Style, power and economy is the threefold mantra in the bike market these days. What the majority of the biking public wants are not absolute econo-misers nor top-line Performance bikes but bikes that strike a right balance between all three parameters while keeping purchase prices within affordable barrier - just like the six bikes on test here. Sirish Chandran has the lowdown on these bikes that strike the right balance, sing the right tune and put smiles on your face, day in and day out.

CONTENDORS:

LML ENERGY FX
The first 'small' Indian multi-valve bike and LML's first motorcycle (made in collaboration with Daelim of Korea) just got better thanks to ten extra cubic centimetres, better paint schemes and improved switchgear. Does she rule the roost?


KINETIC CHALLENGER
A wholly indigenous effort with engineering inspiration drawn from various quarters and boasting some unique features. The Challenger has been continously improving but does her refinement and quality levels match that of the established players?


TVS VICTOR GL
The latest entrant into this burgeoning segment, the Victor once again confirms TVS's reputation for engineering excellence and innovation what with a dual map digital ignition system. But is that enough to tide over the slightly gawky styling?


BAJAJ CALIBER CROMA
The tried and tested Caliber gets a make over, though limited only to external embellishments in the form of an agressive bikini fairing and attractive graphics. As always her value for money trump card remains, loaded as she is with a disc brake but is it enough?

YAMAHA CRUX-R
Taking the Crux slightly up-market is the 'R' tag, that gets you a bikini fairing, revised tail lamp and tacho added to the rugged but more rurally oriented Crux. Do the sums now favour the all-round abilities of the Crux-R over the much vaunted opposition?

HERO HONDA PASSION
Not for nothing is the Splendor the largest selling bike in the world but is a little long in the tooth. Enter the Passion that adds a dash of style, courtesy the Honda Fireblade-esque headlamp, to a well proven and extremely refined package. Do the clothes mask her age?

Bikers have never had it so good. Seriously! From non-existent or negligible choice we now seem to be wallowing in plentiful zone. Want a decent cruiser, you can have it. Want a bike capable of a decent turn of speed, you can have it. Want a dash of style? You can have that too. And hanker after the magic 100 kilometres to a litre statistic? Well, there are bikes that are not too way off that mark. Spoilt by choice, are we? I should think so. In the last issue we featured a comparo of the top-of-the-line bikes available in the country, targeted at genuine biking enthusiasts. Guys for whom the joys of riding feature dominantly in their buying decisions. On the other hand, we also acknowledge that there is a much larger segment of bikers for whom running costs and value for money are the key factors. Which does not mean that these folks aren't biking enthusiasts; let's put it down to a case of different strokes for different folks. For this focus group, there exists a thriving middle ground that strikes an ideal balance between style, Performance, equipment, running costs and initial outlay, reiterating what I said right in the beginning that Indian bikers have never had it so good.

Zeroing in on the six contenders in this group test, we have (in no particular order) the Kinetic Challenger, the Pune-based scooter and moped manufacturer's maiden foray into motorcycles. With bits from here, ideas from there and a decent amount of indigenous R&D thrown into the melting pot, the Challenger is still plotting the learning curve for Kinetic Engineering. LML is the other predominant scooter manufacturer and the most recent entrant into the motorcycling arena, with the Adreno/Energy twins. Both these bikes were upgraded recently, with larger displacement engines and given the FX tag, the Energy FX being LML's representative in this test. Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto are the big daddies in this test, with the Passion and Caliber Croma holding aloft their big banners here. Both these bikes are dressed up versions of established market leaders, the Splendor and Caliber respectively, and should fare well here based on past track records. The Crux was Yamaha's initial foray into playing with numbers (the volumes game) which helped save the day for the company. Yamaha has followed this up with the Crux-R, essentially the impressive (in Performance, not looks) Crux dressed up for the New Year ball. TVS isn't in the habit of hitting the market with a new model each time you blink. But when they do launch a new bike, the two words that are heard in the rival boardrooms are "we're sc*+&ed.". Does the Victor carry on this glorious tradition? Let's find out.