[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Cheap cycle parts I agree but poor build quality I dont. The frame(chasis) the tank & wheels etc were of quite good quality. The handle bar, disk pads, foot pegs etc did had issues though.

Oh tell me about it. The quality and build is not just poor its very poor indeed. Just had one look at the bike and told me everything, it was that obvious. The plastics, the weld joints and the tacky gold finish on the upside down front forks... I would have preferred the Karizma even if I had the money to buy it.

[straight6]

I have been invited by a market research co. for the launch of some bikes including sportsbikes and Indian ones on the 3rd. I have a feeling its either this one or the KTM's. Will update once I go there.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Oh tell me about it. The quality and build is not just poor its very poor indeed. Just had one look at the bike and told me everything, it was that obvious. The plastics, the weld joints and the tacky gold finish on the upside down front forks... I would have preferred the Karizma even if I had the money to buy it.

you had a look. i own it from last 3yrs. i would agree as far that kinetic sucks and the ownership is a pain. but can not complain about the bike. have not spent on anything other than consumables. and for the price, the v-twin is nice. its not the best money could buy but c'mon, its definitely not as bad as you make it sound. nyways. off topic it is so here i stop.

back to the kwaker then. i've my doubts about bajaj bringing it in serious numbers. i mean do people want to spend in this kind of sombre economic environment? ok there may be a few hundred for whom 2lacs is petty change but i'm somehow skeptic that the time is right for it to be anything other than limited edition. R15 didn't set sales chart on fire and neither did P220. they did cause a flutter and grabbed their share of eyeballs on the road. but thats about it. and the kwaker definitely isnt going to do much to boost bajaj's falling market share with the kind of numbers it will sell. so i've my doubts. we are all awaiting its launch but not many of us will be able to shell out the moolah right now. not sure if i can afford another loan.

[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by straight6

I have been invited by a market research co. for the launch of some bikes including sportsbikes and Indian ones on the 3rd. I have a feeling its either this one or the KTM's. Will update once I go there.

Awesome Straight6. Will be eagerly waiting to hear from you once you get back.

[PatienceWins]

Originally Posted by straight6

I have been invited by a market research co. for the launch of some bikes including sportsbikes and Indian ones on the 3rd. I have a feeling its either this one or the KTM's. Will update once I go there.

That is great. Thanks!!

[straight6]

Originally Posted by straight6

I have been invited by a market research co. for the launch of some bikes including sportsbikes and Indian ones on the 3rd. I have a feeling its either this one or the KTM's. Will update once I go there.

Originally Posted by sammyboy

Awesome Straight6. Will be eagerly waiting to hear from you once you get back.

Originally Posted by PatienceWins

That is great. Thanks!!

Ok, I'm back from the survey. Its HARLEY DAVIDSON. More in the relevant thread.

[snoop]

HI Bhpians ! im new to this forum and still getting around its nice to be part of this great forum ,well in short im a factory honda rider in dubai and i have tested the baby kawa on the track ,i like the bike for its light weight so you can thro it from left to right very easily but im just a little disappointed with the power i aspected a little more from it ,its smooth but a little less responsive i think it is great bike for indian roads and the best for some one who is upgrading from a 100 to a 125 but you can`t compare it with any 600 for 650.

[Ricci]

Post-Nano launch, once again I have to ask if they can build a 600+cc twin cylinder water cooled engined car ( much more metal , plastic , wiring and rubber ), and sell it for 1.6lac on road , why does a mere 250cc bike with far less bodywork cost a hell lot more ?

I mean, are bike manufacturers just rippinng us from the word go ? Would be very interesting to find out the breakup of the various parts - like what contributes how much to the 1.5-1.6 OTR price then exclude the car-only parts , add bike-only parts to arrive at a ball-park figure.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by Ricci

Post-Nano launch, once again I have to ask if they can build a 600+cc twin cylinder water cooled engined car ( much more metal , plastic , wiring and rubber ), and sell it for 1.6lac on road , why does a mere 250cc bike with far less bodywork cost a hell lot more ?

I mean, are bike manufacturers just rippinng us from the word go ? Would be very interesting to find out the breakup of the various parts - like what contributes how much to the 1.5-1.6 OTR price then exclude the car-only parts , add bike-only parts to arrive at a ball-park figure.

Its a mass produced car, conceptualized, designed and will be manufactured completely in India. Tata has invested 550crs in simply bringing it to life and are spending hell lot more to setup a plant that can meet about 1lac cars per annum of output. Second, its going to sell volumes. The car vs. bike debate always goes in the favour of the car with the indian masses. So tata's will have volumes. Tons of indians today need to meet their basic demands. An inexpensive but perfectly functional 4 seater car, how ever basic, is what most indians need. So for someone who is 30, is married & has kids but still is a bike fanatic, it makes perfect sense to shell on a nano tho his heart would pray for a kwacker. Finally, do you think Nano will continue to sell at these price points? I sincerely doubt since Tata is comitting to only 1lakh cars at this price.

[ac 427]

I think this bike would look amazing if it would have come as a naked bike.

The faring is looking 'force fitted'.

Cheers,
AC

[Nitin]

Originally Posted by ac 427

I think this bike would look amazing if it would have come as a naked bike.

The faring is looking 'force fitted'.

Cheers,
AC

A naked style would give the bike the typical puny look other Indian bikes have.
To me the fairing doesn't look force fitted.Just my opinion.

[kkr2k2]

That 250cc ninja is like an OHC or may be a skoda(entry level, perfomance machines)

The R&D for such bikes cost the bike manufacturers.

As for the low priced Nano, and equivalent bikes are quite a few which can be bought for 35,000/-

Originally Posted by Ricci

Post-Nano launch, once again I have to ask if they can build a 600+cc twin cylinder water cooled engined car ( much more metal , plastic , wiring and rubber ), and sell it for 1.6lac on road , why does a mere 250cc bike with far less bodywork cost a hell lot more ?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

That 250cc ninja is like an OHC or may be a skoda(entry level, perfomance machines)

The R&D for such bikes cost the bike manufacturers.

As for the low priced Nano, and equivalent bikes are quite a few which can be bought for 35,000/-

Raj, this is not very clear.

But, what you said about the performance bikes costing more due to R&D cost being higher is a point that can be debated.

It's not as if they have developed a brand new 250cc engine just for the indian market ( or is it?). In most probability they used an existing engine and tuned it to suit indian conditions, so where is the huge R&D costs in this exercise?

[downsouth]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Raj, this is not very clear.

But, what you said about the performance bikes costing more due to R&D cost being higher is a point that can be debated.

It's not as if they have developed a brand new 250cc engine just for the indian market ( or is it?). In most probability they used an existing engine and tuned it to suit indian conditions, so where is the huge R&D costs in this exercise?

Avi,

You are right, only part of the bike has been re-modeled and a big percentage of the bike is brought over from the older ZZR250 or the baby Ninja. It was not until 2008 they released this baby.

[prince_pervez]

Finally some news.excerpt from rediff:
Herez the link: Kawasaki to piggyback on Bajaj
They say they'll launch this year! Sure...

[FONT=Arial]For the first time in more than 25 years, Japans Kawasaki Heavy Industries will introduce a high-powered motorcycle in the Indian market with the help of its Indian partner and long-time collaborator, Bajaj Auto [/FONT]

Bajaj and Kawasaki had developed various motorcycles during their alliance of almost two decades. However, Kawasaki never launched a product under its own brand name without sharing it with Bajaj.

The alliance will see the launch of, perhaps, the 250cc Ninja model of Kawasaki. The model will be made at Bajajs Chakan facility near Pune. This will help the company save on the high duties levied on imported bikes.

The 250cc, 30 bhp bike will be imported as completely knocked down kits from Kawasakis Thailand plant. This model will be launched before the end of the year.

In an email reply, Masanobu Kawaguchi, manager (sales and operation control, Asia division), said: We are still preparing to launch the Kawasaki model (most probably the 250cc model) and it will be this year. Details will be shared later.

The company will also look to launch other high-performance bikes, including the Sports Roadster, Ninja ZX-6R, Z1000 and Vulcan Cruiser. Marketing and distribution will be the sole responsibility of Bajaj Auto.

Kawasaki will provide the necessary training and parts back-up. Pricing details will be revealed at the time of launch. Industry sources say the bike will be priced above Rs 1 lakh.

These bikes will be sold at Bajaj's Probiking showrooms, a chain of retail stores set up for high-end bikes. They may be later made available at Bajaj's other dealerships.

In return, Bajaj will continue to get help in technology and design development from Kawasaki for its future products. Kawasaki will tap Bajaj's supplier base to source components to meet the requirement of its overseas operations.

In India, seven to eight of every 10 buyers of two-wheelers go for a low-powered commuter bike with an engine capacity of 100-125cc. But there has been robust growth in demand for bikes with an engine of more than 150cc capacity.

Most multi-national two-wheeler producers, including Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and KTM, believe the local market is on the cusp of progressing to higher-grade motorcycles with bigger engines. Analysts say although the volumes in the high-capacity engine segment (more than 150cc) are lower as compared to the entry-level segment, the former generates better margins.

Bajaj has been facing rough weather of late in the domestic market, despite a revival in the two-wheeler segment from January. Its competitors Hero Honda, Honda Motorcycles & Scooters, Yamaha and TVS Motors have all posted better sales. It hopes to cash in on the revival in demand later this year with new models of the Pulsar range and joint products from the Bajaj-KTM stable next year.