Mileage Boom!

I'm not referring to the increasing awareness about depleting fuel levels. I'm going to talk about the misconception with most drivers that driving in a lower than optimum gear will help fuel economy. Engines are tuned to be driven in a certain RPM range both for power and economy of fuel usage. Above or below that range, you're not going to get the best mileage out of your car. Most cars, in addition to being not so fuel-efficient in very low RPM ranges, produce an irritating 'boom' inside the cabin. This is not any fault. All engines produce vibrations in varying frequencies at some point in their RPM range. The engineers cannot dial out those vibrations. What they can attempt to do is limit those vibrations to the RPM range that is seldom used by the driver. In city conditions, we often lie in the region of 2500-4000 RPM. So, the engineer might look at confining the engine vibrations either below 2500 or above 4000, if it's a city car. In Innova, the range seems to be below about 2500 RPM.

I recently travelled from my college in my friend's Innova and it was nice. Except for one thing. That irritating booming noise present below the specified RPM. I'm not sure if a better driver could've worked the engine better--it was being driven by my friend's driver and you can't expect drivers to know about all the technical stuff. The same effect is also present in my uncle's Scorpio (non-CRDI unit).

In this respect, I applaud the Fiat 1.3 MultiJet unit in the Swift. It's butter smooth in this regard. The Innova 2.5 litre unit is much smoother higher up the RPM range, however.

Technorati Tags: Innova,Scorpio,Gearing,MultiJet,Fiat,Swift,CRDI

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Scorpio

Would I put my money on a Scorpio mHawk? Definitely not. The new Scorpio throws in a lot of equipment like steering mounted stereo controls, tyre monitoring system etc. But I would prefer to have quality even if it means being put up with a smaller equipment list. And quality is what is lacking in a Scorpio. Even the pictures of the steering wheel speak volumes about the pathetic quality levels. The finish, panel gaps everything...aargh! I recently went for a long ride in an Innova and I was very much impressed by its cabin quality--things are very good to see and touch, no disturbing panel gaps or surfaces. Add to that the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle which makes the Scorpio look like an army truck. I saw a Scorpio, in front of me, see-sawing and I bet the owner was feathering the brake pedal. Wonder what happens when it's slammed.

I applaud Mahindra for taking its own game into a higher orbit with its Scorpio. But it's high time it looked in to sorting out the handling and quality issues. Is Mahindra right in thinking Indians value quantity more than quality? May be.

Technorati Tags: Scorpio,Innova

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Solo Ride in P220

It's tough to have the P220 all for me 'coz of one main reason that I don't know the Madras roads too well. That's why every time I take the bike out, I'm having to, grudgingly :), allow my bro to ride pillion with me. I, however, got one golden chance of, er,  not having my bro anywhere near it, one late evening. My bro and I had gone to one of his friends' house and boy was that area posh! The roads were in great shape, the traffic sparse and guess what, I had the keys! So, after a couple of minutes of a sort of warm-up ride, I began to revel in the experience of riding the bike proper. I made sure that I rode it as it is meant to be. On the other hand I had to keep a check on the max rpm, however (due to it being brand new). A tough compromise, indeed. Eventually, I guess I succeeded in sticking to a max of 6500.

The agenda was quite simple. Merciless driving. I just wound up the tough-to-modulate but precise throttle very hard in every gear,  reached 75kph and braked. Except that it was no ordinary braking that I do daily on my Apache. At 75kph, after checking the mirrors twice, the front brake lever was grabbed with all my might. That, in the process, it was trying to spit me into the moon is a different matter altogether. I kept doing this some 5 or 6 times and it was not even close to doing a stoppie. The composure was absolutely phenomenal.

The roar you get from the aluminium end-can when the engine is given its fair dose of fuel is simply addictive. When puttering around town, the engine note doesn't sound too different to the other Pulsars. But, it's an aural delight once you are in the mood for it. Fantastic.

Bored at the now-easy acceleration and braking, I thought of another interesting idea to try out. To get the tail out. So this time, I reached the same 75kph and just slammed the rear disc. It stopped. Just stopped. No dramas whatsoever. The tail was exactly inline with the front and this was most disappointing. But no bike can keep its tail inline when you slam the brakes, in a corner. So, I set about trying that too. Of course, praying to all Gods that I don't drop this expensive machine.

I went into a grippy corner at about 50 and dabbed the rear brake. It slid wonderfully out and before the slide got out of control, I released the brake. A satisfying experience.

My bro informs me that the running-in period  (2000 km) is now over. I feel sorry for the engine. Because, the next time I get its keys, I don't have any plans to be any gentle with it.

Links of interest:

> DRIVING LICENSE AND P220

> P220 SNAPS

> P220 IN NUMBERS

> P-FORCE

> CHASSIS? ENGINE? BRAKES? WHAT'S THE PICK?

Technorati Tags: Pulsar 220

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Brake Test

The other day I was thinking of learning more about my bike's braking ability--which includes tyre grip levels, feedback from the front brake lever and the handlebar and the bike's overall behaviour under hard braking. I always consider the knowledge of the behaviour of a bike in emergency braking situations to be very important to any rider because, in such demanding situations, when we brake very very hard, we won't be stress-free enough to think about keeping the bike under safe control. Consciously. The control has to come unconsciously. For us to do that unconsciously, we've to simulate the situations and gauge how the bike behaves and how we behave.

I found a nice stretch of tarmac, which was totally fine-sand free and perfectly smooth. I limited myself to 40 kph and made it a point to use the front brake alone. It was a simple test of both my bike's and my ability. I would reach 40 kph, made sure I had no one behind me, and squeeze the front brake lever as hard as I've never done before. Well, what happened then was not too good a feeling. After all, it was trying to spit me into the moon.

I did this several times and learnt a lot of things. The test also taught me that my previous way of braking (read that as the amount of pressure given to the rear brake) wasn't too ideal. I learnt I could use more of the front brake than I thought was safely possible. Until the lessons from this test, my concern with the bike used to be that under very hard braking, the tail used to swing almost 90 degrees to one side (whether left or right depends on the handlebar position). It has happened quite a number of times. I knew the problem was due to the combined effects of relatively low (rear) tyre grip, soft front suspension and a touch too much brake pressure to the rear wheel. I'd been wanting to find a solution for this problem. That's how this test came about.

Since this test, I've been giving more pressure to the front brake than before and it seems to be an improvement. To gauge the full effectiveness of the new find, however, there has to come an emergency situation! I'm not sure I'm looking forward to it!

Links of interest:

> p-force > Chassis? Engine? Brakes? What's the Pick? > The Limit - Found

> Making it "Hush-Hush" > Riding in the Slush > Fuel Efficient Riding

> The Front; the Rear (Part 2) > Brake+Clutch or Brake and then Clutch

> The Front; the Rear > First (long) Ride in Apache 150

Technorati Tags: Apache,Braking

 

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Driving License and P220

Here's one piece of advice that I would give to anyone    planning to clear their license test using a P220. Don't do it. Yes, in the driving test you'll be required to do a figure-of-8 and, frankly, you'd look a lot smarter--and there'll be a lot less muck plastered on your overalls--after the test if you don't try to prove yourself in your P220. The bike has got a turning radius which is a ridiculous 25 cm. Compare that with my Apache's figure that stands at about 20 cm. Now, I want to add that the Apache is a super maneuverable bike. It's one of the best bikes to tackle those claustrophobic city streets. And the P220 manages to be just the exact opposite. I had nightmares when I did U-turns in the bike. Hey, I ain' kidding.

That the astronomical turning turning radius aids its handling, stupendously, when the bike is unleashed is a story for later times.

p-force

What would the answer to this question be: IS RIDING PILLION MORE DIFFICULT THAN ACTUALLY RIDING A BIKE? If someone asked me this question and if I happened to have got used to only the Pulsar 220 and no other bike in India, my answer would surely be, "yes". For the past couple of days I allowed my brother to ride his bike ( allowed him to ride his bike!) while I experienced what it was like in the back seat. Honestly, now I've a bit of a sore bottom. The seat is grippy, the brakes, when applied, give you the vicarious sense of hitting a concrete wall head-on and the engine is a rocketship. Whenever he braked using even 50% of its might, I so violently moved forwards and hit him that I started to resist my movement to save his back. Alas, it took a toll on me; the constant rubbing action was becoming a bit too uncomfortable for my liking. When I sighed relief that all the braking was over, he would twist the throttle and I would be moving backwards towards the edge of the seat so quickly that it again hurt me (you know where!); except that in the opposite direction. Ouch!

This bike is too powerful for city commutes. The throttle is wafer-without-chocoloate crisp and that always sends the revs soaring high even when you don't need it; modulating the throttle at very low speeds is just shy of impossible. And, BTW, like g-force, I've named the forces I experienced on the Pulsar 220 as the p-force! And unlike the g-force which is measured in m/s/s, p-force will be meausured in the number of minutes it takes for the hurt to heel!

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http://rumblingv8.wordpress.com
http://wheelsofram.blogspot.com

Chassis? Engine? Brakes? What's the Pick?

A couple of hours' ride in my brother's Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi confirmed all that I've read about this bike. That this is one properly astounding bike. Just a few seconds after I started off, I started thinking about the Porsche Boxster. Boxster has a reputation for having a chassis that exceeds the capability of its engine. In short, the Porsche Boxster is said to be over-chassied. How much ever one provoked the car, it would simply astonish the driver with its astronomical levels of sheer mechanical grip. The fuel injected Pulsar, I believe, is in the same category. The chassis is absolutely awesome. I just loved every bit of that perfectly balanced chassis - balanced in the sense that the front tyre seems to bear the exact same mass as the rear. I didn't even need to turn the ignition on, to learn this much about the chassis; sitting on the bike, a push was all what it needed.

Ah, the rear-set foot pegs. They are wonderful. It, along with the clip-ons, provides just the right recipe for a commanding riding stance; commanding in the sense, you just somehow know, immediately after taking-off, that this chassis is going to respond - beautifully, with utmost ease - to every one of your silly inputs.

It doesn't scare you silly on the road. And this is most disappointing for me. I touched a top whack of 78 kph (with my brother in the pillion seat) and frankly it was like a brisk stroll in the park. No dramas whatsoever. Signs of over-chassisying.

I've read many reports that complain the rear 230mm disc to be giving no more feel than a drum brake. I'm happy and relieved to tell you that this is not the case. This bike belongs to the second batch of vehicles and it is said that Bajaj has made some tweaks to the caliper in an effort to cure some over-heating problems. I'm not sure that they've successfully managed it though I can say that probably, this has made the disc brake a proper disc. Yes, it doesn't have the bite of the front 260mm unit, but this is perfectly understandable. Rear brakes shouldn't have too much sensitivity lest they'll lock-up when weight transfer lightens up the rear under hard braking. The feel is reassuring and the stopping power is excellent - even with the rear brake alone. The front, meanwhile, is even better.

The engine is un-stressed even considering the fact that this has done only about 700 odd kilometers. It has that characteristic feel of the twin-plugged head of Bajaj engines. A crisp, vibrations-isolated soft throb along with a very good shifting 'box makes for a truly exceptional powertrain.

Did I tell you how it feels like to have every pair of those eyes ogle at you when you stop at traffic signals or when you pull up in the parking lot of a multiplex? Well, you have to try it to believe it. I can only tell you that a wide smile (hidden beneath the helmet albeit) etches on your face. Wicked.

At the end of the day, I have only one grouse. This chassis should have been made to handle an extra 10 horse power. It's that capable enough.

The Limit - Found

I was doing about 90 kph in the Ammamandapam - Mambazhasalai stretch near my house. I had to overtake a slow moving vehicle and so I casually moved to the right from behind the vehicle. I managed to get along side the vehicle but I underestimated the speed of the oncoming traffic. So, I had to brake very hard and I did that. I was wearing my helmet and when I wear a helmet I usually hear only about 60% of the outside noise. When I braked, I heard, very clearly, the tyres squealing. But, amazingly, the bike was absolutely stable - I could steer it clearly where I wanted even under that hard braking. Now, the tyres squeal only when they are at their limit of adhesion, when they are about to call it a day. I guess, it was the amazing chassis of my beloved Apache that was at work, beautifully, on that day.

Making it "Hush-Hush"

The Apache's engine is not as highly refined as the Unicorn's engine - I'm not complaining, however. But one thing that helped improve the refinement of my bike quite a bit is, taking it easy for the first few minutes of driving. I idle the engine for about 30 seconds and after I start off, I keep the rpm below 2500 for around 5 minutes. This helps the lube oil to reach all the parts of the engine and attain the operating temperature. It's also important that all the parts of the engine get properly heated up before it gets to work hard. Because, if the different engine parts are at different temperatures, the clearance might not be up to the manufacturer's design expectations and hence maybe more friction, more noise. We avoid this by giving it (the engine) some time to acclimatize to the conditions. The result of all this is that there's a noticeable difference in my engine NVH - for the better.