Bajaj is a name with which every Indian middle class connects. After seeing a Bajaj scooter, people initially ask whether it is a Chetak or a Super. Enthusiasts, after seeing a small frame and a small circular side panel with 3 gears, take it to another level by saying it’s a Bajaj 150, a Bajaj Priya or an Italian Vespa. This is therefore a scooter with several names and identifications.

Let us go back to 1945 when Bajaj Auto was actually established. It initially imported and sold Vespa scooters in India, which were then manufactured by Piaggio in Italy. Later in the 1960s it obtained a license from Piaggio to manufacture ‘Vespa 150’ scooters in India. It was in the year 1971, when Piaggio’s license was not renewed as a part of the government’s restrictions, that Bajaj continued to produce scooters based on the Vespa design. It was then when ‘Bajaj 150’ came into existence.

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In 2022, I acquired a 1968 Vespa 150 scooter from Hyderabad, which was my upcoming restoration project until last year. However, I postponed it last year to prioritise restoring the Bajaj 150 motorcycle with a hope to take up the Vespa 150 restoration project soon.

The 1971-manufactured Bajaj 150 recently acquired by me was the first model of Bajaj Auto Limited and was a limited-edition release. As per the registration certificate, the year of manufacture is 1971 and that of registration is 1972. The horn cast, frame, engine, headlight, speedometer and handle are the same as those of my 1968 Italian Vespa 150, with only the differences in the tail lamps and Piaggio embossed on the engine cover of the Vespa 150. Another difference is that of the stepney of both the scooters. The stepney of Vespa 150 is attached near the rider’s footrest, which gives the name of the scooter ‘Vespa Rat Style’ among the enthusiasts, while that of Bajaj 150 is attached just above the tail lamp at the rear of the scooter. The scooter’s bodywork was done by the previous owner, but mechanically it was in a haywire state. After buying the scooter, I had to get it done completely again. The tyres, wire casings, bearings, brakes, levers, seats, floor beadings, meter, side panel beadings, rear footrest, along with other accessories, were all replaced. I had to work on the clutch, cleaning and tuning of the carburettor. The silencer was also replaced with an original Bajaj silencer.

During 1975, the Maharashtra scooters in Pune, a subsidiary of Bajaj Auto Limited, started manufacturing a scooter named ‘Priya’ which was similar to Bajaj 150, which itself was based on the design of Vespa 150 under a license agreement with Bajaj Auto. It was manufactured from 1975 to 1992. If you see a Priya monogram, then you will find the letter ‘M’ written instead of the letter ‘B’. I have a 1987 model Priya.

There are quite a few similarities between my Vespa 150, Bajaj 150 and Priya are from the 1960s, 70s and 80s respectively. All three are powered by a 150cc single-cylinder engine with a three-speed transmission having a round speedometer with a tyre size of 3.5-8.

Bajaj had launched other popular models during the same time period, such as Bajaj Chetak and Bajaj Super, having a 150cc single-cylinder engine, with the exception of Bajaj Cub, launched in 1987 with an engine capacity of 100cc to enter the magical club of the 100s, such as Ind-Suzuki AX100 and Yamaha RX100.

In 1986, Bajaj and Kawasaki collaborated to launch the two-stroke KB100 motorcycle under the brand ‘Kawasaki Bajaj India’ with an engine capacity of 98cc, reduced from the original Kawasaki 125cc model, due to engine import restrictions in India during that time. Bajaj Auto also launched Bajaj M-50 in 1981 with an increased capacity to Bajaj M-80, which paid a huge hit in the suburban and rural areas.

Restoration of 1971 Bajaj 150 was tough for us as it was partially restored by somebody else prior to my acquisition which could not be completed successfully. If a project is done from scratch, then it can be taken control of totally, but that was not the case with Bajaj 150.

The Bajaj 150 project, since it was done from scratch, we could not completely control the restoration from its initial stages. We had to salvage the restored parts of the scooter as a whole while restoring it, which was quite a task. Arranging spare parts and accessories also took some time. But once the project was completed, it was worth the restoration journey we went through. The restoration journey was challenging, but the results and the journey we went through made it worthwhile.

Other than the above, I restored several other bikes. First, a 1983 Yezdi D 250. The restoration journey can be found on my YouTube channel, ‘Danish Barkati’, which has over 5 lakh views. The motorcycle was awarded with the ‘Best Jawa or Yezdi in the Show’ of the ‘Tata Steel Classic and Vintage Car and Bike Rally 2024’ held in Jamshedpur. Second, a 1991 Yamaha RX100, which garnered more than 3.5 lakh views on my channel.

My subscribers often reach out about restoring their two-stroke vehicles, inspired by the restoration projects they have seen me work on. I have done three such projects for my subscribers. I help them voluntarily along with my mechanics by taking up the projects and arranging spares for them, benefitting myself to follow my passion of collecting the yesteryear beauties and getting back to their deserving glories. My mechanics, Munna Bhai and Raja Bhai, have always created wonders for me.

The writer is a restorer and collector

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