Three bikes that meant freedom to India: Independence Day Special

Gallery Three bikes that meant freedom to India

Three bikes that meant freedom to India

India is one of the largest and fastest growing two-wheelers markets in the world today. But there was a time when two-wheelers were looked upon as luxury commodities. They were expensive and way out of reach of the masses, and the sales numbers were insignificant.

However, just like the Volkswagen Beetle and the Maruti Suzuki 800, there have been certain models which changed the dynamics of the industry for good. They made two-wheelers more accessible to the middle class and blue-collared, and forced the rest of the industry to change their ways. Here are the three bikes which had a far reaching effect in mobilising the country and getting the industry to the point where it currently stands.

Kinetic Luna

Kineteic Group’s latest automotive venture might involve some of the most expensive and exotic motorcycles in the world, but back in 1972, their portfolio was quite the polar opposite. The Kinetic Luna was a 50cc moped introduced in 1972 as the most affordable motorized two-wheeler in the country. At a time when petrol was mentioned in the same breath as gold and silver, the Luna featured cycle-like pedals. These allowed for a different level of fuel economy, as riders could pedal the Luna on flat roads to keep going with the engine turned off. Today, TVS enjoys the monopoly of having the only moped in the market - the Heavy Duty XL. It sells over 70,000 units of this moped every month.

Bajaj Chetak

1972 was also the year when Bajaj launched the Chetak. Based on the Italian scooter Vespa Sprint, the Chetak became a household name in no time, and a favourite among the white-collared. Popularised by the tagline ‘Hamara Bajaj’, the Chetak was quite the opposite of what motorcycles in that era stood for. In a world of macho-looking Yezdis, Bullets and Jawas, the practical and reliable Chetak perfectly captured the mood and aspirations of the middle-class. A waiting period of a few years for the Chetak was quite normal back then. However, the advent of Honda Activa and a slew of automatic scooters in this millennium sounded the death knell for the Chetak.

Hero Honda CD100

The Splendor might be the country’s favourite motorcycle today, but it was the Hero Honda CD100 which laid the foundation for the success that the former enjoys. When other two-wheeler manufacturers were busy adapting their two-stroke motorcycles for India, Hero Honda launched the four-stroke CD100 in 1984 with the ‘fill it, shut it, forget it’ tagline. And it took the market by storm. While the rest tried to peg their bikes as sporty and attract the youth, the reliability and efficiency of the CD100 proved to be a bigger draw for customers. Later in 1994, the Splendor took over the mantle from CD100 and the legacy continues.

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