If any of you are thinking of buying a Bajaj Saffire, DON?T DO IT.
This vehicle has been a prime cause for heart ache and financial loss.
I cant give you the entire set of problem history in detail in this article since it will
bore you and it is a bit too long. So here are the ''Cliff notes''.
Well I bought this vehicle for Rs. 35,000 a month after it was launched. I bought it
because I could not convince my dad to buy me a 125 cc bike and the other option he gave me
was a 75cc bike, this bike seemed like a trade off at 90cc. Also the guys at Overdrive
magazine gave this bike ''Scooter of the year award'' thereby pushing my decision.
(incidentally it makes me wonder how they actually test and review the vehicles
sent to them. Does the company sending the vehicle ''attractively coax'' (if u know what
i'm saying )the magazine journalists ?
(ok all you companies out there willing to employ
me as a FAIR and complete, competent tester ;i am waiting for your call...)
Little did I know this would be my biggest mistake. After taking back the vehicle for fixing
almost every week, I would have to take it back again a week later.
I had to spend close to Rs.1000 on fixing it almost everytime. Well then came a shining
light the, company launched a 400 part free of charge replacement kit, none for the engine unfortunately, most of it
was for the insides of the dash panel and switch gear. Also everytime I got the bike fixed
and saw the receipt I would always see a clutch ovehaul. In three years I have had to get
an entirely new clutch system 5 times. The shining light was just a firefly I guess...
The front suspension from their earlier versions was redesigned for the later versions of this vehicle, which they changed for me at a price of Rs. 3500.
The new version costs 40,000. But I have paid more in just fixing this piece of sh**.
Well I didn't just sit back and take this crap from them. I wrote to the Vice President
of marketing of bajaj auto. He then replied to me and told me to meet the manager, I did.
They then kept the bike for a month to fix.
It came back and worked properly for 2 months....and then it was back to square one.
I met the managers quite a few times and they took the bike in repeatedly(i think all the
staff members know me there); fix it, and then a month later it needs a clutch overhaul!!!.
Bajaj has tried and tried to fix my bike, basically this bike cannot be fixed. Bajaj has
tied up with Kawasaki Japan and they get some of their technology from Kawasaki. All the
vehicles that say ''Kawsaki Bajaj'', work just fine.
The Bajaj saffire, as of what I know, was been made through Bajaj's own
independent R&D. Makes me wonder what the hell they were upto, and the guy heading the
project gets my prize for the ''The worlds dumbest engineer''. (someone once asked me why
i buy products from foreign companies and not indian companies; I hope this answers his
question). Also some of their other vehicles like sunny and spirit (non-kawasaki technology)
,have alot to be desired.
I also have two friends who have these two bikes and they also have similar complaints.
One of them got rid of this bike and got a Yamaha Enticer(lucky b), the other is
unlucky like me, stuck with this crap.
Well basically if you buying a Bajaj make sure it is Kawasaki Bajaj, else definately go
Buy a Honda, Hero Honda, or (the never doubtful) YAMAHA.
If only Honda launched the Activa a year earlier.....
