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Varun

@varunpainter

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- Automotive Journalist
- Eat, sleep, MOTORCYCLE, repeat
- Editor (2W Content) at @powerdrift
- Mail - [email protected]
- BELIEVE
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@indiabikeweek prep looking fine! . . . [India Bike Week, IBW, Car, BMW, Like, Share, Follow, Ride, Varun, Varun Painter, PowerDrift, Video, Reels, Trend, Trending] by @varunpainter
163
10 months ago
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I might just wash it. 🙃 @powerdrift @landrover_mumbai @defender by @varunpainter
434
a year ago
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35 yr old silly me still in love. Truly, madly, deeply. Out of nearly 2000 motorcycles at EICMA 2025; this was the motorcycle that had me take out my mobile phone. XSR900 GP, you have my heart ❤️ . . . [Yamaha, XSR900, Bike, Ride, Motorcycle, EICMA 2025, PowerDrift, Show, Varun, Varun Painter, Video] by @varunpainter
70
a year ago
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Two weeks ago, I got whisked off to the UK for a sneak peek at the new @indiatriumph Bonneville T40 and the T40 Black. Triumph wanted us to really ‘get’ the Bonneville name, so we did what any sensible people would do: tried to absorb a century of history, all at once, at full gas The T40 walkaround is now live and kicking on YouTube! Nearly 6,00,000 organic views, and most of them are coming from India. Clearly, you lot have a type. Main video aside, here’s the whole chaotic trip stuffed into 20 pictures and videos. Keep swiping ➡️➡️➡️ . . . [Triumph, Bonneville, T40, T40 Black, Ride, Motorcycle, UK, Exclusive] #Bonneville #T40 120 miles around the English countryside. My smile is a true reflection of how the ride went. Made them boys buy motorcycle gear. No ragrets. #IYKYK I had to become quite the salesman too! Just because I had to add another picture of the mothership. Diddly Squat. What a name, what a place! The morning pose! Impressed. By the visual at the entrance and the motorcycle too. Which one are you picking? I know what I did last summer kinda vibe That crust has a story People are calling this Davidputra @theanurags went ahead with the carbon! The better looking ofcourse The Hinckley parking lot grabbing a few eyeballs Good food = good mood. The bunch! UK has a decent variety of beer. The analogue twin pod cluster looks smashing E10! Want to know what thia does? by @varunpainter
16
3 days ago
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Deliveries for the T4 will commence in January 2027 and the difference in pricing? T4 - Rs. 2.55 lakh T40 and T40 Black - Rs. 2.80 lakh . . . [Triumph, Bonneville, T40, Black, New, Bike, Launch] #Triumph #Bonneville #T40 by @varunpainter
36
10 days ago
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Sound 🆙! . . . [Triumph, Bonneville, T40, Motorcycle, Classic, Ride, Bike, New] #ASMR #Bonneville #T40 #New #Bike by @varunpainter
161
11 days ago
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Yup! This is why I was in the UK last week. Just like any other mega event, I had to seal my lips for this one too but the new Triumph Bonneville T40 and T40 Black are finally here in flesh and bone. Surprisingly, the brand has also launched a T4 version at Rs. 2.54 lalh but these motorcycles in the post are going to retail at Rs. 2.80 lakh. I had asked this question during the presentation but don’t recollect getting an answer. To put things into perspective, this is Rs. 5000 more than the alloy version of the Honda CB500 and quite away from the Classic 350. But the T40 packs some interesting things. Cruise control as standard, 5 riding modes, TFT display which looks quite nice (I would have loved the twin pods). The motorcycle’s weight distribution at stagnation feels easy too. All in all, there are quite a few things going for the Baby Bonnie but the absence of tubeless spokes or alloys makes me sad :( In a nutshell 1) Looks incredible 2) Quality is 💯 3) Electronic package is quite decent too 4) T4 version will miss out on the display and some electronic aids 5) No tubeless option but I know the brand will get it in the future. I just know it. Got questions ⬇️⬇️⬇️ by @varunpainter
25
12 days ago
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Out with the old, in with the new. 🏍️ Before the UK trip, I had done my homework. Checked out the nearest motorcycle gear store. And most importantly, convinced myself it was time to let go of the Stelvios. Maybe it’s human nature, maybe it’s just me, but we mortals struggle to let go of things. Now that the hair has started to grey, I am slowly making peace with it. The old has to go to make space for the new, right? MotoCentral in Hinckley was barely a couple of kilometres from our hotel. I had browsed the entire catalogue multiple times and shortlisted a pair of TCX boots. Always been a fan of the brand, and a WP touring boot was all I needed. Turns out they weren’t an in-store buy, so it was back to square one. The other options wore a steep tag, and that was that. Fast forward to a “special” visit to the @officialtriumph factory, and a quick tour later, I found myself staring at a closed shutter. “Can we go inside to have a look?” “Never say no to business,” came the answer. Long story short, the @alpinestars Toucan boots were on a crazy discount, and it would have been plain stupid not to pick them up. The logo sits high up top too, so it stays hidden under the pants. Stealth mode, always on. But here’s the crazy bit. A day earlier, I had convinced @theanurags to pick up a helmet and @rishabh_b86 a pair of boots at MotoCentral. Didn’t take much convincing for my purchase but Rishabh ended up buying a second pair for himself here too. 😄 Stelvios, it’s been a good run. 🙏 #Alpinestars #Toucan SWIPE ➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️ The Toucan misses out a top buckle. Also, I wish it came in a brown shade like the Stelvios. These boots also have a Goretex membrane. SWIPE ➡️➡️➡️➡️ That sole was glued together for this trip. Managed to stay on but the shoes are nearly done. The plan was to leave them in the hotel at Cotswold but I managed to squeeze them in for a return trip. Notice the third buckle at the top and the @royalenfield logo? SWIPE ➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️ The Toucan feels stiff, the carcass does. Maybe it softens with time! It also feels slightly taller than the TCX SWIPE ➡️➡️➡️➡️➡️ Fresh out of the box vs 5 years of riding. The Stelvios have seen it all. Time fo by @varunpainter
53
13 days ago
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What does it mean to be an “automotive romantic”? Anurag Salgaonkar joins Varun Painter for a conversation about his journey from VFX artist to full-time automotive content creator, his love for motorcycles, and the leap of faith that turned a hobby into a career. They also get into the changing automotive media landscape, the creator economy, storytelling vs the algorithm, finding your own voice, and what brands could do differently. And towards the end, Anurag explains why he doesn’t call himself an automotive expert or journalist, but an “automotive romantic.” Watch the full conversation on YouTube! #PowerDrift #PDPodcast #Podcast #AutomotivePodcast (PowerDrift, PD Podcast, Automotive Podcast, Content Creation, Indian Automotive Industry) by @varunpainter
80
25 days ago
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A couple of days ago, I posted about the past. Lived and experienced the present 450 for a good two years and here I am, looking at the future. So many takeaways from a bike that is poised to become the next big thing. - Tank looks big. Should be about 20L. Great for touring - Windscreen was not adjustable in this one but I am assuming they will have it in a different variant - The 19 inch front makes the most sense in India. Touring and from a business sense too. - Dedicated TC button for the ADV paglus - Remote preload adjuster at the rear. Noice - Foldable levers is a big plus too - Cruise control will be standard with the adjustable suspension. And knowing how well Royal Enfield tuned the 450’s suspension, this should feel spectacular too. Now the things that I found a little off. - The seat is scooped so you are in one position for almost the entire time. Slide towards the back and you will reset back to the original position almost immediately. - The console looks the same as the 450 and toggling between things has always a major problem. Hope the new joystick sorts things out. - Weight! That’s the biggest concern today. The 650 platform was always chonky but I have heard that major internal changes will reduce overall weight, not increase it. Time willl tell. Got questions? ⬇️ ⬇️⬇️ . . . [Royal Enfield, Himalayan 750, Ride, Bike, Motorcycle, PowerDrift, New, Adventure, Touring, Tour, Explore, Trend, Trending] #Varun #VarunPainter #Post #Himalayan750 taken in Leh, India by @varunpainter
47
a month ago
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2016. Barely two years into this industry, and I get the call: go review Royal Enfield’s brand new adventure motorcycle. I remember the jitters clearly. Riding shots first, or PTCs first? I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t really have a plan. Just a lot of nervous energy and a genuine fear of getting it wrong. A long conversation with the team steadied me a little. @siddharthdugha behind the lens, Shimla as the setting and a sky that gave us nothing but sunshine that morning. The industry was in good spirits and Wildflower Hall, our stay for the night, felt like the calm before whatever was coming. Briefing done, we called it a night, not knowing what the next morning held. The sun rose behind dark clouds. The moment we stepped out, the rain started and it didn’t take long before that rain became snow. That’s the moment in the first photo, the first snowfall I’d ever witnessed in my life. I remember stopping just to take it in. It was beautiful. It was also the beginning of a very hard day. I hadn’t packed right. A mesh jacket, thinking I could manage. Royal Enfield gave us waterproof jackets and liners, so my upper body was fine, but my boots and gloves were built for racing, not for cold like this. By lunch, I had lost feeling in my hands and feet. Braking and throttle control became unknown entities. By the time we finished eating, it was just Sid, Aditya, and me left on the road. Continued in comments ⬇️ by @varunpainter
25
a month ago
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12 years ago today, I signed up for a ride I didn’t fully understand and it turned into the best decision of my life. Today marks a dozen years at PowerDrift! 🤌🤌🤌 29th August, 2014. I packed my life into a bag and moved to Pune. Barely 72 hours later, on 1st September, I was knocking on PowerDrift’s original HQ door, ready for day one. A dozen years have folded into that one knock like it happened yesterday. I threw everything I had at this job, every single time. Some days I fell harder than I flew. Some days the score read more losses than wins. But somehow, most evenings, I closed my eyes happy. Funny thing is, that’s the exact line I ended my interview with all those years ago: “I just want to be happy.” And look at us now. A few trophies on the shelf, a little titanium holding the body together, still rolling, still roaring. None of it happens without the people behind the camera. They are the real engine. The MVPs. I am just the noise up front. The universe has been generous alawys. Pune opened its arms and let me call it home. The last couple of years have taught me something, though. The body’s asking to slow its pace, but the mind refuses to sit still. There were days I stood at the edge, seriously considering walking away. One motorcycle ride later and I was lassoed straight back into the one space that’s always made sense to me. 😊😊 To everyone who has ever sent a message, a comment, a kind word through the years, thank you. You have no idea how much it has meant. Genuinely made my day on more than one occasion. Let’s keep going. More stories on the way with my team @powerdrift and honestly, I cannot wait for you to see them. #IWillSeeYouLater #VarunPainter #Anniversary #Work First media race win ever! I think this was 2017 The Next Rider! One of the best videos ever. #Thunderbird Won the inaugural @harleydavidson_india Flat Track race. Du kya? Scrambling it with the Royal Enfield Trials Save The Date. What a series. You should totally watch it. CSS for the second time ❤️ Ali Bhai supremacy The Multistrada never disappoints What more do we want? Smile away! Solid story. Awesome edit too GT Cup race winner! Mad shot! 🔥 One o by @varunpainter
153
2 months ago
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