GETTING REAL
7,500km report Our rider-friendly Kinetic Velocity has begun
to show a few quality niggles, which is a pity.
Every long-termer in our fleet, be it car or bike, gets
real-world treatment to the core. Our silver Kinetic Velocity
has been put through its paces by resident illustrator Makarand
Potdar. He uses the bike on the daily commute from Trombay
to office situated in the heart of Mumbai — a round-trip
of 30 kilometres every day. Makarand also undertakes frequent
trips to distant Panvel with a sprinkling of occasional
runs to faraway Colaba, Borivali, Malad and even a solitary
sojourn to Khargar, on the outskirts of Mumbai.
A
strong asset to the Velocity is its sparkling paint job,
which has lost little to the ravages of time — it
continues to shine through sunny days and moonlit nights
alike. Another strong point is its fine aircraft-type fuel
filler. What's pleasant about the Velocity is the great
riding position and the seat is extremely comfortable for
both rider and the pillion.
The bike's build quality however could be better, with plenty
of rattles and squeaks having become noticeable as the bike
grows older. Another gremlin is the headlight beam, where
the high beam strangely points high into the stars and nowhere
close to where it should focus its spread. The silencer
heat shield has also needed welding, after having failed
early in its life and Kinetic service engineers have had
to change the rear left side panel on the bike. Yet another
unique problem manifests itself in the front forks diving
to the point of allowing the steering head to make contact
with the front mudguard. And, the smooth 113.66cc engine,
which is based on the Boss 115cc platform, could do with
a little more power. With just over 7,500km on the odometer,
the motor seems to be a little out of breath, the Velocity
feeling feeble in even first and second gears.
What’s heartening is that the Velocity manages to
come up with fine mileage numbers at 52.8 kilometres per
litre. What is clear is that Kinetic Engineering will need
to address the Velocity's numerous quality issues before
it has Makarand smiling at it once again.
Rishad Cooper |
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LOG
BOOK
Distance covered 7,500km
 Fuel
consumption
Total fuel consumed 142 litres
Average fuel consumption 52.8kpl
No. of fillings (brimmed) 10
worst 46kpl
Best 68.2kpl
Total maintenance cost
Company-paid service and repairs Rs. 500
Running costs Rs 0.91 per km
Faults Pronounced fork dive, broken silencer
heat shield.
Likes Fine riding position, aircraft-type
fuel filler lid,
Dislikes Poor all-round quality. |
source  April 2005 |
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