[ac 427]

The most ICONIC two wheeler ever sold in India has to be the Bullet, the shape, the sound, the silhouette, the associations, the expectations, very few things have changed.

I also would use the parameter of 'If I am a foreign international, what would I want to ride when I ride in India' the answer is Bullet.

This bike has India written all over it. Very few bikes have managed to have such a large impact in all fields, the way you ride, the destinations, the associations.

Infact I would even go as far as to say, what Harleys are to America, Bullets are to India.

Cheers,
ac

[rahul_kej]

One may call me partial but this bike brought the revolution of 150 cc segment and it is still evolving. The 1st gen Bajaj pulsar.

17 years old and still going strong.

[vamsi.kona]

There are a few bikes which changed the entire market dynamics and thus heralded a new direction for the entire segment.

The first that immediately comes to my mind is Bajaj Chetak. This was actually the real no problem two wheeler. For a generation or two this was literally the unofficial private vehicle of the nation. Clutch wire gone, no problem you can simply change the gears, though you needed some deft handling. Gear wire gone, no problem, just use the clutch generously and even if the gear was stuck in 3rd it would pull easily. Even to this day, it is the official vehicle for the local dairy vendors who use this for delivering milk.

RX 100 is another bike which heralded the affordable performance bike for masses. It was the go to bike for every one who wanted a fast and lite bike. Other great bikes such as shogun, and KB 100 and 125 followed but RX 100 was the torchbearer.

While CBZ was the first 4 stroke bike in the 150cc segment, it was Pulsar which totally changed the dynamics of the market. That the brand name still sells to this day is testimony to the impact Pulsar had on the segment.

Another model which totally changed not only the dynamics within its segment but even riding habits of the nation is Activa. While Kinetic honda was the first to bring in a good gearless two wheeler, Activa totally changed the dynamics of market and people's perception about gearless scooters itself.

And of course the ubiquious Bullet, in all its various avatars, especially 350. While it took lots of time to gain traction, especially after the flurry of 150 Cc bikes during early part of this century, it carried on and regained its glory in the last decade.

PS- How can I forget the Chetak of 4 stroke bikes, Splendour. That Hero is still milking the brand name even to this day, by changing the stickering, with few technical modifications here and there, stands as testimony to it's impact.

[rajushank84]

The poll seriously needs more options. It is missing the most iconic names like Bullet and Pulsar. I bet there are kids who haven't even heard of the original CBZ or RD.

[benu9714]

"(Bajaj Chetak) Clutch wire gone, no problem....Gear wire gone, no problem"

Jawa/Yezdi could do this too (actually there was no gear wire). It could run without an accelerator cable as well.

"official vehicle for the local dairy vendors who use this for delivering milk"

I thought milk vendors used the Rajddoot 175 for ease of hanging many milk jugs from the side, plus large wheels and soft suspension, ideal for rough village tracks.

[Asish_VK]

I don't think RD350 is an iconic bike in its true sense in India. Most people (except enthisiasts) came to know about it because of the recent craze in the used market and eye watering prices. Before that it was alomst forgotten.

For me, there are 3 bikes which stands as true icons of Indian two wheeler scene:

1.Hero Honda Splendor
2.Bullet Standard
3.Yamaha RX100

And to some extent, Bajaj Pulsar for redefining Indian performance (affordable) bike category.

[vamsi.kona]

Originally Posted by benu9714

"official vehicle for the local dairy vendors who use this for delivering milk"

I thought milk vendors used the Rajddoot 175 for ease of hanging many milk jugs from the side, plus large wheels and soft suspension, ideal for rough village tracks.

It might have been the case in the northern belt. I am not sure. My quote was mostly my observation in the Telugu states. Even now our milk vendor in Hyderabad comes on a Chetak and many other ask if my 1998 Chetak is for sale

[yesyeswe]

Originally Posted by rahul_kej

One may call me partial but this bike brought the revolution of 150 cc segment and it is still evolving. The 1st gen Bajaj pulsar.

No one can call you partial, pulsar was a revolutionary product. The styling, the advertisements and the definitely male image was mouth watering. Although cbz was launched before, but it was pulsar which gave us Indian a taste of powerful bikes.

That is a mint condition pulsar, do not sell it ever, in some time it will have what rx 100 has right now. My first bike was pulsar as well

[Sebring]

I recall Bajaj Chetak had massive starting problems. You could build great calf muscles by just trying to kick-start it to life, in the mornings. Then there was Yezdi. Once I'd borrowed my uncle's Yezdi and after riding a few kms the bike sputtered and dropped dead, just like that. LOL. Lugging the heavy bike home was an exercise in itself. So that was the era of unreliable vehicles, really. Till the Japs struck. And oh boy, they were on a roll. Wait periods were a year to get those beauties. First to strike was Ind-Suzuki, quite a capable bike and was quickly followed by Yamaha RX-100, Kawasaki Bajaj KB-100 RTZ and Hero Honda CD-100 in succession (which was late to the party, but rose up the ranks quite fast). In between there was the sweet scooter from Kinetic Honda, (with the sweet self-start)

Originally Posted by vamsi.kona

Bajaj Chetak. This was actually the real no problem two wheeler. PS- How can I forget the Chetak of 4 stroke bikes, Splendour. That Hero is still milking the brand name even to this day, by changing the stickering, with few technical modifications here and there, stands as testimony to it's impact.

[Bigzero]

Tough question to answer, but I would go for Bajaj Chetak just for the penetration it had into middle-class households as a family mover. I am assuming that the question includes all eras...

[vamsi.kona]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I recall Bajaj Chetak had massive starting problems. You could build great calf muscles by just trying to kick-start it to life, in the mornings. Then there was Yezdi. Once I'd borrowed my uncle's Yezdi and after riding a few kms the bike sputtered and dropped dead, just like that. LOL. Lugging the heavy bike home was an exercise in itself.

The Chetak did have starting issues, but the solution was something even more simple and one can say, became like a essential step in starting a Chetak. All one had to do was bend it to the right for a second or two and voila, everything's fine. I don't know if there were any other issues as I never faced any other starting issues ever. Probably when the temperature was cold, had to use the choke, but that's about it. Nothing else troubled. I don't know much about Yezdi, never rode one.

[motonomad]

I think picking just one would be tough as different products took the light in different times. Here are my picks:

1- TVS XL Super - Workhorse for cheap, small store owners carrying more than its weight on it is a common sight.
2- Bajaj Chetak - Mobility for the masses, many of us have memories of standing in the front with head sticking right above the headlamps.
3- Bajaj Pulsar - Shift towards performance in 4 stroke era, CBZ came first but this catalysed the change.
4- Yamaha R15 - Broke the ccrice perception and gave proper sportbike experience. Many of us owe it to this motorcycle for our riding skills.
5- KTM Duke 390 - Minor niggles here and there but it skewed the value for money and priceerformance metrics for many of us.
6- RE Bullet- Commanded a certain respect in the past, the successors inspired a whole crop of new riders to head out even when it was arguably not the best tool for the same.


On the sidenote, I guess a more interesting poll to watch would be "What brands have given the most number of products that can be labelled iconic"

[Sran]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

Hi Team, the intention of this thread is to conclude few of the most Iconic 2 wheelers in India. The one’s available now and earlier.

Attachment 1971192
The CBZ

Hero Honda CBZ - The original
This was one iconic bike in the market when it was launched. One which melted the hearts of the millennials like the RD 350 did for the 70's and 80's teens. A few well-maintained samples still manage to make you fall in love with the bike all over again.

The picture of CBZ here is of the 2nd generation. CBZ was launched in single colour tone of Black, Red, Blue and silver. I owned one in black. A true marvel. A trip to Singhad fort in early 2000s felt like a breeze while other bikes gasped for air. A 300 km trip to Mahabaleshwar was done without any back pain which was very common in other bikes. Loved it more than my ninja. The 2nd generation of CBZ was the downfall of the brand. The engine note changed a lot in the 2nd generation and felt light to drive and that is when Pulsar 150's first generation took over. Attaching picture [from internet] for reference.

[ebonho]

Bullet Std 500. Original CI engine and 4-speed Albion gearbox with the shifter on the right side (pun intended)

First lot KTM Duke 390 with the manic motor. Proper Ready To Race in every sense of the phrase.

Cheers, Doc

[GreasyCarb55]

2 stroke

2 cylinders.

40bhp (almost).

And one hell of a soundtrack to boot, what more can you ask from an Iconic Motorcycle?

The RD350 is one hell of a machine and is certainly up here in my Motorcycle bucketlist along with the Superbikes.