Things carried on this way a while till I suddenly realized that the bike, which had been repainted and had absorbed enough of affection to make the lemon it was to open up a bit. We did things old bikes were not supposed to do. Each time like two crusty old-timers, we carried on after the fun was over, to see what else we could putter into. I kept my war journals in the form of a service record of the expenditure involved. It seemed that I had spent a full Rs 17,000 on the bike in five years. That figure includes the original purchase price as well as all repairs, replacements and labour. Mind, the figure also includes a re-paint and chrome job. The point that came home is that my old bike did not cost as much as the new bikes available. For those of us who have seen the disparity in rates for vehicles, new and old, and the ever increasing price tags that leave most of us with a vague feeling of not being sure if the same Bullet which was available for Rs 36,000 in 1995, and is currently available on the second-hand market for about Rs 25,000 to 3,000. Meanwhile, a brand new Bullet is always available in the market for Rs 75,000. These bikes are hardy, and will always be around. So for a minimal compromise on buying a new bike, you can actually get yourself an old one for half the price. Believe me, it will still have more than half the go. Think of it as adding to your asset value. Heh! If the bike is not running, you can call it a ‘fixed’ asset.
Some day, I shall collect all these figures and represent them on a graph; I must. Meanwhile, I’m definitely not convinced that everything is working out for the best in the automobile market. Too many clones and one-hit-wonders with everyone eyeing a slice of the other’s pie. Those who find a winning pie forget to research other pies and settle for researching new toppings. Soon today’s auto offerings become old wine in a new bottle.
THE END
All Text Copyright — ©Arunesh Dogra
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