Royal Enfield Bullet to Plough a Farm

Where have you seen a Royal Enfield Bullet plough a farm? Or used as a pressure cooker to whip up a frothy espresso coffee?Seems impossible? Well, making the seemingly impossible possible is a part of the daily ‘jugaad’ (the famous Indian knack of technical improvisation) for the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) India, which is promoting its innovations at the Konkan Fruit Festival here in Goa.

To put the two innovations in perspective, Mansukhbhai Jagani from Gujarat has replaced his pair of bullocks with a 350 cc bullet motorcycle, which he kickstarts every day to plough his 1.25 acre groundnut farm. The bullet’s rear wheel has been replaced by a set of two smaller wheels joined by an axle, behind which the metal plough digs into the earth.

And the pressure cooker espresso coffee machine innovation has its roots in Bihar where Mohammad Rozadeen makes his foaming milky espresso coffee for his customers in Eastern Champaran district. Heated on a kerosene stove, Rozadeen’s pressure cooker emits jets of steam from a longish copper snout running from the cooker lid into the jar of milk, making it hot and frothy.

“We track down innovators throughout rural areas. Our honeybee network is responsible for keeping an eye on rural innovations,” Udit Shah of NIF told IANS.The pressure cooker espresso machine costs between 1,500 and 2,500, depending on the quality of the pressure cooker used.

Next to the espresso machine are three cycles lined up. Only to the naked eye they appear to have been mechanically mated either with a seaplane or a river-paddle boat.According to Shah, the cycle-innovations are still being honed into marketable products which will be up for sale.

“They are flood bicycles. There have been many floods in India. We are developing these. One of the cycles is an innovation from Bihar, while the other is from Uttar Pradesh,” Udit said.While the Bihar innovation has sea plane like platforms alongside the wheels, the UP innovation has a paddle rotor in the rear (which whirs into action when you pedal the machine).

The cycle is designed to stay afloat with the help of two fabricated plastic buoys.”When we select the idea, the credit of the core idea remains with the innovator. We only use science to make the innovations more perfect in order to make them marketable on a larger scale so that the innovator can make money,” Udit said.

The NIF was founded under the aegis of the central ministry for science and technology in 2000, to help make India an inventive and creative society and a global leader in sustainable technologies without social and economic handicaps.Raghunath Mashelkar, a former head of the Council for Science and Industrial Research (CSIR), heads the governing board of NIF while some of the board members are entrepreneur Kishore Biyani and IITan Devang Khakar among other scientists, innovators and bureaucrats.

Source: IANS

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• Indian Two-wheelers that We Miss (ktrmurali.wordpress.com)

Indian Two-wheelers that We Miss

More than 50 yrs of its existence in the Indian automobile industry, two wheelers has become more popular commuter in Indian roads. Today, India is the second largest two-wheeler producer in the world. Even though, after the invention of motorcycle in 1885 by Gottlieb Daimler in German, it had taken seven decades to reach India. Now, after China, India stands next in two wheeler production and in sales next to Japan. Two-wheeler industry has witnessed a spectacular growth in India.  

As Indian government needed powerful and reliable motorcycles for its Army and police to patrol in the craggy and rocky highways, the first batch of 350cc Royal Enfield Bullets entered in India. Even before, in 1949 Automobile Products of India had launched in India. We are here today with more efficient and advance technology bicycles for the ease of our travelling. When we look back to the older times, those two-wheelers were symbolized the luxurious life and the Bullet was only a dream for most youngsters. Check back to the old Indian two-wheeler trends which we lost today.

Lambretta

The Italian born motorscooter, Lambretta was bought by Indian government immediately after independence. Incorporated with Automobile Products of India, they began assembling Innocenti-built Lambretta scooters. And after getting the licence of the model 2 Li150 series in the early sixties, India started manufacturing its own. After Scooter India Ltd acquired the brand name Li150 had renamed as Lamby 150.  Lampy Polo was the last remodeled version by API. After Scooter India Ltd bought the entire manufacturing rights of the last Innocenti-built Lambretta, GP 150, they had renamed it as ‘Vijay Super’. After British Leyland bought, they closed manufacturing units. Today, the brand name Lambratta/ Lambro owned by SIL.

 

Rajdoot 350

The Yamaha had come up with Rajdoot 350 in the year 1983 to compete with Royal Enfield Bullet 350 which was the biggest capacity bike in India at the time. The bike was manufacture by Escort Groups. Due to its high fuel consumption Rajdoot could not survive in Indian market for long time. By 1990, company had ended up the production. Rajdoot 350 was also known as RD 350. As Today the bike history tells the story “Yamaha once upon a time were found in India with a 350cc two stroke engine that roamed on the streets” as it was mentioned in the website indiandrives.com.

Yezdi Classic

Ideal Jawa Ltd, the French company had produced Yezdi classic and it initially known as Jawa. Yezdi was the name of craze in India for two decades beginning from 1960s. Even Bollywood featured Yezdi in most of the films of those years. Competing with Bullet bikes, Yezdi could win young hearts. Both the bikes stand as synonymous for majestic. Manufactured without a plastic or fiberglass, Yezdi called as the all-metal bike.  From the year 1978, Yezdi was leadying in motorbike market. Even today, this two stroke 250 cc air cooled Yezdi bike has so many fans around.

Hero Honda CD 100

The joint venture of Hero India and Honda of Japan came up with Hero Honda CD 100 in 1985. It became popular cost-centric market for being the best mileage bike. It was a big hit in India where CD 100 suited for Indian men’s pocket with less fuel consumption. It charted in the executive class. With its affordable prize and durability, Hero Honda CD 100 was known as the decent bike where Yamaha stands for younger generation. This 100 cc air cooled and single cylinder bike was powered with 4 stroke engine. Today this joint venture Hero Honda has become the largest two-wheeler manufacturer.

Bajaj Chetak

Bajaj Chetak was termed as ‘humara bajaj’ in India. It was one of the popular Indian-made motor scooter by Bajaj Auto. It was even affordable for millions of Indian families in the 1980s. Based on the Italian Vespa Sprint, Chetak was manufactured in India. The name Chetak was after the legendary horse of Indian warrior Rana Pratap Singh. The competition with advanced model bikes and cars, Chetak lost its ground in 2000s. And it ended up the production in 2009. Its chief competitor was LML NV in the earlier days.

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