Bajaj Auto has given a brand new look to their popular Discover model. The new bike is now known as the Discover 125 cc ST (Sports Tourer). The good thing about the bike is that the company has incorporated some vital changes that will make it a craze in the commuter segment.

The new Discover 125 ST comes with a DTS-Twin Spark technology. It is the first time that such a technology is being used in this category for bikes. That should be another major plus point for the new bike from Bajaj Auto on which the company can ride.

The Discover 125 ST is packed with features all over. No wonder, you may be excited to know them. So here they are for you.

The bike can deliver a power of 13 PS. This is the highest as far as the 125cc category is concerned. Another plus point is that even if the bike can deliver this high power, there is hardly any compromise on the fuel economy. The Discover has five speed gear box and has a sporty styling.

Apart from the styling, the bike has an eye-catching design. The fuel tank looks as if it is chiseled for an attractive touch. The fairing looks aggressive enough with the edged headlamp. The presence of the alloy wheels gives the bike good looks with attractive personality.

Amongst some of the other features, the bike has monoshock suspension for complete comfort while driving. Safety has also been given the necessary consideration with the bike having petal disc brakes for urgent braking. To make your rides more enjoyable there is the anti Vibration frame in place.

Let us now have a look at some of the major technical specifications of the bike.

The Discover 125 ST will come in a 4 valve twin spark air cooled engine. The engine displacement is 124.66 cc. The bike has the ability to produce a power of 13 PS at 9000 rpm while it can generate a high torque of 1.1 kgm at 7000 rpm. There are both self and kick start options available. The Discover 125 ST has a fuel tank of 10 liters.

The wheelbase of the bike is 1305 mm; the seat height is 800 mm while the 2100 mm is the turning circle radius. The ground clearance is in an acceptable 170 mm. The kerb weight of the Discover is 124.5 kg.

India is all braced up for the next year’s MotoGP. The MotoGP is the premier Motorcycle Racing World Championship. The racing championship will get underway in March next year. The Buddh International Circuit will host the championship. The legitimacy of the news has been confirmed from the reliable sources and there is all the possibility that the racing will be a reality in India in March 2013.

The Buddh International Circuit played the host to the first ever F1 Grand Prix racing in India. It had then created history in the racing world. The MotoGP will bring another reason to smile for the racing lovers in India as the 63 year old event will be starting in the country.

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) is the federation that administers the event in the world. The federation has formally made an announcement regarding the fact that India will be the host to the first race of the 2013 MotoGP season. The race track of the race will be 5.141 KMs in Greater Noida, near Delhi.

Lorenzo was the first MotoGP rider who completed a lap at the Buddh International Circuit the previous year. Lorenzo was at the circuit again and expressed his pleasure at coming back to the place. He said that the track at the BIC is wide and is built with all the modern facilities. He concluded that the track is ready to host the race in the coming days.

A couple of years ago, it was Mahindra that became the first auto maker from India to participate in the MotoGP championship, with their Mahindra Racing Team. The managers of the racing track at the BIC are trying to persuade the World Superbike Championship (WSB). No doubt, there are some good times for the racing lovers in India.

The second largest two wheeler company in India, Bajaj Auto has hiked the prices of their flagship bikes – the Pulsar and the Platina, which is the entry level bike in the country. The prices of all these bikes have been increased by one per cent all across India. The price rise has been forced on the company due to the increasing input costs.

After Hero MotoCorp announced the price hike, Bajaj has been the second major auto maker that has announced the increase in the price. As there was tough competition in the market, Bajaj was forced to keep the prices at their original place. However, it was getting hard to maintain the same price tag for the bikes as the input costs kept increasing at the other end.

The input costs had gone up in the last two months. Moreover, there was lethargy in the market. The lesser demand but high competition made it impossible for the companies to increase the prices. Bajaj has however kept the price of the Discover model untouched as there are some launched ready and lined up in this same month.

The entry level and the premium segments have more price hikes than any other in the two wheeler market. As far as the Pulsar and Platina brands are concerned, the company could afford to add to the prices of these two bikes, for the reason that they are believed to be powerful brands in their categories.

The Platina has made a name for itself in the market as a brand that has high resale value coupled with low maintenance and low cost. As a matter of fact, Bajaj has seen a good demand for the Platina over the last year. The shipping average has increased by 20,000 from 30,000 a month to 50,000 per month.

This goes on to show that a good product like the Pulsar goes well with the Indian consumers of the two wheelers, especially the entry level bikes. Pulsar leads the brand in the premium category. That is the reason why the hike in the price will hardly affect it.

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, who is also known as Khiladi Kumar and Akki, is known to have been signed a big deal with the prominent two wheeler company in India – the Honda Motors and Scooters India Ltd (HMSI). The deal is understood to be for five years with a value of Rs. 50 crores. This is probably the biggest deal for a Bollywood star that gives Rs. 10 crores a year.

The interesting part of the story is that there is no official word if the Bollywood star is Akshay Kumar and the company is HMSI Ltd. However, in all probabilities, it is Akshay Kumar and the auto company is Honda Motors and Scooters India Ltd.

Honda has been aggressively going it alone in the market since there breakup with Hero MotoCorp. The first thing they are looking forward to is their brand changeover. So in all probabilities it is Honda that might have signed up the Bollywood star. The company is leaving no stone unturned and is making all out efforts in making the brand changeover a success.

For that, they are ready to spend as much as Rs. 100 crores. The amount will be used in signing up a well-known face and the rest will go to the mass media campaign. The campaign is not far away as the company’s Dream Yuga’s launch is just hours away. This well-known faced might either be from the film industry or from cricket.

Even if the company had zeroed in on a couple of faces, they had made it clear that they will go with only one of the celebrities. As Aamir Khan is the brand ambassador of Mahindra two wheelers while Salman Khan is that of Suzuki Motorcycle, there are all the possibilities that the face Honda has recognized is that of Akshay Kumar.

As not much time is left for the launch of Dream Yuga, it is expected that the deal with the brand ambassador and the launch of the bike may take place at the same time. But as long as there is no confirmation from the company, it will not be correct to say anything with assurance.

Who the face of the Honda motorcycles is, will be known shortly as and when the company launches the bike. All eyes are at the announcement of the company and whom they sign as their brand ambassador for the next five years.

The month of May not only brings the heat in the atmosphere, but the auto industry has added its own heat to the atmosphere. It looks like that the auto makers have zeroed in on this month to make their launches this month only. Suzuki had already launched the Hayate, about which we had reported to you about.

HMSI is all set to launch their much talked about bike – the Dream Yuga this coming Tuesday – May 15. The company had already showcased this bike during the Auto Expo in Delhi earlier this year. The Dream Yuga will be the company’s first motorcycle for the mass market.

There are a couple of other mass motorcycles from Honda’s erstwhile business partner and the number one two wheeler maker in India – Hero MotoCorp. The Splendor and the Passion will be in competition with the Dream Yuga of Honda. The Japanese company has decided to keep the price tag a secret and will only be announced on the same day.

The all new motorcycle from Bajaj is also scheduled to be launched in the market just a day before the launch of Dream Yuga. History has repeated itself. In May last year, the launch was almost the same as what we will be experiencing this year. In May 2010, Discover 150cc and Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler were also launched in the same way.

The 110cc single cylinder engine powers the Dream Yuga. The bike can create a top power of 9 bhp. The best thing about the Dream Yuga is that, it has a fuel economy of 72 kmpl. This is about 10 per cent more than what the Splendor and the Passion can offer. The engine of the Dream Yuga is specially designed for the Indian riders.

The Honda bike will have tubeless tyres as well as tuff up tubes. This is the first time that such tyres and tubes will be seen in a commuter segment bike. The Dream Yuga also comes with a maintenance free battery. That drives away the headache of maintaining the battery from time to time.

It is expected that the Dream Yuga will go straight to the hearts of the masses. The design and the overall looks of the bike are appealing. The Dream Yuga comes in five colors. In a couple of days it will be known how much the masses have accepted the Dream Yuga.

Suzuki Two Wheeler India, which is the fully owned subsidiary of Japan – the Suzuki Motors, has introduced an entirely new two wheeler for the Indian market. The bike we are talking about is the Suzuki Hayate 110. The bike will now be available in the country at all the Suzuki showrooms.

The Hayate is powered by 112 cc engine, which is an air-cooled engine. The bike has been introduced in two variants – one is the kick start variant, while the other is the self start variant. The kick start variant (KS) will be available for Rs. 40,162. On the other hand as usual, the self start variant (SS) will be costlier by Rs. 2000 and will come at Rs. 42,162. The prices are ex-showroom, Pune.

The Hayate is the fourth product from the company in the bike category. The company had earlier introduced the GS150R, the Slingshot and the Slingshot Plus. These bikes were the ones those were available apart from what the company had in its international range. That is not all. Suzuki has two popular gearless two wheelers in India that have become extremely popular. One of them is the Access 125 and the other is the Swish 125.

The Suzuki has a range of bikes like the Hayabusa 1300, the GSX-R1000, the Bandit 1250SA, the Intruder M1800RZ, Intruder M1800R, and the Intruder M800.

Coming back to the Hayate, the company has smartly launched the bike in such a category that has a major chunk of the market share as far as the two wheeler industry in India is concerned. The Japanese company is planning to sell no less than 10,000 units each month. The bike has captured the attention due to its ‘amazing millage’ tag.

The two main competitors for the Hayate will be the bikes from top brands like Bajaj and Hero. Bajaj Discover and Hero Splendor have already found their footig in the market. These two models will give a tough fight to the Hayate and selling 10,000 bikes each month will not be an easy job for Suzuki.

There is no doubt that the 100cc and the 110cc bike segment has a strong market in India. Therefore, more and more companies wish to have a pie for them as well. That is the reason why companies introduce bikes in this entry level segment. The Suzuki Hayate can be a healthy competitor to other bikes in the category as they are riding on a tag like Suzuki.

KTM Power Sports AG, which is one of the top bike makers in Europe, has a chain of newly introduced products in the market. The company will be bringing the bikes in the market with their business partner in India – Bajaj Auto. This comes close on the heels of the success the company had with their mini street motorcycle that was developed in Pune, India.

The company that is based in Austria is in the process of manufacturing a high-voltage motorcycle in association with Bajaj Auto. The company will also be introducing additional platforms for newer models those will be introduced in the near future. Bajaj has around 47 per cent of stakes in the European company. Bajaj manufactures the bikes for the company at their Chakan plant in Pune.

The work is on in Akurdi, Pune, which is the research and development center of Bajaj Auto in India. The engineers of both the companies are in the middle of developing a bike, which will be powered by a 375cc engine. If all the things fall in place, this bike could be the next one only to the Royal Enfield models that will be having the largest engine capacities.

The 125 Duke has been one of the most favored bikes in Europe. The bike has been developed by Bajaj – the second-biggest two-wheeler manufacturer in India. The bike has proved to be a blockbuster in Europe. The success that came hands down gave more revenue and more sales for the European business unit than that of the last year.

The KTM has got more potential plan for the future in collaboration with Bajaj. The companies are working on having two platforms for their vehicles for the prospect. Work has already started on these platforms in the previous year. However, it is yet a secret as to which bikes will be developed on these platforms.

It was the joint effort of both the companies that made the 125 Duke a reality. The companies had worked on the platform more than one year ago. Bajaj however made an important change before launching the bike in India. They replaced the 125cc engine with a more powerful 200cc engine. Obviously, the price tag also went up.

The two wheeler was launched in January at a cost of Rs. 1.17 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The company is hopeful of selling no less than 20,000 bikes in India.

The largest two wheeler maker in India – the Hero MotoCorp has decided to increase the rates for their vehicles with immediate effect. The reason is the rise in the input costs as well as an increase in the excise duties. It is a decision that was on the cards and finally the same has come true.

The price tags have been increased ranging from Rs. 500 to at least Rs. 1000. The prices have been increased to help the company fight the rising input costs. The added excise costs are also likely to be managed with the increased costs. There has been an increase by about 10 per cent to 12 per cent during the general budget.

2011-12 was the first financial year after the company made their way single-handedly in the market after they parted ways with Honda. For the duration of period, the company sold 62, 35,205 units. It was the record sale for the company. The turnover for the company was Rs. 23,579 crores. Before that for the previous fiscal, the turnover for Hero MotoCorp was Rs. 19,397 crores.

The beginning of this financial year was quite fascinating for Indian company. In the first quarter, the company had a healthy sale of 15, 72,027 units. The net profit for the company for the first quarter of the year that ended on March 31 was Rs. 501.61 crores.

The overall income for Hero was Rs.6139.90 crores. For the same period last year, the company had a total profit of Rs. 5471.30 crores. Even with these figures, it should be said that the entire auto industry, especially the two wheeler segment, is not doing good anymore. The sales are dropping for the last few months on a consistent basis.

The increased prices mean, there could be even more drop in the sales. However, increasing the prices is also inevitable as the input costs are also raising steadily. It is expected that if the same trend continues, the sales are likely to take a further beating.

Vespa has made its way back to the Indian market after their launch in the previous week. There is a lot to look forward to for the company as they are slowly building their scooter business in the market that is largely dominated by the bikes.

One of the key features the company is relying on is the innovative design of their vehicles. The scooter will be accessible to the consumers with a new design they might not have seen for the scooters. The company hopes that the people will change their attitude towards looking at a two wheeler like scooter.

The Vespa has been performing well in the market in the world. The brand building for the company has been designed by an advertising firm named Meridian Communications, in Mumbai. The campaign helped the company to create awareness and understanding for the Vespa.

The Meridian Communications has represented the bike in the modern way by showcasing the colors, the rich features of the two wheeler as well as the comforts. The company’s bike – the Piaggio Vespa Lx 125 is a 125cc vehicle with a 4 stroke engine.

We had mentioned some of the features of the vehicle in one of our previous articles. You can read it here. (The reference article: Piaggio’s Vespa launched for Rs. 66,000).

Amongst some of the noteworthy features of the Vespa is the pickup. The two wheeler can reach the 60 kmph mark in just a matter of seconds. The scooter can even cross the 100 kmph mark as well. It may look a bit of exaggeration if you see the design of the scooter, but it is true. Red, blue, yellow silver, white, orange and black are the seven shades the Vespa is available in.

The retro styling for the lighting, circular headlights as well as sporty façade are a part of the vehicle. Storage space is aplenty right under the handle bars to carry things along. With a fuel capacity of 8.5 liters, it is the best in the business. The overall weight of the Vespa is 114 kgs.

Effective suspension and an acceptable ground clearance are a couple of upsides of the auto. What more should one expect of a scooter that has auto transmission, style, comfort, excellent pickup and an admirable fuel economy? With all the features speaking volumes for the Vespa, it looks like the vehicle is here to stay.

Some days ago, we had reported to you that Bajaj is on the way to launch the New Pulsar, Discover and will be making their way to the showrooms at the earliest. So is there anything new to talk about the New Discover series? Yes, there is. And when it is Bajaj, there won’t be any hollow news.

So, the news is, Bajaj has introduced a new variant of their Discover bike. The entry level Discover 100 4G will be available in four gears. So what is the 4G? Well, it has nothing to do with communication, if you are so thinking. It is actually pointing towards the all new gearbox with 4 gears.

The current bike is built with five gears, whereas the new auto will be sporting four gears. At the same time, the bike will cost around Rs. 2000 lesser from what the existing price tag is. Things are pretty simple and straightforward for Bajaj here.

A reduced price means a greater opportunity to have bigger sales. The competition in the entry level bike will get augmented. But at the same time, speaking about Bajaj, they will be ready to take on the Dream Yuga from the house of Honda. An increased competition means more chances of the prices being slashed and quality material available for the consumers.

A new improved gearbox is likely to offer good services in the city traffic, where the gears and the clutch are the most used functions of a bike. The only thing that is yet to be verified is that of the millage. Will the millage come down due to the four gears in the bike, yet remains to be seen.

Apart from this, there are hardly any changes in the new and the older bikes. The Discover 100 will have the 94.38 cc 4 stroke engine. The bike gives a power of 7.7 Ps with 7.85 Nm of torque.

One more thing needs to be addressed while we speak of the four gear and five gear bikes. The decision from Bajaj, whether they will be discontinuing the bike with five gears is still unknown. But through a layman’s’ eyes, it would be nice if they discontinue the 5-gear model.

This will ensure that there is no confusion between the buyers regarding which bike a certain consumer has purchased. Bajaj is more likely to follow these steps. However, it can only be confirmed after an official word from the bike maker.