0 Bajaj Boxer BM150 First Photos

First photos of the Bajaj Boxer BM150..

Dubbed as the "Bharat Bike" by Bajaj, the new Boxer 150 has been already "soft" launched in a couple of states like Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Now for the first time photos of this new bike has emerged on the net. This one seems to be taken in Tamil Nadu. Posted below are the first photos of the bike designed for "Bharat"/Rural Indian customer.

[Photo credits: Indiancarsbikes, More photos posted below]

Expected Price: It was earlier officially stated that the ex-showroom price of the Boxer 150 would be near the Rs. 40,000 mark. So far there has been no official word on its final price or the engine specs.

It's a Herculean effort to budge rural India from its fixation from the Hero Honda (now Hero) Splendor/CD Deluxe..

150 cc engine on a basic bike

For the developed world a 150 cc is a puny engine capacity but for most Indian's it is the first step towards performance/thrill biking. So when a 150 cc engine is put on what looks like a basic, utility bike, I guess most Indians would be surprised. Especially the ones who will never buy the Boxer BM150.

A 150 cc engine alone doesn't just mean that it has to be at par with a Yamaha R15 in terms of speed/KMPH. But a 150 cc engine also gives the flexibility of bumping up the "torque" (pulling capability) relatively easily.

Apart from fuel efficiency/KMPL rural folks (the target customer of this bike) also need "Torque" in a lot in the applications, like pulling "doodh/milk" cans, pulling 3-4 adults (not legal but very common everywhere) etc. There has been mention of the Boxer150 by Mr. Rajiv Bajaj as a tractor/tank on 2wheels; none of which are made for speed/KMPH but more for "Torque".


What about fuel efficiency?

The engine block on the Boxer 150 looks to have been borrowed from the Discover 150. Therefore I am expecting the Boxer 150 to return a decent (if not the best) fuel efficiency. Well you gain some and lose some.. after all one can't have the cake and eat it at the same time.


Looks,features on the Boxer BM150

The looks of the Boxer BM150 is pretty simple and basic. Nothing on the bike will excite a young enthusiast but would probably be appealing to the rural customer looking for a simple and rugged bike. The engine block seems very much similar to the ones found on the Discover 150 model but probably doesn't get the DTS-i tech. as the second spark plug is not visible in the photos.

• Flat seat


• Simple tank


• Round analog instrument console


• Round headlamp


• Spoke wheels


• Drum brakes


• Chunky looking Rear Tyre


• Steel carrier cum grab rail


• Bajaj's SnS (Spring in Spring) rear suspension


• An electric starter (visible in the photos)

Will the Boxer BM150 find favor among Rural India?

It's actually nothing sort of a Herculean effort to budge rural India from its fixation from the Hero Honda Splendor/CD Deluxe. The blind trust of these Hero Honda models in Rural India has made what Hero Honda (now Hero MotoCorp) what it is, i.e. the largest maker of 2 wheelers in the world.

Therefore to expect the so far fixated with the "Hero Honda Splendor" crowd to look at the Boxer BM150 favorably would not be so easy. Like the Splendor which has proved it worth for over 16 years now, the Boxer BM150 will also have to prove itself over time.

Having seen how much recent Bajaj products have improved (current Discovers and the Pulsar 135 are proof), I am sure that the Boxer BM150 would also be a reliable product as well. It's just that probably Bajaj will have to be a bit patient with the Boxer BM150 and let the rural customer develop a trust on the product. Only then a product will transform into a brand.

Bajaj Boxer BM150 Photos:

Related Posts

• Can't understand Mr. Bajaj's Discover/Pulsar/Boxer strategy? Read this



• Bajaj to launch 150 cc Boxer [Feb 2011]



• TVS Max 4R: First look/details (Utiliy bike from TVS) [Jul, 2010]



• Difference between Power and Torque



• How to physically visualize Torque"

Disclaimer:

This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.