Kinetic Engineering and Kinetic Motor Company are staring at a potential merger. The decision of the Kinetic Automobiles had to come sooner than later. It was the need of the hour for Kinetic Engineering and Kinetic Motor Company to come under one roof. As a matter of fact, it was a decision that has come way too late after most of the damage has been done for the company.

The reason for these two arms of Kinetic to merge has solely been the Mahindra Flyte 125cc. it may be surprising to hear, but that is the truth. Kinetic has been manufacturing the two wheelers for Mahindra & Mahindra. However, the company did not include even a single Kinetic logo on any of their two wheelers. Each and every item presented on the vehicles is credited to M & M only.

Now these two branches of Kinetic have decided to come together for the good. The falling market was also a part of the company’s decision. Apart from it, this has caused a lot of financial losses for the company as well. Naturally, Kinetic did not get the required marketing and promotion in the market.

Since the past year, the Kinetic products are being brought in the market under the Mahindra brand name. Mahindra Rodeo is one such example of this. It was high time for Kinetic to take some urgent steps. The time has finally arrived for them.

Around three years ago, Kinetic Engineering was manufacturing parts for the Kinetic two wheelers. However, they tried to increase their benefits by making the company in two parts. The idea behind this all was that it would naturally give twice as much profit. However, things did not go according to the company’s expectations.

But now Kinetic is planning everything from the scratch. Sulajia Firodia Motwani has been appointed as the new Vice Chairman of this new project. Chairman, Mr. Arun Firodia is up with strategies to bring things back to normal for the company. They are planning to touch a turnover of Rs. 500 crores per year now.

Lohia Auto is trying hard to fight its way back in the mainstream two wheeler businesses. For that they have now introduced an electric bike known as Genius. The company launched the ‘Genius’ keeping in view their existence in the market by introducing something new.

However, the main aim of Lohia Auto is entering the US market. The launch in India is aimed at the run up to the same. This is certainly the testing phase for the company as they have to look into the safety aspect as well. The US administration has their own set of rules. The introduction of Genius in India means, if all goes well here, Lohia Auto will make their way to the US.

Giving details about their westward approach, the statement from the Lohia Auto read that they will be first introducing the Genius. After that they will look to export more vehicles from the range of their product portfolios. As far as the Genius in India is concerned, it is priced at Rs. 25,495 (ex-showroom Delhi).

The Indian auto company is still searching for potential distributors to come their way in the Unites States. However, they are planning to start the export by the next financial year.

Here is some more info about the Genius. The battery operated vehicle can run about 75 KMs when fully charged. The maximum speed it can attain is 25 kmph. The vehicle has a design resembles vehicles like the Pleasure or the Scooty.

The most important question we are facing in the automobile industry is that of the environment pollution. There are many major auto makers around the globe that are striving to find a right solution to this problem. The most common answer to this trouble is the introduction of electric vehicles.

Mission Motors is one such well known auto company that is a specialist in this field. It specializes in the electric bike segment. Even if the bikes are driven by electric power, they can travel at speeds of well over 150 mph. The company is now trying to expand their horizons.

Mission Motors is planning to manufacture bikes that will be smaller in capacity, light in weight but yet can be as effective as their premier bikes. The company has said in a statement that they have got the latest technology that would be needed to make these bikes a reality. The engineers are capable of designing such a bike and MM has got the technology, the statement read.

Mission R Model is the proof of the company’s dreams that what they intend to design are not only dreams, but in fact the desired machine can indeed be manufactured. The company is planning to manufacture cars and even lawn movers, which can successfully run on electricity.

The company uses lithium ion batteries in their products. This ensures that the technology used remains the latest one possible. Moreover, it helps in giving more control and better performance for the vehicle. Considering the need of the hour, it might well become a trend to own an electric bike.

But more than the trend, it will be compulsory for us to use battery powered vehicles to safeguard the environment. Mission Motors is a big step forward in this direction. In the course of the time, many more companies are likely to join in.

Some days ago we had reported to you about Harley Davidson who was on the verge of manufacturing bikes with liquid cooled engines instead of the current air cooled ones in their plants. We have a similar piece of news where a company is toying with the idea of changes in the engine system.

The universal spark plug ignition system might be counting its final days in the factories of Mazda. The company will be bringing out engines where lasers have been installed. This means, instead of the regular spark plugs which lets off the process of combustion, lasers will help in starting the vehicles.

This system will be seen in the next generation Mazda rotary engines. These engines will be manufactured with lasers that will do the exact work like that of a spark plug. However, what is the use of replacing lasers with spark plug only for the sake of replacement if there are no developments? This question has exactly been addressed to by Mazda.

The lasers in these new age 16X Mazda rotary engines will cut down on the ignition time and of course, will perform much better than the current spark plugs. The work on these next generation rotary engines is in full swing. As of now, the testing phase is underway in the company’s factory. According to company sources, these next gen rotary engines should be out in the market until the next year.

Mazda is confident that these rotary engines will make the ignition system more effective than the current spark plug ignition system. They are also hopeful that it will not leave any residue too. This promises of a lucid and clear burn during the ignition.

What these lasers in the rotary engine will do is that, they will burn the mixture of the fuel with the oxygen – obviously more effectively than the spark plug. This will then set off the combustion route. The size of these lasers is 11mm and 9 mm correspondingly.

The entry of such laser supported engines will certainly spark a new war between the auto companies. However, there is no source where Mazda has talked about the patent for this technology yet. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

The F4 RR is finally here for all of us to see. It is more of a modern bike with loads of improvements. The bike is equipped with more speed than ever before. No doubt, the F4 RR is one of a kind bike that you can ride faster than its predecessor.

When it comes to superbikes, the MV Agusta has to be on the top. It has left behind other brands and major auto players in the business. The Italian company has been the leading brand of superbikes for the past 10 years on the trot. The company had first dished out F4 750 in 1998.

The F4 was considered the fastest bike in that period. And why not, it was just the beginning of the era of superbikes with super fast speeds. As time went by, the MV Agusta kept its hold on the superbike market. Around 2006, the company came out with an advanced version for better speed and style.

It was the 1000cc F4. It created waves and was a pride to own. It banked on the 750cc F4 success. But the good thing for the company was that, it did not let it down. It was sheer experience – a flying experience to ride the 1000cc F4.

Time has now come for yet another revision in the original F4. No doubt, it is faster than the previous two models. There is hardly any room for suspense as to what the performance of the bike would be. The standard of levels for the superbikes is fast increasing and MV Agusta has a big say in it.

There have been brand names in the superbike segment like Yamaha, Ducati, Kawasaki and Honda. There are lots more to mention. However, MV Agusta has always stood apart. Let us have a look at what sets it so.

The power the bike, generates, which comes in four cylinder engine, is just stupendous. The bike produces 201 Hp at 13,400 rpm. No wonder, it is the bike with the most engine power today. Now you may feel that the gigantic bike may be pretty heavy. But it is not so. Care has been taken that the engine be light. It has been manufactured with the help of the lightweight alloy.

All the valves have been made out of titanium and that has allowed the company to reduce the weight of the bike.

The little known auto company, Atul Auto is looking widen its business horizons. The first aim they have kept before themselves is to buy the Scooters India Ltd. Atul Auto is the Rajkot-based three wheeler maker. The company is planning to buy Scooters India Ltd. after the government agreed to sale its stakes in the Scooters India Ltd. since it has been suffering losses.

Scooters India Ltd. is already a listed company on the Stock Exchange. However, it faced a loss of more than Rs. 20 crores in the last financial year. Yet, the company is very enthusiastic about buying the government owned company. The reason the company sources say that Scooters India Ltd. and Atul Auto make a great business combination.

Now why there is a great business combination between Atul Auto and Scooters India Ltd. is because, both the companies manufacture engines with front engine only. This makes them complementary to each other and makes Atul Auto one of the best bets to overtake the SIL.

The government owns 95.38 per cent stake in the company and they are planning to sell it off for good. However, there are yet no fixed dates announced as to when the exact selling procedure would begin. But Atul Auto has already declared their intention of buying the company.

However, there is can be competition for Atul Auto in the form of Mahindra & Mahindra. M & M are one of the leading auto houses in the country. The company said that, they would also study the opportunity and give it a thought if the takeover could be profitable in any way.

Mahindra & Mahindra is known for their products like the tractors and the sports vehicles mainly. However, cars and buses are also their forte. They have also ventured into the two-wheeler segment in the recent past.

For some days in the past, there were speculations that the American auto maker, Roehr would reveal the eSuperSport in the days to come. Accordingly, we now have the latest on the eSuperSport. The electric motorcycle has been made public. For this, Roehr joined hands with the Hyosung Motors, USA.

It is not only that the two companies joined hands to make the vehicle available for the common consumers. Actually, the two companies have shared the technology as well. The entire machine of the eSuperSport is based on the GT650R – Hysoung’s bike, while the Roher’s electric drive system shared the rest of the responsibilities.

The battery pack in the bike provides LiFePO4 with a 7.7Kwh capacity. This high powered battery can be used for a ride of around 75 miles (121 KMs). When it comes to recharging the battery management system makes life easy for the recharge. There is an on-board charger with a capacity of 1500 watts which can completely recharge the entire battery in as many as seven hours.

As just said above, there is a Battery Management System in place for the bike. This system not only monitors the functioning of the battery, but also protects it. Apart from this, it can control the charging of the battery, balances the cells inside it, gives a low voltage warning etc.

There is an AC Induction Monitor in place to power the bike. The bike can generate high power of 50 KWs and a peak torque of 108 Nm. These figures are enough to give you an idea of how fast the bike is propelled. So without much ado, let’s come to the figures. The bike can achieve a top speed of 160 kmph.

Now, let’s have a look at some of the other technicalities of the bike. As mentioned above, the speed of the bike is extraordinary. So, for such a bike, there should be strong brakes in place. The powerful dual 300 mm front disc brakes with 4 piston calipers take care of this.

What makes the Roehr eSuperSport bike a true Superbike can be gauged from the fact that there is the adjustable rising rate single shock rear suspension. It gets easier to apply the brakes for the performance oriented bike. Naturally, this becomes one of the best superbikes in the business.

There is no doubt that the Roehr eSuperSport Electric Superbike is a class apart.

When on one hand there is limitless work for some of the established two-wheeler companies in the market, on the other, there is this Big Dog Motorcycles which was literally compelled to down its shutters. The company now no more exists. The finance was drying up and this was the most specific reasons of all. This information was given by the President of the company, Mr. Mike Simmons.

The closing of the company has actually been a foreclosure. This was in the offing for many days now either way; however, it was premature, according to the reports of the company. The last year and a half was not at all good for the company as it faced many financial problems.

The finance company of the Big Dog was trying its level best to let it hold on. However, even it could not do much to make the company survive. It is not only the Big Dog that is facing the ignominy of having to close it down. There are some other companies too, who had to face a similar problem like the Big Dog.

If there are more companies sailing in the same boat as the Big Dog, there are more and different reasons for the shut down as well. However, the reason that is common with most of the companies is, having to do more with the economy. The money factor is common to most of them.

But all is not lost for the Big Dog Motorcycles. Motorcycles Enterprises LLC has been engaged in their business as BDM Performance Products. They will sell spare parts on behalf of the Big Dog Motorcycles. It does not stop here. In the near future, the spare parts of other models will also be added. So, days are not over for the Big Dog yet.

After all, every dog has his day, isn’t’ it?

We had posted a piece of news about booking of Aprilia RSV4 Factory Superbike in India few days ago and here is some text to define and explain the latest in India. Superbikes like Honda CBR1000RR and Yamaha FZ-1 are already up and running in the market presently. However yet, Aprilia wanted their superbike RSV4 Factory to be in the market as well. There is nothing wrong in feeling so.  After all they had worked so hard to get into one of the leading motorcycle markets!

However, it will not be easy for Aprilia to make inroads in the already established market where Honda, Suzuki have carved a niche for themselves. However, the company has not gone with the traditional way of placing the cylinders in a single line unlike most of the Japanese superbikes. There are four cylinders all right, but they are arranged in a way that would form pairs to give the shape of a “V”.

The strength of the Aprilia RSV4 Factory is said to be in its compactness. Therefore, the overall performance of the bike is automatically enhanced. The bike has displacement of 999.6 cc. The engine of the bike produces a high horsepower of 180 at 14,100 rpm and generates a peak power at 12,500 rpm.

Apart from that, you will find most of the things common in the Aprilia RSV4 that you find in most of the superbikes – most importantly, the overall designing. The weight of the 395-pound bike is almost the same for the front and the rear. 52 per cent of the weight is for the front, while the remaining is absorbed by the rear part.

The bike comes with a 6-speed transmission. The braking system of the bike is made up of the dual disc 320 mm for the front and 220 mm for the rear. With these features in place, you can just imagine the extraordinary breaking feature the bike incorporates.

As for the suspension, there is the fully adjustable Tin coated 43mm Öhlins forks for the front wheel. For the rear monoshock, it has the spring preload adjusted automatically for the compression and the rebound.

Well, it is just not only about the breaking system. Breaks play an important role just because the pickup and acceleration of the bike is second to none. A quick and powerful acceleration lifts the front wheel off the ground. That is the power of the four cylinder bike.

As for the current pricing, you will have to shed around Rs. 20 lakhs to own this powerhouse. However, the price of  Aprilia RSV4 is thought to be in a reasonable range considering the features you get from this machine.

There is good news for sports bike lover in India. The Italian auto company Aprilia has opened the bookings for their RSV4 Factory superbike. Since some days there were talks going on in the auto circle that Aprilia would start the bookings. And it is a reality now. The super cool bike can all be yours for a cool Rs. 20 lakhs (ex-showroom).

Currently the Piaggio, the owners of Aprilia, who have their outlet in Pune, will be handling the bookings. The company was in touch with the customers about the bookings through leading newspapers. According to the company, the deliveries will start by the end of this month.

Any bike enthusiast would like to own this monster of a bike which is powered by a 1000 cc engine. The displacement of this engine is 999.60 cc. The V4 four-stroke engine is in place for the bike. The heavy bike produces a high power of 180 PS at 12500 rpm and generates a max torque of 115 Nm at 10,000 rpm.

It is not only the Aprilia RSV4 that Piaggio plans to launch in India. Apart from this bike, the LX125 will also be introduced in the Vespa range in the scooter segment. The launch is proposed for 2012.