Due to travel restrictions between India and the UK, Bajaj and Triumph have had to delay the launch of their upcoming motorcycle
As per a new media report, the first motorcycle to be produced under the Bajaj and Triumph partnership has been delayed by around 6 to 9 months due to the ongoing health crisis. This upcoming model, expected to be a low-cost mid-capacity motorcycle, will now hit the Indian market towards the end of FY2023.
The two companies had joined hands for the development of mid-capacity motorcycles, ranging from 250cc to 700cc models. This upcoming model will be sold under the Triumph brand, and is expected to have a starting price of around Rs. 2 lakh, which is a massive difference compared to the Rs. 7 lakh price tag on the company’s current most affordable model in the Indian market.
Due to the recent outbreak in the UK, travels restrictions have been placed between Britain and India. As such, the teams of both Bajaj and Triumph were forced to proceed slowly with the product development, thus delaying its launch. The upcoming motorcycle is slated to be manufactured at Bajaj’s new Rs. 650-crore plant at Chakan.
The new plant, which is expected to start operations in 2023, will also be responsible for the manufacturing of Husqvarna and KTM bikes. The upcoming Bajaj-Triumph motorcycle is expected to rival Royal Enfield in the premium motorcycle market space in India, a feat for which others are gunning as well, including Hero-Harley Davidson and even TVS-BMW.
“We are in the (product development) stage, where we have made prototypes, and these require physical presence to make corrections if needed. This whole process takes time”, said Rakesh Sharma, executive director, Bajaj Auto. “We expect towards the end of FY23 to probably present the products in the market.”
Bajaj and Triumph had begun discussions of partnership back in 2017, but it was formalised only last year. The partnership between the two aims to create mid-capacity motorcycles with a high degree of localisation to keep costs down. Affordability is one of the key strengths of Bajaj, and it sure seems like the Pune-based manufacturer will help the British motorcycle marquee break into the affordable market space in India.
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