[hrag]

Originally Posted by fieroid

If you want, I can get you the exact launch dates on this.

Please do. I would be very interested.

[gowda79]

Originally Posted by Samurai

During my first year in Team-BHP, I was asked at least by couple of members about which model year Samurai I had. At that time I was barely aware of a bike by that name. My username has nothing to do with the bike. Instead it was based on Japanese swordsmanship, I have used it since 2002 in other forums.

But I am glad I started this thread to address a doubt, it has drew out so much rare info on these bikes.

Sharath i guess you needed to open this thread even earlier and hope all the doubts are clear

Sharath as you know that this T-BHP Forum is to clear doubts in Automotive industry.

[alok_balsekar]

Originally Posted by fieroid

The facts,
TVS and Suzuki merged to launch their first 100cc motorcycle in the country back in 84. Their first product was called Ind-Suzuki AX100.
These engines had cylinders/crankcases/carbs/body parts etc all manufactured from Japan. Untill about 88, when TVS started making their own parts locally. yet most of the components were imported.
TVS-Suzuki (the venture was called-so) built their first powerful street bike, named the Suzuki Supra which pumped 9.5bhp.
LAter a rally version was sold as the Suzuki Supra SS and it pumped a good 16bhp from its 98cc mill.
The Supra SS was sold for a limited period and only to a few contacts.
Later TVS-Suzuki launched their first road-legal version of the Supra SS with new styling and a big-bore and named it the Suzuki Shogun(110cc).
The rights to design/manufacture/sell were given to TVS by Suzuki. It was called "Suzuki Shogun" and not TVS-Suzuki Shogun.
Mid-way the AX100 recieved a face-lift. The body panels were borrowed from the Shogun and with a few fixes, the Suzuki Samurai was born.
Its a Suzuki Lisenced product and was sold as the Suzuki Samurai from 1995. The samurai has been exported in plenty untill its production halt in 2002. Even to this day the Max100 is exported to africa and other countries.
Later the Suzuki Shaolin with a TVS-inhouse designed gearbox was launched. CC now upped to 138, the shaolin was the big-bore of the original AX platform.
Shaolin and shogun were phased as part of TVS' new emission reformations in 2000.
In 1999 Nov TVS-Suzuki launched the Suzuki Fiero which was a almost a 60% japanese design completely deisgned by the japanese team from Suzuki Motor Co, Japan. Originally named as the AX150, the Suzuki Fiero was sold with the Suzuki tag untill 2002. The Fiero was later sold as the TVS-Fiero till June 2003 after the JV break.
TVS and Suzuki parted ways in 2001 sep and the company was renamed as TVS Motor Co. Ltd.
The Suzuki Samurai was replaced by the TVS Victor GL eventually, however the AX platform engine named TVS MAX100/R was sold in India untill 2005.
The Suzuki licensed bikes sold in India were,
Ind-Suzuki AX100
Suzuki Supra Power-up
Suzuki Supra SS (Limited edition)
Suzuki Shogun
Suzuki Samurai
Suzuki Shaolin
Suzuki Fiero/AX150
Most of these models were imported.

Most of these japanese makers interchange names.
Suzuki samurai is Suzuki Jimny abroad.
Suzuki Shogun, a 110cc 2-stroke bike here is sold by Suzuki as a 110cc 4-stroke step-thru in Thailand/malay/singy.
Suzuki Samuari was never sold as TVS Samurai or TVS-Suzuki Samurai.
Hope the doubt is cleared.

Joel

AX100 : 8.25 bhp
AX100R : 9.65 bhp (to fight the RX100)
Supra : 9.65 bhp
Supra Power Up : 11 bhp (flopped)
Supra SS : 16 bhp -> Only for race tracks
Shogun : 14bhp@10,500rpm (Good top end, RX100= better bottom & Mid-range)
Shaolin: 11.8 Bhp 138cc (correct me if wrong)

[fieroid]

^The AX100 was 7.65bhp.
Everything else is perfect.

[Technocrat]

Err Didnt know Shaolin had lesser power than Shogun

[mmmuthu13]

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Err Didnt know Shaolin had lesser power than Shogun

shaolin had a torquey engine though, due to the extra CCs