Game on: Ultraviolette co-founder challenges Rajiv Bajaj for a biking duel

It’s common to see industry heads take digs at rivals in the auto sector, a lot of which turns into fodder for the media houses across platforms. And one individual who is known to ruffle feathers time and again with his unfiltered thoughts is Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director - Bajaj Auto. Remember the “OATS for breakfast" for the EV sector? In a similar fun banter, Bajaj recently called out electric motorcycle maker Ultraviolette’s double-digit sales figures while speaking to a publication. However, the Bengaluru-based start-up seems to be in no mood to take this kindly and has now responded to the statement with its own challenge.

Speaking to another news outlet, Narayan Subramaniam, Co-Founder - Ultraviolette Automotive, responded to Rajiv Bajaj’s statement by throwing an open challenge to the legacy player. He has challenged the Pune-based manufacturer to compete its motorcycles against the F77 Mach 2 electric motorcycle at an upcoming race event at Aamby Valley, Bajaj Auto’s backyard, and see which product is better.

Subramaniam began his statement appreciating what Bajaj managed to achieve with the Pulsar brand and building the performance mmotorcycle segment in India. However, he added that the “spirit" of the segment has been plateaued with international brands taking the mantle instead. The UV co-founder added that he firmly believes that India has the potential to be a strong contender globally, not just in the consumer segment but in motorsport as well.

The Ultraviolette F77 Mach 2 arrived earlier this year bringing notable improvements over the first-gen model. It is the most advanced made-in-India electric motorcycle and is seen as a rival to the KTM 390 Duke, arguably, the most entertaining motorcycle in the segment. Notably, the KTM 390 Duke is built by Bajaj Auto in India for domestic and export markets. Not just KTM, but Bajaj builds bikes for Husqvarna and Triumph at its facilities under different partnerships.

While Ultraviolette’s challenge is more about innovation than outright performance numbers, it’s also necessary to mention that Bajaj Auto and UV cater to very different segments. The most affordable variant of the UV F77 Mach 2 starts at ₹2.99 lakh, while the flagship Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z is priced nearly half of that at ₹1.85 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom.

Ultraviolette still caters to a niche segment, while the Bajaj bikes are built for the masses. Nevertheless, this challenge might just yield something more interesting. Narayan said that the event at Aamby Valley in Lonavala, Maharashtra, is scheduled to be held in 90 days. So we should see something exciting happening towards the end of the calendar year. Should other legacy two-wheeler makers chime in? Now, that would be something.

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