 Some
fodder for all you trivia buffs. Which is India's largest
selling bike? The Hero Honda Splendor, of course! You knew
that, didn't you? Anyway, which is the second best selling
bike? The Kawasaki Bajaj Boxer... Hmmm... bet you didn't
know that one. Well, for quite some time now, the Bajaj
Boxer has been generating huge volumes for Bajaj Auto, selling
on the dint of a strong mechanical package coupled with
extremely competitive pricing. In fact more than anything
else, it is the super-econo-miser pricing backed by similar Fuel Efficiency that has seen
the Boxer fly out of dealer showrooms.
 The
original Boxer was based on the Kawasaki Bajaj 4S Champion,
which was a good place to start as far as the mechanical
package was concerned but sadly not on the styling front.
Apart from a decent paint and sticker job, no concessions
were made on the styling front. But not any more.
As of now, all you penny pinchers needn't ride around on
sadly outdated mobikes. The Boxer CT has been given a once
over as far as styling is concerned. It now sports a new
fuel tank and side panels in addition to slightly reworked
front and rear ends. The new fuel tank is a shapelier unit
with knee recesses and smart graphics that highlight it
to good effect. Side panels flow out of the fuel tank and
the entire assembly presents a tight homogenous look. The
seat has also been changed, being a little broader and firmer
but its similarity with the previous downmarket unit is
all too  obvious.
The single round headlamp with a chrome surround has been
retained but it is of the clear lens type, a look pioneered
by the Hero Honda Passion and more recently the Joy.
The old squarish tail lamp has been replaced by a more stylish
and distinctive triangular unit, and all the better at that.
In keeping with the times, the instrument console features
a twin pod design, one for the speedo and the other for
the telltale lights. A fuel gauge and central ignition-cum-handle
lock have still not found place in the scheme of things,
a concession to cost cutting. But omitting a rear view mirror
is taking economising a bit too far, surely!
 Powering
the Boxer is the same 99.35cc 4-stroke unit that develops
7.02bhp and a max torque of 6.7Nm. Great the Performance is not, but a 0-60kmph acceleration time of 11.2 seconds
is pretty much in the ballpark of other 100cc machines.
She manages a top speed of 84.6kmph. Power transmission
is via a four-speed box with well matched ratios and slick
operation.
The bike excels in the mileage stakes. The Boxer returned
90kmpl on our highway run while it dropped to 70kmpl on
the urban route. An overall mileage figure of 80kmpl is
tremendous, to say the least.
 Suspension
settings ensure that the Boxer soaks up a majority of the
bumps and bounces of our potholed and moon cratered roads.
Handling is also completely vice-free though the soft suspension
settings do see the rear get a little out of line on some
of the bumpier corners. Braking is handled by 110mm drums
front and rear. Braking Performance is adequate though a shift to 130mm drums up front as found
on the Caliber would put her braking Performance up there with the big boys.
As with all Bajaj Auto bikes, the ace up the Boxer's sleeve
is the pricing. At Rs 35,075 on-road in Pune, she undercuts
rivals by a huge margin. And with the recent revisions,
it is no longer a question of an outdated bike selling by
virtue of its pricing alone. The old-style Boxer AT retails
for Rs 33,120 on-road in Pune. But an extra two thousand
rupees gets you a far superior styling package (and a battery
that is omitted in the AT), which I think is money well
spent.
Little wonder then that in Pune, the order books for the
new Boxer have been swelling rapidly to unmanageable dimensions.
Sirish Chandran
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