Jan 12, 2005 12:37 AM
5574 Views
(Updated Jan 12, 2005 12:53 AM)
Enough and more articles have been ridden about the bullet so that you know when you meet a bulleteer that you will find a man besotted with his bike.
But why : It has very poor reliability.You will most likely find that one or two parts fall off after teh first month of purchase(in fact its reccomended that you tighten all nuts and bolts once you buy it).The bullet is not a very fast vehicle compared to others on the indian market and it handles like a sick elephant........
Coming back to the question, what makes the bullet so attractive even now when by all accounts it should have been confined to the dustbin of history.
I have asked myself this question frequently.The only plausible reason I can come up with is ''presence''. The bullet was made when the British Empire though on the vane had imparted a spirit of enterprise and determination rarely ever seen before in the world.It was the time when the phrase ''The sun never sets on the British empire'' was making its rounds.
The bullet expemplified this period.It belonged to a category of vehicles that needed to take harsh punishment but still keep going.It was a vehicle that could be repaired even when far away from supply routes.Basically it had to be as close to indestructible as a bike could get then.However the build quality ensued that you would be repairing this thing often.
So is it justified to buy a bullet just based on its charm.Well I guess it would be as justified as buying a karizma because of its looks and speed(even though there are only a handful of places you can drive it without hitting a cow/dog/paanwalla/drunk pedestrian/your friendly cyclist who believes in only traveling on the wrong side of the road)
So evolved the bullet.Making the vehicle with all its toughness showed up in the build of the vehicle. A person buying this vehicle feels a kinship with that aura that it generates that come what may I will keep going.This aura is evident to anyone. A friend of mine who owns a bullet in kentucky once remarked that though harley riders would scoff at japanese cruisers they would still respect the retro looks and charm of the bull.
So are these vehicles keeping their presence but gettin better.Well steps have been taken towards that direction but the problems still remain.You are less likley to have teh silencer fall off on you mid trip but still can expect to have oil on your pants if you don't know how to use a wrench.
In short the bullet is popular because of what it signifies.The styling won't change , it can't.They may introduce new models but at best they would be poor seconds to cruisers that are to hit the indian market.I believe that Enfield will keep attracting people who want the presence of the bullet no matter what is to hit the market.
