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    Jawa Perak, 42 And Classic Prices To Be Increased From 1st Jan 2021

    Jawa motorcycles
    Jawa, Forty Two and Perak will undergo a price hike in view of rising input costs and commodity prices

    As is generally noted at the start of each year, January 2021 will also see hike in prices of cars and two wheelers. Hero MotoCorp has announced a price hike by around Rs.1,500 from 1st January 2021 while Kia, Hyundai, Maruti and Mahindra have also made similar announcements. OEMs generally introduce price hike between 1-3 percent, but this year the hike is expected to be higher as the automakers decide to pass on higher input costs to the consumer.
    Mahindra-owned news website Car and Bike has announced in an exclusive report that Mahindra’s subsidiary, Classic Legends Private Limited will be hiking prices for the Jawa motorcycles from January 2021; though the quantum of price hike is yet to be announced.
    The price hike will span the Jawa, Jawa Forty Two and the Perak as the company also cites rising input costs and commodity prices as reasons for this price hike, a portion of which will now be passed on to the consumer.
    Quantum of Price Hike
    The quantum of price hike across the Jawa range has not yet been revealed. As on date Classic Legends sells the Jawa at Rs.1.73-1.83 lakhs, the Jawa Forty Two at from Rs.1.60-1.74 lakhs and the top of the line Jawa Perak at Rs.1.94 lakhs. Apart from the price hike, these bikes will not see any modifications either in design or in engine specifications.
    Image – Jawa
    The Jawa and Jawa Forty Two get powered by a BS6 compliant 292 cc, single cylinder, 4 stroke DOHC engine offering 26.51 hp power and 27.05 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed gearbox. The third motorcycle model under the Jawa brand name, Perak which is the most affordable, made-in-India factory custom bobber, gets a 334cc, single cylinder, 4 stroke engine making 30.64 hp power and 32.74 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed gearbox.
    Rising Cost of Ownership
    Over the past year, it has also been noted that there is a distinct increase in cost of ownership of automobiles. Higher insurance premiums, BS6 upgrades and a higher trajectory in fuel prices have all put an increased burden on the consumer.
    Jawa has noted sales to the extent of 50,000 units during the April 2019 to November 2020 period. This also includes the lockdown period till around July 2020. The company announced this milestone achievement in 24 months of full operation which excluded the suspension of operations during the months of March to July 2020 when the company had zero inventory.
    This growing demand has caused the company to increase both production capacities and dealership count across the country with a target to register sales of the next 50,000 in less than a year. In the recent months, it is the Perak which has been the best selling Jawa motorcycle.
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    Hero Xtreme 160R, Xpulse 200 Dec 2020 Offer For Rs 4,000

    Hero Xtreme 160R
    For those looking to buy a bike from Hero MotoCorp, there’s an offer on Xtreme 200S, Xtreme 160R, Xpulse 200

    Aiming to boost sales, Hero MotoCorp has launched a special offer worth Rs 4k on its fully faired Xtreme 200S motorcycle, Xtreme 160R, and Xpulse 200. As may be recalled, Xtreme 200S was launched in its BS6 avatar in November at Rs 1.16 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The original variant made its debut last year and at that time, it was priced at Rs 98,500.
    Xtreme 200S, Xtreme 160R, Xpulse 200 exchange / loyalty benefit
    Customers buying Hero Xtreme 200S and 160R, and Xpulse 200 can save up to Rs 4k with this new offer. It is applicable for both new customers as well as existing users of a Hero motorcycle. Hero Xtreme 200S is already a competitively priced motorcycle and with the 4k offer, it has become even more attractive to potential buyers. Its primary rival is Bajaj Pulsar RS 200, which is available at a starting price of Rs 1.52 lakh.
    In its price range, Hero Xtreme 200S also competes with TVS Apache RTR 200 4V that is available at a starting price of Rs 1.25 lakh. Another contender is Honda Hornet 2.0, which is available at a starting price of Rs 1.26 lakh. It was launched earlier this year in August.
    Cash discount and loyalty bonus for December 2020
    Current deals include Rs 2,100 cash discount on Hero Glamour. One can also choose from a loyalty and exchange bonus of Rs 2,100 on Hero Destini 125, Maestro 125, Maestro 110 Passion Pro and Super Splendor. With Hero MotoCorp offering a wide range of two wheelers, offers have been especially curated for a number of its motorcycles and scooters so a wide group of buyers can benefit.
    Hero discounts Dec 2020
    What’s new in Hero Xtreme 200S BS6
    BS6 Hero Xtreme 200S is priced around Rs 17k more than the BS4 model. One key reason for this price hike is the new oil-cooled engine. The earlier BS4 engine was an air-cooled unit. The new 4-stroke, single cylinder OHC engine is capable of delivering 18 hp of max power at 8500 rpm and 16.45 Nm of max torque at 6500 rpm. It is mated to a 5-speed constant mesh gearbox and equipped with multi-plate, wet type clutch assembly.
    The engine is powered by xSens tech that comprises a total of 14 sensors. These work together to ensure optimal power and performance as per riding conditions. The engine is also equipped with a cooling feature that reduces engine heating and prolongs its life.
    Xtreme 200S utilizes a diamond type frame integrated with telescopic front forks and rectangular swingarm with mono shock suspension at the rear. Both front and rear wheels have disc brakes integrated with ABS.
    Although the bike retains its core design, it gets some new features such as twin LED headlamps. It has sleek, aerodynamic fairing, fully digital instrument console and sporty exhaust. Colour options include Sports Red, Panther Black and Pearl Silver White.
    A first-in-category feature is smartphone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. Once connected with the user’s smartphone and after entering the destination details, the navigation directions are displayed on the instrument console. Users also get alerts for incoming calls. More

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    Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter Sales Cross 800 Units In 3 Months

    Image – swift lifestyle
    April to November 2020 sales of the Bajaj Chetak electric scooter stood at 1,122 units

    The Bajaj Chetak electric scooter has been seeing steady sales particularly over the last three months. Launched in India in January 2020, just two months prior to the lockdown being announced in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bajaj Chetak managed to reach a tally of over 1000+ units at the end of October 2020.
    In the past three months, sales have been consistent over 250+ units. Sales which had started off at 21 units in January and 100 units and 91 units in February and March respectively dipped to 0 units in the three months that followed only to pick up again in July 2020 with 10 units sold.
    The three months of September-November have brought in better sales for the Bajaj Chetak above the 250 unit mark. September sales were at 288 units while October and November sales stood at 254 and 264 units respectively.
    Bajaj Chetak Vs TVS iQube Sales
    Its sole competitor in the electric scooter segment is the TVS iQube. While sales of the Chetak stood at a tally of 810 units in the Sept-Nov period, iQube sales have been at only 138 units while not even managing to cross the 100 unit mark each month. The Bajaj Chetak and the TVS iQube are the only two electric scooters on sale in India by mainstream manufacturers. However, why does one do so much better than the other is a reason for analysis.
    Month
    Bajaj Chetak
    TVS iQube
    Sep
    288
    7
    Oct
    258
    32
    Nov
    264
    99
    Total
    810
    138
    For starters, the Bajaj Chetak is on sale via 5 dealerships in Pune and 13 in Bengaluru. The TVS iQube is only retailed through 10 dealerships in Bengaluru. This being the case, the Chetak has a higher reach while its retro styling has also found better acceptability by buyers in the country.
    Specs
    Bajaj Chetak electric scooter, under the Bajaj Urbanite brand is offered in two variants, Urbane and Premium and priced at Rs.1 lakh and Rs.1.15 lakh respectively. It gets old school styling borrowing inspiration from the Vespa scooter. Features include LED lights at the front and rear, alloy wheels, keyless ignition, a fully digital instrument console and smartphone connectivity.
    This feature uses Internet Of Things to alert the owner in the event of any sort of tampering to the scooter or if it has not been properly charged. The owner can also check scooter location, change status and balance range with this feature.
    Bajaj Chetak electric is powered by a 3 kWh, IP67 rated battery pack offering 4kW power and 3.8 kW continuous power along with 16 Nm torque. It is offered in two ride modes of Sport and Eco with range of 95 km in Eco and 85 km in Sport. Battery charging can be done from 0 to 100 percent in 5 hours via a conventional 5A power socket. Fast charging is not on offer.
    Bajaj also offers a 3 year or 50,000 km warranty with the Chetak which also includes the battery. Battery life is claimed at 70,000 kms with service interval set at 12,000 kms or 1 year. More

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    Ola Electric Rickshaw Patent Leaks – Gets Solar Panels To Increase Range

    Ola Electric Rickshaw Patent Filed
    Ride hailing firm Ola seeks to double its current headcount of 2,000 employees in its EV business segment over the next 6 months

    The electric vehicle scenario in India is going from strength to strength. Every automaker, be it two, three or four wheeler, is making a bee line for this segment, which reports suggest could be a Rs.50,000 crore opportunity in India by 2025.
    Along with cars and two wheelers, the e-rickshaw has also emerged as a forerunner in the country and this market could shift to lithium ion batteries by as much as 40 percent over the next 4-5 years.Ola Electric, apart from planning launch of a new electric scooter in India as early as next year, is also scheduled to mark its entry into the e-rickshaw segment in India.
    Auto rickshaws form a major part of transportation in India and having a ride hailing service with zero tail pipe emissions could appeal to a larger set of customers. Mahindra has launched an all-electric e-Alfa Mini rickshaw while there are many startups that have electric 3 wheeler offerings in the country.
    Ola Electric Rickshaw Patent Leaked
    Ola has long been mulling entry into the two and three wheeler electric vehicle segment following the acquisition of Etergo BV of Netherlands earlier this year. The company recently announced an electric scooter range for New Zealand as a part of the Govt. of New Zealand’s target of around 64,000 new electric vehicles in the country by 2021.
    Ola Electric Rickshaw Patent Filed
    The company along with planning its e-scooter range in India and plans to set up the largest scooter factory in India is also set to enter the three wheeler EV segment as a recent patent image has revealed. The image show off the Ola electric three wheeler in similar proportion to the Mahindra Treo.
    It gets a raked windshield with wipers, circular shaped headlamps, roof rails and a flat roof so as to accommodate the solar panels. These solar panels will help charge the battery on the go, and will also increase the drive range. There is a bench for three occupants at the rear and a spacious area for the driver.
    Launch plans are set for sometime in 2021 for the cab sector and ride hailing services in the country as an extension of its taxi hailing service which Ola currently offers with cabs in the micro, mini, premium sedan, prime play and premium SUV and LUX segments.
    Ola E-Rickshaws
    The new Ola e-rickshaws will get a maintenance free lithium ion battery pack with long range while owners will be assured of a hassle free ownership along with low cost of maintenance and better rider and passenger comforts. Ola targets around 10,000 two and three wheeler electric vehicles along with electric four wheelers that will form a part of its ride hailing business.
    Earlier this week, Ola announced to invest Rs 2,400 crore to setup world’s largest scooter plant in Tamil Nadu, which will have production capacity of 20 lakh units per year. It will create 10,000 jobs. The electric rickshaw from Ola is also expected to be produced at the same plant. More

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    Royal Enfield Classic 350 Bobber Named Green Goblin – Modified For Rs 1.5L, Inspired By KX Concept

    Royal Enfield Classic 350 Bobber
    Apart from a 650cc cruiser, Royal Enfield is also planning to launch a new generation model of Classic 350 next year

    Royal Enfield is planning to put its foot down with the bikemaker planning to launch as many as 28 new bikes in the next seven years which means at least one new motorcycle every quarter. One of those bikes is speculated to be a cruiser motorcycle based on the 650cc platform which has been previously spotted on many occasions.
    Reportedly, the design inspiration behind this cruiser bike codenamed KX650 is the KX Bobber Concept which made its world premiere at the EICMA 2018 in Milan, Italy. Although actual images of the KX650 spied earlier turns out to be a lot different from the KX Bobber Concept.
    However, an Enfield motorcycle owner and enthusiast seems to have taken serious inspiration from KX Concept and modified his Classic 350 following the bobber’s design language. Uploaded on his social media handle, Sofyan Hasan has been riding this bike, which he has named Green Goblin.
    Going by the images there are a number of modifications the owner has made to the bike. Everything has been done by the owner himself, from designing to actually making it.
    Royal Enfield 838 KX Concept image for reference.
    Design Modification on Green Goblin
    For starters, it gets a new seat which sits much lower and is much thinner than the stock one. Both front and rear fenders have been chopped into half making them shorter.
    Another major change is its fuel tank which gets a flat contour on sides with a prominent bifurcation created between the top and side profile. This gives it a slight aerodynamic look. More importantly, it seems to get a different front suspension setup with conventional twin shock absorbers in place.
    Royal Enfield Classic 350 based Bobber
    The bike in picture gets standard wire-spoked wheels. Handlebars also seem to be taller than usual just like those offered in a proper cruiser. Front end also gets a slight rake in its angle which further gives it a lower stance and increases its wheelbase slightly which means a more planted ride. The owner says that all mod jobs have been carried out personally by him and cost him around USD 2,000 (about Rs 1.48 lakhs) in total.
    Royal Enfield’s next cruiser in line will be the production version of KX650 which is expected to come out sometime next year. It will be powered by the same 648cc parallel-twin engine which is offered in Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. This unit kicks out 47 bhp and 52 Nm of peak torque. A lot of its styling cues are expected to be borrowed from the recently launched Meteor 350.
    Meteor 350
    The Chennai-based manufacturer launched its latest cruiser offering last month. It is underpinned by an all-new J platform and is powered by a brand new 349cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine which pushes out 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of peak torque. It is offered in three variants- Fireball, Stellar and Supernova at a starting price of Rs. 1.75 lakh (ex-showroom). More

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    Aprilia SXR 160 Arrives In Showroom – First Impression, Test Rides Start

    Aprilia SXR 160 Scooter
    As of now, Aprilia SXR 160 does not have any direct rivals in India has started reaching showrooms across the country

    Piaggio is all set to finally launched its much anticipated Aprilia SXR 160 in India after numerous delays thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Though official launch is a few days away, dealers have started receiving the scooter across India.
    Some dealers have also started giving test ride to prospective customers. As per dealers, the new Aprilia SXR 160 is priced at Rs 1.30 lakh (ex-showroom). It is a maxi-style scooter, which will rival Suzuki Burgman in India. It made its maiden appearance at the AutoExpo held earlier this year in February.
    Aprilia started accepting bookings for the maxi scooter last week at a token amount of Rs 5,000. The scooter went into production at Aprilia’s Baramati plant near Pune in Maharashtra at the start of this month. Now, a detailed test ride and first impression video of the Aprilia SXR 160 has surfaced online.
    Uploaded by DBS Vlogs on their YouTube channel, the video focuses on intricate details about the power scooter. At first glance, it looks much bigger than normal scooters found running on Indian scooters. In fact, it gets one of the largest wheelbases in scooters available in India. SXR 160 offers a wheelbase of 1353mm which is 90mm longer than Suzuki Burgman 125 which is also considered a sort of Maxi scooter.
    [embedded content]
    Design
    Elaborating on design, the vlogger focuses on the front end which split LED headlights inspired by RS660 with C-shaped DRLs integrated onto them that make the scooter more stylish. Scooters getting LED DRLs are still a very rare sight in India. Another noticeable highlight is the blacked-out fly screen which protects the riders from gusting winds.
    The visor, though quite big, has been set low so that it doesn’t obstruct rider’s visibility. It gets a wide and comfortable seat with enough room for rider and pillion. Also, it offers ample space on its flat footboard to keep some luggage.

    SXR 160 can also hold some key belongings thanks to decently spacious under-seat storage which comes with an accessory light. It receives a wide handlebar which makes for an upright riding stature for better comfort. The angular front apron also goes well with its overall design.
    Features on offer
    In terms of features, it offers an all-LED lighting setup, a 210 cm sq. fully digital instrument console that offers essential readouts like speed, odometer trip meter, ABS status fuel-efficiency, etc. Although it does miss out on Bluetooth or smartphone connectivity. It also comes with a USB charging port on its front glove box.

    SXR 160 rolls on 12-inch 5 spoke petal machined alloys. Anchorage duties are handled by a 220mm disc on front wheel while the rear wheel gets a drum brake which is assisted by a single-channel ABS. It also misses out on an external fuel cap.
    Powertrain
    When it comes to its powertrain, it is powered by the same 160.0cc three-valve single-cylinder motor which produces 0.7 bhp of power at 7,600rpm and peak torque of 12 Nm at 6000rpm. It is the same unit that is offered in SR 160. It comes linked to a CVT gearbox. Suspension duties on the scooter are taken care of by telescopic forks at front and a mono-shock unit at rear. Deliveries will start in a few days. More