Commuting Motorcycle reviews

India is hot on heels to become the leader in electric alternatives for personal transportation with a new one coming up every day. Why not? It is the biggest market of two-wheelers in the world.

A Bangalore-based startup, Ather Energy, has been in this pursuit since their inception in 2013 and are on an epic journey to give the country’s first premium smart electric scooter christened as Ather S340. The company was founded by two IIT-ians who are committed to building smart, connected, uncompromising vehicles and seeks to reimagine urban commute with the help of technology.

Their first offering is the Ather S340, which they are building it from the ground up and promise to change the way we perceive the electric transport till now. The company has received fundings to the tune of $1 million from Flipkart, $11 million from Tiger Global and the very recently $ 30 million from the world’s biggest manufacturer of two-wheelers, Hero MotoCorp. This has allowed Ather to sustain momentum in its journey of building a future-ready product platform and to accelerate the infrastructure and ecosystem development around electric vehicles in the world.

Ducati’s popular Scrambler line saw its footprint expand significantly with the addition of a handful of new models that includes the flat track-tastic Full Throttle. There’s no denying that scrambler-style bikes are enjoying an uptick right along with flat track-style racing, so it makes perfect sense for Duc to bring these two worlds together in a bid to grab its slice of the market pie. Model-specific details are the garnish on the main dish that is the base Scrambler, and of course, the 75-horsepower, Desmodromic L-twin powerplant takes care of business for the “FT,” same as it does for the rest of the line. LED, USB and ABS tech factors into the fandanglery to make this a thoroughly modern ride, so without further ado, let’s dig in and see how Duc sets this ride apart from its brethren.

Continue reading for my review of the Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle.

In 2013, Aprilia launched its first mass oriented scooter, the SR Motard 50 under the "supermoto-inspired" range. This was an ‘out-of-the-blues’ decision for a superbike maker like Aprilia, courtesy of its parent company, Piaggio, thus targeting itself towards a niche younger audience. However, with the SR 150, Aprilia has widened its base and has created an all-new segment of performance-oriented scooters for the mass market buyers although it hasn’t come onto US shores yet.

Touted to be the sporty yet fun-to-ride scooter, Aprilia has launched a limited edition version of the scooter titled as SR 150 RACE for its Asian markets, which comes with some cosmetic as well as mechanical changes over its regular version. Here’s is a comprehensive review of the all-new Aprilia SR 150 Race:-

While most eyes are on the battle for supremacy of the upper-displacement brackets, the fight between the flyweights rages on, and Suzuki’s newest weapon is its GSX-S125. Like the rest of the “Gixxess” family, it comes based on the “R” version but is stripped of its body panels to become a proper naked sportbike. The 124 cc powerplant stays within the A1 licensing envelope with 10.8 kW to serve as a true entry-level bike cum indoctrination piece capable of drawing in the very youngest riders, and that’s exactly how it’s set up; to be as rider-friendly as possible with a low curb weight of 133 kg and manageable, 785 mm seat height. Today I’m going to dig in a little deeper to see what all Suzuki has going on with this decidedly important little ride.

Continue reading for my review of the Suzuki GSX-S125.

If you think that Ducati made the Scramblers for entertaining the youth, you are absolutely right. But if you believe the Italians cannot entice them more than this, oh boy you are so wrong. Ducati has finally bowed down to the millennials who love doing everything through a screen. Planned out by the millennial interns at the Ducati offices, the firm has launched the most affordable Scrambler model adding to the already strong line-up of six models.

And it’s aptly called the Scrambler Hashtag. Yes, the #. What is even more brain tickling is the fact that Ducati is going to sell these bikes exclusively through a screen rather than on a showroom floor. But it isn’t as straightforward as your Amazon deliveries are and is currently made available only to the European streets.

Riding the tailwinds of waxing public interest and expanding infrastructure, Zero Motorcycles advanced ’The Cause’ with new improvements and adjustments to its street-centric “S” and “SR” models last year. Part of that was the addition of a more powerful motor that generates increased torque and horsepower as well as a smaller battery pack for short urban trips; all good stuff for increased fun and flexibility, necessary factors if the company wants to further its push into the mainstream. For 2018, Zero adds more range and quicker charging times.

Continue reading for my review of the Zero S and SR.

The value of indoctrination is not lost on KTM, evidenced by the fact that they’ve updated and generally spruced up their entry-level unit, the 390 Duke for 2017, and those improvements carry straight over into the 2018 season. New upside-down stems float the front end along with larger, more powerful brakes to help manage the energy from the 44-horsepower engine and 328-pound dry weight. Ride-by-wire tech makes an appearance for a bit of tech you normally don’t see at this price point. Add to this a fresh new look and you have a recipe for success, or so KTM hopes. Let’s dive in and see what else the Austrian bike maker has in store for us.

Continue reading for my review of the KTM 390 Duke.

While most EV manufacturers push either off-road or streetbike products to the exclusion of everything else, Zero Motorcycles boldly expands on both of those fronts plus something in-between with the improved-in-2017 DS and DSR models. These two are built to fill the dual-sport niche with off-road suspension and dual-surface tires under a sporty chassis that naturally runs the company’s all-electric drive system. This represents a success for both the electric sector as well as the dual-sport/adventure sector, both of which are still burgeoning under increasing public interest and steady technological advancements. Today I’m going to take a look at these bikes made unique by the pairing of electrics with the on/off-road riding style associated with dual-sport machines.

Continue reading for my review of the Zero DS and DSR.

Husqvarna is known for a lot of things — dirtbikes, chainsaws and such — but the marque looks to add “entry-level streetbikes” to the list this year with the Vitpilen 401. The so-called ’White Arrow’ brings a unique interpretation of the classic café racer look to the table in an effort to draw in the newest generation of riders without actually being a café at all; more of a roadster, really. A 375 cc thumper packs 43 ponies with a user-friendly delivery that should fit well and feel fairly non-threatening to the apparently bike-shy Millennials with a catalyst in the exhaust to make the bike meet the emissions expectations of same. Exciting, fresh and new, the Vitpilen range (and its sibling the Svartpilen) looks to be coming out of the hole strong in an otherwise sluggish market, evidenced by the fact that they’re already oversold in the U.S. market before they even hit our shores. I’m itching to find out what other see in it, so join me while I dig into this interesting little machine.

Continue reading for my look at the Husqvarna Vitpilen 401.

The Ducati Scrambler family has been rapidly expanding since its inception — in both the displacement ranges and available styles — but the stalwart Icon remains largely the same into the 2018 model year. It brings the same street-wise spice to the table as ever, and it comes paired with the 803 cc L-twin that delivers its 75 ponies in an easy-to-manage powercurve. Ducati also expanded its palette a bit with the addition of the “Silver Ice” hue. Little else is changed for the ’18 season, but why in the world would Ducati change something that seems to be working so well and is of such a recent vintage? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

Continue reading for my review of the Ducati Scrambler Icon.

The Kwang Yang Motor Company doggedly pursues its share of the rather limited American scooter market with its new-for-2018 XCiting 400i ABS that replaced the 500 from 2017. Sporty looks and cornering performance are the hallmarks of the XCiting family — possibly from whence the rather uninspired name springs — and the factory continues that legacy with this newest model. A 42-degree lean angle and 35-horsepower mill point to great potential for shenaniganery, or at the very least, a non-boring commute. Sleek and slim, the new 400i most definitely departs from the dated “classic” scooter design, and is a thoroughly modern ride.

Continue reading for my review of the KYMCO XCiting 400i.

Retro designs that hail back to the ’60s and ’70s are all the rage right now, and the Kwang Yang Motor Company out of Taiwan is trying to capitalize on that phenomenon with the Like 200i. KYMCO brings retro design and contemporary performance together on this ride with a 163 cc power plant and disc brakes under a body that rocks an appealing, dated look.

Continue reading for my review of the KYMCO Like 200i.

Ducati’s Scrambler lineup covers a range of looks and styles, but it’s the Classic that really ties into the original Scrambler circa the 1970s. It comes with Sugar White as one of the available colors — just like the original — and sports a tan finish on the seat for even more dated flavor. Performance is up to modern standards however; with 75 ponies in the paddock and Euro 4 emissions compliance, the Classic delivers contemporary operation to go with its somewhat dated aesthetic influences. The hooliganism and devil-may-care attitude comes as part of the standard equipment package.

Continue reading for my review of the Ducati Scrambler Classis.

The scrambler market is booming, and so far, Ducati is ahead of the curve with a full range of purpose-built Scrambler models. It added to the lineup in 2016 with its Scrambler Sixty2, a model that reflects what the factory calls modern pop culture, with a liberal dose of sixties, mid-size standard cruiser flavor blended in. Powered with a 399 cc L-twin, the Sixty2 isn’t a poser in a scrambler costume; it’s ready to rock and roll.

Continue reading for my review of the Ducati Scrambler Sixty2.

Introduced in 2014, the Grom from Honda is a compact bike with sportbike styling, two-up capabilities if you don’t mind having to Fred-Flintstone the take-off, has amazing fuel economy, and offers a little something more for folks who might consider a scooter in this size-range. Marketed in other countries as the MSX125, the Motrac M3, and the Skyteam M3, the Grom is a spunky little — “little” being the operative word here — motorcycle, good for folks new to two wheels or for anyone else who wants a fun ride. It’s not fast, but that’s not the point.

Continue reading for my review of the Honda Grom.