“Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new – hatch’d, unfledg’d comrade” – William Shakespeare.
Hi all! This is Moeed from Hyderabad. This is the ownership review of my faithful friend; together we have covered 64,823 km in about 3 years. Read on! First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Deepak Raj for providing me with such a wonderful opportunity to share my biking experience with everyone at BikeAdvice.
How it all Began
I have been obsessed with motorcycles since my early childhood. Though I used to drive cars back in KSA, I always wanted to ride a motorcycle whenever I came to India for vacation, but I never got the chance. Finally, my dream came true.
The year was 2007 and I had moved to India for my higher education. I learnt riding at the age of 17 on my grandpa’s Bajaj Chetak 1988 model. I instantaneously started loving the sheer pleasure of the cool breeze passing through me, freedom to go anywhere, and the thrill of speed which the two wheelers provide.
I used to explore the city, but I couldn’t do much of long rides on the scooter due to its bad mileage of 25kmpl, thanks to my ripping. I managed to do 90km/h on the scooter I had covered 7000 km on the scooter in 5 months and it was time for me to upgrade to a motorcycle.
The Hunt begins
I had two thoughts in my mind at the time of buying. At one end I wanted a fast bike, and the options were Karizma and P220, as R15 was not launched then. At the other end I wanted a mileage bike. Bajaj had launched the XCD 125 at that time. I was considering the XCD as it had a good mileage.
It was tough for me to decide between the two ends as both of them were diverse. At one end was the adrenaline rush, and at the other end I wanted to tour a lot. I knew that if I bought a high cc bike, I wouldn’t be able to tour much due to its lesser mileage, so I decided to buy a fuel efficient bike so that I can make the most out of every drop of petrol.
I went to the Bajaj showroom with my friend to check out the XCD. We didn’t find it much appealing. My friend suggested me to take a look at Platina, which was about 10k cheaper than the XCD and would also offer more mileage.
Hunt Concludes
I decided to buy the Platina, as it had a comfortable pillion seat for my mom, was the best in mileage, had better power and was reasonably priced than the other bikes in its segment. I bought the bike on 25th April 2008. I went to the showroom with my mom and got the bike the same day. That 8km ride with my mom, from the showroom to my home was the best ride of my life and I will never forget it.
The Birth of a Rider
I was really happy with my bike as she was light in weight, and easy to ride in the city traffic. My curiosity led me to do a mileage test. I was astonished when I got a mileage of 90kmpl.
I was craving to ride her on the highway, but I had to wait to finish the run-in period. My first highway ride was Hyderabad to Warangal and back (about 300 km). She performed really well on the highway and I rode the distance without any break.
My Transformation into an Addict
My bonding slowly started to build with her. Most of my highway touring was limited to one day rides, due to restrictions at home. But still I managed to do a few long rides, once riding non-stop for 12 hours and covering 800 km. She has never let me down and has always performed relentlessly in any weather and road conditions.
I have spent most of my time with her, in these 3 years. We both share a good chemistry. She has become more of a body part of mine. I cannot imagine living without her even for a single second. I never felt the need of any other girl in my life. My bike is all I want.
She never says ‘no’ for a ride. When I ride solo on the highway, I don’t prefer stopping, since I love to enjoy every moment of the time spent with her uninterrupted. I can live without food, water, but I will always fill her up with petrol. If I don’t ride her even for a day, I feel uneasy and can’t get interest in anything.
I take her with me wherever I go. The distance doesn’t matter to me, I simply love her company. I am a member of the biking clubs in Hyderabad and have done quite a few rides with them. Nowadays, I am not getting much time for rides due to my college.
The Places I have Visited so far on my Bike
Most of Andhra Pradesh, Gulbarga, Bidar, Solapur, Bengaluru, Mysore, Chennai, and Pune.
Good Points About the Bike
- Mileage (maximum I got was 104 kmpl on a highway while riding at 30 km/h)
- Reasonable price (38k – on road)
- Better power, mileage, pricing than other bikes in the segment
- Good for zipping through the city traffic
Not so good Points About the Bike
- Drum brakes (could have been better)
- Headlight (could have been more brighter)
- No Tachometer, self-start, engine kill switch
- Looks skinny (design could have been better)
Maintenance
I have done regular servicing at the Bajaj Service center till 50,000 km. In spite of always ripping her on the highways, she still continues to perform like a new bike. I achieved a top speed of 110 km/h (single) and 105 km/h (with a pillion) while going downhill. Even after thrashing her, she still continues to give me a good mileage, if I ride sanely. A couple of days ago, I got 93 km/l.
Apart from the servicing and regular oil change, I haven’t spent much on her for repairs. Frequent punctures were a big problem for me, thanks to my off-road riding in traffic jams. I changed the stock tyres at 53,000 km. The only major part replacement I did was of chain and sprocket kit at 55,000 km. I had to change the brake liners, pads and shoes several times due to wear and tear.
Here’s all the data of my Expenditure
- Kilometers covered = 64,823 (as on 10th March 2011)
- Petrol = Rs. 46,684
- Servicing at every 2,500 km (including oil change) = Rs. 10,272
- Tyres (Puncture repair/tube change/new tyres) = Rs. 4,375
Verdict
If you want a practical bike that’s reasonably priced, economical, and are ready to compromise on power and looks, then this bike is the best bet for you. I bought this bike, because of its mileage and price. My goal is to cover 1 00,000 km on my bike. I wish to do a ride to Ladakh and a saddlesore ride on my bike someday.
Thanks a lot for reading through the review. Feel free to ask any questions by commenting below. I’ll be more than happy to reply.
Regards,
Moeed
