The 250-500 cc segment in India is growing at a good rate and the volume is attracting premium manufacturers to develop entry-level models
Indian two-wheeler market is one of the biggest in the world and in recent years, the 200-500 cc segment is rapidly growing in the country as customers are willing to spend more money on premium motorcycles, which have given confidence for manufacturers to develop new products especially for this segment.
KTM was one of the first manufacturers to explore this segment with Bajaj, which helped the it to become one of the leading performance bike makers. BMW Motorrad followed the same path with TVS partnership and found success with entry-level models like G310R and G310GS.
Some manufacturers like Triumph and Harley Davidson, which focus on premium segments are now developing products for these entry-level segments as it brings lots of volume along with market share and profit. The Triumph Bonneville T100 is priced at Rs. 9.78 lakh (Ex-Showroom) and for this much money you can by a parallel twin (Royal Enfield Interceptor 650), ADV (BMW G310 GS) and Supersport (TVS Apache RR 310), still you will have cash left to buy some accessories.
The Bonneville is an icon in Triumph’s lineup but when we look at profit and volume, jumping into an entry level segment is worth taking the risk, which is why the British manufacturer has decided to tie up with Bajaj for developing and manufacturing of new entry-level models. The first product from Bajaj-Triumph partnership could be a rival for Royal Enfield 650 twins or something of a niche based.
The retro Indian manufacturer took a page out of Bajaj’s book as even hardcore enthusiasts were not expecting the company to price 650 twins this aggressively, as it makes them bargain of the century. Usually Bajaj does this type of things as VFM status will attract lots of customers, which help the products to get a good start.
Triumph has the resources and engineering to develop any type of models like adventure, touring or supersport and along with cost-effective manufacturing of Bajaj, it will be a deadly combination and competitors need to worry about it. These entry-level models will be exported to global markets like G310 and Duke 390 series.
In the end, customers will be the winners as competition will lower the prices and we will get world class products at a lower price point. Harley Davidson is expected to introduce its entry-level motorcycle in 250-500 cc segment by the end of this decade, as they are looking for a partnership with a local manufacturer to lower cost of production.