Bajaj Chetak

Introduction

The Bajaj Chetak gives you that nostalgia, that familiar feel. It is Bajaj’s legendary name, a fitting tribute that brings back pleasant memories and arouses that fuzzy and familiar feeling. In fact, it is a brand name, so classic that immediately takes you back to the time when these humble two-strokes dominated the Indian cities, leaving behind a plume of thick smoke and the familiar thrum exhaust sound. Coming to the present time, Chetak comes across a well-finished and well-built machine having all the gizmos of a modern-day electric scooter. Bajaj steps into the realm of electric motorcycles in India by resurrecting the Chetak that once ruled a million hearts as a reliable workhorse. 

How is the design? 

Bajaj Chetak in the form of a new e-scooter comes across to be rather contemporary and chic. Besides Vespa, the Chetak is one of the most iconic motorcycles and its appearance alone can pique attention. There is an intrinsic flow to its elegance, a kind of a grace to the honed lines curving around the sleek bodywork. It is indeed a piece of beauty. The LED DRL carefully integrated in the primary headlight, the single-piece rear portion and the faux grill found on its front apron results in an unconventional appearance, devoid of unpleasant panel gaps. The tail lamps come along with the dynamic and integrated turn indicators which add to the beauty of the scooter. Some of the features may vary depending on the variant you buy, but what remains unchanged in either variant is the touch of premium and sense of quality. The chic appeal resonates with Bajaj’s classic trajectory and the glossy paint finish on the body complements the exterior ergonomics. While the older Chetak resembled the Vespa, this new e-scooter has a design language of its own. 

How is the performance?

Of course, when riding this new e-scooter you will not be reminded of that old, noisy machine. This scooter paves the way for the future of electronic mobility in India. The emotional chord associated with the mechanical sound produced by its manual transmission is lost to electricity. This modern-day scooter is propelled by a 4.1 kW of motor that generates a peak torque of 16 N and will give you a totally different feel in reality, despite when it does not look like a big figure on paper. Chetak, in its new avatar, picks up a pretty quick pace once the throttle is opened, making it easy to manoeuvre in city traffic. There are two modes of riding- sports and eco, alters the scooter’s urgency as it surges ahead. The ‘Integrated Charging Unit’ comes with a sensor for detecting the position of the throttle when run on eco mode. Every time, the grip is twisted beyond 85%, its system detects the demand for extra power and immediately shifts to sports mode. This transition is best felt while overtaking in city traffic or climbing a bridge. The automatic switching between the two modes saves you from the pain of manually controlling the modes. It dashes ahead with a top speed of 69 kmph and while this is okay for most streets, the main roads in Delhi and Mumbai host fast-moving traffic making you feel like the top speed could have been between 75-80 kmpl. While the electronic Chetak performs rather decently, it is not very exciting or thrilling when compared to Ather 450X. Chetan is rather inclined towards practicality and serves its reserved purpose of a reliable workhorse or a daily runabout.  

How does the Bajaj Chetak ride? 

The suspension setup of the Chetak is similar to the 110 cc scooters; however, the set-up of the front trailing link has its own drawbacks. The ride quality is fine over a few speed breakers and undulations, the scooter tends to thrudd over sharpo potholes or large expansion gaps. Besides, the set-up and position of the suspension is pliant making the scooter ride like a regular small-capacity, petrol-powered machine. It is very well planted on the ground around corners and bends, giving you a pretty good grip from the MRF wheels on both ends. 

How comfortable is the Bajaj Chetak? 

The new electronic Chetak has been given an ergonomic stance that comes along with a familiar wide and comfortable seat. It complies with the basic industry standard when it comes to comfort. Talking about the suspension, you already know that Chetak gets a leading link at the front so that moderate impacts coming from potholes and speed breakers are negated or reduced to bare minimum and it does its job well. Bajaj, however, did not live up to the expectation for at least single-channel ABS and instead provided a combined-braking mechanism upon inspecting its internal anatomy. The body weight is light and has its own advantages such as decent handling and easy passes. When it comes to comfort, you can expect the similar feeling that the old Chetak gave you. 

How's the tech? 

Technology is Bajaj’s unique selling proposition and the brand has done the same with this new e-scooter, trapped in its older fame. Bajaj never shies away from trying out new specifications, be it the AI integrated features or the full LCD screen positioned between the handlebars. The interface of the LCD screen provides easy navigation and clear visibility with a simple black-and white theme. It comes with a Bluetooth connection, but all the associated features may not be present in all the variants. The battery in this scooter promises 95 km on the eco mode and 85 km on the sports mode. It takes a total of 5 hours to charge this machine. 

How's the mileage of the Bajaj Chetak? 

The battery in the Bajaj Chetak promises 95 km/charge on the eco mode and 85 km/charge on the sports mode.

Is the Bajaj Chetak good value for money? 

Chetak has an emotional connection and a huge reputation among Indian riders and it is all about the faith that the company has invested in it. The transition of this scooter from petrol to electricity feels premium and natural. If you are looking for an electrical ride with a premium feel, go for it. 

How is the after sales service? 

The Chetak is given a 15000 km of service in batches and while some of the first few services are free of cost, the followings are chargeable. It gets a warranty of 3 years or 5000 km and the battery has an estimated lifespan of about 70,000 km. 

Which scooters compete in this segment? 

Some of the other scooters that compete in the same segment as Chetak are TVS iQube, Ather450X, Aprilia SXR 125 and Revolt RV 400. 

Verdict (Value for money)

This scooter promises quality and premium-ness. It is a daily use scooter with a pretty impressive battery backup. Overall, this scooter is a value for money.