In the first part of forgotten bikes, we had a look at some really interesting rides, while we missed out many. Well, here we are with the second part of the Forgotten Bikes in India with 10 such legends of the past that are a rare sight nowadays.
-
Royal Enfield Mofa | The Smallest RE Till Date
In the earlier version of this blog, we mentioned that Royal Enfield Explorer with a 50cc engine was the smallest RE till date. But one of our readers told us about the Mofa which we forgot earlier. FORGOT! This is what the series is all about! Well, RE Mofa was a complete opposite of what Royal Enfield is known for. RE is known for making robust and monstrous motorcycles. But the RE Mofa was a 22cc small bike made for the cost-conscious customers. The 30kg only bike used to have a staggering 90kmpl mileage. What made it more interesting was that there was no requirement of license or any RTO permit to ride in India.
-
Yamaha RX 100 | The Undisputed Champion
Many bikes have come and gone, but none can replace the Yamaha RX100. The bike that took the 2-stroke segment by storm. The ultimate performance figures and the unblemished reliability of the bike made it the Legend it is. The 98cc 2-stroke engine used to churn out 10.8hp of power. It was discontinued in 1996, for a greater good though. The emission norms were forced by the government which ended the reign of 2-stroke bikes in the Indian market. RX 100 is still loved by many, and people are ready to pay more than the initial cost of the bike.
-
Hero Honda CD 100 | Fuel Anxiety Buster
One of the most successful joint ventures in Indian automobile was the one between Hero and Honda. Through this venture, the company offered bikes that once used to rule the two-wheeler segment due to affordability as well as reliability. One such bike was Hero Honda CD 100. A four-stroke 97cc engine used to churn out 7.5hp of power and a peak torque of 7.16Nm. The unbelievable mileage of 80kmpl was the major factor for the bike’s great run.
-
BSA Bond 50 | Someone Said A BSA Bike??
Yes, many of you may remember this brand as a manufacturer of cycles. But the Birmingham Small Arms Corporation Ltd. (BSA – I bet many of you won’t be familiar with the full form also) also manufactured motorcycles. At the pinnacle, BSA was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. At that time came in the Bond 50. It was a small 50cc, two-stroke engine powered bike. It was one of the first bikes to introduce mono-shock suspension at the rear.
-
Hero Puch | “Now you’ve got the Power”
“You don’t have to be big to pack a powerful punch, do you?” read an advertisement of the Hero Puch. No, this was not at all a false ad case. It actually was powerful. The 65cc engine used to churn out more than 4hp of power. It used to reach 67kmph with just two gears all thanks to the Porche designed styling. The Puch was reliable and powerful. The company chose Aamir Khan as the ambassador for their powerful moped. The way it was designed, it surely was a marvel.
-
LML Adreno | The Adrenaline Gusher
The 110cc 4-stroke bike from LML had a long wheelbase which gave it ultimate stability. It could easily go up to speeds of 100kmph without giving the vibrations out. With those figures also, it was able to reach around 70 kms in a single litre of fuel. It was able to reach 9000 rpm easily. But how? All thanks to an extra fourth valve instead of three valves in the cylinder which lets the engine breathe more air. But the higher pricing was not able to attract a lot of customers and LML had to discontinue the bike.
-
Hero Honda Karizma | With Great Looks Comes Great Performance
It is not me, it’s the company who says so. Launched back in 2003 under the joint venture of Hero and Honda, Karizma became popular in no time. The dashing looks which the bike had made youngsters a fan. It was powered by a 223cc 4-stroke engine which could churn out 19.2hp of power and a peak torque of 19.35Nm. Impressive! This model was discontinued though Hero Motocorp later released Karizma ZMR which carried forward the legacy of the sports bike.
-
Yamaha RX-Z | The Successor To The Legend
RX100 passed on the legacy lamp to RX-Z which faired good and kept the RX brand high. It was powered by a 132cc 2-stroke engine that could give out a power output of 16hp and a peak torque of 12Nm. The bike could easily reach a speed of 120kmph.
-
Yamaha Enticer | The First Real Cruiser
The cruiser segment has been a famous one in India for a long time now. But when it was not that popular, Yamaha came in with the first-ever real cruiser of India, the Enticer. It came, it conquered. The affordable price and stylish cruiser looks were enough to attract the young Indians towards it. It was powered by a 123cc engine which used to churn out 11hp of power and 10.4Nm of peak torque.
-
Honda VRF 1200F | The DCT Gangsta
The sports tourer was launched at the same time when Suzuki Bandit came into India. What made the bike interesting was the missing clutch lever. What!?! A Bike Without Clutch! How is that even possible? The answer is simple. The VRF 1200F came equipped with a DCT clutch box. Damn! It had CBS, ABS, slipper clutch and much more in the features arena. The 1237cc V4 engine could produce a staggering 171.62hp of power and a peak torque of 129Nm. But all these features and power couldn’t attract the customers who were looking at the price tag of ₹17,50,000. This figure is what made many Indian buyers look over the Honda VRF 1200F.
So this was our another list of 10 forgotten bikes. Did we still miss any? Do let us know in the comments section below.
Have fun reading the first part: 10 Forgotten Bikes In India: From Yezdi to Mini Bullet
If I remember well, Bajaj Eliminator was the first cruiser in India. Enticer and later Avenger borrowed from its styling.
Hero Honda Street was the clutchless bike with a rotating gear that could be brought from 4 to neutral directly in peak traffic
RD 350, Bajaj Prowler, Bajaj Calibre, TVS Fiero, Kinetic Challenger, Suzuki Samurai, Suzuki Shogun, KB 100 are some of the other bikes worth mentioning, though all can’t fit in a list of 10
True, Bajaj Eliminator was the first cruiser in India, although was not as famous as the Enticer. Avenger was its successor. Thanks a lot for sharing the information.
BSA Bond was the best mini bike in Indian Automobile sector but the performance was excellent but due to non service provider the bike list its market but very crazy mini bike after baby Yezdi
Hi Nemmara,
BSA Bond was surely a powerful mini bike but was not able to stay for long due to the segment not being a popular one in India at that time.
Stay tuned for more such blogs!
Hero Honda cd 100 started a new generation of biking experience in India.
Hi Pramod,
Hero Honda CD100 indeed was a trendsetter being the first of the segment. It changed the biking experience in India by making it more affordable. Stay tuned!
Rx 100 leni hai
Hi Pankaj,
You can contact your nearest second-hand bikes dealer for the same. Stay pinned!
Suzuki Inazuma, Kinetic GF 125, Kinetic Challenger( may be the first motorcycle with gear indicator), Hyosung GT 250. There’s a lot. I love motorcycles. Nice article by the way. Thank You.
Hi Ajay,
Thanks for the appreciation. And the bikes you have mentioned will surely make their way to our 3rd part of the Forgotten Bikes series. Stay tuned!
Lml graptor,lml beamer,hero honda joy,hero ambition,lml energy,Hyosung kinetic comet should be also in list…
Hi Semi,
Part 3 is on its way! Stay tuned!
What about Hero honda CBZ ?
Nice article. There was the hero winner.
Suzuki Samurai was my favorite.
You have not mentioned the legendary
FANTABULUS
RD350,
SHOGUN
SX100
FURY
OIL KING
ROAD KING
350 TWIN YEZDI JAWA
250 KINETIC HYOSUNG
GF 170 KINETIC 4 VALVE
NOW MAKE A LIST OF 20 FORGOTTEN BIKES
Hello Najaf,
Thank you for the input. As this is part 2, we already made part 1 with some of those motorcycles. So, stay pinned for part 3.
FANTABULUS
RD350,
SHOGUN
SX100
FURY
OIL KING
ROAD KING
350 TWIN YEZDI JAWA
250 KINETIC HYOSUNG
GF 170 KINETIC 4 VALVE
NOW MAKE A LIST OF 20 FORGOTTEN BIKES
On The Way Najaf!
Thanks for the heads up
The BSA Bond bike was later re-introduced in the market named as Mascot in 1985 or 86, shaped similar to other Japanese 100cc bikes when they came out in the market. The company itself was owned by Brooke Bond! (Must be the same group company who sells Tea and Coffee!)
My father had one, and it was my college time rider. 50cc engine was good enough upto 60-70 kmph speed, beyond which was very rough and noisy.
There was also a monoshock version of the same bike (called Spitfire, if my memory is correct) shaped as a dirt bike – mechanically more similar to the BSA Bond.
Thanks for writing in Manoj!