[iron]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Capable? A 250cc twin which makes only 24 PS of maximum power is anything but capable (heck the 200cc KTM .................................................

With the spec and price, the bike was destined to be a failure.

Sometimes judgements have to made on more than just numbers , having driven one I can vouch for its suspension and Ride quality. I completely agree with you about KTM being for VFM but the ride quality of the KTM Twins can never ever be close to the Inazuma. I have always been a sucker for engine refinement be it with my earlier Zma-r or current CBR. The KTMs do have really rev happy engines but lack refinement. It becomes pretty evident when touring 1up. The Inazuma twin cylinder setup is step ahead in refinement when compared even to the CBR250.

When the bike was launched I scoffed at it, first being the price point then looks. Its only when I saw one in flesh i decided to check it out and i knew how wrong I was.

Also Suzuki India did make amends by knocking the price down to 2.4lacs on road but it never did botherd promoting it. For them it made more sense to Promote Hayate because volumes is where profitability lies.

AFAIK India does not have any Trade agreement with China so CKDs or CBUs
attract more levies than ones imported from Thailand(CBR250r). The KTM twins being manufactured here itself are obviously cheaper then both.

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by shortbread

1 . Stride - 2 stroke geared scooter
2 . SX Enduro - 2 stroke, on/off road motorcycle
3 . Super 99 - 2 stroke geared scooter
4 . Legend - 4 stroke geared scooter
5 . Bravo - 2 stroke geared scooter (5 port engine, sports Chetak!!)
6 . Chetak 99 - 2 stroke geared scooter
7 . Spirit - 2 stroke automatic scooter
8 . Saffire - 4 stroke automatic scooter (3 speed auto transmission)
9 . Prowler - 2 stroke motorcycle (5 port engine, 5 speed, brembo disc)
10. Caliber Croma & 115 - 4 stroke motorcycles
11. M80 4 stroke - 4 stroke moped
12. Eliminator - 4 stroke motorcycle (cruiser)
13. Aspire - 4 stroke motorcycle
14. Chetak 4 stroke - 4 stroke geared scooter
15. BYK - 4 stroke motorcycle (low cost)
16. Wind 125 - 4 stroke motorcycle
17. Wave - 4 stroke automatic scooter
18. XCD 125 - 4 stroke motorcycle

19. Rave - 2 stroke automatic step thru.

The Prowler was never officially launched, IMHO. Some bikes were released to select media people, and probably sold off to interested people, seen very few.


While on the subject , another set of flops are by LML and Kinetic Motors.

1. Kinetic GF125 - naked 125cc 4 stroke 4 valve motorcycle
2. Kinetic GF170 Lazer - semi faired motorcycle with bored out engine of above
3. LML Graptor - 150cc 4 stroke motorcycle
4. LML Beamer - naked variant of above

These are rarer than superbikes now !

[1lokesh]

First ever automotive owned by my dad was a Vijay Super, back in 1988. I simply loved it with its centrally aligned engine (perfect balancing) and flat base for me to stand between the driver and the handle. This one had front wheel cover top that was fixed and didn't move with the handle movement. Learned to drive this beast (it was really heavy) at the age of 13 and had sneaked it out of home many a times when mom and dad were out :-)
Vijay Super could never be a flop. I still remember they were about 50% amongst the scooter population in my town, rest being the Lambys, Priyas, bajaj, LML et al.
A Bajaj Super that came in later while the VS served as standby, was a "clumsy" side mounted engine body with backseat somehow placed lower than the front seat (barring the front view for the pillion - me). I hated this new scooter :-X

[rr_zen]

There was a scooter named 'Falcon' that one of my uncles owned during 1979-80. Not sure of its manufacturer. It used to look similar to Vijay scooter. It was a pathetic one and IMO there should have been very few numbers made. Anyone heard of this model?

EDIT: Did some google search and was able to pull up some info. This scooter Falcon 150, was manufactured by Karnataka scooters ltd.(KSL) at mid '80s under License from Innocenti, its same as the Vijay Super Gp150.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by rr_zen

There was a scooter named 'Falcon' that one of my uncles owned during 1979-80. Not sure of its manufacturer. It used to look similar to Vijay scooter. It was a pathetic one and IMO there should have been very few numbers made. Anyone heard of this model?

EDIT: Did some google search and was able to pull up some info. This scooter Falcon 150, was manufactured by Karnataka scooters ltd.(KSL) at mid '80s under License from Innocenti, its same as the Vijay Super Gp150.

Karnataka Scooters Ltd was a public sector undertaking (PSU) of the Karnataka government. In fact Innocenti had sold out its scooter making arm to Scooters India Ltd ( SIL a Central Govt PSU) with all rights and even the brand name Lambretta, sometime in 1972. But SIL decided to use the brand name "Vijai". Whereas, they used the brand Lambretta for the Cento a 100 cc scooter that was launched in the early 1980's by SIL.

In technical collaboration with many state government PSU's by SIL all over India, such scooters like Aravalli (Rajasthan), Allwyn Pushpak (A.P.), Digvijay (West Bengal) and so on. These state PSU's mushroomed in the early 1980's, as the govt policy was to spread out the manufacture of scooters due to the huge demand and waiting lists then. So in fact KSL collaborated with SIL.

KSL also made tyres, I believe, that were sold as "Falcon" tyres.

[desertfox]

SIL was a Lucknow, UP based PSU that had bought out the machines and tooling of Lambretta scooters from API.
But due to state tax and excise issues and to address the huge demand / supply shortfall for scooters where Bajaj was the only manufacturer of a good performing scooter many state Governments in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, WB, Punjab and Bihar set up Public Sector assembly units to purchase CKD kits from SIL and manufacture them within their own state.
While on the subject of two wheelers I do remember a 50 cc Step through light motorcycle in 1970s called Victoria - Vicky and Vicky 2 a three gear hand shift model. It was unreliable but sold a few units in the 1970s and early 1980s.
It had German origins - yes Victoria from Germany! and was manufactured in Gwalior.
A motorcycle called the Pearl Yamaha was also available in India.
And as an 7 year old I was much fascinated by a Suvega moped that Sister Roshan Lal used to ride at Welhams Boys School in Dehradun. Apparently it was a competitor to Luna.

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by rr_zen

There was a scooter named 'Falcon' that one of my uncles owned during 1979-80.

My Father in Law owned one of these. I have seen a few of these Falcons during my school days.

[anjan_c2007]

I am not sure whether we have discussed about the Hero Honda Ambition. The company had "Honda" as suffix when this was launched in 2002. It came in some vibrant shades including bright yellow. Ambition had come as a gap filler with its 133.33 cc engine in the slot between the Splendour/CD 100 and CBZ 150.



The fuel consumption was reported as 45 kmpl but buyers rejected the 135 cc offering, preferring the 100 cc or 150 cc bikes from this bike maker. It flopped as there were very less takers.

[davelok]

Originally Posted by desertfox

While on the subject of two wheelers I do remember a 50 cc Step through light motorcycle in 1970s called Victoria - Vicky and Vicky 2 a three gear hand shift model. It was unreliable but sold a few units in the 1970s and early 1980s.
It had German origins - yes Victoria from Germany! and was manufactured in Gwalior.

I'm chiming into this 'jurassic' thread to state that one of those few Vicky 2s was owned by my uncle. It was the first motorised two wheeler I learnt to ride when I was 10. It was sky blue in colour, with EXPORT emblazoned in bright yellow bands on its tank, and it made an awful racket that was unmistakable from afar.

It was made by Saund Zweirad Union in Gwalior. I once came across the user manual. It advised the rider to turn the gear selector in the reverse direction if it failed to notch into the second gear properly at the first go. So that's the German reliability part right there.

Uncle later removed the original single seat and got a sprung rider seat and separate pillion fitted, because with his heavy body, failing jumpers and the bumpy, pothole-filled roads of Rajkot, he found his daily commute tough. He claimed that the sprung seat worked quite well for him, but it looked hilarious on that tiny bike and squeaked with each undulation in the road.

Many years later, I got the little Vicky 2 Export repaired, and had the tank repainted in a snazzy metallic gun metal gray. However it continued to look surreal with the incongruent rider seat, and rode horribly, so I ditched it in the backyard with a heavy heart. Uncle was anyway riding other two-wheelers better suited for his years, so he didn't care about its upkeep, but wouldn't agree to sell it for a few years thereafter.

Eventually my father found a buyer - a garage mechanic, I believe.

That said, I have plenty of memories of that beauty. Some of them are fond memories too.

[sanchari]

Hero Puch was another vehicle which wasn't that big of a success. I had bought one in 1993 and within 3-4 years gave multiple problems and had to get engine work done. Engine work was done twice in ASS. Finally got rid of it.

[davelok]

I know two people who had a Puch. They used to swear by it, but those of us who tried to borrow it used to swear at it. We just couldn't put it into gear.