KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Chetak is the only Bajaj to have lived as a 2-stroker, a 4-stroker, and now as an EV.
- The original Bajaj Chetak finds its roots in the Vespa Sprint 150.
- The original Chetak had a kill-switch could be operated without a key!
- The current Chetak comes with a keyless push-button system.
We bet almost every one of you gets nostalgic on hearing the name 'Chetak', and why not? After all, the Bajaj Chetak was an integral part of many people's lives back in the day. While the college-going crowd lusted after the fast RX100s and the Shoguns, families and middle-aged men found a reliable companion in the Chetak.
The Bajaj Chetak continues to live on as an EV today, serving a different customer base than its ancestor. Before taking a deeper look between the old and the new Chetak, make sure to join the 91wheels WhatsApp Community for all the latest automotive news and updates!
Bajaj Chetak Old Vs New: Design
Quite honestly, everything. Except for the name, there is nothing shared between the current Chetak and its ancestor. Yes, both scooters have a metal body, but that's about it.
The older Chetak finds its roots in the Vespa Sprint 150, bearing a no-nonsense design, with a split-seat setup, a spine in the footwell, removable side panels, and a spare tyre at the rear that doubled-up as a backrest. Italian roots, yes, but it looked and felt very much Indian.
The switchgear was also rather appropriate for the times it was sold in, including a small engine kill-switc which had a tendency to spark at times! That said, a well-maintained or a restored example looks elegant even today.
Bajaj did modernize the design as the years progressed, but it never really got rid of the core design language. It did add on a front lockable glovebox, a single seat, an updated analogue cluster, better quality switchgear and it also grew slightly in terms of dimensions as well. This generation of the Chetak also derived the very short-lived four-stroke version.
The current electric Chetak is a modern rendition of its predecessor; retro, but contemporary. It still has some Italian vibes to it, but there is a more natural flow and feel here. The profile particularly has a nice flow, given that removable side panels have become a thing of the past.
The illuminated switchgear of the current Chetak, and the rear are the two key design highlights; the twin tail lights, dynamic turn indicators look very premium, while the switchgear itself looks cool and feels funky to operate.
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Bajaj Chetak Old Vs New: Powertrains and Hardware
The old Chetak was powered by a 145cc, two-stroke, air-cooled engine, producing 7.5bhp and 10.8Nm of torque. Of course, this scooter also had a four-speed hand-operated manual gearbox. Suspension duties were performed by a linkage-type fork up front and a coil shock absorber at the rear. As for the brakes, they were drum units on both ends, the rear being a foot-operated unit.
The old Chetak had a right-side weight bias, due to the placement of the engine. While many websites and the RC of my dad's Chetak highlights a 98kg kerb weight, I remember them feeling heavier than that; those who have experienced this scooter fall on them will understand what I mean here.
To keep up with changing times, Bajaj also introduced a four-stroke version of the Chetak, which lasted long enough to receive a facelift, but it ultimately ended up getting axed.
In comparison, the newer Chetak is far too simple. Powered by an electric motor, it produces a claimed 5.6bhp and 20Nm of max torque in the Premium variant. While the base variant of the Chetak makes do with a 2.8kWh battery pack, the other variants come with a 3.2kWh unit.
The base variant of the electric Chetak can be charged in a claimed time of 4 hours, while the higher two variants can be juiced up in a claimed time of 3.3 hours. The base variant can cover a claimed range of 123km on a single charge, while the Premium variant and the Blue 3202 can cover 126km and 137km of claimed range respectively.
Keeping the Chetak DNA intact, the newer one also makes use of a linkage-type fork up front and a monoshock at the rear. However, the Chetak does use a disc brake up front, while the rear continues to be a drum unit.
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Bajaj Chetak Old Vs New: Interesting Notes
If you think about it, the old Chetak was one of the first scooters to feature a keyless system; yes, you could operate and ride the scooter without a key! Starting the old Chetak was a famous ritual; turning the oil knob to 'main', then tilting the scooter towards the right side for a few seconds to let oil to flow into the carburettor. Once you get the scooter back to its normal position, use the kick-start and hear the two-stroke motor thrum to life, accompanied by some amount of bluish-white smoke. If you remember this process all too well, you probably have a lot of grey hairs on your head now.
In comparison, the newer Chetak also comes with a keyless system, but it has to be operated via a key fob that has to be in close proximity of the scooter. Unlike the artful process of its two-stroke ancestor, you simply unlock the scooter with a long press of the start-stop button, and then a short press to switch from neutral to drive mode. After that, it is just a silent experience.
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Bajaj Chetak Old Vs New: Equipment
The old Chetak existed in a time when features simply didn't exist. Technically, the old Chetak did not have an on/off ignition, since you could operate it even without using the key. It did, however, feature an engine-kill switch which had a tendency to spark at times. Of course, this changed over the years, as Bajaj did modernize the Chetak. However
There was also a time when the Chetak did not even feature turn indicators. Fuel gauge? What's that? Just open the fuel tank and shake the scooter to figure out the remaining fuel.
Things change drastically when you head on to the new electric Chetak, as it comes loaded with features such as an LCD digital cluster, an illuminated switchgear, reverse mode, and app connectivity. The TecPac further adds a larger TFT cluster, a sport riding mode, hill-hold, dynamic turn-indicators, music streaming, call/SMS alerts, and geo-fencing.
Verdict
The Chetak is perhaps one of the most important names for Bajaj after the Pulsar, and while it hasn't set the sales charts on fire, it definitely has a set of audience to cater to in its electric avatar. While it isn't class-leading in terms of performance, features or range, its design and steel-body have a certain nostalgic charm to it.
