Comparison Tests

Power is a good starting point for any debate. Power is what makes the Kawasaki H2R the favourite card in a game of top trumps, and the factor that made the Ducati MotoGP bikes shoot past the Hondas and Yamahas on straights as if they were taking a stroll in a park. However, one look at the 2016 MotoGP championship standings will tell you that these same Honda and Yamaha bikes have been more successful than the Ducatis. After all the bike’s suitability to the circuit influenced by factors like the rider skills, chassis dynamics and technology also plays a big role in making it successful. But, what about the real world? 

Small, compact, light – these aspects of a motorcycle might sound fun but imagine it with an 110cc engine. Suddenly, the excitement drops and honestly, it shouldn’t. Because while these bikes have been targeted at no non-sense buyers, it’s actually fun and very easy to ride even for enthusiasts like me who is currently in need of a daily commute bike.

The Jupiter has been the best  selling scooter for TVS, till date. In fact, it’s been doing so well that it managed to reach a million sales within three years. And to celebrate that, TVS launched the MillionR edition, which we’ve taken as a benchmark scooter for a comparison with the new Yamaha Cygnus Ray ZR. The Ray ZR is a cool, young, stylish scooter which has been developed for the young men. In this story, we find out if the Ray ZR will be able to take on the Jupiter which has won the comparison review with the Hero Maestro Edge and the Honda Activa 3G. 

The Aprilia SR 150 isn’t just another scooter. A 150cc engine, 14-inch wheels, and styling that’s reflective of sportsbikes. The SR then is a game changer; a motorcycle in disguise; a true race day companion. Well, at least that’s what its maker, Piaggio India, would like us to believe. Now we did put the SR 150 against a motorcycle – you can read that story here – and the Aprilia did surprisingly well. But, its real test has to be against another scooter.

There comes a time when a new two-wheeler product changes the way we look at our buying options and the recently launched Aprilia SR150, scooter, is one such product. Till now there have been no scooters in the Indian market that would make a buyer ditch the motorcycle in its favour, but now it seems there is. We decided to get deep into this idea and benchmark this scooter with a motorcycle. And there’s no better option than the Bajaj V15 as it’s also a 150cc product and is priced close to the Aprilia SR150. 

Scooters have grown from becoming simple point A to point B modes of transport to instruments of convenience. With a rapid evolution in the definition of ‘convenience’, today’s educated customer expects his scooter to do a lot more than just be easy to use. Every manufacturer is trying to lure customers with more and more creature comforts, and the sales figures indicate that this formula is working quite well. 

There are quite a few forces at work here trying to tug a prospect in their respective directions. There’s brand, origin, genre, technology and character. One must make a choice between air-cooling versus liquid-cooling; simplicity vs electronics; cruiser vs street; American vs British; Harley-Davidson vs Triumph. With Rs 10-11 lakh to spare and an eye firmly trained at the 1200cc-twin layout, one must choose between the Harley-Davidson 1200 Custom and the Triumph Bonneville T120. It isn’t an easy choice to make, unless, like us, you decide to go for the better product. And to find out which of the two is the better motorcycle, we headed to our favourite road; only the rain gods decided to play havoc. But, we soldiered on…

As much as I would love to strut around on a Vespa, the sky-high pricing makes it an absurd proposition for people like me. The Yamaha Fascino on the other hand, offers similar perks for a lot less. But once you put its ‘lifestyle vehicle’ tag aside, is the Fascino capable enough to take on the best of the lot? Just about when it had its butt settled on the 110cc scooter segment throne, we decided to have the Hero Maestro Edge don its armour and duel it out with the Yamaha Fascino. 

I know what you are thinking, and I agree, the Triumph Street Twin and the Kawasaki Versys 650 are such different bikes, they just can’t be compared.

It most definitely isn’t what it reads like. How could it be; one is a relic from the 60s, and the other, a new movement of sorts. This isn’t a Rajdoot ‘Bobby’ GTS vs Honda Navi comparison in the most serious sense. It is, instead, our way of tracing the journey of so-called ‘Monkey Bikes’ in India.