As the name says it all, Rajdoot was the Doot King or the Lord when it was first launched in India. This bike became the most integral part of the life of almost every family in our country. It was more than a bike because of the dynamic revolution it brought.
Back in that time, it used to be the best friend of its rider, but due to Euro II Emission Regulation in 2005, it was phased out from the market.
The two models of Rajdoot with a 2-stroke engine were the Rajdoot 350 and Rajdoot Excel T.
HISTORY
The motorcycle division of Escorts started manufacturing the Polish SHL M11 175 cc motorcycle under the brand name of Rajdoot from 1962. Various derivatives were produced with slight changes in suspension and transmission. Production continued for over four decades. It was powered by a two-stroke engine.
The way this bike became integrated with the life of local people, is quite commendable. The bike became everything for the wild biker spirit.
It gave the bikers back in the day a sense of amazing speed and adrenaline filled ride. No doubt that Rajdoot was the Hayabusa of the 80s.
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SAATHI OF LIFE
People loved the style and stability of this motorcycle. The bike was rough and made for tough use. The long life and less maintenance were the 2 parameters why the bike was so widely popular. There are so many stories of people giving Rajdoot bikes as dowry in marriages across the state.
This bike was also the Saathi of difficult times. Back in the 80s, when owning a vehicle was the stuff of dreams of many people, Rajdoot came as a savior and converted these dreams into reality.
MORE THAN JUST A BIKE
My father got this bike back in 1987. He was so excited that a young lad like him got his hands on such a sophisticated machine that he rode the bike till wee hours of the next morning.
Riding his bike like there was no tomorrow became a part of his daily routine. He once told me how he took 4-5 of his relatives to the railway station on his Rajdoot, without any problem. Till now, he doesn’t just regard the bike as just another vehicle. For him, it is something else.
It was actually a symbol of power and it brought this power back to the driver in its time. It was actually the chosen automobile of many political parties. In each rally, we would see hundreds of such Rajdoots running across the street.
Indeed Rajdoot was something more than a bike. Seldom, a machine forms such a connection with the people at large.
If you ever see a person driving this beast, then give him a tight hug for keeping alive the spirit of everything this bike achieved in its time. Salute to this grand journey of this bike, RAJDOOT.
Image Credits: Google Images
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