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There was a time when the motorcycle ruled the roost in the middle-class Indian household. It was a position that was wrested from the humble scooter. Today, we see both the two-wheelers existing side by side in a household. The reason being the changing buying behaviour. The scooter in its refreshed avatar has caught the fancy of the Indian buyer with the features, colours and utility value. So here are six reasons why the scooter has become the need of an Indian family today.
Family scooter
The early scooter advertisements showed a family of four cramped on a single two-wheeler but happily on their way to their destination. Today at least two members of the same family will prefer to have their own scooter. Unlike a car, the two-wheeler is not really an asset but you could prove otherwise by increasing its usage. It’s the apt vehicle for office commute or for a youngster’s college runs.The women get to use it for the endless shopping trips, the school pick-ups and more. So you see, the scooter is a 24x7, family utility vehicle.
Storage space
We go by the adage ‘bada hai toh behtar hai’ in cars, at least. For scooters, you determine it by the size of the underseat storage. There is a decent amount of storage under the seat, in which you could easily fit in a half-face helmet. Other than this, there is space left to keep your small bags and vehicle’s papers. There are a couple of scooters in the market that offer some really practical features like the storage light and charging point under the seat. The scooter footboard can easily accommodate two big bags from the retail store and the hook will prevent the bags from falling off.
Ease of use
The scooters have low seat height as compared to the motorcycles, so it is easy for each family member to get on and off the scooter. This also helps the rider keep their feet on the ground and that’s the most important requirement while riding. Planted feet inspire confidence, which affects the overall riding experience. Also, because of the space between the handle bar and seat, it is easy for women wearing saris or any other traditional dress to get on it. The handlebar too, is quite low, which makes the scooter easy to ride in traffic and everywhere else. Taking off the scooter from the main and side stand doesn’t require much effort. Also, it offers hassle-free parking.
Styling
The scooters are priced on par with motorcycles in India, if we are just talking about mass market products. However, the overall design language of the scooters is much better than the geared two-wheelers. The scooters are pretty to look at, if not striking. Some of the scooters get a unisex design approach – a way to cater to a wider audience and these are the same scooters that sell the most. Also, don’t forget the wide range of attractive bright colours the scooters comes in.
CVT gearbox (Continuous Variable Transmission)
All the scooters sold in India are gearless, which basically means that the rider doesn’t have to operate the clutch. The transmission used on these scooters is CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission) which gets just one gear that is variable across the range. All you have to do is twist the throttle and you will notice a change in engine speed. The throttle response is smooth and there are no jerks involved, making the riding experience quite pleasurable. Even if you twist the throttle completely, the speed is built up over a rev range. When it comes to braking, there is no foot brake involved, leaving your feet to rest on the footboard.
…and there is more
While this topic could be a small part of the scooter ownership, it proves to be a vital one. Riding a motorcycle in the rains might wet your shoes and the trousers due to the exposed front. This is why you will see lot of people selling rectangular cardboards, which is fitted on the leg guard. In case of scooters, you don’t need to do any kind of roadside fitment. The design of the scooter prevents mud from splashing all over your body and that makes your life easy during rains.
On the safety front, children are not exposed to exhaust burns on scooters as it is placed under the body at the rear-lower end of the scooter. The exhausts on motorcycles are quite visible and could tend to be dangerous if there are small kids in the household.
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