Bajaj’s new XCD, the Sprint

The recently unveiled XCD based Sprint is a classic example of Bajaj’s product strategy; the company’s way of thinking, and execution.
You see, Bajaj thinks cycles ahead; so when it launches a product, let’s say like the XCD 125 it already has the next two or three iterations of the product ready, which ideally would surface every two years.
Now, you might argue that most manufacturers think on the same lines, and you are right about that, they do, but where Bajaj races ahead, is in having production ready iterations already sitting pretty on the shelf when the first product makes its debut, while the others, mostly, have it on paper.
The advantage – if the first iteration loses steam earlier than planned, or worse fails altogether, the company is in the position to support the earlier product and bring in an updated, more appealing one without losing time and sales.
We have already seen the same in the 100cc segment – Bajaj launched the CT 100, soon after introduced a fairing version, and then brought out the Platina when the CT began losing ground. The end result – it not only arrested falling sales in the segment, it in fact, increased Bajaj’s share in the pie!
The Sprint therefore, is here to lend support to the XCD, which according to sales reports is hovering around the 40,000-45,000 unit mark on a month-on-month basis, falling significantly short of the 75,000 unit mark Bajaj had in mind.
The Sprint though has more significance than being a mere support aid for the XCD and Bajaj’s 125cc campaign - it is squarely aimed at blowing out TVS’s Flame. This sportier, more powerful version of Bajaj’s attempt to show the 100c customer a better life, is also a pre-emptive move to Honda’s sporty 125 due this year. Honda’s CBF concept displayed at the Expo is actually a teaser to the product.
Meanwhile, Bajaj XCD 125 DTS-i Sprint, as the bike is christened, promises a lot.
At first, it sets aside XCD’s short comings in the styling department thanks to a new, better executed front fairing and a new tank attachment. But more importantly, the new tail piece design, and particularly the revised tail lamp now lend the XCD a wide ranging appeal. The bike in fact, outdoes the Flame in terms of appeal!
It also promises to take care of the older fuel efficiency conscious engine’s reservations towards performance, thanks to a potent engine (at least on paper) – the bore x stroke config remains unchanged of course, but Bajaj has slapped on a 4-valve head and along with other internal tweaks (which I don’t know of, at the moment), the unit now makes 12.5bhp.
But for those who did not like the Sprint too much, don’t fret, there’s already another iteration waiting at the factory gates…

30minutes or free!

I love pizzas; particularly the cheese burst kind from dominos. But I am not to sure about the pizza house’s 30 min or free sales pitch. What ever little I know about gourmet, it would take at least 10 minutes to get the Italian dish ready, add to it the traffic during Diwali, or any other day for that matter, and it seems pretty tight delivering the pizza in 30 minutes after having placed an order.
But these guys, astride CT 100s manage to do that! Okay, my order was exactly two minutes late, but it’s still quite an achievement. Especially, if you factor in the fact that the CT 100 isn’t exactly a capable bike; her acceleration is probably a tad better than a tortoise, and her drum brakes, well, you’d be lucky if she stopped at all! But these delivery guys manage it, and manage it with a smile on their faces, not the fear of death in their eyes as you’d expect after a guy has had probably a million death situations along the way!
And how they do it, is almost certainly known too you all; slicing though traffic, dangerously at that; not giving too hoots about others’ safety; and riding like their life depended on it; which my guess is, it does, mostly if the bill goes straight out of their pockets, or three late orders later, they are fired!
Maybe the pizza chain should refrain from such antics. After all, a few minutes here or there isn’t exactly going to leave the customer starving to death. But mainly, it’s the quality and taste of the stuff one sells that should be the differentiating factor, rather than lightning quick delivery; I mean who’d prefer consuming cow dung served to you in a minute instead of raas malai, which takes a ten extra minutes to arrive at your table! Above all, I don’t think you’d exactly enjoy your pizza, if the delivery boy might have knocked off one of your family members on the way, in order to make that 30 minutes or free, delivery efficiency.
As for the boys themselves, I wonder if Dominos has a high risk insurance cover for them, or any insurance whatsoever; they do risk their lives every other second you know…