RD 350

RD 350

RD 350

The   RD350  is a two-stroke motorcycle produced by Yamaha from 1973 to 1975. It evolved directly from the piston port (pre-reed valve intake tract), front drum-braked, five-speed Yamaha 350 cc "R5".

The engine is an air-cooled, parallel twin, six-speed (in some markets, such as the UK, the first model was sold in five-speed form), reed valve-equipped intake tract two-stroke engine. The bike is usually referred to as a sport bike.

All models were equipped with "Autolube" automatic oil injection, relieving the user from the need to mix gasoline and two-stroke oil.

Rim sizes are 18" WM2 (1.85") front and 18" WM3 (2.15") rear, both being of chromed, wire spoked steel construction. In the UK, rim sizes were 1.60 front and 1.85 rear.

Brakes are: single front disc brake and a rear drum brake, a combination described by Cycle Magazine as the best in its class.

The frame dimensions of the street 350 are very similar to the Yamaha TZ250 and TZ350 series factory road race bikes, differing mainly in weight and front fork rake - the RD being ~27 degrees and the TZ being ~25 degrees. The frames appear similar, side by side, with the street frame adorned with many brackets for the street equipment. The weight difference is substantial though, with the street-going RD frame weighing almost twice as much as the "TZ" roadrace race frame.

The stock bike made 39 bhp (29 kW) (32 bhp (24 kW) at the back wheel) at 7500 rpm[1] - very fast for the time. A contemporary of the RD is the Kawasaki H2 750cc Triple, said to make 72 to 75 true HP (tested by Cycle Magazine at 55 bhp).

The 350 evolved into the more refined and cleaner running RD400C in 1976, the "D" and "E" in 77-78 and the final model, the white 1979 RD400F.

The RD350B in India

A licensed version of the RD350B was assembled in India between 1983-1990 by Escorts group under the brand name Rajdoot 350. It did not repeat the success of the RD350B in the Indian market, which some attribute to a high purchase price and poor fuel efficiency. However, it established Rajdoot/Yamaha as a performance bike manufacturer in India. There were two models for the Rajdoot 350 - High Torque and Low Torque. Compared to the Yamaha RD350B that made 39 bhp (29 kW) at the crankshaft, the 'High Torque' version made 30.5 bhp (22.7 kW) and the later 'Low Torque' made only 27 bhp (20 kW), the engine being detuned in the quest for better fuel economy. By the time the production ended in 1990, the bike was nearly 100% sourced in India, with very little Japanese parts content.

Brakes are: 18mm dia Drum Brakes front Internal Expansion (Twin Leading Type) and rear Single Internal Expansion.

The RD350 was the first sporting motorcycle built in India, and it still enjoys cult status, with many RD clubs around the country. Around 7000 were made at the end of 1990.

SOME MODIFIED VERSIONS  OF  RD 350

RX100

RX 100

The Yamaha RX100 was launched in Mid 80's in India, and produced until 1996.[citation needed] With The Failure of Yamaha RD350 and the success of Ind-Suzuki's AX-100 in the market and masses, Yamaha realized the potential of Smaller Displacement Bikes in India. The RX-100 was launched in India in late 1985 shortly after Ind-Suzuki AX-100 and Hero Honda CD-100 were launched. Kawasaki launched KB-100 a little later, in early 1986. It was one of the most reliable and peppiest smaller displacement bike of the time. It gave tough competition To almost all bikes of that time. Many could not believe that a 100 cc engine, as claimed by the manufacturers, could deliver such raw power... people actually spread the rumour that it had a much bigger engine. It is also said That many race conductors and authorities double checked By opening The engine block to make sure It Was actually 100 CC. Racers Recognized The Potential Of RX's on Dirt & Drag Races. Various Modifications like Expansion Chambers, Porting, Tuning, Sprocketing, Wheel Sizes(16" 17" 18") and Upgrades Like Bigger Carburettors, Air Filters, Quick Throttle, Disc Brakes, 5th Gear, Race Pistons, Racing CDI Systems, Grippier Tyres and Suspension Dampening were done to Extract the Maximum Potential Out of the Bike in Races.

Tuned RX-100's has done Quarter Miles in About 14 Seconds! For Instance BMW-S1000RR 4-Cylinder 1000CC bike went down Quarter mile in 10.2 Seconds. The bikes manufactured between 1985 and 1987 were knock-down kits (CKD) From Japan and were simply assembled in India and Indonesia. Only the model produced in Japan had disc brakes. Peacock Blue,Cherry Red,Metallic black were Stock Colours. The only major changes that the bike underwent was that it was upgraded from a 6-volt electrical system to a 12-volt system, and the CDI for the ignition and timing. The bike's production run lasted from Nov 1985 - Mar 1996. Stricter Emission Norms Forced Yamaha To Pull The Plug of One of the Best 100CC machines Ever Built.

The model was followed by the 11.8 bhp 132cc RXG, which had a faulty ignition system, which was replaced by the company at no cost. Next came the RX135, which was essentially a rebadged RXG. The RXZ was launched with a sportier headlamp fairing. Finally, in the year 2000-2001 were launched the 14 bhp RX135 and the RXZ (Both 5-speed with a catalytic converter silencer). These met with luke warm response. The final variant was a 4-speed RX135 with a catalytic converter silencer, sporting a fuel gauge and speedometer with white dials which was sold very briefly in 2003.

The newest RX100s available in the market today are 20 years old. Yet, there are people who are still looking out for one. The old advertising campaign slogans "Born to Lead" and "Ahead of the 100s" are aptly justified by this mean machine.

Successors

The bike's production run lasted from November 1985 to March 1996. The model was followed by the 132cc RXG, (11.8BHP) This Model was the Reply to the Stricter Emission Norm. RXG Had an Econominded Engine configuration with the Ports Tuned To get more Fuel-Efficieny And lesser Exhaust gas. But It came at a cost,robbing RXG of the signature RX-100 Exhaust Beat and Top End Power, The bike failed in the Market. The Japanese Responded in Late 1997 with Yamaha RX-135 And The RX-Z Which had a Tachometer, Sportier Headlamp and Body. Both were Mechanically Same and Saw Lukewarm Response. The market Also Saw 5 Speed Versions of RX-135s & RX-Z. Yamaha RX-Z 6-Speed has the same Engine Configuration but came with a Higher Head Compression which Increased The Overall Power Output To 14Bhp, while RX-135 Had 12Bhp. A Perfectly Maintained And Tuned 5-Speeder Can Beat a Hero Karizma, Which has almost Twice the Engine Displacement. The final variant was a four-speed RX135 with a Small type catalytic converter, sporting a fuel gauge and speedometer with white dials which was sold very briefly in 2003-2005.

RX Series Is Becoming one of the Most Sought 2nd Hand motorcycles in India. Prices Have Skyrocketed Since Its Demise. Many RX Groups Have been active across India taking Out Occasional Pleasure Rides. RX enjoys big cult in Social Medias Like Facebook. Notable Groups like <NHZRIDEZ> ,TEAM Rx, Have Been Actively Conducting Rides!

BEST SD CARD TO BUY IN AMAZON

BEST SD CARDS ON AMAZON 

   

AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY IN INDIA

     

                     AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY IN INDIA

The automotive industry in India is one of the largest in the world with an annual production of 23.37 million vehicles in FY 2014-15, following a growth of 8.68 per cent over the last year. The automobile industry accounts for 7.1 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The Two Wheelers segment, with 81 per cent market share, is the leader of the Indian Automobile market, owing to a growing middle class and a young population. Moreover, the growing interest of companies in exploring the rural markets further aided the growth of the sector. The overall Passenger Vehicle (PV) segment has 13 per cent market share.

India is also a prominent auto exporter and has strong export growth expectations for the near future. In FY 2014-15, automobile exports grew by 15 per cent over the last year. In addition, several initiatives by the Government of India and the major automobile players in the Indian market are expected to make India a leader in the Two Wheeler (2W) and Four Wheeler (4W) market in the world by 2020.

Market Size

The industry produced a total 14.25 million vehicles including PVs, commercial vehicles (CVs), three wheelers (3W) and 2W in April–October 2015, as against 13.83 in April–October 2014, registering a marginal growth of 3.07 per cent, year-to-year.

The sales of PVs grew by 8.51 per cent in April–October 2015 over the same period in the previous year. The overall CVs segment registered a growth of 8.02 per cent in April–October 2015 as compared to same period last year. Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles (M&HCVs) registered very strong growth of 32.3 per cent while sales of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) declined by 5.24 per cent during April–October 2015, year-to-year.

In April–October 2015, overall automobile exports grew by 5.78 per cent. PVs, CVs, 3Ws and 2Ws registered growth of 6.34 per cent, 17.95 per cent, 18.59 per cent and 3.22 per cent, respectively, in April–October 2015 over April–October 2014.

Investments

In order to keep up with the growing demand, several auto makers have started investing heavily in various segments of the industry during the last few months. The industry has attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) worth US$13.48 billion during the period April 2000 to June 2015, according to data released by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Some of the major investments and developments in the automobile sector in India are as follows:

Global auto maker Ford plans to manufacture in India two families of engines by 2017, a 2.2 litre diesel engine code-named Panther, and a 1.2 litre petrol engine code-named Dragon, which are expected to power 270,000 Ford vehicles globally.

The world’s largest air bag suppliers Autoliv Inc, Takata Corp, TRW Automotive Inc and Toyoda Gosei Co are setting up plants and increasing capacity in India.

General Motors plans to invest US$1 billion in India by 2020, mainly to increase the capacity at the Talegaon plant in Maharashtra from 130,000 units a year to 220,000 by 2025.

US-based car maker Chrysler has planned to invest Rs 3,500 crore (US$525 million) in Maharashtra, to manufacture Jeep Grand Cherokee model.

Mercedes Benz has decided to manufacture the GLA entry SUV in India. The company has doubled its India assembly capacity to 20,000 units per annum.

Germany-based luxury car maker Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s (BMW) local unit has announced to procure components from seven India-based auto parts makers.

Mahindra Two Wheelers Limited (MTWL) acquired 51 per cent shares in France-based Peugeot Motorcycles (PMTC).

Government Initiatives

The Government of India encourages foreign investment in the automobile sector and allows 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route.

Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government of India are:

The Government of India aims to make automobile manufacturing the main driver of "Make in India" initiative, as it expects the passenger vehicles market to triple to 9.4 million units by 2026, as highlighted in the Auto Mission Plan (AMP) 2016-26.

In the Union budget of 2015-16, the Government has announced plans to provide credit of Rs 850,000 crore (US$127.5 billion) to farmers, which is expected to boost sales in the tractors segment.

The government plans to promote eco-friendly cars in the country—i.e. CNG-based vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and electric vehicles—and also to make mandatory 5 per cent ethanol blending in petrol.

The government has formulated a Scheme for Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in India, under the National Electric Mobility Mission 2020, to encourage the progressive introduction of reliable, affordable, and efficient electric and hybrid vehicles into the country.

The Automobile Mission Plan (AMP) for the period 2006–2016, designed by the government is aimed at accelerating and sustaining growth in this sector. Also, the well-established Regulatory Framework under the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, plays a part in providing a boost to this sector

History

A pre-Independence car showroom in Secunderabad

The Hindustan Ambassador dominated India's automotive market from the 1960s until the mid-80s

In 1897, the first car ran on an Indian road. Through the 1930s, cars were only imported, and in very small numbers.

An embryonic automotive industry emerged in India in the 1940s. Hindustan Motors was launched in 1942, long-time competitor Premier in 1944, building GM and Fiat products respectively.[4] Mahindra & Mahindra was established by two brothers in 1945, and began assembly of Jeep CJ-3A utility vehicles. Following independence in 1947, the Government of India and the private sector launched efforts to create an automotive-component manufacturing industry to supply to the automobile industry. In 1953, an import substitution programme was launched, and the import of fully built-up cars began to be restricted.

Restrictions under the license raj

However, growth was relatively slow in the 1950s and 1960s, due to nationalisation and the license raj, which hampered the Indian private sector. After 1970, with restrictions on the import of vehicles set, the automotive industry started to grow; but the growth was mainly driven by tractors, commercial vehicles and scooters. Cars were still a major luxury item. In the 1970s, price controls were finally lifted, inserting a competitive element into the automobile market. However, by the 1980s, the automobile market was still dominated by Hindustan and Premier, who sold superannuated products in fairly limited numbers. During the eighties, a few competitors began to arrive on the scene.

In 1986, to promote the auto industry, the government established the Delhi Auto Expo. The 1986 Expo was a showcase for how the Indian automotive industry was absorbing new technologies, promoting indigenous research and development, and adapting these technologies for the rugged conditions of India. The nine-day show was attended by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Liberalisation

Eventually multinational automakers, such as, Suzuki and Toyota of Japan and Hyundai of South Korea, were allowed to invest in the Indian market, furthering the establishment of an automotive industry in India. Maruti Suzuki was the first, and the most successful of these new entries, and in part the result of government policies to promote the automotive industry beginning in the 1980s.As India began to liberalise its automobile market in 1991, a number of foreign firms also initiated joint ventures with existing Indian companies. The variety of options available to the consumer began to multiply in the nineties, whereas before there had usually only been one option in each price class. By 2000, there were 12 large automotive companies in the Indian market, most of them offshoots of global companies.

The Premier Padmini was the Ambassador's only true competitor

Slow export growth

Exports were slow to grow. Sales of small numbers of vehicles to tertiary markets and neighbouring countries began early, and in 1987 Maruti Suzuki shipped 480 cars to Europe (Hungary). After some growth in the mid-nineties, exports once again began to drop as the outmoded platforms provided to Indian manufacturers by multinationals were not competitive. This was not to last, and today India manufactures low-priced cars for markets across the globe. As of 18 March 2013, global brands such as Proton Holdings, PSA Group, Kia, Mazda, Chrysler, Dodge and Geely Holding Group were shelving plans for India due to the competitiveness of the market, as well as the global economic crisis.

Emission norms

In 2000, in tune with international standards to reduce vehicular pollution, the central government unveiled standards titled "India 2000", with later, upgraded guidelines to be known as Bharat stages. These standards are quite similar to the stringent European standards, and have been implemented in a phased manner, with the latest upgrade being implemented in 13 cities and, later, in the rest of the nation. Delhi (NCR), Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat, Kanpur, Lucknow, Solapur, and Agra are the 13 cities where Bharat Stage IV has been imposed while the rest of the nation is still under Bharat Stage III.

Local manufacture encouraged

India levies an import tax of 125% on electric cars, while the import tax on components such as gearboxes, airbags, drive axles, is 10%. Therefore, the taxes encourage cars to be assembled in India rather than be imported as completely built units

Manufacturing facilities

The majority of India's car manufacturing industry is evenly divided into three "clusters". Around Chennai is the southernmost and largest, with a 35% revenue share, accounting for 60% of the country's automotive exports, and home of the India operations of Ford, Hyundai, Renault, Mitsubishi, Nissan, BMW, Hindustan Motors, Daimler, Caparo, Mini, and Datsun.

Near Mumbai, Maharashtra, along the Chakan corridor near Pune, is the western cluster, with a 33% share of the market. Audi, Volkswagen, and Skoda are located in Aurangabad. Mahindra and Mahindra has an SUV and engine assembly plant at Nashik. General Motors, Tata Motors, Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar Cars, Fiat, and Force Motors have assembly plants in the area.

The northern cluster is around the National Capital Region, and contributes 32%. Gurgaon and Manesar, in Haryana, are where the country's largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, is based.

An emerging cluster is the state of Gujarat, with a manufacturing facility of General Motors in Halol, and a facility for Tata Nano at their plant in Sanand. Ford, Maruti Suzuki, and Peugeot-Citroen plants are also planned for Gujarat.

Kolkata with Hindustan Motors (inactive), Noida with Honda, and Bengaluru with Toyota are other automotive manufacturing regions around the country.

Gujarat

Passenger vehicles

General Motors India Private Limited

Chevrolet Sales India Private Limited – Halol

Tata Motors – Sanand

Commercial vehicles

Asia Motor Works AMW – Bhuj

Haryana

Two wheelers

Harley-Davidson India, Gurgaon 

Hero MotoCorp – Dharuhera, Gurgaon

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India – Manesar

India Yamaha Motor – Faridabad,Manesar

Suzuki – Gurgaon

Passenger vehicles

Maruti Suzuki – Gurgaon, Manesar

Himachal Pradesh

Two wheelers

TVS Motors – Nalagarh

Passenger vehicles

ICML motors – Amb

Commercial vehicles

TAFE Tractors – Parwanoo

Jharkhand

Commercial vehicles

Tata Motors – Jamshedpur

Karnataka

Two wheelers

TVS Motor – Mysuru

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. - Narsapura

Passenger vehicles

Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicles – Bengaluru

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited – Bidadi

Commercial vehicles

Bharat Earth Movers - Bengaluru

Scania Commercial Vehicles India Private Limited – Bengaluru

TAFE Tractors – Doddaballapur

Tata Motors – Dharwad

Bharat Earth Movers - Mysuru

Volvo India

Volvo Buses India – Hosakote

Volvo Trucks India – Hosakote

Volvo Construction Equipment India – Hosakote

Kerala

Commercial vehicles

Bharat Earth Movers Defense Products - produces Tatra Trucks 12x12, 10x10,8x8, 6x6, 4x4 & Variants

Kerala Automobiles Limited

Madhya Pradesh

Two wheelers

Mahindra & Mahindra – Pithampur

Commercial vehicles

Eicher Motors – Pithampur

Hindustan Motors – Pithampur

Force Motors Private Limited – Pithampur

TAFE Tractors – Mandideep

John Deere Tractors – Dewas

CASE Construction Equipment - Pithampur

Maharashtra

Two wheelers

Bajaj Auto – Chakan(Pune), Waluj Aurangabad

KTM Sportmotorcycles – Chakan(Pune)

Vespa Scooters – Baramati (Pune)

Kinetic Engineering – Pune, Ahmednagar 

Passenger vehicles

Mahindra & Mahindra Automotive Division – Nashik, Chakan(Pune)

Ssangyong Motor Company – Chakan(Pune)

Tata Motors Limited

Tata Motors – Pimpri Chinchwad(Pune)

Jaguar Cars and Land Rover – Pune

Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars – Chakan(Pune)

Fiat Automobiles – Ranjangaon (Pune)

General Motors India – Chakan(Pune)

Volkswagen Group Sales India Private Limited

Volkswagen – Chakan(Pune)

Audi AG – Aurangabad

Škoda Auto – Aurangabad

Chinkara Motors – Karlekhind Alibag

Premier Automobiles Limited – Pimpri Chinchwad(Pune)

Commercial vehicles

Ashok Leyland – Bhandara

Bajaj Auto – Waluj Aurangabad

Force Motors – Pune

Mahindra Navistar – Chakan(Pune)

MAN Trucks India – Akurdi (Pune)

Piaggio Vehicles – Baramati (Pune)

Premier Automobiles Limited – Pimpri Chinchwad(Pune)

Punjab

Commercial vehicles

SML Isuzu Limited – Nawanshahar (originally a Swaraj Mazda plant)

Rajasthan

 Two Wheelers

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India – Tapukara

Passenger vehicles

Honda Cars India Ltd. – Tapukara

Commercial vehicles

Ashok Leyland – Alwar

TAFE Tractors – Alwar

Tamil NadU

Two wheelers

TVS Motor – Hosur

Royal Enfield – Chennai

India Yamaha Motor – Oragadam

Passenger vehicles

BMW India – Chengalpattu

Ford India Private Limited – Maraimalai Nagar

Hyundai Motor India Limited – Sriperumbudur

Mitsubishi – Tiruvallur

Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Limited

Nissan Motor India Private Limited – Oragadam

Renault India Private Limited – Oragadam

Commercial vehicles

Ashok Leyland – Ennore, Hosur

BharatBenz – Oragadam

Kamaz Vectra Motors – Hosur

SAME Deutz-Fahr Tractors – Ranipet, Vellore

TAFE Tractors – Chennai

TVS Motors – Hosur

Uttar Pradesh

Two wheelers

India Yamaha Motor – Greater Noida

LML – Kanpur

Passenger vehicles

Honda Cars India Ltd. – Greater Noida

J.S. Auto (P) LTD. – Kanpur

Commercial vehicles

Tata Motors – Lucknow

Uttarakhand

Commercial vehicles

Ashok Leyland – Pantnagar

Tata Motors – Pantnagar

Mahindra & Mahindra – Haridwar

Hero MotoCorp – Haridwar

Bajaj Auto – Pantnagar

West Bengal

Passenger vehicles

Hindustan Motors Limited - Kolkata (Inactive)

 ANDROID  REVOLUTION

             ANDROID  REVOLUTION

Android is a mobile operating system (OS) currently developed by Google, based on the Linux kernel and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android's user interface is mainly based on direct manipulation, using touch gestures that loosely correspond to real-world actions, such as swiping, tapping and pinching, to manipulate on-screen objects, along with a virtual keyboard for text input. In addition to touchscreen devices, Google has further developed Android TV for televisions, Android Auto for cars, and Android Wear for wrist watches, each with a specialized user interface. Variants of Android are also used on notebooks, game consoles, digital cameras, and other electronics. Since 2013, Android is the best selling on tablets; and on smartphones the OS is dominant by use,^[11][12] thereby giving it the largest installed base of all operating systems of any kind.

Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google bought in 2005, Android was unveiled in 2007, along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance – a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices. As of July 2013, the Google Play store has had over one million Android applications ("apps") published, and over 50 billion applications downloaded. An April–May 2013 survey of mobile application developers found that 71% of developers create applications for Android, and a 2015 survey found that 40% of full-time professional developers see Android as their priority target platform, which is comparable to Apple's iOS on 37% with both platforms far above others. At Google I/O 2014, the company revealed that there were over one billion active monthly Android users, up from 538 million in June 2013

Android's source code is released by Google under open source licenses, although most Android devices ultimately ship with a combination of open source and proprietary software, including proprietary software required for accessing Google services. Android is popular with technology companies that require a ready-made, low-cost and customizable operating system for high-tech devices. Its open nature has encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open-source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced users or bring Android to devices originally shipped with other operating systems. At the same time, as Android has no centralised update system most Android devices fail to receive security updates: research in 2015 concluded that almost 90% of Android phones in use had known but unpatched security vulnerabilities due to lack of updates and support. The success of Android has made it a target for patent litigation as part of the so-called "smartphone wars" between technology companies. 

     NEWLY LAUNCHED APACHE    200 4V                         EXHAUST NOTE                                                                                                   

TVS has officially unveiled the Apache RTR 200 (based on Draken concept) in India. The Standard/Base model of Apache 200 is equipped with non-Fi engine, without ABS and with TVS tyres, is priced at Rs. 88,990. The EFi model is equipped with a fuel-injected engine, Pirellli tyres, and it is expected to be priced at Rs. 1.08 lakhs. The top-spec model with a fuel-injected engine, Pirellli tyres, and ABS, is expected to be priced at Rs. 1.15 lakhs. The ABS model is expected to go on-sale from March 2016.