Now that concrete information of the deal between Bajaj Auto and Triumph Motorcycles are out, Ed Sirish Chandran (@sirishchandran) and Bossman Adil Jal Darukhanawala (@adiljal) speak in detail about what it is, how it came to be, and what to look out for with respect to not just the motorcycles themselves but also the way both the brands will approach both the Indian and international markets.
After a brief description of the partnership, (non-equity partnership, the brands will not put money into each other’s businesses), the conversation quickly turned to the expected engine capacity of the bikes in general (200-750cc) and the first bike in particular (probably 200-250cc), its expected sticker price (around Rs 2 lakh) and its approximate launch date (sometime in 2022), along with Nick Bloor, CEO, Triumph Motorcycles saying it could well be a single-cylinder bike.
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Next, the conversation went towards particulars of the engine construction, and the need for multiple platforms vis-à-vis the varying capacity. Tying into the engineering aspect, the Ed and the Bossman then shared some perspective on the sheer amount of ingenuity, mostly unacknowledged, that goes (and has gone) into the Indian automotive industry, before giving a brief idea of its achievements with respect to global standards.
The Bossman then borrowed from his decades of experience in the domain to belt out lesser known facts and experiences, with regards to even feel and dynamics of varied motorcycles, coming back to a pertinent matter – the proposed naming convention that may be followed, before shedding some light on the thought process that has led to Bajaj’s knack for creating and trumping market trends. The Ed, too, chimed in, adding some first-hand accounts on Bajaj’s contribution to the motorcycling (and even geopolitical) landscape of other countries.
All this and more on this week’s Thrill Of Driving Podcast