People of India, following independence, were not very wealthy, and most of them could not afford four-wheelers. So the next best thing for personal transportation was two-wheelers. With the increasing size of the Indian two-wheeler market, the manufacturers of these motorcycles and scooters also understood that they would need advertisements to increase their sales. So they started making commercials and advertisements with popular Bollywood actors and celebrities of the country. Now, if you want to go down the memory lane of old Indian two-wheeler advertisements, then here are a few of them.
Feroz Khan – BSA Falcon GT-50
One of the first superstars of the Indian film industry, Feroz Khan appeared for the endorsement of the BSA Falcon GT-50 bike. The legendary actor was seen in an advertisement for this iconic bike, which was powered by a 49.93-cc Motomorini engine. This two-stroke motor produced a maximum power of 4.6 Bhp and weighed 71 kg. It came equipped with a 4-speed transmission.
Dino Morea – Hero Honda CBZ
The popular Indian model who turned into a Bollywood actor was the endorser for the first Hero Honda CBZ bike. He was seen in the bike’s advertisement with the famous Bollywood actress Lara Dutta. The Hero Honda CBZ is regarded as one of the first affordable sports bikes in India. The model quickly gained a ton of popularity amongst the young people of the country, and it gave birth to a lot of biking enthusiasts in India.
Aamir Khan – Hero Puch
Currently one of the biggest names in Bollywood, Aamir Khan, when he was young, was seen in the advertisement of the Hero Puch. For those who might not remember, the Hero Puch was a tiny moped. It was developed in collaboration with the Austrian company ‘Puch,’ and because of this, it got its iconic name. This light moped came powered by a 64-cc engine that made 4.15 bhp of power. The moped was available with 4 variants, which included an automatic, a 2-speed, a 3-speed, and a sporty version called Turbo.
Salman Khan – Hero Honda CD 100
Just a few days ago, we shared with you the video of Hero Honda CD 100 motorcycles’ advertisement. The series of three advertisements for this bike were starred by the then-young Salman Khan. In the advert, the young actor was seen chanting the company’s famous tagline – ‘Fill it, Shut it, Forget it.’ This legendary bike was launched in 1985. Powering the bike was a 97-cc 4-stroke engine giving out 7.4 Bhp and 7.2 Nm.
Kapil Dev – Bajaj Champion 4S
The Indian cricketing legend Kapil Dev was seen in the advertisement for the Bajaj Kawasaki Champion 4S motorcycle. The World Cup-winning Indian captain Kapil Dev became the brand ambassador for the Bajaj Champion 4S. Soon after this announcement, the bike became an absolute hit in the country. This light and agile bike came powered by a 100-cc Kawasaki engine with R.A.C.E technology. The bike managed to produce a maximum of 7 Bhp and 8.1 Nm.
Sachin Tendulkar – Bajaj Sunny
The master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was another one of those celebrities who used to endorse two-wheelers in India. The then-young cricketer was seen in an advertisement for the Bajaj Sunny scooter. The model was introduced by Bajaj back in 1990 and was targeted at the younger generation. The Sunny was powered by a 50-cc 2-stroke engine, churning out 2.8 Bhp of power. The tag line of ‘Ride the red hot super looker teen machine’ directly reflected Bajaj’s target base.
Sunil Gavaskar – Yamaha RX100
The bike that needs no introduction – the RX 100, despite its age, still has a cult-like following in the country even today. Back in the day, this illustrious bike was seen in an advertisement with the popular cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar, who was also known as the ‘Little Master.’ The RX100 was powered by a 98-cc 2-stroke engine and managed to produce around 11 Bhp and 10.6 Nm. As mentioned, even today, this two-stroke bike is commanding a decent amount as very few of these bikes are currently on the market.
Kinetic Honda
The renowned Kinetic Honda was India’s first two-stroke automatic scooter. It garnered a ton of popularity in the country, and it was designed with youngsters in mind. The model went on to become one of the most celebrated models in the country and was bought by a huge number of people. Powering the Kinetic Honda was a 98cc, 2-stroke engine that produced a maximum power of 7.7 bhp and a peak torque of 9.8 Nm.
Yezdi 250 Classic
Another one of the most popular bikes in the current market, which was introduced a long time ago, the Iconic Yezdi 250 Classic also had a simple poster for advertisement. The poster featured this bike with the tagline “The tough bike that’s not tough on you.” The Yezdi Classic 250 came powered by a 248.5 cc, 2-stroke, air-cooled engine. It produced a maximum power of 12 Bhp and came equipped with a 4-speed manual gearbox.
Rajdoot
The two-wheeler manufacturer Escorts manufactured the legendary Rajdoot motorcycles in India under a license from Yamaha. It was one of the most well-liked and powerful bikes available at the time. The iconic bike featured a 347 cc, air-cooled, torque-induction parallel-twin engine. This motor produced a peak torque of 32 Nm and a maximum power of 30.5 Bhp. The motorbike had a top speed of 150 km/h and could accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in less than 7 seconds.
