[ashwinprakas]

Kawasaki Bajaj first came up with the 4S Champion in the early 90's which sported the 100cc engine which had a really really long run, my CT100B bought in 2017 is an iteration of the same engine with a Cast Iron Cylinder.

In the late 90's Kawasaki Bajaj did rework the 100cc engine and came up with the 115cc one which had identical external oil passages like the 100cc but sported an External Oil Filter which is the only identifying factor that stands out between these two engines.

Now if you ask me what all models sported what and what all minor changes were made then I'm honestly clueless, this is Bajaj we're talking about, they constantly keep silently improving on their motorcycles to the point that finding the exact spare replacement has been a PITA over the years.

The above said, I love my CT100B for it's bulletproof engine, it has been abused and ridden around the country clocking around 75k Kms in 4 years of ownership, it has been ridden at WOT from dawn to dusk and yet I've not faced any serious concerns with the Motorcycle and I'm pretty sure I'd clock 100k without breaking a sweat.

Now we need to face the reality that the above mentions engines aren't BS6 compliant and hence what you'd be getting with the 'Caliber' badging would be a modern long stroke Bajaj, as Bajaj has kinda made long stroke motors their typical template when it comes to commuter motorcycles and it is a logical choice without any doubt.

In comparison the Kawasaki Bajaj 100cc engine had a really short stroke at 45mm and the 115cc engine was basically a stroked version of the 100cc with an extra 5~6mm of Stroke, IIRC.

P.S. I keep saying 100cc and 115cc as per Bajaj's branding, real displacement would obviously be less.

Regards,
A.P.

[aaggoswami]

It was my first Bike (Caliber: My First and Fav. bike) !

1. Both, original Caliber with round headlamp and Hoodibaba i.e. Caliber 115 had same displacement : 111.63 cc, 53 mm Bore, 50.6 mm stroke. It was the first 100-110 cc bike that had good pick up. First generation CBZ came in around the same time.

2. Original Caliber had a small screw to adjust headlamp. Also the headlamp had 45W bulb. I had installed 65W halogen bulb and those Fresnel lens gave out impressive output. The electrical system was strong enough to cope up with 65W bulb. Same thing in my Zeus didnt.

3. Orange backlight and that instrument cluster was nice for the time.

4. For its size and time, the exhaust was nice. Even the stock horn was loud.

5. Dilip Bam gave one point to Splendor for this engine placement vis-a-vis Caliber in his splendor vs caliber comparison. IIRC, it was in Auto India. I never understood the logic. My Caliber could wade in deeper waters than Splendor.

6. TVS Victor with 110 cc engine also gained fame and had box section swing arm, Caliber didn't.

Boxer vs Caliber : Caliber had awesome looks. Tank was large at 14 litres, fuel filling lid was nicely finished. That motor had some torque.

Bajaj, if its manages not to goof up on any front, which I am sure they will, can have a nice numbers from Caliber. Bajaj lacks consistency which impacts consumer confidence.

Unfortunately, in those days camera was wow stuff, not on back the mobile. Dont have much images, but that bike will last long in my memory.

[Phantom 510]

'The Unshakeable' was the tagline used for the first gen Kawasaki Bajaj Caliber which had the round headlamp. 'Hoodibaba' was used for the Caliber UG that had more power, styling upgrades that included new color, graphics and a bikini fairing.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by Miel

As best as I can remember too, you are right!

The first version of the Caliber was launched well before 2000 and was aimed at the Hero Honda Splendor customer base. Of course, one of several dozen models Bajaj used to try and dethrone the Splendor over the years.

IIRC, there was also a bike called Bajaj Aspire which was basically a Caliber with a front-disc brake.

My first bike (first vehicle actually) was an Aspire. Had a nice blue colour scheme, gave solid mileage, was cheap to maintain and gave me zero trouble for the 5 years I had it from 2001-6. Except the one time when a rusted exhaust gave way and half of it fell off on a busy flyover during peak hour and I rode with half an exhaust for another 10 kms till I reached the service centre.

But then again I saw the rust and ignored it, because when you are earning only Rs 25,000 or something in 2005, spending the 2k to get a new exhaust was not very high on the to-do list.

[ani_meher]

Caliber 115 was my first bike in 2003, which I sold off in 2009 making way to Suzuki GS150. I faced some issues with the bike such as petrol leaking from the carb and tappet noise, and that made me turn away from Bajaj altogether.

But this bike got me hooked to motorcycling. I made numerous Pune-Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai - Harihareshwar - Mumbai journeys on it. The AC headlights were pathetic. But the identity of the bike was great, and a green color Caliber 115 never failed to draw a cheer of 'hoodibaba!' from children on streets.

Pictures are from one of the last rides in 2008, when riding on Panchgani tabletop was allowed. Now one has to park vehicle away from the tabletop.

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