Bajaj Chetak : The jingle of keys, the gunning with one’s foot, and the guttural roar was etched into memories that shaped an entire generation’s emotive connection with personal mobility in India.
Your good old Bajaj Chetak, immortalised as “Hamara Bajaj” with its timeless ad campaigns, is back with a bang on Indian roads.
This modern rendition combines iconic design features inspired by the scooter that nearly every Indian household once owned with the latest in technology and innovation to make modern look familiar.
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Bajaj Chetak The Legacy That Never Faded
Its production was shut down in 2005, bringing a 33-year-long journey of the scooter to a close, during which time it transformed from a mode of transportation to something much more.
The Chetak was for generations of Indian families their first big leap toward motorized mobility, a prized possession that often called for years of saving and occasional wait times that could extend to three years during the license-quota era.
Named after the famed steed of Maharana Pratap, the Chetak was used for ferrying the whole family around, for deliveries in small business and as part of wedding processions; in emergencies, it was called upon to double up as an ambulance too.
There are many stories of Chetaks being handed down from one generation to another, with many families still maintaining these antique machinery items as legacy belongings.
“My father’s Chetak was almost a family member,” said Rajesh Sharma, 45, a bank manager who traveled to the revival model’s unveiling from Jaipur.
“He’d spend hours and hours cleaning the bike, making sure it looked good,” he said. “He’d clean it like it was gold and polish the chrome.
That scooter took me to school all through my childhood, was part of my sister’s wedding procession, and eventually got me around as when I started college, it was my very first vehicle. It was about an emotional bond that had gone beyond the utilitarian.”
This long-standing emotional connect is the reason why the return of Chetak was a news item that had everyone from all demographics excited about, unlike other stories that don’t find common ground among different consumer segments.
As far as elder generations are concerned it serves as a nostalgic ride back in time, while for the millennials it’s a physical bridge between something you have only heard tales about through your life – “papa ke time mein” when Chetak was the “king of the road” in India.
Bajaj Chetak Balanced Redesign: Taking the Past Into the Future
The re-born Chetak scores on providing a lesson or two on balance between heritage and contemporary design cues.
The characteristic Chetak can be perceived in this silhouette at first blush, the signature front apron, well rounded side panels and the flat floor board.
The round headlight, although now made up of LED elements, carries itself with proportions similar to the original, and the handlebar-mounted rearview mirrors help frame that classic stance that the bike was known for.
But a closer look shows wholly modern takes on these traditional tropes. The body panels are a modern take on classic silhouette with body lines that flow like an air, great for aerodynamics, albeit wih a Venyan touch.
It has the same shape, but is built with enhanced ergonomics and better materials.
The instrument cluster is the definition of moderation, with a circular, chrome-ringed body housing a full-color digital display, in keeping with the nostalgia-inflected design language of the rest of the motorcycle.
“The development of the design of the new Chetak was more of an evolution than a revolution with an intention to respectfully pay homage to the original design.” says Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto.
“We did not want to add just Chetak for a typical modern scooter name. Everything on the line, the curve of the detail had to serve to that original, but acknowledge that we have different design sensibilities and a hugely expanded arsenal of technology since then.”
This attitude continues in the little touches that many won’t even notice, which will bring a smile to the face of those up-to-date with the original.
Their signature “neck tie” middle panel is still there, albeit with a slightly altered form. So is the rear grab handle, which shares similar arcs but has been incorporated a bit more discreetly.
The unique square-ish taillights are even LED, yet retain size and scale that immediately tie it to the past.
Hues are limited to the six color variants, which range from the traditional Cream and Mint Green color scheme of many original Chetaks, through to more youthful metallics inspired by the past while remaining relevant to today’s generation wrt buying choices.
All four colors have thoughtfully-restrained chrome accents that tip the hat to the original without being garish by today’s beauty standards.
Bajaj Chetak Leap in Technology: From Basics to Applied Science
While the outside of the scooter harks back to days of yore, underneath the throwback bodywork is technology that was straight out of Star Wars when the original Chetak was in its prime.
The biggest difference is in the powertrain – say goodbye to the basic two-stroke engine of the original, to be replaced by two very modern choices.
The first is the standard model that’s powered by a 125cc fuel-injected motor that produces 9.5bhp and 10.3Nm of torque which are fairly conservative numbers by current standards but almost double what the original Chetak managed.
This ‘heart’ is complemented by the Idle Start/Stop (ISS), Programmed Fuel Injection (PGM-FI), highly productive HET (Honda Eco Technology), offset crank & rock arm with roller, on last but not the least – the viscous air filter.
Even more groundbreaking is the electric version alternative, equipped with hub-mounted electric motor (with performance figures similar to its mechanical brother) that allows a range of about 95 kilometres using a single charge.
The battery pack, which is tucked away in the scooter’s diminutive classic-look frame, can be charged to 80 per cent capacity in under an hour using fast – charging infrastructure.
The bikes even share the same modern chassis components which include telescopic front suspension, coil-spring hydraulic rear suspension, and disc brake with CBS.
The wheels, although fashioned to imitate the look of the original, are now made of lightweight alloy, fitted with tubeless tires — which are tremendous from a safety and convenience perspective when compared with the spoke wheels and tube tires of the original.
That level of technical expertise is transferred to features that would have sounded positive like science fiction back when the first Chetak was made: keyless ignition, Bluetooth connectivity that allows the Chetak to be paired to a smartphone with an app, turn by turn direction on the colour display between the dials and even geofencing so that a parent can monitor where a younger user is riding the Chetak.
“We realised that just having an emotional connect wouldn’t suffice for a product to survive in the current era of cut-throat competition,” says Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director at Bajaj Auto.
“The new Chetak has to be a functional, efficient and feature-rich scooter that meets the needs of modern consumers yet carries an accessible, familiar character which Bajaj’s most famous scooter was known for.
Bajaj Chetak Market Positioning and Pricing Analyses
The new Chetak too, has been placed in a premium segment by Bajaj, one that recognises both its historic value as well as its evolved means of propulsion.
The internal combustion version begins at ₹ 85,000 (ex-showroom) and the electric one is a premium model edging ₹ 1,15,000, positioning both higher than budget commuter scooters and cheaper than plush Bluenote and Japanese scooters.
This from Bajaj’s point of view and they seem to have got the new Chetak’s positioning perfectly.
It knows that the new Chetak is going to fulfil two specific roles for the buyer – one as a practical form of transportation, two as an emotional connect.
The pricing is reminiscent of the model’s historic lineage yet affordable to middle-class Indian families – the target audience for the original Chetak all those years ago.
“We didn’t want the new Chetak to be a product that was just aspirational and exclusive, and none of the core Chetak customers could afford it,” says Sumeet Narang, President of Bajaj’s urban mobility division.
“Yet, the engineering, the materials, the technology are such a leap forward that it’s worth the premium over basic transportation.”
The purchase experience has also been redesigned to improve the ownership proposition even more.
Immersive environment combining the past of the model with the future of the model by creating zones which feature heritage displays alongside present day sales and customer experience technology are part of a dedicated Chetak showroom concept.
Financing options range from special programs for the original Chetak owners and their lineage, recognizing families that have been with the nameplate across generations.
Bajaj Chetak Early Market Response and Outlook
The early response indicates Bajaj has hit a very strong note with its Chetak revival.
Earlier this month, the pre-orders began and the company received such overwhelming response that the company reportedly sold out its first year’s production within 72 hours.
In fact, the demand was so high that Bajaj temporarily suspended pre-orders and have expanded capacity at its factory, dedicated to its electric scooter, in Maharashtra.
Of particular note is the people who are on the waiting list. Expecting nostalgic buys by elder customers who may have remembered the original Chetak, it also revealed that close to 40% bookings were being done by the under 35 years demographic, who may not have witnessed the Chetak in its earlier form, but are drawn to the history this iconic brand represents and distances the new design philosophy it brings.
“What we are seeing is not normal customer behavior,” says market analyst Preeti Chaudhary. “The Chetak’s an emotional bridge across generations.
The kids of today seem to be buying into something more profound than specs or features – they are buying into their cultural heritage and loving something with an imaginary history that they grew up hearing about.”
Such multi-generational allure is rare and places the new-age Chetak in a category of its own in India’s fiercely competitive two-wheeler space.
Whereas most of the other models cater to specific niche demographic groups, the new Chetak seems primed to attract both those older riders reliving the past and a younger generation of riders looking for unique design in a market segment that is in danger of being watered down to all look the same.
Bajaj has suggested that this return is about more than a one-off nostalgia play.
The brand has even set up a heritage division at home to look into further possibilities to resurrect other famous rides from its long history, so we may be witnessing the start of something bigger here in terms of joining the legendary past of the company to its future evolution.
As early deliveries arrive to hopeful customers across the country, the new Chetak carries not only riders, but also generations of memories and expectations.
And by striking such a smart balance between heritage design and modern engineering, Bajaj may well have created something that pays “salute to papa’s time” while ensuring that the whole idea of the family motorbike won’t leave its relevance in the next generation of Indian families.
