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Car and bike questions? We have the answers
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I live in Auroville, which has bad roads. I want to purchase a bike with the best possible safety and suspension. I am considering the Honda Unicorn as suggested by a friend. Is this a good choice or can you suggest an option?
Martin Gluckman
Yes, you can go for the Honda Unicorn. It makes perfect sense for you thanks to its excellent suspension and good ride quality.
I have a six month old Honda Unicorn. Yesterday I rode the bike on a highway, where I tried reaching the bike’s top speed. Another friend also using an older Unicorn told me his bike reaches a speed of 120kph, yet my bike reached only 107kph. Why is it that my bike did not reach the same speed as his? Has Honda detuned the bike over the years? The owner’s manual mentions that fuel other than unleaded petrol may damage the bike’s catalytic converter. I prefer always using only Shell super unleaded. Is this fuel good for my bike?
Dhana Sekar
The top speed of 107 kph reached by your new Unicorn is absolutely normal. The Unicorn has not been detuned over the years. Your friend was probably reading his top speed including the speedometer error, assisted by a strong tail wind or going down a decline in the road when he attained 120kph on his bike. Yes, you can use Shell super unleaded without any fear.
I plan to buy a 150-180cc sports bike. My budget can stretch upto Rs 65,000. I want a bike that has good acceleration, top speed and braking performance. My first choice is the RTR 160 but I want your opinion. I’m also looking at the TVS RTR 160, Hero Honda Hunk, CBZ X-treme and Bajaj Pulsar 180 DTS-i. I also want to know whether the TVS RTR FI is worth the wait. My height is 5’5".
Arun Kumar
The Pulsar 180 DTS-i will offer you the best performance among the bikes you have short-listed. The Hunk, although not the fastest, will offer you a well rounded package with the best handling. The RTR FI is right now in the process of going on sale across India while the RTR is already on sale and offers faster performance than any other 150cc bike.
Will Bajaj introduce its latest DTS-Si technology to its higher version Pulsars?
Raja
No, Bajaj will not introduce DTS-Si technology to its higher capacity bikes. This technology is designed to provide good fuel economy, and is not ideal for performance bikes. Bajaj reserves its DTS-i and DTS-Fi technology for performance bikes such as the Pulsar.
I would like to modify my 2006 Swift ZXi with a K&N cold air intake system, iridium spark plugs, etc for increasing its performance. My questions are: 1. What increase in torque and power will be achieved? 2. Will the fuel consumption be affected? 3. Are engine components such as the crankshaft, conrods, bearings, gear shaft, gears etc. designed to handle this extra power? 4. Will I need to upgrade to a high performance exhaust system or will the original do? 5. Do I need to reprogram the ECU? 6. Will these modifications affect the manufacturer’s warranty?
Abhijit Wagh
1. The increase in the amount of power and torque can only be measured by testing the car on a dynamometer. But with modifications like a cold air intake system or iridium spark plugs, the gain will not be much or worthwhile. You need to complement these with other modifications like a more aggressive camshaft, porting and polishing, ECU remap, performance exhaust etc. 2. In theory, the fuel economy should increase. But most of the times, the fuel economy suffers as you tend to drive fast to feel the gain in performance. 3. From the list of modifications given by you, you don’t need to change parts such as crankshaft, bearings etc. These only need to be looked at when serious modifications like a forced induction/NOS setup are being considered. 4. The original exhaust can be retained, but like we mentioned earlier, just one modification will not make much of a difference, all these have to work together to show a performance gain. 5. You don’t need to reprogram the ECU for a cold air intake and iridium plugs. 6. Yes, any modification done to the engine will void your car’s warranty and it is illegal to modify the engine’s output. You need to have the modifications endorsed by the RTO.
I have recently purchased the Mahindra-Renault Logan 1.4 petrol GLE despite various people advising me against it. I have done some research on the company and I see that Renault is planning big on India. Their portfolio of cars lined up is quite impressive and they’re quite good lookers too. Have I taken the right decision with my purchase?
Chirag Ganguly
You are right, the Logan’s boxy looks have created the perception that it is not good. However, we believe the Logan is a solid, comfortable and reliable car which should suit your needs of every day motoring. Yes, Renault has big plans for India and you don’t have to worry about the Logan being a fly-by-night product! Rest assured you have not gone wrong with your purchase.
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