The Legacy Of Escorts Rajdoot: The Motorcycle That Moved India

The Rajdoot – a name that resonates with nostalgia, ruggedness and the image of a police vehicle! For many motorcycle enthusiasts in India, the Rajdoot is not just a motorcycle; it’s a symbol of the golden era of black and metallic grey colours in India.

Introduced in 1962 by the Escorts Group in India, the Rajdoot quickly became a popular brand and was a practical and more affordable alternative to the Enfield Bullet. With models like the Rajdoot 175 and the powerful Rajdoot 350, it was more than just a mode of transportation. Back then, it was a trusted name that was often used by police officers for patrolling and later by milkmen.

The Rajdoot belongs to an era when bikes had durability and no electronics – purely mechanical beauty. As straightforwardly iconic in design as the Rajdoot was, it stood as an epitome of dependability. This bike was capable of withstanding the harshest roads (or the lack of it) and always going strong. 

While the motorcycle world today cares about surgeon-grade precision handling, advanced riding assists and an always-excited engine, the Rajdoot still lives on as a classic in the hearts of those who witnessed its golden days. It is cherished by vintage motorcycle collectors, 90s kids and enthusiasts who love it for its timeless design.

Let’s dive deeper into one of the most interesting stories in the motorcycle world.

Rajdoot: The history

Around the end of the First World War, Zschopauer Maschinenfabrik (DKW) made their first two-stroke engine and fitted it into a cycle in 1919. After that, the same company launched a 125cc, 90kg motorcycle named RT-125. The Second World War affected the journey of this German manufacturer and under the ‘Warsaw Pact,’ a Polish company, SHL, took the design of the RT-125 and introduced a new 175cc motorcycle, the M-11.

At the same time, India was fighting for independence from the British and after a long struggle, India finally gained independence in 1947. By the late 1950s, the era of global industrialisation had begun.

India was slowly evolving during this time and people started using new vehicles for commuting. Until 1960, the only two mainstream motorcycles in India were the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and the Jawa 350. These two motorcycles were heavy and extremely powerful for the average Indian rider.

An Indian tractor and farming equipment manufacturer, Escorts, identified this issue and launched their first motorcycle – the Rajdoot Excel T-175 – in 1962. In the era of the 'License Raj', the Rajdoot Excel T-175 was a licensed copy of the M-11 with minor modifications tailored for the poor Indian roads and fields.

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At that time, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 had a strong connection with Indians while the rest of the market was dominated by the Jawa 350. While Escorts identified the need for a smaller motorcycle, it struggled with marketing the product.

In 1973 though, Escorts made a Bollywood comeback with one of the biggest blockbuster movies of that era – Bobby.

Rishi Kapoor starred in the movie alongside Dimple Kapadia. In one iconic scene, the actor is seen singing a song while riding the compact Rajdoot GTS 175 motorcycle with the actress as his pillion. A few moments later, police officers stop them for interrogation. To avoid revealing their identities, Rishi Kapoor accelerates the motorcycle and they speed away within seconds, thus highlighting the agile performance of the motorcycle. The machine eventually earned the nickname of the 'Bobby bike'.

Since Rishi Kapoor was a youth icon, his Rajdoot 175 GTS 'Bobby' became a smash hit and as a result, the sales graph of Rajdoot rose significantly.

The downfall and rise of Rajdoot

Marketing a product is easy but a brand must maintain quality and offer upgrades for sustained growth – a lesson Escorts failed to grasp.

Following the success of Bobby, the Rajdoot 175 platform gained popularity. However, the company continued selling the same old design while other manufacturers were making efforts to innovate. After a few years, the motorcycle began to seem outdated and sales declined. Consequently, in 1983, Escorts decided to stop the production of the Rajdoot Excel T-175.

Revival of Rajdoot by Yamaha

Yamaha entered the Indian market in 1983 in partnership with Escorts and the Rajdoot brand got a second chance. The Escorts Group launched the Rajdoot 350, which was essentially a licensed version of the older Yamaha RD-350 modified for Indian road conditions.

At the time, India lacked proper roads, making it an era dedicated to off-road machines. On rough Indian terrain, the Rajdoot 350 performed exceptionally well, especially with its two-stroke engine. This version of the Rajdoot 350 even outperformed the Bullet 350 in urban settings. The motorcycle was lightweight, durable and easy to maintain.

Durability was the main reason the Indian government chose the Rajdoot 350 for agricultural officers posted in remote areas. Over time, the motorcycle also became the preferred choice of Indian police forces.

What was the Rajdoot made of?

The Rajdoot 175 was powered by a single-cylinder, 173cc, two-stroke engine that produced a maximum power of 9 bhp and a peak torque of 13.2 Nm. The Rajdoot 350, on the other hand, was equipped with a two-stroke 347cc engine that generated approximately 39 bhp of maximum power and 32 Nm of peak torque. Considering the performance standards, this was a pocket rocket. This was the fastest motorcycle most Indians could lay their hands on. 

The final goodbye

Despite the performance credentials, the Rajdoot 350 couldn't move numbers owing to the higher price and the poor fuel economy (by Indian economy standards of the 1980s). Adding to Escort's woes was the arrival of other Japanese manufacturers like Honda and Suzuki who challenged the RD350 with better fuel efficiency and faster engines. The RD350, hence, had to go.

The arrival and success of the Yamaha RX100 led to Escorts shifting the focus to Yamaha-branded products. Rajdoot, thus, died a slow death in a bid to pave the way for the performance-centric Yamaha motorcycles. 

The Rajdoot is no longer alive but it played a key role in encouraging Indians to take to the road.