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      Royal Enfield Bullet and Yamaha RD350 - The Initiators of Power Biking in India

      Roger Dsouza

      Roger Dsouza

      The trend of powerhouse performers in the segment of over 250 cc motorcycles has seen a major upheaval in the last few years with global brands like KTM and Kawasaki launching several of their models in India. However, the fact that they have started making an impact can be accredited to the indigenous models from Royal Enfield and Rajdoot. Long before the foreign names had set their feet in the Indian terrains; these brands had shown the bike lovers of the country that there was more about motorcycles than just 100-150 cc commuter models.

      Yamaha RD350
      Yamaha RD350
       

      The Rajdoot 350, sometimes also known as RD 350 was a popular two-stroke Yamaha model manufactured within the country from the mid-1980s to 1990. This bike was jointly manufactured by the Escorts Group in collaboration with Yamaha Japan. The bike was powered by a 347 cc, two stroke, air-cooled, twin carburettor engine. The HT or the high torque version was capable of producing a modest 30.5 bhp at the rate of 6750 rpm. The low torque version churned out almost 27 bhp. With a six-speed transmission, this bike defined power biking during that period.

      Royal Enfield Bullet
      Royal Enfield Bullet
       

      The other bike that defined the era of power biking was Royal Enfield Bullet. Initially manufactured by a British brand with the same name, it is now manufactured by Royal Enfield Motors in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. The signature bike, powered by a 346 cc, single cylinder engine was a trademark for those fans who wanted to opt for high performance motorcycles. Royal Enfield Bullet was the first such variant of this company, which went on to popularise the concept of cruiser biking and simultaneously led to the launch of several such bikes in India. Indeed, the Rajdoot 350 and Royal Enfield Bullet were the flagship models for power biking in the country.