Global bike makers to display their products at Auto Expo

With the Indian two-wheeler market undergoing a radical change in its segments, the global two-wheeler majors are entering Indian market to claim their share of the market. The two-wheeler market despite being ruled by the commuter segments motorcycles has seen great influx of higher powered motorcycles in the past one year. Now it has been reported in The Financial Express that the five-day Auto Expo that kicks off in New Delhi on January 7 will see the world’s finest bike makers showcasing their wares.

According to the report, big names in the biking world like US’s Harley-Davidson, UK’s Triumph Motorcycles, Italy’s Ducati and Germany’s BMW Motorrad would be parked at Pragati Maidan, the venue for the world’s second largest auto show in terms of footfalls. The plan is to engage Indian buyers in the brand with fashion shows, music performances and, of course, the bikes.

It was mentioned in the report that the legendary US bike maker Harley-Davidson will be showcasing select bikes across its existing five motorcycle brands, including Sportster, Dyna, Softail, V-Rod and Touring. It will also have its customised bikes and merchandise on display. “Harley-Davidson is not just a motorcycle company but a ‘culture defined on two wheels’ which offers its riders a unique lifestyle proposition,” according to Sanjay Tripathi, director-marketing, Harley-Davidson India. Starting from a price range of Rs 5.5 lakh and going up to Rs 45 lakh, these bikes do not come cheap.

The report stated that according to industry analysts, the market size for high-end motorcycles (over 800 cc) is approximately 1,000 units a year, growing at a rate of about 35 percent. They predict the segment to represent 1-2 percent of the total motorcycle market in less than 10 years, which is roughly 120,000 bikes considering today’s overall market of 12 million two-wheelers.

It was reported that for UK’s Triumph Motorcycles, this Auto Expo is crucial, as the brand officially makes its entry into the market and scouts for partner. At the Auto Expo, one would find seven of its bikes on display from each of its four model families including Roadster/ Supersports, Adventure/Touring, Modern Classics and Cruisers. Ashish Joshi, managing director, Triumph Motorcycles India was quoted as saying “Roadsters and the Modern Classics category of bikes have always been the front runners across markets. Our understanding is that these two category bikes will have a strong appeal in India as well.”

It was mentioned that BMW Motorrad, the bike company of BMW Group, also new to the market, will display its S 1000 RR and R 1200 GS motorcycles. It would be presented by its Delhi partner - Deutsche Motoren. BMW sells its R-/S-/K-series bikes in India at the moment, which have more than 1,000cc capacity. The brand sells eight models including the BMW S 1000 RR, K 1600 GT/GTL, K 1300 S, K 1300 R, R 1200 GS, R 1200 GS Adventure, R 1200 RT, R 1200 R in India. Another major super bike maker Ducati is also launching Monster 795 at the expo.