These 5 Bikemakers Has Changed Their Logo Through The Years

Published March 5, 2023
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Indian, Japanese & European, brands from all around the world routinely change their logos to keep up with the times

People tend to identify brands through logos. That’s how pivotal a logo is to any brand. Most of us in the ZigWheels team too began to identify motorcycles and cars through logos. It is a tough call for marquee manufacturers in any genre to change a logo. Nokia is one such recent example which took the step of changing the iconic insignia it carried for the longest time.

The two-wheeler industry too has seen such transitions, and here are top five such examples.

Royal Enfield

The Chennai-based bikemaker has British roots, which rolled out its first motorcycle in 1901. Prior to that, the company had a long history in making guns, sewing needles, bicycles, lawn mowers, quadricycles and even cannons. No wonder, the slogan ‘Made Like A Gun’ is still embodied within the brand. The logo underwent significant changes from back in the time until today, and currently, the logo is easily identifiable. The current Royal Enfield logo, in use since 2013, is a more modern version of the older royal-looking logo, with the “R” and “O,” the “E” and “N,” the “L” and “D” merged together.

Hero Honda

Hero Honda was born in 1984 as a joint venture between Hero Cycles and Honda. The company introduced motorcycles which became popular among the masses for its ‘fill it, shut it, forget it’ persona. After all, affordability and frugality were most sought after factors while buying a two-wheeler in India. After the joint venture ended between the two brands in 2011, Hero got a new cool looking, modern logo, which it uses till date.

Honda meanwhile has a very rich history that would require its own standalone article. However, here’s a quick look at the evolution of the Honda logo over the years.

Bajaj

Bajaj is the world’s third largest and India’s second largest manufacturer of motorcycles. However, the company started by importing and selling two and three wheelers in the country. While the brand has been in existence since 1945, the logo has only been changed once. The old logo could be found on the Chetak, while the Pulsar range has made the new logo popular and easily identifiable.

KTM

Who would’ve thought that the brand currently synonymous with orange would’ve had a logo featuring a tiger when it first came into existence as a car repair shop in 1953. That logo was short-lived, but KTM kept rolling out revised iterations, after finally settling down with the simple one we are so used to seeing.

LML

Lohia Machines Private Limited was born in 1972, as a manufacturer of synthetic yarn. After a technical collaboration agreement with Piaggio in 1984, a scooter project was conceived, following which LML became a household name. The brand made a comeback in 2022 by unveiling three electric two-wheelers, and also a refreshed look.