Introduction
India has a rich history of Iconic Two wheelers prowling the city streets at some point in time, Years gone by have made some Machines icons of the Indian Two wheel Industry. They are still remembered as pioneers of the industry, paving the way for creating the World’s Largest Two Market in Terms of Sales.
For this blog, we have selected one such scooter which has stood the test of time as it has made a comeback Recently, yes we have to talk about the Iconic Bajaj Chetak.
Named After the Legendary Horse of Warrior Rana Pratap Singh, the iconic two-wheeler “Chetak”… Once upon a time when Two Stroke Motorcycles ruled the Market, Bajaj was secretly making a plan to rule the Indian two Wheeler market…
There was A Plan to introduce a majestic Scooter that Will rule the roads in the future, A scooter that can become an affordable means of transport for a middle-class family.
With this Thought in Mind – A Legend was Born – Called The “Bajaj Chetak”
When Chetak was launched, the scooter market was lagging behind the Motorbikes in terms of power and presence. Most scooters at the time were small and low on Power, then came Chetak, It Instantly Captured the Market.
Families, Youth everyone took a liking to the scooter, and it became one of the most Successful Vehicles of its Generation.
The Success
Its Dynamic Presence, Amazing Pickup, Power, and Plenty of Storage made it an Immensely Attractive Package for everyone. It became a fantastic Two-Wheeler alternative for millions of Indian middle-class families.
Even though motorbikes were the preferred option for Dynamic Riding, a new segment full of practical buyers got hooked on the Bajaj Chetak. Chetak became the life of the Road.
Even though the Power Figures Were Impressive. A 150cc Two Stroke Engine; 7.5bhp of Power @5500 rpm; 10.8 Nm of Torque @ 3500 rpm with a Top speed of 90kmph, NO One Could Match the Chetak when it came to practicality.
Chetak Was A success, It Had Fan Following that was Unmatched at one point.
The Legend Ruled the Indian Market Before one fine day the decline started and eventually the sales of the scooter collapsed.
The Downfall
Although Chetak had excellent sales figures, the gradual downfall was in the offering, why did the People who Swore by Chetak at one point in time, Abandon the idea of owning such an iconicVehicle?
As we researched this, we found out,
The Downfall of Chetak, started when New regulations came about in the ’90s. Due to the sudden rise in pollution, 4-stroke technology was introduced, this led to competition/ aspiration to make next-generation cost-effective option for everyone, the competition gave birth to next-gen manufacturers creating a new breed of Vehicles, that were modern looking, affordable, easy to manage, cool vehicles.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW POLLUTION NORMS,
the new generation started looking for two-wheelers, Motorbikes such as Splendor, and Pulsar, and companies such as TVs came about, created next-gen products,they were powerful, cost-effective, and appealing to the new generation of buyers in terms of design.
The new norms to control pollution, fading design, the power difference, and new competition made their way into the heart and minds of the new generation of earning buyers.
In the late 90s and early 2000s when people could afford Next Gen Bikes, Funky New 4 Stroke Scooters, and Affordable 4 Wheel Options, the older gen scooter such as Bajaj became obsolete in the minds of potential buyers.
With Time, Chetak lagged in terms of design and technology, the lack of upgradation and the plethora of options that were made available in the ’90s, led to a disaster-like situation for the Chetak, the Icon became old, it lacked in compliance with new Norms, obsolete in terms of design, and lost its affordability advantage.
Even Though a New Generation 4 Stroke Model of Chetak was Released, later on, it was too late, people had already moved on to bigger and better Vehicles.
The Sales figure of the Chetak gradually declined and Bajaj finally pulled the plug on the Icon.
In 2005-6, Bajaj stopped the production of the Scooter. After Ruling the Roads for 25 Years. Chetak Said its goodbye to the Indian Two Wheeler Market.
The Future and Surprise Rebirth 2.0
As the bajaj group moved forward, Rajiv Bajaj, the Young leader of the company, decided to bring back the Legend once again to the Roads, The Time had come to introduce Chetak to the Current generation of Buyers and Ignite a Rebirth of a Forgotten Legend.
The Scooter was the Pride of Bajaj, It had to Rise, And then it happened, The Chetak was Back,
It was officially launched in a new avatar, the New Version of Chetak was an EV(Electric Vehicle) Version 2.0. Keeping in line with the demand for new-age Electric vehicles, the Chetak is designed as next Gen premium Electric scooter offering.
The next Product looks great and offers a lot to the next generation of buyers,
The Hamara Bajaj is Back, this time to Rule the Indian Market Once Again.
