[Tushar]

If they do bring back the Chetak I'm quite sure it will be renamed. The Chetak is a legendary name, but a new product with that name will narrow your market down to an older audience. The problem is breaking the Activa. The same way Maggi became synonymous with noodles, the Activa has become a knee jerk purchase.

Bajaj has done what Tata did with the Indigo CS. Rebuilding that name may be possible, but your rivals have already chomped up your share.

[extreme_torque]

The sarcasm on the thread is unwarranted. Bringing back Chetak doesn't mean that they will bring it in the same shape, form and technology. It will be bringing back the Chetak brand name but in a throughtly modern product and I don't see any problems with the strategy.

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Bringing back Chetak doesn't mean that they will bring it in the same shape, form and technology.

I certainly hope so, the few times I rode one, never liked the ride quality.
But, yes in another age and time - this was the vehicle that India moved on - before being displaced by Hero Honda.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

It will be bringing back the Chetak brand name but in a throughtly modern product and I don't see any problems with the strategy.

Me in my late 30s, remember my dad having waited for a booking and fortuitously getting a resale from another state. And of course the "Hamara Bajaj" adverts that used to run.
I'm not sure if the newer generation will have an emotional link to the brand name.

[Gansan]

It used to have a waiting list of eight years in the mid eighties! If you book by paying forex (USD 500), you got it in two!

No PDI by customer those days! A vehicle will be allotted to you, and you took it joyfully! Applied to cars as well as two wheelers! People will take delivery of an Amby, and gleefully drive it straight to a workshop to spot weld and reinforce at strategic points for long life of the car. Nobody thought anything was amiss! It was just accepted as the way things were!

[anjan_c2007]

When the Kids Bajaj decided to quit the scooter segment nearly more than a decade ago, Papa Bajaj, the then "Scooter King of India" (we have the King of Rock'n Roll, King of Pop, Queen of Pop and so on) was scratching his head in despair and told Kids Bajaj not to quit a lucrative segment. The Kids were adamant and the King might have shed a teardrop or two, in isolation, when his veto power if any, was not at all working.

Its good if Kids Bajaj have realised their folllies and have decided to return back to the battlefield, riding their Chetak.

The fit and finish of the later Bajaj scooters ( 4 strokes ) Legend, Wave, Kristal and the others was awful compared to the Japanese competition. The quality niggles many customers faced made them wary.

A fresh beginning on a new slate would help Bajaj tap this market.

[carfreak7]

Bajaj will reintroduce the Chetak for the middle-aged and old people because Bajaj doesn't have anything which are specifically for that age group. Almost all their bikes have wacky graphics and almost all Bajaj bikes are targeting the young group.

The Chetak could look like the Eterno and Bajaj may try to slim it down. They shouldn't change the looks because we have a fixed opinion about the Chetak and changing it's looks would not be favorable for the market.

Bajaj could capture the scooter market if they price their scooter lower than the competition and if they improve the fit and finish which could be compared to it's Japanese competitors.

[pgsagar]

Times have moved on. Can reborn Chetak fight mighty Honda which has decimated competition? Even fellow Japanese and equally competent Suzuki Access failed to make any dent in Activa sales. Here I am hoping that Bajaj would launch automatic scooter. Because geared scooter is long dead. Even mighty Honda failed miserably with its geared offering Eterno.

BTW, old Chetaks were simple machines but needed constant attention. Clutch, throttle and brake cables took turns at breaking one after another and everyone carried spare cables . And a spark plug spare, too, because the two stroke engine drenched plug in oil and it shot out or God knows what had happened but spark plug change was also regular. None of these were needed on Activa. We were among first to buy Activa in 2001 when it was launched and we got bored with it and replaced with purple Dio launched in 2012. But 11 years useage saw not a single cable breakage.

I remember the first-off torque of Chetak though. Damn thing would do wheelie at slightest over input. In fact many fell off, caught off guard by that centre-stand jumping wheelie. But all that torque would peter out pretty fast. The intial wheelie would have you believe that this thing would accelerate all the way to 150 or so but the thing would max out at 80 kph at which speed it would be screaming its guts out and would be belching a thick white smoke and would give out smell of unburnt fuel and 2T oil.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

When the Kids Bajaj decided to quit the scooter segment nearly more than a decade ago, Papa Bajaj, the then "Scooter King of India" (we have the King of Rock'n Roll, King of Pop, Queen of Pop and so on) was scratching his head in despair and told Kids Bajaj not to quit a lucrative segment. The Kids were adamant and the King might have shed a teardrop or two, in isolation, when his veto power if any, was not at all working.

Its good if Kids Bajaj have realised their folllies and have decided to return back to the battlefield, riding their Chetak.

Disgree. At the time it was a good decision. Scooter volumes were dwindling and small motorcycles had them beat on comfort and mileage both. It is because of that decision, Bajaj is a force to be reckoned with in the motorcycle segment.

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

The fit and finish of the later Bajaj scooters ( 4 strokes ) Legend, Wave, Kristal and the others was awful compared to the Japanese competition. The quality niggles many customers faced made them wary.

I wonder which japanese scooters are you talking about here? Even the tech pioneer Honda had to develop a side mounted four stroke engine to counter Bajaj at the time. Legend was a great scooter but it failed not because the product itself had issues but the geared scooter segment itself was going down and it was the same with every manufacturer be it TVS, Honda, LML, not just Bajaj.

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

A fresh beginning on a new slate would help Bajaj tap this market.

Where Bajaj lost the plot was not being able to make a desirable automatic scooter to counter the Activa from Honda. But then again Activa is still the scooter to beat as far as volumes are considered. Honda is still the king when it comes to automatic scooter segment with others being an "also ran". That little 110cc engine is an ultra reliable silky smooth operator and has the same cult status as the Soichiro designed 100 cc engine still being used by Hero in their most volume generating bikes.

[Mafia]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

The fit and finish of the later Bajaj scooters ( 4 strokes ) Legend, Wave, Kristal and the others was awful compared to the Japanese competition. The quality niggles many customers faced made them wary.

.

Got to disagree here. I am not sure of the Waves first iteration, the DTSI engine wave fit finish and quality was on par with Activa of the day. And I guess Bajaj A.S.S is slightly better than Honda from what I hear from friends.

I still own a 10 year old (Cant sell it anyway ) wave and the niggles and problems remain minor.

That said, Bajaj's inconsistency in maintaining models is scary as a customer because the resale dies with the model.

[D4D]

Honestly, they're missing out on market share due to lack of scooters. With a very good brand pull and good engines, what's really stopping them from making new ones?

I wouldn't revive the Chetak brand name. Simply because it's a legend. Imagine HM launching a modern new car and calling it "Ambassador"

There are so many other funky names they can use.

[funkykar]

Would be a very welcome scene. Brand Bajaj not only made good 2 wheelers, but is so Nostalgic for so many Indians.

Such relaunches can tank badly if not having ingredients from present market requirements. Hope they are ultra careful and get it right.

[anilp]

Ah, a Chetak that does not "lean" and has a functional front brake. And yes, electric start with easy wheelie popping. Sweet dreams are made of these...

[GTO]

Bajaj denies any comeback in the scooter segment.

Source:

Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj debunked any notion of the two-wheeler maker planning to make scooters again, given the huge growth in scooters in the country and the company's past history as a market-leading scooter seller.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by GTO

Bajaj denies any comeback in the scooter segment.

Source:

From what I hear from social contacts, its been an area of strife historically between father and son.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by ebonho

From what I hear from social contacts, its been an area of strife historically between father and son.

Doc,

Honestly I don't think it will sell if they were to launch it. They sold during those days only due to a hard lambretta, an inefficient Vijay (Fuel) and license Raj.

Even if they had not stopped production, Chetak would have bit the dust when faced with Honda. Activas deliver more mileage when compared to Chetak (*Obvious to the fact that Chetak is a 2 stroker and Activa is a 4 stroker. But you know how the typical buyer would look at it. )