Bajaj Auto has announced that the Indian Patent Office granted Bajaj Auto a patent for its “ExhausTEC” invention vide Patent no 231498 dated 5th March 2009. This Grant was published in Patent Gazette dated 27 March 2009. Bajaj claims unique invention named “ExhausTEC” significantly improves low range / mid range torque in a single cylinder four stroke engine, employing a chamber of predetermined volume attached to the exhaust pipe. Bajaj has employed this innovation on its motorcycles since August 2004 in various models. TVS uses the same technology in its Apache and Apache RTR.
Bajaj Auto claims that it had seen use of its technology in TVS’s Apache model in August 2007. Bajaj and TVS has already issued notices to each other. With Bajaj getting the patent yesterday, the fight is going to intensify further. This is the second conflict between the rivals over intellectual property rights. The earlier clash occurred when TVS Motors unveiled its 125cc bike Flame on Twin spark technology.