I feel the same way

Dear ,
I feel your pain. And from your letter, I think you feel mine. But unfortunately, we stand at the cusp of change. No, really, no bullshit, I mean it. everything points to the leisure/premium segment of motorcycles being the next big thing. The analysts say so, the market says so, industry watchers say so and so does the rising buying power of the average motorcyclist. More important is the fact, that the enthusiasts are getting more and more vocal, their language is getting stronger and I think, the manufacturer's are finally losing the gold-plated dollar signs in their pupils.

But to expect a big bang to open the new era is expecting a miracle. The only company that needs something of that scale is Yamaha, and being Japanese, I don't think they will take such a radical step. Think baby steps. 250 first, 400 tomorrow, 600s soon after.

There are a couple of thresholds we need to cross before we can start swimming in big bikes. The first and the hardest one will be multi-cylinder big ones. You see, our service centres are largely seen as purely mandatory requirements by customers and manufacturers alike. And treated as such. It's a sad situation. I've seen over the years that factory-trained mechanics, increasingly, know nothing more than what they learn - to adjust the air screws on single carbs. A large part of the fear of the manufacturer is what happens when their unbreakable R6 breaks down. Will these screw-turners be able to handle it? The answer, at the moment, is unfortunate and obvious.

So, when Bajaj launches the 225/250, they will open the doors for more sophisticated service requirements with fuel injection. Once service becomes something you can handle (remember, buyer budgets, raw materials and the demand for bigger machines is rising all the time), launching the first multis (I'd say 250s and 400s) should not be a big deal, especially if they're imported fully/partially built.

Which brings us to the second hurdle. Our certification agencies have not really dealt with complex motorcycles so far. They actually devised a set of rules for Comet's tubeless tyres! Once manufacturers start pressuring them for standard rules and procedures for bigger multis, it'll clean up the path, and force customs to work faster with bikes as well.

Once the wall is breached, we're in for a flood. Yes, I know, I can't wait either. But such is the cross we bear.

-rearset
PS
Won't be long now