More to Discover.

The new Bajaj 100T offers enough to keep the commuter smiling. Rishad Cooper has the details

With the Discover commuter bikes, Bajaj has had a good run. While the Pulsars have catered to the sporty performance segment, the Discover series looks at more conservative buyers, reluctant to buy less fuel-efficient, larger capacity motorcycles. We’ve seen several bikes launch under the Discover umbrella, the latest being Bajaj’s well-received Discover 125 ST

The Discover 100T (Tourer) is a commuter bike that borrows design cues from this older sibling. Easily the best looking 100cc bike in India today, the T houses an attractive headlight unit encased within a flared bikini fairing. Its handsome analogue speedometer and fuel-gauge sit under a tinted visor and are easy to read on the fly. Palm grips on the 100T are comfortable while the bike’s Bajaj typical switches feel built-to-last and work with crisp feel. A pass-light switch is also included. The rear-view mirrors show-off unique design and provide a wide field of vision. The 100T comes with exotic looking, slim-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels. Its engine, exhaust and several other lower parts are smartly finished in black.

 The Discover 100T uses Bajaj’s proven twin-spark, DTS-i technology and houses a four-stroke, 102cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine, this breathing through four-valves. This is a more than desirably spec’d engine for the 100cc segment. The button-started T has been provided with an auto-choke system for easy starts in all weather conditions. It puts out a hefty power output of 10.1bhp at 9000rpm, while maximum torque is 0.94kgm at 6500rpm. Power is transferred to the rear wheel via a smooth, five-speed, all-up shifted heel-and-toe operated gearbox. The new Bajaj bike clutch offers a nice, light and positive feel that is certain to prove a boon in crowded city riding conditions.

 Our brief test-ride confirmed throttle response is good for a 100cc. Bajaj claims a 100kph top speed, and we’ve little reason to doubt the Discover 100T will easily match-up and thrill, having now experienced its peppy feel. The T should offer quick acceleration too, and be among the fastest 100cc motorcycles you can buy in India today.

 The latest Discover deploys a semi, double-cradle steel frame with telescopic fork front suspension and a set of gas-charged rear shock absorbers, bolted onto a rectangular swingarm. The upright 100T riding position is perfect for city commutes and is complemented by a well-cushioned seat that should also prove apt for long hours on the saddle. Ride quality is fine as well, but the new Discover could use better tyres. The 100T uses a rather traditional ribbed tread pattern front tyre and similarly old fashioned rear tyre, which although not ill-suited to daily commuting, can improve. The 100T comes equipped with a 130mm drum brake in front and 110mm drum at the rear.

 The Discover 100T comes with a sticker price of Rs. 50,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi) making this a slightly premium priced 100cc bike, but not without reason. Bajaj’s new 100cc clearly offers a whole lot more than any of its rivals.

Hero turns to Bharat to beat Honda blues.

Hero MotoCorp, the country’s biggest motorcycle maker, is wooing rural buyers with promotions such as free health checkups after competition from former partner Honda Motor Co. prompted the first drop in sales in almost a decade.

The New Delhi-based company, which gets over 45% of its revenue from sales in non-urban areas in the world’s second- largest market for the two wheelers, is organizing free vehicle servicing and medical camps in over 100,000 villages around the country to bolster its presence and attract new customers, according to Anil Dua, the senior VP for marketing and sales at Hero.

“We’ve stepped up our engagement with rural India,” Dua said in an interview. “The outlook is promising on account of several factors, including rising rural income, better farm output and the government’s social spending programs,” he said.

Hero is seeking to fortify its leadership in the South Asian country’s villages and small towns after Tokyo-based Honda’s deliveries of scooters and motorcycles jumped 37% in the April-December, compared with a 2% decline for the Indian manufacturer. Honda, which in 2010 exited a 26-year partnership with Hero, is targeting a 30% increase in sales to 2.75 million units in the year ending March 31.

RECORD WHEAT

Hero is counting on rising incomes in rural areas as farm output picks up and the government spends on social programs, said Dua. Food grain production climbed to a record 257.4 million metric tons in the year ended June 30, according to the agriculture ministry.

Wheat output in India, the world’s second-biggest producer, may reach a record for a seventh year as cold weather boosts yield prospects and record domestic prices spur planting, according to the state-owned Directorate of Wheat Research. Prices in India jumped 29% last year after exports rose and the government increased the minimum price paid to farmers to a record.

India’s rural spending was $67.57 billion between 2009-10 and 2011-12, compared to urban consumption of $53.95 billion in the same period, according to a November 2012 note by India Brand Equity Foundation. Rising incomes and low penetration of consumer durables are the reasons cited for the growth in spending, according to the report.

“Honda doesn’t have that great a presence in rural areas and a greater rural presence will help Hero mitigate some of the losses in market share in urban areas,” said Yaresh Kothari, an analyst at Angel Broking Ltd. in Mumbai. “In the long term, the rural market will grow as the penetration is low and spending levels will increase.”

Our approach is the same in every market.

Matthew Levatich is living out of his suitcase these days. The chief operating officer and president of the iconic motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. has been meeting dealers across Europe, the Middle East and Asia to take stock of the year that was and plan for 2013. Levatich believes in the concept of “creating silence”—cutting the noise to make the sound heard is how he explains it.

Since it launched its Indian operations in 2009, Harley-Davidson has sold some 2,000 bikes in the country. Slowing economic growth hasn’t hurt demand for its products; customers need to wait three to four months to receive delivery after booking for most Harley models, which cost upwards of Rs.5 lakh. The US bike maker sells 13 models, of which six are locally assembled at a factory in Bawal, Haryana.

Levatich, joined by Harley India managing director Anoop Prakash, spoke in an interview during a stop-over in Mumbai. Edited excerpts:

Do we see the company offering more models that are locally assembled? Any plans of making fresh investment in your facility in Haryana?

Levatich: We will continue to evaluate the possibilities on a model basis. For the time being, we continue to leverage the investment already made. It’s all about making sure that we read and support the market well. The completely knocked down (CKD) models make up...the majority of the sales because it’s a point of entry into the brand. You can say it’s a chicken and egg concept. People are buying CKD as we chose to do it and vice versa.

Is Harley looking at developing an India-specific motorcycle?

Levatich: Product development is a significant investment for any company and our strategy is not to develop any market-specific motorcycles. We don't have any in our portfolio today and we don’t have any plans to. However, when we decided to enter the Indian market and going through the planning process, we started incorporating new answers about the market into product planning, which is a long-term process, which addresses the needs of the Indian buyers, so that our models make sense for this market.

Is your India strategy different from other markets?

Levatich: Whatever we stand for is common for all the markets and culture—the idea of personal freedom, of self-expression, of personalization, of making a statement regarding who you are as a person, is the same. There is a common theme shared by all Harley riders across the world. We stick to that theme because it’s very powerful. Our business model approach is the same in every market we are in.

How has the market for premium motorcycles been expanding in India?

Prakash: We have seen a steady growth in the premium segment. It will go the premium car market way. When Mercedes came in, no one knew how big the market was. Now you can see the segment has so many brands; market for super luxury bikes would follow a similar trajectory. The fundamentals are strong. It will take a few years to say with conviction how the market is as it’s still shaping up. As an early mover, we are shaping it.

You believe in the philosophy of creating silence. Can you elucidate?

Levatich: The idea of creating silence is—if the right work is done in a right way, it is implemented seamlessly without drama, without strife, without noise. So, the good person doing good work in a good way creates silence by virtue of that work. Squeaky noise is created by someone not quite doing a good job and usually management attention goes to the noise and I don't want any noise. Just a good job done in a good way and silence. Another way of putting it is—if you reduce the noise, you can create more headroom for the sound, and sound is good.

How has the response to the Fat Bob (the model launched in November last year) been ?
Prakash: The response has been great. That’s an indication of understanding what the customers want and responding to it. The initial booking volumes, though I won’t talk numbers, has exceeded our expectations almost two times.

How do you plan to leverage the 110 year global celebration of brand Harley in India?

Levatich: It’s a big milestone for us. The first global celebration is happening at Goa in the months of January and February. We are promoting some 110 events globally as it’s (the club of Harley owners) a global community. The one in Goa is one of them. It’s a big deal. We expect 500-plus owners riding from all over the country into Goa. This will include four days of celebrations—celebrating the bike culture.

What percentage of your total sales are financed? Any plans of launching your captive finance arm in India?
Prakash: It’s a healthy proportion. We have partnerships with ICICI Bank Ltd and HDFC Bank Ltd. They are offering very competitive rates. Launching the captive arm depends on the maturity and scale of the market, but we remain open and are keenly watching what others are doing in the space.

Now, buy Mahindra 2 wheelers online

Mahindra 2 Wheelers has adopted a novel approach to sell its scooter Duro online at a Rs 6,000 discount, in collaboration with Snapdeal. This is the first time in India a vehicle will be online and delivered at the doorstep.

Dharmendra Mishra, VP Sales and Customer Care at Mahindra 2 Wheelers said, “Though online retailing is still in its nascent stages in India, the industry has grown tremendously over the last couple of years. MTWL is very conscious of the changing customer preferences and this is yet another step from us to get closer to the net savvy customer at his comfort zone. This partnership will open a new avenue for us. With the buying trends changing drastically over time, we are sure we can deliver more happiness to our customers through this novel tie-up with Snapdeal.com, one of its kind in the country.”

Customers can avail of a test ride of the scooter before finalising the purchase. After booking the two-wheeler online, customers’ documents will be collected from them. They could pay the whole amount or avail of 3-/6-month EMI options (0 per cent interest). The vehicle will be delivered at the specified address within a week.

As of now only the Duro can be brought online, which has a four years warranty of and free insurance cover for a year. Mahindra plans to add more two-wheelers from its portfolio to under this scheme. Currently only consumers from Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata can buy the Duro online

Mahindra launches bike at Rs. 44,190

Powered by a MCi-5 Micro Chip Ignited 5-Curve engine, Pantero is capable of 8.6 PS power at 7500 rpm. Pantero is being positioned for young and first time buyers and possess a number of outstanding features. LED pilot light and tail lamps, fully digital instrument cluster with digital tachometer and choke on handle bar are evident. Its digital instrument cluster possesses a speedometer, fuel gauge, trip meter and clock.
Mahindra’s new Pantero is designed with a comfortable seat that measures 774 mm in length, which according to the company is longest in its class. The bike itself has a ground clearance of 165 mm while an attractive feature will be its mileage which according to ARAI stands at 79.5 kmpl.

Pantero colors include fiery red, sterling silver, blazing black and cool black while variants total 4 right from T1 to T4. T1 and T2 are self start with cast alloy wheels while T3 and T4 are kick start and feature Analog Consoles. For more information, scroll down.

Mahindra two wheelers readying segmentation strategy for growth

Mahindra Two Wheelers has indicated that it would be adopting segmentation strategy instead of trying to stuff products in motorcycle and scooter segments in a bid to establish and grow its business.

Backed by strong in-house R&D, the company intends to enhance product portfolio in motorcycle and scooter segments. The company, which has just re-entered the motorcycle segment with two new features-packed bikes, is charting at least three launches in the scooter segment during the next year. The company had withdrawn its first bike Stallio due to some technical issues.

The firm sees greater opportunities to grow and position its two-wheelers by creating sub-segments targeting specific customer experiences. The current two bike launches have also been driven by its segmentation strategy as it looks to tap the largest category — 110cc bike segment — first to create an addressable new segment targeting specific set of customers. It expects both the new bikes — Pantero and Centuro — to drive boost volumes. “In the 110 cc segment, there is a whole range of new models and each one is trying to capture different set of customers through unique positioning,” Anoop Mathur, president – two-wheeler sector, Mahindra & Mahindra told Financial Chronicle.

While the company is charting a plan to create a slew of news segments in the motorcycle category, it is also aggressively planning to push its scooter volumes, presently driven by two products — Duro and Rodeo. “While our two scooter brands Duro and Rodeo, both 125cc products, have completely different positioning targeting unique segment of customers, we will come out with more products,” he added.

The company is preparing to launch at least three products in the scooter segment during the next 12-13 months. It saw 20 per cent drop in scooter volumes at 85,101 units during the first nine months of this financial year as against 106,429 units in the same period last year. The company saw its market share falling to 4 per cent from 6 per cent in scooter market, which actually reported 18 per cent growth during first three quarters of this financial year.

“The chief contribution to the growth of scooters came entirely through new launches. There is a penchant for innovation, new technology and new products among the two wheeler customers and we are responding through new launches in the coming months,” pointed out Mathur.

Mahindra’s two-wheeler R&D centre in Pune has indigenously developed two engine platforms – 110cc and 300cc. “We will design and manufacture two-wheeler engines in house,” said Viren Popli, executive vice president — strategy and market development, Mahindra Two Wheelers, which also has the advantage of using the infrastructure of Mahindra Research Valley, group’s modern automobile R&D facility near Chennai.

Honda to launch four two-wheelers every year

Japanese two-wheeler major Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) on Thursday said it will launch at least four products every year in India as it looks to get the better of ex-partner Hero MotoCorp and become the largest player in the market. The company has also set up its first integrated R&D centre at Manesar, which will specifically develop two-wheelers for the country.

Within two years of its separation from the Munjals, Honda has made short work of TVS and Bajaj overtaking them in quick succession to become the second largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India.

“Our plan is to launch four products every year from this R&D centre,” said Keita Mura–matsu, president and CEO, HMSI. “As India becomes a global innovation hub for Honda, customers can look forward to new products faster.”

The new R&D centre along with HMSI technical centre currently has a strength of 200 engineers and developers. It will develop and launch both refreshed versions and new models of motorcycles and scooters from the centre. Honda is also setting up a third manufacturing facility in Karnataka, which will hire 2,000 people. To be operational from the first quarter of next fiscal year, the facility takes Honda’s overall production capacity to 4,000,000 two-wheelers per annum.

“The first of these products from this centre will hit the roads during the 2013-14 financial year,” said Yadvinder S Guleria, vice-president, (sales and marketing), HMSI.