The amazing history of the Indian scooter!

How the unassuming two-wheeler became India's favourite ride

Scooters have run long ways all over the world, ever since they hit the road for the first time during World War II. Though the first scooter to have hit the roads was manufactured and introduced in the United States, Italy is where two wheelers got a new lease of life. The WWII had rendered the Italian roads pitifully destroyed. Scooter, being tiny and easy to drive, turned out to be the most-used form of transport.

India had its first set of scooters in 1948, when Bajaj Auto imported the Vespa scooters. And there has been no stopping for scooters' run in India after that.

Ever since scooters were introduced in India, they formed a major part of the Indian automobile industry. When the first scooters were launched in India, the response was overwhelming. Though Indian customers did not have many options to choose from, since not many variations were introduced, sales were awesome. Today, considering the global scenario, India tops the production and sales of scooters.

For the average Indian commuter, two-wheelers happen to be the most convenient option. So far as their production goes, India stands second in the world, next only to China. In terms of sales India ranks number two, after Japan. Considering the high and ever increasing traffic in Indian cities, and the ease with which scooters can be driven, it is pretty obvious why India has one of the biggest markets for scooters. The comparatively lower prices of scooters, vis-a-vis bikes, make them a cost-effective option for daily commuting for millions of Indians.

Let's now catch a quick overview of the journey of this awesome form of two-wheeler in India, right from the beginning, through the ups and downs, till date.

As mentioned earlier, it was in the year of 1948 that the first set of scooters was introduced. Bajaj Auto happens to be the first Indian scooter dealers, trading in imported Vespa Scooters. Scooter production within the country started in the early fifties, as API (Automobile Products of India) ventured into manufacturing them.

By 1958, Indian roads already had considerable number of scooters running on them. API and Enfield emerged as major scooter manufacturers. Bajaj started producing scooters in India only in 1960. However, they were not independent manufacturers like their counterparts. Bajaj Auto worked in collaboration with Piaggio, the Italian scooter manufacturer. The alliance lasted a little over a decade, and terminated in 1971.

The popularity of scooters was moderate from the 70s till the mid-80s. The craze that was marked in the initial years, after 1948, was missing. However, the popularity of the other types of two-wheelers was on the increase. In the 70s bikes emerged in various stunning models, catching attention of aspiring buyers, and thereby, grabbed the target market. This was the time when the future of scooters in India seemed to be at stake, since most people who wanted to buy two-wheelers, preferred bikes to scooters.

The popularity of the scooters was on the rise again in the mid-80s, when the Indian automobile market for two-wheelers started welcoming foreign manufacturers. This was, in fact, a revolutionary phenomenon in the Indian automobile industry for two wheelers. Manufacturers employed smart strategies to spot target market. Instead of targeting all aspiring buyers they designed and manufactured scooters meant for the young women and older men.

It is at this stage that a gearless scooter was launched by Kinetic in collaboration with Honda, the popular Japanese automobile manufacturer. Since this model and its variants were extremely easy to drive, they became immensely popular right away. The earlier models lost a big share of buyers as the elderly or the young women found driving difficult. The gearless model grabbed this market effectively.

The success of Kinetic inspired TVS, and Hero to introduce their own variants.

Today automobile giants like Hero MotoCorp, Honda, TVS, Suzuki, and Yamaha rule the scooters market in India. Honda took the scooter market to a different dimension as it introduced Honda Activa, a gearless scooter in 2000. With this model it surpassed other popular scooter manufacturers like Kinetic, Bajaj, and TVS.

Inspired by Honda's immensely significant launch, other manufactures have also introduced their own variants. Some such models that have come to be popular are Hero MotoCorp's Pleasure and Maestro, TVS's Scooty Pep, Suzuki's Access, and Yamaha's Ray.

What is most extraordinary about these latest models is that a significant share of their customers is India's youth, mostly college students, though the target customers are the young women and the older generation. Now that the city roads are becoming more and more crowded, chances are high scooters will soon replace bikes, and rule the city roads.   

The history of Vespa

When the roads of Italy were left damaged and hurt after World War II, and the city was struggling with crippled economy, Enrico Piaggio came to the rescue. Enrico did not hesitate for a moment to leave his long term aeronautical expertise and jump into the well-being of the residents of Italy.

Piaggio was determined to do something for the need of the hour; and his venture resulted in the introduction of the Vespa in the mid 1940s. The first ever model of Vespa was the 98cc MP5 Paperino (Moto Piaggo 5).

Enrico was not very impressed with the current model. He wanted something which is smooth to run, comes handy and doesn't make a hole in the pocket. D'Ascanio, the famous automobile engineer, came up with a unique design that had initiated revolutionary changes in motor scooters.

D'Ascanio

He came up with MP6 which had the engine placed near the rear wheel. This innovative designed made Enrico exclaim out of excitement "It looks like a Wasp" and that was the moment when Vespa got its name.

After the success of Vespa MP6 Prototype, the company never looked back. It kept on producing one splendid model after another. The trend continued with the models Vespa 98, 98 II series.

With the model Vespa 98 Corsa, Enrico introduced the first ever sporty looking bike that charmed and admired by people for its versatility. Piaggio introduced Vespa Circuito 125 in the late 40s. This model doesn't only look sporty; the powerful 125 cc engine won the race for Joseph Cau in 1950.

Piaggio had confidence in changing the way scooters were. Vespa 125 became the role model for riding and romancing around!

After watching Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck together enjoying the rides on the Vespa two-wheeler, it became quite a trend to ride a Vespa. Available at $110, the Vespa 125U model became the most selling Vespa ever. The U in the model stood for utility.

After the stardom, Piaggio planned to bring a scooter which not only looked better but made lesser noise and better performance. Then came the Vespa 150GS, with a quieter engine and much better performance.

When Piaggio had success on its feet, the company planned to bring a car under Vespa. The hard work and dedication of D'Ascanio brought the Vespa 400, a small car with two stroke engine, which became popular instantly.

In the 1960s Vespa became extremely popular; everyone loved it. Vespa 50 came with an attractive slogan 'Young, Modern and Without Documents'.

Under the legal act, it was fine to drive a two wheeler for anyone above the age 14. Vespa 125 Primavera was the model which actually stuck the cord in the young. It was made for those youngsters who didn't want to miss the party because of the lousy traffic.

The Vespa Rally 200 was the model which made people go gaga after it's extremely powerful engine of 200 cc. More than 41,700 bikes were manufactured and sold. People went for pre-booking and though it took months to get the delivery still they waited, because it was a Vespa.

Vespa 50 Special Revival was a special edition bike. Only 3,000 units were manufactured. This limited edition bike was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In 1996, two bikes were introduced -- Vespa ET2 and Vespa ET4.

These masterpieces still hold that old delicate charm, but the comfort and performance have gone way too higher, compared to those in the old times. The ET4, new generation bike comes with four-stroke 125 cc engine. Both the models were introduced with FAST (Fully Atomised Stratified Turbulence).

In 2007, Vespa introduced the MP3, which was a concept vehicle with two front wheels and single rear wheel, which also supported advanced suspension, while fuel injection was computer controlled. When Vespa celebrated its 50th anniversary in the year 1996, it had already sold over fifteen million units of Vespa.

It's not only about those old days; even today if you roam around the streets of Italy you will get the buzz from Vespa scooters almost everywhere. Vespa reminds of Italy, and sometimes, it becomes the symbol of romance after Audrey Hepburn made us fell in love with the city and the bike.

Vespa never really thought about investing money for promoting the brand through celebrity endorsement... In fact, the bike was a celebrity in itself; it needed no introduction. Even though critics says it could have earned greater repute and reached a different dimension if it had some celebrity brand ambassadors, Vespa chose to keep its popularity by its demand and performance instead of celebrity endorsements.

Riding a Vespa is sheer joy, a feeling of being young again and letting yourself go. Vespa faced financial crisis in the '80s and '90s and it made the company switch ownership several times. The best part is, despite the changes in ownerships, the name of Piaggio and Vespa still stand strong.

Top 5 electric bike makers in India

Shubhananda Bera 

Electric bikes have been popular in India for a while now and have been running quite successfully. The top 5 electric bike companies include Ampere Vehicles, Hero Ultra, Yo Bikes, ACE Motors and Eko Vehicles. Here are the best models in the market right now.

Hero Ultra

Hero Exports Private Limited (HE), an affiliate of Hero Cycles Ltd has taken up a joint venture with Ultra Motor Company (UMC), a global electric vehicle company based in UK. The new venture has produced two new models -- Velociti an electric scooter with extra speed, and Optima, an electric scooter with extra range.

Velociy, priced at Rs 34,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) is available across selected showrooms in north, west and southern parts of India initially. It targeted mainly the 28 year plus -- the evolved commuters.

Velociti is available in two colour options: Silver and Burgundy.

On the other hand, Optima is a new addition to the already existing range of seven models of basic electric scooters of Hero Ultra.

Hero is one of the leading cycle manufacturing companies in India. In case of electric bikes too, Hero has become one of the leading sellers in India. Manufactured with a high power engine and an extended battery backup, Hero has captured the market for electric bikes in India.

Ampere Vehicles

Ampere Vehicles Pvt Ltd., located in Coimbatore was established in 2008 and is now reputed as one of the top five electric bike manufacturing companies in India. The vehicles produced by the company are cost effective and of high quality. What's more? They look stylish and they perform well.

Ampere Vehicles is known to provide electric mobility solutions for people from all walks in Asia and beyond. The company has an assembly line in its manufacturing facility at Sulur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. It has been able to establish wide network of partners and associates all over the state within a short period of time.

Their electric bikes can be seen in all metros and the other tier one cities in India.

Various models produced by the company includeAbhi, Adya, Angel, Aditi, Bobo Retro, Buddy, E-Puller, E-Trollery, EM Truck, LC4, Mitra, Pearl, Prince, Trishul, V60, Visva DD and Zeal.

Yo Bykes

In 2006 Electrotherm (India) Ltd, was the first to introduce electric scooter with the brand name of Yo Bykes. It offers the most economical, eco-friendly, easy and safe mobility solution. Bikes are powered with electric drivetrain where BLDC motor and rechargeable batteries replace the conventional engine.

Bikes produced by the company consist zero tail pipe emission, and therefore, do not create air pollution (0 per cent carbon dioxide emission) and noise pollution.

The bikes are economical, with highest speed limit of 55kmph. These electric bikes are safe for city riding conditions, while the feature ample storage space with lock to store valuables.

Yo Bykes provides wide range of models to choose from. The no-license category includes Yo Electron (Rs 22,200 at Delhi Ex-showroom), Yo Style ( Rs 25,000 at Delhi Ex-showroom) and Yo Xplor (Rs 31,705 at Delhi Ex-showroom).

Extended range variant available with Yo Electron and Yo Style. The high-speed category includes Yo Spark (Rs 34,000 at Delhi Ex-showroom) and YO EXL (Rs 37,500 at Delhi Ex-showroom)

Eko Vehicles

They were the first company to introduce electric bikes to the Indian subcontinent.

Based out of Bangalore, the company mainly deals with battery-operated bikes in India.

Two of its models include Eko cosmic (Rs 23,000 at Ex-showroom Bangalore) and Eko Ev (Rs 21,000 at Ex-showroom Bangalore).

ACE Motors

Located at Pune, ACE Motors is primarily involved in manufacturing electric bikes like E-Trendy and E-Sports, and are getting impressive response from the market. Both of these electric bikes priced at Rs 26,500 and run 200 km on a 6-8 hour charge.

These two-wheelers are assembled with technical assistance from Changtong E Bike Company Ltd of China. Having established a liaison office in China, the company has started taking in export orders from Amsterdam, Germany and other European nations.

Initially, two models E-sports and E-trendy were manufactured in India with the technical assistance from Changtong E Bike Company, one of China's leading electric bike manufacturers.

The bikes launched featured rechargeable battery that promises to run between 60-70km for a charge that would cost no more than just Rs 4.50.

The brand NEW Royal Enfield Bullet 500

he Bullet 500 is here and we are all drooling already!

When you think of the Royal Enfield Bullet bikes you get that nostalgic feel, which has always made this classic bike a winner, of the fifties and sixties. We all are probably aware of the history that goes with the legend of Royal Enfield; the British army used it in the sixties to trod on and through the rough and tough routes.

The new Royal Enfield Bullet 500 launched on April 12, 2013 has been priced at a whopping price of Rs 1,53,855 (on road price for Delhi). What is most fascinating about the model is that this time the company has kept the traditional 'Tiger Eyes' look alive with an all new refreshing and sturdier model.

Apart from all the traditional features, the motorcycle is a delight for both the rider and pillion with comfortable seating. It features a new pillion grab rail, which is aesthetically designed like a backrest to cushion an impact. The front wheel comprises of a disc brake while the rear comprises of a drum.

The new model is a highly modernised version of the legendary original machine, and continues to maintain its aristocratic lineage

Engine

Royal Enfield Bullet features a 499 cc, four stroke, single cylindered, twin-sparked, air cooled engine, which adds muscle to the specifications of this bike. Moreover, it offers a displacement of 84mm x 90mm.

The compression ratio offered by Bullet 500 is about 8.5:1, and comes with a maximum power output of 26.1 bhp at 5100 rpm, with a peak torque of 40.9 Nm at 3800 rpm.

The ignition system has a TCI unit, and the clutch is both multi-plated and wet. Last but not the least, while the gearbox supports a heavy duty 5 Speed Constant Mesh, the engine offers the options of both an electric, as well as kick star

Dimensions

The wheelbase is about 1370 mm, and comes with a ground clearance of 135 mm.

The length of the bike is about 2140 mm while the width being 810 mm (without mirror).

Further, the bike measures 1110 mm (without mirror) in height, and has a kerb weight (with 90 per cent fuel) of 193 kg. Moreover, it has a fuel capacity of 13.5 litres, for an extended run.

Chassis and suspension

The Enfield Bullet 500 is one of its own types and comes with a single downtube, using the engine as the stress member.

The front suspension is about 130 mm, and is telescopic in nature, and offers a comfortable travel, while the rear suspension is about 80 mm, and consists of a twin gas charged shock absorber, offering a shock-free travel.

Overview

Although the new release of Bullet 500 has come as a surprise to Bullet freaks, everyone was expecting the much awaited 'cafe racer' to be launched a lot sooner. However, the good news is that the delay has not disappointed any of its fans and is reportedly being enjoyed by aspiring riders. One look and you'll know why it's been named as 'Classic'. It's a perfect blend of the modern and vintage styling.

It comes with a classic styled round headlamp and visible steel springs. The powerful bullet 500 sports 18" spoke wheels and a cool fuel tank with post war graphics. The thigh pads and the single saddle seat equipped with springs give this bike an extra benefit.

Moreover, the Royal Enfield has given a traditional look to the front number plate to maintain its sanctity.

The New Variants of Classic 500 are the Royal Enfield Classic 500 Chrome, and the Royal Enfield Classic 500 Desert Storm. Although both the variants are same in terms of engine and other tech specs, the classic chrome 500, features an all-over chrome finish, while the Classic Desert Storm 500 comes in a light brown shade with a matte finish.

The Classic Chrome has been priced at Rs 1.65 lakh, which is about Rs 10,000 more than the regular variant of Classic 500.

The Classic Desert Storm has been priced at Rs 1.58 lakh, which is about Rs 3,000 more than the regular variant of Classic 500. However, both the variants are powered by a 499cc, single cylinder engine which generates a maximum power of 27.2 Bhp at 5250 rpm and offers a peak torque of 41.3 Nm at 4000 rpm.

The Classic 500 Chrome is available in two shades: black and royal maroon. On the other hand, the Classic 500 Desert Storm is available in only one shade: light brown with matte finish.

There is one more variant of Classic 500 known as the Classic Military 500. However, it shall not be launched in India because the green shade is reserved for the Indian Army only.

The Bullet, since ages has been known as the bike for the rough riders, who mostly like to ride solo. The space and comfort level of the Classic Bullet 500 is addictive and this bike returns a fuel economy of around25-30 kms/litre in city conditions, while on highways, its mileage ranges between 32-35 kms/litre.

Undoubtedly, the Royal Enfield Classic 500 has no competitor in the Indian bike market. Exclusivity is the biggestUSP of this bike. Moreover, the performance and the ride quality of this bike, makes it most distinctive. We feel it's a complete value-for-money bike, and should be the first choice of the grown-up boys

Meet Makr Shakr, the perfect robot bartender

Scientists have developed a robot that can act as the perfect bartender - from shaking a martini to slicing a lemon.

Makr Shakr consists of three robotic arms which mimic the actions of a bartender.

The robots are linked to an app which allows users to create their own cocktails from scratch, BBC News reported.

"Makr Shakr is a great example of how digital technologies are changing the interaction between people and products," said Carlo Ratti, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Senseable City Lab, which directed the project.

"The system explores the new dynamics of social creation and consumption - 'design, make and enjoy' - allowing users to design their own cocktail creations, while digitally controlled machines transform these designs into reality," Ratti said.

The team behind the project hope to create a "bottom-up bar culture", allowing users to learn from each other by sharing drink recipes and photos.

The robots' movements have been modelled on the gestures of Roberto Bolle, a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.

Makr Shakr will be serving cocktails to delegates at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco this week.

iRobot charged with improving public safety for Brazil 2014 World Cup

The Brazilian government says some of the security robots bought to improve public safety during the 2014 World Cup will be ready for the Confederations Cup in June.

The company iRobot says the 30 robots would be delivered by the end of the year, along with spares and other support gear. The government confirmed Thursday that some will already be in action in the six cities hosting Confederations Cup matches.

The company said Brazil signed a $7.2 million contract, which included the small unmanned ground vehicles which can provide surveillance, bomb removal and other law-enforcement missions.

The Confederations Cup is the first of a series of high profile events Brazil will host, including the World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Security at sporting events has become a hot topic after the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon, although Brazilian officials have said they didn't make significant changes to the country's security plans because of the incident in the United States. Brazil has never had to deal with terrorist attacks in the past.

The equipment being purchased by Brazil includes a type of multi-use robot "that has proven useful for a variety of law enforcement applications, including the inspection of potentially dangerous areas and objects, the removal of suspicious devices and the detection of chemical and explosive agents," according to iRobot.

The robots weigh about 60 pounds and are customizable to include a robotic arm and other feature. They are operated remotely with a small control unit that essentially is a ruggedized laptop with a game-style controller, the company said.

"The purpose of these robots is to keep the operator and other people safe while an investigation is being conducted," iRobot told The Associated Press in an email.

The company said it has "delivered more than 5,000 robots to military and civil defense forces worldwide."

Brazil plans to have between 3,000 and 5,000 soldiers in each of the 12 host cities during the World Cup, the first in Brazil since 1950. The 2016 Olympics in Rio will be the first in South America.

The Brazilian Air Force earlier this year said it invested nearly $25 million to purchase two Israeli-made drones to help provide public safety. It already had two of the unmanned planes since 2001. The air force said it will also have a new radar system in place.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff had already announced that security will be reinforced along the 10,000 miles of the country's borders in preparation for the Confederations Cup. About 20,000 troops are expected to be added to reinforce security in the region.

Brazil shares borders with 10 countries in South America. Most police action in the region involves combating drug traffic and the illegal entrance of goods.

How Intel blew the opportunity to be inside the original iPhone

As Intel's former CEO Paul Otellini hands over the charge to Brian Krzanich, he reveals that he missed a chance to get Intel's processor inside the first iPhone.

In an interview with The Atlantic, Otellini disclosed that Apple had approached Intel to source a chip that they wanted to put in the iPhone but there were differences in the price that Apple was willing to pay and what Intel estimated. 

"We ended up not winning it or passing on it, depending on how you want to view it. And the world would have been a lot different if we'd done it," Otellini said.

He also added that his gut told him to say yes. There was also a sign of regret. "The lesson I took away from that was, while we like to speak with data around here, so many times in my career I've ended up making decisions with my gut, and I should have followed my gut," said Otellini. "My gut told me to say yes."

"The thing you have to remember is that this was before the iPhone was introduced and no one knew what the iPhone would do... At the end of the day, there was a chip that they were interested in that they wanted to pay a certain price for and not a nickel more and that price was below our forecasted cost. I couldn't see it. It wasn't one of these things you can make up on volume. And in hindsight, the forecasted cost was wrong and the volume was 100x what anyone thought."

It's not clear from the interview if Apple wanted the iPhone to be powered by Intel's x86 chips or, as is more likely, Apple wanted Intel to manufacture ARM chips on contract. Going by the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, Jobs had his reasons for not going with Intel chips for the iPhone. 

"There were two reasons we didn't go with them. One was that they [the company] are just really slow. They're like a steamship, not very flexible. We're used to going pretty fast. Second is that we just didn't want to teach them everything, which they could go and sell to our competitors," said Jobs.

This implies that Apple did not choose Intel as it was not sure of the company's existing chips and of the company's ability to offer a customised solution in time. It also didn't want Intel using its know-how to help competitors.

He is quoted saying,"At the high-performance level, Intel is the best.They build the fastest, if you don't care about power and cost." Jobs also added that "We [Apple] tried to help Intel, but they don't listen much."

However the book also features a rebuttal from Otellini saying that the two companies did not agree on the price and on who'd control the design of the chip.

While Intel has been a late entrant to the smartphone chips segment as its early Atom chips were not optimised for offering a good battery life, there were some reports before the launch of the original iPhone that quoted an Apple executive saying that the phone runs on an Intel powered chip. Even Intel had said that Apple had committed to use its 'Silverthorne' chip in multiple products.

Apple's first iPhone ended up using an ARM chip produced by Samsung. Till the last generation, all iPhones ware powered by chips designed by Apple and manufactured by Samsung.

An year prior to the release of the iPhone, Apple had released the first Macs that were powered by Intel processors before moving to a completely Intel based architecture in 2009.

Meanwhile Intel is trying to get its share in the mobile chipsets segment partnering with device manufacturers to power Android based smartphones as it faces tough competition from the likes of Samsung, Qualcomm and even Nvidia.