Willson Bigshow
10-09-2009, 06:06 AM
A couple of years ago, Bajaj announced their exit from the 100cc otorcycle market in India. The Pune based auto giant pulled out of this segment claiming that it was time India graduated from 100cc to 125cc machines as entry-level motorcycles. However, with other manufacturers still minting money from the 100cc bikes and the entry-level commuters still proving their potential in the market, it would have been unwise for Bajaj to stay out of the competition any longer. As a result, the company made a comeback to the 100CC class with a new machine - the Discover 100 DTS-Si.
We all know that Bajaj makes a bike, then makes another one with the same name and a slightly different engine and then goes further ahead to make one more with the same name and a marginally bigger/smaller capacity engine than the other two. Discover 100 DTS-Si can be termed a result of this trademark process. The company first introduced the Discover a few years ago with an 112cc engine and then came the Discover with a 125cc mill. Recently, they also launched one with a 135cc motor and now what we have here is a 100cc Discover. So what is the point that the company wants to prove with their latest 100cc offering? A long distance commuter is what the company claims the new bike is. With all due respect, I decided to judge the bike the way the company is portraying it. I filled in exactly two litres of fuel in the bike when it came to reserve and decided to munch as many kilometres as the bike could manage till it came to reserve again. That would give me a fair idea as to how much the bike can run in say about a hundred rupees worth of fuel.
Though the 100cc motorcycles are meant for the city, I decided to take the highway first for my long distance ride. Almost 40km later, I came back to the city wondering if the bike had any negatives at all. The seat is flat and comfortable, the handlebar is upright and the footpegs are spot on for a commuter. The Discover feels a bit muscular for a 100cc bike which is a strong positive from the point of view of the Indian market. The motorcycle rides on Eurogrip's three inch section rear tyre giving a fair feedback even on the corners. However, it was unable to inspire enough confidence on wet surfaces. Another 25km in the city traffic were enough to make me believe that there are quite a lot of reasons to buy a 100cc motorcycle like the Discover 100 DTS-Si.
5504
The most important reason is, of course, the fuel gauge needle which was still hanging around the same spot where it was 6skm ago. There was hardly any fatigue that had crept in my body aher over an hour's riding, thanks to the gas shocks at the rear. The Discover has a reasonable midrange lending it fairly good tractability in the traffic.
So what is it that makes the Discover 100 such a fuel efficient and long distance' bike? Bajaj has introduced the second version of the DTS-Si engine in the new Discover. The two spark plugs, which were earlier located next to the intake and exhaust, now find place at 90 degrees to the intake and exhaust resulting in better combustion of fuel. Not only does this improve the fuel efficiency of the bike but also increases the peak power output. Though performance hardly matters when it comes to commuters, it is worth appreciating that the Discover is the quickest to accelerate from 0-60km/h in its class and also boasts of being one of the fastest 100cc bikes currently available in the local market. Another very important factor contributing to the bike's better fuel efficiency and top whack is the fiveŽspeed gearbox offered by Bajaj on the Discover. The fihh cog makes sure that you are comfortably cruising at speeds over 70km/ h on the highway and deriving a good economy at the same time. Apart from these commuter elements, Bajaj offers some more features that make the bike a worthwhile buy. You get an electric starter, alloy wheels, auto-choke, LED taillights and pilot lamps as standard on the Discover.
So does it mean that the bike really has no downsides? I fear not. Aher riding the bike for over 200km now, the typical Bajaj vibes from the engine were observed. On examination, we found that the engine is rubber mounted which tries to cancel out the vibrations but doesn't succeed to a great extent. Though this is the only factor that separates the Discover and the 'perfect commuter' from each other, it would really be wrong to say that Bajaj hasn't delivered what they portrayed. At almost 79kmpl overall fuel efficiency, the Discover 100 DTS-Si definitely qualifies as a long distance bike.
We all know that Bajaj makes a bike, then makes another one with the same name and a slightly different engine and then goes further ahead to make one more with the same name and a marginally bigger/smaller capacity engine than the other two. Discover 100 DTS-Si can be termed a result of this trademark process. The company first introduced the Discover a few years ago with an 112cc engine and then came the Discover with a 125cc mill. Recently, they also launched one with a 135cc motor and now what we have here is a 100cc Discover. So what is the point that the company wants to prove with their latest 100cc offering? A long distance commuter is what the company claims the new bike is. With all due respect, I decided to judge the bike the way the company is portraying it. I filled in exactly two litres of fuel in the bike when it came to reserve and decided to munch as many kilometres as the bike could manage till it came to reserve again. That would give me a fair idea as to how much the bike can run in say about a hundred rupees worth of fuel.
Though the 100cc motorcycles are meant for the city, I decided to take the highway first for my long distance ride. Almost 40km later, I came back to the city wondering if the bike had any negatives at all. The seat is flat and comfortable, the handlebar is upright and the footpegs are spot on for a commuter. The Discover feels a bit muscular for a 100cc bike which is a strong positive from the point of view of the Indian market. The motorcycle rides on Eurogrip's three inch section rear tyre giving a fair feedback even on the corners. However, it was unable to inspire enough confidence on wet surfaces. Another 25km in the city traffic were enough to make me believe that there are quite a lot of reasons to buy a 100cc motorcycle like the Discover 100 DTS-Si.
5504
The most important reason is, of course, the fuel gauge needle which was still hanging around the same spot where it was 6skm ago. There was hardly any fatigue that had crept in my body aher over an hour's riding, thanks to the gas shocks at the rear. The Discover has a reasonable midrange lending it fairly good tractability in the traffic.
So what is it that makes the Discover 100 such a fuel efficient and long distance' bike? Bajaj has introduced the second version of the DTS-Si engine in the new Discover. The two spark plugs, which were earlier located next to the intake and exhaust, now find place at 90 degrees to the intake and exhaust resulting in better combustion of fuel. Not only does this improve the fuel efficiency of the bike but also increases the peak power output. Though performance hardly matters when it comes to commuters, it is worth appreciating that the Discover is the quickest to accelerate from 0-60km/h in its class and also boasts of being one of the fastest 100cc bikes currently available in the local market. Another very important factor contributing to the bike's better fuel efficiency and top whack is the fiveŽspeed gearbox offered by Bajaj on the Discover. The fihh cog makes sure that you are comfortably cruising at speeds over 70km/ h on the highway and deriving a good economy at the same time. Apart from these commuter elements, Bajaj offers some more features that make the bike a worthwhile buy. You get an electric starter, alloy wheels, auto-choke, LED taillights and pilot lamps as standard on the Discover.
So does it mean that the bike really has no downsides? I fear not. Aher riding the bike for over 200km now, the typical Bajaj vibes from the engine were observed. On examination, we found that the engine is rubber mounted which tries to cancel out the vibrations but doesn't succeed to a great extent. Though this is the only factor that separates the Discover and the 'perfect commuter' from each other, it would really be wrong to say that Bajaj hasn't delivered what they portrayed. At almost 79kmpl overall fuel efficiency, the Discover 100 DTS-Si definitely qualifies as a long distance bike.