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4.12 

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Kawasaki

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>>>>unsung hero in its own>>>>>
Apr 25, 2011 11:05 PM 34669 Views

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I am back again on MS wid one more bike review.....


This time I m penning my memoirs n views on kawasaki bajaj kb 100 ie bajaj auto limited first bike... The bike which was different in itself from its competitor on many aspect whether its power, styling or economy....yet was a failed tale in Indian automotive history due to its maker's (bajaj's) then inclination toward scooters..


Well


Before all those customtakeoutory marketing "postmortem".. some flash back memories with this bajaj's very first bike...


1.The Indian market in 80s was flooded with many JV's for motorbikes and bajaj was lagging behind other's because of its negligence of bike prospects as India then was a scooter market in fact initially bajaj had refused honda's JV offer in 83.


But after seeing advance booking of 100 cc indo jap bikes it had decided to form a JV with KAWASAKI HEAVY INDUSTRIES which then were the maker of fastest bike in the world.


2.It was the only 100 cc bike which had featured a tachometer in 80s(only after rajdoot yamaha RD 350 but RD 350 was high end bike)


3.First Indian bike with central locking & fuel gauge.


3.KB in KB 100 meant KAWASAKI BAJAJ


4.Quick acceleration 0-60 in 8.5 seconds (second only after rx 100 in its category)


5.12 volt dc system different from all 100 cc indo-jap bikes who were using 6 volt dc system for electricals.


6.Most aerodynamchandru021y advanced bike in its category..


7.Most stable n balanced ride due to superior delta engine having low friction design.


8.Longest wheel base & brake drum in its class.


9.Only bike then with engine kill switch for emergency control


10.Choke lever at handlebar.


  Well after this differentiation aspect...some look at the conditions prevailing in the market then...


that why despite having such edgy features this bike had got slow response from the biker in India...


 Actually KB 100 was last among the slew of 100 cc launches in the 80s and untill then the urban power hungry rider has got his satisfaction in RX 100 & the econo conscious bikers opted for CD 100...the remaining experimentals who were willing to touch both world feeling opted for the very humble suzuki max 100(IND-SUZUKI AX 100 then)


-Also its advertisement too was very limited considering then bajaj auto's focus on scooters...which in turn had costed them lot and had given HERO HONDA a dominance for over a decade.


-For the period from 1986-90 KB 100 sales primerily were coming from MAHARASTRA, GUJARAT, KARNATAKA


etc and in northern state it was not a jump starter in sales..


-It was only from 1990 onward when bajaj auto's famous chetah advertisement came the sales started rising..offcourse far less compared to RX 100 but yes bikers started opting for this bike too as a serious substitute for RX 100 with more fuel efficiency at the cost of just 1.3 seconds slow throttle response for 0-60.(RX 100 claiming 0-60 in 7.2 seconds & KB for 8.5)


BAJAJ then had tried to create a surge in its demand by offerring zero maintenance for one year offerrings .....


or


making an off road which they claimed india's first dirt bike SX-ENDURO with same KB100 engine as an extension for performence oriented bikers ...with all plastic body


Soon they had also added the fastest stablemate to the KB family the KB 125 in 1996 with more goodies in form of attractive graphics and features....its advertisement too had created wave in 1996 with warning not to immitiate..


Soon when it was looking that KB will come up with its own distinctive edge...


Yamaha too launched its 135 series with RXZ & RX135 and suzuki with shaolin...


as a result again it was fainted with the immagination of the bikers...& finally the launch of CBZ in 1999 was last nail in its prematured death.


BAJAJ too had started focussing on its 4 stroker stablemates like 4s champion & Caliber as the market was dominated by 4 stroker for their fuel efficiency..


>>>>>>>IT WAS ONLY FROM 2002-03 BIKE LOVERS REALISED THAT HOW THIS BIKE WAS DIFFERENT IN ITS OWN<<<<<


Whether it was KB 100's


-CENTRAL LOCKING( Hero Honda putted CENTRAL LOCK only from 1994 In Their SPLENDOR While TVS In 1999 With FIERO OR Yamaha in 1997 with RXZ)


-TACHOMETER( Hero Honda putted Tachometer only from 1999 onwards and that too in cbz which infact was 150 cc whereas tvs in 1993 with shogun , while Yamaha in 1997 with RXZ)


-FUEL GAUGE(Hero honda putted Fuel gauge in 1994 from its Splendor model only while tvs with Fiero in 1999 )


welll@ end my experience with KB 100


I do remember my kiddo days IN UP when while going to school I saw a decent no of KB 100 with engine covers having words DELTA ENGINE engrossed over them...


for the first time I rode KB 100 in 2002 ...& I must say really it was having perfect blend of balance as well as agility ..infact it would have been RX100 closest competitor (prior to SUZUKI SHOGUN )if it had been advertised early.


The cities in which I had saw plenty of KB's r PUNE n MUMBAI with BANGALORE too having some nicely maintained KB's.


My colleague in Delhi is having an 1994 model black KB 100 which I had tried many times whenever I goes to meet him in Punjabi bagh once u started the kick peddal the sound is really mesmerizing one & for sure any one will fall in love with this beauty once he had tried his hand.


I remember how hardly in December 2010 we searched for ring pistons & meter console in karolbagh n finally found that by paying xtra bucks...


But, items like silencer & indicators r hard to find even in scrapyard of Delhi....we had searched a lot


All this was my tribute to this so called failed product


Feel free to comment n share ur experience.


-Ravi



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