World Motorcycle Day 2025: 5 Bikes That Moved India

India might have gained independence over 75 years ago but the Indian masses found the ability to truly go and get stuff done only in the last couple of decades. Hence, here’s us honouring the five important bikes that helped mobilise the masses:

Bajaj Chetak

With waiting periods stretching up to seven years, the Chetak was clearly a very desirable scooter that got people moving. Bajaj got the designs from Vespa for the Italian firm’s Sprint scooter. The 150 cc two-stroke engine was pretty fuel-efficient for its time and who can forget the tipping routine that one had to do to start the scooter. But it got people moving. It remained popular all through the 1990s and ultimately the same charm couldn’t be replicated with the four-stroke version. But by then Bajaj had managed to pivot to performance motorcycles and we are so thankful it did.

Hero Splendor

If there is one motorcycle that defines India and its people, it has got to be the Splendor. Born out of a very successful partnership between Hero and Honda, the Splendor was the successor to the CD100, and has stood the test of time, evolving ever so much to stay relevant. It is the reason why Hero continues to be a global leader. Unlike the RX 100 that was a great thriller, the Splendor appealed highly to the common man’s needs. And as cliche as the line has become, the ‘Fill It, Shut It, Forget It’ mantra still holds a lot of value in most areas of India.

Honda Activa

As much as the Splendor did for the office goers, the Activa did the same for the housemakers, the ones who couldn’t really ride motorcycles as such. And more importantly, it became a tool for every member of the family, irrespective of age or gender. To add to it, the Activa brought in something that the Splendor cannot: storage convenience. Hence, more and more families started trusting the Activa as a purchase for their homes, something that was necessary to get work done.

TVS XL100

In South India, the trusted weapon for many was the moped, in particular the TVS XL100. Again a humble runabout, the TVS XL100 is light, rugged and pretty stressfree. What made it highly appealing, and still does to a great extent, is just how simple the whole two-wheeler is. There is nothing much beside a sloper mill attached to a frame and two-wheels. However, even in heavy duty scenarios, it manages to excel (no puns intended) and run trouble free.

Ola S1

Even if Ather got the ball rolling for electric scooters in India, it was Ola that made it popular, for the right and not-so-right reasons. But for the sake of this list, let's just stick to what it did right. It got rid of a lot of misconceptions that Indian buyers had of electrics, in particular electric scooters. It is stylish, feature-packed and it didn’t cost a bomb. Ola managed to hit the nail on the head when it comes to easy commuting as far as electrics go. But quality issues that were initially predicted have cropped up, and caused it to lose steam. So, while it might no longer be the king of electrics, it certainly paved the way for India homes to start accepting them fully.