After Burner

Indian Motorcycling -

Dawn of a New Era

Indian two wheeler industries have predominately been focussed to the common man or the 300 million people who constitute the middle class of India. Of course for the fact two wheelers have been the preferred mode of transportation of the urban middle class and their families since their inception, but surprisingly it has nothing to do with purchasing power of a developing economy.

The romance of scooters with Indians has been cherished for decades until the sudden socio economic change which made way for motorcycles. Automotive pioneers like Bajaj, produced legends like Chetak, a synonym for maintenance free, cost effective solution to personal transport. It was somewhere in late 80’s when motorcycles were looked upon as a family vehicle rather than the “Bad boy” images it used to carry. Scooter making companies were caught unaware, while it happened, and few survived. I still remember the amusing adverts on Doordarshan, depicting TVS Luna as best family transport for the Indians, back then in 1990. Mind you by this time most of the citizens of developed nations were already enjoying litre class super bikes.

It could all be dismissed, with a blink on the bleak future of the two wheelers in our country. As even today, the majority of two wheelers sales amount to commuter oriented 100CC bikes, and of all the decades old Indian automotive industry we haven’t gone beyond developing a 250CC, single cylinder engine.

But wait, while we were riding our puny, so called “Sports Bikes”, there was a revolution going in our backyard. Back in 1980’s when Bajaj Chetaks were the craze; nobody would have admired your foresight, if you were to tell him that India would be an economy super power and a catalyst of automotive industry in just next three decades.

Coming back to 2009, though the great divide between the East and the West has narrowed, we still crave for true affordable sports bikes. 250CC motorcycles are conceived as beginner’s bikes and city commuters in developed countries. So why haven’t our automotive giants like TVS and Bajaj haven’t produced or more precisely haven’t thought of developing a big capacity engine? Incapability, lack of R&D, technology or funds, you may say, but sadly and fortunately it’s not so. The companies claim, there’s no market in India for such bikes. Few takers do not justify the cost of R&D and production. In fact to an extent, I fear, they are true. It’s a Catch 22 situation, they want the numbers and we want the bikes, but who’s going to take the plunge into unknowns, especially when most of the profits of two wheeler companies come from commuter class bikes.

So what’s in store for those few who have the pockets and the passion for big bikes? Well, at least they are a happy lot, for now; legally they can own the big Busas or CBRs here; what if it comes through CBU channel, or if it costs as high as a small house.

The government have opened doors to importing 1000+CC bikes, by levying a modest (pun intended) 300 to 500% custom duty! Cheaper options remaining include buying a second hand bike from overseas, with just over 100% tax.

There have been some amusing government bartering over legendry Harley Davidson, making inroads to India. “Mango in exchange of motorcycles”, discussions in 2007 led to the government of India, ostentatiously allowing Harley-Davidsons to retail in India in exchange for its US counterpart allowing imports of Alphonsos, the mango variety prevalently called the "king of fruits". It sometimes forces me to ponder over the “Democratic” status of our country!

But while all these rich’s toys were sorted out, we lost trail of the important, so called - “middle class”. So, what happens to young lads in the colleges who dream of enjoying a moderately performing motorcycle, which can be categorised as sports bike without committing a sin?

Well, if you are cash stripped, which most of us are, even with the uttermost priority given to performance, it’s difficult to forget the great Indian question of “mileage kitna milega?” (What’s the mileage?), as well the upfront cost. 200+CC bikes, with at least 20+BHP on tap, are fewer if not totally absent. Bajaj Pulsar 220, remains the most cost effective option, with the new Hero Honda ZMR following suite. Of course in the similar performance range Yamaha offer’s the track tool, known as the YZF-R15, but well at a much higher price.

Closer to the, I might dare say the “Sports Bike”, category, today the only option remains, the Kawasaki Ninja 250, a 33Ps, Fuel Injected bike, capable of speeds in excess of 170Kmph from Bajaj. It’s a step in right direction, but still costs almost 3 lakhs, making it unreachable to the masses. The paragraph would be incomplete without mentioning the Hyosung Comet 250, a competent Korean motorcycle, which gave Indians taste of true biking, well almost!

Motorcycling has created a cult, and if I were to justify that statement, Yamaha RD350s will take the top position. If the wheels spins corded with the bald tyres were not enough, the poor braking will make the rest of this insanely mesmerising machine, these 2-storkes, I say! But the point in question is when an Indian manufacturer will look forward to providing cost effective sports bikes to Indian consumers?

There have been rumours of Bajaj developing a 4 valve, 250 to 300CC mill competent of putting the established 250CC bikes in the world to embarrassment. Whatever the case may be, two wheeler industries are going through a paradigm shift; similar to what happened to cars, a decade back. From the lone Maruti 800, that changed the way Indians looked at four wheelers. The upsurge in the car market changed the mindsets of automotive companies enough, to have their R&D centres in India. Can we expect the same with bikes as well?

The poor state of two wheeler industry can be attributed to part Government, part companies and part “We” the customers. The saving grace is the fact that India remains the second largest market of two wheelers after China and the proactive bikers in our country. It’s a sport, a passion, a method of burning fossil fuel or carrier of “five member family”, it’s here to stay, and only the logic of economics will pave the way ahead.