Fire And Ice

It was a blustery day in Mumbai. The traffic was thick, and the roads not exactly conducive to motorcycling. But here I was, cutting through fast traffic like the proverbial hot knife through butter. In my wake, I left a blast of slipstream, the air warbling a ghostly yodel as it washed around my helmet, and flew beyond. I was on a high, supercharged by the rush of pure adrenaline and the steady thrum of the four stroke single below. Yes, I was rediscovering a fast land, watching as the earth and everything on it rushed backwards, beyond my field of vision and into my rear-view mirrors.

 

So what is the bike, you ask. It was a Suzuki Fiero, the latest four stroke, 150 CC bike to roll out from TVS Suzuki. This is not the first performance four-stroker around, so what is the guarantee that it will sell? We'll come to that later, but first, let's take a closer look at the motorcycle.

Thinking thin

As I first set eyes on the Fiero, I saw a bike that looked like a two-stroker, one that had a free-flow treatment to its bodywork. Neither did it possess the beguiling, steroid-enhanced big bike looks of the CBZ, nor did it adopt the quirky, chrome and radical body concept of the Kinetic GF 125.

Standing there, it spoke of quieter, conservative styling cues, a throwback to the two-stroke traditions of Suzuki in India. The bike is slim, and coming at a time when `chunky is funky', it's good looking in a Kate Moss sort of way. While the headlamp fairing is petite, it still speaks of quiet aggressiveness, especially with the headlamp fairing fanning out on either side...like an exotic chameleon which suddenly grows an angry ruff around its neck when threatened.

The styling cues sprinkled here and there seem to borrow from bikes already in the market, as if a concession is being made to keep up with the Joneses. First comes a pseudo air-scoop assembly and the chunky, buff aluminium-finished pillion grab-rail, a la the Hero Honda CBZ. Next is the rear plastic mudguard unit that could have come off any other Suzuki two-stroker...and of course, the proportions all through and the lines that have been adopted, speak of the Suzuki heritage in India. Whatever said, there is something about the Fiero's slender looks that echo the meanness of the Shogun, or the agility of two-stroke power.

The headlamp and tail-lamp assemblies with their integrated turn indicators clean up the act, with minimal protrusions outside the clean wind-slicing length of the bike. Nice, considering the amount of times I've actually managed to shave off the rubber stalks holding the external indicator units on most other bikes I've ridden. As if to prove this point, I switch lanes, weaving into a squeeze between two buses going neck and neck. And with hardly an inch to spare on either side, I get to appreciate the slender, contained build of this bike.

Cool engine, burning rubber

And talking of weaving and squeezing, this bike has the kind of mill that inspires such manoeuvres...again and again. Throw yourself into the planned trajectory, blip the throttle and rev-shift back, and what you have is Hercules spinning your rear wheel forward. This single cylinder, air-cooled mill develops all of 12 bhp at 7500 rpm, and a punchy torque figure of around 10.5 Nm at a screaming 6500 rpm.

And oh yes, what are unique to this bike is a digital ignition system (Suzuki calls it D-fi Logic) and a constant vacuum BS type carb that operates using a pressure sensitive diaphragm. The former, unlike a static CD ignition unit, varies the ignition timing, depending on engine revolutions and load characteristics. Simply, both these put together offer the rider the kind of engine response and smoothness of output that is unparalleled. Apart from fuel economy that the company claims is the best in its class (I did not ride it long enough to get an assessment), it means that this bike is quick off the blocks, and capable of about, at least, 100 kph, tops, and a cruise at around 80 kph.

What is significant is that the engine feels fluid, and pours out all its power in a linear, noiseless manner, sans vibrations . The exhaust note is Suzuki to the core (pun unintended), with that high-pitched tinny tone intruding into the whumping rumble, typical to four-stroke singles. It does feel like it could do with a deeper note, a growl, and some toning down, especially when the bike is being slapped through its revs. The engine note is again quintessential Suzuki, and an ear near the petrol tank picks up a quiet, and again, busybee hum.

So, what are those gears like? Typical to all Indian Suzuki offerings, its a heel-toe rocker shift, with an all-down layout. And there are only four of those gears to go through. The fifth is missing, and considering this is a bike that one would like to take over a laid-back long-distance cruise, something should be done about it. The gears are effective, and extract all the juice that the powerplant offers; be it in slow traffic or in the fast lane. Put together, both the cogbox and the mill form a powertrain that delivers, promising tonnes of thrills on the way, much like a comparable two-stroker.

Stirred...and not shaken

Okay, so here I am, pulling off another rule-bending traffic manoeuvre. This time, I am heading into a sharp right-hander, dropping the bike on its side like a streamlined pancake out of hell. I accelerate through the turn, and the whole of the right side of my body can feel the heat coming off the hot tarmac below me. This bike does not waver. Like a postage stamp on an envelope, it sticks with the turn, coming off it with no signs of nervousness. The tubular frame, with its double cradle design, affords this bike the kind of stiff determination to go fighting into a raking turn, and come out of it unruffled. The front and the rear suspension set-up (telescopic, oil-damped for the first, and five-step, adjustable, oil damped for the latter) offer a combination of sufficient road-smoothing and firm handling that is a revelation. I only wish I had thicker rubber instead of the 18" 2.75 at the front and 3.00 at the rear - the reason being better handling and road grip, especially on fast turns.

The rider posture is comfortable too - similar to that found in the Samurai and the Shogun, and while the `flick to operate, press to stop' turn indicator switch felt solidly gratifying to operate (similar to the CBZ's), the headlight pass switch (like in the GF 125) made the word `convenience' take a different plane of meaning. Over all, all the controls are great, and a mention has to be made of the handlebar grips with vibration dampers - top of the class.

Great, so now I made my colleague, Murali, take me pillion, and one thing came absolutely to the fore. Unlike all the other bikes in its class, a great deal of attention has been paid to pillion comfort. The seat is wide and long, while the footpegs are positioned at the right angle and height...no knee, backside or back crunching posture here. And when I put Murali behind me: he is tall at 6'1", he felt equally comfortable too. This guy also manages to tip the scales at 80 kilos - so how did I feel with this big guy behind? The bike seemed to be okay at speeds over 35 kph, but anything slower, and the front end tended to dawdle around, drifting like a curious puppy on a leash. Hmmm, I suppose Suzuki could look into this one a bit.

So here I am, still blipping the imaginary throttle, weaving around the dancing road...irresponsible and back to my teens for the few hours I got my hands on the Fiero. It's hard to get off this bike, but then if it's for the sake of writing about it, I'm game. It's time to get back into the saddle again, riding hard till I catch up with darkness and the hills...I'm taking a vacation, you see. And oh yes, before I leave, why on Earth should this bike SELL? The first reason is obvious - like I've told you, it's a great bike, but most importantly, indications are that it is going to be priced between 45,000 and 50,000 bucks, at a price point other big bikes will find hard to chase...and so, its going to be a great buy too...hey where are the keys? Murali...oh, he's taken a couple of days off, eh?