Overdrive's long term test report

Overdrive magazine’s expert team has finished the long term test for the Kinetic Blaze. The team tested the Blaze extensively over a period of 17 months (Feb 2007- June 2008) and 8384 kms.

Some highlights from the wrap-up (overall) report:

The reviewer says:
· “ Kinetic Blaze is one of my personal favorites from the OD Garage”
· “I found this Italiano to be charismatic & beckoning me to take charge & whack the throttle open”
· “the huge, comfortable step seat never made me twitch in discomfort. And never did I feel tired even after riding her all day around town”
· “At times I would love to teach a lesson to wannabe racers at traffic lights and cant stop smiling as I ‘blaze” past
· “she hits the ton religiously, making a speedo indicated top end of 110 kmph. Phew!”
· “The well laid out instrument console too is a boon with the fuel gauge and telltale lights besides the tacho and digital clock making for a quick time check while rushing to office”
· “The fat rubber at both ends has been more than reassuring throughout, helping take corners with confidence. Same with the disk brake up front which helps greately in emergencies.”
· “The decent underseat storage made a good place for my girlfriend to keep stuff whenever we went shopping”
· “The cushy rear seat makes the pillion feel at home”
· “Now that the Blaze is going, I am really going to miss all the fun I had. Those late night rides back home, the early morning rush zipping through traffic and lots more. Really.”

Kinetic Blaze wins the Satpura Mountain Vara Rally!

Amazing news has just come in from Nagpur:

"KINETIC BLAZE, its not just the name that is powerful but justifies it. I, ROHIT NAIK and my navigator HARSHAD KULKARNI recently participated in THE SATPURA MOUNTAIN VARA RALLY, The Ultimate off-road challenge with the blaze and we are astonished to see the result. You wont believe that we have been placed in the first position in the 2- wheeler category competing many of the renowned names in the Indian motorcycle market. We were flagged off from Nagpur in our Leg1 and were supposed to cover a distance of 350km to Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh. The track was 90% off road wid ghats covered in boulders and cobble. The vehicle crossed the off roads without any problem of slipping and skidding and gave a mileage of about 32kmpl in such a rough terrain.

In the Leg 2 of the race, we went through one of the toughest off road tracks of Central India going through dense forests, some breath taking parts of the famous Patalkot. We did river crossings, 45 degree steep inclined hill climbs etc. The vehicles performance was so good that it didnt breakdown even once and managed to cover all parts with ease. The 165cc engine delivered the performance to the fullest. the dual headlamps were so appropriate n useful that we didnt have any problem during night track. The seating of the vehicle is so comfortable that we didnt have any problem throught the rally regarding back ache and all. the vehicle has the widest tyres in its class and those helped a lot in manuovering over rubble. the storage compartment under the seat is so appropriately given that we even cvarried a spare tyre tube and a foot pump in it.

I say there is no other scooter in India as of now which can give you so much satisfaction and appreciation of your money than KINETIC BLAZE."

"Ultimate Companion" : Bike India appreciates the Blaze after detailed, long term test!

Adil Jal Darukhanwala's two wheeler magazine Bike India has tested the Blaze over 928km since May 2007 ( i. e. six months), and carried an overall ownership report in November issue (page 101).

Here's what Manoj from Bike India says:

"The Kinetic Blaze came to my rescue at the right time. It is one of the most perfect choices I have made recently, apart from starting back with my regular work-outs. Currently, it is the fastest scooter in the country (good enough for what I can handle) while being extremely comfortable to ride.

The saddle on the Blaze is a boon and since my commutes are more or less inside the city, seat is very enjoyable, especially after a hard day at work. The suspension and the tyres on this big scoot too perform very well and it is significantly visible in the way the bike goes smoothly over pothole ridden roads.

Even the brakes are well upto the task of getting this burly scooter to a stop without much effort going in it. Apart from the speedometer cable snapping at 928 km, the scooter has given no trouble and has been my ultimate companion on the Pune roads. Amongst the stop and go traffic conditions and a few speed bursts on open roads, the scooter has been religiously delivering me a fuel efficiency of 38 kmpl.

It is a welcome change for me to ride this European styled premium scooter fom Kinetic. It handles nicely, doesn't scare me while I lay her down and nor does it need heavy maintenance. Not to mention the amount of heads that turn wherever I take her!"

Total Km: 928
Kmpl: 38
Costs: Nil
For: Performance, ride quality, handling, pillion comfort and great looks

Auto India's 6 month test proves Blaze to be problem-free!

Auto India's long term test report on the Blaze is out!

"It has been almost six months since we go the Kinetic Blaze for long term test. It was the preferred choice during the rains as its front wheels don't throw up any slush onto one's shoes or pants - as happens all too often on other bikes. The large storage space too came in handy to store raingear. The vehicle handled well on wet and slippery roads. When it comes to keeping your vehicle looking clean and new, this one makes your life much easier as it takes less than half the time to clean this than any other bike.

There was no trouble whatsoever with this vehicle in the last six months. The only negative side is that the pillion seat is not too comfortable for older people. So if you want to have a really exclusive image and dont mind spending a bit extra, then you should look no further as you will never cease to get that second look from bystanders and other commuters on the way."

Bike India's Long term Blaze Test Report

Bike India's Long term Blaze Test Report says:

The Kinetic Blaze assigned to me as my long-termer is working fine and serving me well. In fact, I like it so much that I’d prefer it over any other motorcycle in the BIKE India garage. Why? It’s a lovely scooter, start off with, especially for my home-work-home commute through traffic. The seat is more comfortable than any I’ve come across yet, so much so that it feels almost like my couch. It conceals my legs fairly from the front, which is an added advantage in the rains. Making my way through the traffic is also not an issue, since the vehicle is responsive and zippy. As of now, it has not given me any problems, not even starting hitches in the rains.

Ramnath borrowed the Blaze for a day long trip to Mahabaleshwar, about 240km from Pune, and returned impressed. His last trip to the place was on a motorcycle but this time around it was much more comfortable. He was extremely surprised when the scooter, despite its small wheels as compared to those of a motorcycle, maintained its poise perfectly even on the slippery red slush that had collected over the roads. The vehicle returned a mileage of 34 kmpl on the highways, which all of us think is decent for a big ungeared vehicle.

All in all, I’m happy to report that the Blaze is proving to be a very good and problem free steed, in all respects. Especially in terms of stares from the fairer sex and than makes me even happier.
:)

Reference: Bike India August 2007 issue, page # 180

Kinetic ranked among top 100 brands in India

The brand "Kinetic" has featured amongst India’s 100 most valuable brands, in an independent, comprehensive study conducted by Planman consulting – ICMR.

The study was conducted amongst 38,756 brands from all categories and 1057 brands were shortlisted based on growth, reach, demand & availability and is a measure of Brand Equity, Brand Awareness, Brand Image & Perception, Brand Performance & Brand Loyalty. Both domestic as well as international brands were considered in over 43 categories and 38 additional sub categories were shortlisted including apparels, automobiles, auto components, banks, builders, food joints, beverages, media & entertainment amongst many others. A total sample size of 1000 one-on-one interviews in 5 cities across the country was conducted for the shortlisting of the top 1057 brands. Later a total of 6000 users were interviewed across 9 cities including delhi, jaipur, Mumbai, kolkatta, bangalore, hyderabad, ahmedabad, pune and chennai for the selection of the top 100.

The Kinetic brand has featured in the top 100 brands of the country beating many other automobile brands including Yamaha & Suzuki.

Congratulations KINETIC!

Monsoon tips

Here are a few monsoon-tips for the Blaze:

• Get your Blaze serviced at any authorized Kinetic dealerships, specially for tune-up, cleaning filters, oil-level check and lubrication of critical bits
• Adjust brake lever free play for effective braking
• Check tyres for wear as unevenly worn tyre can cause wobble
• Maintain recommended tyre pressure
• To prevent rusting, can do a chassis undercoating with rubber seal or lacolide (Berger Paints)
• Be careful about leaving unwrapped things in the under-seat storage
• Can fit a mud-flap if concerned about muddy water sprinkling

And as always:
• Practise safe riding habits
• Keep all paperwork handy and insurance valid
• Wear ISI approved helmets