 Thanked: 7,465 Times View My Garage	Was looking forward to this thread!. I'm hooked to this thread. Would love to witness the complete work from ground up. One question though why BSII. Is BSIII available? if yes how much more would it cost?
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 11:03	#12
Nitronium BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 407 Thanked: 94 Times	Holy hell this is an amazing thread! Anything for driver safety? Seatbelts? Airbags (if that's possible)?
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 11:44	#14
muke31 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 191 Thanked: 21 Times	do you know who takes care of passenger safety aspects and is it done by Ashok Ley while building the chasis or prakash(while building the body) is there a crumple zone in bus chasis or body? -MUKE
	() Thanks

15th January 2010, 11:44	#15
McLaren Rulez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mysore Posts: 3,469 Thanked: 5,555 Times	I too was suprised at the odd number of wheels. Its still six whether you have a spare or not. Same as how cars are four wheelers. Anyway, very cool ownership report! I will be following this thread for sure.
	() Thanks