VR Tech Times

Everyone’s description of a perfect motorcycle is different. It depends on multiple factors like what sort of rider they are, what kind of terrain and riding conditions they have around them and what their idea of fun is. After having spent some superb seat time on the KTM 890 Adventure R and the 390 Adventure R (both of which you’ll get to read about in next month’s issue), I now have a good idea of what I want in my ‘perfect’ ADV. Effectively, it would be a motorcycle that finds a middle ground between the two. From the 890, there are three aspects. First, those Dakar rally bike style low-slung fuel tanks are a game changer for a big ADV – there’s no fat fuel tank ahead of you, and top heaviness just isn’t a thing. The second aspect would be as premium and capable a suspension as possible, and the third is a twin-cylinder engine. Single-cylinder motors get the job done well, but once you’ve experienced the sound, smoothness and character of a twin, it’s really hard to go back ...

Along with a comprehensive midlife refresh, Mahindra ’s flagship SUV now gets a new name – the XUV700 is now called the XUV 7XO . The powertrain options, however, remain unchanged: a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel, both offered with 6-speed manual and automatic gearboxes. While the XUV 7XO is primarily front-wheel drive, the diesel also gets the option of all-wheel drive. We’ve finally got our hands on the turbo-petrol automatic variant and put it through our real-world fuel efficiency tests. The results, frankly, are unsurprising. Turbo-petrol engine gets auto stop-start function No drive modes are on offer with this engine option Mahindra XUV 7XO turbo-petrol AT real-world mileage test XUV 7XO turbo-petrol AT has an average fuel efficiency of 8.70kpl The XUV 7XO turbo-petrol is powered by a 203hp/380Nm 2.0-litre engine paired with a 6-speed torque converter automatic. Mahindra hasn’t revealed official fuel efficiency figures yet. Unlike the diesel version, the...

The Dio 125 is Honda ’s sportier-looking family scooter that’s based on the Activa 125 ’s platform but with different bodywork. Here, we’ll break down the features each variant brings to the table as well as its pricing. All prices ex-showroom, Delhi Honda Dio 125 variant breakdown Standard The base variant of the Dio 125 is mechanically identical to the other variants in terms of the engine and chassis. Powering the Dio 125 is the Activa 125-sourced 123.9cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine making 8.3hp and 10.5Nm of torque. The entire rolling chassis is shared between all variants of the Dio 125. Even the base variant of the Dio 125 comes with start/stop tech, a front brake disc and it comes in the same colour palette as the higher DLX variant. The 4.3-in colour TFT display is the same as the higher variants - and other Honda commuter models - but misses out on Bluetooth connectivity. At Rs 86,733, the standard Dio 125 is the most affordable of this trifecta of variants to ...

BMW Motorrad has unveiled the R 1300 R Superhooligan at Daytona Bike Week 2026, commemorating 50 years since Steve McLaughlin's victory in the first AMA Superbike race at Daytona in 1976. The custom build from BMW's Custom Speed Shop pays tribute to McLaughlin's iconic ‘83’ BMW R 90 S with period-correct livery, while packing modern performance with the 1,300cc boxer-twin, an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system, carbon components from the M 1000 RR, and Wilbers suspension. BMW mentions that the updates have enabled a top speed of close to 275kph. from Autocar India https://ift.tt/Q6NZ3tr

The Ather Rizta came into the market back in 2022. It was launched as a family-centric, practical offering based on the 450’s platform. It is available in two variants and two battery pack options. In this story, we will be focusing on the most affordable variant with the smallest battery pack. 1. What is the peak output of the Ather Rizta S 2.9kWh? The Rizta has a peak power of 4.3kW and peak torque of 22Nm. This is good enough to propel this scooter to a top-speed of 80kph in Zip mode. The peak output and top-speed remains the same irrespective of the variant and battery-pack opted. 2. What is the range of the Ather Rizta S 2.9kWh compared to the larger 3.7kWh battery pack? The claimed IDC range is 123km for the 2.9kWh battery variants and 159km for the 3.7kWh pack variants. In real-world riding conditions, we found that our long term Rizta Z with the smaller 2.9kWh battery pack does provide a true-range of 105km. 3. What are the charging times of the Ather Rizta S 2.9kWh? At...

The sudden arrival of the Yamaha Aerox 155 in India injected a fresh flavour into the sporty mass-market scooter category like few other offerings in the past did. The Aerox 155 is a true underbone scooter - they are massively popular in South East Asian markets! - with a sporty chassis, large 14-inch wheels and a R15 -derived engine. The Aerox comes in two variants and here, we’ll outline the differences between the two. All prices ex-showroom, Delhi Yamaha Aerox 155 variant breakdown Standard The base variant of the Aerox 155 is mechanically identical to the Version S. That means you get the same 155cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine as the R15, MT-15 and XSR155 . In this application, it makes 15hp and 13.9Nm and is mated to a CVT gearbox. You’ve got a proper underbone frame with 14-inch wheels, traction control and single-channel ABS - all features you’ll see on the higher Version S variant too.  What separates this from the higher version is that it comes with ...

The scooter segment has evolved beyond basic commuting, with manufacturers now offering performance-focused models that pack serious power. Here are the five most powerful petrol scooters currently on sale in India. 5. Aprilia SR 175 hp-e – 13.3hp The Aprilia SR 175 hp-e is sold with GP Replica livery The Aprilia SR 175 hp-e is powered by a 174.7cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine producing 13.3hp and 14Nm. The scooter rides on 14-inch wheels and comes with single-channel ABS. It’s also a fairly well-equipped scooter, featuring the same colour TFT display found on the RS 457 and Tuono 457, with Bluetooth connectivity for call alerts, notifications, and music control. In our tests, the SR 175 was quite close to the Yamaha Aerox 155 in the sprint to 60kph, after which the more powerful Aerox begins to pull away. Despite its more performance-focused intent, the SR 175 returned an impressive fuel economy of 41.7kpl on the highway and 35.2kpl in the city. 4. Hero Xoom 160 – 14.8hp ...

The Apache RR 310 is TVS 's flagship sports bike which has been around for quite a few years. It was updated last in 2024 and one of the most significant changes were mechanical upgrades to increase the power output. They come in the form of a lighter forged piston, an improved piston ring design, and a larger airbox to name a few. With this, the power output increased 38hp and 29Nm, making it around 4PS and 1.7Nm more than the previous generation model. The bike also gets a bidirectional quickshifter and all of the electronic rider aids which we had earlier seen on the Apache RTR 310. Currently, it is priced starting at Rs 2.59 lakh for the Base variant without a quickshifter. The base variant with the quickshifter is priced at Rs 2.75 lakh (Ex-showroom Mumbai prices).   from Autocar India https://ift.tt/sf7g1rV

QJ Motor, a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer owned by the Geely Group, has been aiming to penetrate the European market and it has now unveiled a small-displacement inline-four motorcycle for the region. 1. QJ SRK 421 RR rivals the Kawasaki ZX-4RR in European market 2. 421cc, inline-4 engine produces 78hp at 14,000rpm 3. It features a 7-inch TFT and two riding modes QJ Motors new supersport: What’s new? This bike produces similar power as the Kawasaki ZX-4R/ZX-4RR Powering the SRK 421 RR, as the name suggests, is a 421cc inline-four, liquid-cooled engine that churns out 78hp at 14,000rpm (!) and 39Nm at 13,000rpm, mated to a six-speed gearbox. This engine comes nestled within a “steel-aluminium composite braided frame”, which in simpler terms means a trellis-style frame that incorporates both steel and aluminium. This frame is suspended via a fully adjustable USD fork and a monoshock from Marzocchi. Stopping power comes courtesy of Brembo, which grabs onto twin 300mm discs with...

‘Inspired by 1.4 billion dreams’ was the tagline for a new car launch I saw recently. ‘A billion hearts’ was the line for another. If I had a rupee each time I’ve read a line like this, I would be a billionaire! I’m overstating, yes, but I’m sure you’ve seen these lines too. New launches for a car, bike, television, movie, new road, even mega events; they’re always hyped up to be something that a billion-plus Indians have been yearning for.  It’s really quite cringe. A quarter of our population is simply too busy trying to make a living and honestly doesn’t even know of this product or event’s existence, while another huge chunk, I’m sure, doesn’t really care about it at all. Yet our marketers overhype things, and it’s the same with events, too. Events are dragged on over teasers, first looks, track drives, road tests, price reveals et al. Sure, it’s important to maximise your brand, but we’re oversaturating things. The hyperbole in all the statements is mind numbing. Even a new ...

The Hero Destini 110 carries identical styling as the larger 125 and is also offered in two variants — VX and ZX. Both variants share the same mechanicals but differ in terms of features and hardware. Here’s a breakdown of what each variant offers. VX The VX is the base variant of the Destini 110. Mechanically, it is identical to the higher ZX variant and is powered by the same air-cooled, single-cylinder engine. In terms of features, the VX gets projector LED headlamps, a digi-analog speedometer, chrome styling elements and a wider 100/80 rear tyre. However, it misses out on a front disc brake and only gets a drum. It also misses out on a seat backrest, which is reserved for the higher variant. The Destini 110 VX is available in three colours — white, blue and black — and is priced at Rs 72,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi). ZX The higher-spec ZX variant adds a few more premium touches. It gets cast wheels paired with a front disc brake, which is the biggest hardware upgrade over the VX...

The second month of 2026 is now well and truly in our rearview mirror, and sales figures for each of the six heavyweights in the Indian two-wheeler market are out. Here’s how each brand performed. Hero: 5,16,968 units Hero MotoCorp retained its top spot in the market but did so while reporting a marginal 0.62 percent decrease from 5,20,208 units in January 2026. However, compared to its February 2025 sales of 3,57,296 units, it posted a substantial 44.69 percent increase. Hero’s overseas business also recorded good growth, with 41,248 units exported last month compared to 37,633 units in January. Hero’s electric subsidiary, Vida, has patented the designs of the Ubex and VXZ electric bikes in India, signalling that these EVs are nearing production. Honda: 5,13,190 units Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India wasn’t too far behind Hero and it too reported a minute 1.23 percent decrease in comparison to its January 2026 sales tally of 5,19,579 units. Just like Hero, Honda too report...

Maruti Suzuki launched its first-ever pure-electric model, the e Vitara , in February 2026. On the other hand, Tata Motors rolled out the Curvv EV in November 2024. If you are in the market for a midsize electric SUV priced in the neighbourhood of Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom), which one of these should you seriously consider and why? To keep this comparison fair, we will pit the similarly priced e Vitara Alpha trim with the Curvv EV’s Accomplished+ S. Maruti e Vitara vs Tata Curvv EV: Exterior features Exterior features Maruti e Vitara Alpha Tata Curvv EV Accomplished+ S Headlights Projector LED Multi-beam LED LED DRLs Yes Yes LED fog-lamps Yes (front) Yes (front) Tail-lights LED LED Sequential indicators No Yes Auto headlights and wipers Yes Yes Electrically adjustable ORVMs Yes (with auto-folding function) Yes (with auto-folding function) Wheels 18-inch alloys 17-inch alloys Re...