The Bajaj V lineup is a range of motorcycles that uses a small amount of metal from a decommissioned air craft carrier of the Indian Navy, INS Vikrant. It is sold in two engine options, a 125cc and 150cc. Both the V12 and the V15 were successful in terms of sales. Bajaj marketed the V range as a motorcycle that carries the country’s heritage with itself. And now the Indian manufacturer has another chance to take this tried and tested idea further. The Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Viraat was decommissioned on March 6 . The options revolving around its final destiny include converting it into a museum or sinking it to create a divers’ haven.
However, if it does not land any buyers in the next four months, the ship will be broken down to be sold as scrap metal, something that could be an opportunity for Bajaj to stock up on the metal of INS Vikrant and push the V series of motorcycles further. However, at the same time some other competitor too could take a leaf out of Bajaj’s book and buy the metal from INS Vikrant, creating a new product line or adding a new model.
INS Viraat served in the Indian Navy for 30 years after spending 27 years with the Royal Navy. It played a crucial role during the 1989 Sri Lankan peacekeeping operation and was also used during Operation Parakram following the 2001 Parliament attack. It was decommissioned in a ceremony attended by the former commanders of the aircraft carrier. It is the world’s oldest aircraft.
If all the other options aren’t applied on the ship, it would head to the scrap yard at Alang in Gujarat. Instead of being sold as scrap, the metal from the ship being used to manufacture motorcycles sounds like a much better plan. However, there is no information from Bajaj on the matter yet.
The V range was a great success in the country. The V15 is powered by 149.5 cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke, SOHC, air-cooled engine that produces 12 bhp and 13 Nm of peak torque. The V15’s success lead to the inception of the V12 in January 2017. It comes with a 125 cc engine.
Considering the good market response to the Bajaj V, it will be interesting to find out if the brand repeats the process with the INS Viraat.
