Mar 26, 2005 08:33 PM
41575 Views
(Updated Dec 14, 2006 06:11 PM)
Last year (2003) I decided to buy a bike and selected Bajaj 4 stroke scooter.
My logic:
a) Luggage space
b) 4 stroke is the immediate future.
c) Spares for Bajaj scooters was never a problem.
I wish I could affirm the spares part advantage today. Within a year of purchase, I had problems with the starter coils shorting in the monsoon. To my horror, I found the spare was available only at one particular authorized service center and that too, not for general sale. ie. they would replace the coil only if I serviced the bike at their center. Fortunately, I did not have to replace any other part since then. However, between then and now I found out that while spares for the 2-stroke bajaj scooters are readily available everywhere, spares for the Bajaj 4 stroke scooter are not available in the open market. You have to go to the authorized service center and pray they have in stock whatever spares you require
Brake power: The scooter uses small size drum brakes. This results in very poor breaking which when coupled with small sized tyre, means you will skid and fall 100% of the time. Disaster awaits if you apply brakes when your speed is in excess of 40 Kmph!
Road Grip: Small tyres also mean poor road grip. In the monsoon, you have to drive at a leisurely pace of 20 Kmph anything more than that and you could easily skid.
Poor riding comfort for pillion rider: While riding comfort for the driver is ok, the same cannot be said for the pillion rider. If the pillion rider sits with legs on either side of the bike he/she soon complains of aches and pains in the pelvis region. The sitting position is quite unnatural.
Left side storage space: The right side of the scooter houses the engine and the left side has a tool box cum storage compartment. Although this allows you to utilize the space, the access to that space is via a small opening at the top. So if you have purchased say a box of apples, you have to put them in one at a time!
Foot brake: A dangerous feature. In India, the ground reality is that the scooter is used to transport light weight goods. Goods are placed in the front between the drivers legs. Very often the goods placed between the drivers legs will not allow free access to the break pedal. This could lead to extremely dangerous situations. I don’t have a solution to this particular design flaw. The company engineers should put their heads together and come up with a solution to it.
Awkward height: The seat of the Bajaj Scooter 4 stroke is much higher than that of the bikes (HEro Honda etc). So unless you are tall (almost 6 feet), the moment you stop the scooter, it tilts to one side.
Mileage: Humm… maybe about 25 to 30 Kmpl (Mumbai traffic) So sometime this year, I will be quietly selling off my scooter.
