three-wheeled vehicles – Rickshaw Challenge

Around the World in 80 Ways

admin — Tue, 03 May 2011 07:22:43 +0000

Article from The Wall Street Journal on unique ways of travel, with a reference to the almighty Rickshaw Challenge.

‘Other races are more focused on an experience, such as the Rickshaw Challenge, where participants pilot the three-wheeled vehicles also known as tuk-tuks to drive as far as 1,180 miles across India. “I wanted to make it, like, a wacky race, so initially we called it the amazing race for the clinically insane,” said managing director Aravind Kumar Bremanandam. The autorickshaws have seven horsepower, “which means that even a lawn mower can outrun it,” he said.’

Via: WSJ

Bajaj Auto to Up Three-Wheeler Output

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:38:09 +0000

Bajaj Auto Ltd. plans to raise production of its three-wheeled vehicles to 35,000 units a month by March from 30,000 now to meet rising demand in the local market, a senior company executive said.
Bajaj, India’s second-largest two-wheeler maker and the largest three-wheeler maker by sales, expects local demand to rise between 10% and 15% for the next two years, R.C. Maheshwari, chief executive for the commercial vehicle business, told Dow Jones Newswires recently.
“While demand for goods carriers has been declining, there has been a constant surge in demand for three-wheeled passenger carriers,” Mr. Maheshwari said.
Full article here

Tuk Tuks

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:18:38 +0000

A nice piece on tuk tuks from a billion reasons to visit india blog:
Motoring through crowded streets in auto rickshaws (aka tuk tuks), is my favorite mode of transportation in India. They are loud. They are subject to the wind and rain. They miraculously come within millimeters of pedestrians, cows, scooters, bikes, and other auto rickshaws. And they are fun as hell.
The three-wheeled vehicles are covered but door-less. With a two-stroke engine and handlebar controls, it’s similar to a ride at Disneyland, albeit without the circular track to nowhere. Unlike a sanitized, elevated ride in an air-conditioned four-wheel drive tourist vehicle, tuk tuks are the best mode of transport for a close-up look at daily life. You’ll whiz past vegetable markets and get a whiff of ripe bananas, hear locals haggle over goods, and get a birds eye view of monkey shenanigans on the roadside.
More here