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History behind the Navy Day in India

BHPian V.Narayan recently shared this with other enthusiasts.Navy Day 4th December - the history behind the dayOperation Trident was an offensive operation launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan's port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. It saw the first use of anti-ship-guided missiles in combat in the region. The operation was conducted on the night of 4th-5th December 1971 and inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani naval vessels and shore-based fuel facilities. While India suffered no losses, Pakistan lost a minesweeper, a destroyer, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, and some fuel storage tanks in Karachi. Another destroyer was also badly damaged enough to be eventually scrapped. India celebrates its Navy Day annually on 4th December to mark this operation. Operation Trident was followed up by a similar Operation Python three days later. In 1971 Karachi housed the headquarters of the Pakistan Navy and almost its entire fleet. Since Karachi was also the hub of Pakistan's maritime trade and the largest industrial city of Pakistan a blockade would be crippling for Pakistan's economy. The security of Karachi Harbour was predominant and it was heavily defended against any air or naval strikes. The port's airspace was secured by the strike aircraft based at airfields in the area. The Indian Navy deemed it unwise to send its World War II vintage cruisers to lay down a naval gun bombardment as they would be too slow and leave the ships vulnerable to a Pakistani air attack. In that era we did not have ship borne surface-to-air-missiles that could have provided some air defense and INS Vikrant, our sole aircraft carrier, had been deployed off the East Coast to blockade East Pakistan. File photo of an Osa class missile boat. The two large canisters on either side house the Styx-guided missiles The IN decided to think out of the box and use its small coastal 209-tonne Osa class missile boats, which carried 4 Styx anti-ship guided missiles each, to bombard Karachi. These were small coastal vessels designed by the Soviets for harbour defense and Karachi was 600+ nautical miles {1100 odd kms} away which these missile boats were not capable of traversing through the open ocean. So before hostilities commenced the IN towed the Osa missile boats to Okha, the small naval port at the western tip of Saurashtra from where Karachi was only ~340 km, a range well within the capability of these boats. Also with their top speed in excess of 38 knots {70 kmph} they could just about strike and return between dusk & dawn. On 4th December, what was now designated as the Karachi Strike Group was formed and consisted of the three boats called the Vidyut-class missile boats by the IN: INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer, each armed with four Soviet-made SS-N-2B Styx surface-to-surface missiles with a range of 74 km and ~500 kg warhead, two Petya-class anti-submarine corvettes: INS Kiltan and INS Katchall as anti-submarine and air defence escorts. The group was under the command of Commander Babru Bhan Yadav. As planned, on 4 December, the strike group reached 460 km south off the coast of Karachi, and maintained its position during the day, outside the surveillance range of the Pakistan Air Force. As Pakistani aircraft did not possess night-bombing capabilities, it was planned that the attack would take place between dusk and dawn. At 10.30 pm the Indian task group moved 330 km from its position towards the south of Karachi. Soon Pakistani targets, identified as warships, were detected to the north of the Indian warships. File photo of PNS Khaibar in better days in British service. She was a 3400-tonne destroyer armed with 6 4.5-inch guns, 10 Bofors 40mm guns, a bank of 5 torpedoes and an anti-submarine mortar. She represented the British state of the art of the early 1950s INS Nirghat, the first to strike, sailed north at speed and once in range fired its first Styx missile at PNS Khaibar, a Pakistani Battle-class destroyer. Khaibar, assuming it was a missile from Indian aircraft, engaged its anti-aircraft systems. The missile hit the right side of the ship, exploding below the galley in the electrician's mess deck at 10.45 PM. This led to an explosion in the first boiler room. Subsequently, the ship lost propulsion. Observing that the ship was still afloat, INS Nirghat fired its second missile hitting PNS Khaibar in the second boiler room on the ship's starboard side rapidly sinking the ship and killing 222 sailors. PNS Khaibar, an ex-British Battle class destroyer was one of the two most powerful warships the Pakistanis possessed at the time. Her loss so early in the war was crippling. PNS Shah Jahan in earlier times in British service. She was a 2500-tonne fast destroyer escort or what today are called frigates. After verifying two targets in the area northwest of Karachi, at 11.00 PM, INS Nipat fired two Styx missiles - one each at cargo vessel MV Venus Challenger and its escort PNS Shah Jahan, a C-class destroyer. Venus Challenger was carrying American-supplied ammunition for the Pakistani forces from Saigon. It exploded immediately after the missile hit, and eventually sank south of Karachi. The other missile targeted PNS Shah Jahan and damaged the ship very badly. It was eventually towed back to Karachi & scrapped. File photo of an Adjutant class mine sweeper like PNS Muhafiz At 11.20 PM PNS Muhafiz, an Adjutant-class minesweeper, was targeted by INS Veer. A missile was fired and Muhafiz was struck on the left side, behind the bridge. It sank immediately before it could send a signal to the PNHQ killing 33 sailors. To confuse the Pakistanis, the crews of these ships, who had all been trained in the USSR, spoke to each other over the radio in Russian! Thus the enemy did not realize the Indian navy was close at hand. Later the Western media claimed that Russians were manning the boats {implying Indians were not clever enough to do so!} little realizing in those days a large proportion of IN officers and Petty Officers were fluent in Russian. Meanwhile, INS Nipat continued towards Karachi and targeted the Kemari oil storage tanks, placing itself 26 km south of the Karachi harbour. Two missiles were launched; one misfired, but the other hit the oil tanks, which burned and were destroyed completely. With no casualties on the Indian side, this operation was considered to be one of the most successful in modern naval history up to that time post-World War II. To mark this victory, the Indian Navy annually celebrates Navy Day on 4th December. File photo of the fleet tanker class of ships to which PNS Dacca belonged. A follow-up attack, Operation Python, was launched on the night of 8th/9th December 1971. A strike group consisting of one missile boat INS Vinash and two frigates INS Talwar & INS Trishul attacked the group of ships off the coast of Karachi. While India suffered no losses, the Pakistani fleet tanker PNS Dacca was damaged beyond repair, and the Kemari Oil Storage facility was lost. Two other foreign ships stationed in Karachi were also sunk during the attack. Between Operations Trident and Python, and the Indian Air Force attacks on Karachi's fuel and ammunition depots, more than fifty percent of the total fuel requirement of the Karachi zone was reported to have been destroyed. Our bold deployment surprised the Soviets pleasantly. Later they told us their satellites had captured a part of the operation! The Styx SS-N-2B surface-to-surface guided missile getting launched. Note the folded wings which are yet to open; note the plume of the booster rocket below; note the main cruise rocket motor on top. The missile was the world's first successful anti-ship guided missile and was developed through at least 4 successive improved versions. It carried a radar for guidance and to identify and lock on to targets. It could be called the father of all anti-ship missiles in operation today and set the basic principles of coming in low over the sea and being independent in its guidance and targeting. Commander B.B. Yadav {Lieutenant Colonel in the Army} who commanded the Karachi Attack group in Operation Trident. He passed away in 2010 at the ripe age of 81. He rose to the rank of Commodore {Brigadier in the Army} before serving for some years as a Merchant Navy Master. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. The photo above is from the time of his retirement. Line drawing of the Osa class missile boat which spawned a whole family of ships called missile boats or Fast Attack Craft (Missile). It is rare for a class of warship types to be able to identify a single ship or class as the progenitor of a whole type. Osa is one such. HMS Dreadnought the first fast battleship (1906), USS Nautilius the first nuclear-powered submarine (1953) are two which come immediately to my mind. Note the 4-missile carrying canisters on either side. Note the fore and aft radar directed 30mm two anti-aircraft gun mountings. Displacing a little over 200 tonnes these were powered by 3 diesels on three shafts with an output of 12,000 shp in all, driving the boat to a bit over 38 knots. Like all things Soviets, the design was powerful, fast and packed to the gill. The crew of 28 had one shower and one head (toilet) between them. Reference: Transition to Triumph, History of the Indian Navy by Vice Admiral GN Hiranandani Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Don't look on the bright side! The best way to support others is to not cheer them up

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Software-centric cars. Good or bad?

BHPian MustangSammy recently shared this with other enthusiasts.Software centric cars. Good or bad?The Economist seems to think the latter. I beg to disagree, as the lower standards (no offense to the software developers on this forum), tolerance for bugs and early learning release mentality of the software sector is not really appropriate for a product like automobiles, which hold the lives of their passengers and those around them in their hands (mixed metaphor, I know). Not to mention how this will eventually take away the pleasure us drivers get from direct interaction with our vehicles. Here's what BHPian RedTerrano had to say on the matter:I am not going to get into the discussion on whether a computer can optimise efficiency and improve safety as compared to a human. My take is, I would rather drive a fully human controlled vehicle than let some software control part of it. I once saw a movie/TV serial where the assassin hacks into a car and disables the brakes at an opportune moment. I doubt I have enemies who would send an assassin behind me (ok maybe one of my ex perhaps) but no thanks. The dumber the vehicle, the higher my safety.Here's what BHPian srini1875 had to say on the matter:Whether we like it or not, every car that's rolled out of production has an ECU which is software programmed. Those days of pure mechanical cars which used cables and linkages are all gone. So its now a software which controls how much fuel is to be sent to the combustion chamber based on a combination of inputs from a throttle sensor and a MAPS sensor. A modern automobile is a complicated array of sensors and actuators liked together by a control software. The problem, IMO is only when this system malfunctions and the car starts behaving like an uncontrolled Zombie robot. So I am all in favor of a big red Manual Override button which returns complete control to the driver in case of emergencies so at least he/she can park it to the side of the road.Here's what BHPian DicKy had to say on the matter:Noob regarding software stuff, but I am always wary of automobiles capable of communicating over the air/ remotely. Even if the car itself is loaded with software, I am okay if it is a closed system and is not able to connect with anything outside unless one physically connects to the ECU/ECM. Ofcourse, there will always be the dangling of safety that advocates will use to justify Over the Air communications and car-to-car communication stuffs.Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say on the matter:Both airbags and ABS are computer controlled and you have no control over them. E.g. airbag response time is speed dependent. The computer gets input from a deceleration sensor and calcite's at which point in time the airbag deployment needs to be triggered. If you have side airbags it looks at several different sensor to decide for you which airbags need to deploy when. You have no control over ABS either. ABs works less reliable at low speeds, so it is inhibited below a certain speed threshold, but even just above the threshold, depending on the situation, ABS might work less, than regular braking. If you don't know how ABS works, or rather needs to used, you will increase braking distance considerably. If you lift your foot of the brake whilst the ABS is active, it will de-activate, brake pads will be momentarily lifted before being employed again. ABS modulation tends to be speed dependent as well, sometimes some other factor as well. So this is a system that is programmed to do help you during hard (emergency) braking. And whilst you keep your foot firmly on the brake pedal it will do its job nicely, fully autonomously from you. Lift momentarily or hit a wet/icey patch with one tire and all bets are off.If you have a car with an ECU it does a bunch of stuff that you can't influence, from applying the automatic choke, to advancing the ignition timing, disconnecting the AC etc. Etc. Car electronics and software or programmable functions have been around for at least 4-5 decades. My fourth year old Mercedes W123 with a carburator engine came standard, with electronic ignition and advancing of the timing. My almost as old Alfa Spider has two computer already, Bosch L-Tropic system. Controls ignition and injection. The main problem as I see it, people get stuck in the past. Few people could properly set up and tune a carburateur, few people can properly work on car electronics. By and large, more and more electronics have made cars more reliable and safer. All data from insurers lease companies and breakdown services show the same trend. But people keep bitching on how you could repair an old proper car with a paperclip. And you can't with modern cars. You need a laptop. That's just what progress is like. Those that don't keep up, e.g. mechanics, will ultimately be without a job. I love old classic cars and modern ones. Currently we own four classics and one modern one. But for my daily drive I need something reliable and comfortable, which means the more electronic the better by and large. The modern car might need a laptop if it breaks down, but to date it never has. Whereas the number of times I need to resort to not just paperclips, but a boot full of tools on my old cars is substantial. JeroenHere's what BHPian gururajrv had to say on the matter:Too much reliance on electronics / internet as can be seen with many cars going smartphone way, headaches in reliability will be directly proportional to it. Another point I see or can infer with maximizing usage or making the cars go smarter is to reduce or discourage customers using FNGs in near future. The reason I say this is because, I saw a post of a BMW customer on this forum who had mentioned their car holds data of the service interval and it can only be reset after customer gets the car serviced at ASS! So while softwares makes it all nice, it carries it's own disadvantages with it.Here's what BHPian lordrayden had to say on the matter:Boon or Bane? - Sorry to say but the question itself is somewhat wrong. It incorrectly assumes that the answer is a simple and clear right or wrong, black or white, etc. Nothing in life is that clear cut and bucketable (is that even a word?). As others have mentioned even basic (for today) and unquestionably life saving things like ABS and airbags have some amount of software control. So it's not all bad. On the other hand we have AC temperature controls buried under a few layers of touchscreen menus. So it's not all good. Therefore the real question should be where do we draw the line between boon and bane.Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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November 2022 sales numbers of Audi, BMW & Mercedes India

FADA has released the vehicle registration data of luxury cars for November 2022. Mercedes-Benz has come out on top with 1195 units sold, followed by BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, which have sold 966 units and 153 units, respectively.Luxury carmaker sales for November 2022:Mercedes-Benz - 1,129 units, up from 901 units in November 2021BMW - 962 units, up from 753 units in November 2021Jaguar Land Rover - 158 units, down from 203 units in November 2021Volvo - 156 units, up from 138 units in November 2021Porsche - 80 units, up from 32 units in November 2021Audi - 44 units (CBU), down from 107 units in November 2021Lamborghini - 2 units, up from 0 units in November 2021Bentley - 1 unit, down from 5 units in November 2021Rolls Royce - 3 units, up from 1 unit in November 2021Team-BHP's detailed analysis of November 2022 sales figures.

Top 10 best-selling cars in India - November 2022

The list of the top 10 best-selling cars in India in November 2022 consists of models from Maruti, Hyundai & Tata. The top position is occupied by the Maruti Baleno. The Tata Nexon is in 2nd place, while the Punch occupies the 9th position. The Hyundai Creta is in the 8th position. The Maruti Brezza sits in 10th place, while the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th spots have been secured by the Alto, Swift, WagonR, Dzire & Ertiga, respectively.The top 10 cars sold in November 2022Maruti Baleno - 20,945Tata Nexon - 15,871Maruti Alto - 15,663Maruti Swift - 15,153Maruti WagonR - 14,720Maruti Dzire - 14,456Maruti Ertiga - 13,818Hyundai Creta - 13,321Tata Punch - 12,131Maruti Brezza - 11,324

DIY Installation: How I fixed a 2022 XL6 rear spoiler on my old XL6

BHPian Leoshashi recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Installed Spoiler myself: Ever since the 2022 XL6 came out, the spoiler was growing on me. Being available from MGP also solved the child part issue, where some people lost their caps and it was not available separately. The only issue now was that I was not happy with the way the showroom guys were installing it. Given the huge number of cars they do, they don't follow SOP and merely hammer/screw in a screw into the thin sheet metal. An example of how a spoiler is typically installed: Decided to explore the possibility of DIY. After all the only thing risky was drilling holes post-proper measurement. Visited a nearby showroom and procured the instruction manual which comes with every spoiler, but no one reads it. Sharing the manual here: The only changes from the steps mentioned in the manual were that the number of holes needed is two and not 7 as mentioned. Also, I didn't rely solely on the presented template. Took measurements by actually positioning the spoiler. Ordered the MGA spoiler pre-painted in Magma Grey from Boodmo during their free delivery sale. PN: 990J0M72R07-150 Steps:Marked the hole positions. Made 11 mm drill and installed jack nut provided in that hole. The hole was deburred and also painted to prevent any future rusting before installing the jack nut. The sheet metal here is deliberately made super thin to facilitate easy spoiler installation. In one of the pics, you can spot the area of the hole that got a small dent, it's actually desirable since the jack nut then sits absolutely flush.Clean the remaining area, and apply 3M's adhesion promoter along areas which will mate with double-sided tapes provided on the spoiler. PN: 990J0M999H7-010After this, careful placement is needed and you are done.I also applied molten plastic from the Stanley glue gun over and around the bolts, so that there is no chance of water seeping inside.Some pics: Jack nut: Molten plastic from Glue gun: Pics of the car: Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Facing storage issues in a 3-door Thar? Here's how I solved it

BHPian shankar.balan recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Storage issues in your 3-door Thar? Look no further than this! This is from last week's three-day trip to Coorg and back - two of us, my friend and I and our luggage, went for golf and attended three functions of a wedding and we didn't need to repeat our outfits either, even once! I have the Tumble fold rear seat. Secured with a bungee cord. Two golf bags spoon fashion. Also, secured with bungee cords. Below this, as you can see, there are some normal essential items storage bags. And ample space for a couple of suitcases, duffel bags and all. Can hang jackets from the grab handles at the rear. Can accommodate shoe bags by placing them neatly on the rear armrests. They won't budge if packed smartly. In addition, for odds and ends, there are those storage tubes attached to the rear roll cage and the normal grab handle bag in front. Basically, the Thar can be modified beautifully to become an excellent grand tourer for two persons and a surprisingly generous amount of luggage. This is now absolutely a Fun, Functional and Practical go-anywhere anytime vehicle! Before you ask, here is the number of the chaps who got this tumble fold seat done for me as well as several others before me. Mr Kaul of Azad 4x4 in Hosakote, just outside of Bangalore. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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Installed a bigger rear rack plate on my 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan

BHPian WhiskeyTangoFox recently shared this with other enthusiasts.Update: New rear rack plate.Two of the biggest gripes I had while trying to mount a duffel bag onto the rear rack of the Himalayan with a couple of bungee straps was that firstly, the plate was puny, so the bag kept shifting weight mid ride, and secondly, there was no slot or cutout through which I could route the bungee straps, which caused the straps to slide around, thereby making the mounted luggage, unstable Hence I wanted to get a new rear rack plate. I did check out Viaterra's plates first but as much as I stand by their quality, their offerings were simply too expensive for a sheet of milled out metal which I'd use occasionally. Saw a relatively inexpensive plate on Amazon by a company called Milachin. This is advertised to fit on all Himalayans from BS3 to BS6 and the Xpluse as well It was packaged well and came to BLR from DEL within a day. The only tools you'll need are a 4mm Allen Key and a pair of pliers. I'd strongly recommend everyone here to get an allen key set because it makes life much easier when working on your motorcycles and you don't have to depend on manufacturers to include allen keys with their products, which they mostly don't. Stock plate which is pretty small. Size does matter. The kit comes with the plate, 4 x 4mm Allen Head Screws, 8 x washers and 4 rubber buffers. Fairly straightforward process to fix it and it took about 10 minutes. Here is the finished look: Does not cover the tail light. I don't think the product is powder coated and may be prone to scratches, but I will update in the long run. It is very sturdy and has dedicated slots to route a bungee cord/ROK Straps through and a ton of holes and a larger surface area to mount a top box onto which I've heard that they do require. Great product for my use case though. Until Next time folks, Cheers! Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato launched at Rs 4.61 crore

Lamborghini has launched its newest and most unconventional supercar, the Sterrato, in India. The all-terrain Huracan Sterrato is priced at Rs 4.61 crore (ex-showroom). Lamborghini is building just 1,499 units of the Huracan Sterrato. The company claims that bookings from India have already crossed into the double digits. The Sterrato is a high-riding supercar offering 44 mm more ground clearance compared to the Huracan Evo. The car has wider front and rear tracks and rides on special 19-inch wheels shod with Bridgestone off-road tyres. In terms of its design, the Huracan Sterrato gets wider fenders, skid plates, roof rails and a roof scoop. It also gets auxiliary LED lights mounted on the front bumper. The Huracan Sterrato is powered by a 5.2-litre V10 engine producing 610 BHP & 560 Nm. The engine is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The car features an electronically-controlled all-wheel-drive system with a rear mechanical self-locking differential. Lamborghini says the Sterrato is capable of sprinting from 0 - 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds while reaching a top speed of 260 km/h.

Toyota Urban Cruiser: How I got LED fog lamps installed at Maruti ASC

BHPian MotoDrive recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Sharing my experience of getting the Brezza fog lamps on my Urban Cruiser which might be helpful of the members. I recently bought Urban Cruiser High AT model in Aug 2022. Which has run around 3,300 Kms till now. I had the idea of getting the fog lamps fitted since this model didn't have the fog lamps. I did not get it installed during the delivery as I had crossed my budget during that time. The bug of missing fog lamps was always in my head and I always felt the car is incomplete. After a month or so started enquiring in Toyota service centres for the same, the response was not welcoming because they did not had any stocks and never offered to order one for me. That made me look elsewhere and started enquiring with the local shops but they were also not able to source the OEM fog lamps from Brezza, I was very particular about the OEM ones which are LED. One more month passed in Bangalore's busy life, but I kept enquiring whenever and wherever I get a chance to do so. Luckily there was as Maruti Suzuki Service located just 1 Km from my home. I had a good relationship with Service Adviser as I used to get my Ignis serviced. I casually enquired with him for the fog lamps, he conformed the availability! and said it is not possible to fit to the Urban Cruiser as they are not supposed take Toyota Vehicles for the service or any other work which is known factor and I kept quite. I used to persuade him to fit the fog lamps on my Urban Cruiser. Just couple of days ago he finally agreed to do so. I agreed on the price which was exacly INR 6680/- I accepted the price we decided on the day for the same but he postponed due to some higher officials were visiting from Maruti. The next day I called him, Can you do it today? He said Yes Sir, Please come post lunch around 2pm I asked about the time required for the same and he said it can be done in less than two hours. There was one more catch! he could not bill the fog lamps to my urban cruiser! But he said if I can get any Maruti car so that it can billed to that Car...to my luck my Landlord's son had bought a new Maruti a month ago. I gave his car registration number for the same. Finally I left the car at their service centre they did the good job and gave the delivery in less than two hours as committed. The one more challenge we faced was to find a place for the fog lamp button as mine AT which doesn't come with empty switch place/dummy switch. Finally we decided to put it below the Start/Stop button, I feel the cut made to fit the switch could have been little more neat and tidy but its OK. I feel Maruti SA are more accommodating that TOYOTA SAs. They are not bothered to even offer to order the Parts from Maruti/Toyota. I don't want to take the name of the dealer and the SA but I was happy for the work and for the reason that I got resolved a bug which was in my head for last three months. Sharing the pics of the same. At Maruti Service bay Location of the Fog lamp Switch Close up shot of the Fog Lamp Switch Testing fog lamps Closeup shot Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Checked out the Mercedes GLB & EQB at a mall: My quick observations

BHPian Arsenic recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Got a chance to check out the GLB/EQB today at Phoenix Palladium. A couple of quick impressions:That 3rd row is UNUSABLE. Period. For context, I'm a 5'4'' 13-year-old, and I would not want to be in there for more than 5 minutes. Plus, the lack of rear vents truly suffocates you. Big thumbs down to Mercedes on this. I would've preferred a 5-seat GLB, because boot space with all three rows up is, frankly speaking, atrocious.Second-row comfort is decent, even with the seat slid slightly ahead for a little more third-row. Seat material is nice and feels quite good.While ingress into the third row is relatively easy, egress is a total nightmare. My shoe kept getting stuck, and it took quite a bit of acrobatics to get out of there fully.What I do like is the interior up front. The cabin feels cozy and quite plush. I quite liked the ambient lighting elements as they seemed well-integrated and made the cabin feel just that extra bit nicer.Additionally, I must concede that the car looks BRILLIANT. It really does resemble the GLS from many angles, although a fellow young enthusiast I met there didn't think the car looked like the GLS at all.The SA said that Mercedes is genuinely serious with the GLB and EQB, and isn't just bringing the GLB as a stopgap until the next gen GLC arrives. Merc wants to create a new market niche / segment with these products, so the XC40 Recharge / EV6 aren't in Merc's line of sight at all. I'm all for manufacturers creating firsts in the Indian market, so I'm glad to see them trying and appreciate it. Something I don't appreciate as much? The SA said the next-gen GLC will touch ONE CRORE!!!Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Mint Explainer: Why e-rupee may replace physical cash in the long term

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Shenu Agarwal appointed as MD & CEO of Ashok Leyland

Ashok Leyland has announced the appointment of Shenu Agarwal as MD & CEO of the company with immediate effect. According to the company, Agarwal will focus on technology development and growth. He will also chart out the future strategy for the brand. Prior to his appointment as the MD & CEO of Ashok Leyland, Agarwal was the President of Escorts Kubota Ltd. He spearheaded the company's Agribusiness for more than 7 years. Last month, Andy Palmer announced his exit from Ashok Leyland. He resigned from the post of vice-chairman and CEO of Switch Mobility and also stepped down from this role as a Board member of Ashok Leyland.

Porsche Macan EV interiors spied ahead of unveil

Porsche has been working on introducing the Macan EV for quite some time now. Spy images of the Porsche Macan EV undergoing testing have been released on multiple occasions. However, the latest spy shots of the electric Macan give us a clear glimpse of the SUV's interiors. As seen from the spy images, the Porsche Macan EV comes with three displays - a digital instrument cluster, a touchscreen infotainment unit on the centre console and a separate screen for the front passenger. There also seems to be a small rectangular screen behind the steering wheel. While the image doesn't showcase what the small screen displays, reports suggest that it could provide information like the car's state of charge or other notifications for the driver assistance functions. Another image also reveals the dashboard on the Macan EV. It shows the analogue clock offered as part of the Chrono Package by Porsche, while also showcasing how the dash wraps around the digital instrument cluster. Porsche had previously announced details of the powertrain on the Macan Electric. The SUV is said to come with a 100 kWh battery pack paired with two electric motors (one on each axle), producing around 600 BHP and 1000 Nm. The battery pack is said to offer 402 km of range on a single charge, as per the EPA cycle. It also comes with fast-charging capabilities allowing for 5 - 80% charge in just 25 mins. Porsche is said to begin production of the Macan EV sometime in 2024. Source: CarScoops

My 2022 Jeep Compass petrol AT: Observations after the first 1000 kms

BHPian saketsomani recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hi everyone, Wanted to give a quick update- I've just finished the first 1000 kms on my 2022 5th Anniversary Petrol AT. Overall the first 1000 kms have been pretty much seamless but there are a couple of things that I've noticed:The engine and gearbox does take a while to open up completely, the gearbox still felt a little 'stiff' and 'hesitant' up until the 700 km mark and then started to open up. There are still times when I try and do a quick overtake at speeds below 40kph and the gearbox feels like its turned off for a second before it kicks in and drops down a few gears. I've also noticed a clattering sound at times from the gearbox when you are about to come to a stop after being at 70+ kph. Not sure if this is something I need to worry about or if it's just a mechanical sound that is normal.Drive and ride quality- At slow speeds the ride quality is a bit stiff but not uncomfortable. My typical commute is from SoBo to BKC so the roads are pretty decent. Once you get up to speed the car feels much more planted and soaks up a lot of the smaller potholes and expansion joints. The 1.4 may not be the most enthusiastic motor but it pulls nicely once you are in the desired rev band. The only times you'll feel a lack of grunt is when you are trying to wiggle around city traffic but this is something you get used to and will be able to adapt your driving style to get the most out of the car when needed.Infotainment- One of the best parts of the car, it's super slick and a breeze to use. I've been only using the wireless Apple CarPlay and it's been seamless. It connects as soon as the car is turned on and once the screen comes on it instantly takes you to CarPlay. The only issue here is that the screen is a fingerprint magnet and if that's something that annoys you, you will find yourself constantly cleaning the screen. A good microfibre cloth seems to do the job for me.Build quality- This has been a concern with Jeeps and I have been expecting my share of rattles and squeaks. I had a horrible rattle sound from the left rear door two days after taking delivery and had to send the car back. Fortunately Landmark was able to resolve the issue in a couple of hours. Since then I've not had too many bad rattles but you do hear the occasional squeak from the centre console or the dashboard, specially when going over rough patches.However, there's is a rattle sound from a few of the doors when playing bass heavy music that has come up recently. I was able to mitigate this by tweaking the settings and turning off loudness but this still an issue if the volume is above 20. I've been thinking of using damping material in the doors in order to solve this, does anyone have an idea if that will be helpful? Thank you for the support and feel free to reach out if you have a any questions about my experience. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Ducati DesertX India launch on December 12

Ducati has released a teaser of its upcoming adventure bike, the DesertX. The bike will be launched on December 12, 2022. The DesertX made its debut at the Ducati World Premiere in December 2021. It is powered by a 937cc liquid-cooled V-twin engine that can also be found on the Multistrada V2. It churns out 108 BHP @ 9,250 rpm and 92 Nm @ 6,500 rpm. The Ducati DesertX is an off-road-focused motorcycle. The bike rides on 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wire-spoke wheels with 46 mm upside-down Kayaba fork suspension at the front and a Kayaba mono-shock at the rear. The fully adjustable suspension offers a ground clearance of 250 mm. The DesertX is equipped with 6 riding modes, 4 power modes, engine brake control, traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS and a bi-directional quick-shifter. The motorcycle is also fitted with full-LED lighting and a 5-inch TFT display.

Upgraded my Nissan Micra's audio system but it still lacks mid-range

BHPian electrobeam recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I have recently upgraded my car's audio to pioneer head unit + 4-door Hertz dsk165 component speakers+ Sony xplod amplifier + Harman infinity subwoofer with damping in all doors and dicky door. Mind you, it's one hell of an audio system to show off. However, I feel it lacks it in the mid-range (to be specific, tabla, taals, etc in Bollywood songs). What can be upgraded or any change in amp settings? (EQ in the head unit is already adjusted to give the best of the mid-range). Any ideas will be helpful. Thanks in advance. The car is Nissan Micra Active 2013 model. Here's what BHPian navin had to say about the matter:I am a little confused. You have already adjusted the EQ settings to get the best midrange. Typically this would also mean reducing the bass and treble to bring attention to the midrange. The fundamental frequency for a tabla ranges from 100-800Hz. What type of EQ controls does your head unit have? If it is a 2-band (bass and treble) control, it might not be able to accentuate tabla frequencies. A 10-band EQ, for example, would offer you more control. Assuming your head unit has only bass and treble controls, bass and treble controls are typically centred around 100Hz and 10kHz, respectively. If you have boosted either of these controls, you might have inadvertently reduced the focus on instruments like the tabla (and male voices).Here's what BHPian vedirah had to say about the matter:Hi, if your speakers are only slightly lacking in mids, I suspect it could be because of the Sony amp. Sony audio products are known for having a very consumer-oriented V-shaped sound signature. You could EQ it out.Here's what BHPian singh.b86 had to say about the matter:First off, hearty congratulations to you for the upgrade. Now for any of us to be able to help you better, we would like to know the model number of the equipment (HU and Amp) installed. Also, is it a single damping or double damping or triple damping on the doors (incl the boot)? Single damping is just 1 layer of damping, usually put up on the exterior sheet of the door but from the inside. Double damping is 1 layer of damping each on the exterior sheet from the inside AND the door frame on which the door pad sits. Triple damping includes damping the door pad also from the inside over and above the double damping. I was running on Double damping for about 6-7 months, chose to get the triple done and trust me, not a placebo effect but it did make a good amount of difference to the audio quality.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

BYD Atto 3 electric SUV racks up 1,500 bookings in 1 month

BYD launched its Atto 3 electric SUV last month. The carmaker has now announced that it has received 1,500 bookings for the EV. Deliveries will commence in January 2023. The BYD Atto 3 is available in a single, fully loaded trim priced at Rs 33.99 lakh (ex-showroom). It comes equipped with features such as a rotating 12.8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a digital instrument cluster, a panoramic sunroof, automatic climate control, powered front seats and a powered tailgate. The SUV also gets ADAS and other safety features. The Atto 3 is available with a 60.48 kWh battery pack that offers a range of 521 km (ARAI). It powers an electric motor mounted on the front axle. It makes 201 BHP and 310 Nm. BYD claims the Atto 3 can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds.

The Body Shop to double India business by 2025-end

The Anita Roddick-founded beauty company will have all its products certified by the Vegan Society by the end of 2023. According to global consumer research firm Statista, India was the fourth biggest beauty and personal care market globally in terms of revenue in 2021. The Indian beauty and personal care market are expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.5 per cent in the period between 2022-2027, the researcher said.

Tata Tigor owner adds a Maruti Ignis to his garage: 6 pros & 5 cons

BHPian DCEite recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Having a Tigor XZA AMT 2017 in the garage (Review here (First one on Team-BHP: Tata Tigor XZA (AMT))), we started hunt for a second car early this year due to requirement of a second car at home. Primary requirements:Car should have small footprint and nimble to handle within city.Petrol MT only, since we already have an AMT to give rest to left foot, and to add that engagment while driving which can't be matched by any AT.Car should be preferably 4 cylinder engined, since I do not want to have another 3 cylinder (even turbo charged) car in the garage. No 3 cylinder engine can match the smoothness of a 4 cylinder unit, period.The car should have factory fitted Android Auto/Apple Carplay touchscreen infotainment unit. I really do not like getting aftermarket Touchscreen ICE retrofitted. Suffered a lot in the Tigor, even though the SQ is fantastic from the stock harman non-touch screen system, the lack of Apple carplay means I need to connect mobile to car holders for using Maps, and most car mobile holders go kaput within few months or weeks. And the fact that having integrated reverse parking camera display on the HU makes taking reverse so much easier.Cars shortlisted: With the above requirements in mind, we went for car hunting during March/April 2022. 1. Hyundai Santro: We liked Hundai Santro atleast on paper since it came with a 4 cylinder unit. And in the showroom, the car felt to have good space inside for the size of the car. The TD vehicle was not available. However, the salesman hinted that the dealership is no longer receiving fresh units from company and they cannot commit on any delivery timelines. Surprised by this statement, we crosschecked with another dealer, and he confirmed that production is stopped and the car maybe discontinued in near future. And correct he was. The Santro was eventually discontinued from Indian car market in May'22. Anyway, we had removed the car from the shortlist. 2. Maruti Suzuki S-Presso: I had a soft corner for this car. GTO's drive impressions on this car in various thread had me got interested in S-Presso, even though it did not meet the selection criteria of 4 cylinder unit. I test drove the car, and indeed the engine felt peppy, the overall visibility of the car is quite good, and the ride quality over bad roads felt composed for a car of its size. However, second half immediately rejected the car in the Arena showroom, as the car's interior didn't have any feel good factor and felt like a taller version of Alto. 3. Maruti Suzuki Swift The Swift in the same Arena showroom as S-Presso felt considerably better in every area (I know both are different segments, but when you have a give and take of 1-2 lacs difference in price, you tend to compare cars across segments). The test drive of the vehicle was uneventful and the engine felt reasonably peppy and refined. Salesperson gave an estimate of around a month waiting period and discount of only 10k. The variant within our budget was the VXi. But the VXi loses on a lot of goodies , most importantly, no stock Android Auto/Apple Carplay system, lack of engine stop/start button, keyless entry, and thinner tyres compared to ZXi/ZXi. The Swift also didn't felt like a car that you can throw in and out of traffic easily, perhaps due to its low seating position and medium footprint.Moreover the Swift VXi was costly when compared to another car in Maruti's stable that I had in mind (The IGNIS), so I wanted to check the Ignis at Nexa showroom before considering Swift. 4. Maruti Suzuki Ignis The next was Ignis. As soon as we entered the Nexa showroom (which is at a walking distance of the Arena showroom we visited), we instantly felt a sense of positivity, perhaps due to a combination of factors like a much better maintained showroom, a polite and eager to answer salesman, the general level of customer centric attitude of the staff, like offering snacks, tea, cofee and arranging for comfortable seating for all 4 family members and taking time to explain variant details and features, etc. In contrast, the Arena showroom felt like a government office from the 90's, with the staff barely interested or enthusiastic to sell, with the attitute of ake it or leave it. Anyway, both me and better half took a test drive of the Ignis and everything felt perfectly at home, be it the driving position, the commanding view of the road, the overall visibility, the smooth K-series engine and a lovely combo of slick gearshift and well weighed albeit a bit light clutch. It felt as if the car compensated every negative aspect of the Tigor (Although Tigor compensates for a lot of Negatives of the Ignis, more on this later), and the two would make for a decent entry level car garage. We shortlisted the Zeta variant, it had all the features we needed like Smarplya touchscreen with Android Auto/Apple carplay, Push button start/stop, Keyless entry, 15 inch alloy wheels etc but not the rear view camera (Why Maruti, why ? ) and front seat height adjustment. As for the camera, the same was offered by the sales team as complimentary and fitted at dealership level at the day of delivery. We agreed. For the seat height adjust, neither me nor better half found any issue with the default seat height of the Zeta variant, so it was not a deal breaker. The icing on the cake was immediate delivery (within a week) for our favourite colour - Nexa Blue and the discounts on offer were to the tune of 25k. I understand now the discounts on Ignis are even higher to the tune of 30-40k. Fast forward to 20th May 2022, after completing all formalities and paperwork including PDI (The car had done 11 kms on the meter and manufactured on 26th April 2022), we welcomed new addition to our family : Maruti Suzuki Ignis Zeta MT Nexa Blue. Here is a brief review of my ownership experience for the last 6 months, having clocked only 3800 kms till date (being second car): Pros:Engine and gearbox. Its not only about outright performance or healthy power to weight ratio, the engine shines in refinement and very good fuel efficiency figures. The engine never feels out of breadth for most of its RPM range. However the sweet spot starts after 1800 rpm, and once you cross 2000 rpm, a gentle push on the accelarator is all it takes to wake up all 82 horses with a beautiful throaty exhaust note which isn't harsh like Tata's Revotron or boomy like Hyundai's Kappa series. If you learn to keep the engine above 1800 rpm, you'll enjoy its characterstics. The gear ratios are well tuned, and 3rd gear works almost like an Automatic - the engine picks up speeds from as low as 20 kmpl in 3rd gear right upto 80-90 kmph. Remindes me somewhat of earstwhile Maruti Esteem.As for the fuel efficiency figures, so far it has always managed to do a tankful to tankful in the range of 15-17kmpl in city traffic with AC on all the time. Even when driven hard, the fuel efficiency from the 4 cylinder unit doesn't drop significantly, yielding a minimum of 15 kmpl.Maruti has mated the engine to a slick shifting, smooth as butter and short throw gearbox. Sometimes, when I am bored I just take out the Ignis to drive on empty road just to experience the slick gearshifting . Add to that a clutch which is light and progressive, you'll not miss an AT transmission much, until when you are in bumper to bumper traffic ofcourse.All round visibility and agility. One needs to drive a small car like the size of Ignis in city traffic to undrestand that Fun to drive can also mean driving a car that can be manoevered like an Autorikshaw, quick lane changes are easy and all round visibility makes getting in and out of traffic a breeze. No more fearing rowdy bikers, you can be one of them, well almost (just kidding, no offence meant).180 mm ground clearance. Helps a lot when driven over bad roads and one need not worry about bottom scraping on worst of speed breakers (My Gen 1 WagonR used to scrape bad speedbreakers with 165mm ground clearence).Maruti's after sales. Need not say much about it. Nearest Nexa station is 300 meters and Arena service station is 500 meters away. Enough said. They are literally, in every nook and corner of the country.Cons:Ride quality. The ride quality on the Ignis is stiff. At low speeds, you will feel every bump and it can get irritating if you drive frequently over potholed or roads with many speedbrekaers (specially the small ones and rumble strips). On the flip side, the high speed stability is good by Maruti small car standards. Much better compared to WagonR/Celerio. Although latter at the cost of high speed stability have softer suspension setup.Build quality. Not good, Maruti. My other car is a TATA Tigor, and Ignis in comparison feels like the whole external body is made of plastic. The doors are feather light. The bonnet and boot doors have adequate weight though. There is no eassuring thud when you close the passenger doors, infact the thump is quite discouraging, lol. However, the fact that Ignis has scored 3 Star GNCAP (or was it Latin NCAP ?) , so better than most small Maruti's including Swift, WagonR, Celerio, S-Presso, Alto and other small cars like Grand i10/Datsun go etc.Road noise and NVH. Even though the engine itself is refined at idle, as you build up speeds you can hear the engine note. But that doesn't irritate me, what does is the traffic noise. Maruti has skipped on quality insulating materials specially the window glass, which seems to be of thinner quality. Then there is the Horn which feels is positioned inside cabin instead of outside, its sounds abnormally loud inside !Gearing not suited for highway runs. The car does around 2600-2800 rpm @100 kmph in 5th gear, and if you cruise at this speed or beyond this the fuel efficiency figures will not be as good and the engine doesn't feel relaxed. Perhaps the car needs a 6th gear or a taller gear ratio. But then, this is not a highway car per se.Moody Smartplay infotainment. I have had multiple instances of Android Auto getting hanged in middle of Google maps navigation. Got it checked by Harman engineer at Maruti's Nexa workshop during first service, he downplayed it to faulty phone or cable, even though I insisted the issue is identified even with original cable and different handset. No solution till now.A note on How the Ignis MT and Tigor AMT compliment each other in the same garage: The Ignis and Tigor are very opposite in some of their characterstics, yet they help negate and fill the void created by each other so as to make a more alanced garage. The bumpy ride of the Ignis is offset by Tigor's relatively mature and plusher ride and handling. The noisy and unrefined engine of the Tigor on the other hand is compensated by the smooth and refined unit on the Ignis. And as obvious as it may sound, having an MT and AT combo in the garage has its own advantages. Then the fact that TATA's after sales is a hit or a miss, but the Maruti's A.S.S. is more widespread and consistent. The Ignis's steering while very light lacks feedback and doesn't center back to its position completely (there is still 5% margin, a lot of improvement over pre-2020 model though), the Tigor's steering is relatively well weighed and has more feedback, and ofcourse centers back completely after U-turns. I am not good at clicking photos and feel a bit awkward clicking cars, but here are some random shots I have on my phone: Playing hide and seek with Sun: Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Drove the Tata Altroz NA petrol extensively: 5 stand out observations

BHPian freakmuzik recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I have had the opportunity to drive the petrol (naturally aspirated) Altroz for quite some distance over the past couple of months. The primary car is my good friends', and another being one of another acquaintance in which we recently traveled through a set of very horrible roads+4 laned roads to places like Tada waterfalls and other parts around it. Wanted to share a few points which stood out for me:Engine isn't a strong point but it absolutely isn't bad. 5 people + Luggage + AC - it easily climbs slippery slopes super easy. In very low revs esp in 1st & 2nd gear, there is a cabin shake/ judder as the clutch pedal is released - noticed this in both the examples of the Altroz (P). Didn't get a very positive feeling about the gearshift quality - there's something very unrefined about it in layman terms. But overall, the drivetrain does a very decent job.Suspension is brilliant! It is a bit stiff in lower speeds but overall, it's superbly tuned and it tackled bad roads in decent speeds easily without rattling the occupants. Also, the ground clearance wasn't an issue on the worst of roads. Not once did it bottom out with 5 passengers on board. The stability is solid, steering is very precise & the brakes do a great job as well.Seating and comfort - I loved the front seats but not the rear. The rear seats are too upright to relax and under-thigh support was a little lacking. Otherwise, legroom is great, Air-con is good and armrests are very useful too. For the driver, the dashboard is set a little high so I always preferred raising the seat height.Infotainment has been really good. Apple Car Play and Android Auto worked seamlessly every single time and audio quality was really good even in the XT trim. For the very first time, I tried using Cruise control in a manual vehicle and it was interesting. I'm okay with the screen size.Car no. 1 has run 6k kms - zero rattles + one or two tiny niggles. Car no. 2 has run 17.7 k kms and has been handled quite roughly - zero rattles.Absolutely loved the car as I drive it more and more. I would have loved if the engine were smoother and the cabin shake in low revs never existed. It doesn't fit in a 9L car or rather, any car in 2022. Along with it, a slightly more inclined rear seat would make such a huge difference to the rear seat comfort. Can't wait to drive the Diesel sometime soon! Cheers! Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

G20 should aim to make AIIB and NDB the new IMF and World Bank

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Twitter Blue will reportedly cost $11 in App Store so Musk can avoid Apple fees

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Heres a list of some interesting tech gifts to surprise your loved ones.

Renault to hike prices of its cars from January 2023

Renault India has announced that it will increase the prices of its models from January 2023. Renault hasn't revealed the exact quantum of the price hike, but, as with other carmakers, prices are being increased to offset the impact of rising input costs driven by pricier commodities, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, inflation, and regulatory obligations. According to Renault, India became the fifth largest market for the brand after France, Germany, Russia and Brazil in 2022. India also accounts for 44% of Renault's overall revenue. Renault's current product portfolio includes three models - Kwid, Triber and Kiger.

2023 Hero Hunk 160 caught testing

The Hero Hunk is set to receive a major update next year. Recent spy images suggest that the 2023 Hunk could be in the final stages of its development. The 2023 Hero Hunk is expected to get a larger capacity engine from the Xtreme 160R. The 163cc single-cylinder engine makes 15 BHP @ 8,500 rpm and 14 Nm @ 6,500 rpm and comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The Hunk could get a slightly detuned version of this engine. Besides the new engine, the Hunk prototype looks fairly standard. The bike features a V-shaped headlamp with LED pilot lights and stylish shrouds on either side of the fuel tank. The blacked-out engine, crankcase, alloy wheels and suspension components further add to the sporty character. The Hero Hunk is expected to be launched sometime next year. It will compete with the Bajaj Pulsar P150. Source:Rushlane

Life with a 2005 Corolla: Got a few cosmetic & engine updates done

BHPian BeemerBug_06 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. A month and a half into using the car daily, I realised that the electronics had begun to go all slow and sluggish. The power windows and mirrors took ages to work and became quite annoying after a point. So one Sunday afternoon, I called a gentleman named Mr Ram over to my place. He is a seasoned electrician and someone whom you would call a Door mechanic. I was astonished to see the amount of muck, leaves, and other gunk that was lying behind the door pads and at the bottom. The winders and motor had all gone rough and slowed down, considering it had never been worked on before. Doing such a job might sound easy, but doing it right is indeed something that requires skill and patience considering it involves using a number of screwdrivers and pry tools that can easily mess things up. However, for a seasoned technician like Ram Bhai, it was child's play. He spent a good two and a half hours at work, while I watched for most of the time. Just watching him go about his work so skillfully was an experience by itself. Once done he assured me that they would have become smooth like makhan and they indeed had! To summarise the work done:All four door hinges servicedWindow winders servicedPower window motors servicedPower mirror motor serviceAll this was done for a little less than Rs 1000. Now for a few pics of the man at work: Post that, I took the car to Star Auto Electricals, my trustworthy electrician shop for ages and helped service the wiper motor and get it back into a smooth action. With that out of the way, the car felt more cosmetically fresh than before. However, there were then some mechanical hassles that showed up after a couple of weeks. For starters, there was an annoying vibration that started behind the dashboard and resonated into the car once the engine came to temperature, furthermore, oil was leaking out of the tappet cover owing to a worn out gasket and lastly, the brakes began to feel vague and lagged the bite that they originally had. Frustrated, I decided what to do about it. Once again, thank you to vigsom for helping me out here. It was all thanks to him that I was able to diagnose that annoying vibration that was resonating into the cabin from behind the dashboard and disrupting an otherwise very silent ride. The issue was caused due to worn-out engine mounts. Although, my car is low run the age of the mounts had caught up and they were done for. Later on, I dropped off the car to my mechanic Ravi for a test drive and he confirmed the same. From there on, I had to order the parts. It was more likely that only two mounts i.e the foundation mount that sits below the engine at the back and the other hydraulic mount that can be found below the power steering oil reservoir. Nonetheless, I decided to go ahead and change all four in order to future-proof the car for another decade or so. Procuring the parts wasn't as easy as I thought. My local auto parts shop did not have stock at all and in the end, I had to pay extra to get the OEM parts from Toyota itself. Once they arrived, I dropped off the car to my other mechanic Sanjay as Ravi was unavailable, the following morning. Now for some images of the WIP: Once the new mounts were in, the car became super silent. Such that I could not even tell whether the engine was running or not. In fact, I had never experienced it in such a smooth and silent state. As for the brakes, the pads had worn out as they had gone all hard and the discs were in desperate need of being skimmed. So I had that done, along with a thorough brake service. Post that they became as good as new! And finally, once all the work was complete, it was followed by a quick early morning drive to Lonavala and back. The car performed very well and returned fuel economy of about 16-17 km/litre. Impressive I'd say. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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Next-gen Husqvarna Svartpilen 125 spied testing globally

The next-generation iteration of the Husqvarna Svartpilen 125 has been spotted undergoing testing globally. The spy images of the motorcycle although covered in camouflage, do reveal a few styling changes and upgrades. As seen from the images, the new Svartpilen 125 seems to come with a lot of changes at the front, while also getting a revised frame and underpinnings. The motorcycle can be seen sporting a large flyscreen above the headlights and the rear comes with mounting points for soft luggage. The next-gen Svartpilen 125 also gets alloy wheels, similar to those on the KTM models. While details of the powertrain are yet to be confirmed, it is likely that the new-gen model will continue to use the 124cc single-cylinder engine borrowed from its KTM counterpart. Power figures of the new-gen motorcycle are yet to be announced. Husqvarna sells the 250cc version of the Svartpilen & Vitpilen in India. There are no official details on whether or not the smaller siblings will make it to the Indian market anytime soon. Source: Motorrad

Thar's rear seats modified to accommodate my dog & luggage for 3

BHPian techfreak recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Rear seat mod in my Thar. Installed a Chevy Optra Front passenger seat in place of the stock fixed bench seat. It slides, reclines and uses the existing seat belt. Has enough luggage space for 3 and Doggo is also happy. Costed Rs 1500 (Seat), material Rs 500, Installation Rs 0 (DIY), Seat Upholstery Rs 1500. I have used existing seat mount points so no permanent changes/modifications to the vehicle. But yes had to cut the stock mat in a few places. Now I can easily fit in adequate luggage or 2 cycles or the Doggo. Generally been using the top rack to hold luggage. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

MG 4 EV to be showcased at Auto Expo 2023

According to a media report, MG will be showcasing at least two electric cars at Auto Expo 2023 and one of them is the MG 4 electric hatchback. The MG 4 is based on a modular scalable platform developed by SAIC. The car measures 4,287 mm in length, 1,836 mm in width and 1,506 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,705 mm. The MG 4 features sleek sweptback LED headlamps with a smoked effect and an aggressive-looking front bumper. At the rear, the car has a 2-part spoiler and Y-shaped LED tail lights. Inside, you get a 2-spoke steering wheel with a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the centre. A rotary dial and wireless charging pad are provided on the centre console. In the international market, the MG 4 is offered with two battery options: a 51 kWh battery paired with a 168 BHP electric motor and a 64 kWh battery powering a 200 BHP electric motor. They offer a claimed range of 350 km and 425 km (WLTP cycle), respectively. Source:Autocar India

Why I'm planning to sell my brand-new Alcazar MT & buy an automatic car

BHPian dars.han recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I own a 7-seater Hyundai Alcazar that was purchased in April 2022. I have learnt the hard way that this upgrade from Brezza ZDI was one of the worst decisions. I am the sole driver of this car, I do not frequent my office due to WFH scenes and my wife cannot drive a manual (she works from the office daily). Hence, the car sits idly in my parking at least 25 days a month with me paying whopping EMIs only to keep it still. Though the car is new, I am considering selling the same and buying an automatic which both I and my wife can drive. Potentially reduce EMIs and get a good worth of the car. Is this a good move? Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:You'll lose money as the initial EMIs of a loan only cover interest and hardly any principal amount. Your bank might also have foreclosure fees. But it is what it is and if you seriously regret the purchase (sure seems like it from the tone of your post), sell it. Be sure to research thoroughly before buying your next car. Mistakes like these can be expensive. Sell your Alcazar and buy something you love with an AT. If you want to minimize the financial loss, consider a lightly owned & certified used car.Here's what BHPian condor had to say about the matter:Difficult situation. While the general and common sense approach is to make use of a car, especially a new one, in this situation you could go ahead. Remember: If you move to an automatic, AND your wife will drive it - hence putting to use the spend and losses, go ahead. You will have to cope with that loss, but better this way than letting it sit idle like that. Suggest waiting and getting a good price. You can also try an exchange with another Hyundai in case the exchange price is better that way instead of a sale.Here's what BHPian nik0502 had to say about the matter:It's a difficult situation to be in since selling such a new car comes with huge depreciation however I think you are lucky since it's a seller's market and most of the cars have high waiting periods. Get your car evaluated by Cars24 or Spinny and sell it to an individual buyer for higher than the price quoted by online aggregators. Just remember the first quote that they will provide you will be very low. Just do not give in to their pressure. These guys will keep calling you and will keep increasing the offer. You just have to be patient and you might be able to sell it for very little loss.Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say about the matter:It's only 6 months old. Put it up immediately for sale. I'm sure it's not run many kms. Considering the huge demand for all sorts of vehicles and the generally low availability you should make back near about what you spent to buy it, especially if there have been some price rises in these last 6 months. But lose NO time. Sell it NOW. Before December ends. Put an ad on Team-BHP Classifieds as well as OLX and maybe even just go back to that dealer and see if they have a ready customer who wants an almost new car. Yes, you will lose a bit. But better bite the bullet now rather than later, because by delaying you will only lose more. The bottom line is to act really fast.Here's what BHPian Hayek had to say about the matter:Presume there were some reasons why you picked the Alcazar when you bought it. Fully agree that what you spent on the car is sunk cost - and it makes no sense to keep a car you are not using and which your wife is not using either. But given this car probably cost upwards of 20L OTR, and depreciation, when you sell it would be at least 25% or 5 lakhs and an equivalent automatic will cost more than what you paid. The other option could be hiring a driver who can drive your wife to work. The depreciation alone will pay for the driver's 2 years salary and who knows, your office may abandon this work-from-home stuff (I was about to use a far harsher word) well before that. At the very least, try out the driver for a while before going in for a fire sale on this car. Best of luck.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Which enthusiast car in India is a good financial investment?

BHPian PrideRed recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Good investment to me should let you enjoy(give returns timely) and at the same time, appreciate. Cars are depreciating assets, however there are some cars which appreciate a wee bit or have minimum depreciation. Some cars that fall in this category are Innova, Swift, Bolero etc. These are in no way performance cars but have good resale, due to reliability, utility or cheaper cost of running/maintenance. You list these cars for sale and will keep getting numerous calls everyday, even after the car is sold. Other than these well known resale champions, there are few other cars which command good resale value primarily because of the performance aspect. These cars were sold in limited numbers and hence not easily available. Of course, beyond certain period, these car lose value due to lack of spares, cheaper/newer cars offering similar or better performance. Some of the cars in this category:First gen City VtecFirst gen Octavia vRSPalio GTX/1.6Fiesta 1.6 SPolo 1.2 GT TSi/ GTiFord Endeavour 3.2(Not limited edition, but still commands decent resale despite Ford exit)Octavia RS230/245i20/Venue N line(Too early may be?)BMW 330iDuster AWDEven though these models didn't set sales chart on fire, well maintained cars command good resale. Not to forget, good discounts offered by dealers on some these cars makes for sweet deal. These cars offered performance which was unheard of in the segment and have been enthusiasts favorite. While buyers enjoyed driving these cars, they also got a decent resale despite some of the cars not performing well in terms of sale. Of course not everyone would have got good price, which would vary depending on car condition, demand in your area, years/KM's of usage etc. What are your thoughts ? Do you think these type of cars offers perfect balance while letting you enjoy the car without huge depreciation? Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:Buy performance-oriented cars for the joy of driving + driving pleasure. All cars are money-losing pits (with very rare exceptions). In fact, some of the cars on your list are expensive to buy and very hard to sell, because few people are interested in them. Get a good car and drive the pants off it . The fun, memories created, laughs & grins are your ROI.Here's what BHPian cs_rajesh had to say on the matter:Well my colleague, and neighbour too, has picked an Octavia RS230/245, made in germany tag and he is extremely happy with that car and even shows off in his relatives and friends' circle. The car's performance is extra-ordinary with no such similar sedans on the market and everyone loves to have an opportunity to drive and some want to pick similar one too. Unfortunately the imports are too less and rare.Here's what BHPian sunikkat had to say on the matter:Atleast in India, the resale is driven by reliability, ease of maintenance, the service support etc. and not by whether the car is very enthusiastic to drive or not. I guess VRS 230/245 is an exception to this. From my experience, I can say Fiesta 1.6s did not command any additional resale value atleast in 2010. Now with Ford shutting shop, I would expect it only to go down.Here's what BHPian Mortis had to say on the matter:Pretty much all these cars aren't really collectors cars in the true sense. As such there is a 50-50 risk that you will get either better than usual or worse resale on these due to various factors. Also you will only get the benefit in resale if you sell the car early. But if you keep the car for a longer period of time and actually enjoy it then the difference in resale between a similar car will have reduced to a much more insignificant degree but it will be better value as you would have gotten a lot more miles of smiles. As GTO said. Enjoy the car while owning it rather than thinking about the resale value. That aspect is more relevant to aam aadmi cars rather than enthusiast cars like putting on seat covers on day one to save the seats for the next ownerHere's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:Cars are not investments. Period. They are all depreciating assets. They WILL loose value over time, that is a given. No matter what you buy, you will not get any kind of monetary growth out of them. They cannot be considered as or compared with investment. In general, performance oriented models have worse resale in India due to perception of high maintenance, abuse and low sales, which makes them depreciation disasters. Exceptions are very rare.Here's what BHPian jbpanda had to say on the matter:You may like to add Abarth Punto to the list. It did not sell in numbers but as a proud owner I can assure you that it's very hard to find a suitable replacement today even if you are willing to spend double or triple the price for which it was available for. I understand that well maintained Octavia vRS and Abarth Punto have a decent resale value. Unfortunately, in India we all aspire to own a Horse but when it comes to putting in our money, most of us settle for a Cow.Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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2024 Mercedes-Benz EQA sedan spied for the first time

Mercedes-Benz is said to be testing a new compact electric sedan, images of which have been released online. According to reports, the new compact electric sedan could be called the EQA, in line with the brand's EV nomenclature. Mercedes-Benz introduced the EQA last year in the form of an electric crossover. However, the German car brand is now said to be planning another body style for the same. Spy images of the Mercedes-Benz EQA electric sedan showcase a completely camouflaged prototype undergoing testing in Stuttgart, Germany. The new EQA sedan will slot below the electric C-Class sedan, which has also been confirmed by Mercedes-Benz. The EQA sedan will also be very different compared to its electric crossover counterpart and will feature a different architecture. Reports state that the EQA sedan could be underpinned by the brand's MMA (Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture) platform, which is set to be previewed in 2024. The MMA platform was first announced in 2020 and is said to underpin compact & mid-size cars. The EQA sedan could be the first among a range of models underpinned by the new platform. The MMA platform will be an 'electric-first' platform, but will also be able to accommodate IC engines. The MMA platform will also debut the brand's new infotainment unit, the MB.OS - an in-house developed system meant to cut down costs. The MB.OS will first debut on EVs, before being used on ICE models and should arrive sometime during the middle of the decade. Source: Motor1

Need an AT SUV: Top spec Nexon, XUV300 or consider lower spec Hyryder

BHPian mvr recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello all, I am looking for a (sub) compact SUV with the following features:Safety.Automatic transmission.Sufficient space for five adults (ideally, three should sit comfortably in the back row).Cruise control, rear view camera.ISOFIX seatbelt.I have shortlisted Tata Nexon XZA+ (HS) and Mahindra XUV300 W8(O). Nexon's on-road price in Delhi is around INR 13.60 L and that of XUV300 is around INR 15.4 L. I was also looking at Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder's NeoDrive-S and it has almost all the features that I am looking for. So I was wondering, is it better to go for a higher-end variant in a lower segment (subcompact SUV) or a lower-end variant in a higher segment (compact SUV)? Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:Couple of thoughts:All 3 cars on your shortlist are top-class.But in MT. The AMT of the Nexon & XUV300 sucks.For its smooth torque-converter AT alone, I will pick the Urban Cruiser Hyryder over the other options.Where the Toyota AT will offer you a smooth driving experience, the Tata & Mahindra AMTs will be terribly jerky. AMTs are also trouble-prone in the longer term.To answer the query in the thread title, here's a related discussion.Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:Please understand that all three cars are effectively from the same segment - Hyryder is essentially a decked up Brezza. They are the same car underneath. The USP of the Toyota is the strong hybrid powertrain. If you are not opting for it, might as well save some money and go for the Brezza instead. That being said, if you are looking to buy a manual, you will be better served by both XUV300 and Nexon with their superior turbo petrol engines, sturdier built, more spacious cabins and better ride and handling packages. But if you want an automatic, steer clear of them both, their AMTs suck. In that case, you are limited to the Brezza or Hyryder or Grand Vitara (all three are mechanically the same so it's your personal preference), or you can look towards to Hyundai Kia duopoly. Since you are from Delhi, where distances are long, my personal suggestion will be that you go for the base S model of the strong hybrid Hyryder at about 17.25L. It is the best value variant of this entire lot of cars.Here's what BHPian antz.bin had to say on the matter:Just saw that you are from Delhi. Any specific reason for not opting for a Nexon EV Prime / Max XZ? It should be able to give you all the items that you need as part of your requirements. With the added benefit of practically negligible running costs, lower interest rates on loan AND savings on loan interest of about 4k/month, effectively removing any price penalty. And finally, there will never be a NGT sword hanging above it. Think about it. Do you really need an ICE car?Here's what BHPian ani_meher had to say on the matter:Are you specifically looking for a 4m car? Because if that's the case, you may feel the Hyryder to be too big. It is one size bigger externally, and internally it's about the same as Brezza. I would recommend you to test drive the Brezza too. The top end ZXI+ automatic version is about a lakh cheaper than the base automatic Hyryder, and the features like 360 camera, compact size etc come in handy if you have city use.Here's what BHPian Kosfactor had to say on the matter:I am of the opinion that a bigger vehicle tends to stay with the owner for longer, the space premium and prestige associated with it often affords the feel good factor. Think of DZire Vs Honda City, Grand Vitara Vs Brezza. As your earnings increase (possible) the running costs become more affordable down the line. However you will miss things on the inside, sometimes the number of airbags. AT etc. Brezza top spec MT is same cost as Hyryder S Neo drive MT, I will take the bigger car any day.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Royal Enfield starts assembling its motorcycles in Brazil

Royal Enfield has commenced CKD operations at its new assembly facility in Brazil. The new assembly unit, located in Manaus, Brazil, has a capacity of 15,000 bikes per year. It is Royal Enfield's fourth assembly unit outside India. The brand also has facilities in Thailand, Colombia and Argentina. Royal Enfield will offer its entire range of motorcycles, including the Classic 350, Meteor 350, the Himalayan and 650 Twins in Brazil. The company expects it to become the single-largest market for Royal Enfield products outside of India. According to CEO B Govindarajan, Royal Enfield has been working to grow the middleweight motorcycling segment globally. With markets like the Americas region, Europe and the Asia-Pacific growing significantly, the brand aims to be closer to these markets to grow the business.

Team-BHP 2-Wheeler of the Year, 2022

Vote for the Team-BHP Two Wheeler of the Year It's time to look back at the year and cast your vote forThe Team-BHP Two Wheeler of the Year. This is whereYOU- the BHPian - will choose our Two-Wheeler of 2022. The Team-BHP 2WOTY is by owners & enthusiasts, not advertorial experts & paid jury members. Just as well since us bike owners are the ones who pay the industry's bills . Listed below are the launches of 2022.The contenders have been sorted in a price-ascending order (cheapest first).It's only ALL-NEW bikes that are included in our 2WOTY award. That excludes the efreshed headlamp & tail-light versions, facelifts and engine variants.This is a public poll. Other BHPians will be able to see what bike you have voted for.Models costing over 20 lakh rupees have been excluded from our 2WOTY. Reason = Low relevance & commitment to the Indian marketplace.Similarly, few niche players have been excluded too.As has always been the case, we insist there will only beONE Team-BHP Two Wheeler of the Year. Why? Simply because we don't believe in handing out an award for the engine of the year or headlamp of the year (as examples). Some award ceremonies have 25 awards to ensure there's one for each bike manufacturer (aka advertiser) in India. We have no such inclination, and will only focus on the best, most important new two-wheeler of 2022.Looking forward to your votes, and also the reasoning behind your choice. Thanks! Here are this year's contenders:Tork KratosKeeway SR125Okinawa Okhi-90Hero Vida V1Kawasaki W175TVS RoninRoyal Enfield Hunter 350Yezdi RoadsterOJ Motor SRC 250Yezdi ScramblerJawa 42 BobberRoyal Enfield Scram 411Yezdi AdventureSuzuki VStrom 250 SXHonda CB300FBenelli TRK 251QJ Motor SRC 500Keeway 300NBMW G310RRKeeway K-Light 250VKeeway 300RKeeway Vieste 300Keeway Sixties 300iKTM RC 390Zontes 350RZontes 350XZontes GK350Zontes 350TQJMotor SRV300QJMotor SRK400Keeway V302CUltraviolette F77Moto Morini Seiemmezzo RetroMoto Morini X-Cape 650Triumph Tiger Sport 660Suzuki KatanaHarley-Davidson NightsterDucati Streetfighter V2Triumph Tiger 1200

Took my Volvo XC40 on a road trip: Drive impressions with 5 passengers

BHPian gismosin recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Took the car out to Goa for a trip. We had a great time in the car which provided us comfortable journey. We had five people while going to Goa and only four while coming back. Obviously, this car is not suitable for three folks to sit for a long time in the back. We had people switch places at the centre seat as it's very uncomfortable to stay there for long. While on the way back with four folks we had no issues, The rear passengers were comfortable enough for a 15-hour drive (with breaks). This shows the back seats while not the best in the segment are not too bad either. The car felt surefooted did speed effortlessly and has superb breaking. Had to brake due to some surprise inconspicuous speed breakers on the road. It even lapped up the ascent and descent in the ghats which were in places quite steep. The best-in-class ground clearance meant zero worries about scraping the bottom. Fuel efficiency has reduced after my first service, need to go back and check with them. Shows 9.8L per 100 km in the odo which is roughly 10.2 km/l. I maintained tyre pressure at 38 PSI A total of 1506 km was covered from Hyderabad to Goa and back with some miles covered locally in Goa. If you are interested in the roads/route plans for Hyderabad to Goa you can check out my post, here. I have two more good road trips coming up in January, one is from Hyderabad to Pondicherry and the other is from Hyderabad to Bangalore. Will update here once I am done with them. The car took some rest at a Tilari ghat viewpoint while we were busy clicking some pictures Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

River electric scooter spied in Bangalore

River - a Bangalore-based EV start-up, is developing an electric scooter to take on the likes of Ather 450X and Ola S1 Pro. The yet-to-be-named e-scooter has now been spotted testing. The new River electric scooter features a quirky design with dual LED headlamps up front and a rectangular tail lamp. It has an exposed handlebar similar to a motorcycle and a digital instrument console. Technical details of the River e-scooter are still unknown. However, it is said that depending on the battery size, the scooter might offer a range of up to 180 km. It will have a top speed of 80 km/h and a payload capacity of up to 200 kg. The River electric scooter is expected to debut sometime next year. Thanks to BHPian Lambro for sharing these images with other enthusiasts!

Toyota Hyryder owner shares initial impressions on 7 key aspects

BHPian smilingakash recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello all, I finally got the delivery of my Silver Knight.Delivery DayThe formalities were mostly done during PDI so delivery was a breeze. It took me an hour to reinspect and take a demo from the salesperson on the car. Dealer added 5 Lt of petrol in the car so did not have to rush to a Petrol pump (Although I did venture anyway).Initial ReviewThe car is extremely silent. Coming from a diesel vehicle (Duster), I was pleasantly surprised at how silent the cars can be. Even my Swift petrol is not this silent.1) Fuel EconomyThe car always tries to be on EV mode (Eco mode) and with light foot (so far), I am easily hitting 27+ km/l.2) AccelerationTried all modes. Even in the eco-mode, it does move very quickly off the line. Amazing for a city ride. Have not pushed it beyond 80 Kmph but no complaints about its pickup.3) NVHNo complaints so far. Have not done a highway run so will update you on this topic.4) Road PresenceThe car looks dashing. Looks grand on the outside and is well-proportioned. On the exterior, you do feel the money is well spent.5) InteriorsCould have been better. However coming from Duster, this was still an upgrade. One thing which bums me out is the driver-side window pane buttons. They are not backlit (Except auto button for windows) and gives total cheap Maruti feel. Cost cutting done at the worst possible place. Front seats are comfortable but I believe for some of the oversized adults, the bucket seats may not be perfect. Rear seats- Biggest issue is the rear bump. Had that been better managed the space would have been adequate. Currently, only 2 adults and a child can manage.6) Media Center + HUDAndroid Auto and Apple Car Play work seamlessly and the screen is lag-free which is pleasant. GPS with Android Auto gave me directions on my HUD as well as Tachometer. I am happy with the navigation feature on the HUD.7) Auto AC + Ventilated SeatsAC is effective (Although we are hitting winter in Delhi) and hope it will take care of the thin sheet for the sunroof. Ventilated seats are a blessing in the scorching Delhi heat during the summer season.Overall VerdictThere has been a lot of confusion created over the car and its practicality. However, unless the boot is a major concern (It is doable for weekend trips), the car looks and drives very well. You will not be disappointed. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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My VW Vento 1.6 petrol: 6 pros & 3 cons after 75000 kms of driving

BHPian skrmv2 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. The Hyundai Santro was the first car that we bought as a family. It did us good for 15 years and a good 1.15 lakh kms. VW had just been launched in India, and after test driving a good 23 cars, I froze on the Vento Highline Petrol. No regrets. It's an amazing machine. During the first few days, there was some teething trouble with the engine. The MIL light came on, and I had to take it to the workshop; the trunk lights would not come on, and there was cabin noise. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this machine could be connected to a computer and the diagnostic software could pin point the problem. Driving it was a pleasure, though; every time I took the wheel, there was a stupid grin on my face. My drive is city/highway 40/60. Based on this, here are the pros and cons I experienced over the years:Pros:The vehicle has very good steering. You exactly know what the vehicle is doing.Even at 120 kmph, the vehicle would stick to the road, and you would feel that you were in control.The suspension is superb. On city and highway roads. I have driven 850 km in a day and at the end of it did not experience body pain.FE during the initial years was very good (17-18 km tank-to-tank method), but now it has come down by 2-3 km.Boot space is amazing.Build quality is good.Cons:Servicing is expensive. Where one needs just a rubber bushing, the ASS would ask you to replace the complete arm.The vehicle is under-powered. In city traffic, when you pick up the vehicle from 1st gear or if it's fully loaded and you are in the hills, it becomes too apparent.Spares are expensive. A rubber bushing gone bad, would need you to replace the entire arm.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Mercedes-Benz announces a 5% price hike from January 1, 2023

Mercedes-Benz has announced a price hike of up to 5% across its models. The revised prices will come into effect from January 1, 2023. According to the company, prices are being revised to offset the inflationary pressure and constant rise in input costs. It is said that the ex-showroom price of the GLA will go up by Rs 1.50 lakh. The S350d will get dearer by Rs 4.50 lakh, while the top-spec Maybach S580 will see its price go up by Rs 7 lakh.Revised ex-showroom prices (effective Jan 1, 2023):GLA 200 - Rs 46.50 lakhGLA 220d - Rs 48 lakhC 200 - Rs 57.50 lakhC 220d - Rs 58.50 lakhE 200 Exclusive - Rs 72.50 lakhE 220d Exclusive - Rs 73.50 lakhGLE 300d 4Matic - Rs 88 lakhGLE 400d 4Matic - Rs 1.05 coreS 350d - Rs 1.65 croreMercedes-Maybach S 580 - Rs 2.57 croreMercedes-Maybach GLS 600 - Rs 2.92 crore

My VW Tiguan: 14K km in 10 months, first service & upcoming plans

BHPian differential recently shared this with other enthusiasts.Quick updateJust back from the first service at 14200 km. Routine service - cost 8800 rupees. Got the wheel alignment checked outside. Overall the engine seems very smooth after the service. The engine smoothness is quite marked, so am wondering if it makes sense to do an oil change every 10k km rather than the specified 15k km. The car feels solid and like new after 10 months. No squeaks or rattles. I am a bit sceptical about the battery life. No issues / complaints with the car so far. Just received my Carlink kit 4.0. Initial impressions: Works seamlessly once connected. Takes some time to boot up after the car is started. Will update after some more real-time use. Got a magnetic AC vent phone holder from Amazon. So there are no cables hanging around for connections. The overall FE seems to be hovering around 10kmpl, which seems fair considering the majority of city driving.Next on the agendaCode out the 80/120-speed chimesOE window blinds (not available at the service centre now)PPF or vinyl or similar for the rear bumper near the loading lip. That part is already got a few scratches from suitcases being pulled out from the boot.Spare wheel-mounted subwoofer - Any suggestions or options? Has anybody done an audio upgrade on your cars?Happy with the car after 10 months of use. The car seemed pricey when launched. Looking at the prices of the competition, the Tiguan actually feels VFM for what it offers. Happy motoring! Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

From zero to Rs 60k crore in a decade: Through SME IPOs, small businesses are raising big money

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My Vento TDI completes 1.57L km: Major service update & part changes

BHPian gaurav.kokra recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello again everyone! The current odometer right now is around 1,57,500 km. Post the last service in Mar 2021, the car was driven around 8000 km. Although, the recommended interval is 15000kms for this VAG diesel, but I don't like stretching more than 10000 km or more than 1.5 years in time intervals. Therefore, in 2022 I did the service in the month of May. Since then, I have driven only 3500 km which is very brutal for this diesel as they are meant to be a daily workhorse and not to be sitting around at home. I am saying this because whenever I drive her on a daily basis, she is butter smooth, peppy and the typical VW clatter and crudeness are gone. But when she is driven, let's say even on a regular gap of 2 days, she is grumpy, crude, clattery and needs at least 20-25 mins to somewhere get back in that mushy and smooth zone. This might also be because the first 15 mins I drive her very sedately. I have given up going to the service centre for basic servicing because of the following reasons:Their labour charges are through the roof.They fill the engine oil only till half the dipstick level. On asking to top it up to the max, they say that is what the company recommended.On asking for an extra 1 LTR bottle of engine oil, they refuse and ask to visit the service centre for the same.They frown upon asking to stand near the vehicle when being serviced.My friends Polo was making a humming noise on the full turn. When this was replicated in front of the technician, he refused to acknowledge there was any sound as he was deaf.Even after facing all of the above, I went again to them as my suspension was clunking. A BIG MISTAKE! More on that later. So, for the 2022 service, I ordered the following parts. As in my previous post, I always order when there is free delivery on Boodmo on OEM parts and filters. So far, my servicing schedule and their free delivery offer period have been in sync.Air FilterOil FilterAC Filter (charcoal based)Fuel FilterOEM VAG Gear oilOEM VAG DOT 4 Brake oilOE Drain nut (as I had not changed this for the past 2 services I guess)Maruti OE Caliper grease (Orange colour)Motul 5w40 8100 X-Cess (from Amazon)Attaching pic for viewing pleasure. The air filter, AC filter and fuel filter were changed by me. But the oil filter housing requires a 32mm HEX nut to open. Also, previously when I tried to open the drain nut while the car was jacked up, the car was swinging left and right. Me being a healthy person would surely act as a great mattress for the car if the jack somehow slipped. I'll be buying a proper jack stand and then only be attempting this next. I had a list of stuff to be done at the NG (neighbourhood garage not FNG).Brake caliper pins cleaning and greasing.Brake pads rubbing on sandpaper.Engine oil and filter change.Cleaning the calipers and another area with a wire brush.Gear oil change.The guy did not clean the calipers well and was using a very dirty cloth for doing the same. I had to be on his head all the time to do the job properly. Then, he did not have the sandpaper to sand down the brake pads. I had to go and buy them from 4 km away. Also, he did not have the tool to open the gearbox drain nut. And the worst thing I don't like is when they leave the caliper hanging loose with all the weight on the brake hose. I myself had to particularly ask them to not do that. This is done even at good and renowned service centres. That thing is the very heavy man! Anyways, after paying a freaking 800 bucks for this shoddy job and a heated argument with the owner, I left his place and told him that he lost great business with me as I had a lot of work to be done on the car down the line. His defence for the high labour charge was that the car was a VW and not some Maruti. I said hai bolt to saari gaadi me same aate hai. Us se kya farak padega ? But I realized it was my mistake to not confirm the prices before going ahead with the work. Got the alignment done too. Skipped the wheel balancing as I did not feel the need for it. Gear Oil change Later in the week, I went to some other guy to get the gear oil changed. He too did not have a nut dedicated to this purpose, but he used some bolts to do the job. Charged me 120 bucks for it. Took almost 1 hour as I wanted to drain every single drop of the gear oil. Brake flushing I went ahead with the brake flushing myself because my experience with VW Vapi was very bad (back in 2019). After charging me 1100 bucks with only flushing fluid from the front tyres and leaving the rear Tyres and the clutch fluid line untouched really got on my nerve. Again, gave my feedback and left the place to never return until 2022. More and that later! So, I bought 2 nos OE VW DOT 4 brake fluid and 1 litre for 526 bucks each. Really wanted to flush it well including the clutch line. All went well. Removed the fluid from the reservoir. Used the hand wash pump for this cause. The fluid was completely black. Did the flushing on all 4 tyres. Now was the time for the clutch line. It is situated just above the gearbox. It is NOT easily accessible. For comfortable access, one has to remove the air filter completely. I did not remove the assembly, but I only removed the piping and the leads from the front to the air filter box. I just used both my hands with the spaces the arrows indicate and my wife pumping the clutch up and down. But I would suggest you remove the air filter housing and then proceed because this procedure does take time and is really backbreaking. Post this procedure my heart sank along with the clutch pedal! It was not coming back up automatically. I tried fiddling around here and there. Tried searching on the internet with nothing to be found to help my situation. This is where Gannu Sir came to the rescue. I generally keep texting him about my small doubts and stuff. I really did not want to bother him more, but I was in a bad situation. I texted him and the first thing he told me is not to worry about it. It will be fixed easily. In his words, if someone else might also need help:Pump the clutch pedal several times to build up the pressure.Keep the clutch pedal depressed.Open the valve.Drain Fluid. The pedal will sink during this process.Close the valve.Raise the pedal by hand manually.And yes, I was saved. I had thought what not about getting the vehicle towed and all. Thanks again Gannu Sir! ABS ISSUE IS SOLVED!!! As you might have read that I was plagued with the ABS issue even after getting all the sensors changed and did not want to give my vehicle to the mechanic as he was asking to let him keep the vehicle for 2-3 days. One day, I decided enough is enough and sat down with my small toolbox. The wiring issue could have been anywhere with a very high probability of not being able to solve the problem myself. Still, I went ahead and opened the front right wheel first along with the fender lining. To my luck, I found the mistake on my first attempt itself. I am really sorry to not have the before pic. It was a rat bite and was found just as the wires enter the cowl area below the windshield. I wanted to do repairing the nice way but using 2-way connectors and crimping tools and stuff, but time and availability of the same did not allow me and I went the old-fashioned way of making the joint and taping it up nicely. I used an ample amount of FeviBond inside and around the joint as well as outside to make it completely foolproof and waterproof. It has been almost a year now and has driven 12,000 km since then. I had done this in November 2021, and it has done its job well. Survived the rains too. So, no issues! Touchwood! Attaching pics for viewing pleasure. EGR Pipe Cleaning! Diesel engines are known to eat their own gunk. The EGR sends the waste gases back into the intake while the crankcase ventilation sends the engine oil vapours also into the intake. These two gel together and make a gooey mixture which clogs up the intake manifold. Opening the EGR pipe was a simple process of opening 3 screws only. I did the job myself and to my horror found this: This is the attachment which routes the EGR exhaust gases from the EGR pipe and into the intake manifold. Its location is also inside the intake manifold only. So clogged! Not for the light-hearted! The intake manifolds condition is poor too. Sadly, that does not have camera access, but my fingers could feel at least 2-3 mm of gunk on the intakes. Really wanted to take this job up by myself. It involves a special type of star screw to remove the fuel lines from the top of it. Therefore, the lack of availability of the tool and the fear of getting the injectors locked if the air is not bled out properly is keeping me away from it. I'll let the intake manifold be choked for a while. Post-cleaning, there is no change in performance but have some sort of satisfaction in my head. Important parts that need to be taped below the engine cover It might just be me being overprotective. But the engine cover due to the vibrations is rubbing off some parts below it which it is coming in contact with. So, I used electrical tape to protect them from wearing them off further. I would advise fellow 1.6, 1.5 and 1.2 TDI owners to do the same if you find this practical. Exterior Detailing I tried to change the detailer I usually went to and went to Ride in Styl Vapi. It was ok. I was charged 3500 rupees. This was done in Nov 2021. They did not heavily compound the exterior and used 3M perfect-it or some one-step polisher. Is this how the exterior paint detailing is done? Just polish it away. Also, not every nook and corner was cleaned. The black trims of the car were not restored. In the end, I felt it was my mistake to expect, big players/industry-level outcomes. Anyways, the paint was taken care of for some time. In Nov 2022, I wanted to go back to the previous detailer but after a bit of research on the internet, I thought every year thorough detailing is overdoing and killing the paint. This is because, on compounding, you are slowly removing the clear coat level by level. Hence, I thought of skipping it this year and just waxing the car myself. Just to record it, I don't get my vehicle cleaned on a daily basis. I use a waterless wash solution for those occasions when the car has to be neat and clean. Other than that, I get the car washed only once in two months because the water here in Silvassa is hard and is prone to scaling. AC Compressor Control Valve Change Around September 2021, the AC's cooling effectiveness was slowly decreasing. It was becoming difficult for the family to stay inside the car with the windows closed. I got the AC gas checked and all was fine. But the person was knowledgeable enough to know the issue. He immediately told that the control valve needs to be changed. The AC Compressor is of Sanden make with clutch and magnet type mechanism. I had read this on Gannu Sir's thread also. Hence, went ahead with the same. It has been a year and cooling is back to normal. For 2 people in the front, I keep the temperature at 25 or 26 with the Fan speed at 1 or 2. At peak times during the afternoon, the fan speed is 3-4. I have no window tints or any kind of sun blinds in my car. Intercooler Leak Issue The intercooler outlet pipe had to be removed while removing the AC compressor. He did not install it back properly because of which air was leaking. Although there was no drop in performance, the pipe was fully soiled with oil and dirt. I removed it myself cleaned it thoroughly and installed it nicely and tightly again. No leakage now. Post-Shocker Change Observations I did not want to go for the after-market dampers like Monroe or Gabriel. I wanted only OEM. Post the change, the car has been so so stable! Initially where I used to drive around 60 km/h, but now I drive at 80 without even realizing it. But the shockers are so stiff, that they are bone-jarring on bad roads. I literally have to slow down till around 5 km/h so that we don't get thrown around inside the car. It is a big trade-off but I am very happy with the stability. The VW VAPI ASC saga is in the next post. CONCLUSION All in All, with all the experiences, I am very happy with the vehicle. I take good care of her, and she rewards me in better ways. Even at the ODO standing at 157000 km, I cannot think of replacing this. The maddening torque surge and the high FE figures for a 1600 CC diesel mill are just a great combination. The exterior paint and the interior have lasted so well. Attaching a video for a look at the interiors. You can skip to the last part where I have shown the interiors post a DIY detailing session of the interior. Also, for a change, I got a steering cover installed with red stitching. Feels great to hold but makes a noise when you rub your hand on it while steering. Did not happen on the OE leather. Will change the OE leather too. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Apple beefs up iCloud data defense against snooping, hackers

The move will potentially rekindle a long period of standoffs involving technology firms and law enforcement.

Installed Brembo brake pads & upgraded alloys on my 2019 Ecosport TDCI

BHPian jithin23 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.82,000km update:Life has been business as usual for blue baby and this car ages like fine wine! So I thought of upgrading my brake pads to Brembos from Engineering Exponent and one of my close contacts at Ford managed to arrange the alloy wheel which was about to be launched in the facelift before the company to shut it's doors. I used the same TPMS sensors and no issues with respect to its functioning as such. Stock wheels: The first 4 pics are after the wheel swap! Looks way more classier than the stock wheels of Titanium Variant: TPMS doing its job well. 43 psi was a tad too much and these air guys fill up like crazy: Brembos: The stock brake pad was almost at 1 mm: Part no. for Brembo brake pads: A quick review on the brake pads: The stock one itself has a good bite but I changed the brake pad as the distance the brake pad was used was pretty high and I wanted to test the Brembo ones. The Brembo pads really do make a difference in braking after the bedding in period of 600-800 one. Overall a good buy and a recommended one in case you're going for new brake pads. Also, the cost is similar to OE brake pads. My next major mods in this car will be adding Traction control (ESP), cargo management and auto dimming mirrors and to get the ST steering and AC cluster(last 2 items are there in the red dragon). Then I'll call it a day for modding this car! That's all for now folks. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

RBI worried at low bank participation in UPI

It should worry any central bank or a government which owns several banks if much of the innovations come from outside the mainstream banking system.

A tale of two economies trying to put covid behind them

The Chinese Communist Party rarely steps back from mistaken policies

A new tax for the govt to boost its revenues

Climate change is something we are worried about

School-goers can recover covid learning losses if we get it right

What is the countrys progress on recovering learning losses through the near-two year shut down of schools during the covid pandemic? Unsurprisingly, the all-India report card seems mixed, with systematic variations across states

Arjunas eye by RBI will need a tighter fiscal bow

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) eased off a bit in its withdrawal of accommodation on Wednesday, after its Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise its repo rate by 35 basis points to 6

RBIs monetary policy statement should have offered more clarity

Its latest review offered no clear policy direction and this ambivalence could risk failure on both inflation and growth fronts

Best iPad Deals: Get a 9th-Gen iPad for Only $270, Save $99 on Latest iPad Air - CNET

Check out the lowest prices for Apple's previous and latest iPad models.

Let money get smart

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced an expansion in the functionality of the UPI Wednesday

Audi Experience at BIC: Two of the most fascinating hours of my life

BHPian animeshc recently shared this with other enthusiasts. This is by all means a noob's perspective of his first track day and should be read from that perspective. You may encounter the word 'excitement' in this post more than the number of times you would have heard Alia saying 'Shiva' in the movie Brahmastra. Before proceeding, here is a small personalised teaser of the event shared by the Audi team. Earlier this year when I was considering my Audi S5, the SA had mentioned about an annual event at BIC organised by Audi where a handful of folks from each state are nominated. Assuming it would be a standard sales pitch, I hadn't paid much heed to it and almost forgot about it. Cut to Nov 2022, I was pleasantly surprised to see a message about whether I would be interested in attending this year's event. Hell yeah! (I thought to myself that if I ever say no to such a thing, someone should probably shoot me as I would have lost the joys of life for sure). The event was on the 18th of Nov and everyone in my circle from family to friends to office colleagues was made aware of it by yours truly (I can be over-enthusiastic at times, to put it mildly). I was all set, except that I didn't receive any official communication from Audi and all my info was through WhatsApp messages relayed by my SA who kept reassuring me that everything will be taken care of. Till the time I boarded my flight, I didn't have any official invite and for a moment it felt like one of those dinners where your date doesn't show up (Not that it has ever happened to me, just heard of such things). But from the time I landed, I was showered with the highest standards of hospitality. Trust me, working with Google makes one used to generous doses of pampering and it's not easy to be awed but Audi had done a great job! There was a dedicated driver waiting for the pick up from Airport who drove me to Crowne Plaza in Greater Noida, a five-star property where the organising team welcomed us with a lavish dinner. A dinner with other driving enthusiasts from different parts of the country was such a welcome change from the monotony of other corporate dinners. The Audi team also joined us and we talked at length about the future of electric cars in India, how Audi was themselves surprised at the relatively overwhelming demand for e-tron and how they are working with different powerhouses to set up charging stations along prominent highways. We were broken into groups of 10 and allotted slots for the next day. I happened to be part of the first group and was supposed to report by 8:30 am. The excitement of the events to unfold meant I was up at 5 am the next day. At breakfast, I met the other members of my group and there was a palpable sense of thrill. Again to my pleasant surprise, each of us had been allotted a dedicated car which would take us to the event and provide an airport drop post that. Audi was going to great lengths to make us feel elite and sitting alone in the back seat of an Innova while going to the BIC, I was already smiling to myself eagerly waiting for the day to unfold. After reaching and completing the registration formalities, we made our way to the waiting area which had snacks, some VR games, a photo booth etc to keep us busy while everyone assembled. We could view the track from there and see the cars getting lined up below. I don't remember a single person who didn't gasp at this view from the gallery. We were then given a quick briefing on what to expect. There were going to be two parts, a slalom course and then the drive on the race track. For the slalom course, we would have the e-tron SB at our disposal and for the track, 4 laps in an RS5 and 2 more in either an S5 or RSQ8. That's what I call a great morning buffet! Some more pics Can you feel the joy Before starting, there was a photo session where we posed against the RS e-tron GT. This photo was then framed and shared with us at the end of the event. So we made our way to the slalom course and were explained about the track. It had a bunch of cones which you had to drive around including an 8 formation, after which there was a straight patch where you could really press the throttle and then you had to brake and stop before the end line. The idea was to get a good sense of handling, acceleration and braking. They would also time each participant and you would get 3 attempts at improving it. The instructor did a demo round and timed it around 48 seconds though he mentioned that a great score would be around 40 seconds. There were few others who went ahead of me and their timings ranged from 65 s to 55 s. Finally, I got my turn, it was the first time I was driving an electric. I pressed the throttle and the pushback was insane, I could feel the crazy bout of acceleration punch me in my stomach (which actually took me a few mins to fully recover from). The eeriness of silence with which the car picks up speed is unbelievable. My first attempt was timed at 55s. Excited by the results, I went harder the second time and brought it down to 50s. I can still feel goosebumps as I write about that experience. On my third attempt, in my bid to go even harder, I lost a bit of traction on some of the turns and could actually feel the car electronics coming into play. Alas, it was also timed at 50 s. At the end of our batch, the best someone achieved was 47s, and I ended up being the second. Overall it was a super fun experience, probably easier than it initially looked and we were grinning imagining that the real event was still awaiting us. The following videos would help understand the slolam track better.Video 1Video 2Now we moved on to the main track and were given some basic instructions about seating/ steering positions and the optimal point to start braking before a turn. It wasn't a race but a convoy of 5 cars where the first car was driven by the instructor who would give instructions to the rest over a walkie-talkie. The first lap would be a demo lap, then 2 fast laps and then a cool-down lap for the brake pads to cool down. Helmets were handed over and we were all set now. It was a surreal feeling, I could feel my fingers tingling with excitement. We had time to click a few pics before the laps started. On the race track, it was difficult to hear the instructions probably due to a mix of the loud exhausts and the distance from the lead car (I was second last in the convoy so a bit away from the first car). The first lap went fine and then we went full throttle from the second one. It's difficult to put the feeling in words but it's not every day that you look down at the speedometer and realise that you are going at 210+ kph. I was so engrossed that I didn't check it again so not sure what the max speed I actually touched across laps but the max *observed* speed was 212 kph. BIC has just one long straight patch where you can try to max out the car, in the other portions you get to enjoy its curves. Exhausts singing loud interspersed with screeching sounds of the brakes, one corner to the other, it was unbelievably thrilling. It's moments like these that make you truly feel alive. Though I would admit it was sometimes a bit nervy too as you wondered if you were about to breach the limits of the car but thankfully no untoward incident happened. Here is a small interview of mine before and after the drive. Need I say more? Looking back, I think I could have tackled the corners better but I was not braking hard enough before turning in (probably the muscle memory of normal driving preventing me from being as brutal as needed) and had to often brake mid corners thus losing out on some speed. In the end, I did another lap on the co-passenger seat with the instructor driving and it helped me gain a perspective of what I could have done better. Maybe I would have broken a few more speed barriers had I done this first but nevertheless, it keeps me excited for my next chance. Here is a recording of that lap, fasten your seatbelts! That was it! Two of the most fascinating hours of my life and I thank Audi India from the bottom of my heart for this experience. Before heading out, they handed me a box of goodies including a box of chocolates that went a long way in pacifying my better half who couldn't make it to the event. I made my way to the airport, thinking about how I would need to unlearn all this before the highway drive the next day. Thanks for reading! Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

IMDb lists Dhanush, Alia Bhatt as most popular Indian stars of 2022

The list is created as per the number of visits and page views a celeb page gathers.

Maruti S-cross 1.6: Clutch & flywheel change sets me back Rs. 60,000

BHPian sudeepg recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Pre-Mature Service My DDiS 320 had just been serviced (details in previous posts) when a week later, I noticed that the gear shift from 1 to 2, would be difficult in the morning on the first move. A couple of shifts later and driving a few KMs the gear shifts would become butter smooth as if there were no issues. Further, the downshift to second gear would also require effort beyond what was usually required. On the first occurrence, I thought it was a one-off occurrence, but I started observing it on every cold start. The problem was present and could not be ignored. I took the car to Engineering Exponents and after an inspection, the technician maintained there was no problem. The car was warm and had run for a while, so it was not a surprise he didn't find anything amiss. Still, he asked me to continue observing for a few more days and come back. Now, I had a long trip lined up and this was a botheration. I like to keep my car mechanically in top shape, so much so that I should be able to drive it out for long trips on quick notice without being worried. I took the car to Bimal auto where they test-drove and said the clutch is hard. But they couldn't tell if a problem was present with the clutch actuator, the clutch itself, or the flywheel. I have been expecting this problem to surface at around 80K - 90K on the ODO and had factored in the cost, but did not expect it to happen this soon. I called KeyNote (on this forum) who owns an S-cross 1.6. He had once run into a similar problem and in talking with him, he indicated that he had exactly the same symptoms until the clutch actuator gave up on a trip. This information helped me make a decision to change the clutch assembly and other parts if needed. Parts & Pricing Bimal had the flywheel in stock, but not the clutch pack or clutch actuator. It is difficult getting the engine and transmission parts for S-Cross 1.6 diesel. Jayant has suggested that I get these parts and hold on to them. Parts such as timing kits have a waiting period for delivery even in Boodmo and from Maruti. Here are the parts which were eventually replaced. Repairs Undertaken Bimal arranged for all the remaining parts from another dealer and offered to undertake the job on a Sunday, two days before my scheduled drive. I asked for Jeevan, who is the regular technician who works on my cars and he was on shift on Sunday. Took the car and upon inspection after opening the gearbox (GB) revealedThe pressure plate was in very good condition for the mileage it had put.The bearing and operating cylinder mechanisms has play. This needs replacement.The flywheel also has play. From what I can tell - it is not too much to a point of replacement. But then again, I am no expert in this matterWe decided to replace the entire set of parts since GB service is a whopping 9.5K!! Damn! That is seriously expensive. I was informed by KeyNote it cost him only 5.5K at Coimbatore. I could not take any pictures of the repair since photography is not allowed inside the service area. But broadly, these are the steps I could make out:Disconnect & remove the battery.Remove the Air box assembly.Loosen the mounting bolts for the gearboxDrain the transmission fluid and collect it in a container. (2.1 Liters)Remove the underside cross member and engine/transmission protection covers.Support the gearbox housing and remove the supporting bolts.Disconnect drive shafts and suspend them using supporting clampsDisconnect the steering system.Remove & lower the gearbox.Inspect and replace the parts.Reinstall in reverse order.Fill the transmission fluid in GB.It took ~5 hours for the repair work and Jeevan did an excellent job. Parts & Cost & Worn out parts conditionFlywheel: 12620 M 55P00 INR 22,953 (Unavailable, ~29,380 when I checked last)Clutch Assembly: 22000 M 55LA1 INR 10,535 (Boodmo cost: 13,485)Clutch Operating Cylinder: 23820 M 79J20 INR 2804 (Boodmo Cost: 3,590)MGP Rust Smash: INR 77Labour (Transaxle Assy for Diesel-OH with Clutch Disc and/OR Cover: INR 9,133CGST+SGST (@14% 5081*2) Total Cost: Rs. 57,325 Short Video of the Play in the DMF Post Repair Experience No surprises. The clutch is smooth as butter. I mean - it really went from hard to as good as a naturally aspirated petrol car. Some judder that existed during clutch release has been completely eliminated. Finally, the most important part, the gear shift from 1 to 2 in the mornings was back to butter smooth operation. As of this update, the car covered 1153 KMs post clutch service and there has been no problems so far. I believe I am good for another 80 k - 90K KMs now on this front. P.S: I have the clutch assembly & flywheel with me and ready to give it away for free, in case anyone is interested. I believe the parts have life, but Maruti service will always tell you to change it off since they are wearing out. It is of course business to them! I changed it off because GB overhaul was expensive and it was already factored into the cost of ownership in long run. Just miffed as the super expensive labour charge for GB overhaul. Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Suzuki Burgman Street EX launched at Rs. 1.12 lakh

Suzuki has launched the Burgman Street EX in India priced at Rs 1,12,300 (ex-showroom). The Suzuki Burgman Street EX comes with a slew of updates over the existing model. The scooter has a 25 mm longer wheelbase and comes fitted with 12-inch alloy wheels instead of 10-inch rims. It also gets an engine auto start / stop function and a silent starter system. Suzuki claims that the 124cc, single-cylinder engine has been tweaked to improve fuel efficiency. It produces 8.5 BHP @ 6,500 rpm and 10 Nm @ 5,500 rpm. The maxi-scooter is equipped with telescopic fork suspension at the front and a single shock absorber at the rear. In terms of design, the 'EX' variant looks similar to the standard model. It is available in three new colour options: Metallic Royal Bronze, Metallic Matte Black and Metallic Matte Platinum Silver No.2.

75 year old does a Rajasthan-Chennai roadtrip on his TVS Ronin

BHPian Gansan recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I checked out the bike for my son and was impressed. He was not so impressed and is put off by the offset speedometer. He is smitten more by the Apache RTR 200 / Yamaha FZ 250. The Ronin has impressed a former boss of mine so much he bought one last month and is riding regularly for some practice. He plans to ride the bike from Rajasthan to Chennai later this month to meet up with his former colleagues and spend a week with us! He plans a well spaced ride and will cover the distance in about a week to ten days. By the way, he is almost 75 years old, a former mariner and has not ridden a bike for a long long time, hence the elaborate preparation. He started his trip on 12th Nov morning and arrived at the accommodation arranged in Chennai by lunch time on 21st. He came via Tonk,Jhalawar,Bhopal,Nagpur,Nirmal,Hyderabad and Ongole. With an overnight stay at each place, except Bhopal where he stayed an extra day probably to meet some friends. The Odo on arrival clocked 2400 km approx. He had ridden the bike extensively around his hometown Alwar for a month and completed first service before starting out. Says the bike ran like a clock and was a joy to ride. Never faced any issues anywhere during the trip. I asked him about the bigger turn radius but he didn't mention anything about it. Probably forgot what the turn radius was in the bikes he last rode three decades ago! He did mention his bum becomes uncomfortable after about 200 km of riding, so he concludes his ride at the 300-350 km mark, before sunset in some town and calls it a day. He is unable to state any reason for this, says the seat is wide and well cushioned, feels very comfortable too. He is not tall, about 5.6 but his feet comfortably touch the ground. Says he didn't feel the weight of the bike much till once on a long incline where the traffic was crawling, the bike tilted a bit more and his leg couldn't support the weight. Fortunately two pillion riders of nearby bikes came running and saved the situation. He did the second service in Chennai, I think at Phoenix mall. Some background. We call him Mr.DMP. He is 74 years old, nudging the 75 mark. Spends six months every year with his son in Canada, four months with daughter in the US and then four-five months in India. This is his routine. A former mariner, he was the ED of the shipping division of the manufacturing company I was working for. I worked with him for six years. Then the division was wound up in the year 2000, he left Chennai and I went back to the parent company. I met him again only now, after 22 years. He has been saying for a few years he was going to buy a bike and ride it to Chennai to meet all of us again but we didn't take it seriously till we got the message he bought the Ronin and was about to start the trip shortly! He stayed here for eight days and we all spent some quality time with him. It was quite a reunion. A big crowd of ex colleagues and other friends assembled, various get-togethers on various evenings, lunch invites to friends' homes, the works. He started the return leg at 6.15 a.m. today from T'Nagar and the night halt will be Krishnagiri. He plans to bypass Bangalore tomorrow and go to Chitradurga for the night halt. Then one more halt at Karnataka before he enters Maharashtra. He plans to go to Alwar eventually after visiting Mumbai. And is already planning a tour to Assam next year! He bought the top variant with dual channel ABS for the tour. Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I bought a Suzuki V-Strom 250 SX: 1st Impressions after 200 km

BHPian lancelot7564 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I got the delivery of my V-Strom and I have completed 200 kilometres. Giving my first impressions below: Looks: If you have seen the bike, nothing more needs to be said. It is quite a looker. The yellow looks smashing. The ADV styling is spot on. You will get many glances and some stares at traffic lights. Performance: The engine is silky smooth. You will fall in love the moment you rev it up the first time. It is extremely tractable. Picks up in 3rd gear even at 30 without any fuss. This has also been mentioned in many reviews. It helped when I was riding on highways in mostly higher gears and had to slow down for some traffic. I did not test the top-end because Suzuki recommends that we keep the Engine speed below 5k rpm. The max I could reach was 75-80 km/h in sixth gear. The bike felt relaxed even at 80. So, there was quite a bit of juice left. Mid-range seems good because I was able to overtake trucks and slow-going motorists even at 4k rpm. The engine definitely looks like it can do the job with a minimum of fuss. It would be best suited to people who like relaxed riding. Suspension: A lot has been said about this and most of it has been negative. People say it is stiff and it is the same as the Gixxer SF. I will add my two cents. The suspension is stiff, but not like a street fighter. I just took a test ride of the 390 ADV and that seemed stiff to me too. I would put both in the same category. But this is softer than 390 ADV. My friend who owns one and took a spin on my VStrom also said it is slightly softer. But it is not as soft as the XPulse, Himalayan or G310 GS. From the moment I took the delivery, the difference in the suspension of VStrom and my RTR 200 was clear since I rode both on the same roads. And my RTR200 is set to a softer setting. In my short ride of 200 km, I went through rough patches and some forced off-roading due to construction work in some areas. The suspension handled bad roads quite well and seems good for soft roading. One thing is for sure if you are a person who rides a street bike you will not fear bad roads on the Vstrom. I only felt the bumps when they were very large ones or the uneven construction joints on some bridges. FYI the rear suspension is 7-step adjustable and the factory setting is 3. Ergonomics: I am 5'6. I cannot flatfoot on this bike without leaning it and the position when I do that is not comfortable. It is doable but I am almost halfway off the bike. Short people will have a problem manoeuvring their bikes in city traffic with all the Activas and Autos zooming around them. I have not yet tried the low seat but I guess that should be more ergonomically suited to a person of my height. The seating position is very comfortable. And as far as I could tell, the stock windshield worked well for me. I tried saddling on some bad roads and the bike felt planted. Even an inexperienced offroader like me was at ease standing up. Features: I have not tried all of them yet. But the Suzuki Ride Connect app did not work well for me. One time when I really needed directions, there was patchy reception and it gave me a message. When the network came back, the navigation was kind of stuck. Also, sometimes the connection is just lost (perhaps because the phone goes into sleep mode or the app is killed in the background). I will have to try to fiddle with the phone settings and see what works. The pairing also is not really smooth. The only time it worked smoothly was in the showroom. Thereafter, almost every time it took a long time to connect. There are some other neat touches to the bike like a helmet holder under the seat which can be used for helmets with a D-ring lock. I have not tried the USB charger yet but it comes with a cool blue light for nighttime and also has a hook where you can tie the wire. Luggage mounts are plenty and should be adequate. The top rack at the back helps mount a backpack of a decent size quite easily. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Sensible to get best deal in interest of Indian people: Jaishankar on oil import from Russia

Responding to questions from members in the Upper House, the minister said it is his duty to put the interest of the Indian people first to ensure that they do not pay the cost of some other countries' actions or some other region's actions for fertilizer, food, etc. We do not ask our companies to buy Russian oil. We ask our companies to buy oil what is the best option that they can get. Now it depends on what the market throws up.

Top Best Buy Deals: Apple iPad, Lenovo IdeaPad 1 and More - CNET

Save on tech, appliances and much more with these limited-time Best Buy deals.

9 Types Of Jeans Every Woman Should Own To Live Her Denim Life

Invented in 1873, jeans have been around for more than a century now. Nothing can ever replace a good pair of jeans in a womans wardrobe. Starting from being comfortable yet elegant workwear to an always-go-to piece of clothing for parties, date nights and other occasions, denims have always been a womans dependable friend. Heres a list of some types of jeans that every woman should have in her closet.

Pixel 7, Buds Pro & Watch: Google Devices Launched In 2022

The year 2022 saw the launch of some of the most spectacular gadgets. From affordable, mid-range to ultra premium, the year saw several brands unveiling some of the most innovative devices. Tech giant Google too had introduced an assortment of devices. Here's a look at Google devices from 2022.

Installing a TPMS on my 7-year-old Renault Duster for just Rs 6400

BHPian kanchudeep recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Have been interested in installing a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) in my Renault Duster for quite some while. Was contemplating it very seriously as a mid-life upgrade of my vehicle (completed 7 years recently & nearing 90,000 km) and came to know of a very good deal. I had already been researching the system by TREEL (owned by JK Tyres) and as per the above thread was getting very good rates from a dealer as part of a limited-time offer (valid till 03 Dec 2022). As per the offer, the rates were:Set of 04 sensors: 2,550/-Set of 05 sensors: 3,150/-External display unit: 2,300/-The post-deal rates by the dealer are:Set of 04 sensors: 2,950/-Set of 05 sensors: 3,659/-External display unit: 2,300/-The dealer is based out of Sonipat, Haryana. A set of 04 sensors are sold at 5,599/- by TREEL on their website & at 4,999/- by them on Amazon. You can actually use the sensors (04 or 05) even without the external display unit on a smartphone - in fact even with the Display one needs to pair it with the smartphone first. It is just that I prefer an independent system. The sensors have a claimed battery life of 07 years (batteries are not user replaceable), with a 5-year replacement under warranty and the system has very good reviews as per my research. This is one thread on the TREEL system. I will not thus go into more details about the system but rather add information relevant to others interested or what I have not come across about the System. I placed the order on 30 Nov 2022 for a total of 5,450/-. The package with items was received on 03 Dec 2022 via DTDC. All items were in their original packing with seals intact. Received items: 1 sensor was manufactured on 30th June 2021, 3 of them were manufactured on 27th November 2021 & the final one had a manufactured date of 20 December 2021. The display is of 30 March 2022 manufacture. Marked each sensor with tyre code: FL, FR, RL, RF and S, using a permanent marker for later identification. The sensors are designed to be used with the 'SmartTyre Car & Bike app' (Android App / iOS App) by TREEL. One needs to create a user account to use the app and give basic information about the vehicle. After opening all items, paired the sensors with the app, by scanning the QR code and adding as per the planned position. App's main screen after initial pairing - only temperature being displayed. Post pairing the sensors with the App I received an e-mail from TREEL with a product kit code with the Tag ID of the sensors and Display. The sensor data displayed by the App takes some time to update the information, so one needs to be a little patient in the beginning. I suspect the sensors transmit at intervals as also on sensing motion to maximise battery life. The App allows checking the battery level of each sensor which was all showing 100% even though some sensors have completed more than 01 year from manufacture. Next, synced the Display using the app by scanning the QR code, after which the Display gets info uploaded from the App of the sensors, user/vehicle info and configuration (minimum/maximum pressure, temperature, display ON time etc). Was also prompted for the firmware update of the Display and it was done without any issues (to version R3.1 dated 07 Nov 2022). This was a pleasant surprise that the firmware will easily receive updates. The next day, headed to a local tyre shop to get the fitment of sensors and also wheel balancing. Installing sensors on 05 tyres and wheel balancing for 04 tyres (less the spare and including the cost of balancing weights) came to a total of 960/-. There was no issue in fitting the sensor even on the spare wheel rim (non-alloy). Sensor installed on the wheel rim: The valve of TREEL system on the wheel: App's main screen displaying sensor data: Fitted the Display to the right of the steering wheel column console. The Unit comes with a strip of 3M double-side tape on the front half of the bottom. For a better fit, added a strip on the rear half too. The placement was based on easy access to the three buttons on the Display's right side with enough space on left for connecting the charging cable if so required anytime. The Display does not stay switched ON all the time. What I have observed so far is that once the vehicle starts after some time (I think triggered by the motion of the sensors which then transmit to the Display), the Display switches on and shows the status. Of course, one can manually switch ON using the buttons to check at any time. Display fitment: Overall for a total cost of ~ 6,400/-, I feel it is a worthy upgrade. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The RBI seeks a new balance between growth and inflation

It seems the RBIs statements have been highlighting the hopes and aspirations of the economy while downplaying, or nuancing, the downsides.

Chemical industry expects to reach a market size of 383 billion by 2030

An Industry Facilitation Cell has been set up in the Department of Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals and Purohit urged the industry to log issues with the cell so that they may be taken to their logical conclusion.

Explained: Key differences between hybrid batteries & EV batteries

BHPian 84.monsoon recently shared this with other enthusiasts. There has been a lot of talk about giving strong hybrid cars govt. subsidy. There are none as of now - but this is short-sighted. The arguments put up by Tata, Hyundai, Kia and M&M against any subsidies for hybrids are below. Of course, they argue thus because they do not have hybrid technology and have only ICE engines and pure EVs:Hybrids still consume petrol, so India will still have to import fuel, EVs don't consume any fuel at all.They also need batteries with finite life, so import dependency for batteries does not go away. Battery replacements also need to be imported.The first argument is totally misleading. A hybrid will consume only 50% of the fuel as a ICE vehicle for in-town runabouts which is where the vast majority of passenger cars are used. So would you rather save 50% fuel imports for hybrid applications today or wait for a decade for pure EVs to go mainstream? Also, that pure EVs in India, is most almost certainly being charged from the dirtiest and most environmentally harmful source of power possible - old, coal fueled power plants, which make up 75% of our power generation. On top, we are importing coal as well these days as we can't seem to figure out how to extract all that coal that lies beneath our country. What they don't say on battery life: The reason Toyota hybrid batteries last so long is that the vehicles feature an efficient nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Battery management computer systems and a computer-controlled charge controller ensure that the battery charge doesn't exceed around 80% or fall below 20%. This computer-controlled shallow cycling dramatically improves the battery's cycle life, thermal management control, and long-term life. You can see in the various test drive photos etc. the battery is always at 2-3 bars out of 5 and never goes to full 5 bars even after a long hill descent. Similarly it seldom goes to 1 bar as it will be recharged as soon as it drops to lower levels of the second bar. The big difference is that unlike pure EVs, the hybrid's battery does not have to be charged to its full. The range is not going to depend on the battery carrying a full charge, because the vehicle is anyway never powered entirely by the battery. This is the main reason behind the difference between pure EVs and hybrids in terms of battery life. Because of the fact that the batteries in the pure EV have to be always charged to the fullest to ensure maximum range, they tend degrade that much faster. With the petrol engine on board, the hybrid battery can be charged just a bit as and when required and discharged just a bit as well. This provides the necessary shallow cycle charging conditions to prolong the battery life vastly. This is also the reason hybrids only need such small batteries as compared to pure EVs. The Innova has a 1.6 KWH battery while a typical EV of similar size will need to have 60-70 KHW to achieve similar range. That is 40 times the capacity of battery! The amount of mining and refinement activity for rare earths and consequent global warming to make a 60 KHW battery is not small! I firmly believe hybrids are a more environmentally friendly solution than pure EVS at this point in time for India, for this reason. You get 50% fuel savings for 5% of the rare earths that a pure EV needs - so do you extract 40 times more rare earths or save only 50% of the fuel? Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Rumour: Tata Nano could return in an electric avatar

According to media reports, there are rumours suggesting that Tata Motors could be planning to bring back the Nano in an electric avatar. As per the rumour mill, Tata could upgrade the Nano's existing platform to support its electric powertrain. It is said that major changes could be made to the car's suspension and tyres. Reports also suggest that if the plans to put the Nano EV into production reach fruition, Tata could restart its talks with the Tamil Nadu government regarding the acquisition of Ford's Maraimalainagar plant. Tata Motors plans to roll out 10 new models in the next 5 years. The carmaker showcased the Curvv and Avinya concepts earlier this year and also launched its most affordable EV offering, the Tiago EV. Source:TOI

Immersive Display & Enhanced Battery Life Make Nubia Red Magic 8 Series The Ultimate Gaming Phone

Chinese consumer electronics brand, Nubia, is gearing up for the launch of its latest smartphones - the Red Magic 8 Series. A successor to the Nubia Red Magic 7 series, the Red Magic 8 series will offer two handsets - Red Magic 8 and Red Magic 8 Pro.

How RE Himalayan came into picture: My buying & ownership experience

BHPian Shobhitsaxena recently shared this with other enthusiasts. After going through thousands of threads on Team-BHP, finally I have a story to share! This is about my team with Himalayan, how it all started, and what I love and what I don't during the past 8 months.How it startedEver since 2011, when I started working, my fascination with bikes started. It started with getting to know what I can afford, the phone calls to check prices and reading everything on the web about the bikes I could afford. I started on a blank slate, but very soon fell into the 'Classic' category instead of 'Modern'. 2 years passed and in a rush decision, I bought a 125 cc Honda. The bike did justice to what it promised, but I was never able to get attached to it as I had read too much! Time kept flying, got married and moved to a 4-wheeler - Polo 2015 Trendline, which I love and treasure at 100k KMS currently. I had forgotten that I spent years thinking about motorcycles.How it was restartedExcept a visit to the RE showroom in 2016, I had done nothing. It restarted in March 2021. I read RE had launched a new bike - Meteor based on a completely new platform. My first feeling was of shock that such a significant development happened with a brand I followed so closely and I had no clue (so forgotten the bike dream was). The bike 'read' promising and after a few conversations with my wife, the fire was reignited.The decision processTo sum it up, it was an overthought and over-engineered process. Meteor read promising, but I decided to wait for the J platform to come to Classic 350 (my inclination towards the Classic genre had remained in sub-conscious). When the Reborn Classic was launched, I thought my decision was final. After many years, in mid-2021, called the RE showroom and booked a test drive. I drove the Classic Reborn and Meteor back to back in a parking lot. I rode a bike after years and was going to decide by 2 rounds of a parking lot. The Classic was easier to drive while Meteor had a better road personality. When I concluded the test drive and parked the Meteor, an Interceptor was parked next to it. Now enters Interceptor into the mix. It checked all boxes - a Classic, has Character and is not Common. Reading started about Interceptor (I never test-rode it as I wasn't sure if I will be able to handle the power!). A critical factor was that the rear seat should be comfortable for my wife. The awkwardly upward rear foot peg of the Interceptor was noticed and spoken about during the showroom visit and became a bottleneck. Now I was stuck, Classic wasn't interesting and unique enough compared to Interceptor. Meteor did not appeal to the 'Classic' inclination and my wife termed that as a college boy bike (I am 35 currently and now there is a 3-year-old in the family, living in Rewari HR with my office in Gurgaon -35kms).GoaWe went to Goa in March 2022. We are regulars to Goa since 2016 and I was fascinated by the biking culture there, though we always rented a scooty. During this week in Goa, Himalayan entered the mix. I always knew of its existence, but always thought of that as a 'niche' bike made for a purpose I had nothing to do with. Further, it's not very common where I live. With slight hesitation, I started reading about Himalayan during the vacation. The size was the first question, but seeing persons of average size (my size), males and females, steering Himalayan in Goa gave me the confidence to keep the size aside. In a few weeks, I was convinced that this is worth considering.Test ride and booking processThe vacation was over and the next weekend, we visited the showroom. First time, I rode the Himalayan and found it manageable in size. Rode it only for a few KMs and was sold - it had Character, was unique and was not a true Classic but 'Old school' in its genre (compared to KTMs!). I paid the booking amount and was destined to get the Gravel Grey delivered by end of May'22. There were a few more visits to showrooms, dillydallying between Meteor and Himalayan. Finally, my wife said Himalayan (she had figured out that I wanted her to say that) and overruled the color choice. We paid the bill for a Lake Blue instead of a Gravel grey. After a satisfactory PDI, on Apr 16, 2022 finally, the Himalayan was coming home. We almost brought this beauty home! This was after we did PDI (and then went back to Himalayan!) Finally taking deliveryNothing much to write about here. The bike was ready and we had all the time in the world to click pics as the government website where registration is required was down for an hour. I got the keys and the first ride of 35kms with my wife as the pillion was slow and steady. When we reached, it was my first time parking the bike. I made multiple efforts to put it on center stand and was successful only after my wife pulled it from the back. While walking back home, I was happy and also nervous - will I be able to manage this? Paid the bill, now Junior could saddle with authority. Getting used to itI went back to YouTube and read about getting used to managing motorcycles. That helped. In a couple of days, I was comfortable with the center stand manoeuvre, unless on an incline. I also found my method of getting up and down. So far, I didn't have to pick it up, but I am confident that I will be able to put my theoretical knowledge to the test when the inevitable happens. Mind you, I am still thinking about where will I park, and how will I get her out whenever I am riding; that has more to do with how I am as a person though! A random click from my solo ride to Jaipur. The tank bag from Guardian Gear is a boon. What I loveThe upright stance - The liberation you require when you get on a motorcycle is plenty on offer here. You sit comfortably, clear view of the road ahead and feel confident with the high handlebar.Power delivery - I have not ridden a bike with a bigger engine so I am not aware of what's on offer. Also, I am a sedate rider irrespective of the wheels on a vehicle. I have never crossed 100 and don't intend to. For this, I like the way power is delivered and the amount of it.Suspension and ground clearance - I feel happy with how the bike approaches the undulations. I have gone through a monsoon season in Gurgaon with under-construction roads and the bike never felt questioned.Balance - I have only been on roads and highways, the worst roads, but yes still won't call that offroading. When you hold the handlebar, you feel confident of the balance and the way the bike reacts to your manoeuvres.Road presence - It's subjective, but it gets noticed and you stand out when talking about bikes under 3 lacs.What I don't loveGearing - Two things - getting to Neutral and lack of sixth gear hamper the experience. Till date, I never get to neutral on the first attempt. This is very irritating when you want to wait at a red light or park in neutral. Secondly, whenever I cross 80 on highways, more often than not, I am pressing for another gear, only to see the indicator that I am only in 5th. Seems like this will be changed with the generation (I did give the next generation a thought - the platform could require time to stabilize and could be a lot expensive, hence I went with BS6 understanding it is mature and towards the end of its lifecycle).Tube tyres - This remains an area of subconscious anxiety. Someday I am going to get a puncture and I will figure out a way to get it fixed. Will share that experience!The breakdownsFuel pumpA major breakdown when I was on a highway. Himalayan has been my go-to vehicle for 1-2 visits to the office every week (35kms one-day Rewari-Gurgaon). I stopped for refuelling midway one morning. Once refueled, the bike won't start. It used to happen once in a while since I got it home 4 months back so I wasn't concerned. After 4-5 tries, the starting sound started to die and it became quite clear this is a breakdown. The petrol pump folks started to gather and advised me to let it 'cool' down. I waited for 30 mins and during that time called the RE RSA. They were responsive in picking up, but the assigned person was eventually not so responsive. After 90mins of waiting, I tried again and now the bike started. I had been calling the assigned person and was getting excuses for delays. After the bike started, we agreed that I should ride to the service center 3-4 kms away. They were quite responsive when I reached and within minutes said that the fuel pump is faulty and they will replace it under warranty. They sounded like this is a common issue in certain lots of Himalayan. This is quite shocking and disturbing as the company should do a formal recall rather than riders getting stranded one by one when that's an eventuality. When will Indian firms understand that recalls don't bring bad press as much as snowballing of such issues? Anyway, thankfully the fuel pump was available and by evening I got the bike back. I felt that bike has been riding much better after this - not a surprise as the engine would be getting better fueling.HornThe horn stopped working after slowly dying down. On the first visit, they changed some wiring. The issue came back again. This time they replaced that with a Classic horn which is slightly squeamish. I did not complain as I try to honk less anyway. I paid 300 rs for this.Service costI have availed of 2 free services at Manzil Motors. Nothing much to write here as nothing special to be done. All was done on time.Add-ons so farBackrest - Getting a backrest installed ASAP was a pre-requisite by my wife. I did some research and got one from Clozotech Automotive. Found on YouTube and ordered via WhatsApp. This was DIY and is sturdy. The reason I selected this is that it fixes on the backplate screws and doesn't intrude on the seat space. I just checked and seems the business isn't active on WhatsApp though.Formula X - To overcome the anxiety re tube tires, I went with Formula X filling in both tires. Haven't experienced any puncture so hoping this has silently worked. I do keep checking tires for any nails.Other than this I clean and lube every 500kms and once a month take the bike for washing.Making it look pretty again after Monsoon. Though have to say, Himalayan goes well with dirt! Plans and aspirations aheadGo for a mountain trip - So far my only long ride has been a solo to Jaipur in May (200kms one way). I aspire to do a week-long trip to Himachal on some medium complexity roads. Need my wife to agree and join me as the partner in crime. Equally important, need to prep our 3-year-old to be able to stay with extended family for a week!Grow as a versatile biker - My riding experience has been on roads and highways. I wish to do more rides, start trail riding and do more with the bike in general. Not sure how to start on this as time is the first issue and secondly, I don't have a riding community around me.Learn more about machine - I wish to understand the machine better and be able to do some of the regular maintenance on my own. Any suggestions are welcome.Graduate from Himalayan to something else - Don't have a timeline in sight for this and what that something would be!Lastly, I have invested in a Rynox jacket and gloves and knee guards. In addition to a helmet (of course), I strongly recommend everyone to invest in gear for themselves and pillions. Our roads aren't safe for riding and you can get into an accident without any mistake of yours. These investments will look small if God forbid they are put to test someday.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.