RURAL ROOTS
Two rugged rivals slug it out in the rough and tumble of the vast Indian market to win the heart of the common man.

TVS Star
List price (ex-showroom,
Mumbai) Rs 30,990
Top speed 85kph
0-60kph 8.20sec
Kpl 62.05 (overall)
For Refined engine,
stable handling
Against Poor styling and switchgear

BAJAJ BOXER CT 100
List price (ex-showroom,
Mumbai) Rs 32,073-33,075
Top speed 84kph
0-60kph 8.67sec
Kpl 64 (overall)
For Good styling, nimble handling
Against Lack of box-section swingarm

Bike sales in recent months have seen an emerging champion with Bajaj Auto's CT 100 vaulting itself to the top of the entry-level segment. Selling close to a phenomenal 100,000 units every month, this petite motorcycle looks set to write a colossal success story. The Pune-based factory is busy churning out bikes to meet this escalating demand that shows no signs of letting up. But its success has not gone unnoticed. The CT 100’s newest challenger looms large on the horizon in the form of TVS Motor Company's all-new Star which is built to be durable and survive adverse rural settings.

Both low-priced competitors are especially important for their potential to sell in really vast numbers, thanks to their simplicity and ‘paisa vasool’ appeal.

Let's take a ‘dekho’ to see which bike emerges after the dust has settled.