Aug 17, 2006 07:54 PM
13089 Views
(Updated Aug 18, 2006 07:27 PM)
My first bike was an Ind-Suzuki 100cc. It was a complete satisfaction - smooth, fuel efficient, maintenance free.
When it was time to upgrade to a newer bike I read about all the bikes available at that time. Then I came across the Shaolin. My dream bike was always the RD350. But it was not available. The Shaolin was the second most impressive bike I came across after the RD350. I did not look any further.
If anybody wants to know how I would rate the bike I can only say that I still have the bike and I am not selling it.
I took delivery of the bike and my first stop was my college. It was an instant hit with all my friends. My next stop was at the tyre shop and I changed the tyres to fatter ones (front &rear).
Let me explain the ratings I gave to the bike:
Fuel Consumption (kms/litre): 3 Stars (I get an average of 40-42 kms/ltr within my town). The pollution checking officials still believe that something is fishy when my bike comes up with a pollution count far less than the new 4stroke bikes of today!!!!
Comfort: Nice shocks absorb all the potholes that comes in its way (no maintenance to rear shocks till date, only routine oil and rubber bush changes in the front)
Reliability: It is running all these years without any engine overhaul or piston ring change!! Just regular oil changes.
Handling and Control: Very steady and with fatter tyres excellent road grip.
Looks: One of the most handsome looking bikes of its time. All the girls showered their praises on the bike's looks, totally ignoring the looks of the owner (sad)
On the road I find new bikes every month but nothing thrills me as much as this bike does till today.
An excellent bike only failed by its manufacturers' sloppy marketing skills and bad service network.
I am adding some more of my own views after I read some very useful comments on my review.
When the pollution of a bike/car is checked in India there are some criteras that the pollution checking devices follow. I could never find an explanation why my old carburated Maruti Zen always came up with a lower pollution level than my new fuel injected Maruti WagonR. It was the same case when I checked the pollution level of my Saholin and compared it with the pollution certificate of my friend's Splendor.
My bike has been used with extreme care. The engine of a Shaolin wil always outlast any 100cc bike because of its bore and stroke configuration. The bike runs at a much lesser RPM, with higher torque, less gear changes and hence there is far less wear and tear. This results in a better life span.
You all remember the old vespas and bajajs that used to emit such high level of smoke. This is mostly due to the unnecessary amount of 2T(lubricant) that used to be added to the fuel chamber(more the better for engine life was the idea). But in the case of the newer 2 stroke bikes a separate 2T tank was introduced along with a tiny 2t pump which regulates the flow of 2T oil into the combustion chamber. It needs to be callibrated so that not more than 20ml of 2T is spent for a litre of petrol(more than enough for engine lubrication). This controls the smoke emmission to the minimum. As because the 2T is fed into the system directly the carburator stays clean and less maintenance and cleaning is required. To achieve a better life for a carburator, jets etc should always be cleaned with compressed air. Just dont let the mechanics to fool with the adjusting screws, jets etc. This will ensure good performance, steady mileage, pickup.
In India 2 stroke bikes were banned in the name of Euro emmission standards. Ironically big European bike makers like Aprilia still make and sell beautiful bikes (Example: RS125) powered by 2 stroke engines (single cylinder, two-stroke) . How do you explain that?!!!
