It’s not always about what’s obvious. Sometimes, it’s also about what’s beyond the obvious. I walk this fine line, and love the experience!
There were mixed reactions when I thought that this would make for an interesting story. Chaps in the office thought it to be a bit too bizarre, and the folks at home thought I was onto yet another ridiculous idea just so that I could go to some place nice and sunny to get my dose of two-wheeled fun – you see, Delhi’s winter wasn’t giving us a chance for much in the form of biking action. But they were wrong – all of them. I had some really solid reasons for pairing these two motoring examples together.
You either have to be a Justin Bieber clone or a monumental moron to get the SLK as your first car. Think of it – you’re going to spend about 70 lakhs to get a car that’s as practical as Lady Gaga going to a debonair event wearing a swimsuit. It’s just not right. But if your surname isn’t Bieber or your character traits aren’t anywhere close to Miss Gaga’s, you’d invest that money in something sensible – BMW 5 Series or Jag XF perhaps. That’ll be like being Clive Owen – smart, informed and witty enough to be seen in the company of.
So, why would you buy the SLK then? You’ll buy it because you’re the son of a rich baron and have a chunky SUV and a grand life to celebrate. You have plenty of female friends whom you like to impress. You need something that makes a statement as quickly as it arrives. A stylish convertible is the best solution – that’s where the SLK fits. It’s not a must-have, but an indulgent choice as a second or a third car.
Similarly, in the word of motorcycling, supermotos are probably the most impractical bikes – ever. As it happens, the Ducati Hypermotard is indeed a supermoto, so it’s a rather shocking recipe for having fun. You don’t need a wide and endless piece of highway to understand the bike’s eagerness to throw you over. A few meters of open road and a wild twist of the wrist unleashes the bike’s rage, and the upright riding position means that you’re sitting like a boundary wall against all of nature’s elements. On such motorcycles, wind can have some serious implications – implications of the wrong kind. And it was a bit windy that day. Oops!
My point is that, in India, the so-called true-blue (super) biking community still desires the fully faired superbikes or the beefy and massive cruisers. Gixxers, Fireblades and Hayabusas are some common names, while, mostly, and predictably, Harley Davidson finds its mention at the other end of the biking segment for the big dudes of our super-biking society. Hardly ever have I heard of anyone on a Hypermotard. And that’s because our motoring culture isn’t as rich as that of the West, yet. If you want to invest 15 lakhs in a superbike, you’d most likely go in for something like a ‘Blade or an R1 or a Street Bob, but you’d be an idiot if you bought a Hypermotard. Mind you, you wouldn’t be termed as being ‘different,’ you’d be labeled as being an idiot – that’s the mindset.
So, here we are, with two machines that suffer from a common problem – they aren’t the first choice for wealthy buyers. But, more importantly, they also have a common character trait between them. They can be huge fun – proper, genuine fun!
The first generation SLK (R170) was a bit of a wet rag to be honest. It didn’t drive too well, got beaten by the competition on the track and its recognition of being a hairdresser’s car literally meant it was a wannabe car for the wannabe guy. I didn’t drive that car much then, as you can imagine. Things have changed a lot since then though. Mercedes tried to make the SLK trendier in its second generation (R171) by doing a Formula One inspired nose in 2004. But the main, and the most noticeable image changeover, came in the form of the SLK that you see in this feature – the latest (R172) model. The pointy nose has given way to a more macho and broad front end (SLS inspired). Even otherwise, the whole car looks more masculine. Mercedes say that, till the introduction of this latest model, 61% of all SLK owners were females, so I’m probably not the core demographic. But I’m sure that with this model, its acceptance among the more macho of our species has gone up multifold.
So, yes, you get it – its looks are perhaps the defining thing for me. But, hang on, the SLK is a sports car and it ought to – as someone famous once said – have some go to match its show. The 60-degree V6 is fed via direct injection and scores well on the statistics front even – 302bhp of thrust and 370Nm of pulling power. Plus, it makes an impressive noise when revved to its 7,200rpm redline. Thankfully, it wasn’t only a plug-and-boost job of working on a laptop and fiddling with some chip in the engine – it was the result of massive fettling that’s given it a higher compression ratio, lighter valves, and new pistons. While the 7-speed automatic (7G-TRONIC) is a bit dull in shifting through the cogs, it’s not something that you’ll abandon the car for. The SLK has been given a real mechanical diet, and it shows. It moves fluidly once you get used to the steering and brakes, and changing direction in the SLK can be loads of fun. Will dance? For sure…
… and so will the Hypermotard – which, in plain simple English, translates to hyper-maniac. This is one bike that you can’t just hop onto and blast down the road. It’s like that athletic Chinese dude who’ll beat the crap out of that well-shaped six-pack flaunting member of a notorious neighborhood. It’s unexpectedly sharp, and you need to watch its every move. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not a hard bike to ride. It’s a genuinely refreshing thing to ride, and it’s different, so the charm factor is that much higher. Just that it’s so involving and requires noticeable mechanical effort that it becomes immense fun – and when you’re having loads of fun, things can, at times, get hairy. Though Ducati has already introduced the 2013 model of the Hypermotard with an engine boasting of ‘only’ 821cc, the one I was riding on that lovely bay beach with its soft sand was a bike from the previous generation, which had a 1,078cc mill. It’s the same air-cooled V-twin motor that you’ll find on the Multistrada 1100, but the only difference here is that it comes with a dry clutch to save weight.
Stats wise, the engine is capable of 90bhp and 103Nm, which is sufficient when you’re throwing the back wheel around on sandy stuff. But get the bike to see a clear stretch of open roads and it’ll be coughing at the limit of its max speed. You’ll have to be made of Ironman stuff to get to its top speed though – air resistance makes it seriously dangerous. But then again, stick to some bendy roads and modest off-roading and this supermoto is addictive. It’s not your regular superbike – no fairings, air cooled engine, properly hooligan nature, and getting it sideways is not as hair raising as it can be on fully faired things. I don’t have a penchant for popping up the wheels of either side, but even with me on its saddle, this thing would show signs of lifting the front – quite eagerly at that! Sweaty-face-and-palms stuff, this.
Both the SLK and the Hypermotard are unusual partners for anyone. They have this charming effect that casts a cosy glow in your thoughts. It’s insanity beating practicality hands down. And you love them for it!
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