Rajiv Bajaj is known to be candid. And he stayed true to form while addressing shareholders at Bajaj Auto’s tenth AGM last week. “I know at least two people who think that Bajaj should re-enter the scooter market,” the company’s managing director said. “One of them is the Vice Chairman, and the second one I don’t need to mention.”
Rajiv was referring to his father, Rahul Bajaj, the Chairman of the Bajaj Group. The last time Bajaj Auto made a scooter was in 2009. That’s probably a hard fact to digest for a man who ruled the scooter market for several years.
And it was one particular model that made him king.
First launched in 1972, the Bajaj Chetak was at one point the largest selling scooter in India. However, the Permit Raj of that period meant its production was capped. As a result, demand continued to shoot through the roof year after year. At one point, the two-wheeler had a 10-year waiting period. Even second-hand Chetaks were hard to come by and those that were available cost a bomb.
M Gabriel, a retired university professor from Chennai, fondly recalls his Bajaj Chetak. Bought in the 1980s, it was first his vehicle. “One of my daughters would sit in the front and the other would sit at the back,” he says.
That seating arrangement was the enduring image of Indian middle class families of the 70s and 80s.
The scooter became a status symbol. There were tales about marriages being delayed to coincide with the arrival of a Chetak, which was part of the dowry.
So 45 years on, what lies behind the enduring legacy of this two-wheeler?
For starters, the Chetak turned out to be the perfect fit for a family man’s needs and aspirations. Its generous uni-body design gave ample leg space to the driver and riding pillion was also a comfortable affair. The sizeable trunk space ensured that market supplies could be tucked underneath the seat or in between the driver’s legs on those rare spendthrift days.
Then there was the mileage. Gabriel says the last time he regularly used his Chetak in 2013, it gave 30-40 kilometres per litre on average as he dutifully serviced it twice a year. Like several other Chetak owners, he also accepted its little quirks, like how it occasionally needed to be tipped to one side for the petrol to reach the spark plug before starting and how the clutch wire and handle needed to be adjusted. The Chetak also needed to be “jump started” by pushing it before kickstarting the scooter as it rolled along.
“In those days, the scooter was the gentleman’s ride,” recalls Gabriel. “With its loud engine, the Enfield was seen as the choice of a rasher driver.”’
Hakeem K from Mallapuram in Kerala owns three vintage scooters, one of which is a prized 2005 model of the Chetak. “This was the first scooter I bought. I had my eyes on it since the 11th grade,” he said. “My friend sold it to me for Rs 15,000 and I haven’t looked back since.”
Hakeem even took a 700-kilometre trip on his Chetak to Thanjavur in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. "There was no problem with the engine at any point," he said.
But the allure faded over time. The next generation, many of whom learnt to ride a two-wheeler on the Chetak, went on to choose motorbikes that were edgier, sturdier, faster and economical.
Bajaj finally exited the scooter segment because it failed to develop their models effectively, which led to their market share being eroded.
In the end, the iconic scooter was killed off in 2005 as Bajaj Auto felt the motorcycle market would be a better bet.
Today, the Chetak is a firm favourite among vintage scooter fans. On Facebook pages such as Bajaj Chetak Rocks, there is trading of both old models and modification ideas.Several American and European Chetak owners also proudly post videos and images of their famous rides
In 2015, Bajaj Auto re-registered the Chetak brand name, hinting that the window of returning to scooters is still open despite the company having invested all its energy in making motorcycles. However, it was evident at last week’s AGM that Rajiv Bajaj faces a dilemma.
His father, Rahul Bajaj, turned 79 last month. “Some of my colleagues told me that maybe he will retire if I make a scooter,” Rajiv said. “It is such a special occasion that we can’t make just another stupid 100cc scooter. I think we should make a Rolls-Royce on two wheels, an outstanding scooter which does not exist anywhere in the world.”
He then asked the shareholders two questions.
Rajiv: “Should we make such an outstanding scooter?”
Shareholders: “Yes”’
Rajiv: “And if we make such a scooter, should my father retire?”
Shareholders: “No”
Rajiv: “I knew that.”
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