Kawasaki Bajaj Rouser 135LS ( aka Pulsar 135LS in India ) Part 2

I have another motorcycle which is an underbone.  To justify the purchase, I was hoping that the Bajaj Rouser will be better than my Honda Bravo.

In terms of power, it is indeed more powerful.  It pulls harder and 80kph is easily attainable.  While the little bike's top speed is around 90kph, the Rouser cruises at this speed with no problem.

Braking is also more confident and I believe this has something to do with the chassis.  Although the frame that comes with the Rouser may not be the best chassis design out there, it is way better than the underbone.

One aspect in which the underbone is probably marginally better is on curves.  Note that this is very subjective.  My theory is that the weight difference is coming into play since the Rouser is 25kgs heavier.  Some people say that underbones are notoriously known for their excessive body roll but I find it easier to throw the UB bike on corners.  But then as I mentioned earlier, it could be just me, the rider.

On the average, Rouser consumes 45km/L which is about 5km/L less than what I would normally get on the Bravo.  But for the pull and speed that it is able to give it is not a big deal.  Besides, in comparison to other brands with similar displacement it is at par if not better in terms of frugality.

Tires are MRFs which most users find slippery.  I thought the same too but my front tire lasted for 50,000 kms.  I replaced it only when the thread center line ran out.  I remember we had a group ride wherein I was designated as the spear.  We traveled a twisty mountain road while it was raining.  I thought I was riding cautiously but when we had to stop some guys told me I was fast.  And I was on stock front tire.

I believe the choice of tires has a huge effect on a bike's handling.  I've tried replacing the rear MRF with FDR Genzi 100/80 and it felt more stable.  But one good thing about the stock MRF is its durability.   Front tire lasted for 3 years while the rear lasted for about 2 and a half years.  I never had a flat on those tires.

Headlight is also good.  Often times, motorists from the opposite lane would give me flashing signal perhaps thinking I was on high beam even though the headlight is on low.  I also like the dual horns.

One thing which I haven't been able to figure out is the adjustment of the side mirrors.  I'm not really a big guy and my shoulders are not that wide but it would cover half of the view on both mirrors.

As of this writing, the odometer reads ~64,000 kms and 3+ years of owning the machine  I will be trying to recall my experience with this bike from memory.  This is the 2nd installment on the same topic and for the third and final post, I plan on writing about the problems encountered on this bike and maybe share the lessons learned.

Rouser Part 1

Honda Bravo After 5+ Years

Well, I have this motorcycle for five and a half years with no major problems.  I was just doing regular maintenance which is basically changing oil every 2,000 kms and that's it.  I don't even bother checking on the spark plug.

BRAKES AND SUSPENSION
On the front side, the Wave 100 forks are still attached.  I remember replacing the fork oil at least twice but not on specific intervals.  When I feel that the motorcycle dives too much, that's the time to do it.
Rear shocks has been replaced with those coming from XRM 125 for 1k php.  I believe it is more durable compared to stock and it rides quite sporty (read : stiff.)  It is also shorter by some mm so the Bravo is now "lowered" .  Same brakes as in the last update but I've replaced the front pads one time.  The disc rotor by the way is showing signs of pitting.  Not sure if it is the proper term.  Since I am using parts from another motorcyle, the pads and disc are not matched mechanically and the outer portion of the disc is not in contact with the padss.  Therefore only the inside part is being worn out while that outside portion is not used up so it is thicker compared to the inside area.

RIMS AND TIRES
No changes in the rims but the tires are now 70/80 and 80/80 front-rear, respectively.  It seems to to give the bike a more flickable feeling.

ELECTRICALS
The stock Yuasa finally gave up after 4 years.  I replaced it with a gel type with some sort of battery health monitoring capability.  Simply press the button and the corresponding LED lights up.  You always want it to be green.  Maybe orange is still fine but definitely you shouldn't want it in red.
Except for the tail lights which is still AC powered, the motorcycle is almost a full-DC system including the headlight which now sports an LED bulb.  It was a pain to install because there is a fan and heat sink attached to this bulb and there was very little space inside the head light cowling.  I had to relocate the horn just to be able to complete the installation.

ENGINE
I can see leaks in the cylinder head and on the valve covers but not that much and therefore I am not worried.  My other motorcycle actually has a more serious leak problem.  The Bravo still pulls OK and can achieve the same top speed.  The current odometer reading is 27,000+ kms.  Bear in mind that this is actually 127,000+ kms since the meter can only display up to 99,999kms.  Yes, this motorcycle is getting old but it can still do 50kms to a liter.


Honda Bravo After 3 Years

Honda Bravo Topspeed

Whenever a new motorcycle model comes out, one of the most asked question is the topspeed.  Even my Honda Bravo with its puny 100cc engine is not being spared from the curiosity.  Motorcycle and even non-motorcycle forums are full of arguments about the subject.


I have to admit, I am a speed freak myself but when I ride, I would constantly ask myself if the speed I'm running is safe or not.  The road itself has a certain beat and you need to follow its rhythm.  What I would like to say is that there is no sense in finding out your top speed when you're on a busy and crowded road full of pedestrians and motorists alike.


Too often, people would say the numbers they have achieved and will swear that it is indeed their top speed.  Later in the discussion, you'll find out what they have modified in their motorcycles.  On most underbones, speed is detected on the front wheel and therefore it is quite easy to "improve" your top speed by carefully choosing your front rubber.


But the question still remains.  How to determine that elusive top speed?


My suggestion is to learn first how your motorcycle measures speed.  Afterwards, find a more accurate measurement device like a GPS to calibrate out the error.  There are actually other methods which can be learned by doing some research.  Google is everbody's friend.


So what's the top speed of my Honda Bravo?  If the stars are aligned, this 100cc motorcycle can hit a good 100km/hr  based on its own speedometer and using the stock front tire.  In comparison, the handheld GPS reads just over 90km/hr.


Case closed!


Related Topics:
Honda Bravo Motorcycle
Modified Honda Bravo
Honda Bravo Review

Modified Honda Bravo

By design, the Honda Bravo motorcycle is meant to be modified.  When it was initially released, some "standard" parts were missing but was added back in the revised version.

Since no other motorcycle in the Philippines has something like the handlebar installed in the Honda Bravo, it is one of the immediate parts that will be changed by their owners.  Difficulty and cost depends a lot on how the end product would look like.  As an example, cutting the original handlebar, bending it up such that an aftermarket "Raider" handle can be attached is less costly than replacing the whole handle bar with an aftermarket one.  For the second type, most often that not, these are imported or custom made.

Another way to modify the Honda Bravo's handlebar is what is now called Bravo R conversion.  This means more work done on the head, fork is replaced with one that has longer tube, addition of butterfly would be necessary and sawing the fairing will be required.  After the job is done, the headlight now moves as you turn the handlebar and converting the front brake to disc brake should take less time and effort.
Below is a Bravo R from a member of PBRC.

The next modifications are similar to how people would modify other undebone models.  Also, since there's a lot of things common to Honda Wave 100 and Honda Bravo, there's a good chance that there are interchangeable parts between these two models.

My Honda Bravo After A Year

Honda Bravo 100cc Review

This is some sort of a review after a year of using my  Honda Bravo.  So far, this 100cc motorcycle has traveled about 25,000 kilometers. Based on this figure, it will take me another 3 years before the counter resets to zero. The odometer only has 6 digits with the last one for the decimal. I plan on doing a review of this motorcycle every year.
For the previous year, below is the list of what happened....

Suspension
I've dropped the bike several times and there's one major accident I had with a jeepney. Due to this, I needed to change the steering stem assebly and paid a machine shop to straighten the fork tubes. I don't know where to buy the original fork oil used on Showa forks and I experimented with 2T oil, ATF and finally settled with Repsol fork oil.

Rims and Tires
Bravo came with 1.2x17 rim and 2.25x17 tires in front. Stock setting for the rear is 1.4x17 rim 2.5x17 tires. Both are Inoue brand.
I prefer wider tires and to have this, I transferred the rear rim and rubber to the front. Rear now have 1.6x17 rim and 2.75x17 tire. At the moment I am using Leo Laser tires for both. This tire is low cost but it somehow exceeded my expectations on dry and wet surface.

Electricals
Last month, the headlight was busted and I bought a yellow halogen bulb as replacement. It cost 10x times more compared to ordinary H6 bulb available in motorcycle parts store but I am happy with the performance. The only drawback is that the high and low beams are reversed. I've read before that headlight bulbs made in China for motorcycles are like this because the Chinese are using a different standard.
Earlier, the left turn signal in the front was also busted. It cost me a few pesos.
For the ignition, I am using a side-gapped plug. The Bravo seems to be quite happy with it. I usually carry a spare plug for emergency purposes and this is an unmodified plug. One day, I installed this one instead and the motorcycle felt sluggish. So it seems sidegapping really works.

Overall, I believe it is a good decision for me to choose this bike. There are better looking models and cheaper Chinabikes as alternatives but my Honda hasn't given me a single headache so far. Inspite if the daily wide-open-throttle moments, deep ruts in the Philippine road networks, rough roads of Bicol, Batangas and Mindoro as well as one Bagiuo climb, this little bike has proven its worth.

I am a proud owner of this ugly, puny 100cc Honda Bravo motorcycle!

Related Topics:

Honda Bravo Topspeed

Modified Honda Bravo

Honda Bravo Motorcycle

Honda Bravo Motorcycle

I recently acquired a brand new Honda Bravo through the kindness of my father-in-law exactly a week after my Wave 125 was stolen.  It is not a gift by the way but the terms of payment is pay whenever I can. It is also his daughter's motorcycle after all since it is her name that is written in the receipt.

I love almost everything about this motorcycle. Yeah, it doesn't run as fast as my previous motorcycle but I really love the suspension and the exotic look. It is a head-turner although most people's comments are in the negative. I'm reading the forums and there are mixed reviews regarding this motorcycle. A guy even commented that he cannot believe that Honda, with all the prestige associated with the brand would release such an ugly duckling. I don't care really...

As of today I've logged more than 4500 kms with this motorcycle. Nothing breaks yet except for the flat rear tire last week. I don't think the rear tire would last for another 5k kms as the grooves are starting to disappear. On my old Wave125, the stock Dunlop lasted for a year or 17k kms in the odometer. Bravo comes with Inoue tire as default.

I'm planning to change to a wider rear tire, Dunlop TT900 90/80 would be ok I think. But then I also need to buy a wider rim, 1.85 for that low profile look. I've got an spare rear hub for Wave125 and hopefully it will fit the Bravo. I'd call this Oplan Palapad.

Don't get this motorcycle if you're more of a speed freak. Reality check, it is a mere 100cc. But this motorcycle handles quite well and inspires confidence so I tend to cruise faster than most vehicles on the road. This is unacceptable to some riders and then the chase begins. I drive defensively but I'm also driving like I stole this motorcycle specially on open roads. Hearing the exhaust roar really makes my day. You won't see me smiling though as I'm wearing a face mask and helmet of course. Also the brakes are more than adequate-even better than Wave 125 in my opinion.

So how fast is this Honda Bravo? I can only tell you from my personal experience. 80kph is easily attainable but I cruise at a little over 90kph. That is on level surface and at full throttle, my Bravo clocks almost 100kph. It never hits the 100kph or more unless it is a downgrade.

I think I'll have a lot of fun with this motorcycle in days and years to come. I'm lovin' it.


Related Topics:
Honda Bravo Topspeed
Modified Honda Bravo
Honda Bravo Review