CWG 2010 Delhi - Why it is a failure?

It pains to see that India is not yet ready to host CWG. We hosted Asiad in 1982 with great fanfare and no problems. However as the country progressed, out ability to hold world class sporting event went down. Why? So much more money was spent. Indians on an average are far more educated and prosperous. We have much improved overall infrastructure. Then why did this happen. The core problem is this: our moral standards have gone down. Look at that assholes (yes, I reserve the right to use that word against such a person) Lalit Bhanot and Suresh Kalmadi. I am sure that they has made a lot of money in all this. Let us say they have not. Even then, have they done their work? NO! Have they taken responsibility of the work? NO. Are they concerned if something fails? NO! They give a damn. They instead say that "we have different hygiene standards". What does he mean? We sleep on beds where dogs shit? We have dirty toilets on a regular basis? I say send some dogs across to his house and make them shit on his sofa which he bought with CWG money.

They have made their money and that is all they care for. The problem is, they still move around in their high strung society without any social boycott. I mean people would tell him - 'Sir, great job! you must have made a lot of money. you made fool of the whole country' and they would all laugh sipping their Blue Labels bought with 'our' money meant for CWG. Their kids move around the society wearing designer labels bought with black money and they would be appreciated for it. Their price in dowry market would go up for all the money his dad has made from unfair means. I call for total social boycott of corrupt people. Disown them!

I will be back with more rant!

Ride Report Pulsar 220 DTSi

This is going to be a detailed report of what I feel about the bike. Its abilities, short comings etc. Lets Start with the basic Stuff. In my later posts, I will talk about its usability and practicality.

Performance: Having ridden it for 8000 Kms now, I feel the performance of the bike is a benchmark for a bike at this prize and engine capacity. As one starts of the first gear, the pick up smooth and quick coupled with a rocking exhaust note. However this bike is different from the Pulsar 180 Dtsi I had owned previously. There is no sudden surge of power, its one smooth flow and RPM climbs up as the traffic around you become small specs in the rear view mirror. THe mid range is smooth and very drivable. Its very easy to do 100 kmph without stressing the engine at all because the engine is below 7000 number. However, there is still power left as peak power and torque come at 7,500. However for sudden over takings, one has to downshift when in fifth gear as fourth gear is pretty tall. Its a trade-off. While the power delivery has become smooth, it has affected the roll on figures. Even with that, the performance surpasses any bike I have ridden so far, including ZMR.

Exhaust Note: The exhaust note of a Pulsar is not a melodious love song but a hit rock song, the harder you ride, the rock song turns from a soft rock to metal and thats the beauty of it. As Bon Jovi says "This ain't song for the broken hearted" , similarily, the sound is not for a guy in pink shirt and Dolce Gabbana Jeans. Its music to the guy in a torn up jeans, black T shirt and someone who likes to head bang. Call it wild because this what it exactly is.

Gearing: This is something not too great to write home about. 3rd and 4th gear are very practical. Once in fifth gear, the bike cruises pretty well and goes past 130 kmph when the bike was fully loaded with luggage. Though its not great for slow traffic. One stays in 2nd and 3rd gear but they are pretty tall.

Ride Quality: This is something which gets five stars. First the ride position is very comfortable. Body position is up right. The seat being large, one can change position from sporty position , leaned in to a comfortable, up right sitting for highways and long distances. The cushioning is great and I did not get any butt sores as I did in previous bikes (Ninja and Pulsar 180) in 500 km+ ride in a day. The pillion seat is pretty wide too. On a recent trip to Mc Leod Ganj, I had a pillion and she had a large rucksack with her and she was still pretty comfortable. The front suspension travels long, the bike eats pot holes for breakfast. On highways, the bike is rock steady.

Handling: This is a tall bike and long one at that. Even then, it feels great on curves. Remember, this is a bike which requires some experience. One can not be sitting in the seat like an arm chair and lean the bike thinking you will touch your knee. You have to follow the rules of riding on a corner. Just follow some steps (I am not asking you to hang out completely), just shift weight to the toes, ease on the arms and lo-belold, you can go around curves at great speeds. However, biggest issue is the main stand. Lean the bike on a banked road it will hit the road. You can feel the rear suspension compressing. I need to get it adjusted though as it is on the soft side.

These were the attributes. In my next post, I will talk about how these attributes translate into usability.

Ownership Experience Pulsar 220 DTsi

I bought my bike on July 20th 2009 and so far completed more than 7,500 Kms. I will keep updating this blog with how the bike is performing as a long term bike. Let me start with my riding experience of the bike.

First Ride: It was the first time I was riding the DTSi on the road - the only experience being on the Dyno. The bike is comfortable. The seat is padded well and wide so if you position yourself well, the ride is pretty comfy. I had to ride through thick traffic and its not the best bike in Indian market for ride congested traffic. But then the long hours are made comfortable because of comfy Saddle. However the bike was stalling a bit. I think 6 months of non-riding and before that I had been riding on open roads of US so I thought it was just me. Later, my opinion would change. Do not have more to say as the ride was short and in traffic.