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Opinion: Brake fade on Japanese bikes is still a problem in 2026

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About ten years ago, I got to learn what brake fade on a big bike can feel like. I was on the ferociously fast GSX-S1000 naked and on my fifth or so lap around the Kari Motor Speedway. The layout in those days was different, with a longer main straight that had a strong downhill braking zone into a right hander. On the GSX, the brake point was at about 240kph, and I arrived at this having (unwisely) ignored a slightly softer-than-normal feel in the brake lever the lap before. This time, the lever went almost completely lifeless, and the bike just wouldn’t slow down. With life flashing before my eyes, I hammered down all six gears, stepped on the rear brake, kept pumping the front lever and held on. The bike slithered left and right, ran off the track and onto the runoff, before thankfully coming to a halt just a few feet before the tyre wall. Fast forward to last month, and I was at MRF’s world-class new testing facility in Trichy, trying out their new tyres on a Suzuki Hayabusa . Fly...
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Tata Tiago EV long term review, 5500km report

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The Tata Tiago EV has just joined our long-term fleet, and I wasted no time putting it to the test. My daily routine is a straightforward commute in Mumbai from Chembur to Byculla and back. It is predictable, and on paper, this compact EV fits that brief perfectly. But I also drive to Pune every weekend to see my family, which is a challenge for a small EV with a relatively modest 24kWh battery pack. Especially when all I want is to get home quickly rather than stop to charge. The Mumbai to Pune run is particularly tricky. While the roughly 150km distance is within the Tiago EV’s claimed capability, Friday traffic on the expressway is heavier, and the long uphill stretches do not help efficiency either. Curious to see how it would cope, I decided to give it the full treatment and came away genuinely surprised. With its 24kWh battery pack, we at Autocar India have tested a real-world range of around 187km on a full charge in mixed conditions. Stop-go traffic, lower speeds, and regener...
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Vintage Yezdi 350 twin ridden: Needle in a haystack

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In its heyday, Ideal Jawa (India) Ltd. had a wide variety of models on sale, ranging from a tiny 50cc moped to a twin-cylinder 350cc roadster. Of course, the various popular 250cc, single-cylinder models are what ultimately defined the Yezdi and Jawa brands, and you’ll see or hear about them more often. While the 350 was the ill-fated flagship, it nonetheless has a unique origin story and is best characterized as a ‘parts-bin’ special. Special thanks must go to this Yezdi’s owner, Hakim Rawat, who was kind enough to let us spend a tranquil morning with it so we could bring you this story. Before it came along, Yezdi’s line-up was primarily multiple iterations and variants using the original 250cc Jawa Type 353 as their genesis. Before we tell you how the Yezdi 350 came to be, we need to set the scene, as it were. In the late ‘80s – up until the Yezdi arrived – if you wanted to make the bold choice of standing out from the crowd with a 350cc machine, you had only two mainstream optio...
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350cc KTM 390 Duke Review

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The KTM 390 Duke was known for its loud styling, explosive mid-range performance and an aggressive nature that made it the benchmark 400cc naked bike in India. In order to avoid the 40 percent GST on motorcycles above 350cc, KTM has downsized the engine to 350cc. We spent a couple of days with the bike to find out if the legend lost its hooligan edge. Styling and Features - 9/10 The 399cc model will still be sold alongside this new 350cc Duke and called the 390 Duke R . Visually, not much has changed with the new model. The easiest way to identify the new 350cc Duke from the original 399cc version is the black frame, replacing the orange unit seen on the 390 Duke R. Apart from that, the motorcycle remains identical. You still get the sharp and aggressive styling, TFT display, traction control, launch control, and the bi-directional quickshifter. Engine, Performance, and Mileage - 8/10 Just like what Triumph did with its 400 range, KTM has reduced the stroke of the engine from 64mm to...
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Why carmakers need to offer mid-lifecycle custom upgrades

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I have always been fascinated by the world of customising, as a vehicle owner and more as a marketer. And besides the few aftermarket players, I feel the Indian automobile manufacturer has not explored, let alone exploited, the sheer power of customisation to improve brand experience and loyalty while generating handsome profits. It’s an obvious win-win, yet not one automaker has made a serious effort.  Customisation is not selling accessories. For that, one does not need to be an automaker. Customisation isn’t only cosmetic changes either. For that, one does not need to be a product planner. Your network partner can do a good enough job. Customisation is the art and science of upgrading a stock vehicle into a ‘personal’ space. The urge to personalise can happen right at the time of purchase. However, given that one painstakingly chooses a variant with the features one wants, the number wanting further personalisation will be very few. In fact, most automakers create feature packa...
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Suzuki Burgman fuel economy tested and explained

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Suzuki recently overhauled the Burgman Street maxi-styled family scooter with numerous mechanical, visual and feature-related changes. We were able to spend some quality seat time aboard the latest Burgman and put it through our instrumented tests. Here’s how much fuel efficiency the 2026 Burgman street returned.  2026 Suzuki Burgman Street real-world fuel efficiency  As per tradition, we first conducted the highway fuel efficiency run on the Burgman. We ran the scooter for a little over 60km, after which topping up the fuel tank needed 1.10 litres. Thus, the Burgman returned 56.6kpl on the highway.  We then proceeded to the concrete jungle of South Mumbai, where we ran the scooter for just a hair over 50km, after which it needed exactly 1 litre of fuel to brim the tank once more again, thus giving us a mileage figure of 50.1kpl. 2026 Suzuki Burgman Street fuel efficiency analysis Suzuki’s 125cc scooters have a propensity to be rather fuel efficient when ridden with a ...
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Petrol, diesel prices hiked by over Rs 3; CNG price hiked by Rs 2

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Petrol and diesel prices have been hiked by over Rs 3 per litre, while CNG prices have gone up by Rs 2 per kg. After this revision, the price of petrol in Delhi is now Rs 97.77 per litre and that of diesel is now Rs 90.67 per litre. Meanwhile, CNG now costs Rs 79.09 per kg in the national capital. Fuel prices hiked Petrol and diesel prices go up by up to Rs 3.29; CNG prices hiked by Rs 2 Effective as of May 15, 2026, state-owned oil companies have hiked the prices of petrol and diesel fuel. Kolkata sees the highest price hike, with the price of petrol now higher by up to Rs 3.29 per litre. It is followed by Mumbai, where prices of petrol have gone up by up to Rs 3.14 per litre. Check the below table for more details on the price of petrol.   New Petrol Prices (Rs/litre) Old Petrol Prices (Rs/litre) Difference (Rs/litre) Delhi 97.77 94.77 3 Mumbai 106.68 103.54 3.14 Chennai 103.67 100.84 2.83 Kolkata 108.74 105.45 3.29 from Autocar India https://ift.tt/ru91lzY
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Every CNG-powered car sold in India

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In FY26, the second-highest-selling vehicles in India were powered by CNG . While petrol continues to dominate passenger vehicle sales, its dominance has been threatened by rising fuel prices owing to geopolitical situations. Though CNG options cost higher than their respective petrol-only versions, lower running costs and higher fuel efficiency make it an attractive choice for hyper-miling customers. Carmakers now offer CNG options on mid-level and high-end trims of their models, which are well-equipped with features, adding to their growth. In this article, we mention all the cars in our market that offer a CNG powertrain , in increasing order of price. 1. Maruti Suzuki S Presso Price: 4.61 to 5.11 lakh  The Maruti Suzuki S Presso is the most affordable car in India with CNG power. Available in the base LXI and mid VXI trims, its 1.0-litre engine develops 57hp and 82Nm in CNG mode. The claimed mileage is 32.73km/kg, and it is offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox only. Its stre...
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