The Journey of Bajaj Chetak: A Scooter that can never Die

Bajaj Chetak is a two-wheeler scooter that was first introduced by Bajaj Auto in 1972. The scooter was named after the famous horse of Maharana Pratap Singh, the ruler of Mewar in the 16th century.

The Bajaj Chetak was an iconic scooter that was widely popular in India for more than three decades. And today, we will follow the journey of this classic and popular Indian scooter.

Bajaj Chetak (1972-1980): The Beginning

The Bajaj Chetak was first introduced in 1972 as a 150cc two-stroke scooter. It was named after Maharana Pratap Singh's horse and was aimed at providing a reliable and affordable mode of transportation for the masses. The Chetak was an instant success and quickly became one of the most popular scooters in India.

In 1976, Bajaj introduced an electric start version of the Chetak, which made it even more popular. The scooter was known for its simple design, sturdy build quality, and ease of maintenance. The Chetak was powered by a 145cc two-stroke engine that produced 7.5 bhp of power and 10.8 Nm of torque.

1980-1990: The Golden Era

In the 1980s, the Bajaj Chetak became the most popular scooter in India, and its sales were only increasing year after year. Bajaj introduced several variants of the Chetak, including a 125cc model in 1981, and a 50cc model in 1984.

In 1986, Bajaj introduced a new version of the Chetak, which had a more modern design and was equipped with a four-stroke engine. The new Chetak had a 145cc four-stroke engine that produced 6.5 bhp of power and 10.8 Nm of torque. The four-stroke engine was more fuel-efficient than the two-stroke engine and emitted less pollution.

The Chetak was known for its reliability, and it was a common sight on the Indian roads. The Chetak became a status symbol for the middle-class families in India, and it was the most preferred scooter for the family.

1990-2000: The Decline

In the 1990s, the Bajaj Chetak started to face competition from other scooter manufacturers, especially from Honda. Honda introduced its Activa scooter in 2001, which was a huge hit in the Indian market. The Activa had a more modern design, was more fuel-efficient, and had better features than the Chetak.

Bajaj tried to compete with the Activa by introducing new variants of the Chetak, including a 150cc model and a diesel-powered model. However, the Chetak was not able to compete with the Activa, and its sales started to decline.

In 2006, Bajaj Auto announced that it would stop the production of the Chetak, and the last Chetak rolled out of the factory in 2006. The Chetak had a production run of 34 years, and during that time, more than 1.3 crore Chetaks were sold in India.

2020-Present: The Comeback

In 2019, Bajaj Auto announced that it would be re-launching the Chetak as an electric scooter. The new Chetak was introduced in January 2020, and it was the first electric scooter from Bajaj Auto.

The new Chetak has a modern design and is equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack that provides a range of up to 95 km on a single charge. The Chetak has a top speed of 60 km/h, and it takes 5 hours to charge