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Bajaj recently announced its plans of unveiling the V range of commuter motorcycles on February 1. This brand new commuter motorcycle range will take a completely new approach, filling in the void between the Pulsar and Discover range. While a silhouette was all that Bajaj has revealed for now, here are five things you need to know about the Bajaj V.
1. Dawn of a new genre
Previous spy shots and the video teaser of the V clearly indicate that Bajaj has embarked on a completely new path. Having kickstarted the budget cruiser segment (with the Avenger Street 150), Bajaj now plans to set off a new trend of budget café racers with the V range. While the V motorcycles might not exactly fit the description of traditional café racers, which quintessentially are light and sporty, they should be radical enough to make the customers sit up and take notice.
2. The Navy connection
The biggest talking point of the Bajaj V range, apart from the distinctive appearance, is their connection to the INS Vikrant. Inducted into the Indian Navy in 1961, the INS Vikrant played a pivotal role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. After it was decommissioned and eventually dismantled, Bajaj purchased the metal of the INS Vikrant, processing it to be a part of the new V range of bikes. This, Bajaj claims, is an attempt to preserve the legacy of the iconic aircraft carrier. Nostalgic enough?
3. Limited production cycle
It is pretty obvious that the limited amount of metal obtained from the INS Vikrant would not be sufficient to guarantee a lifetime supply of raw material for the V range. Hence, these models will have limited production cycle of just three years. In a country where motorcycles continue to sell for more than a decade without any major upgrade, this might strike out as quite unusual, and to some extent unprofitable. But that is a price that Bajaj seems to be ready to pay.
4. Cycle parts
While the Bajaj V looks nothing like the rest of the Bajaj range, it does borrow a few parts from here and there. The chassis looks like an altered version of the Avenger’s double cradle type frame and even the other cycle parts like suspension, wheels and brakes all have been borrowed from the Avenger. The V range is expected to be offered in different iterations like V150 and V125, powered by air-cooled single cylinder DTS-i engines. The aesthetic components like headlamp fairing, fuel tank and rear panels will get completely different styling to suit the bike’s character.
5. Positioning
The V range of commuters will fulfil Bajaj’s two-pronged approach of placing two models in a single market space. Despite their ‘exclusive’ tag, the V range will be positioned below the Pulsar, sharing the market space with the Discover range of commuter bikes. While the Discover carries the image of an executive commuter motorcycle, the V will be a more upmarket and aspirational brand with a wider target audience.
