About Scooters

Honda’s brand new PS125 – the PS stands for Perfect Scooter, a wishy-washy green version came only as one option, with more sophisticated grey, blue-grey and black colour schemes to choose from too. The PS has a distinctive, classy look about it, with plenty of original details such as the vents on the nicely rounded front fairing and the stylish, pointy rear. But best of all, it looks solid, with the typical superb Honda finish. This is no flimsy scooter. The PS gets a fuel injected, super-clean and economical four-stroke engine, supported by Showa suspension and stopped by Honda’s combined braking system. The underseat storage is built to hold a full-faced helmet, and is easily opened by turning the key in the ignition. Climb on board and the large, super-comfortable seat leaves stacks of room for a pillion. There’s even a grabrail that doubles up as a rack for the 35-litre top box available as optional equipment. The cubbyholes at the front are handy for storing bits and pieces, an

HERO EXPORTS Private Limited (HE), an affiliate of Hero Cycles Ltd has entered into a Joint Venture with Ultra Motor Company (UMC), a global electric vehicle company based in UK. Under the aegis of the new venture, two new models 'Velociti'- an Electric Scooter with extra speed, and 'Optima'- an Electric Scooter with extra range have been developed. Velociti is based on the patented impulse inertia technology that gives it a higher speed of 40 km per hour and a better torque to help scale gradients. It comes with a powerful motor of 500 watts that delivers a peak motor output of 1000 watts and a range of 50 km per charge, under standard test conditions. Velociti has a powerful 48V/ 24 AH sealed lead acid battery, hydraulic disc brakes in the front and drum brakes in the rear wheel, and is supported by the telescopic suspension system. Priced at Rs. 34,000/- (ex-showroom Delhi) Velociti will be available across select showrooms in north, west and south India initially.

Taiwanese manufacturer Kymco is getting ready to stamp some serious presence on the scooter market with a brand new 700cc super-scooter unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Myroad 700i features plenty of neat gadgets such as inbuilt tyre pressure gauges, electronically adjustable suspension, keyless ignition, ABS and an alarm, as well as a 170kmh+ top speed to make it the up-and-coming company’s technology flagship for 2008. Already established in Europe, America, and Africa as well as Asia and Oceania (sometimes branded as Bug scooters), Kymco looks set to mount a challenge for a serious slice of the scooter market as it pours resources into quality programmes and hi-tech componentry. The Myroad 700i, which we’ve just clapped our eyes on at the Tokyo Motor Show, will be the company’s flagship for this year, with an impressive feature list surrounding the liquid-cooled 699cc 4-stroke parallel twin engine, which is good for around 45Kw (~55hp) at 7250rpm.

It looks like something from a Mad Max film, but forget the Australian outback – as this is an ideal companion on Britain’s city streets and motorways. Meet the new Gilera Fuoco 500. It follows on from parent firm Piaggio’s three-wheeled MP3. The difference is, the Gilera has a larger 500cc engine. The unit is a bigger, slightly modified version of the motor in the Piaggio X9, and allows the Fuoco to keep up with motorway traffic easily. It claims a maximum speed of around 90mph, although once you’re cruising along motorways and A-roads, there is buffeting and pressure on the rider’s arms. Still, this isn’t an issue at slower speeds – and it’s in town that those two front wheels really come into their own, making the bike incredibly stable. We also like the locking front fork, which prevents riders having to put their foot down when they stop – a real benefit for motorists looking to switch from their car, but who aren’t sure about two wheels. The Fuoco returns 48mpg, and its luggage c

Add a windshield, saddlebags and a passenger backrest to the Yamaha Star Roadliner and you've got the Yamaha Star Stratoliner one of the latest entry in Yamaha's cruiser lineup. Spend an hour on a Roadliner and you've sure to start thinking about traveling. The air-cooled 1854cc pushrod V-twin pounds out a relaxed cadence on the highway where it's running in the meaty part of its powerband, so shiftless passes happen quickly. With 171.45cm between its axles, the big Star is the roomiest bike on the road, and Yamaha has shaped the saddle to allow even tall riders some wiggle room. This ergonomic flexibility extends to the floorboards, which are long enough to give my larger sized a choice of positions. Thoroughly muted vibration, civilized suspension, stiffer on the Liner, and respectable fuel kilometer-covering all ratify the idea this bike was build to go places. The Yamaha Star Stratoliner's additional equipment adds just over 22.60 kilograms and matches the topsh