In 1993 if a teenager wanted to buy a vehicle for commuting, he had to choose between the 100 cc 2 stroke bikes, 150 cc side engined scooters, the 100 cc Kinetic Honda, Kinetic mopeds, Hero Puch or the Bajaj M80 and Sunny. Bikes were pricey- 30K+, scooters percieved to be unsafe and so my parents gave me the unenviable task of choosing a Kinetic tin box, a plastic biscuit- Sunny, Bajaj ’’milkman’’ bike M80 and the sleek and stylish Hero Puch.
The Hero Puch Shakti was launched in the summer of 1993. Its initial avatar was a 2 gear, 65 cc machine. Advertising campaigns touted the Shakti as a rough and tough alternative to the standard Hero Puch model and the sporty Turbosport. In order to give it a load carrier look, changes included carriers up front and rear, wider rear tyres, raised rear mudguard and wider seats. This bike looked bigger and the wider tyres offered better grip than the other Puch variants. Though this was not a tried and tested product I still decided to go for the Shakti. Looking back I feel that was one of my best decisions.
I rode the bike for 5 years and not once did it let me down. The clutch as it is with new Hero Puch was tight and so it consistently performed a little wheelie now and then. Excellent pickup courtesy its sprightly 2 stroke 65 cc 4.5 bhp Steyr Daimler Puch engine (Austrian). It was anyday faster than all mopeds and used to give a run for their money to some scooters and bikes-well at least till 40 kmph after which its small engine would start huffing and puffing. This bike was ideal for students such as me. Very maneuverable, excellent riding position and consistently high mileage figures of 70 kmpl for the first couple of years and 60 kmpl after that. That too not from a 4 stroke Hero Honda but a 2 stoke Puch.The poor man’s ’’Fill it, Shut it, Forget it’’ bike, if you please. I have used the bike and misused it too- carried loads upto 100kg and climbed up steep inclines, have skidded, crashed and smashed but the bike was always upto any torture I inflicted.
Its paintwork and electricals were its weak points- the head and tail lights kept playing hide and seek most of the times. Spares were pricey and indicators were sorely missed. Being small and light meant it was great for zig zagging in city driving conditions but then again not cut out for highway drives.
Cut 2003 and now students have a plethora of scooterettes, bikes, stripped down bikes and scooters to choose from and this is the main reason for dwindling Puch sales. Of course I do not know whether they still have the same built quality as the older ones.
The Hero Puch was a niche product - aimed at the student population and I still feel it is an excellent for its target market.