Oct 01, 2002 04:24 PM
28915 Views
(Updated Oct 01, 2002 04:24 PM)
There are so many bikes in the market. But all of them don’t deserve to be bought. To be practical, one can own, at the most two bikes isn’t it? There have been real winners like the Splendor, Fiero, Passion, CBZ, Eliminator and Pulsar to mention a few. At the same time there have been many a losers in the market and one such loser in my book is “Bajaj Boxer”. For a company that created a revolution in the scooter world and has given a legend in Eliminator, the Boxer comes as a mediocre bike. Aimed largely at mileage and price, the bike has lost itself in many other aspects. I would like to talk about the bike and help you decide on it.
Basically, the styling of the Bajaj Boxer, is poor. I say it with such firmness because, this bike doesn’t even beat the CD 100 in terms of styling. In an era where bikes are out with slazzy designs and marvellous styling, this bike is out to satisfy just the basic biking needs. Well, if a bike was supposed to have just two wheels, a fuel tank, an engine, a meter pod with usual accessories , then why on earth would so many variants be out. Because it is not so. To call something a bike, it should have a basic styling. But that has not been the case here. A very mediocre look to a bike that has an unprotected head and tail lamps. The body is up with not much acclaimed paint, leave alone chrome. Coming to the meterpod, it is really slapstickish to say the least. Well, let me tell you something; if you are a person who loves high-tech electricals, nice body and style, don’t even have a sniff at this one. The Boxer is a far cry from being a stylized bike.
While very cheap and fragile plastics are used on the body, the build isn’t good either. The single downtube cradle chassis maybe strong enough to carry the 107 kg unit but I strongly doubt the strength of the forks and shock absorbers. We all know the condition of Indian roads. The bike is really not capable of handling bumps, pits and potholes. A great sense of pain is experienced by the rider in such situations. This doesn’t present a good picture of the bike.
The Bajaj Boxer is equipped with a 97.2 cc engine that transmits a power of 7.5 bhp. But I feel, a scooter is a lot better when it comes to generating power. This engine is simply not capable. And that can be credited to the fact that it hasn’t been designed well. The Engine is not capable of providing enough acceleration to get the feel of a bike. Unfortunately, the engine breaks down when put to stern tests.
As the engine, so is the performance. The performance is very poor considering the fact that 60kmph is the maximum speed at which the bike is steady. Anything above this, the vibrations can be felt by the rider clearly. Such is the plight of the engine. The braking is good but not excellent. It is alright for shorter commutes but a long ride is definitely not advisable.
Riding comfort? Don’t even think of it. The seat is simply not upto the mark. Narrow and short seats just don’t accommodate two people spaciously. Moreover, the shock absorbers being inefficient only means that riding is all the more uncomfortable.
The only area where the vehicle emerges a winner is the mileage. Giving an average of 80 kmpl on Indian roads is awesome. The price being low is an added advantage. But whats the point! You don’t get the joy of riding a bike.
Conclusively, I can say that the Bajaj Boxer is just not the bike one would prefer. It is hard for the whole bike community to accept the fact that this bike is bettered by a scooter in terms of performance. Really, this bike is bringing shame to the whole concept of bike fame. I would like to say that this bike simply wont fit into the scheme of things. So, just forget about the plan of buying the Boxer, which is a mere loser.
