Another day, another machine that returns 100 kpl. The eco-weenies are celebrating a brand-new world and the People for Ethical Treatment of Petrol are cheering. It is ours to ride all machines and tell you how dull and miserable we are, and the bike is.
But this doesn’t fit. The Bajaj R&D guys, Abraham Joseph and Shrikant Bhat are usually hopping with enthusiasm, and they are, in fact, hopping with enthusiasm introducing the new Bajaj Boxer CT nee Super 100.So does it manage 100 kpl? They both nod and smile, but say the surprise, the killer-app, is elsewhere. Chests puffed and collars lifted, they confess to having ridden an 8.9 bhp prototype of the new Boxer CT. By the time you’ve gone from humph-100 kpl to holy cow, Joseph says that isn’t the final power figure.
That would be 8.2 bhp@7500 rpm. We’re looking at the most powerful entry-level motorcycle in the country today. Not only does the Boxer CT make more power, it also makes 0.82 kgm@5500 rpm. Which is more torque than the Victor! The peak torque is the reason the 8.9 bhp won’t be in showrooms.
The power isn’t a direct result of a surreptitious capacity hike. Bajaj found that short-stroke engines face lower friction and went for an oversquare configuration, which resulted in the 8.9 bhp figure. By the time R&D had finished with the engine – completely new head, chamber design, engine block, crank and transmission – the power was down to 8.2, but the torque was up, despite the short stroke.
Joseph goes so far as to say that the 99.27cc displacement, short-stroke format, careful design and a few anti-friction components was all it took for the Boxer to ace 100 kpl, with the power advantage intact. To put a fine point on it, the combustion chamber burns better through better charge motion. ‘We didn’t need two plugs, two sparks or umpteen ignition maps.’
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