 STREET SMART5000km
report With loads of street presence and an ability to breeze
through city traffic, the Graptor can be the bike of choice
for the urban commuter.Nudging 5,000km on the Graptor has
been a cakewalk. It has voraciously been gnawing on the miles
and more importantly, without much noise.
The Graptor has tremendous street presence. Even months after
its launch, it still manages to turns heads, be it the neighborhood
kids, the heroes on their Pulsars at traffic signals, or the
cute girls in our office compound. Novelty value hasn't dwindled
yet, which is partly due to the fact that it's not a common
sight on Mumbai roads, at least not yet! Its curvy seat though
good-looking, doesn't offer the same level of comfort. Sore
rear ends will be common to Graptor riders, even after short
trips to the bazaar.
Thankfully,
pillion riders are much better off.
The bike's reliability has been a strong point. Nothing's
broken or stopped working on our Graptor. We had to change
the brake pads in the rear-drum, which had worn out, as
is routine. That apart, the bike continues to deliver a
built-to-last feel. There are no rattles and electricals
too have worked without failure.
The peppy 150.8cc LML engine willingly makes short work
of surrounding traffic. The Graptor has 13.45bhp at 8000rpm
of power on tap, making overtaking a breeze in city conditions.
A sore point though is fuel efficiency. Careful riding (keeping
the speedo within its economy mode) returns consistent figures
between 40-45kpl, but whip things up a bit and this machine
starts guzzling fuel like a man gulps from an oasis in the
desert.
It could have done with better handling in keeping with
its power pack. This deficit is markedly felt under high-speed
braking. We suspect that our rear MRF Zapper, which surprisingly
came to us in 50 percent worn-out condition, is adding to
the problem.
Also on a recent visit to an LML workshop, we noted that
peculiarly, only our Graptor came with its very own unique
tread design. After a test ride, the service supervisor
too confirmed our apprehensions. Currently we are trying
to get matters rectified with replacement MRF footwear in
the correct tread pattern and will get back with details
on how the Graptor fares once this is complete.
Girish Karkera
|
LOG
BOOK
Distance covered 5,000km
Fuel consumption
Total fuel consumed 114 litres
Average fuel consumption 43.7kpl
No. of fillings (brimmed) 7
worst 32kpl
Best 56.1kpl
Total maintenance cost Servicing, brake liners, oil
filter and misc. cost Rs 580
Running costs Rs 1.14 per km
Faults Worn rear tyre is unique pattern
Likes Peppy motor, good looks
Dislikes Hard seat, poor braking character, poor efficiency |
January 2005 