It seems as if the year is ending with a spate of so-called “delivery bikes”, the latest of which is the impressive Bajaj Boxer 150.
In essence, it does nothing different to the Big Boys, Heros, Lifans, Kidens or any of the other brands you see plying their trade on the streets of the cities of South Africa but in reality, it does what it does rather well, managing to feel impressively solid and extremely smooth near its top speed, thanks to the balancing shaft inside the engine.
The model delivered was brand spanking new and the engine and gearbox were noticeably tight and stiff but loosened off nicely over the next 300 km, the performance improving with every passing kilometre. There is a carburettor to mix the fuel and air but there was never a moment’s hesitation, either on starting or at any point throughout the rev range, at any speed. Fuel economy also noticeably improved as the kilometres racked up.
Drum brakes front and rear gave no heart-in-mouth moments, the riding position was comfortable and only the rather odd gear sequence of Neutral -1-2-3-4-5, clicking down for every up-change being unusual, and taking a little more concentration than is normal, although that too became second nature after a while.
So, a well-built motorcycle with decent performance, comfortable, frugal and inexpensive to buy. So far, so good, but nothing tangible that really sets it apart from its competitors.
That is until you read through the latest press release from Bajaj South Africa. Delivery bikes lead an unnaturally hard life, as evidenced by the number of severely battered examples seen every day, all of which are still gamely giving service.
In an unprecedented move, Bajaj South Africa has announced the launch of the Downtime Guarantee. This promises to empower dealers and fleet owners with an impressive support initiative. The Downtime Guarantee is a commitment to ensuring businesses stay up and running, in the event of accident damage or mechanical faults.
The guarantee states that in the event Bajaj SA is unable to supply a spare part from its defined list of critical components within 7 days, the company will take the following proactive measures:
- Loan motorcycle provision: Bajaj SA will supply a loan motorcycle to the fleet owner, ensuring that their business operations remain uninterrupted and that they can continue to generate revenue from the fleet.
- Financial compensation: Should a loan motorcycle be unavailable, we will offer compensation of R250 per week of downtime to the fleet owner, helping to offset potential losses resulting from spare parts unavailability.
Naturally, there are some Terms & Conditions to be understood and met:
- To qualify for this offer, the motorcycle must have been maintained exclusively by an authorized dealer from the time of purchase, using only Bajaj Genuine spare parts.
- Spare parts must be ordered through official dealer channels.
- The Downtime Guarantee agreement must be in place between the authorized dealer and the fleet owner.
The list of critical parts will be available from your local Bajaj dealer.
Now that all sounds very staid and dusty, but it’s a significant initiative, speaking volumes not only for the confidence Bajaj has in its products but also for the Indian manufacturer’s understanding that mechanical downtime for business vehicles can be disastrous, both for the companies operating the vehicles and for the operatives who ride them day-in, day-out. This will protect everyone’s livelihoods.
The initiative could also be seen as Bajaj demonstrating huge confidence in the product and, certainly, lengthy acquaintance with the Boxer 150 demonstrated a motorcycle that has an impressive build quality, backed up with an equally impressive riding experience. If the main thrust of sales will be to the commercial sector, there is no reason why private individuals should be getting anything less than a competent and economical means of transport.
Equally reassuring is the offering of a 5-year/100,000km warranty. If that doesn’t give some indication of the confidence Bajaj has in its engineering, then I’m not sure what will convince you!
At R22,450, do you really need much more convincing?
Bajaj Boxer 150
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click the link below…
