So, April 2019 has finally come and the stringent safety norms have also come into play. Now bikes in India will only be available with either ABS or CBS.
The new safety norms have kicked in today, which are applicable for both two-wheelers as well as four-wheelers. Manufacturers and dealers cannot sell the non updated variants from now.
As in for two-wheelers, bikes with engines above 150cc need to be equipped with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS). Similarly, bikes below 150cc, including the regular commuter motorcycles, should have Combined Braking System (CBS).
As a result, most of the two-wheeler manufacturers have updated their models before the deadline. Some of them have been discontinued due to low demand and an unnecessary higher cost.
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The new safety rule has been put forward by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The state-wide RTOs as well as the Traffic police has been notified of the new rule.
ABS basically prevents the locking on the rear wheel due to sudden braking. As a result, the bikes will skid lesser at higher speeds, reducing the number of accidents.
CBS is a weaker mechanism which automatically puts the front brake in action, even when the rear brake is pressed. For bikes of 100-125cc, CBS works fine because of comparatively lower speed achievable.
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Post this rule, manufacturers are now allowed to produce any non-ABS or non-CBS model in India. The non-updated unsold stock at dealerships cannot be sold from today.
Because of this rule, you saw many motorcycles and scooters launched with ABS and CBS. For example, updated ABS models include Bullet 350, Aprilia SR150, Honda Unicorn, etc. CBS updated models include Suzuki Access, Yamaha Rayz and more.
General rates for CBS range between Rs 500-800, Rs 6000-7000 for single-channel ABS and Rs 12000-15000 for dual-channel ABS. These rates are applied over their non-ABS variants.
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With these changes to two-wheelers, we expect the accidents to gradually decrease. We can now say that motorcycles and scooters are now safer in India.
