Aurelia Butler

Bajaj Auto has increased prices of their motorcycles with effect from April 2022New Bajaj Pulsar 250For the second time in this calendar year, Bajaj Auto Limited has announced a price hike. Pressure has been building for manufacturers with rising input costs. The last time prices were increased by Bajaj, was back in Feb this year.The recent price hike comes at a time when Bajaj has registered a 40.97 percent YoY decline in two-wheeler sales in domestic market in March 2022. Bajaj cites the shortfall on semiconductor supplies as reasons for reduced sales though the company is hopeful of supplies to improve in the first quarter of FY 2023.Bajaj Motorcycle Prices April 2022Prices of Bajaj Auto Limited are across its models such as the CT, Platina, Avenger, Pulsar, Dominar. Prices have been increased from Rs 819 to Rs 4,913 or by a percentage increase of 1.22 to 3.14.Starting with the Bajaj CT, the CT 100 sees a price hike of Rs 819 from Rs 53,696 to Rs 54,515. CT 110 price has been increased by Rs 850 to 59,775 while CT 110 X KS and CT 110X ES are up Rs 832 and Rs 860 respectively to Rs 59,104 and Rs 64,668.Bajaj Motorcycle Prices April 2022Bajaj Platina range also sees a price hike from April 2022. Platina 100 ES Drum price has been increased by 1,267 to Rs 60,576 from an earlier price of Rs 59,309 while Platina 110 ES Drum and Disc are now higher by Rs 832 to Rs 64,678 and Rs 69,216 respectively.Bajaj Avenger, Pulsar, Dominar – New PricesPrice hike from April 2022 for Bajaj Avenger series is by Rs 2,560 for the Avenger 160 to a new high of Rs 1,11,462. The Avenger 220 gets a Rs 4,192 price hike to Rs 1,37,805 from an earlier price of Rs 1,33,613. This is the second highest price hike for any Bajaj Auto model in April 2022 after the Dominar 400.The latest price hike has also affected the Bajaj Pulsar range which is now priced from Rs 84,877 to Rs 1,68,979. Pulsar 180 and 220F are no longer listed on the official website. Bajaj Dominar 250 and 400 are now priced at Rs 1,66,355 and Rs 2,22,386 respectively, higher by Rs 2,048 and Rs 4,199 over old prices of Rs 1,64,307 and Rs 2,17,473.Bajaj Auto is about to introduce the updated Dominar in Malaysia. It will be retailed in Malaysian markets with extensive touring features as seen on its Indian counterpart with taller windscreen, handguards, luggage rack and accessories such as smartphone mount with USB charging and bungee cords located under its seat. More

Electric scooter fires are catastrophic, and the need of the hour is a huge improvement in battery management systemsOkinawa Praise Pro. Image – sansCARi sumitNo doubt, all new processes have niggles that are sorted sooner or later. However, electric vehicles aren’t altogether new. With electric scooter sales on the rise, a major concern that comes to the fore is fire. With multiple videos of such incidents having surfaced, there’s no doubt that such fire incidents need scrutiny.Auditing vehicle fires is a complex and time-consuming process. Especially when determining if a critical flaw has led to the fire. This requires manufacturers to rectify known flaws on all models with a faulty part as an immediate corrective measure.With electric scooter sales only just beginning to gain any real momentum, it’s a crucial time for the growing industry. As such, a fire scare can do more damage than imaginable. While customers today are keen on EV knowhow, a lot is still left to imagination. And the current spate of fire incidents isn’t good for customer sentiment. Government policy must pave the way for better battery management systems.Okinawa Praise Pro recallIn a first, Okinawa Autotech a topselling electric two-wheeler company has announced a recall. This extends to 3,215 units of its Praise Pro scooters. The company will ‘check and fix any issue related to batteries with immediate effect’. This is part of the company’s comprehensive power pack health check-up camps.Okinawa Electric Scooter production starts at new plantBatteries are to be checked for loose connectors or any damage. Repairs will be carried out at Okinawa dealerships at no cost to the customer. Dealerships will contact customers and carry out checks and repairs at customer convenience. ‘This voluntary campaign is in the wake of the recent thermal incident and in line with the company’s long-standing commitment to customer safety,’ the company said.  Electric Scooter Fire – How To SaveIn most videos of e-scooter fires seen recently, vehicles have burnt to the ground. Chances are it’ll be a rapid fire owing to a catastrophic battery failure. This puts focus on lithium-ion batteries in use in most e-scooters sold in India. And lithium ion batteries without cooling systems sound grave. Putting out a battery fire isn’t easy.A raging fire is next to impossible to put out with water. A foam extinguisher or other alternatives are rarely at hand, which results in vehicles being burnt to a crisp. And while battery units are removable, it isn’t likely one would be able to remove a rogue unit in time. With such dangers attached to an e-scooter battery fire, it’s high time manufacturers and fire departments issue safety warnings around such untoward events.The Okinawa scooters website does have a blog regarding care of a li-ion battery. Among a range of things to do’s and don’ts is point number 3 – ‘Please do not charge the li-ion batteries within 1 hour after use of the scooter.’ The write-up even elaborates on what to do in case of battery exposure to water, but ain’t no mention of what to do in case of a fire.There’s obviously a rigorous process of extensive development and testing before such products are approved for the market. However, the focus must shift to the unregulated battery cell manufacturing process on priority. The Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) has already been tasked with probing the number of growing e-scooter fires, and suggesting remedial measures. In recent years, India has set targets on an electric push where personal mobility is concerned.  More

New SmartEco ride mode for Ather will make it easier for users to achieve the scooter’s true range with limited impact on performanceAther Electric ScooterOne of the many benefits of electric scooters is that performance and overall experience can be improved via OTA updates. New features can also be introduced at regular intervals. There is no need to visit the service centre and everything gets done in a few minutes.Ather SmartEco OTA updateAther’s latest update includes a new SmartEco ride mode that is designed to dynamically adjust range and performance. To get SmartEco ride mode, Ather 450X and 450 Plus users need to download the latest version of Atherstack software. In Ather app, users need to activate the Ather Labs option to become eligible for this update.Ather Labs provides early access to new features and seeks feedback from users. Earlier also, a number of new features were made available through Ather Labs such as Trip Planner and Savings Tracker. Latest SmartEco ride mode will be available to users who have Ather Connect Pro subscription plan.If all such conditions are satisfied, users need to choose ‘Update Now’ option via settings on the scooter’s touchscreen display panel. The battery has to be at least 40% to get the update. The update takes around 5 minutes, post which users can select SmartEco mode via settings.Ather Electric ScooterWhen selected, the existing Eco mode is replaced by SmartEco on the screen. Users can return to standard Eco mode anytime they want. Other ride modes of Ride, Sport and Warp remain unchanged.Ather SmartEco ride mode benefitsSmartEco ride mode essentially aims to achieve a midway between Eco and higher speed ride modes. In a conventional system, the Eco mode does maximize range. However, it significantly limits the options available to the user. For example, if the user needs to overtake, they will have to switch to a different mode.SmartEco works differently, as it can sense the exact requirements at a given point of time. It can factor variables like user riding style, total load on scooter, terrain, etc. Based on these factors, SmartEco makes dynamic adjustments to acceleration. Simultaneously, it also keeps an eye on power consumption to ensure the scooter can achieve its true range.In SmartEco mode, a power bar is displayed on the dashboard. When the power bar is blue, it indicates that there is ample power available. Users can accelerate as per their needs. When power bar turns red, it means less power is available. At these times, users should not accelerate or speed up. If they need to do so, they can switch to Ride mode.It is to note that this update is being rolled out gradually. It may not be available to all users simultaneously. Users also need to ensure that their Ather App has been updated to the latest version. More

CFMoto 450SR is not likely to reach Indian shores or any other international market anytime soonNew CFMoto 450 SRCFMoto has quite an understated presence not just in India but in the global market as well. The Chinese bike maker currently retails four motorcycles in our country namely 650GT, 650MT, 650NK and 300NK. With an aim to dominate in the global market, they have now unveiled an all new 450cc motorcycle.Last year, CFMoto unveiled the outlandish SR-C21 Concept prototype at the 2021 EICMA. The concept has now taken the form of a supersport bike named 450SR in its production guise. The bike will initially be on sale in the Chinese market only with a sticker price equivalent to Rs 3.82 lakh. At first glance, you realise that CFMoto has borrowed most of the styling of 450SR from its prototype concept predecessor.New CFMoto 450cc 450SR – DesignThat said, CFMoto has deliberately dialled down things a bit as far as overall styling is concerned. For instance, to make it more production friendly, 450SR gets a pair of larger twin LED headlamps with integrated LED DRLs that have been retained from the concept. The front fascia looks sharp and aggressive enough despite toning down its appeal.It flaunts a muscular profile featuring edgy side panels and sleek winglets. Unlike the radical-looking under-seat twin exhaust setup presented on the concept, 450SR gets a fairly simple single-sided upswept exhaust. It also misses out on a single-sided swingarm as shown in the concept and makes do with a traditional setup. Other visual highlights include split seats, a visor upfront and mirror-mounted LED turn indicators.New CFMoto 450ccHardware SetupThe Chinese brand has made use of cheaper cycle parts in order to make it more affordable. The Ohlins-sourced suspension setup shown in the pre-production concept has not been employed. Instead, CFMoto has made use of standard upside-down forks up front and a mono-shock accompanied by a dual-sided swingarm.Braking duties are handled by a single 320mm disc at front and 220mm at rear with M4.32 callipers sourced from Brembo and ABS from Bosch. The braking hardware is complemented by a dual-channel ABS. 450SR is also packed with some nifty features like a TFT instrument console and adjustable seat height.Powertrain SpecsPowering 450SR is a new 449cc parallel, liquid-cooled engine that dishes out 50 bhp and 39Nm of peak torque. This power mill with a 270-degree crankshaft is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The company claims a top speed of 190kmph on the new supersport bike. With a kerb weight of 168kg, 450SR gets one of the best power-to-weight ratios in its category.Initially, 450SR will go on sale in China only and may reach other international markets only after a while. It will directly take on Kawasaki Ninja 400 and also bridge the gap between KTM RC 390 and Honda CBR500R. More

Yamaha has launched multiple 125cc scooters across several international markets based on the same platform and engine2023 Yamaha FLUOYamaha has launched a new 125cc scooter in Brazil named Fluo. This scooter is essentially a rebranded FreeGo scooter that is offered by Yamaha in Indonesia. However, Fluo comes with subtle variations in comparison to its Indonesian sibling. Let us check out what Fluo offers to Brazilian consumers.2023 Yamaha Fluo- StylingFor starters, design of Fluo is identical to FreeGo. It retains the modern and sporty styling of its Indonesia-spec counterpart. The only noticeable change in its visual appearance is turn signals and brake lamps which are separate units in Fluo. In FreeGo, they are offered as an integrated unit.2023 Fluo is being offered with three colour options- black, blue and white. The last two options come as dual-tone paint schemes with blacked-out planes on side fairing, front apron, floorboard, alloy wheels and underpinnings to accentuate the scooter’s sporty appeal.Features & HardwareIn terms of features, new Fluo is offered ABS as standard, unlike its Indonesian twin which gets it as an option. Other features on offer in Fluo include a fully digital instrument console with blue lighting background, a 12-volt charging socket, full LED illumination, auto start/stop functionality and keyless entry via a smart key. It also receives a generous 25-litre under-seat storage.2023 Yamaha FLUOComing to dynamics, it gets a typical underbone chassis that sits on conventional telescopic forks up front and an offset mono-shock mounted on the rear wheel hub. Braking duties are carried out by a 200mm disc up front and a 1300mm drum at rear which are aided by a single-channel ABS. Fluo rides on 12-inch alloy wheels that should offer a comfortable ride experience given its seat height of just 780mm.Powertrain Specs & PricePowering 2023 Fluo is 125cc SOHC, 2-valve, 4-stroke, air-cooled engine that churns out 9.5 bhp at 8,000 rpm and a peak torque of 10.3 Nm at 5500rpm. The silent starter motor is paired with a CVT automatic gearbox. At 102kg, it is fairly nimble considering its category. It has a fuel tank capacity of only 4.2 litres.Yamaha has priced Fluo at 13,390 Brazilian Reals (approx. INR 2,16,587), translating to about 94,642 Baht, which makes it about 43,400 Baht more expensive than its Indonesian sibling. The price gap is a result of import taxes since Yamaha intends to directly import this scooter from Indonesia.2023 Yamaha FLUOThis scooter is unlikely to reach Indian shores anytime soon. Yamaha already retails two 125cc scooters in India in the form of Fascino and RayZR. Out of these two, the latter is a sportier-looking scooter that takes on the likes of other sporty 125cc scooters like TVS Ntorq and Suzuki Avenis. More

Two wheeler exports increased on a YoY basis by 2.68 percent with the Bajaj Boxer in the lead by a significant marginTVS ApacheTwo wheeler exports have risen significantly in March 2022. Total exports in this segment stood at 3,74,051 units, up 2.68 percent over 3,64,294 units relating to a 9,757 volume increase. It was the Bajaj Boxer that not only stood at a No. 1 spot but scaled over every other two wheeler by a substantial margin. No other two wheeler, other than the Bajaj Boxer, could amass exports above the 1 lakh unit mark.Leading the export sales charts in February 2022 was Bajaj Boxer with exports of 1,10,084 units, down 0.57 percent or 632 units as against 1,10,716 units exported in February 2021. Bajaj Boxer commanded a market share of 29.43 percent. Of the Boxer exports in the month of February 2022, it was its 110cc model that received the most demand. 94,740 units were shipped in February 2022, up 4.21 percent over 90,912 units exported in February 2021. Boxer 125cc shipments stood at 3,200 units, 28.21 percent increase from 2,496 units exported in February 2021.Two Wheeler Exports Feb 2022 – Pulsar, ApacheAt No. 2 was the TVS Star City with exports of 67,295 units, up 10.97 percent from 60,641 units shipped in February 2021. This was an increase of 6,654 units. In March 2022, the company introduced the Star City Plus. It comes in with TVS’ ET-Fi tech which the automaker states accounts for 15 percent better fuel efficiency.Bajaj Auto once again entered the fray with the Pulsar at No. 3 on the export list. Total exports in February 2022 stood at 26,143 units, down 15.29 percent or 4,720 units less as compared to 30,863 units shipped in February 2021. The Pulsar commands a 6.99 percent share. Bajaj also had the CT and Discover on this list at Nos. 4 and 5 with both bikes posting a YoY growth. CT exports stood at 17,504 units, up 27.32 percent over 13,748 units sold in February 2021. This was a 3,756 unit volume growth while the CT commands a 4.68 percent share. Discover exports on the other hand increased 35.93 percent to 14,708 units in February 2022. This was against 10,820 units shipped in February 2021 relating to a 3,888 unit volume growth.Two Wheeler Exports Feb 2022TVS Apache, Yamaha FZ, Hero HunkTVS Apache, Yamaha FZ and Hero Hunk also featured higher up on the export list in February 2022. TVS Apache saw its exports dip 31.09 percent on a YoY basis to 10,296 units, down from 14,942 units shipped in February 2021. The Apache commands a 2.75 percent share.Yamaha noted a 6.07 percent increase in exports of the FZ. Shipments that had stood at 9,560 units in February 2021 increased to 10,140 units in February 2022. Hero Hunk exports also increased substantially by 386.02 percent to 9,458 units in February 2022 over 1,946 unit exports in February 2021. Honda Navi exports saw a 21.40 percent YoY increase to 7,767 units from 6,398 units sold in February 2021.The export list for February 2022 continued with the Hero Splendor at No. 10 with exports up 15.88 percent YoY to 7,684 units from 6,631 units shipped in February 2021. Hero MotoCorp has recently increased prices of the Splendor in a range of Rs 500-1,000 while some variants have been discontinued.NoTwo Wheeler ExportsFeb-22Feb-21Growth % YoY1Boxer1,10,0841,10,716-0.572Star City67,29560,64110.973Pulsar26,14330,863-15.294CT17,50413,74827.325Discover14,70810,82035.936Apache10,29614,942-31.097FZ10,1409,5606.078Hunk9,4581,946386.029Navi7,7676,39821.4010Splendor7,6846,63115.8811Gixxer7,1036,4889.4812Sport5,8205,6103.7413HF Deluxe5,4542,444123.1614Dio5,4235,695-4.7815X Blade3,8443,25218.2016Raider3,8200–17Platina3,5104,320-18.7518Burgman3,1962,55824.9419Dream3,1283,392-7.7820Dominar 4002,8151,058166.0721Gixxer 2502,8082,30022.0922YD1252,7000–23FZ252,6940–24Crux2,6541,68257.7925Ntorq2,6084,370-40.3226CB Shine2,5184,794-47.4827KTM 2002,3182,982-22.2728650 Twin2,183927135.4929Himalayan2,0471,15177.8530KTM 3901,9553,034-35.5631Glamour1,9041,20058.6732Ray1,8492,860-35.3533Passion1,710630171.4334CB Hornet 160R1,6001,897-15.6635Classic 3501,4561,563-6.8536BMW G3101,4131,920-26.4137Meteor 3501,339620115.9738Husqvarna 4011,2921,466-11.8739H’Ness CB3501,200300300.0040Dominar 25094354273.9941SXR 508800–42Victor8001,440-44.4443SZ6682,464-72.8944R1566435089.7145Saluto6041,476-59.0846KTM 250584960-39.1747CB Unicorn 160576240140.0048Vespa500173189.0249Access458104480.0050Husqvarna 251379420-9.7651Maestro342430-20.4752Grazia3201,480-78.3853Jupiter28440610.0054Radeon2800–55Activa248260-4.6256Husqvarna 125210294-28.5757Aviator200360-44.4458Aprilia SR150190721-73.6559KTM 1251591,177-86.4960RR 31012741209.7661CB Unicorn 150120320-62.5062Aprilia SR 125116682-82.9963Alpha114168-32.1464Husqvarna 201114360-68.3365Saluto RX108522-79.3166Avenger96389-75.3267Destini 125806033.3368Pleasure80140-42.8669MT 1580240-66.6770Aprilia SR16074118-37.2971Vespa55310-82.2672Wego4680-42.5073Xpulse 200402,297-98.2674Xtreme.4080-50.0075Intruder32128-75.0076Xtreme03,229-100.0077Livo02,700-100.0078Acheiver01,869-100.0079Fascino01,366-100.0080Lets0480-100.0081Avenger0480-100.0082Classic 5000273-100.0083Hayate0168-100.0084Duet078-100.0085Gusto050-100.0086CBR 250R030-100.0087Centuro010-100.0088Electra 35009-100.0089Bullet 50002-100.00–Total3,74,0513,64,2942.68Suzuki Gixxer sales increased 9.48 percent to 7,103 units in February 2022 up from 6,488 units sold in February 2021. TVS Sport 100cc commuter bike had 5,820 units exported in February 2022, up 3.74 percent over 5,610 units sold in February 2021. The HF Deluxe also saw increased demand in global markets with 5,454 units shipped in February 2022, up 123.16 percent over 2,444 units shipped in February 2021.Lower HalfHonda Dio exports dipped 4.78 percent YoY to 5,423 units from 5,695 units exported in February 2021. Also in the commuter segment was the Honda X-Blade with shipments of 3,844 units in February 2021, up 18.20 percent over 3,252 units sold in February 2021. TVS Raider 125 exports stood at 3,820 units in February 2022. The TVS Raider received the Commuter Motorcycle of the Year award in March 2022 beating two strong contenders of Bajaj Pulsar 125 and Yamaha FZ-X.Thereafter Platina sales dipped 18.75 percent to 3,510 units while Burgman saw an increase of 24.94 percent to 3,196 units in February 2022. Dream exports fell 7.78 percent to 3,128 units while Dominar 400 and Gixxer 250 recorded 166.07 percent and 22.09 percent YoY growth to 2,815 units and 2,808 units respectively.Suzuki Access scooter has seen the most growth in exports in February 2022 to 458 units, up 4,480 percent from just 10 units shipped in February 2021. The list also included the Husqvarna (251 units), Maestro (342 units), Grazia (320 units) and Jupiter 284 units) along with the Radeon (280 units) and Activa (248 units). More