The Hindu Business Line : Question & Auto

I am looking for a 125cc bike. I have the Bajaj Discover, Honda Shine, Yamaha Gladiator and Hero Honda Glamour in my list. I don't like the styling of the Discover and the Shine, and find the Hero Honda Glamour a little immature still. However, I am enamoured by the styling, smooth ride and comfort of the Yamaha Gladiator, and have almost decided to buy it. I presume that the the bike will offer a mileage of more than 50 kmpl. I would like to know the Gladiator's negative aspects? After all, I find that the sales of the Yamaha Gladiator have not picked up. Also, can you compare the cost of maintenance and cost of spare parts of the Gladiator vis-à-vis the above-mentioned bikes?

Eashwar Natarajan

I had short-listed the Yamaha Gladiator, Bajaj Discover and Hero Honda Glamour. Which of these is the most economical bike in terms of mileage, maintenance and service. My unease about the Yamaha Gladiator stems from the fact that it is not seen so much on the road and my worry about the Hero Honda Glamour is that it cannot be repaired by local mechanics and I have to go to the dealer every time.

Vaibhav Gupta

There is nothing particularly wrong with the Yamaha Gladiator for its relatively poor performance vis-à-vis the Bajaj Discover. As a package, the Gladiator has a lot of its own merits. Its engineering, build quality and ride feel are all good.

Clearly, Yamaha and Hero Honda have not been able to challenge Bajaj in the 125cc segment. Of course, the Discover has also been able to garner higher numbers with the smaller `112cc-engine', but otherwise identical, twin bike model. In the case of the Gladiator, the marginally lower fuel efficiency and the perception that Yamaha bikes are more expensive to maintain or that the quality of service provided by its dealers tends to be poor may also be the reason for the lower sales numbers.

The relatively lower numbers clocked by the Yamaha Gladiator tends to affect the bike's resale value. And then this becomes a sort of vicious circle, with the sales being affected by the lower resale value of the bike. So, you can consider buying the Gladiator if the marginally lower fuel efficiency and the relatively lower resale value are not an issue that will affect your purchase decision.

All other parameters pretty much match the best in the segment. One other plus of the Gladiator is that it is the only bike in the list with a five-speed gearbox.

The Hero Honda Glamour will be about as difficult or as easy to repair for the roadside mechanic as any other carburetted bike.

What you may be referring to is the Glamour PGM-FI, the fuel injected twin of this 125cc bike, which is almost impossible to repair except at the company's authorised dealer or service outlet.

I am planning to buy a Maruti Suzuki Alto. Can you tell me which version will be better and what is the difference between the Alto Std, LX and LXi versions? Is there any other car that will be suitable for me?

Somya Pradhan

The Suzuki Alto's three trim levels basically feature slight variations in the quality of interior materials, in addition to of course, the absence of an air-conditioner in the standard version, compared to the other two. The LXi variant, as indicated by Maruti's `i'-nomenclature, features power steering as an addition.

We suggest you choose the LXi variant for the added convenience of an electronic power steering, which can give a big boost to driving comfort while you are negotiating crowed city traffic or while attempting a U-turn in narrow city roads.

The car that may be priced just a tad bit more than the Alto, but may be more contemporary to look at and more practical to drive could be the new Zen Estilo that is to be launched in a couple of weeks.

We have a scoop picture of the new Zen (see top of the page).

With its snazzy design, its metro-sexual colours and the obvious advantages of a tallboy design, the new Zen Estilo could be the perfect car for you.

Queries may be sent to: q&a@thehindu.co.in or by post to Q&A, Business Line, 859/860, Kasturi Buildings, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002.

S. Muralidhar

More Stories on : Automobiles | Question 'N' Auto

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page