I had my Bajaj RE for three years and had some fantastic adventures in it, if you have followed my YouTube channel Tuk Tuk 3-Wheelers you will have seen some of them. but I decided it was time to put my Bajaj RE for Sale.
We used our Bajaj RE every day to go to work, take my son to school, to go shopping and even to pick up stock for our Sari-Sari store. At weekends and holidays, we would use it to explore the Philippines.
Bajaj RE for Sale
However a few weeks back I parted company with it, so you might ask why we sold it after it had been so loved.
We got a TVS King Deluxe and I thought I would keep them both being such a lover of Tuk Tuks I liked the idea of having two Tuk Tuks so I could choose which one to drive.
Then because of quarantine we did put the RE up for sale to help us through hard times but it was a half hearted attempt to sell it because to be honest I did not want to sell it, and we did manage to get through the worst of the quarantine without selling it.
As we started to come out of lockdown I found I was driving the TVS King more and would hardly ever get into the Bajaj RE.
The reasons I was driving the TVS King rather than the Bajaj was it was much more pleasant to drive, I had a better view of the road in it, I found it much more comfortable, the gear shifting was easier and it does not have a clanky gear box like the Bajaj.
Both Tuk Tuks stood outside my house the same distance from my door but every single time I went out I found myself getting into the TVS King and this went on for 2 months, in two months I did not drive the Bajaj RE once.
One day I thought I had better take the Bajaj RE for a run and it felt like I had gone back in time and got into a 1980s vehicle, it felt so outdated. Having to put up with a hard gear change, and gears that clanked every time you change gear unless you match the revs exactly is something I had to put up with on 18 wheelers back in the 1980s, the reverse on a lever seemed a real pain and again so outdated.
When I really thought about it I realised it really has not changed much since the 1980s. Yes it know has a 4 stroke engine and it has two headlights rather than one, plus black trim at the front to make it look nicer, but not much else had changed.
Yes I enjoyed it for 3 years but it was more the novelty factor and being able to drive a Tuk Tuk something I have had a passion for for over 40 years.
When you use it for everyday use the novelty factor tends to wear off, and I had found a Tuk Tuk that was more up to date and far easier to drive. The TVS King still gave me the novelty of driving a Tuk Tuk but without the outdated feel to it, the controls and the complete feel of it is far nicer and more up to date.
The TVS also gave me the power when I needed it, for example in the Philippines many motorcycle riders have a habit of quickly accelerating away at traffic lights, then once they are in front driving slowly holding you up. The acceleration on the TVS King is so good I can now out accelerate most of the motorcycles meaning I do not get stuck behind them.
The extra power also made hill climbing easier something that is important to me as I like to spend the weekends up in the mountains.
Deterioration of the Bajaj RE
After the first rainy season, my Bajaj was starting to show signs of rust, mainly on the floor. Because of this, I had to spend money getting it undercoated.
Every week I would hand wash and wax it to prevent it from rusting and keep the paintwork in good condition. Despite this, after 3 years I was having to treat spots of rust and the paint work was not looking good. It seemed to be deteriorating fast once it reached 3 years old.
So because of all the above I decided it was time to sell and really pushed to get it sold, I even ended up selling it for 20,000 peso less then I originally asked for so I could get rid of it before it deteriorated more.
I am so happy with my TVS King first rainy season and no sign of rust, and it is a far easier vehicle to live with everyday.
I have had a Bajaj RE for almost two years now. It’s fun, but when I looked into the TVS King I realized I would have preferred it over the Bajaj. But the TVS was not available where I live when I bought the Bajaj (and it’s still not.) Even if it were available here now, I would keep the Bajaj for a few more years since it is still doing well for me and save a lot of fuel (It’s not my primary vehicle, which is a Toyota HiLux pickup). I am sure I would prefer not having to bend over to put the tuktuk in reverse, and I live in the mountains so I guess the TVS would do better for me. SOmeday I will be in the market to replace the Bajaj. I hope the TVS is avaiable here in the Central Visayas.