My Favourite Cars and Bikes - A Ride Through the Memory Lane
Let us get it clear! This article, unlike most of my previous
articles, is not informative. It is written to express my thoughts about
the title in a free flowing style! No, it is not a tragic saga of any
kind (as it might be misunderstood from the title). It is just a way of
expressing some old memories of my teenage and childhood. That's it.
There is no other academic purpose. But, by writing this, I just want to
revisit the penchant and infatuation I had for some of these vehicles
during my teenage years. It would be great, if I get your company and I
am able to make you feel the same emotions that I felt during those
days.
So, here we go:
The first bike that I really liked was BAJAJ CALIBER. It had an impression of that of a rough and tough bike. Launched in 1998 by Bajaj, it had the engine capacity of 111.6 CC. But, it could give a feel of 125 CC bike while driving. Plus, its odometer and headlight gave it a unique styling. At that time, 100 CC bikes were very common and Hero Honda Splendor was considered to be the dream bike of sophisticated people. At that time, Caliber had been successful in creating a niche among college going students and teenagers. It has a claimed mileage of 70+ km / liter. It was so much loved that its positive reviews are still rocking the websites like mouthshut.com (http://www.mouthshut.com/bikes/Bajaj-Caliber-115-reviews-925040521). I think one of its TV advertisements had this punchline of hoodibaba which was instantly picked up by the youth of those days. All in all, it was really a value for money bike and many people swear by its durability and reliability even today.
The other bike, which had my set on, was HERO HONDA AMBITION. It was positioned above the Caliber. It had 133 CC engine. It was a bike meant for those people who wanted a powerful engine (say more than 100 CC) but not too big like that of Bajaj Pulser. Its headlamp and cap upon it gave it a sporty look. It also had a better ground clearance. I remember that this was not a very successful model from Hero Honda though experts kept insisting that this was one of the best bikes (in terms of technical specifications) of those days. But, somehow, it never clicked. Some also viewed it as a low price CBZ!
Now the car! The first love was MAHINDRA LOGAN. A not so typical Sedan compared to other Sedans sold in India during those days, I used to love its punch line, “Logan loves India!”. It is said that many taxi drivers in Delhi have driven their Logan for more than 3 lakh kilometers and it is still going on! Ground clearance of Logan was 155 mm, which was better than the likes of Maruti Suzuki Esteem. Boot of 510 litre means, it was meant to be a family car! It had even fairly impressive mileage of 21 km/litre, which could be considered to be reasonable due to its sheer size. Its styling was kept simple, meaning it would offend none by and large. It was positioned as a mass market car for joint / big Indian families. I find the current Toyota Etios, somewhat / little bit similar to LOGAN. It was a joint venture of Mahindra and Mahindra and Renault – two of the best automobile companies of those days (and of now a days as well!). For me, it was one sedan that I will never forget.
Hyundai Accent (And Not Xcent! – Nah!): The old Hyundai Accent, which has been replaced by Hyundai Verna, was all about styling! It did bring a fresh air in the Sedan segment. Once again, it was far more better than Maruti Suzuki Esteem, which was too low to sit and drive. Accent was an ambitious project of Hyundai and though the car did succeed—its success was never overwhelming. It had its own issues with mileage and spare parts. But, it did run fast! The interiors were fresh. It had digital speedometer in those days! Many thought it to be a good VFM car though its designs were considered to be outdated off late. Its styling was also kept for appealing the mass market.
So, here we go:
The first bike that I really liked was BAJAJ CALIBER. It had an impression of that of a rough and tough bike. Launched in 1998 by Bajaj, it had the engine capacity of 111.6 CC. But, it could give a feel of 125 CC bike while driving. Plus, its odometer and headlight gave it a unique styling. At that time, 100 CC bikes were very common and Hero Honda Splendor was considered to be the dream bike of sophisticated people. At that time, Caliber had been successful in creating a niche among college going students and teenagers. It has a claimed mileage of 70+ km / liter. It was so much loved that its positive reviews are still rocking the websites like mouthshut.com (http://www.mouthshut.com/bikes/Bajaj-Caliber-115-reviews-925040521). I think one of its TV advertisements had this punchline of hoodibaba which was instantly picked up by the youth of those days. All in all, it was really a value for money bike and many people swear by its durability and reliability even today.
The other bike, which had my set on, was HERO HONDA AMBITION. It was positioned above the Caliber. It had 133 CC engine. It was a bike meant for those people who wanted a powerful engine (say more than 100 CC) but not too big like that of Bajaj Pulser. Its headlamp and cap upon it gave it a sporty look. It also had a better ground clearance. I remember that this was not a very successful model from Hero Honda though experts kept insisting that this was one of the best bikes (in terms of technical specifications) of those days. But, somehow, it never clicked. Some also viewed it as a low price CBZ!
Now the car! The first love was MAHINDRA LOGAN. A not so typical Sedan compared to other Sedans sold in India during those days, I used to love its punch line, “Logan loves India!”. It is said that many taxi drivers in Delhi have driven their Logan for more than 3 lakh kilometers and it is still going on! Ground clearance of Logan was 155 mm, which was better than the likes of Maruti Suzuki Esteem. Boot of 510 litre means, it was meant to be a family car! It had even fairly impressive mileage of 21 km/litre, which could be considered to be reasonable due to its sheer size. Its styling was kept simple, meaning it would offend none by and large. It was positioned as a mass market car for joint / big Indian families. I find the current Toyota Etios, somewhat / little bit similar to LOGAN. It was a joint venture of Mahindra and Mahindra and Renault – two of the best automobile companies of those days (and of now a days as well!). For me, it was one sedan that I will never forget.
Hyundai Accent (And Not Xcent! – Nah!): The old Hyundai Accent, which has been replaced by Hyundai Verna, was all about styling! It did bring a fresh air in the Sedan segment. Once again, it was far more better than Maruti Suzuki Esteem, which was too low to sit and drive. Accent was an ambitious project of Hyundai and though the car did succeed—its success was never overwhelming. It had its own issues with mileage and spare parts. But, it did run fast! The interiors were fresh. It had digital speedometer in those days! Many thought it to be a good VFM car though its designs were considered to be outdated off late. Its styling was also kept for appealing the mass market.
