Oct 21, 2002 07:44 PM
20551 Views
(Updated Oct 21, 2002 07:45 PM)
Further reading https://jaganpvs.tripod.com/Devil.htm
Its nice to see reviews written by other KB100 Owners. I have been searching for years on the net and never came to see anything similar.
I had briefly used one of the KB100s in 94 before I bought my first bike. The bike that I used temporarily was a ''KB100 RTZ Delta''. When my turn came to buy a bike, for various reasons I decided to go for a KB100. But when I bought the bike I found out there has been a name change. It was no longer Kawasaki Bajaj KB100 RTZ. Instead it was merely ''Bajaj RTZ''. There was no mention of the word Kawasaki written or embossed anywhere on the bike at all. Aparently Kawasaki's license ran out and Bajaj bought out the aircraft under its own name.
After I bought the bike and started comparing it with others (As part of my cognitive dissonance reducing behavior) I could not help notice that the RTZ's design was actually quite ahead of the others by years. Considering it was a 80s design, there were several features that beat its nearest rivals like the Ind Suzuki, RX100 or the CD100. First and foremost was the looks. Anyday it was more better looking than the others with its longer wheelbase , Squarish looks, three piece chasis. The Central Handle Lock cum ignition was something unheard off for a decade till Hero Honda bought out the splendor. Now the Instrument Console - that was a beauty to speak. Besides the speedo, it had a Tacho meter, fuel meter and four different indicator lights. Not until the Shogun came was a tachometer standard fitment. Fuel meters too were unheard of in the INdian motorbikes. the 12V electrical system was a winner too, beating the 6V electrics of the RX100.
The Rider's geometry was the best. the triangular position of holding the handlebar, seat, and the footrest was the best that they could have come up with and is best even now. it meant you can lean the bikes on the curves as you were part of it.
The switches were great. It was the first bike to have an Engine Kill switch, which meant you need not move your hand from the holding position to the ignition key to kill the engine. There was a cute parking light feature, and the Choke lever was at your left thumb position. Again very ergonomic. Older KBs came with an inbuilt helmet lock that was fixed to the rear shock absorber.
The seat however sucked. It was a royal P-I-A. I guess they made it for the japanese sizes rather than indian sizes!
How did the bike perform? The Quality control of Bajaj was bad. Every third bike had a distinctive shrill coming from the engine that could never be traced out. Fuel consumption was okay in the begining 42kmpl, but by 10000 km, it was returning excellent figures of 51kmpl in city traffic and 55kmpl on higheways. Speedwise it could never beat the RX. The top speed I ever got was around 95-97km, the bike was vibrating so badly that it got me scared. maybe the engine on my bike was a dud one.
I loved the bike because it was my first one. Now after Seven years (Feb 95- Feb 2002), The bike covered 100800 kms. Out of this period, it was offroad for nearly an year as I was out of the country. It had had three major engine overhauls. The first overhaul was at around 65000km, which the regular bajaj showroom chaps botched up. It never was good. then I found a good mechanic who did a second overhaul at aorund 73000km. There was no looking back till 92000km, when I screwed up by forgetting to fill in 2T oil.
Till date the bike has done 105000km. I plan to use it till 161000km (100000miles) and see how it lasts. thats another four years of riding!. The verdict? If you find a good mechanic, then go for the bike. Spares are cheap (Jai Bajaj) and the pleasure is immense!
