Jun 23, 2007 01:21 PM
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This review is not only based on the Crux, it is also based on the Libero, the Gladiator, the Fazer as well as the recently crowned "Alba".
Let us give an example synonymous with Tennis. Roger Federer is the undisputed king of grasscourts in our time, and Rafael Nadal is the undisputed king of claycourts. Expecting one to defeat the other on their favourite surface is not going to work.
During the'80s and the early'90s there were some bike companies in India that had the following charateristics:
1) Yamaha - This was the power-rider. Built to excite the rider. Speed / pickup / style / the show-off component were its hallmarks and its legacy.
2) Hero Honda - The ultimate fuel-stigy bike. Made a statement "Fill it, shut it, forget it!". It was also known for reliability.
3) Bajaj - Now these fellows were flexible. They might not have had the best products, but they also had good features. They had a mileage vehicle(KB4S Champion) as well as a power-vehicle(KB100 RTZ).
4) Suzuki - People loved this all-rounder. First dubbed Ind-Suzuki, then TVS-Suzuki. Also had some style variants like the Shogun and the Samurai(believe me, even now in Bangalore this bike is common) and the Shaolin(which was a tragedy!).
5) Bullet / Yezdi - More for a kind of "Royal" or "macho" feel.
So these were the USPs of all these bikes and that is what helped them grab the hearts(and purses) of the matter.
Then came the "2-stroke ban" by the government. Led to the close of manufacturing of all 2-stroke vehicles. Let us see how they all adapted to this.
1) Hero Honda - They never had to adapt. 4-stroke "stingy" bikes were their legacy, they continued it.
2) Bajaj - Now they adapted well. They had a bike for almost anyone. They had a very good vehicle called Wind, then Pulsar sold well, Avenger was not bad. CT100 sold more than Splendor in 2005 alone(however the honours were reclaimed in 2006). Full marks to them for adapting power and mileage bikes.
3) Suzuki - These fellow had a very good start in the sense that they brought in a good power-bike(Fiero) and a good execuive bike(Victor). They also had mileage vehicles, but they didn't have the style component. Apache seems to make up for it, so they actually adapted on the long run.
4) Bullet - Continued in the same way as in the'80s.
5) Honda - Now allowed to sell in Indian markets directly, they face stiff competition. But they are undisputed champs in reliability / smoothness.
6) Now for the Yam.
Yam is synonymous with power. Yam is supposed to win all the trafic light GPs. Known for its pickup, aggressiveness like a leopard. Lightweight, can wriggle its way through any snarl.
Compare all these features with the Libero / Crux etc.
For a start, why would one want to have two 125cc's with apparently little or no difference between them? Now consider the Hero Honda. They have two 150+ccs. The Achiever is the one for the mileage fellas, and the CBZ-Xtreme is the one for the power fellas. Riding the two has an enormous difference. But the same thing doesn't exist when riding a Gladiator and a Fazer. The only difference is in the gears. Why should we have the Libero, the Crux as well as the Alba that have no difference in their characteristics!?
YAM SHOULD LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES
Why can't they bring out a 150cc? Or a 180cc? Why should they have 3 100-odd ccs and two 125ccs? Fazer 250 is the other extreme. If you want to recreate the magic of the rx of the 80s, you should bring something that has the same speed and pickup as the rx100(if not better).
Shocking! I hope their board is listening and brings in a 150cc or a 180 that would bring back glory to Yam.
I'm getting reminded of West Indies cricket whenever I see these 100cc 4s Yams. It is NOT their segment. You are made for better things. You are an eagle. Don't fly like a chicken(or in the case of Alba, chick).
I'm open to your comments.
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