Two Friends Went On 68,000 Km Long World Tour On Their Dream Bikes & Their Story Is Pure Gold

Debashish Ghosh will be greeted by his family and friends after he completes an endearing trip around the world on his bike, with his best friend.

Seems like a dream, isn't it? Becoming a globetrotter with your best friend is a dream most of us have, but only a handful of us are able to live it. To tell you the truth, the joy, the philosophy and the sheer bliss attached to this precious journey is something that cannot be described in words - it's something that you have to live, to fully experience it.

A resident of Mumbai, Goregaon-based motorcyclist Debashish Ghosh is one person who did.

Last year in June, Debashish embarked on a journey around the world along with his best friend Dharmendra 'Dj' Jain. Together they started from India and covered most of Asia and Europe. They then headed to the USA.

"I have been on the road for 9 months and have travelled 68,000 kilometres across five continents (34 countries), and will reach Mumbai soon," said Ghosh, reports Mid-day.

Timing the trip was the biggest struggle of his trip, as one wouldn't assume. The biker also said that the strict rules that bind the rider in seeking visas are what kept him worried. But he timed his trip well and was able to cover as much as he wanted to.

 Ghosh also expressed his fondness for his beloved BMW GS adventure motorcycle - the bike he took for the tour. He mentions that he earlier did a trip from Mumbai to Singapore on a Harley and a lot of reservations along the course. But this time, there wasn't any such trouble.

Amazing, isn't it?

New-Gen Pulsar 250: Bajaj Could be Preparing One

New Pulsar 250 Launch

Autocar says that Bajaj may showcase or reveal bits about the new-gen Pulsars early next year and can follow it up with their launch by the end of 2019 itself.

                   

The story goes on to speculate that while the entry to it is expected to be the Pulsar 150 – the largest selling Pulsar in the range, the top of the line can be maxxed to 250 cc, instead of the current 220. In simple terms, Bajaj may introduce a Pulsar 250 which will also make them internationally relevant.

Though not specified there but if this goes true, Bajaj may have two parallel platforms – one 250 cc based on the economical architecture and another one which they can share with KTM, probably based on the existing Pulsar NS and RS range. The premium platform can be more relevant to the international markets and the built to cost platform can serve the domestic market.

The new Pulsars will definitely have a new design language but how (or if) Bajaj will differentiate them with the existing newer-gen products need to be seen.

New Pulsar 250 launch can happen as early as next year…

So, the immediate bit that will come to your mind will be that the new Pulsar will get KTM’s 250 cc engine platform! But that is not happening!

According a new report at Autocar, Bajaj is preparing Next-Generation Pulsars but these will be based on the older-gen models (Pulsar 150 DTSi, Pulsar 220 etc) that are still the company’s mainstay in terms of sales.

Pulsar UG6, as they may be called, will get a new engine platform that will have wider scalability, more than the current 150 to 220 cc range. They will be 4-valve motors (instead of the 2-valve engines of the current gen) and will be designed keeping the upcoming BSVI emission norms in mind.

2016 Mini Cooper S Clubman Is Coming to Haul Your Stuff

Expected Price 100,00,000-170,00,000(Ex Showroom)

 To say the last Mini Clubman was a compelling oddball would be an understatement. It was half hatchback, half station wagon, and almost entirely strange, with a five-door layout that included rear barn doors and a rear-hinged suicide door on one side only. It was too small to ever be taken seriously as a load-lugger—despite Mini trying, and failing, to make a case—but it certainly had an abundance of character.

This is our rendered take on what the new version to be launched later this year will look like. We know that it will be bigger and more sensible—indeed, it’s set to be the biggest Mini yet in terms of overall dimensions. The big question is whether it will be able to match any of the idiosyncratic charm of its predecessor,

The Clubman will, in essence, be a station-wagon version of the four-door Cooper hatchback, with an extended cargo area. The rear-hinged “clubdoor” has gone, replaced by conventional doors (and one on each side!), but it will stick with twin side-hinged doors at the back, with the glass in each getting its own dinky little wiper blade. If it sticks to the published dimensions of the apparently production ready Clubman concept that bowed at the 2014 Geneva auto show, it will be some 10 inches longer than the last Clubman and half a foot up on the Countryman, which, until now, has been the biggest Mini. Why It Matters: In the U.S. we fear that it won’t. Selling station wagons is enough of a challenge here in the best of times, let alone a small one that carries the price premium that comes with a Mini badge. But in those parts of the world where tourers still reign—like Europe—this is a sensible move to broaden the appeal of the Mini hatchback. Luggage accommodation is unlikely to be overly generous, but it will still be the most spacious Mini to date for both people and stuff. Mini insiders have hinted that we can also expect to see an all-wheel-drive version later on, which will broaden its appeal still further. Platform: Like its F56 Mini brethren, the Clubman sits on BMW’s new front-drive UKL1 platform that also underpins the recently launched (and thankfully not-for-the-U.S.) BMW 2-series Active Tourer. Mechanically it will share all major components with the Mini hatchback (and the 2er), including the same independent rear suspension. BMW has resisted the temptation to fit a cheaper (and more space-efficient) torsion beam at the back, which should ensure the Clubman drives as crisply as its hatchback siblings but effectively precludes offering third-row seating in this model given the packaging constraints. Powertrain: All will be familiar, with the same three- and four-cylinder gasoline engines as the existing Cooper hatchback, likely running all the way to the 228-hpJohn Cooper Works powertrain, and with a choice of automatic and stick-shift transmissions. Europeans will also be able to choose diesel versions, although they almost certainly won’t make it to the States. And as mentioned above, the platform offers all-wheel drive, which we believe will be offered as an option some time after launch. Competition: Fiat 500L, Ford Focus ST, Volkswagen Golf SportWagen. Estimated Arrival and Price: Look for the new Clubman to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2015 and to command roughly $1500 more than the commensurate two-door, non-Clubman hatchbacks.- Akshay Khaire

MV Agusta F3 800 Ago Overview

Expected price: 

1,900,000...2,000,000

Expected Launch Date: NOV 2015 – DEC 2017

MV Agusta F3 800 Ago was created in the honour of 15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini. The details of the latest edition have been revealed lately. The new model comes with a host of special features and bears a unique character. Distinct features on this bike are machined aluminum pegs, carbon fiber racing-grade parts, ultra-light forged rims, Giacomo Agostini's signature on the tank and a special plate holder. Isn't that amazing? It is also heard that the new model is built only in 300 units and it comes with a unique numbered plate built on the yoke. Power features on this bike is overwhelming and it comes with a four cylinder, 4 stroke, 16 valve timing system D.O.H.C, and radial valve engine with a displacement of 798 cm3. The maximum output of the engine is about 148 hp at 13000 rpm and 88 Nm of torque at 10600 rpm.
MV Agusta F3 800 Ago is packed with unsurpassed technology and provides jaw dropping performance and unparalleled riding pleasure. Electronic engine and traction control play a major role ensuring top performance at all times. Three different pre set power delivery modes on the practical handlebar controls makes your drive smooth and adventures. It is also exciting to get personal configurations done on the MV Agusta F3 800 Ago by setting the control parameters including traction control settings.
MV Agusta F3 800 Ago performs like a real racing bike and lets the rider choose together with a host of parameter the ratio between throttle twist and throttle body opening. Performance and safety is taken care by the manufacturers on this bike. It features the sophisticated ABS Bosch 9MP with Race Mode and the RLM system that prevents the rear wheel from lifting off the asphalt under hard braking. Impeccable performance is guaranteed on this bike, however tough competitors such as Ducati Multistrada STouring could be a challenge.-Akshay khaire

Volkswagen Polo GTI (Extreme Edition) 2016

FIRST DRIVE REVIEW

Since German engineers seemingly have perfected the automatic transmission with quick shifting times and ever more gears, it seems they’ve been on a crusade to extinguish the manual gearbox. Even one of the quintessential hot hatches, VW’s not-for-the-U.S. Polo GTI, lost its stick shift after 2009, when a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic became standard equipment.

We’d like to think that our worthy Save the Manuals campaign resonates all the way to the Fatherland, but a VW marketing executive concedes that "customer demand" spurred the return of a manual option to the Polo GTI. Still, that’s reason enough for us to take a sympathetic look at the little rocket, which also gains a new engine and a facelift for 2015.
The previous super- and turbocharged 180-hp 1.4-liter Twincharger is out, and a turbocharged 192-horse 1.8-liter is in. The loss of the Roots blower, which provided much-needed low-end torque in the 1.4, is compensated for by the extra displacement of the new 1.8-liter. Maximum torque, previously rated at 184 lb-ft, stays the same with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic but rises to a formidable 236 lb-ft when paired with the six-speed manual.

As a result, this Polo goes. According to VW, zero to 62 mph takes just 6.7 seconds, down 0.2 versus the old engine, and top speed is listed at 147 mph. With the dual-clutch ’box, the performance numbers stay identical, while the automatic’s European-cycle combined fuel economy beats that of the stick by 3 mpg. Nonetheless, we'd go for the slick-shifting manual, as the extra torque of its engine can be easily felt, even if it’s not reflected in the standard sprint.

The strong engine teams with a practically flawless chassis. Fitted with a brake-based limited-slip differential (a function of the stability-control system), the Polo GTI remains neutral up to the limits of adhesion. There is little body roll, and to top off the capable chassis, the electric power steering is remarkably precise and nicely weighted. What this Polo lacks, though, is an eagerness to rotate into corners.

With a tastefully executed cabin and a small dose of heritage GTI cues, this ultimate Polo is actually a competent long-distance cruiser. We can easily see ourselves ripping hundreds of kilometers (sorry, our European is showing) in this diminutive car that seems all grown-up from behind the wheel.

Yet for all its merits, we think that the Polo GTI could trade a bit of perfection for a healthy dose of passion—it’s a bit too well behaved for our tastes. (Its soundtrack, for instance, isn’t very aggressive.) We praise VW for bringing back the manual, but we can’t help but look ahead to the rumored Polo R, with four-wheel drive and about 250 horsepower. When that car appears in Europe, we'll once again start clamoring for the Polo to be sold in the States.and this car is now available in india   -Akshay khaire