[Srikji]

Interesting thread. The way I look at it is this: as they say, all are created equal, some are just a little more equal than the others. This adage holds good for HD as far as this thread goes. What starts as a fad grows into a cult and even into a religion in some cases (HD for bikes, cricket in India to give an example, maybe not anymore...). I agree with most of you, the cruiser market is definitely on the rise in India and I think Honda/Yamaha should launch smartly priced cruisers (3.5 lakh upwards maybe) and am sure there will be takers. True, they may not get the numbers or the "cult following" of the HD (even RE for that matter in India) but if a relatively lesser known name like Aquila sells the numbers it does, I don't see why Honda/Yamaha can't match those numbers, if not sell more. Its not like they have to set up shop fresh, they can easily leverage their existing base in India and use it to cater to niche audiences as well.

[PAWS]

Interesting thread indeed. As one of the first owners of Kawasaki Eliminator 175, I have experienced many of the comments here first hand.
When I bought it back in 2003, people would stop me and ask questions. Is it a custom built one?, is it a modified Bullet? How much did it cost. When I mention the cost which was almost double the regular bikes at that time the typical response was you could buy a Maruthi for that money.
The ride culture hadn't arrived yet and people didn't understand the spirit of owning a cruiser.
I still love the Eliminator as it has the low cruiser stance, is very comfortable and is very much affordable. I really wish I could upgrade from that to an Eliminator 250 for around 2.5L