The new Bajaj XCD-125 Arrives

                                                                            


New 125 C.C Bajaj "Exceed" with "DTS-Si" Engine launched
The new 125cc engine with DTS-Si technology will give a mileage of 109 kilometers per liter under ideal test conditions, says the Pune-based company

Great looks, a 100cc and with a digital speedometer and much more Bajaj XCD is gonna raise the level for other 100cc bikes.

Performance Check
Engine: 125 cc, 4 Stroke, DTS-Si                                                      
MaxPower: 9.53 Ps @ 7000 rpm
Max Torque: 10.85 Nm @ 5000 rmp
Front/Rear Wheels: Alloys
Front Tyre: 2.75 X 17
Rear Tyre: 3.00 x 17
                                           
                             
>> There is a buzz around that this is the particular bike with which Bajaj Auto will try to break the monopoly of Hero Honda on the 100 cc market
>> So far Bajaj has left no stone unturned and has tried every trick in the book to take away the crown from Hero Honda
>> One thing which might already be in favor of the “Exceed” is the current trend of decline in sales of the 100 cc bikes

That's what Bajaj has to say about its new 125 C.C motorcycle at the launch its "Engine". “Exceed”, that’s the name of the next 125 CC offering from Bajaj on which the new 125 cc engine will sit on. On 9'th August 2007, Bajaj Auto launched an all new 125 cc engine, which it has christened with the "DTS-Si" technology. The acronym stands for “Digital Twin Spark – Swirl Induction”. This in very simple terms means that along with having Two Spark Plugs for the single cylinder engine (similar to the Discover, the Pulsar and the Avenger engines), the new engine will incorporate a new feature called “Swirl Induction”.
The new engine has been developed completely by the Bajaj R&D. By “Swirl Induction”, the combustion inside the cylinder is further improved by generating high turbulence for the fuel-air mixture. According to Bajaj this very technology would revolutionize the Indian Two wheeler industry with the most fuel efficient bike in India.
In order to outsell Hero Honda 100 cc bikes, the new 125 cc "Exceed" also will have to match the Reliability of Hero Honda 100 cc bikes
Here is a buzz around that this is the particular bike with which Bajaj Auto will try to break the stranglehold which Hero Honda has on the Indian two wheeler market thanks to its 100 cc bikes.
80 percent of bike sales of Hero Honda come from its 100 cc bikes. Hero Honda enjoys around 47 percent of the Indian Two Wheeler market. So if Bajaj wants to regain its number one crown, it has to find a way to outsell the 100 bikes from Hero Honda. This is exactly what the new 125 cc platform from Bajaj has been designed to achieve.
Just recall how Bajaj has tried to attack the Splendor and its 100 cc cousins with its own 100 cc models namely the Boxer, Caliber, CT100, Platina, Discover (not to mention the iterations among these various Bajaj models). In spite of all the aggressive moves by Bajaj, the 100 cc bikes from Hero Honda still manages to outsell the competition by quite a comfortable margin.
Only time will tell if Bajaj will be able to pull this off. But in order to become number one again the “Exceed” has to achieve three things for Bajaj
Deliver consistent mileage which should at least equal to what Hero Honda 100 cc bikes deliver
                                                                               
                                                  

Bajaj has already made claims of 109 Km/l for the new “Exceed” under “Ideal Conditions”. In real life conditions this figure certainly won’t be possible to achieve. Bajaj had also claimed 77 Km/l under ideal conditions for the Pulsar 150 once. We all know that the Pulsar 150 delivers around 50 Km/l in real life conditions. Accordingly if we subtract 30 km/l for the real life mileage for the “Exceed”, then it should give around 75-79 Km/l..!!
Even if the 125 cc Exceed is able to deliver around 75 Km/l in real life situations and is priced close to the Hero Honda Splendor, Bajaj would have just have to match the reliability of the 100 cc engine from Honda. One of the reasons why the Hero Honda 100 cc bikes have sold more than any other bike in India is because of the bullet proof reliability of the Honda engine along with the consistent high mileage.
The new 125 cc DTS-Si engine is rumoured to develop 9.5 bhp along with 10.85 Nm of torque. These figures are well above any India 100 cc motorcycle available right now.
One thing which might already be in favor of the “Exceed” is the current trend of decline in sales of the 100 cc bikes. Recently the 100 cc segment saw a decline by 16 percent while the 125 cc and higher capacity segment saw an increase in 21 percent in its sales. Although auto analysts have attributed the recent decline in 100 sales due to rising interest sales according to me it’s just s matter of time before Indians graduate towards 125 cc bikes.
Maybe a new 125 cc bike might kick start this new trend but for that to happen, that particular bike has to “EXCEED” the expectations of the normal customer looking for a 100 cc bike.

Initial Impression:
The XCD looks like a welcome addition to the promising 125 motorcycle segment. Bajaj has timed the launch of the XCD just before the festive season begins. Bajaj is expected to follow the launch of the XCD with a massive promotional blitz. TV Commercials already proclaim that the 125 cc DTS-Si engine will soon have a bike for it on 10’th September 2007.
Only time will tell how good the125 cc DTS-Si engine is in terms of power, fuel efficiency and reliability. If Bajaj really wants to take splendors place then it really has to ”Exceed” in all these parameters.