Yamaha sales growth 37% in February

New Delhi, March 1st, 2011: Riding on the success of its models in the premium segment, India Yamaha Motor posted a growth of 37% in its domestic sales during February 2011 vs. last year. The company registered sales of 23,384 units in February 2011 vs. 17,131 units in the same month last year in the domestic markets. The export figures stood at 9,662 units in February 2011 while 8,633 motorcycles were exported in February 2010. The overall sales recorded were 33,046 units in February 2011 vs. 25,764 units in February 2010, a growth of 28.3%.

Mahindra motorcycle Stallio's problems to be fixed by an Italian firm

The utility major Mahindra & Mahindra’s two wheeler arm, Mahindra Two Wheelers has entered the segment with much hope to able emerge as one of the major player but its launch vehicle, a commuter segment bike Stallio itself has been stuck up in problems thereby stalling the company’s sales figures
According to a report in business daily The Economic Times, now Mahindra Two Wheelers has roped in Italian design services firm Engines Engineering to rectify the defects of Stallio. The bike, which sold only 46 units in February after the company curtailed production to repair faulty clutch and gear parts, will be modified and re-launched shortly. Engines Engineering is working closely with in-house R&D experts to modify the bike which marked the Mahindra group's entry into the motorcycle market dominated by rivals Hero Honda and the Bajaj group.

Royal Enfield Plans Multi-Fuel Motorcycles

In the recent held New York Motorcycle show, Dr. Venki Padmanabham (CEO, Royal Enfield) said that the company is planning a multi fuel motorcycle that could run on petrol, diesel and kerosene as well.

Well, if Royal Enfield does what it has said then this is going to redefine the motorcycle industry in India and other parts of the world. The bike maker is known for its innovation and this multi fuel motorcycle will be most prominent of lot.
Practically speaking, bikes running on kerosene as a fuel still need lot of research and development because not many motorcycles with such weird ideas have worked. Therefore, Royal Enfield should also try and improve their R&D before taking any further step on developing a multi fuel motorbike.

TVS to introduce a refreshed Apache and Scooty Pep+ this year

Chennai based two-wheeler major TVS Motor Company which has posted impressive third quarter results on Thursday is planning to revamp some of its current line-up in order to garner some more numbers.

It has been reported that TVS will introduce upgraded variants of its popular Apache and Scooty Pep+ models in the next few months. It was mentioned that TVS Scooty Pep+ is the flagship scooter of the two-wheeler manufacturer, while the TVS Apache motorcycle has won many awards since it was introduced in the above-150cc segment.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India To Enter Into Pre-Owned Two Wheelers Business

Our Countries largest scooter manufacturer Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India Ltd. is planning to Enter into pre owned two wheeler business to sell its new two wheelers. The company has started a trial study at selected dealership in four major cities Banglore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi where plenty of Honda two wheelers sold.
N K Rattan, Operating Head (Sales and Marketing) confirmed the plan but declined to give further details.
A person close to development said that the company has started an internal study where in the pre-owned dealerships have been setup separately from its existing dealerships through dealer margins to get closer to existing and prospective customers. The company seeks to take advantage of about six million Honda two-wheelers that already ply on Indian roads.

Ducati Diavel in India by April 2011

Italian racing motorcycle manufacturer Ducati has said that it would be launching its latest Diavel model in India by April 2011. Ducati will also be launching two more models of its superbike series 848 Evo and 1198SP in India by January next year.

“The Diavel model would be available in the European and American markets by This month or February 2011. The same model would be launched in India by April This year, depending upon the time it takes to clear the necessary customs and other formalities,” Ducati CEO, Asia Pacific, Mirko Bordiga said.

The 1200 CC Diavel would be available in two variants, the base and Carbon S versions in India.

Bajaj to drop its name on its products from April

The two-wheeler industry though is going strong on numbers count is undergoing some radical changes. While the recent big news making split of Hero and Honda would result in Hero going solo, its major competitor in the home market Bajaj is now reportedly decided to drop its name from its products.

According to a report in the business daily Business Standard, the move is initiated by the Managing director Rajiv Bajaj himself will see the family name from the group flagship company’s products, showrooms and service centers. It was mentioned that company would bank only on its two strong brands Pulsars and Discovers and the rebranding exercise will see the removal of the Bajaj name which has so far had a pride of place in all its products, showrooms and service centers for over five decades. The report stated that the company has decided to overhaul its distribution set-up and rename all its consumer touch points to just Pulsar or Discover, its two most successful bikes. Dealers are already on board on the idea. It was also reported that Fitch, an international retail design agency, will be in charge of the project. It was mentioned that in India, Fitch has worked with entities such as the Aditya Birla Group, Boeing, Reliance ADAG, Tata Group, Microsoft and Vodafone, to name a few.

Hero Considering Diesel Motorcycles

Goodbye Honda, hello diesel?

Honda’s former Indian partner is reportedly in talks with a diesel engine supplier for future motorcycles.

The Hero Group is licensed to sell motorcycles with Honda technology until 2014 and the company is exploring alternatives as it tries to maintain its hold on India’s motorcycle market.  
According to Indian news outlet NDTV, Hero Honda is in talks with an engine supplier from Chennai, India to supply diesel engines larger than 400cc. The supplier was not identified but NDTV reports it is an Indo-U.S. firm. The company’s engines are currently undergoing certification with the Automotive Research Association of India. NDTV reports a supply agreement likely won’t be reached until the first quarter of 2012 with the first models to launch later that year.

Yamaha registers growth of 69.7 per cent in December

India Yamaha Motor rode at a brisk pace in 2010 backed by new product offerings and novel marketing initiatives. The company clocked sales of 350,264 motorcycles in 2010 as compared to 267,895 motorcycles in 2009, a growth of 30.7 percent over last year. The domestic market recorded sales of 258,987 units in 2010 vs. 218,625 units in 2009, a growth of 18.5 percent while in export markets, a phenomenal growth of 85 per cent was achieved with the sale of 91,277 motorcycles in 2010 vs. 49,270 units in 2009.

In December alone, the company sold 34,839 units this year vs. 20,529 units in December 2009, thereby registering a growth of 69.7 per cent. In domestic markets, the company almost doubled last year’s sales, with 26,567 units in December 2010 vs. 13,612 units in the same month last year. The export figures stood at 8,272 units in December 2010 while 6,917 motorcycles were exported in December 2009.

Honda Motorcycles records 20 per cent growth in December

December has been good month for the automobile industry despite being the last month of the year, where usually sales stagger. This time most of the major automobile companies have witnessed double digit growth.

Now it has been reported that two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has reported 20 per cent growth in sales at 140,642 units in December 2010 over the same month previous year.

Bajaj Auto registers 10 per cent growth in December

Two-wheeler sales are growing at a healthy clip even after several months of growth and now it has been reported that Indian’s second largest two-wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto backed by its popular brands Pulsar and Discover, has reported 10 per cent growth in its sales in December 2010.

According to agency reports, it has been reported that the company had sold 276,803 units during the month, up by 10 per cent as against 252,004 units during the same period of previous year. It has also been reported that this has been the best December sales for Bajaj.

Hero Honda registers 33 per cent growth in December

The country's largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda has reported a 33 per cent growth in sales at 501,111 units for December 2010 over the same month in the previous year.

The reports have mentioned that the company said it has recorded a sales growth of 16.4 per cent during the calendar year 2010 with cumulative sales of over 5 million units. "2010 has been an outstanding year for Hero Honda. For the coming year, we further intend to solidify our leadership by launching new products combined with customer-focused marketing programs," Hero Honda Motors Sr. VP (Marketing & Sales) Anil Dua said, the reports have mentioned.

Honda looking at tripling bike sales in next 5 years

After the end of one of the world’s most successful joint-venture Hero Honda Motors Ltd., there had been lot of talk about how the Japanese company would move ahead with its plans in India. Now it has been reported that Honda though has lost the five million numbers it gained through the joint venture, it plans to reach that number in another five years.

According to a Reuters report which mentioned the Nikkei business daily from Japan stated that Honda Motor Co. plans to ramp up motorcycle production and triple sales in India to 5 million units annually in five years as its partnership with the Hero Group nears end.

Royal Enfield CEO Ravichandran moves to Eicher board

The man tunred around the sagging fortunes of the iconic motorcycles company Royal Enfield in the past five years has now finally moved ahead from the saddle and has gone to join the Eicher board. It has been reported that R.L. Ravichandran wrapped up his last day as CEO of Royal Enfield on December 31.

In a talk with the business daily The Business Line, he said “It is really no big deal. The show goes on at Royal Enfield and I continue to be associated with the Eicher Group." He is now getting ready with his new assignment as Executive Director and Member of the Board. The report stated that what gets him excited, though, is the remarkable turnaround of Enfield from the time he took over as CEO in mid-2005.

Triumph Unveils 7 New Models for 2011

If you're a fan of Triumph Motorcycles, you'll be pleased to know that Triumph just unveiled 7 new models, the largest new product lineup in the company's 109-year history, at the International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach. Triumph also introduced their new CEO of the North American division, who has worked with both Harley-Davidson and Buell Motorcycles, Greg Heichelbech.

“Triumph is one of a couple motorcycle manufacturers that can boast both an incredible heritage and state-of-the-art engineering and design," said Heichelbech." But Triumph is the only motorcycle manufacturer that has this unique, iconic brand and also has successfully created a product line that caters to a very wide variety of customers.”

Honda CBR 250R India Bookings Starts from March 2011

All those who were waiting for Honda CBR 250R can now relax as the bookings will be officially starting from March 2011 coming year in the Indian market. It has been officially declared that the bookings open from March 2011. So hard core Honda fans can braise themselves up because Honda is about to give them what they wanted.
Cheerzzzzzzzz !!
Honda’s new baby CBR 250R will most likely be available with a price tag of 1.50 – 1.75 Lakhs (Ex-Showroom). The bike will be available in two variants ABS and Non ABS; both these versions will also be present for the people to book and try their hands on this amazingly powerful bike. The difference in price of both the versions of CBR 250R is speculated to be around 20,000.
News also has it that the bookings for the CBR 250R will be made against a cash payment of 15,000 INR.

Honda not obsessed about going after number one position

Honda Motor Company, which is among the leaders in two-wheeler markets all over the world, has just split from the joint venture with Hero group which had gave a strong five million units to add to its numbers in the Asean region. But now the company’s subsidiary Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) has to start the lone march but the company insists it is not behind any numbers or top position yet.

Bajaj to bring more Ninjas Variants

Bajaj Probiking, the country’s second-largest motorcycle maker Bajaj Auto’s retail chain of premium motorcycles, is contemplating bringing more high-end variants of Kawasaki Ninja to the Indian market, including a 600-cc model. “Details are being worked out,” said its head (sales) Gaurav Rathore.
Bajaj Probiking currently retails about 5,000 high-performance bikes per month, including Ninja 250R, Pulsar 220-cc and Avenger 220-cc, from its 32 showrooms across the country.
“Within one year of launch, Ninja 250R recently crossed the sale of its 1,000th unit in the country, of which Andhra Pradesh accounted for 100 units including 70 from our authorised dealer Sri Vinayaka Bajaj in Hyderabad. We are looking at a similar sales target next year too,” Rathore told mediapersons here on Sunday.
The Indian market for super-sports bikes (prices ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 13 lakh) is currently pegged at 150 units per month. “We may bring the Rs 12-13 lakh range bikes in future,” Rathore said, while declining to comment further.

Yamaha launches 998cc FZ1 and 153cc SZ-R

All set to give the year 2010 a spectacular finish, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd has unveiled two new bikes- 998cc FZ1 and 153cc SZ-R.

Commenting on the occasion, Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & Managing Director, India Yamaha Motor said, “India is one of the key markets for Yamaha and we have been constantly shifting gears to transform the market from utility to pleasure & lifestyle. Yamaha offers innovative designs, sporty looks and premium features across models as part of its strategy to give consumers a new thrill in biking. After the successful launch of our superbikes and 150 cc bikes in the Indian market over the last 3 years, we are adding two new bikes to our portfolio corroborating Yamaha’s continued commitment to provide world-class products to its consumers”.

Hero Group to use Honda brand till 2014 but on conditions

The successful partnership of 25 years between Delhi based Hero group and the Japanese company Honda Motor will finally come to an end but there has been several speculations over the fate of Hero group now that it will have go to the market alone o its brand with the strong association of motorcycle brand with Honda.

Now it has been reported in the business daily Business Standard that Hero Group is believed to have won rights to use the Honda brand till 2014-end. The report mentions that as the final draft of separation between the Hero Group and Honda Motor Company gets readied, concerns are being raised on the Indian company's ability to promote and sell its indigenous products in the long term, while managing the added burden of royalty payouts to the Japanese company.