Chevrolet Cruze

The most ambitions car projects of Chevrolet in recent years, CRUZE is launched and trust me it’s worth every penny you spend in owning it. It’s going to be the car that is not only going to revive GM but also will influence many new products to come. GM has announced that Cruze will not replace Cobalt. In that case it’s sure that Cobalt may get some changes in its engine and design as well and will continue to sell.

Cruze will be launched in the US by 2011 and will sport different powertrain than the European model. Cruze is blisteringly fast and GM is claiming a fuel economy of 40 mpg which is great. In petrol it is available in two variants 1.6 liter and 1.8 litre engines with a bhp of 112 and 140 respectively. Both the variants are 16 valves with VVT (variable valve timing). Apart from this there is turbo diesel variant with 2.0 litres engine is available. It churns out a whooping 150 bhps and is blisteringly fast as well as fuel efficient. Buyers can chose between a 5 speed manual and six speed automatic transmission.

The interiors are spacious and full of luxury. The cockpit design is inspired from Chevrolet Corvette sports car. Its large head lamps are stunningly beautiful and two tire front grill is elegant. Its concave shoulder line with wheels protruding out of the body further enhances its looks.

It has a cruise control and an emergency exit behind the rear seat. Engine is connected by LAN Bus -500 kbps microprocessor chipset for better performance and fast safety actions. There is keyless entry and start with remote control. Engine can be started or stopped without key by pressing a button on the left side of the steering wheel. Overall it’s a great package and you must consider if you are planning to buy a car in the same segment as Cruze is.

Royal Enfield Bullet G5 Military

It’s a dream of every Royal Enfield enthusiast to own a Royal Enfield Bullet Military model. With a new UCE engine and a fuel injection it’s now made available in the United States as G5 Military. With new rock solid UCE engine, higher speed, rugged and at the same time had an impressive fuel economy makes it a must for every Royal Enfield lover. It comes in olive colour and those good old and unique looks of World War II. Handling and suspension are great and meet Euro III emission standards.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: Single Cylinder, 4-Stroke, Spark Ignition, Air Cooled, OHV
Cubic Capacity: 499 cc
Engine/Output/Torque: 27.5 BHP, 41.3 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Fuel System: Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI)
Electrical: 12V System; Headlamp 60/55W; Tail lamp 21/5W
Ignition: Electronic
Transmission: 5-Speed gearbox with left side gear shift
Suspension: Gas-filled shock absorbers
Brakes- Front 280mm Disc brake
Brakes- Rear 152mm Drum brake
Tires - Front 3.25 x 19in
Tires - Rear 3.50 x 19in
Dimension: L x W x B 50in x 32in x 42in
Wheel Base: 54 inches
Ground Clearance: 5.5 inches
Weight: 412 lbs

KAWASAKI NINJA 250R

Here you have the smallest Ninja, but this is no baby by any stretch of imagination. With 249cc parallel twins, liquid-cooled, six speed gearbox, dual overhead cam, 32.5PS at 11000rpms, 22nm of torque at 8200rpm, 2-1 exhausts pipe for better low and mid range power and 175 kmph it’s a monster in itself. It’s blisteringly fast and has a fuel capacity of 4.8 gallons. The new fuel gauge on the instrument panel gives a good idea of its estimated range on long drives.

Ninja 250R is in the market since Kawasaki 1986 as an entry-level sport motorcycle. The bike is named differently in different markets, like in US it’s called Ninja 250R, in UK its ZX250 and elsewhere it’s GPX250.

With an excellent fuel economy, Ninja 250R is the best looking 250cc sports bike in its segment with no direct competition. Rear view mirrors are intelligently mounted and gel brilliantly with the overall looks of the bike.  It gets it’s very aggressive stance from its dual-lamp headlamp. The black tinted windscreen is fitted well between the mirrors and the indicators are peeping out of the faring which looks quite decent.
Ninja 250R comes with a factory fitted stunning alloy wheels. It has a very sporty tail end which is sharp and slim with a step-up rear seat on top. It’s a gentle reminder of simple pleasures of riding on a sports bike. It has got just the right power to thrill you while at the same time its easy to control. It’s a combination of economy, speed, great handling and maneuverability which makes it a great entry level sports bike.

ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET: THUNDERBIRD TWINSPARK

Just when we thought that Royal Enfield needs something new to consolidate its market position, they have come up with Thunderbird Twinspark. This motorcycle is launched with an aim to target young buyers and to consolidating Royal Enfield’s position in the market.

The brakes and the chain are shifted to the right side of the bike. Folding footrests have been incorporated in the front which was missing in the phased our Thunderbird. The front disc and rear drum brakes in Twinspark are excellent and the bike comes to a stand still more steadily and quickly while holding its line. The UCE had a square design with a matte finish which is refreshing and better looking than the old rounded shaped engine. Huge 19-inch steel wheels keep the bike stable on high speed.

The overall ride quality is same as any other bullet. The kick lever still need strong legs to pump it down and is as awkwardly positioned as ever, but an electric start does the trick and save you from the trouble of kick starting the bike. New 6-plate clutch and spectacular low end torque makes Thunderbird Twinspark a delight to ride, but the high end torque is far from being satisfactory.

Royal Enfield’ UCE is fitted with an auto decompressor which activates at 250rpm and helps in reducing startup troubles. A finer rotatory pump is incorporated which pumps oil at a great pressure to ensure more efficient cooling system and increased reliability. With 19.3ps at 5250rpms and with 28nm of maximum torque at 4000rpms, it can attain a top speed of 110 kmph. It offers a decent mileage of 42 kmpl. With a fuel injected engine on sale in Europe, the company’s market share is bound to shoot up.

The famous bullet thumping sound is toned down a little by the new bazooka silencer. With its light weight and a more fuel efficient engine, it is better than any other Royal Enfield models. It’s apparent that Royal Enfield is finally shifting its focus on superior technology and improved reliability which will surely pull younger generation towards its bikes.

Yamaha V-MAX 2009

This reminds me of the movie Mad Max when bikers are tough, quick and fear nothing under the sun. I think the future is going to be the same with Yamaha V-Max speeding at night, evading traffic lights, getting crazy and bad on roads.

It is light and it is very agile. The compact new V4 engine, the signature massive air intakes like that of a fighter jet, the enormous 200-section back tyre and the gorgeous aluminium casing of the V-Max is simply out of this world. This motor bike is right from the future, at the same time a conventional cruiser. It’s impossible not to get trapped in all the Mad Max metaphors when you first dig vision on this monstrous motorcycle.

As compared to V-Max of 2008 which had additional butterflies opening in the carbs at 5700rpm, doubling-up the air/fuel combination to each cylinder and giving the bike a turbo-like powerband which and at a curl of the throttle releases bike’s 200PS at one go, the 2009 model uses Yamaha (CCT) Chip Controlled Throttle and (CCI) Chip Controlled Intake.

Front 52 mm forks are fully adjustable and inspire confidence in the rider. Steering is light and comparatively nippy to respond. With ABS, 320 mm discs with six-piston radial callipers at front and 298 mm disc single pot calliper at the rear wheel, it’s a child’s play to bring this 315kgs monster to a halt. The wider seating and perfect positioning of foot-pegs are good for both short and tall riders.

LCD display on the tank is awesome and sets apart V-Max from a sports bike while linking it to a cruiser. LCD display shows throttle position, fuel level, intake air temperature and gear.

Yamaha has targeted this bike at true Motorcycle enthusiasts and those who want to flaunt their high profile status. It carries a price tag which is not for ordinary people. V-Max is pricey but so elegantly engineered and so dynamic a performer that it’s truly a cut above its closest competitors like the Triumph Rocket III and Harley Davidson V-ROD Muscle.

Working of a Motorcycle Engine

A bike motor is actually an internal combustion engine which provides a frontward thrust to the two wheeled machine we called motorcycle. These motors can be operated on petrol or diesel. Now a day, electric energy is also used to power the bike motors. The spirit of motorcycle movement is dictated by the very principle of gyro motion.

Complimenting each other while the bike is in motion, the forces of centrifugal and centripetal provide stability to each other. Forward motion is an essential element of stability while the bike is moving. The internal combustion provides with the power needed for this forward motion of the bike. The bike motor is always located right below the fuel tank as this gives a better balance by lowering the center of gravity of the machine. Motorbikes are always rear wheel driven.

The rear wheel gets its traction power from the motor that is connected to it by a steel chain, which helps it move ahead. Bike motors have a relatively simple assembly. There are single or multiple pistons that move in a compartment called chamber. It gets started by an electric spark generated by a dynamo that creates combination of gas and air to produce gases that provide an up and down motion to the piston. Rear wheel, which is connected by a chain to the bike motor, is moved by up and down motion of the piston that provides energy to a mechanism. Pistons generate all the power that a motor produce. Pistons pass on the power they produce to the crank. Bike motors can be either two stroke which have a simpler design, generate more power and are easy to maintain or four stroke which are more quiet, give a smoother ride and are far more environment friendly.

A stroke means one movement of the piston. Every second stroke in a two-stroke motor is a power stroke whereas in four stroke every fourth stroke is. Four stroke motors can have more than one cylinder thus can generate more operating power, which is another plus point. The bike motors, which run a motorcycle is rated in regard to its capacity, which means the size of the chamber where piston operates. The output of the power which is called BHP (Brake Horse Power) depends on the chamber and piston capacity.

The biggest capacity of any mass production motorbike is Triumph Rocket III. It has 2300 cc motor, which is the largest displacement motor and generates 140 brake horse power. In the beginning a kick is used to bring a motor to power, which means a lever is pressed downwards by foot. Now days the motorcycles are fitted with electric ignition where a starter motor start the piston. During the early days of motorcycles a magneto is used to supply the current. Now a CDI (Capacitor Discharge Ignition) system is used to start the motor. An option of diesel bike motors is also available, but these are not much suitable to be fitted in the on a motorcycle because they are more noisy, poor weight to power ratio, slow acceleration, have greater vibrations, a lot more heavy and are considerably low in efficiency. There are though some diesel motorcycles available. Some of the production motorbikes in diesel are Sommer Diesel 462, Track T-800CDI, Thunder Star 1200 TDI and Neander. There are multi cylinder motorcycles, which have two, four or up to six cylinders which are in mass production and are available in the market for you to buy. Triumph Rocket III, Kawasaki KZ1300, Kawasaki Vulcan, Honda Valkyrie, Honda CBX, Suzuki Intruder, to name a few.

Positioning of a cylinder can be vertical or V twin. They can also be positioned in a line. There are advanced liquid cooled bike motors available that are fitted with a radiator like a car. The function of this radiator is same as that of a car. It moves water and coolant to keep the bike motor cool. This liquid cooling radiator system is more successful on bike motors with higher displacement as it helps to produce blistering power. There are air cooled motors also available, which have simple design principle and are easy on pocket as well. The life of a liquid cooled motor is far more than the air cooled motor. It’s the four stroke motorcycles, which sell more worldwide. They have all that a biker would like to have in his bike. Their motor is quieter, more efficient; generates more power, is smoother in running and above all, very environment friendly. The market for two stroke engines and four stroke engines is divided geographically. Two stokes engines are cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain thus have a market in developing nations where the pollution norms are not strict and cost is a major factor while buying a two-wheeler

. In the developed nations like the United States of America and Western Europe four stroke motorcycles have completely wiped off their two stroke brothers. Electric motors are coming up in a big way, as this motor is extremely environment friendly in terms of noise pollution and smoke emission. This saves a lot of precious petrol and diesel. There are first generation lead batteries and latest lithium batteries available that are used to power the electric scooters and motorcycles. They have a couple of limitations though. They are heavy in weight, have longer charging period and their performance as compared to bike motors run by petrol and diesel is limited. In future more powerful electric motors are expected to come which will surely change the face of motorcycling.

Triumph Bonneville Turns 50

In 1959, Triumph Bonneville the legendry brand of Triumph Motorcycles was launched to celebrate the breaking of the motorcycle land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats at Utah.

In the celebrations that lasted from 21st August to 23rd August, 2009 the company commemorated 50 years of the motorcycle by hosting a variety of activities and entertainment programmes as it launched a special edition Bonneville.

The colour and styling of the 50th year anniversary limited edition Bonneville T100 is kept same as the one that was originally launched in the market 50 years ago. The two tone colours Meriden Blue/Exotic Orange resemble the first Bonneville. The  is fitted with a fuel injected twin cylinder 865cc motor and a contemporary chassis while maintaining the styling of its 50 years old namesake. Just 650 of these motorcycles have been manufactured and each one gets an exclusive number indicating its limited availability.

Apart from the limited edition bike from the Triumph stable, to mark the occasion the Triumph motorcycle owner club hosted a series of activities and events for Bonneville customers. Several contests were organised amongst them in different classes like including Best Single Down Tube T120, Best Duplex T120, Best Unit Construction T120, Best Oil in Frame T120, Best Meriden T140, Best Devon T140 and Best Hinckley Bonneville. A show of old Bonneville motorcycles was also organised along with music and other entertainment programmes which continued till late night during show days.

Cook It Up With Italian Wine

The list of foods you can possibly cook with wine is endless. You cannot even begin to imagine what different type of recipes can blossom out of a bottle of wine and what dishes you can whip out using Italian wines. If a glass of wine in your hand can spin great magic, just think what it is capable of doing when used in your cuisine. Adding the best Italian wine to your recipes can work wonders and have your family and friends swearing by your food. They will relish your recipes and cherish the taste forever. It’s not called the drinks of the Gods for nothing


Food cooked in wine has no alcohol content as it evaporates while cooking as alcohol has a very low boiling point compared to water and you get rid of almost all of the alcohol before your dish is cooked. What remains is thick syrup which gives real flavor of the wine to the dish. That’s one of the reasons it is suited for all type of people even for children and for those who avoid any alcohol intake.

In many countries, people use their favorite Italian wines to flavor their dishes to give them a distinct and unique flavor. It’s very important to choose the wine wisely as the taste of the food cooked would reflect the taste of that particular wine. Food cooked in red Italian wine will have a different taste than the one cooked in white. Each wine has its own flavor and aroma. Italian wine comes from 20 different regions in Italy and the taste varies from region to region.

It’s always recommended to cook in real Italian wine to savor the real taste of wine cooked food. Never even think of substituting it with any other wine available in the market. Low quality wines are high in sodium content as compared to Italian wines. Always keep in mind that quality wines are not always the costly ones. Protect your wine from heat as any exposure to heat will result in evaporation of alcohol and the taste will be lost.

It is said that anything worth doing is worth doing well. As Italians have given the best red and white wines to the world for hundreds of years, this belief has been taken to ultimate level, which would be difficult for anyone else to achieve.