It's always been an enduring image,and most of you will agree with me when I say that the Kinetic Honda moped was the first transglobal moped that swept India like wildfire.Its etched in every 1980's born mind as 'the' gamechanging moped loved and used by almost all our mothers, aunties, uncles and elder kins,while we waited our age to try it.
Most of the 50+ junta frowned at the development then saying that it was nothing but a plastic-y piece of squealing device and that it was nothing compared to their muscular rajdoots and more better enfields...I even remember an old man on the road joking that the women power of the 90's was in tandem with the growing popularity of the moped and the declining demand of the hulk-ular motorcycles.. :P
So it comes to the crux of the matter..as our worlds go on changing,we adapt new things..my grandfather used to tell me that japanese products especially cycles were considered cheap and substandard in 1940-50's when british and german products ruled the roost...today people are look no further than suzuki and honda for twowheelers and to some extent cars..why? Have they started using grenade-proof materials which the germans and brits of the yore used? NO... you see our worlds have changed..a world of great population,intensification and heavy wealth distribution have changed perspective.Products which were deemed substandard are worshipped today in changing times coz we cant afford bomb proof material as well as reject cheap products..thats wat the japs have done..brought a middle path to the european and korean automobile extremities.
And the same things which the oldies did in the 90's is been repeated by our fathers today.My father has certain reservation of chinese and korean products which include automobiles like hyundai,kia etc..its the same cycle all over again..there will come a time when hyundai and kia will be considered as marvels of engineering as against hondas and suzukis which will be deemed heavy, old and outdated...it shudders to think so ....but it is bound to happen.....earlier cars lasting 50 years was the norm like rolls royce..then the 20 year lasting sedans like beemers and mercs...then racing cars lasting 20 years like ferrari, now is 'present time' where we desire cars that last 15 years which the hondas and the fords do effectively...tomorrow people will start getting bored of seeing the same cars in 3 years....
