Mahindra 2 Wheelers launches Rodeo 125 RZ.

Mahindra has finally launched the facelifted Rodeo scooter after it was unveiled on 7th june to the media.It is going to be launched in a phased manner across India starting from the south.That means for time being  the current launch is limited to South India.

The 125cc scooter has been rolled out across South India with prices ranging between INR 49,410 and INR 50,710 depending on the state.The ex-showroom prices announced are INR 49,575 (Andhra Pradesh), INR 49,410 (Kerala), INR 50,710 (Tamil Nadu) and INR 48,930 (Karnataka), respectively.

The Rodeo RZ is powered by a 125cc Z Series engine which has great pick up and at the same is fuel efficient.It now features the Dual Curve Digital Ignition (DCDI) similar to Duro DZ,  which Mahindra claims provides better fuel efficiency.It provides a fuel economy of 59.28 kmpl with slight increase in power due to DCDI.

Features at a Glance:

• 7 interchangeable backlit panel Digital console with tachometer, tripmeter, acceleration timer, odometer, speedometer, over-speed alarm, fuel gauge, clock and side stand buzzer.
• Body Color mirrors
• Mobile phone and MP3 charger
• 4-in-1 Anti-theft key
• Available in 7 color options – Mystique Violet, Electric Green and Flame Orange are new additions apart from the regulars
•  Front fuel filler cap

The facelifted Rodeo is priced somewhere around the same price tag as that of its competitors, Mahindra could have priced it around 1.5k-2k lesser than its competitors considering the fact that their competitors are a well established lot, still it seems Mahindra are quite confident considering the exhaustive feature list.

Read More

KTM Introduces Protective Cover for Duke 200.

KTM along with Bajaj launched the Duke 200 and we must say till now it has been received extremely well by bike enthusiasts in India.KTM has impressed young bike enthusiasts not only with their machines but also with its wide range of merchandise and apparels.The Duke 200 has a range of accessories, right from the likes of the visual mods to performance mods

Now with the onset of monsoon many bike owners are flocking to various shops to get a protective cover for their bikes to protect it from the rains but KTM has different plan for its customers, this time as well KTM has come up with something new which not only benefits its customers but also is a great marketing strategy for KTM motorcycles.KTM India has introduced an orange colored protective cover for Duke 200. It really looks stylish unlike the ordinary bike covers.The cover is made up of special fabric and is completely water proof. The protective cover doesn’t allow dust and condensation droplets to seep through. They also provide you a bag in which you can carry it around or store it.

It is available at KTM showrooms all across the country at INR 720 which according to the company is an introductory price !

Read More

Anushka Sharma is the new TVS Scooty brand ambassador.

TVS Motor Company is all set to endorse Anushka Sharma as its newest brand ambassador to market its products. Anushka Sharma will now feature in all the ads related to TVS Scooty, she will  replace Preity Zinta who was the brand ambassador of TVS Scooty earlier.Basically Anushka Sharma  was roped due to her gaining popularity these days because of her back to back hits recently.TVS motor also has Virat Kohli who endorses TVS Sports motorcycle.

TVS Motor Company president marketing HS Goindi said, “Anushka Sharma was an immediate choice for the TVS Scooty brand. She is well known for being spunky with her distinctive style and is an icon for young girls in India. She is seen by young women as one who is living her goals of being vivacious, independent and successful. We are confident that this association will further enhance the popular TVS Scooty Brand.”

“It’s almost like ‘homecoming’ for me. As a young woman I know how important independence and mobility is to me. TVS Scooty has always understood young women of India and it feels great that I now have an opportunity to be a part of the rich legacy of a brand such as TVS Scooty,”" Anushka said.

About the other companies endorsing bollywood stars ,HMSI has recently finalised Akshay Kumar as its first brand ambassador in the country. While Hrithik Roshan endorses Hero’s premium motorcycle Karizma, Mahindra Two Wheelers had roped in Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor. John Abraham campaigns for Yamaha and Priyanka Chopra is associated with Hero Pleasure.

Read More

DSK Hyosung prices the Comet GT 250R at INR 2.75L (ex-showroom Delhi)

Hyosung split up with Garware motors and now they have partnered real estate major DSK group.This happened when they were going to launch their much awaited Comet GT 250R which had to be postponed due to this split up.They were going to launch the bike on 13th June and here it is.

Hyosung along with their new partner have launched Comet GT 250R at INR 2.75 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).
The pricing is close to Kawasaki's Ninja 250R, we speculated it to be between 2-3L and it has definitely turned out that way.Certainly its pricing is a bit on the higher side compared to Honda's CBR 250R though the engine and other specifications differ in both these machines.Due to such high pricing an individual would any day prefer the Kawasaki Ninja 250R.It would be interesting to see if in the future DSK Hyosung localise the parts and bring down the price of the bike so that it stands a good chance in the already competitive Indian Biking sector.

This is the first release by the Hyosung-DSK joint venture, lets see how it fares in the already competitive 250cc segment.This launch is really a good news for Bike enthusiasts who now have more option to choose from in the 200-250cc segment .

The super-bike has been modified for the Indian roads in order to get the ARAI certification. Noise reduction, saree guard inclusion and other changes have been made to get the certification done.The bike looks very much similar to the GT650R just that the specifications change, so the exteriors remain the same but its totally a different body inside

The Hyosung GT250R is powered by 249 cc V-twin, DOHC fuel injected engine which is capable of producing 28bhp of power at 10,000Rpm and 22.68Nm of torque at 8000Rpm. With an overall weight of 171kgs, Hyosung GT250R can reach a top speed of 175 kmph.

Hyosung - DSK would have 18 dealers , the bike would be available in  White-red, red-black and silver-red shades.It will be available in the showrooms in 5 days with 1 month delivery time.
So what are you waiting for, head to the nearest showroom to lay your hands on this beast.

Specifications

Suspension :-
Front Suspension :41 mm Upside down Telescopic
Rear Suspension :Linkage type Mono shock absorber

Transmission :-
Gear Box :Constant mesh 5-speed (1down 4up)
Clutch :Wet, Multiplate

Dimensions :-
Width (mm) :655 mm
Height (mm) :1125 mm
Weight (Kg) :176 kg
Length (mm) :2080 mm

Brakes :-
Brakes Front :300 mm Semi floating double discs, 2 pistons calipers
Brakes Rear :230 mm Single disc, 2 pistons calipers

Wheels :-
Front Tyre Size :110/70-17 54H
Rear Tyre Size :150/70-17 69H
Fuel Tank :-

Fuel Reserve :3 ltr
Fuel Capacity :17L/4.5 gal

Engine :-
Compression Ratio :10.3:1
Starting :Electric
Bore x Strock (mm) :57 mmx 48.8 mm
Maximum Torque :16.73 lb/ft @ 8000 RPM
Maximum Power: 27 HP @ 10500 RPM
Displacement :249 cc
Engine Type :Air / Oil cooled 75 Degree V-twin DOHC, 4-valve per cylinder

Read More

World Superbike Series and MotoGP in India next year‎.

The Buddh International Circuit is an Indian motor racing circuit in Greater Noida, India, near Delhi. The circuit is best known as the venue for the annual Formula One Indian Grand Prix, which was first hosted in 2011.Recently Buddh International Circuit hosted the first of six Open Track Days on April 22, which let the general public take a joyride in their cars and bikes at the circuit. It was a golden opportunity for people who had a dream to drive/ride on a race track.But don't get disheartened if you have missed the chance this year, the BIC is going to conduct track days every year for general public.

In the month of May, there was a official confirmation about motorcycle road-racing, MotoGP to make its Indian debut at the Buddh International Circuit next year as the opening round of the 2013 MotoGP season.
It was a delightful news for every racing enthusiast.

Mind you this is not the end of proceedings, now Jaypee Sports International Ltd (JPSI) and Infront Motor Sports have signed an agreement to hold World Superbike Championship at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) here on March 9-10 next year.Another feather in the cap for India’s latest racetrack revelation, Buddh International Circuit.

"We are extremely happy to announce that besides holding the Formula One and FIA GT1 motor racing series, we will also hold a thrilling motorcycle race. There are many in India who are passionate about bikes. I am sure they would love to watch famed motorcycle drivers compete against each other here at their own world class racing circuit," Sameer Gaur, JPSI MD and CEO, said in a press release.

Teams of renowned superbike makers such as Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Aprilia, and BMW will take part in the championship, regulated by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the international governing body of motorcycle racing.

"We are sure that the Superbike World Championship will bring added value to BIC, as well as to India and vice versa . It will also deliver value to all the automobile companies supporting and following our Championship, a very important opportunity to expand their brands and business in Asia," Maurizio Flammini, Chairman of Infront Motor Sports, said.

Read More

Hero Motocorp launches Ignitor at INR 55,900 (ex-showroom Delhi)

World's second largest two wheeler Hero Motocorp  which separated from Japan’s Honda, had showcased two motorcycles and a scooter, a scooter 110cc Maestro, the 110cc Passion X Pro and the 125cc Ignitor at the Auto Expo 2012. Out of which Hero Maestro was launched in the month of March at a price of INR 45,500 (Ex-showroom Delhi).
Now Hero Motocorp has launched its Ignitor motorcycle. The company has launched this motorcycle in two variants, the Drum brake variant will cost INR 55,900 (ex-showroom Delhi) while the Disc brake variant will cost INR 57,900 (ex-showroom Delhi). It will soon be available across the country.

Hero Motocorp is gunning straight at Honda's Stunner with the launch of its all new Ignitor .The Ignitor is the actual competitor for the Honda Stunner. It is again powered by same Stunner engine with minor tweaks . The Ignitor’s engine is mated to a five-speed gearbox and is capable of producing 11 PS at 8000 rpm and maximum torque of 11 Nm at 5,000 rpm. The design of the Ignitor resembles the Stunner to a very great except the change in the graphics and art works apart from this you also get a digital speedometer while Stunner has the traditional analog speedometer.Ignitor is available in four colors, Vibrant Blue, Sports Red, Pearl White and Panther Black

In 2011-12 Hero MotoCorp not only made a successful transition into a new entity during the year, but equally importantly, also raised the bar several notches higher to significantly improve upon our earlier performance.They are still the market leaders even after their split with Honda, but recently Honda is posing a big threat with its new launches in the entry level segment.
It will be interesting to see how the Hero Motocorp Ignitor will be received by the masses with its looks resembling Honda Stunner.

Read More

DSK Hyosung to launch Comet GT 250R on 13th June.

Recently Hyosung split up with Garware motors and now they have partnered real estate major DSK group.This happened when they were going to launch their much awaited Comet GT 250R which had to be postponed due to this split up.But now Hyosung are all set to launch their 250cc beast with their new partner DSK.There is an official confirmation that Hyosung Comet GT 250R would be launched on 13th June between INR 2-3L.This would be the first release by the Hyosung-DSK joint venture, lets see how it fares in the already competitive 250cc segment.

With the Indian biking segment getting more and more fierce , the two wheeler market is opening up to performance oriented machines .The reason this segment is gaining momentum is because it has been received well among both motorcycle enthusiasts .Recently we had the launch of KTM Duke 200  to spice up the 250cc battle and now its the DSK-Hyosung joint venture.

Recently we had notified you guys about the future plans from Hysoung for the Indian market and now here it is.  Hyosung is going to launch the GT250R  COMET and  GV650 Cruiser . From speculative launch dates of last year to March 2012 to April and May 2012, now it seems  that the bike should be finally launched on the 13th of June. This is really a good news for Bike enthusiasts who now have more option to choose from in the 200-250cc segment .

In the past  Hyosung who had launched the Comet 250 many years ago in India, through Kinetic Engineering Limited, which imported a limited number of these motorcycles for the Indian market and now they are again making a re-entry with a joint venture with Garware Motors .

The super-bike has been modified for the Indian roads in order to get the ARAI certification. Noise reduction, saree guard inclusion and other changes have been made to get the certification done.The bike looks very much similar to the GT650R just that the specifications change, so the exteriors remain the same but its totally a different body inside

The Hyosung GT250R is powered by 249 cc V-twin, DOHC fuel injected engine which is capable of producing 28bhp of power at 10,000Rpm and 22.68Nm of torque at 8000Rpm. With an overall weight of 171kgs, Hyosung GT250R can reach a top speed of 175 kmph.

Now the most important aspect , the pricing of the bike . It is speculated to be around INR 2- 2.5 lakhs which would be between the pricing of Honda CBR250R and Kawasaki Nina 250R .

Read More

DSK group announces its Joint Venture with Hyosung, to set up Rs 300 crore plant for Hyosung super bikes

Around a year back, Garware Motors had tied up with the Korean giant S&T Motors to assemble, market, and sell Hyosung super bikes in the country but recently there were talks about Garware-Hyosung parting ways and a few days back in a press conference at Pune it was officially confirmed.
Now Hysoung are going to enter in a joint venture with real estate giant DSK.

D.S.Kulkarni Developers Ltd is India's leading Real Estate and Property Developers offering top quality Residential as well as Commercial projects.

Now that DSK has entered in the two wheeler segment after their successful association with Toyota,the DSK group would be called as DSK Motowheels Pvt Ltd.

The venture between Hyosung and DSK would be called as DSK Hyosung and their logo can be seen above.
This means that all the manufacturing plants and all the dealership will now be under DSK motowheels.

We are excited to get in to the super biking market and are glad  to be associated with a brand like Hyosung which is known for its stylised powerful bikes. Our core strength lies in front end sales and marketing. We are also known for our service qualities and customer care. We plan to leverage each other’s strengths and create synergies to make DSK Hyosung one of the most sought after super bike brand among the youth in the country,"Kulkarni said. 

After this official confirmation, DSK group are going to set up a new plant which will see an investment of INR 300 crore which will be operational from next year.The main motto to set up this new plant is increase the production of the bike and also DSK has plans to increase the number of dealerships to 35-40.
This move by DSK is speculated to bring down the price of bikes due to localisation of parts.

Currently DSK are scouting for land in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka.
Shirish Kulkarni,DSK Head is considering Maharashtra as the preferred option but due to the current political scenario Gujarat seems to be the next preferred location.

Also there is an official confirmation about Hyosung Comet GT 250R that it would be launched on 13th June between INR 2-3L.

After Kinetic and Garware, DSK will be the 3rd partner of Hyosung in India till date. Hyosung should realize the market potential and enter India on its own, this way customers will benefit with better aftersales support and spares.

Do you think that this current split up between Hyosung and Garware would affect the launch of the Hyosung Comet GT 250R ?
Let us know through your comments....

Read More

Honda CRF250L On/Off road bike to be launched in India .

It seems that on-road/off-road bikes are slowly grabbing momentum in the Indian market .
Do we blame the government for the amazing roads that we have which gives us the off-road pleasure everytime we venture out??
After the successful release of the Impulse by Hero Motocorp , now its Honda's turn to feature in this category .

HONDA'S main new production bike to debut at next month's Tokyo Show is this, the CRF 150L
With this new launch , this emerging segment will really open up and give the customers some options too choose from .
The only drawback in hero Motocorp's Impulse was the lack of power , which will now be definitely fulfilled by the 250cc powered CRF 250L.

About the specifications of the CRF 250L ,a liquid-cooled 250cc 4-stroke DOHC  single cylinder powers the CRF250L which is the same engine that is equipped in the CBR 250R but it has been tuned according to the off-road requirements . The engine makes a good 23 PS of max power @ 8500 RPM and 22 NM of max torque @ 7000 RPM, and  mated with 6 speed gearbox which gives a fuel efficiency figure of 44.3 km/l at a constant speed of 60km/hr.

The company claims a kerb weight of just over 315 pounds, about 50 pounds more than the 230L but still lighter than the CBR250.The enduro/motocross styling traits are evident in the tank shrouds, side covers and the rear fender. With seat clearance at 34.4 inches, the CRF250L perch rests almost four inches higher than both the CBR250 and CRF230L.Honda CRF 250L Dual Sport incorporates upside-down suspensions on the front and while swing-arm pro-Link type suspension does the job at rear.

The Honda CRF250L Dual Sport comes with a slogan ‘New On & Off Gear, your right buddy on the road’ to make ‘On’ (daily life) more convenient and ‘Off’ (weekends) more enjoyable.
It would be priced not less than INR 1.3 lakhs , the bike will be launched by Honda in the Indian market by 2013.

Honda has also released a drawing to show what a few bolt-on bits and a flash paint job could do to transform the new machine into something a bit more eye-catching.

Read More

Bajaj Auto launches Pulsar 200NS at INR 94,280 (on-road Pune)

Finally Bajaj has started accepting bookings for their flagship motorcycle Pulsar 200NS, after weeks of anticipation its a sigh of relief for all the Pulsar maniacs who were eagerly waiting to lay their hands on this beast.
Since Bajaj is launching the Pulsar 200NS in phased manner, it is currently available in showrooms for bookings only in Pune and some parts in Mumbai.
Dealers at Pune and Mumbai have begun accepting Pulsar 200 NS bookings and deliveries are expected to begin from the 15th of June, 2012.

One of our readers sent us this pic from one of the showrooms in Mumbai.

About the availability and the production of the bike. Bajaj will manufacture Pulsar 200 NS at their unit in Chakan near Pune.It will launch Pulsar 200NS in phased manner and it is expected to be available countrywide by the month of July.

Now comes the most important factor,the pricing of the bike Pulsar 200NS is priced at an on-road price of INR 94,280 in Pune i.e an ex-showroom price of INR 85,273 which is extremely competitive and definitely makes this bike a sure value for money like the other Pulsar siblings.
In Mumbai the on-road price of Pulsar 200NS is INR 99,220 while in Delhi the on-road price is going to be  INR 94,300.

About the production phases of the bike the company is aiming to produce around 2,500 units in the month of June and then the company will produce it according to demand from the month of July. The export of Pulsar 200NS will start from the month of August.

After its launch in India Bajaj will straight head to one of its most important Asian markets i.e Indonesia. Rajiv Bajaj also said that the current Pulsar series will be continued and the company will launch a new Pulsar every year from now onwards.

About the beast, Pulsar 200 NS engine will have 3 sparks - Triple Spark Ignition System instead of the traditional twin - spark system which are seen in the current Pulsar motorcycles. Pulsar 200 NS is powered by a 199.5 cc engine that will generate a maximum power of 23 bhp @ 9,500 rpm and will deliver a maximum torque of 18.3 Nm at 8,000 rpm

Dry weight of new Pulsar 200 NS is 145 kgs. Bajaj new Pulsar 200 NS will have a top speed of 136 kmph, making it one of the fastest motorcycle made by Indian manufacturer. Bajaj new Pulsar 200 NS will be able to accelerate from 0-60 kmph in just 3.8 seconds while it will take just 9.8 seconds to cross 0-100 kmph mark. Apart from these exceptional figures, Pulsar 200 NS delivers a mileage of 58 kmpl when driven at a constant speed 55 kmph.

So what are you waiting for  head to your nearest pro-biking showroom now.

Read More

Royal Enfield might launch Twin Cylinder motorcycle in the next 3 years.

One of the best bike producing brands in India, Royal Enfield  is considering introducing a twin-cylinder motorcycle in India over the next three years.There was a buzz  last year that Royal Enfield could introduce
V-Twin or a parallel twin engine capacity ranging between 650 cc and 700 cc , but this time around it could turn into reality .

Royal Enfield Interceptor 700cc

In 1911, prior to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Royal Enfield they supplied large numbers of motorcycles to the British War Department and also won a motorcycle contract for the Imperial Russian Government. Enfield used its own 225 cc two-stroke single and 425 cc V-twin engines . So its not that Royal Enfield are constructing a twin Cylinder motorcycle for the first time , they have done this in the past as well .Not only this Royal Enfield used to make parallel twin motorcycles in the 1950s and 60s called the Interceptor, which features a 700cc, air cooled, parallel twin cylinder engine. Royal Enfield also made 500cc parallel twin motorcycles before the 700cc versions . They decided to discontinue it due to various emission norms laid by the Government .

The Twin Engine Royal Enfield is likely to be fitted with the pushrod engine system in line with the company’s current engine family, the new bike may be powered by a 600cc to 1000cc engine and cater to customer demand in the higher horsepower category. The main idea to keep the pushrod design is to maintain the classic appeal of the motorcycle, with the characteristic low revving, high torque nature that most Royal Enfield motorcycles are well known for.

Chief executive officer, Venki Padmanabhan told Autocar Professional that the design of the twin-cylinder model will not stray from the company’s traditions and that it will be an offshoot of the simple British design of the model of the 1950s and '60s.

Royal Enfield V-Twin Engines used in the Past .

Other two-wheeler manufacturers use overhead cam (OHC) engines in their motorcycles which are basically hi-speed and hi-torque engines whereas the Twin Engine Royal Enfield is going to be operated by pushrod design with an overhead valve(OHV) which are generally  hi-torque, slow-speed engines with a very rugged construction and develop maximum power at a lower rpm .

There is a higher probability that Royal Enfield might retain a Parallel Twin Cylinder  powered by a 600cc to 1000cc engine unlike the V-Twin layout which operates in the Harley Davidson Motorcycles .

These bikes would be manufactured in India only. One of the main reasons for bullet going into higher capacity bikes is that several other companies have launched powerful bikes and many people do buy them. And thus they planned to come into the game by launching higher capacity bikes and compete with brands like BMW, Suzuki, Harley Davidson, etc. And people would go for Royal Enfiled bikes as they know it from the beginning and being manufactured in India.
The Royal Enfield twin cylinder motorcycle could become a reality in the next 3 years

Read More

Bajaj Auto is now the World's Third Largest Motorcycle Company.

Bajaj Auto launched many bikes in various segments and totally redefined the Indian Automobile sector and with launch of its Pulsar series it gave a new dimension to the Indian Automobile sector.Hardly had Bajaj thought that they would be able to sell five million units of the Pulsar brand, when they launched the bike more than ten years ago.Once known for its iconic scooter Chetak, Bajaj Auto has now transformed itself into a global motorcycle brand.With so many milestones in recent years Bajaj has edged out most of the companies in its competition.

In the year 2011-12 Bajaj Auto sold over 3.8 million units of motorcycles worldwide which makes it world’s third largest motorcycle manufacturer. Honda is the global leader of motorcycle whereas India’s largest two wheeler company is Hero Motocorp.If Bajaj continues to have such staggering volumes then its not long when Bajaj surpasses these companies as well.

The journey for Bajaj Auto was full of criticism but inspite of all these barriers , Bajaj has always been received well among the customers which made Bajaj a successful brand.

Around the world only few brands have been able to reach such high volume figures, it’s truly remarkable for the company which was once known for its bad quality

Bajaj has lot of successful motorcycle brands in their stable with the Discover and Pulsar series ruling their respective segments.Also Bajaj Auto’s Boxer is the largest selling motorcycle brand in the African region.
Bajaj currently has 10% market share of global motorcycle market and it aims to increase it up to 30% mark.

Bajaj Auto is now ready with an all-new Pulsar 200NS which might be available in few weeks.
Lets see how it performs in the already competitive 200cc segment.

Read More

World's cheapest bike by Yamaha at INR 27,500.

After launching successful series of Yamaha bikes in India, Yamaha will develop a motorcycle which will cost as low as INR 27,500.This will be the cheapest motorcycle in the world and it is targeted at the Indian and African market since there is a lot of scope for cheap bikes in these regions. Africa has slowly gained momentum to become the hotspot for bike exports from various Indian and Japanese companies.This is specially targeted to those section of people who can't even afford the entry level segment bikes.

Currently, the cheapest motorcycle in Yamaha’s stable is the 110cc Crux priced at INR 38,365, while Hero Motocorp’s CD-Dawn is the cheapest motorcycle in the India at a price of INR 36,300 which is the current market leader.

Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive officer and managing director, India Yamaha Motor  said “Our product benchmark right now (on cost) is the YBR 110 and Crux, but we would like to develop a bike in the low-cost segment for markets like Africa. The target is to make a bike that will cost $500 (about Rs. 27,500). I think such a bike will have a lot of demand in Africa as well as in India.”

This definitely is a good move by Yamaha to enter in this segment after their firm grip in the 150cc segment,this  is bound to get popular among the rural population and has great future.
Yamaha recently announced plans to invest around Rs 1,500 crore to set up a new plant in Tamil Nadu and enhance capacity.

Read More

Triumph Motors to set up bike assembly plant in Karnataka

UK-based premium bike-maker Triumph Motorcycles has zeroed in on the southern State of Karnataka for its local assembly plant, which may start well within a year. It had previously held talks with States such as Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra for the same.

Its third such facility globally after the UK and Thailand, the Indian plant will help Triumph price its models more competitively in the world's second-largest two wheeler market. This strategy follows another niche player, Harley-Davidson's, which started similar operations at a facility in Haryana last year.

Triumph signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karnataka Government about a month back, an official close to the development told Business Line. One of the pre-requisites for the location had been proximity to a port for both importing completely knocked-down (CKD) kits and later exporting bikes, if required.

“About 40 acres of land has been identified by the company at Narasapur (Kolar district) on the Bangalore-Chennai highway. This is about 50 km from Honda's upcoming motorcycle plant,” the official said.

The brand, which launched itself in India at the Auto Expo in January, is looking to assemble the Bonneville, Street Triple, Speed Triple and Daytona 675 models locally. Later, it may consider full manufacturing as well.

“We are gearing up to commence our Indian operations at the earliest. Of the seven motorcycles that will be entering the market, we will be assembling four of our bike models in India. We will be looking at setting up the CKD assembly facility in a propitious location,” the company said in a reply to emailed queries.

Starting from July, up to four dealerships will be appointed in 2012, with a target of around 12 outlets within the next three years. Triumph's local headquarters will likely be in Delhi, sources said.

“While the plant would take around a year to come up, the bike models would be launched earlier to build excitement around the brand. Though initially imported as fully-built units, the pricing will be kept on the lower side keeping in mind the reduced costs after local assembly starts,” a source said.

Premium bike-makers present in India include Ducati and BMW Motorrad, apart from high-end models from Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda and Korean player Hyosung. Starting from around Rs 5 lakh and going up to around Rs 45 lakh, most of these models are imported into the country.
via

Read More