Hoodibaba- The mystic word uttered in a stylish tone along with the specifications of Kawasaki Bajaj Caliber 115 was what attracted me to consider it along with Splendor/Passion, TVS Victor, L.M.L Freedom and Kinetic Boss when I first thought about buying a bike. I am a college student and being fed up of the daily circus I have to perform in the buses twice a day, thought of buying a bike. I didnt go for the regular brand that almost all my friends were buying as well as suggesting-Pulsar 150, simply because I had heard a lot of complaints related to its mileage. Hence I focussed my attention on the 5 bikes stated above.
My expectations about the bike were-1)Give a good mileage in city(65+kmpl) 2) Good looking
3) Sweet sounding 4) Having a gear shift pattern all down 5)Having a tachometer and tripmeter.
Splendor/Passion was out of my choice due to 4 & 5.It is also overpriced.
L.M.L and Kinetic too were out of contention as I couldnt find anyone owning a Freedom or Boss in my neighbourhood or in my collegeso that I may ask them their opinion.
Hence I was left with only 2 choices-Caliber 115 and T.V.S Victor. Victor was the one which I could have banked on without any hesitation. But typical looking headlamp and absense of tacho or tripmeter made me to rethink. Hence I am now a proud owner of a Caliber 115 alias Hoodibaba.
My assesment of the bike is presented below so that it may help anyone in a similar situation to choose a bike of his liking
Engine-Class leader with 9.5 bhp power, 0.91 Kgm Torque. But a good portion of this power is out of the reach of a mileage thirsty fellow like me. There was no need for BAL to go in for such a rapid power upgrade-from 7.7 bhp to 9.5 bhp. The engine is a silent unit and I love to hear the engine emitting a typical note when riding smoothly at 40-45 kmph. Above 50 kmph the character changes and vibrations start to ascend from footpeg. But ride it at reduced speed and the bike sails on the road.
Transmission-Typical bajaj gear box with all down shifting(I prefer it to splendor’s all up)
A typical click sound with every gear shift. The chain is a disappointing member. Its sound superceeds the sound of the engine and is quite a nuisance. Gear ratios are well chosen that you can move on confidently on 4th gear without any drama even at speeds as low as 25 kmph.
Braking-Superb by any standards. In fact after getting accustomed to my bike I almost went into a ditch while braking my friend’s Passion.
Electricals-Great lighting and horn. Conveniently placed switches.
Fuel Economy-This is a single aspect that made me to abandon Pulsar 150, Wind 125, Hero Honda Ambition and T.V.S Fiero. Initially I received an economy of 55-60 Kmpl. It steadily rose and now I receive 68-70 kmpl riding in Trivandrum city at 40-45 kmph(Single rider mostly).No starting troubles in the mornings. But once the economy dropped to 45-50 kmpl all of a sudden and I had to take the bike to the dealership.
Overall-The bike is a good handler and if you ride it carefully you can extract a good economy. Presently my 2 services are over. No major repairs other than a carburetor tune up. Its a true Value for money vehicle(Until now).