M&M Ropes in its Italian Design Co to Put its Stallio Bike Back on Road

Group co Engines Engineering to modify co’s stalled first 100 cc bike.

Mahindra Two Wheelers, part of the Mahindra Group, has roped in group company and Italian design services firm Engines Engineering to rectify the defects of its 100 cc bike Stallio, which has been struggling to boost sales ever since its launch in October 2010.

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 relaunched 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.

“While it was a small aberration, we had to be mindful of the customer. We took a holistic view of the supply chain (vendors), technology managers, front end and came up with a remedial solution. We had to minimise the variability by modifying certain components,” said Anoop Mathur, president, Mahindra Two Wheelers. “Rather than flood the system, we decided to cut down on production of the bike. Engines Engineering and our internal R&D team helped rectify the issue.”

The company plans to re-engage with the customer to boost market share. “We have done trial runs on the Stallio after rectification and are also working on different modes of communication,” Mr Mathur said. Since its launch, M&M has sold 5,181 Stallios with sales in January falling to 509 bikes. Scooters account for more than 90% of the company’s twowheelers business.

With the overhaul exercise for Stallio underway, the company has postponed the launch of its 300 cc premium bike Mojo to the next festival season. Mojo was planned to be launched in the first quarter of this financial year. “We are making sure that all aspects of the bike are appropriately tested and will launch the bike towards the festive season,” said Mr Mathur. The customer base and requirement is completely different for this premium bike.