On a web search read this news : ‘Deputy
Commissioner under section 144 Cr.PC has imposed ban on plying of unregistered
without number plates motorcycles as well as on driving without wearing helmets
by the motorcyclists.’ Anyone found violating this order shall be proceeded
against under section 188 …… As you
go to any city and travel on the main roads, you see so many automobiles and
certain to see lot of two-wheelers…. Some are macho machines but most offer
easier commutation between workplace and home and bought because they are
economical. The middle class Indians
want more value for their money – cannot afford to buy, maintain and travel by
car and hence most travel by two wheelers …… the world of mopeds, scooters and
motor-cycles – things have changed a lot, I must say !!
In mid 1980s we could see on road - Kawasaki
Bajaj, Ind-Suzuki, Raj-Yamaha, Hero-Honda …… and before that there were only
Enfield (Bullet,200…) Jawa (later Yezdi), Rajdoot ; Lambretta, Vijay, Vespa and
(hamara) Bajaj (scooters) and Luna and Suvega mopeds (before TVS ventured and
took the market by storm)
A motorcycle by
definition could include two or even 3 wheeled vehicles used for varied
purposes and could include scooters, mopeds, motorized bicycles and the like. By some yardstick, on a bike you sit as one
would straddle a horse ~ on a scooter, you sit with legs firmly planted on the
floor bird. Scooters have smaller wheels and smaller engines….. in motor cycles
the power is conveyed from engine to drive by way of chain – where as scooters
are shaft driven………. Now you have so
many varieties of motorcycles (scooters and moped) on road – and with recent
emission norms, no two-stroke engines are on road. Vespa, Bajaj, Lamby are out
of the market with Honda Activa, TVS Pep, Mahindra, Pleasure and the like
ruling the roost. Maruti 800 was to
afford the middle class the reach and Tata Nano was to be 1 lakh car………..but
there are two-wheelers which cost more than some most bought cars on road.
In mid 1980s Japanese collaboration stormed
the market and we saw Suzuki, Kawasaki ,
Honda, Yamaha (British) and the like
entering the segment with Indian collaboration. In between there have been sport bikes and
some beasts like - Confederate X 132 Hellcat – on which I had posted earlier..
Do you know that Koreans also have entered 2 wheeler
market (in car segment already Hyundai is doing well) - Korean motorcycle
manufacturer Hyosung now owned by S&T Motors has ventured into the
middleweight motorcycle space in India with its Indian partner
Garware Motors to cater to the enthusiast buyers. Hyosung has 5 Bikes models
available in India .
The available models are Hyosung, Hyosung GD, Hyosung GV250, Hyosung Gt,
Hyosung ST7, Hyosung GV650, . The minimum priced model of Hyosung is Hyosung GD
priced at Rs 110000. The other day happened to see one new vehicle
at EA mall in Chennai ….named ‘Aquila ’… Aquila is a constellation in the northern sky. Its name
is Latin for 'eagle' and it represents the bird who carried Zeus/Jupiter's
thunderbolts in Greco-Roman mythology. Aquila
is a bird in the genus of true eagles.
Understand that Hyosung
bikes were launched in India
by Garware about a couple of years ago ….the initial launches were GT650R, a
focused sports bike, and ST 7, a bike specifically targeted as a cruiser. The one seen at Express Avenue Mall is ‘4 stroke; 8 valve,
647 cc water cooled engine; with a mass of 240 kg – priced at around Rs.6.50
lakhs….. whether one would buy a 2 wheeler at the price more than that
of standard cars on road is no Q – as there is easy market for such bikes.
The news of ban in plying unregistered vehicles without
number plates and compulsory wearing of helmets pertains to Peshavar and it
read that violators would be proceeded against under Sec 188 PPC.
Interesting !!
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
28th Dec 2013.
Steve made it easy for us by stopping and taking questions. Loved it. wellington electric bikes
ReplyDeleteIn fact, just 15kms northeast of Bangkok, through the Lad Krabang shortcuts towards Prachinburi are some brilliant, curvy roads among rice fields, coconut trees and smiling locals. Asia motorcycle touring here
ReplyDelete