UPDATED : SEE THIS VIDEO OF THE VOLVO B7R DOING ALMOST 120KM/H!
Many people have wondered how fast the Volvo B7R or the 9400 series run. Even the Chinese KingLong buses made by JCBL run.
I have travelled numerous times on both the buses now. While on the long distance routes like Mumbai-Bangalore, the Volvo drivers keep the bus around the 100km/h mark for saving fuel, the shorter routes like Mumbai-Pune have these drivers stretching the Volvo to around 110km/h mark to make up time. Neeta travels for example have their old rusty buses running almost full throttle at 110-115mark. I have seen newer Volvo B7Rs of Sharma / VRL keeping 100-105 on long distances, with short bursts of 110-115km/h.
I can safely say that the Volvo B7R / 9400 series can nudge the 120km/h mark and beyond with ease.
Coming to the JCBL KingLong buses, though they are low on power, the taller gearing allows for high speed cruising. At a recent Pune-Mumbai trip, I happened to sit right up front and saw the driver holding 110-115km/h on the expressway with constant bursts of 120-125km/h. Thats bloody fast! The bus was still smooth at 125km/h and i think it would have managed to go past 130km/h as well.
These buses are powerful and fast. I have seen the Volvo B7R do 520km in 7hours. Thats 74km/h avg. Include the toll-booth stops and bad roads and u can imagine how fast these are!
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11 comments:
hey ...ur intentions may be right ...i see u r a fellow bus lover ...BUT THE true TOP SPEED OF A B7R ISNT MORE THAN 103KPH!!!!!
this is from the official site
Engine: Rear-mounted, 6-cylinder,7-litre diesel
Output: D7B260 191 kW (260 hp) @ 2200 rpm
Power Torque 1100 nm @ 1300 rpm
Emissions class: Euro 2
Gearbox: 6-speed manual, fully synchronised
Retarder: Hydraulic retarder, RET120
Suspension: Full Air
Braking system: Disc brakes
Tyres Tubeless (295/80 R 22.5")
Gross weight: Max. gross weight 16 200 kg
Rear axle: Rear axle with ratio (4:11:1)
Steering angle: 50 degrees
Battery Capacity 140 Ah
Max. speed, kmph 103
anonymous: i have seen the specs of the B7R long time back, and that is what amazes me and my friends. the website does quote the top speed as 103km/h. May be thats the true top speed (without taking the speedometer error into account). But we have for sure seen the B7R do more.
Cheers
Bunny
it is false that volvo b7r's top speed is 103kph but it can easily do more till,volvo can do 13okph but hte operators did not take it till 130kph to save fuel but hte true competitor of volvo is jcbl and newly launched mercdes buses,thus the new volvo 9400(b9r) can reach much far.
Hey,
Thanks for posting the interview with Mr.Ashok Passey.
I happened to take the KSRTC B7R service from Mangalore to Mumbai in August 2008.The bus departed dMangalore at 2pm and was in Pune by 6 am!!.And,this included the regular pit stops for evening snacks and dinner(90 minutes).Then ,there was the KSRTC fuel stop near Nippani on NH4 for about 25 minutes.So ,its 850 kms in 14 hrs!!.Thats awesome considering the rains and the bad NH17 and NH 63 till the Hubli bypass.
I happened to overhear the drivers speaking when he said ,that a new KSRTC Corona sleeper bus had overtaken his B7R on a previous trip.He was saying it must have been doing 120 + as he was doing 110 on this speedo and this bus overtook him as if he was driving an ALL bus..he did mention that he had heard that the braking of the new corona wasnt confidence inspiring.
Can you please tell if this is indeed true that the new Corona bus has a top speed higher than the B7R.
I was reading the Corona Ambari specs which say its just 160 bhp.
BTW this overtaking was on the Mumbai Pune Expressway.
SS : well, it surprises me as the Corona comes with a 160bhp engine. it seems difficult for a 160bhp bus to overtake another bus that is itself doing 110!
Heyy i dont know any specs...but it can easily go beyond 120..once in china i have seen volvo B7R reaching 120 kmph(max reading in speedo meter)..but rpm meter max is 25x(some multiple i didnt notice)...when it was at 120 rpm was around 20..so i am sure it can go beyond that...
As per my experience in NH-5(driving in my own Indica TDI), seen volvo B7R's doing a max of 110kmph. Only APSRTC garuda's(Volvo-B7R, AL-Luxura, KL-Certia) touched this top speed. But KSRTC and Private operators are not throttling beyond 90-100 Kmph(Observed b/n Tirupathi - Bengaluru). So a B7R can do a max of 110 kmph.
corona can never beat a B7R. I travelled by corona and don't even compare it with Kinglong Certia(JCBL) or a Volvo B7R or 9400. A JCBL can growl beyond 120 kmph as the speedo is open till 140 kmph.
the speed of 9400 is 125.when i was travelling by SHIVNERI ,i saw the speed on the speedometer.also when we overtook a honda civic it was cruising at 118.
Shubham.
The Volvo Brochure says the B7R is geared to 104Kmph .It probably implies that B7R is geared to cruise at 104Kmph at 1900rpm( where it produces maximum speed).The power of the engine is maintained till over 2200-2400rpm . So,the speed at 2200rpm=120Kmph and at 2300rpm=126Kmph.So the top speed is between 125-130Kmph . This is for one type of gearboc which gives ratio of 55Kmph/1000rpm cruising . There are 2-3 types of gearbox provided which give ratios of 60kmph/1000rpm and 70kmph/1000rpm too. If you consider the 70Kmph/1000rpm then top speed can be over 140kmph(70*2=140 ,since the engine has maximum power between 1900-2200rpm).
Hey Shanu
You have done a great exercise with rpm & speed relation great.
But B7R have a speed limiter which is 120kmph and B9R has 130kmph. This limitation is achieved by cruise controller which monitors the flywheel of Engine. however when the monster is even in its max prescribed speed, it can go further the said limits if cruise controller is tampered with but gear shift & gear box are kept in series electrical connection with controller so if you tamper controller there is a relay arrangement which will limit gear box to use only gear nos 1, 2 & 3.
This arrangement is only to maintain safety. In fact a B7R & B9R can go around 150kmph in zero gradient surface after a minimum run of 2 kms (approx) taking air resistance in account.
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