TWO-WHEELS ONLY

India always had a diverse motorcycling culture. Right from the exotic Nortons, BSAs and Triumphs being imported to the rather rudimentary mobikes made in India. It is astonishing how the culture developed from being a performance-oriented one to ‘kitna deti hai (what’s the mileage?)’, and back again. But apart from the regular lot, there are a few of them you barely remember. Through the grease-stained goggles of nostalgia, it seems some bikes like the Yamaha RD 350 were way ahead of their time while others like the Bullet seem to have risen from the ashes. Then there’s the saga of the scooters, which went from commanding a waiting period of years to going out of production. Here’s our selection of two-wheelers that made a mark for better or worse.

Royal Enfield Bullet

Originally imported for the Indian army in 1952, the Bullet nearly died here in the early 2000s. Reborn as an icon, it’s a bike which announces that you have arrived.

Bajaj Super

Launched after the license to build Vespas expired in 1976, the Super was based on the iconic Vespa 150. It was the inspiration behind the ‘Buland Bharat ki buland

tasveer’ jingle.

Rajdoot GT 175

Launched in 1970 it became the ‘Bobby’after its role in the 1975 Bollywood hit. The GT ran on scooter tyres and had a big 175cc two-stroke motor. India’s only pseudo-Monkey bike!

Jawa 250

Lighter and faster than the Enfields, the Jawa originally came to India from Czechoslovakia in 1960. These bikes were loved by those inclined towards performance and, hence, were a hit on the race tracks.

Yamaha RD 350

Dubbed the ‘Yamdoot’ thanks to its enormous power and puny brakes, the RD was India’s ’80s superbike (1983-89). Now a much sought after collectors’ item.

Bajaj M50/ M80

Launched in 1986 in er… homage to the Honda Cub, the Ms were super-efficient and indestructible. Remained in production for the longest time.

Bajaj Sunny

Every teen’s dream in the 1990s, it was an automatic scooter with less than 50cc displacement. You could ride it from the age of 16.

Enfield Mofa

This unlikely 1980s Enfield was powered by a 22cc two-stroke engine that produced 0.8hp. You could pedal the little moped faster than the poor engine could push it.

Kinetic Honda

The product of a JV from 1984-98, these scooters came with many firsts like electric start, fuel gauge and automatic transmission.