Angry Bird - Thunderbird

The Thunderbird . Ah, if there’s one motorcycle that splits the diehard Royal Enfield community right down the middle, it’s this one. Built to appeal to the Indian mass-market, the Thunderbird was the streetbike’s half-hearted cruiser cousin, a Harley-esque take on a classic British single platform. Agreed, it had its strong points — chief among which was comfort — but the compromises in styling and handling were too much to bear for many, things that the chaps at Royal Enfield were carefully noting down all this while. This new Thunderbird 500 is meant to be a more complete cruiser, something that will rope in newer buyers without completely alienating the seasoned die-hards who treat their motorcycles like spoilt mistresses. Is it all that? Well, let’s just say that after riding it to the hills south of Bangalore, I got off the bike with a smile thinking — ‘Hmm. Interesting.’

Another sticker-job, you ask? Not quite. If you thought the earlier Thunderbird was a departure from the standard Brit single-cylinder line-up, get ready for some more deviation. Yes, the day has come when Royal Enfields are coming out of the gates at Tiruvottiyur replete with an H7 projector headlamp, running lights and a multi-information digital display. Don’t get me wrong — they look quite impressive in real-life — but ‘Royal Enfield’ and ‘projector headlights’ appearing in the same sentence takes some getting used to. Evolution also has brought along a split-seat, new fenders, completely new rear lighting fixtures and a lot of other, smaller changes in tow. This thumper is the first to shed its need to have old-world charm and it’s moving along swiftly into the new age — ‘retro-modern’ is the term thick spectacled design-types would use. It’s certainly not beautiful but then, it’s not bad looking either, is it?

But beyond what meets the eye, the most impressive aspect of this new Thunderbird is the handling. Yes, handling. The earlier Thunderbird wasn’t exactly the most pleasant bike to push through twisty roads but wait till you ride this new Thunderbird, because this lady, fat as she is, can tango. Starting off with the Classic platform as a starting point, Royal Enfield has slapped on beefier 41 mm forks, a 240 mm disc brake at the back, an all-new swingarm, better performing MRF Zapper tyres and shortened the wheelbase to give us the best handling Thunderbird till date. Charging up a tight mountain road has never traditionally been a Thunderbird forte, but things are much different now. For a feet-forward cruiser, this motorcycle can hold its own in the corners and you’d be surprised at the flickability and confidence it displays. You even surprise yourself a little when you’re leaned over a fair bit — increased cornering clearance helping there — and you realise that your feet aren’t folded back, your spine is upright and your arms are resting on comfortable handlebars. Handling is close to Classic territory now, so much so that you could give the Classic boys a run for their money. Sitting at the back of the pack isn’t something the new Thunderbird wants to do.
Let’s not forget that the Thunderbird’s primary role, still, is touring and a lot of changes on this new Thunderbird are tailored to improve that experience. For example, with a new 20-litre tank, the 500 can do Mumbai-Goa in one full tank but the 350 can better that with a 600 km+ range. Also helpful are the mounting points at the back for your luggage, refined ergonomics and seats that are designed to be comfier. With suspension that is reasonably plush in most conditions, I personally found the setup to be comfortable but a few might not. Either ways, it’s much better than the cramped pillion seat where the backrest is a pain in the backside. Quite literally. Also, be careful whom you place there because it is quite intimate two-up — we’d definitely recommend the prettiest girl around.

Power is significantly upped compared to the older Thunderbird courtesy the 500cc fuel-injected UCE motor . Its 27.2 bhp of power and 4.2 kgm of torque are delivered in the all-too-familiar Royal Enfield manner. Like the Classic, the gearbox isn’t perfect and the travel is at times a bit much but hey, it’s these little characterful things that make a Royal Enfield, no? It’s best to keep the motor in its mid-range, riding the thick band of mid-range torque and going through the gears quickly. 100 kph all day, everyday is no problem. But go beyond that and that’s where the niggles start to raise their ugly heads in the form of vibrations through the bars and the pegs. Keep her steady at 3500 revs on the highway and she’ll do 100-105 kph all day long without a fuss. That’s where the Thunderbird feels best — out on the open road, eating up the white lines with the intake sound as the lead singer and sadly, the classic thump only providing backing vocals. I realised that if you manage to take your mind off the vibes — sing, think, enjoy the scenery, it’s not that difficult, really — you can even hold 110-115 kph consistently if the road is up to it.

It’s a fairly straightforward deal here — it’s faster, it's quicker, it handles much better, it’s much better equipped, more suited for touring duties and it makes pancakes on Sunday mornings as well. Okay, scratch the last one but if all goes well, for a considerable percentage of our buying population, they wouldn’t want anything else. The earlier Thunderbird wasn’t a seller for nothing. As for the pricing, well, considering the goodies, the Rs 1.82 lakh on-road, Mumbai for the 500 is on the pricier side of things. The similarly specced 350’s price tag reads Rs 1.43 lakh, on-road, Mumbai and it’s certainly a more enticing price tag. The carbureted 350’s value is hard to beat and you really will have to cough up a lot of dosh for the 500’s added horsepower; so, unless you really want a thirstier, much torqueier motor, save yourself the 40 grand. Like it or not, it’s the best (and only) proper touring-oriented motorcycle we have in production today and save for the vibes on top and a few other niggles, it’s got things right in a lot of places. For a good chunk of buyers, this is going to be a very tempting buy. Finally, the motorcycle lives up to its name.

Oriental Bank in vehicle financing pact with Bajaj Auto.

Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bajaj Auto Ltd to provide finance for customers who intend to buy the latter’s auto-rickshaws.

The MoU was exchanged between Atul Gautam, General Manager-Retail, OBC and Amit Dongre, Head Retail Finance, Commercial Vehicles, Bajaj Auto, in presence of Bhupinder Nayyar, Executive Director, OBC.

This loan will be available at all the 1,880-plus branches of this public sector bank.

It would particularly benefit people in rural and semi-urban areas where big potential exists for gainful self-employment by plying auto-rickshaws, Nayyar said.

Bike ad treads Iyer and ire

This is a story of an ad campaign cast(e) in a different mould going awry.

Put it down to thin skin, the hunger for publicity or our ever-expanding republic of hurt sentiments but Hero Motocorp Ltd, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in India, finds itself defending an advertisement in which it called its popular Splendor bike ‘Iyer’ in Tamil Nadu. A little known organisation from Coimbatore has lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Police of that city, seeking action against Hero Motocorp, ad agency JWT which devised the campaign, and the newspapers that published the advertisement.

The complaint? ‘Iyer’ is part of the Brahmin caste and the advertisement has “denigrated” the community by using it as a surname for a mere machine, says the Brahmin Youth Federation of India (BYFI), which is seeking action for defamation.

Hero, to drive home the point that it’s best-selling Splendor has become an integral part of the Indian family called the bike ‘Splendor Iyer’ along with the picture of a jovial father-daughter duo named Shivram Iyer and Sowmya Iyer. This was a pan-India campaign, and the bike was given different surnames appealing to local communities. In Mumbai and Karnataka, the bike was called Patil, while in Gujarat it was Patel and in Delhi, Chauhan.

“How can they give the Iyer surname to a machine? It is cheap creativity without responsibility to give the Iyer surname to a machine which is inferior to human beings,” K. Ramasubramanian, national convener, BYFI, said, speaking on the phone from Coimbatore. “Had they given any other surname, it could have created law and order problems in Tamil Nadu. We are silent people, and they are taking us for granted and making fun of us. It is a part of the agenda to show Brahmins in a poor light in the mass media.”

According to a Hero MotoCorp spokesperson: “The recent communication of Splendor in various national and regional dailies showcases the bike as part of happy families across India. We have depicted multiple societal groups in these campaigns with the objective of connecting with the people by using local flavours, e.g. local language and local family names.”

Marketing experts also agreed with Hero’s point of view. “In fact, the company has respected the community. It has to be seen positively. The brand has given respect to the surname by getting associated with it. One should feel proud,” said Mr Jagdeep Kapoor, Chairman & Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants.

Munjals set 2014 date for first Bike sans Honda Knowhow

Hero developing 250cc sports bike along with technology partner Erik Buell Racing

Almost two years after breaking up with Honda and with the erstwhile Japanese partner now fast and furiously on its trail,Hero MotoCorp is pulling out all stops towards unveiling its first indigenously-developed motorcycle an all-new 250cc sports bike at the next Auto Expo in 2014.The motorcycle is being developed in collaboration with Hero Motos American technology partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR),two persons involved with this closely-guarded project who did not want to be named told ET.One of those persons added: Hero is determined to showcase to the world its capability and competence in bringing world-class products with superior technology on its own in quick time.It is currently working on several models ranging from low-engine displacement to higherpowered motorcycles and scooters.However,the first bike on a new platform to hit the market will be a 250cc motorcycle. A group of young and highlyskilled engineers from Hero Motos R&D centres in Gurgaon and Dharuhera have been stationed at the EBR centre at East Troy in Wisconsin,US for the past several months,and are working very closely with EBR engineers on this project,the persons close to the project said.The high-powered 250cc bike with cutting-edge technology and next-generation styling has been jointly conceptualized,designed and developed by Hero and EBR engineers.While the initial development is being done at the EBR centre,the complete development and manufacturing of the bike will be done at Heros plants in India, said one source.Hero MD & CEO Pawan Munjal is personally monitoring the progress of the project.The company has set a deadline of the Auto Expo to be held in Greater Noida in February 2014 to showcase the bike,with mass production likely to commence later during that year.This bike is being developed for the domestic market as well as for customers in global markets that Hero Moto plans to enter as part of its ambitious international business plan, said one of the persons close to the project.ET could not reach Munjal for his comment as he was travelling overseas.A Hero MotoCorp spokesperson declined to comment on the development plans.In response to a questionnaire e-mailed to him,he said: We do not wish to comment on speculations regarding our future line-up of products.We have already stated in recent past that we will be launching our own products in calendar year 2013.We shall be in a position to talk about specific models closer to the time of their launch.

Auto recalls double in 2011-12 as firms try to retain buyers

Vehicle recalls on account of manufacturing defects have doubled in 2011-2012 compared to 2008-2010, but does that mean cars and two-wheelers are deteriorating in terms of quality standards?

No, feels the industry. Increased consumer awareness and cut-throat competition are compelling automakers to improve quality levels by acknowledging faults with vehicles even after sales. This has led them to offer ‘free replacement’ of parts without the fear of being branded for poor quality. So far, many companies viewed the ‘recall’ tag as a dangerous word, so much so that they often played it down by calling it ‘free fix’, ‘maintenance checks’, ‘upgrades’ or ‘free service’.

In 2012, there have been five recalls — one each from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter, Toyota Kirloskar, Mitsubishi, Ford and Tata Motors. Mitsubishi, however, called it a “field repair”. In 2011, there were five as well — two from Honda Car and one each from Toyota Kirloskar, Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors. Toyota Kirloskar also did not call it a recall though. Compared to this, over 1997-2010, there were just about eight vehicle recalls.

Deepesh Rathore, MD, IHS Automotive India, feels that the market is maturing to a point where companies are forced to acknowledge manufacturing defects before customers face problems.

“It’s a good thing when a company recognises a defect and is bold enough to offer a free fix, because brand goodwill goes a long way. Any company that hides a recall or chooses not to call it such, probably does not think the Indian consumer is mature enough,” he added.

What underlines this change is that the battle among automakers is now moving to the after-sales arena, where the aim is to improve overall ownership experience. This is important to maintain brand loyalty at a time when the average period of car ownership has almost halved to only 4-5 years.

“Auto companies now feel that it is first important to improve the ownership and dealer experience for the customer,” a senior industry official said.

The industry has also been pushed by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ (Siam) new voluntary recall code unveiled this July and the government’s plan to develop a mandatory mechanism for fixing such defects and penalising the errants. With a system in place, companies are encouraged to announce recalls.

“Earlier, companies were not obliged to inform either Siam or the media, so they contacted customers directly. When we are designing this, members initially felt it may look like a stigma, but now it shows proactiveness by the industry. They gather data on potential defects when cars come in for servicing,” a Siam official said.

Siam added that it is open to a third-party enforcing recalls and gathering consumer complaints that can be aggregated and passed on to the companies. “The government can come up with norms on this or create a common website. It has to be a third party to give confidence to the consumer. We can’t be an auditor for ourselves,” the official said.

Harley-Davidson launches Fat Bob at Rs 12.8 lakh

Harley-Davidson India on Thursday launched the Fat Bob model priced at Rs 12.80 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Assembled at the company's facility at Bawal, Haryana, this new addition from the Dyna family expands its portfolio of completely knockdown (CKD) models to six.

"The launch of the Fat Bob as CKD will allow more customers to experience our Dyna range at an attractive price point. At Harely-Davidson India, we will continue to adopt and invest in strategies that make our products and ownership experience accessible to more enthusiasts and customers in India," Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India, told presspersons here.

The new motorcycle has a 1585 CC engine with a six-speed cruise drive transmission and a fuel tank capacity of 18.8 litre.

Harley Davidson India, which started operations in 2009, offers 13 models that are available at its nine authorised dealers in the country.

The company will open its tenth showroom in Goa by the year-end and another three next year in Jaipur, Indore and Pune, Prakash said.

The company sold around 1,000 units last year (2011 calendar) and it expects to close this year with double that number, he added.

Honda overtakes Hero MotoCorp in 125-150 cc segment

A little over a year since the termination of the joint venture with the Munjals-promoted Hero MotoCorp , Japanese auto major HondaMotorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has made strong strides in the two-wheeler segment in India and overtaken its former partner in premium motorcycle sales in the 150-cc segment.

According to Siam (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) data, Hero’s sales in bikes with engine capacity between 125-cc and 150-cc declined by a steep 53 per cent to 80,303 units between April and October in FY13, while HMSI ’s volumes went up by 76 per cent to 134,650 units. Interestingly, HMSI sold 54,347 units more in the 125-150-cc segment than Hero, despite not having introduced any new products in the category. In the corresponding period last year, Honda was trailing behind Hero by 92,861 units. The category contributes over 11 per cent to overall motorcycle sales, but has strong revenue implications as product prices are 45-92 per cent higher than that of a model in the entry-level mass segment, which translates into higher margins for companies.

 “Our sales in the segment have been driven by strong demand for CB Unicorn, particularly in southern and western markets. We had back orders last year due to capacity constraints, but now with the increase in production, sales of the model have increased by nearly 90 per cent in the first seven months of the fiscal,” said Yadvinder Singh Guleria , vice-president (sales & marketing), HMSI. Till October in the current financial year, Honda sold 122,894 units of CB Unicorn, compared with 65,007 units sold in the same period last year.

“Two of our volume models, Hunk and CBZ X-Treme, were undergoing a rebranding exercise because of which we had no dispatches in August and September,” Anil Dua , senior VP (marketing & sales), Hero MotoCorp recently told Business Standard.

But a closer look at the numbers reveals HMSI had actually overtaken Hero in segment sales in May this year, and has maintained the lead since. HMSI’s market share in the segment has increased to 20 per cent (April-October 2012) from the earlier 8.9 per cent, while Hero’s has slid to 12 per cent from 19.6 per cent. Of course, Bajaj Auto with the Discover and the Pulsar, continues to remain the market leader in the category with a share of over 46 per cent.

Deepesh Rathore, managing director, IHS Automotive India, said, “Hero still relies on the Splendor and the Passion for sales, HMSI has a fresh portfolio. Earlier, HMSI had distribution issues, but that gap is narrowing now. Hero used to have a lot of repeat customers, some of whom are now opting for HMSI products because of the Honda brand. Long-term, I do see Honda overtaking Hero as the number one two-wheeler maker in India.”

Rathore’s contention is validated by the fact that even in the 110-125-cc motorcycle segment, HMSI has closed the sales gap with Hero MotoCorp to a mere 3,418 units (April-October 2012), compared to 26,542 units in the same period in the previous year. HMSI’s growth has been led by CB Shine, which saw sales increase by 54 per cent to 358,711 between April and October 2012. Guleria added, “Our growth is being driven by DNA — Demand for our products, Network expansion, and appropriate Advertising and marketing. We started the fiscal with 511 full-fledged dealerships and have added 75 outlets the last in seven months. That is the pace at which we are expanding.”

Despite sales slowing down to a moderate 4.5 per cent in the domestic two-wheeler market, HMSI has managed to clock in a growth rate of 47 per cent between April and September in FY13. The company had sold 1.53 units till October, whereas Hero reported a 1.8 per cent decline to sell 3.41 million units in the same period. To close the gap with the market leader, HMSI has targeted sales of 10 million units by 2020 and could be setting up 7-8 facilities to expand production capacity over the next few years.

Hero MotoCorp has already announced its intention to have $10 billion turnover in the next five years with sales of 10 million units.