Monday, February 13, 2012

Stella Scooters

Stella (known by different names in different countries) is a model of a vintage-style scooter imported into the United States by Chicago-based Genuine Scooters since 2003, and manufactured by LML in Kanpur, India.

History

In 1986, LML began a joint venture with scooter manufacturer Piaggio, through which the Italian company sold its Vespa PX model to the Indian market. The Stella and Vespa P-series scooters share much of their design and engineering, and many of their parts are interchangeable. Genuine Scooters was formed to import the scooter to the United States market. Production was interrupted by a labor strike from 2005 to mid-2006 but resumed once the dispute was settled.

Characteristics

The Stella features a 150cc 2-stroke engine capable of speeds up to 65mph. Like "vintage" European scooters, it operates with a 4-speed "twist-grip" manual transmission. Other traditional features include a steel frame, spare tire, and styling.

The 2007 and 2008 models include better quality paint, grips, and a redesigned headlight.

The 2-stroke version of the scooter is authorized through Genuine Scooters dealers throughout most of the United States, but not in California due to state regulations. In 2011 Genuine developed a 4-stroke version of the Stella which meets California emission standards.


Comparison of Stella and Vespa PX150

Comparison
 Feature
Genuine Stella
Vespa PX150
Frame Heavy-Guage Pressed Steel Monocoque Pressed Steel Monocoque
Engine Type 5-Port Single Cylinder 2-Stroke Single Cylinder 2-Stroke
Displacement 150cc 151cc
Bore * Stroke 57.8 mm * 57 mm 58 mm * 57 mm
Fuel Economy 90 Miles Per Gallon 60 Miles Per Gallon
Compression Ratio 9:1 8:1
Induction Modern Reed Valve Rotary Valve (used since '50's)
Ignition Electronic CDI Electronic CDI
Starter Electric and Kick Electric and Kick
Exhaust Catalyzed Catalyzed
Lubrication Automatic Oil Injection Automatic Oil Injection
Cooling Forced Air Forced Air
Transmission 4-Speed Constant Mesh 4-Speed Constant Mesh
Fuel Capacity 2.1 Gallons 2.1 Gallons
Horsepower (Max.) 10 8.2
Dry Weight 240 lbs. Due to thicker steel body 213 lbs.
Length/Width 1760 mm./ 695 mm. 1810 mm./ 740 mm.
Wheelbase 1235 mm. 1260 mm.
Seat Height 820 mm. 810 mm.
Wheels/Tires Pressed Steel Rim/ 3.50*10 Tube Type Pressed Steel Rim/ 3.50*10 Tube Type
Rear Brake Mechanical Drum Mechanical Drum
Front Brake 7.87" Hydraulic Disc 7.87" Hydraulic Disc
Suspension Adjustable Load Gas Shocks Coil Over Oil Shocks (Used since 50's)
Colors
Red, Tangerine, Green, Silver, + Special editions
"Vintage" Green
Price (MSRP)
$2895
$4299

Stella 4 strokes

Stella, our first love. She is now thoroughly clean and natural, and the only REAL contemporary traditional motorcycle in The united states that's not just another duplicate of a traditional style from Italia. Her reputation is genuine German, her appeal unique. Her natural personality and tightfisted gas intake are the product of the most realistic and ahead thinking designers in Indian. She still changes like a activities car, but the website is silent and the the vibrations are gone. In a wide range of satisfied colours, she presents an EPA town score of 140 mpg. Outfit her up; she's ready to go wherever you go. You can sleep a hand crafted, all-steel sidecar in corresponding colours if you want to be the hottest person on your prevent.

Specification

Stella 4-Stroke Specs
Engine 147.55cc 4-Stroke, Air Cooled
Transmission 4-speed manual with "twist grip" shifting
Colors Avocado, Creme, Slate Blue, White, Dijon Yellow, Red
Suspension Gabriel® performance shocks
Tire Size 3.5" x 10" Interchangable
Braking Front Grimeca Hydraulic Disc, 6" Rear Drum
Top Speed 60+ mph
MPG 140*
*EPA city estimate.
Warranty 2-Year / Unlimited-mile


Stella 2 strokes

Even More Unique out of the Box!!! This year's Stella in all of its 2-stroke, 150cc wonder. 2009 is the last formal generation season of the Stella 2-stroke. The last ones are available right NOW in very restricted volumes at your regional Legitimate supplier. Once they are gone they are gone! Don't pass up out on having one of Many most collectible child scooters. Available in Red, Tangerine, Grape,Black, and Dust Pink (not all colours are available in all areas).








Specification

Engine 5-port 2-stroke
Transmission 4-speed manual with "twist grip" shifting
Colors Black, Red, Light Blue, Avocado, Orange
Suspension Gabriel® performance shocks
Tire Size 3.5" x 10" Interchangable
Braking Front Grimeca Hydraulic Disc, 6" Rear Drum
Top Speed 60+ mph
MPG 90 mpg plus*
*Depending on road conditions, riders weight and altitude.
Warranty 1-Year / 5000 Mile


Heinkel Tourist

The Heinkel Tourist is a motor scooter made by Heinkel Flugzeugwerke from 1953 to 1965. More than 100,000 were manufactured and sold.

The Tourist was sold as an upscale scooter. It was more expensive than a Vespa or a Lambretta, and was generally heavier, more comfortable, and more stable. It was available with a speedometer, a steering lock, a clock, a luggage carrier, and a spare wheel. It was referred to in England as "The Rolls-Royce of Scooters" and was advertised by a dealer in Massachusetts as "The Cadillac of Scooters".

The Tourist had a tubular steel frame to which pressed steel body panels were mounted. The engine of the Tourist was mounted in the frame and drove the rear wheel by a chain enclosed in the swingarm. Thus sheltered, the chain ran in a sealed oil-bath, extending its life and preventing any oil from contacting either scooter or rider. The engines used in Heinkel Tourists were 4-stroke while most other scooters of the time, including the Heinkel 150 light scooter from the 1960s, had 2-stroke engines.

Production

Heinkel's first prototype scooter was built in 1949. Production of the Tourist began in 1953.

The Tourist was manufactured in five series: the 101 A0 (1953–1954), the 102 A1 (1954–1955), the 103 A0 (1955–1957), the 103 A1 (1957–1960), and the 103 A2 (1960–1965).

101 A0

The Tourist 101 A0 was the first series of Heinkel Tourist, the only series with a 149 cc (9.1 cu in) engine, and the only series with a kick starter. Production began in April 1953. The three-speed transmission was actuated by a twistgrip on a tubular steel handlebar.

In June 1954, the electrics were uprated from 6 V to 12 V to accommodate the addition of an electric starter at that time. Production of the 101 A0 ended two months later. 6,500 Tourist 101 A0s were built.

102 A1

Production of the 102 A1 series began in July 1954. The main changes from the 101 A0 were the larger engine, which had been bored and stroked to a capacity of 174 cc (10.6 cu in), the absence of a kick starter, and the use of the 12 V electrics and an electric starter as on the last of the 101 A0s. A glove box was included behind the legshield. The speedometer was mounted on the glove box.

17,500 Tourist 102 A1s were built before production ended in August 1955.


103 A0

Production of the 103 A0 series began in August 1955. 103-series Tourists had four speed transmissions and ten inch wheels, enlarged from the three speed transmissions and eight inch wheels of earlier models. The result was a larger, heavier, and thirstier scooter on one hand, and a faster, more sophisticated scooter on the other.

It is stated that 34,060 Tourist 103 A0s were built before production ended in September 1957, but this production figure is disputed.


103 A1

Production of the 103 A1 series began in September 1957. The tubular handlebars of previous series were replaced by a cast handlebar containing an instrument panel. The engine, while remaining the same in size, was improved by the use of a two-bearing crankshaft. The engine was now mounted to the frame with rubber mounts, improving the ride.

50,050 Tourist 103 A1s were built before production ended in June 1960.


103 A2

Production of the final series of Heinkel Tourist, the 103 A2, began in August 1960. The telescopic forks of the previous series were replaced by a single-sided trailing-link fork. The rear body panel was restyled and was not interchangeable with those of earlier series.

55,000 Tourist 103 A2s were built before production of the Heinkel Tourist ended on 31 December 1965.

Specifications


Series Years built Engine capacity (cc) Bore × stroke (mm) Wheelbase (mm) Length (mm) Width (mm) Height (mm) Kerb weight (kg) Wheels
101 A0 1953 – 1954 149 59.0 × 54.5 1330 1980 710 980 129 4.00 × 8"
102 A1 1954 – 1955 174 60.0 × 61.5 133
103 A0 1955 – 1957 1370 2060 1000 152 4.00 × 10"
103 A1 1957 – 1960 1375 2085 156
103 A2 1960 – 1965 1380 2020 148


Export

United Kingdom

The Coventry-based Excelsior motorcycle manufacturer began importing HeinkelTourist scooters into the United Kingdom in late 1955. In late 1956, Nobel Motors of Picadilly became the new official importer of Heinkel scooters and bubble cars.

By the end of 1957, the UK importer of Heinkel scooters was International Sales of Dublin. This may have been part of a deal by which an Irish engineering company to build the Heinkel Kabine bubble car under licence.

Importation of the 103 A2 began in February 1962 by Hans Motors of London, which had an all-German staff. Trojan Cars Ltd., the manufacturers of the Kabine under licence at the time, was already selling Lambretta scooters and did not accept the offer to import Heinkel Tourists.

United States

Heinkel Tourists were imported into the United States by a succession of authorized distributors:
  • Nobel Motors of London, England, 1956-57 Nobel Motors did not import any motorcycles or bubble cars into North America.
  • East Land Motors of Brooklyn, New York, 1957
  • International Scooters Corporation of Long Island City, New York, 1959-63 . Their contracted sub-distributors were:
    • Schleichler Motors of Oakland, California, for the West Coast
    • Triangle Motorcycles of Chicago, Illinois, for the Midwest
  • Scooterama of San Francisco, California, 1963–64
  • Schleichler Motors of Oakland, California, 1964–65
Approximately 350 Heinkel Tourists were sold in the United States.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Bajaj

Bajaj Auto is a major Indian vehicle manufacturer started by Jamnalal Bajaj from Rajasthan in the 1930s. It is based in Pune, Maharashtra, with plants in Chakan (Pune), Waluj (near Aurangabad) and Pantnagar in Uttaranchal. The oldest plant at Akurdi (Pune) now houses the R&D centre Ahead. Bajaj Auto makes and exports automobiles, scooters, motorcycles and the auto rickshaw.

The Forbes Global 2000 list for the year 2005 ranked Bajaj Auto at 1,946. It features at 1639 in forbes 2011 list.

Over the last decade, the company has successfully changed its image from a scooter manufacturer to a two wheeler manufacturer. Its product range encompasses scooterettes, scooters and motorcycles. Its real growth in numbers has come in the last four years after successful introduction of a few models in the motorcycle segment.

The company is headed by Rahul Bajaj who is worth more than US$1.5 billion.

Bajaj Auto came into existence on 29 November 1945 as M/s Bachraj Trading Corporation Private Limited. It started off by selling imported two- and three-wheelers in India. In 1959, it obtained license from the Government of India to manufacture two- and three-wheelers and it went public in 1960. In 1970, it rolled out its 100,000th vehicle. In 1977, it managed to produce and sell 100,000 vehicles in a single financial year. In 1985, it started producing at Waluj near Aurangabad. In 1986, it managed to produce and sell 500,000 vehicles in a single financial year. In 1995, it rolled out its ten millionth vehicle and produced and sold one million vehicles in a year.

According to the authors of Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything, Bajaj has grown operations in 50 countries by creating a line of value-for-money bikes targeted to the different preferences of entry-level buyers.


Bajaj Priya

The Bajaj Priya was a three geared scooter manufactured by Maharashtra Scooters under a license agreement with Bajaj Auto from 1975. The design was very similar to that of the earlier "Bajaj 150" model which was in turn based upon a Vespa 150 (VBA type) with a slightly modified body.

Differences from other models

Headset

Vespa 150 (basically a VBA) had a fully enclosed, crested headset which could accommodate a clamshell Veglia speedometer. This was later replaced by a holding mount which enabled it to hold the Bajaj type round speedometer (only on Indian models). Later on the holding mount and crest were done away with so the round speedo could be directly fitted to the headset. All these headsets had the removable aluminium switch support of the VBA. Bajaj 150 had this same headset (that of later Vespa 150s). Bajaj Priya shared the same headset as the more common "Bajaj super" and also fitted a round speedometer, which was not fully enclosed for easy access to cables. The switch support was integral to the handle, unlike the VBA where it was joined separately.

Horncast

The vespa 150 (arguably always) sported the original Italian horncast with the older square Piaggio monogram. With the Bajaj 150 this changed to the horncast from later Vespa models (sprint/super) and held a hexagonal bajaj monogram (same shape as the newer Piaggio monogram). This horncast continued for the Priya as well.


Tail lamp

The earliest Italian part vespa 150s assembled in India had aluminium tail lamps of the VBA/GS150 design. These were later produced in plastic to lower costs.The Bajaj 150 always came with a plastic tail lamp as well. The Bajaj Priya came with a chrome or black powdercoat sprint type taillight.

Choke lever

With the Bajaj 150, the choke lever changed position from above the petrol knob to adjacent to it.


Bajaj Super (1976-2006)

Early models were a licensed reproduction of the Italian-made eight-inch-wheeled Vespa Super. Production continued even after the licence agreement with Vespa expired in 1977. In response, Vespa's parent company Piaggio filed patent infringement suits to block Bajaj scooter sales in the United States, United Kingdom, West Germany, and Hong Kong.

Later model Bajaj Supers appear to have incorporated various features of the Vespas: VNA, VNB, VBB, Super and Sprint. For instance, the 1981 model Bajaj Super has near-identical components: Vespa Super body, VNA/VNB/VBB 8-inch wheels, and Vespa SS180 headlight.

In its early days, there used to be a booking period of at least one year, until it was replaced by Bajaj Chetak.

The Bajaj Super was widely used as a form of dowry in Indian marriages. Rated as status icon, it had a market share of more than 90%. It has a 150cc 12 BHP at 8500RPM of engine, with excellent pick up and a top speed of 100 km/h in standerd testing conditions.


SPECIFICATIONS

Dimension & weight
 Overall height  1080 mm
 Overall length  1770 mm
 Overall Width
 Wheelbase  1230 mm
 Ground Clearance  145 mm
 Kerb weight  103 kgs
 Fuel Tank Capacity  6 litres
 Engine
 Type
 Stroke (2/4)  2 - stroke, forced air cooled.
 No. of cylinders
 1
 Bore x stroke
 Displacement  145.5 cc
 Electrical  12V DC
 Transmission
 No. of Gears  4 - speed (hand shifter)
 Clutch
 Performance
 Maximum Power  7.5 bhp / 5500 rpm
 Max. Torque
 Start  Kick
 Suspensions 
 Front
 Rear
 Brakes 
 Front   
 Rear   
 Tyres 
 Front
 Rear

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