How to Test Ride Used Motorcycles

First off, don't show up to a test ride unprepared: bringing the proper safety gear will not only show the seller you're a responsible rider, it will protect you in case something goes wrong.

Before You Buy Your First Motorcycle

If you're ready to shop for your first motorcycle, check out our list of 10 Great First Bikes and 10 Great Beginner Bikes; we've also got a list of 10 Great Advanced Beginner Bikes.

Here are important factors to consider before you make that big purchase:

ABS and After Market ABS in India – Explained in Detail

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As we all know in layman terms that ABS which simply means Anti-Locking Braking System will prevent the rear or the front wheel or both in some case from locking up which if fails, ends in a catastrophic disaster. As the ABS scene in India seen recently is available in only two bikes within the 250cc category one being the Honda CBR 250R and the other in TVS Apache RTR 180, what are the options we are left with for the bikes that we use on regular basis that is equipped with disc brake set-up? Before we dive into the available options in the local market off the shelves, being a deep dive session, let’s see what is ABS first.

Bajaj Pulsar 200NS Review by Anand

by Deepak Raj on January 10, 2013

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Some call it a bumblebee, some call it a street fighter, and for some, it’s a newly styled muscular beast. Yes, I’m talking about Bajaj’s latest product “Pulsar 200NS”. A bike which stands for the term “evolution” in Indian biking history. I’m Anand, a bike enthusiast from the ‘City of joy’, Kolkata. Here’s the review of one of the best things in my life.

How It joined my life

It was the month of June when I had my CPT (C.A. foundation exam) and the only words that was tingling my mind were ”Pass the foundation exam n then u can have a bike” (Said by my dad). So after the exam (which went so good which I knew for sure I was going to pass) I started shortlisting bikes. Those days I used to ride my dad’s 15 year old Hero Honda Splendor, even though I learnt biking on TVS Victor and Bajaj Discover, I used the Splendor for more than a year to get my hands on a bike perfectly so that I can jump on to a bigger one easily.

Hi csmarimuthu,

Are you a biker who wakes up every morning and talking to your
mirror about compensating your fuel expenses? Well here is
something to relieve you from the stress.

1. If you see a bike's specification there will be a section about the
vehicle's torque @ certain rpm. Torque denotes the pulling force
that the vehicle can offer at that particular engine speed. Every
engine has certain rpm range where it can offer maximum torque. Try
to keep below that range (not too low) so that you don't burn a lot
of fuel.

2. Clutch riding / half clutch tends to wear out the clutch facing
quickly. This considerably reduces the power transmitted from the
engine. Some adjust the play to half clutch owing to the reason
that it is easier to drive in slow moving traffic, but they won't
realize that they are doing it at the cost of frequent fuel refills
and clutch replacement.

3. Selection of appropriate gear is mandatory. Under-gearing /
over-gearing are not good friends of fuel economy. Riding in higher
gears at very low speeds (by clutch partially engaged) and lower
gears at high speeds tends to draw more fuel. So don't hesitate to
shift gears appropriately.

4. Starting earlier to work/college will also help saving fuel
indirectly. As the peak hour approaches the traffic density
increases and it demands frequent stops and crawling speed. So why
waste your precious time and fuel?

5. Always ensure that your vehicle's transmission is sufficiently
lubricated. This is because if there is more friction between the
parts the engine will draw more fuel to compensate your speed
demand. Also friction is not healthy exercise to the parts.

6. The engine can not only be used for moving the vehicle but also to
slow it down. This is called engine braking When the throttle is
released only idling amount of fuel will be supplied to engine and
the power will be transmitted from wheels to the engine. Thus the
vehicle slows down due to the resistance offered by the engine.
There are some places to use this phenomenon like when you are
about to stop for an obstacle which is say some 10-50 meters (Note:
this range depends on your speed) ahead of you just release the
throttle rather than breaking hard near it and let the 'engine
braking' work its magic (can also be employed in slow moving
traffic). You can also down shift if you need to. This thereby
reduces unwanted fuel consumption and also saves brakes from
wearing out.

7. Don't have your head lamps turned unnecessarily ON which in turn
demands more fuel by the engine to charge the battery/run the
alternator. Unwanted electrical accessories can also be avoided.

8. Make sure that your vehicle's idling speed is set as per the
manufacturer's specification. If set higher intakes excess fuel
during idling and if set lower engine tends to stall frequently
this in turn needs richer mixture to start the vehicle.
At times when you have to wait in a traffic signal for more than 30
secs switch OFF your engine. If you have self starter try
alternating between kick starter also to avoid heavy load acting on
battery frequently.

9. Above all these maintain a log book about your fuel refills, type
of journey distance covered per journey (even if it is very short),
fuel consumption per liter to know about your driving performance
so that you can improve further.

10. Let me hope that these points will at least save you a rupee per
day. Also you are indirectly reducing the density of polluted air
for others.

BikeAdvice - 10 Tips on Being a Sensible Rider

10 Tips on Being a Sensible Rider

by Naren on November 27, 2011

These days, I see a lot of kids riding Activas and other scooters and bikes as well. I don’t know if this scene is becoming too common in Bangalore alone or across the nation itself. What makes me worried is the way these kids ride these two wheelers. Small kids in the age group of 13 to 15 roam around in the streets with their throttles fully opened.
There is a reason why I come up with a post on this particular title. Yesterday, a kid (that’s what I wanna refer to him as) came speeding in a White Activa, lost his control and fell right in front of my bike. More than the speed with which he came and fell, what made me stunned was the fact that after the fall, guess the number of people who got up. They were four in number. Four people in a single Activa was something I cannot even imagine.
This incident made me the feel that nobody can boast about being a biker, but being a sensible rider is the ‘Need of the Hour.’ Here are few tips which will make you one.

How to Deal with Poor Customer Service from Bike Dealers and Service Centers

by csm on January 19, 2013

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We all have came across frustrating and poor customer service from dealers and especially the bike service centers. We save money for months and years and we are so passionate about our bikes but the guys in the service centers treat our babies like junk. We would feel like slapping him on the face but he can hurt our bike so we don’t do it. And we do not raise a voice later because we are just too busy with our lives.

Hi readers,

I know you have a great attachment towards your bike. The moment
a scratch appears on it, it's like we getting a cut on our body.

Csm’s Maintenance Monday: Stan’s NoTubes Tubeless Conversion Kit

I know this is a little late, but this is a perfect post for cyclocross season! Stan’s No Tubes has a wide variety of tubeless conversion kits that take a lot of the guess work out of setting up your tubeless tires with non-UST rims. Here’s a quick run-through on how to set your wheels up.

Maintenance Monday: Washing your nasty helmet

Here is another quick tip for the end of the season (or beginning of the cross season). I’m not sure where I picked up this idea, but I’m sure I wasn’t the first to use it. If your bike helmet is getting greasy and dirty, this is a quick, easy way to clean it with hardly any effort!
Tools you’ll need for this job:

Meet The Big Daddy Of Bikes- X132 Hellcat Combat

If you are a lover of big, fat Harley Davidson bikes and think they are the big daddy of the motorcycle genre,

Yamaha’s 250cc Bike Confirmed For Indian Market [2014]

The current hot favorite in the sports biking segment is the quarter litre displacement segment, almost all the performance motorcycle manufacturers are queuing up to launch their own variant of the 250cc bike in India.

How BMW’s Dynamic Damping Control Works

Some time ago, we looked at the innards and working of Ducati’s latest semi –active suspension system called Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS). Today we look at one of its biggest competitor,

Do’s And Don’ts Of Motorcycle Maintenance

by Deepak on August 3, 2009

It Happens Only In India – This phrase may remind you of a catchy old hindi song… but it sure reminds one of the current state of affairs here in India. Here I talk about the wrong practices of two wheeler maintenance which surely would be undertaken only in India. As anyone in the know would advice, there are certain do’s and dont’s in the field of automobile maintenance and repair.

Lets look at the bigger picture… A motorcycle chassis is made up of either tubular seamless pipe or sheet metal, which is one of the several vital parts of a motorcycle. A wheel rim is made up of either sheet metal or alloy and the front forks are made up of alloys and a seamless pipe coated with hard chrome. The point is that each of these parts are made with materials that have specific tolerances for its respective functions.

They certainly have their limits but these are well within what a normal user would subject to it during its lifetime. But accidents can alter these very parts both in terms of strength and durability. A motorcycle would continue to move even if certain parts like the visor, seats, rear grab rail, sari guard all get damaged although with a little discomfort for the rider , but at the same time there are the vital components such as chassis, fork, shocks, frame etc. Which play a serious role in the geometry and physics of the motorcycle.

Most cities in India have some sort of roadside repair shop where you could get almost any part on your motorcycle fixed at least visibly and chances are that the mechanic would not be having an idea on metallurgy and quality of materials. Just ask yourself a simple question.. why do manufacturers spend lakhs of rupees recruiting engineers and specialists? The simple answer is quality. A normal bike chassis during manufacture is subject to a laser alignment test. This is done by manufacturers using a laser to verify that each point in the chassis in the same specification as mentioned by the engineer. The same applies for shock absorbers and other vital components. In Poona there is an area known as NANA PETH, Here you would find people running businesses of Shock Absorber repairing or refilling. A factory fitted shock absorber is fairly reliable, once someone opens it, it just becomes a piece of scrap metal. The Front fork is repairable but repairing a chassis, front fork pipes, fork tee etc. are technically not advisable. As I said all those spares parts have a vital role in the proper functioning of a motorcycle plus a defect in any of these parts would put the lives of both the rider and pillion at stake.

When an accident occurs several parts like the chassis, forks and wheel rims can get damaged. This damage weakens these parts and if you would take it to the manufacturer authorized workshop, they would most probably recommend you to simply replace the damaged parts, which would be expensive but worth it since you would have a peace of mind. At the same time if you were to take the same, damaged vehicle to the nearest roadside workshop, you could get the damaged parts fixed with simple tools like a hammer and a welding tool.. yes, it is much cheaper and faster than the former but think again about the assurance of safety you get here. The only thing that can be called as assurance here is the usual dialogue “Kuch nahi hoga sahab”!

In my humble opinion I honestly think that we Indians would be the only ones in the world who would refill the rear shock absorbers and remove bends of front fork pipes, chassis’ and fork TEE’s. When company seals the shock absorber it can’t be repaired, we must throw it in the event of damage and it should not be refilled. But we do so, just to save some money. Cutting cormers wouldn’t be the wisest decision to make especially when you know that the lives of you and the rider behind you are at stake.

Choose wisely, don’t let your pocket decide how to maintain your machine, let your brain decide.. money comes and money goes, its not the same for health and well being. They say peace of mind is hard to attain and when it may cost a little more, why not spend? Respect your machine, it will respect you…

- Chinmay Dangre

Safe & Smart Use Of Motorcycle Brakes

 

When we think of vehicles, we think of mileage, power and top speed but we never give consideration to one important aspect of any vehicle, braking. Many riders don’t know about proper and safe braking techniques. There is an old saying, power is nothing without control. Controlling the vehicle at any circumstances is a sort of an art. As we may all know bike stuntmen strive to master this very art. For them too, brakes are an integral part of almost all common moves, wheelies, stoppies and burnouts all require proper brake manipulation in order for the rider to be on the safe side. Most stunt accidents occur due to improper braking techniques.

In city riding conditions ,one of the most common types of braking errors committed is the application of front brake on loose or wet surfaces, this would lock up the front wheels and in turn lead to a slide and crash. All vehicles are manufactured with appropriate braking systems in place which today are really reliable. In effect, a geared vehicle would have three forms of brakes. You might be wondering how, its simple.. If you are a rider with a decent amount of experience, you would have noticed how the bike slows down when you change to a lower gear from a relatively high RPM. All racing drivers in almost all forms of racing, be it car or moto, use this very technique for a more powerful braking force. CVT, or automatic geared vehicles wouldn’t have this form of braking because the rider cannot control the gearshift.

Ideally, braking should be applied in variable ratios depending on how fast you are going, a general rule would be to apply more front brakes at higher speeds especially if your bike sports a disc brake as it offers much more power in terms of stopping when compared to the usual drum brakes. However, if you are riding in the rain, you would notice that the disc brakes does not have the bite that it had before the rain started, which would be a good thing as otherwise it would lock up the wheels every time you apply the brakes.. This because the pads and the disc surface become wet, thereby losing their effectiveness, which you can solve by applying the brakes lightly while riding. This is where a rear drum brake would shine.. Since the drum brakes are sealed, they stop better in the wet.

In India right now, more than ever, manufacturers and governments are becoming more and more eco friendly, due to awareness. Earlier all the two wheelers used to have drum braking systems. Now manufacturers and government are changing the view towards it. In drum brakes the material which is used for brake shoes is made up of leather, asbestos etc..etc…By using these materials the rate of emission becomes high. So mostly all the manufacturers turning towards disc system. But due to cost, manufacturers are still not able to provide disc system in all the models. The problem behind a drum brake is that it creates a hazardous dust of asbestos, which can cause health problems. So instead of drum brakes, the disc brake system is always superior and effective and also very much easier to maintain.

Usage of disc brake is very effective but also very dangerous in inexperienced hands; by using both the brakes simultaneously accidents can be avoided. Rider can learn how to use all the brakes by practicing. The judgment of braking can be learned by practicing on short roads or empty roads.(Please do not practice in public or in heavy traffic, not near to hospitals or schools, that may disturb or harm others, it is also recommended to use proper gear while riding the bike). It is very necessary to learn when to apply the brakes. Gentle braking should be applied at the time of turns. Traction is generally less at the time of turn because bike is leaning, if rider’s always performs hard braking then the consequence can be unpredictable.

Speed is the most important criteria which a rider should keep in his mind. At high speed the vehicles actual weight increases by some amount due to something known as downforce, which is created due to the wind.

We don’t have specific tool to measure the braking pattern. But on judgment and practice we can guess the braking ratio. The first thing we would recommend you, is to learn the brakes limits, try to understand what force would make the wheels lock on an empty ground at low speeds, try it on muddy ground too at really low speeds with riding gear and learn how to recover from this lock up. This would teach you what kind of force you should never apply under any circumstance.

The wheels locking up, especially the front ones, are something that should be avoided at all costs, even if in an emergency always maintain control over the force you apply on the brakes. This would require a little practice but would eventually help you a lot. Even if the front wheels lock up, don’t panic, simply release the brakes the moment u notice the lock up and this would restore control… They say practice makes perfect.. practice your braking skills on an open ground and on different surfaces while remembering to do it really slow with your safety gear on because, the only thing you would use in an emergency would be your brakes and proper use within limits would save you for sure.

- C.s.marimuthu

All You Need To Know About Engine Oils

What is the meaning of oil? A dictionary would define it as any one of a great variety of unctuous combustible substances, not miscible with water. Oil – It is one of the most important part of an engine. What blood is to us humans is what oil is to engines. Oil serves several important functions in an engine mainly lubrication, cooling, efficiency, anti-rust agent, protection etc.

What oil does for the motor is generally known to all. But what is relatively unknown are the different standards and quality of oil that are available in the market. There are several different ways of ascertaining the properties of an oil the most commonly used ones are the codes such as SAE, JASO, MA, MA2, 20W40, 20W50, 10W30 etc. etc.

These codes are usually found on oil containers for the purpose of easy identification and classification.

• API – American Petroleum Institute
• JASO – The Japanese Automotive Standards Organization
• “S” grade stands for Petrol vehicles. (Sprak Ignition)
• “C” grade stands for Diesel vehicles.(Compression)
• “W” for winter
• Multi grade
• Single grade
• EP – Extra Pressure
• SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers
• MA – Grade for Wet Clutch type vehicles (HIGH FRICTION VEHICLES. Non Clutch Slipping Oil)
• MA2- next version of MA(HIGH FRICTION VEHICLES Non Clutch Slipping Oil)
• MB – LOW FRICTION VEHICLES(NOT RECOMMENDED. Clutch Slipping Oil)

[MA or MA2 means you are guaranteed that the clutch won't slip]

Multi grade Oil: Suitable for both vehicles like Diesel and petrol/LPG/CNG.
Single Grade Oil: Suitable for petrol or diesel, depending on oil grade.

EP or Extra Pressure is suitable for only gearbox applications. This grade type is not suitable as an engine oil and is also not suited for gear boxes of two stroke engines. In two stroke engines, regular engine oil is recommended as per the manufacturer.

Petrol Engine Grades :- SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ, SL, SM.
Diesel Engine Grades :- CA, CB, CC, CD, CD-II, CE, CF, CF-2, CF-4, CG-4, CH-4, CI-4, CJ-4.

We all have motorcycles with petrol engines, hence the manufacturer would only recommend “S” grade oils In which, most people prefer API/SAE-SL/SM (JASO MA or MA2). SM is relatively a good grade of oil which has better oxidation resistance, deposit protection, wear protection and low temperature performance.

There are a lot of imported oils suitable for Indian motorcycles. But one thing to remember is that foreign bikes and riding conditions differ from Indian ones so those oils would be more suitable for higher CC engines and not Indian motorcycles also most vehicles abroad employ dry clutch systems for which a different grade of oil would be recommended by the manufacturer when compared to Indian bikes because in Indian we only have motorcycles with wet clutch systems, which highlights the fact that the best oil for your bike would be the manufacturer recommended grade. But that isn’t the end of the story here as we can use grades of slightly better quality provided it falls in the same category. For example if the manufacturer recommended oil grade is API SL(JASO MA) and if, in the market, the oil company introduces a newer grade of the same oil like API SM (JASO MA2), then we could buy it.

Sometimes mechanics pour oil which into petrol engines which are more suited for diesel engines. Hence one needs to ensure the grade of the oil used starts with the letter “S” (e.g. SC,SM). If the mechanic uses something else, it would be best to help him understand the grade types.

For better understanding refer to the following information on the qualities of various grades.

1. 0° C(32° F) – 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30,10W-40,20W-50
2. -18° C (0° F) – 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40.
3. BELOW -18° C ( 0° F) – 5W-20, 5W-30.

The above represents the temperature below which the consistency of the oil would deteriorate.

In the same grade, there are a few more different type of oils based on their contents, for example mineral, semi synthetic and synthetic.

• What are mineral oils? 
  Mineral oils are based on oil that comes from our dear old Mother Earth which has been refined. In simple language NATURAL OIL.
• What are Synthetic oils?
  Synthetic oils are entirely concocted by chemists wearing white lab coats in oil company laboratories. In simple language ARTIFICIAL OIL
• What is the meaning of Semi Synthetic Oil?
  Semi-synthetic oil, is a mixture of natural and artificial oils. It is safe to mix the different types, but it’s wiser to switch completely to a new type rather than mixing.

It is good to use flushing liquids before our mechanic friend pours in new oil. Usage of flushing liquids are advisable once or twice a year, It also depends on kilometers covered. Do not use kerosene, diesel or petrol as a flushing liquid for removing carbon. It may damage the bearing surface and it’s oil filming. Please read all the intsructions before using flushing agents.

Do not mix mineral oil with synthetic or semi synthetic when we top up the oil level. New grade oils have better detergents that remove the carbon content. So try to use new grades rather than old. Do not use car engine oils for motorcycle purpose. That may harm the motor. Car engine oils content with friction reducers. Two wheeler engine oils – specifically four stroke engines with a wet clutch multi plate setup do not need oils with friction reducers as they can increase or decrease the friction, If we use friction reducer then the clutch will start slipping fast at high rpm or at the time or heavy load and high torque.

Soon we will be hearing about ILSAC grades:- International Lubrication Standard Advisory Committee. Due to limitations we can’t publish a detailed oil grade chart. In the market there are lots of Oil companies, with various different types of oils for almost all types of engines so producing a detailed list would be really time consuming. I would, later on, post a chart on the most common and important oil grades.

- C s marimuthu

Antilock Braking System (ABS) for Indian Motorcycles

The German firm of Robert Bosch GmbH had been developing anti-lock braking technology since the 1930s, but the first production cars using Bosch’s electronic system became available in 1978. The early era did not have the kind of a technology and sophistication that we have right now. But for its time, the system was superior. But if we were to compare the earlier systems with today’s ones it would seem a bit OLD SCHOOL.

ABS in India

Right now, in Indian motorcycles we still don’t have the system. But in cars, yes we have it, but, at a cost, As we now know, ABS stands for Antilock Braking System. This is a device which avoids locking of wheels equipped with hydraulic brakes.

When Bajaj introduced disc brake system, they had a lot of troubles with the design which I guess was due to lack of knowledge. But Royal Enfield was the first to introduce disc brakes in India. They introduced this system in vehicle called Fury. Fury was launched by Royal Enfield Motors. The original company who made this awesome motorcycle was Zundapp. When they launched this powerful moto in India, it came with disc system. The disc system was from BREMBO Germany. One of the biggest companies specializing in disc brakes.

Fury had a very good and bad reputation in India. It was very good in speed but very bad in braking due to its Disc Brake system. At the, time the disc brake system was very much unknown to all our Indian friends. So it was much harder to use. People whoever bought FURY had many accidents due to the brakes. Why did this happen? Well the answer is simple: misunderstanding the brakes. Using the front or rear brake depends on the vehicle speed. It has to be in some ratio which we learn by our experience and judgement. Due to wrong usage, Fury owners had problems. But after this long span of time, this system began to be introduced on Indian motorcycles but without an ABS.

Types of ABS

ABS comes with two different types. One is mechanical and another is ECU based. If I am not mistaken, the first motorcycle with an ECU controlled ABS in India and for Indian roads is CBR1000 by Honda.

The mechanical system works on pressure but continuously varies it according to the pressure applied by the rider on the brake lever. An ECU controlled ABS works in a smarter way because it is based on sensors and a processor which work together to vary braking force based on numerous information for the bikes systems such as throttle position, vehicle speed, angle of lean etc. It is bit complicated to understand.

Installing Mechanical ABS For Your Bike

But let’s talk about mechanical ABS. Its a good news to all moto lovers in India that an Indian based company actually manufactures Mechanical ABS systems themselves.

The system was introduced by company called EATA Plast Fabrics. And they currently manufacture Mechanical ABS for Indian motorcycles. When I saw the article related to ABS in “Bike India” magazine I was very curious to understand it. But since no one has ever got an ABS system in India which can be fitted to any of our Indian made motorcycles. I bought the system online and tested it on a ThunderBird Twin Spark and a Bajaj Avenger.

The result was amazing. I could instantly feel the change between both the brakes, I meant, without and with ABS. The bike can stop without skidding under hard braking. The system works 2-3 times per second. When rider presses the brake lever it applies variable pressure to the brake pads hence making sure that the brakes maintain maximum pressure while keeping wheel lock aside on any surface.

But it depends on vehicle speed. If the speed or load of the motorcycle is high then the system works faster. That means the system is activated 2-3 times every second the brakes are applied. This system is relies on some mechanical spares. The unit is quite small and can fit onto any motorcycle without any alterations or changes. You can roll back to original if you don’t want it.

The only catch is that Bajaj vehicles need different spares for ABS, but for other motorcycles all the spares are same. Bajaj has got a different threading style. So EATA Plast Fabrics provides spares for that too. You can order ABS online through www.SafeRideABS.com or can order from me also.

The price tag is very reasonable which is M.R.P.1250/- without shipment charges. The price tag on site is included courier charges. Rest of the information you can get is from their website. This system is not suitable for foreign motorcycles. Get it as fast as possible and fix it from your skilled and professional mechanic.

Friends, remember one thing this system is not an entertainment plug in. It is A Guaranteed Hardcore Safety Device, In effect, you can brake on any surface, be it water, mud or gravel, with full force at any speed without having the fear of locking the wheels and crashing.

Do not hesitate to buy. The installation guide is packaged along with the unit, if you have any doubts feel free to contact me or you can contact the concerned company directly.

Get To Know – Iridium Spark Plugs

There is no need of Introducing Iridium Spark plug to you guys as many of you would have at least heard of that term and not an alien word in the world of motoring. It became very popular with the foray of performance bikes into the Indian Market. By the turn of the decade, we are going to witness more and more of these Adrenalin spark Injectors.

We already saw a quarter liter sports bike in the form of Kawasaki Ninja 250R and also our home grown products like Yamaha R15, Karizma ZMR, Pulsar 220 dtsi, Apache RTR180 etc.

Sadly the lime green baby, ninja was priced on the stratosphere for most of the bikers in India which is still a dream for many. But let’s not worry about that, we have our home grown products which are not far behind and also don’t cost us a bomb. Think sub one lakh for R15 and karizma ZMR is equally justifiable for the amount of technology invested in them. So tinkering on the current offerings can yield us better power or at least feel. Ok, now what’s first? There comes a performance part in the form of spark plug which ignites a bike’s heart. So what can a spark plug do to improve the performance?

I am going to describe the basics of a spark plug and its working so as to clearly understand its advantages and disadvantages over the normal plug. The main function of a spark plug is to ignite the Air-fuel mixture inside a combustion chamber. The current is supplied to the plug by using an electrical ignition system. The ignition coil will supply the high current needed to the spark plug. When the current reaches the tip of the central electrode, it arcs and joins the base (ground) electrode to form a spark which ignites the mixture. Spark plugs are under constant chemical, thermal, physical, and electrical attack by corrosive gases at 2,000 degrees Celsius, crushing pressures of 2,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) due to the working of the piston, and electrical discharges of up to 20,000 volts. The spark occurs dozens of times per second and over a million times in a day’s worth of riding.

So why Iridium? (Advantages)

The main metal used in ordinary spark plug is nickel-iron or chromium based substance. I am not going to describe about the chemical properties and all because it will turn out to be a chemistry class. Simply put, Iridium is one of the hardest, strongest, and precious and one of the rarest metals found on earth’s crust.Iridium is the best, but too hard to handle. Iridium is 6 times harder, 8 times stronger and can withstand temperatures exceeding 2454° C. Unfortunately, the incredible properties that make it the perfect metal for building spark plugs also made it impossible to work with until now.

Circumference Laser Welding

There was not a welding tool hot enough to melt an iridium electrode tip to a nickel base. That is until DENSO pioneered their patented Laser Welding Process.

	Iridium (Ir)	Platinum (Pt)	Nickel (Ni)	Gold (Au)	Silver (Ag)
Melting Point ° C	2454	1769	1453	1063	960
Strength	112	14	68	13	13
Electrical resistance	5.3	10.6	6.8	2.3	1.6
Hardness	240	40	160	25	26

Improved Firing Performance: To improve firing performance, the contact area between the electrode and the flame nucleus needs to be reduced in size. This is why the electrode was made as fine as possible to a diameter of 0.4mm. Compared to normal Spark Plugs, with a spark gap of 0.8mm, the ignitability limits are better by 2.5. Less metal on the tip allows the spark to expand in a greater area, maximizing firing performance and minimizing voltage requirements.
The required voltage in the Iridium plugs is between 3000 volts & 5000 volts that is less than a normal plug. This is due to the ultra-fine 0.4mm diameter ground electrode. Because the required voltage is kept low, Iridium plugs can be used in high performance engines and for high response driving.

Smoother Idling: When an engine is idling, firing can become particularly bad. Because Iridium Power plugs have a low required voltage and high ignitability, sparking continues to work properly during idling. Whereas normal plugs have highly variable rpm counts, Iridium Power plugs maintain very smooth idling. Also, because combustion is good, the explosive energy raises the rpm count.

Improved Engine Performance: Iridium Power spark plugs enhance the performance of an engine. Acceleration is improved when compared against normal spark plugs.

Decreased Fuel Consumption: When Iridium Power spark plugs are used, accidental fire and misfiring rarely occurs under various driving conditions. Therefore, combustion is extremely good. In turn, a healthy engine can be maintained and fuel consumption improved.

So why not use an Iridium plug? (Disadvantages): We can’t properly say a disadvantage for using an iridium plug. But commonly Iridium plugs are used where high efficiency or high tuning is needed. In most of the other cases, normal spark plug is enough. It is mainly used in high performance engines like our Yamaha R15 or the incredible tourer’s the Karizma and the Pulsar 220’s. I said this because one of my friends came and asked me whether he can fit an Iridium spark plug to his Hero Honda splendor. I said yes, it can be fitted to any vehicle provided the manufacturer has the specified model. But fitting it to a small engined vehicle like my friend’s does not completely justify the amount we are investing for getting an Iridium plug and furthermore, the daily commuter is not going to gain any noticeable improvements.

Coming back to the fitments of Iridium plugs to our  home grown performance bikes. It’s a common thing now a day to fit a K&N free flow air filter or of any type of performance filters to our bikes. People are mistaken by the fact that they are really gaining performance advantage by simply retro fitting it in place of normal air filter. The only true improvement gaining from this modification is better throttle feel due to leaner mixture provided by the performance filters and of course the trademark intake roar that can be heard in every corner of our country. One way is to re-jet the carburetor. But if it’s a fuel injected vehicle, that possibility is also null. Either they have to replace the ECU or remap it in some way provided it has a closed loop system. Both the modification will turn out to be very expensive, delicate, time consuming and lot of hard work that involves excessive R&D. The simplest way is to use an Iridium plug which will provide a much better spark. After all it’s easier to burn fuel than air. The more air, less fuel mixture can be effectively burned by using Iridium plug provided if one wants to run the engine lean or just retrofit the Iridiums without any additional modifications. Thus attaining a reasonable difference in throttle response that infact becomes crisp.

More Modifications: Do u people want to pull out more juice out of your already etched ride? Here comes the high performance ignition wire. These are the low resistance super conductor cables (50 ohms resistance). The original spark plug cable should be removed and this cable is to be connected to spark plug from the ignition unit. When coupled it with the Iridium plugs, the current produced by the ignition unit is carried to the spark plug without any loss. So Voila…again some juice. These high performance ignition wires are manufactured by some well known firms like MSD and Spitfire which convinces us to at least trust them by not harming the engine.

So get ready for an exhilarating experience, save some money and start procuring things!

         -Marimuthu chelliah sundaram 

How to “Run In” Your Bike

Running in a bike is basically making sure your bike engines wears uniformly. Dont get scared! What I mean by engine wear is the piston properly bedding into the cylinder. So I shall now give a detailed guide as to how an engine should be run in.

Basically, during run in, your bike gets adjusted to your riding habits. Its sets up itself according to your throttle, braking, gear change speed, use of clutch, etc. So do not hesitate to whack in a little more fuel into your cylinder head if you are running as it is a required input for the bike to get used to you.

If you’re looking for fuel economy, dont raise it beyond 5 and a half 1000. Use the clutch smoothly, never let your engine rev by the force of the gear box. If possible, do a long run in. Go long distances during run in. Try maintaining the bike at about 3000 clicks for more than 20 to 25 kms at least! This will ensure that later your bike will give you a real solid mileage figure. Probably close to the company specifications. But keep one thing in mind, if you do such a run in, you will not be able to rip on your bike.

If you do so, you might face the following consequences:

• Horrible mileage
• Depressingly awful pick up and overall performance.
• Reduced engine longevity and life.
• Painful and irritating noises and rattles from your motor.

Things to keep in mind about economy run in:

• Gear changes should be minimum.
• Clutch release should be extremely smooth.
• Engine should be at about 3000 rpm.
• Higher gear should be used as often as possible.
• Gear shift should be early.

The plus points of this run in are as follows :

• Amazing mileage
• Butter smooth engine and gear box.
• Long engine life.
• Less overheating of engine.
• Tons of praises from your service guy!
• Good resale value of your bike.

Petrol heads like me (which I seem to find in plenty!) will not enjoy riding their two Wheeler in the above mentioned fashion for obvious reasons! There is a way to ensure that your bike doesn’t seem sluggish at any throttle point. Running in your bike for performance is a very tedious and delicate task. If not done correctly, it could result in your bike engine showing signs of premature ageing, and uneven wear and improper bedding of piston into the cylinder.

A performance run in needs to be done accordingly:

• Keep idling about 200 clicks more than normal.
• Raise engine to higher rpm.
• Care needs to be taken to ensure that acceleration is slow, steady and linear.
• Try maintaining engine speed at about 5000 to 6000 rpm at all times.
• Stick onto a gear for as long as possible.
• When bike is in neutral, never idle it. But try to keep raising the engine speed to about
• 2500 clicks every 3 seconds by constantly flicking your wrist.

Keep in mind that the run in steps should be followed very precisely and utmost accuracy. I do not suggest this to beginners. If this type of run in is not done correctly, the consequences might be:

• Poor mileage (depressingly low mileage, I mean)
• All kinds of alien noises coming from your engine
• The engine life may be reduced by about 50%
• Smoothness is almost completely absent
• Engine refinement is tossed
• Power delivery is abrupt, unexpected and less harness able.
• Oil leaks every now and then.

But here’s a list of the pro’s that will sure make a biker smile

No more seeing people overtake you 

• Linear, smooth and harnessable power delivery
• Mileage is extremely satisfactory for the power out.
• Easy starting with zero issues (whether self start or kick start).
• Pleasurable ride quality and engine response.

So there you go. Sometimes the service manual or owners manual guides the owner to do a very soft run in. After some thinking(and research), I realized that they do this to protect their image and avoiding vehicle faults. Yes, if you do a run in according to the owners manual, the bike will be error free, but hey, todays bikes are error free however you use them, and the initial run in determines only the later functioning of the bike.

According to owners manual or manufacturers manual, it is advised that:

• That the owner doesn’t raise the engine speed beyond 5000 rpm.
• But the owner can frequently vary the engine speed anywhere below 5000 clicks a minute.
• The owner is also advised not to go to fast on the bike as slowing down may result in very quick drops in gear and may harm he fresh gear box and clutch plates.

But it is safe and adviseable by according to me(and many auto experts and owners) to observe the following points:

• You can raise the bike engine speed to about 6000 clicks
• The throttle input, though, should be slow, steady and very linear
• Try to prevent engine or gearbox knocking by riding in the correct gear.
• Try not to stay in one gear for more than 30 seconds.
• Frequently change gears
• Ensure that the engine speed is not constant for long periods.
• Sudden non-sustained bursts are OK as long as the rpm does not shoot beyond control – many even say that such bursts in the second 1000 km (with increasing frequency after about 1500 km) actually help to “open out” the engine and the usable rev-range better.
• Gears are very tricky things to bed in properly so preferably (at least during the run in) do not let someone else ride your Bike – even if he’s very gentle, his shifting technique will be different from yours and you’ll be able to “feel” something amiss in the gears once you ride the Bike again.

That’s about it

marimuthu chelliah sundaram