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Originally Posted by Rtech woohoo...can't wait to sell my bike and pick up one of these!
On a serious note, I guess this is an upgrade to the old CBZ finally. Also, someone should shoot the guy who thinks of these names... |
arre yaar, not everyone wants a performance bike, eh..? this one is targeted at the unicorn and the pulsar 150, and is meant for the masses...sort of an executive commuter...
and yes, i think this could be the long-awaited replacement for the cbz, but then again, there are drums in the front for the base version, and HH guys didn't mention anything about phasing out the cbz...
again, since i'm not posting from bombay, i can't upload the pics just yet. but here's a brief review..
Ride and handling: the suspension is well sorted, and can handle most of what the indian roads can throw at it. the chassis is the same single-downtube diamond-type affair from the cbz, karizma, ambition, etc.etc..., using the engine as a stressed member. tried and tested, this setup is fairly reliable, and endows the bike with decent capabilities. peg-scraping might not exactly be it's forte, since the base variant (that i tested) came with thin tyres (3.00x18) at rear, and are satisfactory at best. the seats are very comfortable though, and there is little or no vibration from the engine. overall, it tries to ape the unicorn in the ride and handling segement, and acquits itself quite well, despite the lack of a monoshock or gas-charged dampers...
Engine and transmission: the engine is a 150cc unit. although exact specs were not available, and i couldn't get my hands on any sort of manual (owner's or workshop), initial impressions suggest a slightly (de)tuned version of the cbz powerplant; expect 12 bhp, or thereabouts.transmission is a slick unit, with a one-down four up pattern, and gets a heel shifter too. the engine is very refined, and exhibits no signs of harshness; unlike the cbz, it revs considerably freely, and feels pretty smooth.
Performance and braking: since this was a very brief test ride, i couldn't push the bike to it's limits. the terrain was tarmac, and a highway, at that. therefore, roll-ons could not be practiced. acceleration feels sufficient though, and is in line with the current crop of 150cc-punters. top speed is somewhere in the region of 105kmph+, (speedo-read) and this was achieved on a brand-new non-run-in bike. although these figures are merely initial impressions, you should get the idea. the actual figures will be hovering somewhere around these numbers, with the top speed hovering at 105-110, 0-60 in the 5-6 second range, etc.
the roll-ons should be satisfactory, i feel, since the bike felt short-geared, to enhance in-city driveability. braking was no earth-shaking stuff, since i drove the drum-braked version, and it lacked the bite and feel of a disc-setup (well, D-U-H..!!). and since i couldn't lay my eyes on a disc -variant, my braking summary is based upon the drum-version. the braking, is adequate at best, considering the performance on tap...
Overall: and finally, how would i rate this bike...? well, although not exactly my cuppa tea, since it ain't no tarmac scorcher, this is definitely a good set of wheels. but then, so are the unicorns, pulsar 150's, and fieros...believe me, this is not going to re-write the history books in any way, and is just another 150....one more to the caravan, eh.. but then, this bike overcomes most of cbz's flaws, and is targeted at the commuter segment...reason for bajaj and honda to be worried..? perhaps yes, if priced right...