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-   -   Will Manual Scooters ever return? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/203326-will-manual-scooters-ever-return-2.html)

There is another angle to it ... most of the trademarks and brand names are still owned by the parent companies and I believe they are unlikely to allow anyone else to use them. Smaller potential market for something that was a budget mode of personal commute (for the common man) back then is unlikely to allow the re-builder to fetch a high premium and hence they can't really negotiate with the parent company and agree to pay a high royalty. Lower royalty is of no interest to the parent.

I have seen folks getting their (or their parents') old scooter and motorcycles completely revamped or redone and kept in running condition for the nostalgia/childhood memories factor.

TVS launched a gearless (or rather clutchless I think) motorcycle named Jive back in 2009 or 2010 I believe. It was not very well received and was discontinued soon after.

Believe it was too early for the time and there might be a market for similar motorcycles now. Riders who might not want to deal with harsh riding experience of scooters and also don't want to give up convenience of automatics might prefer these motorcycles.

What a time to bring up this thread? Even though I learnt to ride a bike first, Chetak holds a special place in my heart. My uncle owns a Chetak and it is now sitting and gathering dust in his shed for the past 8 years.

Only yesterday I was telling my dad I am planning to get that and make it road worthy again and wanna drive after coming to India. Very next moment he told me to shut up as getting spares is too difficult and also driving a Chetak in today's traffic is not easy. He also told me that my uncle thrown it away because he met with lot of accidents with the scooter :Frustrati. When my mom and wife also came to his support, conversation ended there.

If you really want to experience the feel of riding a two wheeler, why muck about with puny-wheeled scooters? A bike is the obvious way to go and there's no better time than today to be in the market for a motorcycle. With excellent commuter bikes like the Gixxer150, entry level performance bikes like the R15 and Duke 200, sub 400cc bikes like the RC390 and Duke 390, Kawasakis parallel twin 650cc family of bikes and even exotics like Daytonas, MV Agustas and CKD built ZX10rs. With all these excellent focused motorcycles available, why bother wanting gears on a scooter?

I used manual scooters extensively during my early teenage. One thing I hate about manual scooter was the rotary shifter. It was always annoying and hard to shift gears. I remember I used to use both of my hands to shift the gear when it was jammed or not-responsive. The only thing I liked about this scooters was foot brakes. Foot brakes always give confidence to the rider.

IMO, there is no need of manual scooter in current time. Two-wheeler industry has moved ahead. They are coming up with more reliable and comfortable designs. A scooter with manual gear shift is out of the question now.

This is not what i meant to say. The re-builder will be more in line with a good friendly neighbourhood workshop, with no requirement to connect with the OEM.

This is what I meant to say.

Cheers,

FourWheelDrift

When we bought a kinetic Honda long long back, the first comment from my neighbor was "Automatics are not for Indian roads" :)

Why would one want to ride a "manual scooter" now? I can understand bikes however scooters especially in todays times are considered to be hassle free. It is seen as a multi purpose vehicle used to carry "stuff" and also take the family. The fact that 3 out of your 4 limbs are free gives the rider as sense of freedom and maneuverability as against geared scooters.

I still see the chetaks and priyas on the road however it definitely does not compare with the advanced ones that are available today.

These gear less scooters are a hit with the young crowd and complicating that would mean playing with your share of sales in the market. Who would want to take that risk?

Got me nostalgic. I have a Bajaj Super myself. 2 stroke, 150 cc, a rocket till it reaches 50 kmph and then, meh. Although it will tug along on 4th even at 20 kmph when the pocket and fuel tank both are dry.
All my bachelorhood travel to classes, jobs, etc happened on it. I just loved it.

I still have it. Had restored it couple of years back and started using is again as well. But alas, there is no one willing to work on a scooter anymore.
One fine day on my way to office, the gear cable snapped and I asked at least 5 mechanics pushing on my way back to my residence and no one was willing to work on it. Their answer "scooter ka kaam nahi karte".

I parked it at its place and then havent got the time to hunt for a mechanic, although I sourced the cables for the gear.

Let see.

But as compared to an automatic scooter, these geared scooters dont stand a chance, more so because traffic has increased multi-fold in last decade. Its no longer convenient to ride in city.

A few years back (Before Vespa was re-born) i used to see Vijay Super (whichever has the tiny wheels), Lambretta etc quite frequently a bit further down town from where I live. They were resto-modded to perfection, incredible paint quality and color combinations, a treat to watch.

Combi-Brake system has ensured that potential scooter buyers want the ability to be able to drive with just one hand if possible. Manual scooters then have limited market now, I would love to see a retro style scooter with modern drive train, possibly full metal.

I don't think so. Simple reason: Our traffic has become such a mess that safely getting to your destination is the challenge, not shifting gears and driving.

The scooters are simple, utilitarian tools to get from point A to point B. Case in point: If you check avenue road and the Chickpet area (old market) in Bangalore- the streets are narrow, people continuously walk and you encounter all kinds of carts hauled by men and animals. In such a street, I don't think one wants to buy anything other than a CVT scooter like the Activa. Also, the gearless scooter appeals to the youngsters, especially the female folk (sorry not being sexist) who've just started driving/riding.

If you want riding pleasure, you can always get a bike. The market for performance machines is now better than ever before with affordable choices like the Pulsar, Dominar and KTM dukes.

With electric scooters hitting the market, I think they'll dominate the market in 4-6 years.

My family operated one of the oldest 2W dealerships in our city. From Hero Puch to Bajaj Chetak, Super, Sunny, LML NV, Select and Trendy we have had a close relationship with all the icons. LML Select has been my personal favourite, oh boy it was a looker in those days. The gentlemen among the boys.
BHPians who have grown up with these mean machines would agree that the torque, sound (read music), acceleration and smoke (errr!!) of these classics cannot be replicated by modern day machines. I am sure most of us(myself included) must be having that memory of using both hands to engage a gear at times. Believe me when I say this, presently we have a generation of scooter riders who would not be able to comprehend the meaning of lines scribbled below-

1
N
2
3
4

Modern-day scooters are practical, light and ideal for a nuclear family. Ultimately, customer is the king and King demand convenience, so the market moved from iron to plastic, spare wheel to no spare, split seat to single seat and most importantly from the clutch lever to brake lever.
I feel happy when I see someone still using his NV or Chetak nowadays.
Happy Motoring

I can't imagine a world without scooters! It's so convenient with its CVT gearbox! All you gotta do is twist the throttle and go from point A to point B with zero stress! Who even wants to shift gears in today's mad and stressful traffic? For an engaging driving experience, I always prefer driving a manual on a two lane highway away from the city- something scooters aren't designed for!

In fact, I love my Suzuki Access so much for it's ease of use and stress free nature that I wax the scooter every 2 months and apply dashboard polish on the plastic trims to keep it looking new! stupid:

I dont think manuals are coming back as they is simply no demand. I have some experience with scooters like the Chetak, original Lamby (imported) and the Indian version Vijay Super and the LML NV. Although they were a pain to start and handle, was convenient for short rides.

Anyone remember the Bajaj Sunny. We modded one when in college.

I later owned a Suzuki Access which was simple and easy to use.

I learnt riding in my dad's old Chetak.. the scooter was 21 yrs old then.. was made of metal and was heavy and could still do a wheelie.. mileage was a pathetic 30 kmpl. But it could haul a lot of luggage.. dad used to open it up and clean the carburettor and plugs himself... And maintained in good condition for almost 20+yrs..

We then moved on to a later version of the Chetak.. it was fiber/plastic body panel and none of that awesome torque but still better than the lifeless auto scooters we get these days.


Current gearless scooters are a royal pain in traffic as folks weave in and out due to short turning radius.. and less I speak of the lifeless engine the better..

IMHO, the old two stroke scooters will still find takers in the rural villages and markets, but Bajaj single handedly killed this market when it decided to stop manufacturing geared scooters..