This review has been edited to add the latest info about my bike.
Original review
It’s been about two weeks since I’ve been riding my new Bajaj Caliber 115, and it’s not been exactly smooth.
Let me start from the very beginning....
I had to buy a bike. But was totally lost - so many options. It’s easier when there is little choice in things you know little about. Anyhow, I started on my journey of discovery. Issues of Overdrive, Auto-India, etc came to my rescue. But they were not enough. All of them were talking about test-drive conditions. I wanted something which would talk to me about the long term usage of the bike. So I turned to the net - Googled away - and the first website I found was Mouthshut....
I read a lot. Test-drove a lot. And it boiled down to Victor or Caliber. Now, on paper Caliber is supposed to be more powerful and torquey than Victor. But when I test drove them - to my surprise - I found that Victor had a better pickup - and a smoother ride in general. This was indigestible for me. So I went in for another Caliber ride (from another showroom - cuz that guy was not willing to give me another test ride :) I had some reservations about Victor’s looks (especially the stupid graphic designs) and the build quality (just try checking out the cheap plastic used in the instrument panel, switch panel - and the super soft material used for the wheel covers, etc).
Now, Overdrive - a magazine which I had learnt to implicitly trust had given a 5 star rating to Caliber - the best bike in it’s segment, and blah blah. A helluva lot of praises showered upon. That, and the four star rating here on Mouthshut. I think that’s what made me decide to go with Caliber 115. Hoodibabaaaa!!
Driving my Gun Metal baby straight out of the showroom I noticed that the speedometer was not working. I brought it back. The idiots had forgot to fix a cable. Ah - not much damage done. I was back on the road. It was raining really heavily. And the bike stopped twice, while riding, in the 10 kms stretch. I though it was because of the rain - but I was in for a rude surprise.
From the very next day - I kept having problems in starting the bike. This was the first time I was riding a 4 stroke vehicle. Earlier I had LML’s NV SPL and Suzuki Samurai. So the startup was pretty new to me. I though there was a certain style in kicking it - and I did no know how to do it. I asked a bike freak. He confirmed my doubts. The next week was spent trying to figure out that distinctive ’’style’’ to kick-start the damn thing.
I got fed up. Took the bike to the showroom the next week. The guy said that the idling acceleration was not ok and that the spark plug was dirty. I was shocked!! Just a week and the spark plug gets dirty. And what the hell did those idiots do for Post Delivery.
Anywayz - that time it started with a single kick. But not for long. Within an hour when I came back to my hostel (that’s about 10 kms) - it started giving troubles again. And it was worse this time. I couldn’t take it back - cuz I had my classes.
I took it back after two days. This time they said that the spark plug was not receiving continious current supply!! Wha...?!
Anywayz - I took it back. It was starting merrily. But the very next day - again the problem cropped up. Along with the starup problem I used to get strange kluck-kluck noises from the rear-wheel or the engine (I’m not sure). And this time I was furious. I realised that the bike had major problems in starting in cold condition. Even if the bike was switched off for 1-2 hours it couldnt start properly without the throttle.
I took the bike home. Let it stand overnight. Called the service-station people home, and asked them to start the bike in front of me. They didn’t know what was wrong with the machine. For the weird noises, they said - that the chain had become loose. Screw them. Just 450 kms and the chain is loose!!
Right now, the bike is with the showroom - and a person from Lucknow is gonna come to take a look at it - cuz the people here in Kanpur dont know what’s wrong with the bike.
After reading my (boring) story, here are the conclusions:
Hoodibaba! up their asses.
The gear changing is crap. Big klunk sounds with each change - and lots of false neutrals.
Uptil now (before the first service) - the bikes given me a meagre average of 40 kmpl. They say that the avg will go up to 60 after the first service but now I doubt it.
Looks are good. Especially the Gun Metal Black.
The engine sound it unflattering. The old Calibers had a heavier sound. Probably it’s again because I havent had the first service done yet.
The tachometer is pretty cool - with changing colours - red, amber and green.
It takes ages to open the fuel tank cover. The lock has been designed to badly.
The suspension is not too grand either.
The seat’s not too comfortable either. With a pillion rider - you get pushed on too the petrol tank. The space is so damn less!
It might be that I’ve got an ugly duck - but I swear, for me the bike has been hell. I used to dread starting it. I mean it’s just a week old - and you had to pump it 7-8 times and people with 6-7 year old bikes were purring with a single kick!!
3rd Sept, 2003.
The latest is - that it’s been about 2-3 weeks since I got my bike back from the service station. They said that the problem with the cold condition starting was the carbuerrator (spelling?) - it was faulty. So they changed it. My bike had done about 450 kms and the chain had become loose as well. So, they fixed that as well.
I also got my first service done (at 450 kms). The bike’s been purring after that. The very first mileage it gave me was 60. Then 50. Then twice it’s given me an average of 30kmpl!! But I suspect that the petrol station had cheated - and put less petrol.
Recently, the bike had just about come to reserve. I reset the trip-meter. The bike conked off at 100 kms. That would mean a mileage of 33 kmpl (the reserve has a fuel capacity of 3 litres). When I checked the manual - it said that the reserve was 3 litres and ’’Usable reserve’’ was 2 litres. Now, I seriously have no idea what happens to 1 litre??
After that - I filled just approx 0.9 litres of petrol - and it ran for about 54 kms. So on an average I would say the bikes been giving me an average of 50 kmpl.
Some startup problems are still there, but I think now I can live with them.
The bike has a really good pickup in the 0-55 range but after that it seems that it reaches it’s limit.
Anywayz, more to come from my side.
5th Sept, 2003
I’m really annoyed now. It’s hardly been a month and the electrical fittings have started conking off!! The right side indicators are not working!!
Am I the one with the ugly duckling or is it the same with all the bikes?!
13th Oct, 2003
It’s been quite some time now - that I’ve updated my review.
One thing I must say is that - the customer care of Bajaj is really good. I shot of an e-mail to the regional manager about my woes with the bike - and the very next day they came down to my hostel to pick up the bike for repairs.
And they’ve done that for 2-3 times now. BUT the point is - the bike needs all those repairs. I means it’s been to the show room 11 times now.
After all that hassle - at last I’ve got a bike which starts in one kick, has a pathetic head light and a pathetic mileage of 45-50kmpl.
Please do not buy this bike. You have been warned!!
Nandz.