Jun 12, 2015 11:59 AM
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Prologue:
A burst of wind, a wring of throttle, a flash of red. The 600i blasts out with the IXIL exhaust roaring away at 6K RPM. The speedo indicates 160.
The road from Baner to Chandni chowk is deserted. 4.A.M, 2hrs till my friends from xBhp Pune show up. I have 2hrs to explore this bike after which it will be group ride to Lavasa to test out this monster. I stop at Chandni chowk wondering how the hell people thought this was lower in quality
Because I felt different. This is the second time I am test riding this and I am struggling to find out the Chinese connection. But nope, nothing out of place.
Random stranger: Kitna deti hai?
Me:(smiling) Baas khusiaan deti hai;)
Looks:
The white version is selling like hot cakes but Italian means Red for me. And the bike looks beautiful in Red. The Stock exhaust look so well placed and aligned with the overall design that the only reason you will change them is perhaps because you will love the IXIL exhaust roaring sound. The bike looks mean and ready to go in a brutish streetfighter look from the side.
The minimal stickering and the teardrop shaped rear-view mirror added to the design. The console was minimalistic but by no means ugly or difficult to read. I would really prefer the headlights to undergo a design change. This is one part of the bike which didn’t feel quite right. But again my own perception.
Ride dynamics & comfort:
The seats are comfortable both for the rider and pillion. Upright riding position, perfect levelled handlebars make it a pleasure to ride.
I really liked the way the tank is shaped as it allows the rider to grip the side with their thighs during high speeds.
The pillion seat is nice and comfy too for long hauls. With the stock under seat exhaust the pillion did not feel any heat radiation while gripping the grab rails but with the IXIL exhaust the grab rails were heated up considerably making it impossible to hold on to.
The Road Test:
The bike performed flawlessly at straight roads. It has enough pulling power to catapult to the front in the initial 5 seconds. Power delivery is pretty linear and the fun starts after the 5K RPM. The bike remains stable at high speeds on straight and feels pretty much well placed on road. Some good touring accessories can make this into a nice tourer too. Coming to the corners, the bike was tested in Lavasa which is the place that comes close to being a track. Once you get used to the weight of the bike it feels light and peppy in the corners. In-fact one my friends after watching me burn corner after corner told me he felt as if I was riding the Z250 because of the nimbleness in which I took to the corners.
Finally the worst place to drive 600cc. Traffic. Period. My route was from Chandni chowk to Viman Nagar to Baner. Around 35Kms of roads with heavy traffic. The Engine temp indicator showed 93-degrees till the first 10kms. Then it stayed put at 97-degrees. By the time I was finishing 35kms the heat radiation from the engine was just too much. Now this cannot be counted as a con because most superbikes do tend to get heated in our traffic prone and hot weather conditions. Hell, even the D390 gets heated up like crazy and it’s a single cylinder!
Handling & Brakes & other stuff:
The Pirelli angel tires hold to the road never letting go. Excellent tire grip. Adjust the suspension for corners and you are ready to go. Driving in the city? Make the suspension soft and you won’t feel a bump, a rumbler strip or a pothole. In short, lovely suspension. Once you get used to the weight; the bike feels nimble and very flickable. The front brake lever is adjustable and I would have loved it if the same had been done for the Clutch lever too. The Clutch lever feels way far off from the handle and I had to stretch my hand quite a bit to engage the clutch. After driving in traffic my left hand had a gym equivalent workout:( .The front foot pegs are a little upside and back which helps in the seating position. Brakes felt a little off for me while was riding. The front brakes had good stopping power but the back brakes distinctly lacked the bite and I was constantly on alert so that I don’t screw up. One small issue was the uneven firing that happened sometimes around 4.5K RPM. God know why. This bike has 4 oxygen sensors. Didn’t make sense here.
Real world performance:
It’s a winner. Enough torque to keep you occupied. It revs up pretty high on the mark. Linear power delivery. What more does one need in a 600?
Final Conclusion:
So do you go ahead and book it? Follow reviews and buy it? Initially I thought so too. Took 2 test rides and my mind was crystal clear. If you want great power, handling and a bike that looks smashing on road; take the 600i. The market has a dearth of 600s and inline 4 is non-existent at this price range anyways. My personal verdict would be to buy this if you are looking for a 600cc in this price bracket. The inline 4 sound will be enough to convince you though if nothing else.?
A lot of criticism has come over the bikes being Chinese and not "true Italian". This is more of a pre-conceived notion in our minds that Chinese products are inferior in terms of quality. Take a look at the 600i, ride it and ride it well and decide for yourself if you can find anything which does not match with the products in that price. The design principles is Italian, the bike is manufactured in china. The simple reason is to cutback manufacturing costs. However this doesn’t mean they are not up to the quality mark. Break free of this mind-set and see how the 600i amazes you.
Photo Credits: Viresh Patel and Parag Gohil
Riders(xBhp Pune and Naked Wolves): Sourabh, Kuntal, Viresh, Parag, Rishab and Me?
