Ploughing On
A Bullet with a difference
John Newman
We've all done it: made a joking remark about particular makes of motorcycle being 'agricultural'.
Jawa, Ural and other eastern bloc country products. Older Harleys and Buells, and Royal Enfield. Except in the case of the latter. That remark has been thrown back in the most useful way imaginable.
In 1994, Mansukh Jagani, a farmer in Gujarat, India, converted a Royal Enfield Bullet so that the back end became a plough. And in 2002, his invention was given a prestigious award by the National Innovation Foundation. This brought Mansukh's invention to the attention of others across India and the rest of the world.
It's The Bullet Saanti, or Suja, as it is commonly known. And it caught the attention of NGO's (Non-Government Organisations) and Universities around the globe. One of which was the Jomo Kenyata University in Kenya. They invited Mr Jagani to the country with a view to manufacturing the machine to help their farmers. Now four years later, the machine is ready to be launched with 75 already sold and a further 2,000 orders.
The Suja uses the Bullet front end, with the plough attachment at the rear and a rack for farmers tools. An invaluable device in those countries where animals are still used for turning over the land and sowing. And certainly a lot more cost-effective in developing countries with a network of small farms that would find it difficult to buy agricultural machinery to replace animals.
Comments
- 12/08/16 - Nothing wrong with having a bike for work!
- 12/08/16 - I wonder how long the clutch, chain, etc. lasts?
- 13/08/16 - Couldn't do it with a new royal Enfield it would rust in no time cuz of it being made from cheap Chinese monkey metal
- 14/08/16 - You could certainly plough the fields & scatter the good seeds on the land with this baby ha
- 14/08/16 - Diesel engine.
- 14/08/16 - Nice
EN