Alternate Route: Hero Splendor iSmart and Harley Davidson Street 750

Crossroads

That is where we are today in many aspects-our vehicle market is being taken seriously after many years, curved is the new sexy and as I write this, we are in the process of electing a new/refreshed government to lead our billion strong family for the next five years. Everything is changing, and two of India’s newest bikes and what they offer will change our two-wheeler industry significantly over the years to come as well.

In the red and silver corner, we have the Hero Splendor iSmart, a budget offering from the Gurgaon-!based two-wheeler major whose innovation is start-stop technology a.k.a i3s (Idle Start Stop System). This technology has been featured on homegrown cars like the Scorpio but it is the first time that the tech has been brought to a budget motorcycle.

In the black corner is a new motorcycle from an iconic maker. The Harley-Davidson Street 750 was launched at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo and is the first completely new motorcycle from the American manufacturer in 13 years. Priced at just Rs 4.1 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi at the time of this being written) it has been designed and developed for emerging markets.

First, the less costly motorcycle, the Hero Splendor iSmart. Based on the Splendor NXG, what we see before us is a machine fitted with technology that is expected to become an industry standard across two wheels and four wheels within the next few years.

I think the point that Hero wants to make with the iSmart is that it has been the first to introduce such an innovation to the Indian market and not just on any flagship model – that word usually means ‘most expensive’. They chose the most affordable one. In a market where price is king, it is a quite a feat that Hero has managed to limit the cost of the technology to Rs 2,000 per motorcycle. We expect that they will soon introduce this option on its other bikes including the upcoming 600cc Hastur.

Hero has managed to reduce the technology to such a small size and so I expect that it will find its way into many more vehicles of various sizes and more importantly may become relevant for public transport (which is usually in crowded cities) where traffic jams and stoplights mean that start/stop technology will add ever-increasing savings.

The Harley-Davidson Street 750 on the other hand is a shining example of a big budget brand making a mark in a place where it has never had presence before and frankly speaking did not need to have any. Harley could have very well just continued with the Iron 883 as its smallest motorcycle but decided to up the game by offering a good product at an explosive price.

The Street 750 has a liquid-cooled ‘RevolutionX’ engine that offers a different vibe to the traditional H-D mill. The older powerplants – with the notable exception of the Porsche-designed engine in the V-Rod – didn’t bother about anything other than matching emissions targets for their destination markets. They cruised on calmly like you’re supposed to with a Harley. This new engine, it’s just the start of it. The Street has a new frame that doesn’t allow it to touch most speed breakers even if you weigh as much as a stereotypical Harley rider. The tyres are another big admission from the manufacturer – unlike any other model from the manufacturer, there is no company branding on the tyre; it chooses to go with the same name and pattern as the humble Bajaj Pulsar instead.

Harley manufactures the Street in India and exports it to other countries, which gives it a price advantage that it didn’t need to sell its products. The price may be shocking, but a closer examination reveals certain cost-cutting measures on the bike in a bid to keep the price competitive but Harley offers a whole host of accessories for the motorcycle in whose name you can spend up to a lakh and a half customising the 750 to your taste.

I would akin this kind of strategy to the moment Ford introduced the original Mustang to the American public in 1964. It offered a basic car for around $3000 and then gave its customers a $12,000 accessories and customisation list from which they could choose various parts to give the Mustang their own signature design. This was no bad thing, since competition to the Mustang ensured that everyone had affordable, not to mention unique, performance available to them.

Look beyond the obvious with these two machines, and you’ll realise that they are more than the sum of their parts. The Splendor didn’t need a shot of technology – anyone else would have gone for a restyling job and called it ‘all-new’. Neither did Harley need to develop a whole new model range that undercuts not just Japanese but also Korean rivals on price – and it offers more in terms of brand image, engine size, accessories and usability.

When market leaders that are profitable start thinking out of the box and make giant leaps in the right direction, you know the winds of change are blowing with gale force. What lies in store for us next? I’m not sure right now, but I sure am excited, and not just for me. I’m excited for everyone from the simple farmer who wants to carry two sacks of potatoes to the market, to the budding Rossis who have everything except enough power underneath them. I’m excited because maybe, just maybe, the motorcycle of your dreams is right around the corner and it will be affordable. Maybe my dream motorcycle is just over the horizon as well.

Maybe.