Mumbai BEST buses go hitech ??

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by k36

Hey.. even Swift has drums at the back, but has ABS & EBD in some versions. Any inputs on this?

Oh really?

Atleast with the "original" ABS systems, discs were required all around.

I guess front wheel only ABS is the economy version devised for india!!?

cya
R

[Ram]

I travel regularly by Neeta Volvo’s B7Rs between Mumbai and Pune. One day in November 2005, at the Foodtrack halfway point at Sajgaon, Raigad between Mumbai and Pune, I saw a different foreign looking bus. It was not a Volvo B7R, but looked certainly well made.

After some enquiring, I found out, it was a Chinese King-Long KL6113 coach made in India by a joint venture of that Chinese company with JCBL of Chandigarh. They have an assembly factory at Lalru on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway.

The bus is completely imported in kit form (except tyres), from King Long, China, and assembled at JCBL’s plant in India.

It is powered by a British Cummins C245 20 turbo-intercooler 8270cc diesel engine mated to a ZF S6-90 all-synchromesh six-speed gearbox. The suspension is from Holland-Neway of USA. The brake-system is a four-circuit brake system with ABS.

Ram

[sudarshansarma]

Hey guys, in 1998 i had a chat with a BEST bus driver about the auto transmission he was using on a 222 route(Yari road to bandra bus depot). The auto transmission had a P-R-N-D-1-2-3. Clearly a 4 speed auto! there was also a button marked H where the system would slip the clutch to prevent it from stalling on inclines!. He said most buses already had Power steering. As for ABS, i think Buses need it badly!. I have seen BEST buses skidding on concrete roads in bombay when braking hard, and man do these buses brake hard!. it can pulverise you onto the seat in front under emergency braking!. The buses may look old but i'm sure the tech under it is gettig better!

[Gordon]

Speaking about BEST's. I felt like punching a BEST conductor today. I didn't. We were approaching Maneckji Cooper School and there was a lot of traffic. Now the bus is equiped with a horn. But this idiotic conductor got his whistle out and sat on the first seat continously blaring it. As if the traffic would move according to his whistling. It was causing sooo much inconvinience to everyone.

[fx45]

replyin to this thread after a long time jst for an update..

as far as i know..

Some of the BEST buses.. non mutp hav led tail lamps.. yes thts true.. but they are not as bright as the regular ones.

there are only 2-3 buses now left wid automatic transmissions.. most of the orignal ones are now replaced wid conventional manual gearbox.

bus nos. mho1L 8751 and 8990 still hav auto transmissions as they are frequent on route no 411 which goes frm wadala to chandivili. and i hav personally had travelled in both of those buses.. they are very smooth w/o ne shakes frm the usual gear change. and it feels weird for me to travel in em coz their rythm of sound is kinda diff. frm the usual manual buses.. so feels kinda strange.. and makes me make sure thousand times wethr its really an autobox bus or not.. lol

[1100D]

The Auto transmission busses were also present in Kolkata, they made their presence felt in form of Ashok Leyland Titan double deckers in the early 80's. The auto tranny could be felt in the characteristic jerk the buses uses to provide starting from rest each time.

They are extinct now because of torque converter problems and poor mileage. Many of those busses later ran with the auto tranny replaced by Manual gearboxes.

A few ABS equipped busses too made it to CSTC, but then converted to usual. Seemingly CSTC busses have much lower longevity than their private counterparts even after much lower usage.

[fx45]

why dont we hav the double decker buses like the ones in other countries.. ie singapore.. etc.. why does BEST still buy double decker buses which still look like the ones made in the 70s. recently BEST got deliveries of new ones wid BS2 engines but they look almost the same as the old ones..

[amtak]

Originally Posted by fx45

why dont we hav the double decker buses like the ones in other countries.. ie singapore.. etc.. why does BEST still buy double decker buses which still look like the ones made in the 70s. recently BEST got deliveries of new ones wid BS2 engines but they look almost the same as the old ones..

Interesting question! I think Mr. Khobargade should answer this...why this association with the retro look! Can someone post the pics of the new high-tech buses...? My Google images is not working

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by amtak

Interesting question! I think Mr. Khobargade should answer this...why this association with the retro look! Can someone post the pics of the new high-tech buses...? My Google images is not working

Btw BEST wants to phase out double decker buses mainly for their lower economy, and higher mantainance cost, coupled with more wear and tear and lower average speeds. Not sure if they would invest in high tech double deckers now

[amtak]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Btw BEST wants to phase out double decker buses mainly for their lower economy, and higher mantainance cost, coupled with more wear and tear and lower average speeds. Not sure if they would invest in high tech double deckers now

I know. However, they are not able to do so due to public protest! What all happens in this country...I just love India for this

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by ThE_DoN

I have always wondered do they have any kind of assisted steering like hydrolic or somethin.. Poor souls really have to work real hard..

It is the law. Power steering for heavy vehicles is mandated by the law. No power steering do not sell your heavy vehicle in India. It is very simple.

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by Zappo

Hmmm... never thought of auto-transmission and buses together, somehow. However something suddenly occured to me. A couple of months back my wife was telling about how she saw an RTC bus driver changing gears, braking etc without using the clutch at all. She was learning to drive around that time and was mighty confused (I had drilled it in her to use clutch while changing gears) as the driver had his left leg folded up on the driving seat.

Could it be that the bus had an auto-transmission? But then why would the driver need to change gears manually? Also, will there be a clutch pedal for auto-transmission?

Ha Ha Ha.

It is likely an ancient Ashok Leyland. Old AL buses without syncromesh gear boxes shift gears without you having to touch the clutch.

Tell your wife that she saw a very bad driver.

[fx45]

one more update on the BEST buses..

y'day i saw a new style. .lol.. tht bus was a CNG version and was absolutely brand new.. but it was kinda short in length and had only 1 door on the left hand side.. and was i saw was tht the door was kinda wide.. almost as double as normal width..
i think BEST is tryin to put doors like the starbus style on regular buses..
i didnt hav ne motorised option but was kinda looking weird..

[AkMar]

I think the buses will have ABS. BEST will not paint things on its buses just like that.

Regarding Automatic transmission buses, there is an AC automatic bus with Mulund depot (number MH 01 L 8647). It regularly runs on A-461 & has air suspension too.

BEST buses starting from BS-2 buses (original BS-2, not converted ones) have ZF gear boxes with single clutch. The shifting on these buses is very very smooth. I guess it is compulsory to depress the clutch while shifting on these buses.

[esteem_lover]

There have been quite a few instances here where they tried buses with auto transmission, auto clutch etc which were scrapped thereafter due to non availability of qualified mechanics. ABS on the other hand could be true.