[Live To Jive]

Originally Posted by ACMohan

This is an imported scooter BTW

Actually the front sidelights and the key above the speedo were available on the Bajaj Viking, the export version of the chetak. Try and source similar lights for the rear too.

[aswin ajith]

Originally Posted by ACMohan

I reside near Udayamperoor, BTW. Maybe, we can meet someday.

Aha.. We stay very close then. I stay at Tripunithura as well. Eroor to be precise.
Game for the meet.

[Beco]

Though I am always interested in white walled tyres; I also heard that the paint eventually cracks. Amy takes on this?

[ACMohan]

Originally Posted by Live To Jive

Actually the front sidelights and the key above the speedo were available on the Bajaj Viking, the export version of the chetak. Try and source similar lights for the rear too.

Yeah this is an export version. It had the original side indicators at the rear. But was later removed as it often touches the pillion rider's legs.

Originally Posted by aswin ajith

Aha.. We stay very close then. I stay at Tripunithura as well. Eroor to be precise.
Game for the meet.

Yeah sure, we can meet someday.

Originally Posted by Beco

Though I am always interested in white walled tyres; I also heard that the paint eventually cracks. Amy takes on this?

Yeah, the paint cracks. But there's something called white wall tire inserts, I think. You can google that. There are so many sellers on ebay and other similar online marketplace. Cheers.

[MSC]

Excellent rebuild.
It is really good to see Humara Bajaj being rescued. I myself have a Bajaj Classic 95 model which is also rotting in backyard garage. After reading this I too have a feeling that I should rescue it out.
One question for you.
Is the 2 stroke engine oil readily available now also? Frankly speaking I left its maintenance 5 or 6 years ago so not sure if 2 stroke oil is still available or not.

[Asish_VK]

Simply amazing restoration !! Congrats mate.

I too felt the photo with single seat (both front and back) look stunning.
For me the split seat somewhat spoils the look.

If possible you can fabricate and manufacture a single seet like in Vespa S or in Vespa 846 (attached pics) and remove the spare wheel, It will look fab (IMHO)

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by Asish_VK

Simply amazing restoration !! Congrats mate.

I too felt the photo with single seat (both front and back) look stunning.
For me the split seat somewhat spoils the look.

If possible you can fabricate and manufacture a single seet like in Vespa S or in Vespa 846 (attached pics) and remove the spare wheel, It will look fab (IMHO)

Honestly, it will go against the sprit of restoration, rather it would become how I modified my ride. And Bajaj scooters until the very end always came with split seats and the fuel filler in between.

[ACMohan]

Originally Posted by MSC

Excellent rebuild.
It is really good to see Humara Bajaj being rescued.
One question for you.
Is the 2 stroke engine oil readily available now also?

Thank you MSC. Yes, the 2stroke engine oil is readily available at most of the fuel stations. If you're planning to get it restored, this is the best time as the parts are still available with the dealers.

Originally Posted by Asish_VK

Simply amazing restoration !! Congrats mate.
If possible you can fabricate and manufacture a single seet like in Vespa S or in Vespa 846 (attached pics) and remove the spare wheel, It will look fab (IMHO)

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Honestly, it will go against the sprit of restoration, rather it would become how I modified my ride. And Bajaj scooters until the very end always came with split seats and the fuel filler in between.

Totally agreeing with apachelongbow.
Asish, the scooters in the pictures look great though. But, I wanted to keep it in the original form. If I had another Chetak, I would have done that for sure.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok

A relative of mine had kept the same scooter in our backyard for 15 years and recently he sold it off at merely Rs. 1500/- to a scrap dealer. Now I feel I should have rescued it.

Originally Posted by ACMohan

If you're planning to get it restored, this is the best time as the parts are still available with the dealers.

Originally Posted by Beco

I think in Maharashtra; any vehicle older than 15 years, would never be able get re-registered. Nevertheless, people do not bother and still use much older vehicles.

Earlier today I was remembering a locally-registered and quite rare Bajaj Bravo I'd seen a year or two ago and keep meaning to track down the owner of. And now a Bajaj scooter resto thread turns up.

Indeed the scrapyards up here are have been full of them the past several years, and I suppose it's the same all over India. About the time the rest of the world was clamoring over classic Italian / retro-styled Japanese scooters, they fell out of fashion here.

I could've got a classic Lamby from a friend for Rs1,500 in Bangalore (this was over a decade ago now; last time I saw one in Delhi it was being prepped for export; quoted price above a lakh, unrestored).

I spent some time riding a Chetak in S. India a dozen or so years ago and really liked it. Very torquey, could do 95kmph without much fuss, and was more stable at speed than I'd have expected.

The Bravo (reed valve, more bhp, anti-dive front suspension geometry, nicely sculpted speedo / indicators) would seem that much more appealing (though a friend's, new at the time, only managed 25kmph locally).

Here in Manali we can't really get away with riding expired-document two-wheelers. Police station was full of seized ones a couple years ago when they started clamping down on all the old RX's, etc (that's why I had to stop riding the KB100 (Mangalore registered, 1992), though it's still perfect mechanically. Think that was the death knell for a lot of old scooters. Too low of resale value to consider getting a new fitness certificate for.

Great that spares are still available for these Chetaks. The same could not be said for most 30-year-olds (or in the case of my Impulse, even some one-year-olds) in India.

Seems a very practical restoration.

But with air pollution concerns rightly getting a lot of attention these days, would recommend to anyone resurrecting one to use ONLY 2T low-smoke oil, and use it in a leaner mix than what most petrol-bunk wallahs want to put in it. I've never run more than 20-25ml/L in my KB - low smoke, and never had an engine problem.

Thanks,
-Eric

[Asish_VK]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Honestly, it will go against the sprit of restoration, rather it would become how I modified my ride. And Bajaj scooters until the very end always came with split seats and the fuel filler in between.

Originally Posted by ACMohan

Thank you MSC. Yes, the 2stroke engine oil is readily available at most of the fuel stations. If you're planning to get it restored, this is the best time as the parts are still available with the dealers.




Totally agreeing with apachelongbow.
Asish, the scooters in the pictures look great though. But, I wanted to keep it in the original form. If I had another Chetak, I would have done that for sure.

Agree with you guys,
I totally understand it, Forgot about the fuel filler cap
As a restoration, what you did is perfect. Wish you get another Chetak to do what I said

[ACMohan]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Seems a very practical restoration.
But with air pollution concerns rightly getting a lot of attention these days, would recommend to anyone resurrecting one to use ONLY 2T low-smoke oil, and use it in a leaner mix than what most petrol-bunk wallahs want to put in it.
Thanks,
-Eric

Thanks Eric.

Originally Posted by Asish_VK

Wish you get another Chetak to do what I said

Single seats look better on the older vespas, I think.
May your wish come true, BTW.

[basilmabraham]

Job well done... Keep her shining... Bajaj Scooters have a lot of memories tied to them.. it was the prized possession of many families.

We had a Bajaj Super with us, I used ride in the front when I was a kid, moved to the middle between dad and mom later, then moved to the rear seat alone and much later went to college in it. That is the kind of memories I have of our Bajaj. There was lot system to allot the scooters than, and we have to get it from Calicut as the lots for Cochin were all booked.

Soon I bought an RX135 and the scooter was given to a cousin. I left the place after studies, and by the time the feeling to restore it struck me, it was already sold to some scrap dealer.

Good that you did not sell yours, never sell it

[ACMohan]

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

Job well done... Keep her shining...

We had a Bajaj Super with us, I used ride in the front when I was a kid, moved to the middle between dad and mom later, then moved to the rear seat alone and much later went to college in it. That is the kind of memories I have of our Bajaj.

Thanks basilmabraham. I too share a similar story BTW

[RocketRaccoon]

Great ! The red and white Chetak looks superb. It's hard to fathom now but this when I was in class 9, I learned to ride on a Chetak. It was one of Dad's employee's scooter and he took taught me how to ride. Felt like a king that day. Also did my first involuntary wheelie on this baby.

[ShankarG]

Great job ACMohan. Made me nostalgic. I remember as a kid my dad used to hand over the accelerator side handle to me to rotate and it used to give me goosebumps turning that and seeing how the speed increased. The typical electronic buzzer type noise of the horn was another fun factor involved. That was music to ears that time till LML came with its "Keep" sound type horns.
I also remember that using the front brake was very risky as it didn't provide adequate control. hope you have taken care in your restored beauty. Just a silly thought, if you are contemplating changing tyre, try some engineering to add disc brakes
anyway great effort. keep up with the update on your ride with your father and his share of expression. Thanks