Director at Jyoti Group of Companies and Chairman of Syakar Trading Company, the authorized distributor of Honda bikes and cars in Nepal, Saurabh Jyoti is an avid rider and motorcycle enthusiast. His love for motorcycles becomes evident when you see his garage. The ‘Honda Africa Twin’, ‘CBR Fireblade’, ‘CB1100’, the ‘Ducati Diavel’, ‘Suzuki Hayabusa’, and the ‘Harley Davidson 883 Iron’ are a few of the motorcycles he has in his collection. This year marks 50 years of Honda in Nepal, making it the oldest distributor of the Japanese manufacturers in the world, second only to Vietnam. A considerable feat for a company in the Nepali auto industry, Syakar Trading Company has also held a dominant position in the motorcycling scene of Nepal.

 

Here are excerpts from our conversation with the man behind the reigns: Saurabh Jyoti, regarding the motorcycling culture in Nepal and a look back at Honda’s milestone products.

 

Tell us a little about the motorcycling cul­ture in Nepal.

 

If you look at how far we’ve come from when the first motorcycles came to Nepal, the development is staggering. It has been 50 years since Honda entered the Nepali market and we’ve grown with the motorcycling cul­ture that millions of people have adopted.

 

This evolution has to do with the fact that Nepal does not have a proper mass transport. Sadly, we don’t have the right planning. In this situation, motorcycles serve the purpose for the public.

 

Motorcycles are the means of mobility by which the economy runs. It is the fastest way of affordably getting from point A to point B. The word affordable has to be used loosely because of the ridiculous duty levied on vehicles. The quicker the government realizes that motorcycles are a necessity, and not a luxury, the easier it is going to be for the public.

 

Further, our country is blessed with good weather and destinations. Over the years the eagerness of people to explore our beautiful country has created a new demand for bigger capacity motorcycles.

 

In your opinion, which are the best places to go on motorcycle road trips?

 

I have always loved a quick ride to Pokhara and back. It is fun, easy, and Pokhara is a great place to end a long ride. Going to Jomsom is also always fun too.

Lo Manthang and Rara are on my wish list of places to ride to. I had a Lhasa ride planned, but I ended up with this leg injury. I even had the Africa Twin ready with the pannier bags and everything. The bike is more than ready to go. I’m not.

 

Tell our readers about this initiative of Honda, the Safety Riding School.

 

Motorcycling in Nepal is challenging. The roads are obstacles in themselves. Then, there is the lack of traffic sense. You have to be careful about other people on the road because not everyone abides by traffic rules. There are many who don’t even abide by com­mon sense. So, safety should be high on your priority when you’re riding your motorcycle. This is why we started the Syakar Safety Riding Training Center.

 

The riding center has helped riders become more responsible. It has also played a major role in reforming the government’s motorcy­cle riding license test, improving the primitive foundation to a more advanced method of testing a rider’s skills.

 

What goals do you have for Honda in 2018?

 

2018 is going to be challenging as the mar­ket isn’t increasing as expected. But we will continue to retain our position as the market leader.

 

We are proud to celebrate Honda’s 50 years in Nepal, which very few companies can boast of. We may be the second oldest distributor of Honda globally, second only to Vietnam. Cel­ebrations will continue throughout the year.

 

The Honda CG, XL and XR, Dio and Shine played significant roles for Honda motor­cycles in Nepal. Tell us your opinion on these motorcycles.

 

The first product from Honda motorcycles to be imported into Nepal was the CT-90. After that the CG 125 came in and it became one of the most loved and reliable motorcycles. It became a benchmark for the motorcycling industry in terms of reliability, quality, and ease of use.

 

Then we moved on to the “can go anywhere” XL 125 and 185. It was known to be one of the most durable motorcycles back then, and they are still around decades after commanding a very high demand.

 

Getting to the Dio, well, it was a game changer. In Nepal, out of a population of almost 30 million, 50.49 percent are women. At that time, there wasn’t a good mode of mobility for women. Without women, how can we have prosperity and inclusive growth? While the Dio was a unisex vehicle, it became the symbol of freedom and mobility and helped empower women.

 

The Shine was the go to machine for the working class. It upgraded things from the 100cc segment to 125cc, enough for Nepal’s roads. Reliable, great mileage and a work steed, the Honda Shine became the premium offering for the average Nepali person.

 

What can we expect in your garage?

 

I just got the 2015, 25th anniversary edition of the CBR Fireblade in matte black. It should be here soon.