Bikes and worst? Alright I’ll try my worst er. best. Now for me it is pretty hard to strongly dislike a bike but as always there are some horrible machines that just beg to be thrashed, well at least in words.
Hero Honda Joy
It came and .it went. Joy was another attempt at the then booming 100cc market. As it turned out, HH was deeply in sorrow - courtesy Joy. Take an already aesthetically-challenged CD100, cut, chop and recolour it until you go unconscious(so that you can not see what you’ve created) and what do you produce - Hero Honda Joy. It did not have anything really seriously wrong but what made made matters bad was the treatment HH gave it at its launch and then at its un-launch(what was that?).
Yamaha Crux/CruxR
Yamaha India has always insisted on providing de-tuned(read Indi-tuned) models to the Indian customer. Crux was an effort to boost the company’s sagging volumes. It looked as if leprosy-inflicted and ran as fast as a tortoise. in fever. Efficiency? You ask. Well, the bike drank and it drank hard. And as you know, driving while drunk is bad. Maintenance costs were never a strong point of Yamaha India and the atrocities are taken to another level by Crux. As for dependability, I’d rather go for a 20yr old Enfield than this one.
Bajaj Byk
Bajaj wanted to make the most frugal bike in India and they produced Byk - a two-wheeler as horrible as the mis-spelt name. Thank god they did not name it as’Bike’ because it would have been a disgrace(provided it isn’t, now). It’s a heart patient with an effective top-speed of 75Kph. At about 28 grand, it’s only 2000 odd bucks less than the company’s next offering - the BoxerAT.
Hero Honda Street
Street? Nah, rename it as Patli Gali. Before you think that I have something against our country’s largest bike maker, let me tell you that its quite the opposite. But just look at this bike(Yes, HH categorises it as BEE-EYE-KAY-EEE, Bike). A Hero Puch will win hands down if compared in terms of looks. At 33Grand, it very competitively priced(which means it was good for the competition).’It’s Japan’s sweetheart’ HH would cry hoarse but’We ain’t no Jap, HH!’
If you happen to own(endure) one of these, my sympathies are with you. Please do comment.
PS: This review is expected to be read in a humorous mindset. No offence intended.