Posted to their Facebook page this morning:
"The biggest surprise of 2014 is on its way! Are you ready?
Share this post to reveal it in the next 48 hours!"
Attachment 154
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Posted to their Facebook page this morning:
"The biggest surprise of 2014 is on its way! Are you ready?
Share this post to reveal it in the next 48 hours!"
Attachment 154
I'm assuming it's this: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/29793328.cmsQuote:
Originally Posted by Hughlysses
Which has me very excited. Not just for the Hero (which is very cool on its own) but for the EBR possibilities.
If I could have my choice of any platform for EBR to do next, I think it would be a 750 cc parallel twin. That would be something that could fill a very unique niche. A 750 parallel could be packaged in a frame smaller than the 600 cc 4s, Triumph and MV triples or the Ducati V's that are basically detuned versions of their big bikes. A 750 twin could, theoretically offer power in the same ballpark as those other middle-weights, but in a chassis closer in size to the 250 - 300 cc bikes that are coming out. How cool would that be? A tiny, ultra light-weight bike with plenty of power.
And a 750 twin would be eligible for World Supersport and AMA Sportbike.
While all that has been in the back of my mind, I had no reason to think it could actually happen until we saw this apparently real Hero 600 parallel twin. If that engine exists in some form, I have little doubt EBR could modify it into my dream middleweight.
LOVE the mechanicals, eh on the apearance (What the heck is that angular doo-dad towards the top of the cylinders and radiator? Lose that and clean up the headlight and it has some real potential).
To me, parallel twins are far too rare. It's the perfect configuration for a light-weight, compact medium-displacement bike, and while there are a few out there (the Kawaski 650 and 800 BMW are the two I know of available in the US), nobody is pushing the capabilities for a true performance bike. Both the BMW and Kawasaki are relatively sedate, relaxed, overweight and under-powered bikes for beginners and people who are more interested in a calm Sunday ride than pushing through the twisties.
I really, really, really hope we can get a 100 hp 750 parallel twin from EBR at some point.
http://www.rushlane.com/hero-hastur-...-12107428.html
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And it's really cool to see how Hero is reinventing themselves and showing much more innovation without Honda than they had when they were with Honda. I think 10 years from now, Hero could be a serious force in motorcycling. Up until a couple weeks ago, they appeared to be a very boring company content to build cheap, high volume, low cost antiquated bikes, but they're showing some serious ambition now. And a company like that is just what the motorcycle industry needs to shake things up and prevent the established brands from getting lazy.
I'm looking in my crystal ball, and I think I'm starting to get a sense of the type of bikes we might be seeing from EBR over the next 10 - 20 years.
They have their big V-Twin and will likely use that in a Superbike, Street-fighter and Adventure bike, and then I suspect we'll see variations of this parallel twin in a range of middle-weights - again, probably fully faired sport-bike, naked bike and maybe a middle-weight adventure bike. Then they've got the single cylinder which could go in a true dirt-bike along with a nouveau blast and, hopefully a Super-Mono type single-cylinder screamer. I can see a lot of potential in the range of engines they should have access to if they're interested.
And I would expect that, much like the Rotax, they'd start with those basic engines but turn them into higher-performance variations.
here is a video of it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92ePF...are_video_user
0-60 3.8 seconds and 150mph top end would make it the fastest HERO to date. I'm interested to hear more about the "patented CSI heads" . Good for them. It will sell well.
:thumb:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed / AF1 Racing
Yeah, I think this is exactly what they need to start breaking into the larger markets. I remember when it was first announced that Hero and EBR would be working together I thought: "Hero needs a bigger engine to sell bikes outside India, EBR needs a smaller engine to sell to a broader market - they should meet in the middle and create a middle-weight engine they can share."Quote:
Originally Posted by Classax
I suspect that's exactly what we're seeing here. After seeing what Erik Buell did with the sportster engine and then what he did with the Rotax (remember the original 1125R was rated at something like 140 HP, so he go something like 30% more power with a 6% displacement increase), I'm excited to see what he might do with something like this.
It certainly would meet the performance and ergonomic requirments for the segment of the market currently screeming for something to replace the XB Lightnings. It would make a good starter track tool in sportbike guise as well I would imagine. Personally I believe the 1990RX is on the edge of useable power for the commercial market and soon it will swing toward middle weights like you are seeing with the Duc 899. EBR needs a bike in that sector ASAP.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott
I agree, and while the 899 is a great bike, I'd like to see EBR's middle-weight actually be smaller and lighter than the 1190's. It makes financial sense for Ducati to share parts between the bikes, but the result is the 899 ends up being a 'poor man's' 1199 - basically the same bike but with less power.Quote:
Originally Posted by Classax
And even if Ducati or EBR made a true clean-sheet lower displacement V, the engine dimensions would still be roughly the same as the larger displacement engine. A parallel twin could be mounted in an all around smaller package. So the middle-weight could be a smaller, lighter bike that, while less powerful than the bigger bike, could handle better. An 899 Duc will never beat the 1199 Duc on any track, but a physically smaller middle-weight could carry more corner speed and, theoretically, beat the bigger bike on a tight enough track.
Maybe it's because we're cynical to the point of not really believing them, why is there so little talk about the amazingly low weight of the Hastur?
Hastur claimed wet weight - 352.7 lbs
Compare to:
Honda CB500F - 420 lbs
Kawasaki Ninja 300 - 379.3 lbs
Kawasakin Ninja 650 - 460.8 lbs
Yamaha FZ6R - 470 lbs
Honda CBR 250R - 366 lbs
It's all about weight to me. Low weight = responsiveness Less weight accelerates quicker, turns quicker and brakes quicker.
I see people saying: "I don't know, that's sort of ugly." Or "I don't know, Indian motorcycles are crap" Screw that, if they can pull off those numbers, this is a motorcycle that any true enthusiast should consider. Let the Harley riders worry about how it looks.
I keep telling people, the most important viewing angle on a motorcycle is the one you get from the ****pit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott
I like it. It is sort of z1000 like, but smaller, lighter, and probably cooler.