I bought my Bajaj Kawasaki Caliber 115 on 21st of March 2003. I was thinking of buying the TVS victor earlier, because of its mileage, but after test riding both these bikes, I opted for the Caliber.
2500 kms. and 2 services later, I must say I am a happy man. Some of the reasons why I like my bike so much are as follows:
Size: Caliber weighs only 118kg but is larger than victor or splendor. This is great for tall people like me.
Mileage: Caliber uses TRICS (Throttle regulated ignition control system) which ensures good mileage at any speed. I drive daily to office (50kms to-and-fro) at a steady speed of 45-55kmph and get a mileage of around 65 kmpl. Even when I am speeding at upto 75kmph (I often drive back home late nights), the mileage does not fall below 50kmpl.
Fuel Capacity: Large 14 litre tank gives you a range of more than 800 kms. Most users will need to top-up only once a month.
Functional displays: Only the caliber comes with a tripmeter (handy for finding distances and calculating mileage) and an optimum riding indicator which helps you get the best out of your bike.
Engine Sound: The engine is almost silent. It takes getting used to. You can cruise at 60kmph without a grunt. It only gets better after 2 services
Tyres: Wider tyres at the rear ensure good grip at high speeds on the highway.
Suspension: I moved to level 3 from the factory-default of 2 after my 2nd service. It feels great even with a pillion rider.
Electricals: I normally drive with the dipper. Who needs the 35W halogen in the city lights anyway? The indicators are fresh-looking. The display lights look cool.
Driving comfort: I tried different bikes before buying this one, and it is the most comfortable one, I must confess.
On the Cons side, we have the Bajaj Service. I had a oil leaking problem which they fixed only after constant complaining. The staff seems only interested in explaining the theory of riding a bike.
I would give the Caliber 115 a 9 on 10 rating.
UPDATE: I must tell you the experience I had at a Bajaj dealer & service station last month.
I had taken my bike for 5th service at Sumer Motors, Grant Road, Mumbai on Tuesday 4th May. There was nothing much to do, except an oil change and settings. This took about 2.5 hours! The reason is lack of trained mechanics. They use a 20W40 oil, which I suspect is the cheapest one in the market. They refused to put better oil, as the oil they had, met ’’Bajaj standards’’ (sic).
My bike was not washed and I was told to bring the bike on Saturday for washing. Now comes the real problem. The service station is so small, that they have to out-source the washing part to a place 1 km away. The person who drove the bike to that place did not have Bajaj uniform and seemed to ’enjoy the experience’ of driving different bikes. He refused to take me along on my own bike.
He returned after an agonising wait of 2 hours. Horror of horrors, my bike was still muddy and it was also scratched badly. When I protested, the manager agreed to disclose the location of washing. It is a place called Zaki auto service in Arab gully. As any south Mumbaiite would know, this place is infested with anti-social elements. I can’t imagine, my bike was parked amongst vandals for 2 hours. Needless to mention that the person in-charge of washing was not co-operative at all.
Sumer Motors does not maintain a complaint book, which I feel is mandatory. There were atleast 3 other persons who complained of reduced performance after servicing. The place is so small, that they have to park vehicles illegally across the street, and owners have to risk towing!
Can someone put this matter in front of Bajaj authorities.
This is really disgusting. I don’t think I wil take any more services from the (un)authorised dealer.