Yamaha’s Sales Performance For August 2011

New Delhi, August 01, 2011: On a consistently successful path, India Yamaha Motor again continued to show an upward trend in the sales growth, registering 28.5 % growth in its overall sales that stood at 38,197 units in July 2011 vs. 29,728 units in July 2010. In the domestic market, the company sold 29,021 units in July 2011 vs. 22,899 units sold last year. The export figures stood at 9,176 units in July 2011 while 6,829 motorcycles were exported in July 2010.

Speaking on the results, Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & MD, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., said, "We are pleased with the consistent sales growth that we’ve been witnessing month-on-month this year. The new variants of the FZ Series and the SZ Series have largely contributed to the highest-ever monthly sales we have achieved in domestic market this year. We are engaging in targeted marketing activities and expanding our dealer network to tier 2 and tier 3 cities to further strenghten our market share in the 150cc+ segment. We are also very upbeat about the upcoming festive season which will further propel our sales."

Yamaha continues to reinforce its relationship with the customers and has launched the 'YES!YAMAHA' campaign that endeavors to provide the Best 3S Experience so that the customer always appreciates Yamaha and accepts the brand like the word "YES". The company is making steadfast efforts by conducting consumer-centric marketing initiatives such as Yamaha R15 One Make Race, Yamaha Safe Riding Science (YSRS) for college students & kids, Yamaha Service Camps to name a few.

SOURCE : YAMAHA

Hero Motor Corp new logo UNLEASHED

Hero MotoCorp’s new logo and tagline  was unveiled at the O2 Arena in London.The new logo for Hero Motocorp has the word Hero with a capital H, and rest of the letters in lowercase.  The brand identity adorns red and black colours over a white background. The logo also comprises of a triangle, a parallelogram and a trapezoid as its part which together form the ‘H’ representing Hero in 3D.Starting its life fresh without its Japanese partner Honda on starry night with the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma making their presence felt.

The earlier tagline of Hero Honda was ‘Dhak Dhak Go’ and with the name  change to Hero MotoCorp, the new one is now ‘Hum Main Hai Hero’ which  just means ‘There is a Hero in Every one of us’. There is also a theme song or  a music, which is composed by A.R.Rehman. The company has really shed  out a lot of money to prove itself as a separate company following Honda’s  exit.

Hero MotoCorp also announced two new products, the Hero MotoCorp Impulse, which is a dual purpose motorcycle and the Maestro, which is an ungeared scooter, for the Indian market, scheduled to launch later this year. Irfan and Ranbir have been roped in as brand ambassadors for these two products. Keep watching this space for updates on them. I’ll come up with a separate article on these two models.

The Hero MotoCorp Maestro scooter will feature a 109cc four stroke engine, which most probably is the same unit that powers the Honda Activa and the Honda Aviator given that it produces 8 Bhp of peak power and 9 Nm of peak torque. The Hero MotoCorp Impulse Dual Purpose motorcycle’s four stroke engine displaces 150cc, leading us to strongly suspect that it is nothing but a rebadged Honda NXR150 BROS which Honda sells in the Brazilian market.
The new brand, according to Mr Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and CEO,  Hero MotoCorp, epitomises and symbolizes continuity and change.  According to Business Line, ‘The new logo stands for the new face of India –    that youthful energy and ‘can do’ spirit’. “It is in true sense the Indian catapult, which signals that while it is deeply rooted in Indian values, it is also poised to go for global expansion – a Leap of faith,” he said.


Also see -Hero Honda name changed

2011 Honda CBR250R

From the makers of VFR1200F here is the new baby. Honda CBR250R is a 250 cc bike from Honda to challenge world’s best 250cc bike Kawasaki Ninja 250R. Though it shares styling cues with the pricier and massively powerfull Honda VRF1200F, the CBR250R's underpinnings are far kinder and gentler.It's designed to have instant low mid end grunt, so you just pull back and you're shot off. The power eases around 8500RPM so you don't get the high end power kick you do in most of the bikes.
Honda CBR250R is available in two different variants- CBR250R and CBR250R without ABS. Honda CBR250R is the first bike in India which offers Anti-lock Brake System for more safety.As expected, Honda has priced the CBR250R just right. We would go so far to say that this is the first Indian bike that Honda have priced correctly and not at a premium. The on road price of this bike is Rs 1.43 lakhs whereas the much talked about version with ABS is 1.68 lakhs.

Engine of Honda CBR250R
- 249cc Liquid Cooled Single Cylinder
- 25 Bhp of Maximum power at 8500 rpm
- 23 Nm of Maximum Torque at 7000 rpm
- Economical and Eco-friendly

The new Honda CBR250R is equipped with 249.4 cc, 4 storke, DOHC, 4valve water cooled engine. With the Bore x stroke size of 76 X 55 mm, CBR250R is able to produce massive power of 26.4 bhp (18.7KW) which peaks @8500 rpm (Electronically controlled) which makes the power to weight ratio at 163bhp/tonne.  You don’t need to engine rev hard as the maximum torque of 22.9Nm produced @7000 rpm.  As most of the power available at lower rev the bike will fire at traffic points.The CBR250R engine was developed by aiming at a global single-cylinder engine that transcends regions, while being sporty and eco-friendly at the same time, with a look ahead at the next generation.
The engine mass is kept as low as possible by elimination of unnecessary parts and keeping the moving parts like rod and piston light weight. The friction between engine parts also reduced to significant level . The Iridium spark plug to squeeze out maximum from every drop of fuel. You don’t need to worry about overheating of engine as liquid cooling system ensures the engine temperature at recommended level.

Driving Comfort of Honda CBR250R
- Better than Kawasaki Ninja 250R and Yamaha R15
- Highly flexible riding position and riding space
- Split seat improves the comfort of the pillion rider
The new CBR250R got hydraulic 37mm fork as a front suspension which offers travel of 130mm the rear got Pro-Link Monoshock suspension which offer 104mm travel. Thanks to the combination of the front and rear suspension, the CBR250R is able to deliver excellent ride quality with or without pillion.Honda CBR250R is also very comfortable to driver in comparison to its main rivals: Yamaha R15 and Kawasaki Ninja 250R. To enable a rider to experience the exhilarating feeling of riding into a pleasant wind, which only a sport bike can provide, an abundance of convenience is provided by creating a highly flexible riding position and riding space. At the same time, the design capitalizes on the slim and compact single-cylinder engine to minimize the front projection. In addition, a separated seat that enables the rider to enjoy a wide variety of situations from touring to sports riding and easy-to-grasp separate left/right rear grips that provide the passenger a sense of comfort come as standard equipment.

Design and Styling of Honda CBR250R
- Looks best in its class
- Carries many design cues of VFR1200F
- Available in three shades
- Saree guard added specially for Indian market
The new CBR250R features a new full fairing and reinforces its sporty design with sophisticated and dynamic lines. In addition to its sporty look, the fairing proves comfortable for the driver side and weather disturbances. The new CBR250r got 55/60 watt light for its monoblock integrated headlight which makes the visibility better during night journeys. The front cowl and headlight is largely derived from the VFR1200F. The muscular tank and sharp rear tail look like derived from its larger sibling CBR1000RR. The concept of mass centralization is widely used while designing the bike.The middle cowl expresses a simple yet beautiful surface design and brings an aerodynamic feel, while taking on a high-efficiency air management function that aims to achieve both high cooling performance and low Cd value. The under cowl structure leads the wind from riding directly to the engine and the catalyzer in order to boost cooling performance. Its design makes it look integrated with the engine and muffler to highlight the functional beauty of the lower portion of the vehicle body.
A special silencer with an irregular pentagonal section was chosen for the muffler design in order to reflect the cutting-edge design of Honda motorcycles. The banking angle and the comfort surrounding the rider's feet together with engine and muffling performance are all reconciled at a high level. Made of stainless steel and coated in black, the muffler adds a protector coated in matte silver as one more feature to accentuate the side view. Honda India has also added saree guard for the comfort of female pillion riders.

Specifications

Name:	CBR250R
Type:	Sports
Fuel Consumption: City	25.00
Fuel Consumption: Highway	35.00

DIMENSIONS:

Length: 2030mm
Width: 709mm
Height: 1127mm
Wheelbase: 1369mm
Seat Height: 784mm
Ground Clearance: 148mm
Rake: 25°
Trail: 95 mm

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAFETY
Suspension(Front):	Telescopic Fork
Suspension(Rear):	Pro Link
Brakes:	296mm Disc
Brakes(Rear):	220mm Disc

ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
Displacement:	249.6cc
Engine:	Four-stroke, Single Cylinder
Maximum Power:	25 Bhp @ 8500 rpm
Maximum Torque:	23 Nm @ 7000 rpm
Gears:	6 Manual
Clutch:	Wet, Multiplate Disc
Bore:	76
Stroke:	55
No. of Cylinders:	1
Cylinder Configuration:	NA
Valve Per Cylinder:	4
Engine Block Material:	0
Chassis Type:	Twin Spar Type
Cooling Type:	Liquid Cooling
Carburetor:	NA
Motor Power:	0
Motor Range:	0
Paddling Arrangement:	0

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE
Fuel Guage:	Digital
Self Start:
Tacho Meter:	Analogue
Trip Meter:	Digital-2
Alloys:
Warranty:	NA
Speedometer:	Digital
Passenger Footrest:
Passenger Backrest:
Step-up Seat:
Pass-light:
Low Fuel Indicator:
Low Oil Indicator:
Low Battery Indicator:
High Oil Temp. Indicator:
Choked Air Filter Indicator:

Weighty Indians stump e-bikes, sales down

Pune:  Electric bikes or e-bikes are environment-friendly but in India they are yet to prove themselves user-friendly; and this despite the fact that there is a huge market for these two-wheelers.

Most of the e-bikes sold in India are manufactured using Chinese technology and their main drawback in Indian 'conditions' is their poor pick-up. Experts say e-bikes made with Chinese technology do not support the weight of Indian users who are usually heavier than their Chinese counterparts.

When India is looking for options to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and promote energy-efficient means of transport, poor acceptability of e-bikes is a matter of concern. An expert in the field says that the Chinese technology being used in India for making e-bikes is not fit for Indian conditions. The biggest issue is that of pick-up and mileage.

Jaysukh Patel, director of Oreva E-bikes, said, "The average Indian commuter is much heavier than the average Chinese user. This makes the e-bikes less user-friendly here in India as compared to China."

Besides, the typical Indian habit of travelling 'two on a bike' also prevents the vehicles in acquiring the desired pick-up and speed. To add to the problem, there are very few places on Indian roads where the batteries of the two-wheelers can be recharged.

In China, e-bike is very popular with commuters and more than 20 million units are sold in that country every year. The climatic conditions, the average weight of the riders and adequate utility facilities available in China support the use of e-bikes. But in India, e-bikes constitute just 1 % of the two-wheeler market. "In the Indian two-wheeler market, 9 million vehicles are added every year but the share of e-bikes is merely 1% of this,'' said Naveen Munjal, MD, Hero Electric.

According to him, India has a long way to go when it comes to mass adoption of e-bikes as compared to China. Munjal says government support is needed in the form subsidies to buyers or exemption from duties, to push the sale of e-bikes in India.

In India, those who currently use e-bikes are mostly students, youths or people belonging to the lower and middle income groups. The industry wants to take it further to other classes of society, including corporate and business people, but for that it needs government support. 
There is also a need for local companies to engage in research to develop a technology that is suitable to Indian conditions. 

Poor pick-up, low demand  

• Weight of the indian riders does not help in getting the desired pick-up, so many do not prefer e-bikes
• There are also not enough charging points on Indian roads, so commuters fear re-charging problem in case of long rides
• E-bikes constitute just 1% of the two-wheeler market in India, where as 20 million e-bikes are sold in China every year
• Industry experts seek govt subsidy for buyers, feel local technology should be developed

Source:  NDTV

Yamaha continues to ride high on sales in July

New Delhi, August 01, 2011: On a consistently successful path, India Yamaha Motor again continued to show an upward trend in the sales growth, registering 28.5 % growth in its overall sales that stood at 38,197 units in July 2011 vs. 29,728 units in July 2010. In the domestic market, the company sold 29,021 units in July 2011 vs. 22,899 units sold last year. The export figures stood at 9,176 units in July 2011 while 6,829 motorcycles were exported in July 2010.

Speaking on the results, Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & MD, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., said, "We are pleased with the consistent sales growth that we’ve been witnessing month-on-month this year. The new variants of the FZ Series and the SZ Series have largely contributed to the highest-ever monthly sales we have achieved in domestic market this year. We are engaging in targeted marketing activities and expanding our dealer network to tier 2 and tier 3 cities to further strenghten our market share in the 150cc+ segment. We are also very upbeat about the upcoming festive season which will further propel our sales."

Yamaha continues to reinforce its relationship with the customers and has launched the 'YES!YAMAHA' campaign that endeavors to provide the Best 3S Experience so that the customer always appreciates Yamaha and accepts the brand like the word "YES". The company is making steadfast efforts by conducting consumer-centric marketing initiatives such as Yamaha R15 One Make Race, Yamaha Safe Riding Science (YSRS) for college students & kids, Yamaha Service Camps to name a few.

Bajaj-KTM to launch 200 cc 'Duke' bike in India next year

Austrian sports bike maker KTM recently said that  they will launch their first motorcycle, jointly developed with Bajaj Auto Ltd, in India at the Auto Expo to be held in the capital early next year.

The company, in which Bajaj Auto holds around 40 per cent stake, had already launched its first co-developed bike in Europe in March this year.

"During the Delhi Auto Expo next year, we will launch the first 200-cc Duke bike in India," Cross Industries AG CEO and also the CEO of KTM Sportmotorcycle AG,  Stefan Pierer, said. The bike will be produced at the Pune facility of Bajaj Auto, he added.

When asked about the company's sales target in India, Pierer said: "We expect to sell 25,000 to 30,000 units in India in the first year of launch. After one year, we will launch the 350-cc Duke in India."

KTM had launched the 125-cc 'Duke', developed jointly with Bajaj Auto, in Europe in March this year. "We have already sold nearly 7,000 units in Europe. We are targeting to sell around 10,000 units in Europe this year," he said.

The two partners are looking to expand the markets for their bikes. "All the bikes that we produce in India will be global models. Now we are looking to export KTM bikes from Bajaj  facility to other emerging markets like Thailand, Malaysia, and Brazil," Pierer said. 

Overall, KTM aims to sell 82,000 units this year, up from 62,000 units in 2010, he said, adding that by 2015, it was  targeting sale of 2 lakh units.

In 2007, Bajaj picked up a 14.9 per cent stake in KTM for around Rs. 300 crore. A year later, it increased its stake in the European bike-maker to 25 per cent and has been increasing it gradually.

Both companies also signed an agreement for jointly developing 125-cc bikes, which will be built at Bajaj's Chakan plant near Pune for exports to the European market under the KTM brand.

They had earlier planned to launch their bikes in  India in the latter half of this year.

Asked if Cross Industries, the holding company of KTM, would allow its partner, Bajaj, to hike its stake, Pierer  said: "Bajaj currently holds around 40 per cent stake and we have an arrangement with them under which they can go up to acquiring 49 per cent stake in KTM. They can acquire the stake only through open market and we are helping them to gain  more stake in KTM." He, however, said: "We will not dilute the promoters' holding of 51 per cent in KTM."

SOURCE: NDTV

Denied a bike by his father, 17-yr-old makes one himself

Rajkot: 

 His father refused to get him a bike as he was too young to ride. This prompted Yash Gehi (17), a class XI student to make one himself, modelled on an American chopper.

The headlight and engine is from a Luna, the front wheel is from a cycle and the rear wheel belonged to a Bajaj M80. The petrol tank is from a Yamaha RX100.

Yash said, "I collected the materials from two-wheeler models that are no longer in production and made this bike after a month's hard work. I was inspired after seeing a bike called American Chopper on the Internet."

Gehi spent Rs. 9,000 to purchase the used materials. After the bike was ready, Gehi first rode it around his farmhouse in Gir. Then, satisfied with its performance, he took it out on the streets of Rajkot.

"I made this bike to ride it, not to sell it. Its mileage is 40 km per litre. I can make a similar bike if someone places an order for it. I can also guide other underage enthusiasts who are interested in making a similar bike."

Kishore Gehi, Yash's father, said, "I denied him a bike for his safety, but I had little idea that he would take it up as a challenge and make one himself."

Gehi's bike, named Indian Chopper, has a 49-cc engine. 

It has two start-modes kick start and pedal start. The gap between the tyres is 1.5 metres and the bike can touch a maximum speed of 60 kilometers per hour.

Gehi can ride his bike because a licence is not required for motorised vehicles with engines below 50cc.

SOURCE : NDTV

Hero Honda changes name, becomes Hero MotoCorp

The country's largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda Motors on Friday said it has changed its name to Hero MotoCorp following the exit of its erstwhile Japanese promoter, Honda, from the company.

The company is also in the process of introducing a new global brand identity in London next month.

"Hero Honda Motors Ltd (HHML) was today formally renamed as Hero MotoCorp Ltd. In the run-up to the unveiling of its new global brand identity, the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer received the necessary statutory approval from the Registrar of Companies (RoC) today for the changeover to the new name," the company said in a statement.

Earlier last month, the shareholders of the company had approved the changing of the name.

"It is not just a change of name, it marks the ushering in of a new era that will unlock the immense potential of this company to build its own capabilities to grow beyond boundaries and set new benchmarks," Hero MotoCorp Chairman Brijmohan Lall said.

Commenting on the development, Hero MotoCorp Managing Director and CEO Pawan Munjal said: "It marks the beginning of a new era of innovations -- be it in the field of technology and product development or customer satisfaction and expanding our footprint across global markets."

Earlier, in March this year, the company had hired global brand and innovation specialist Wolff Olins to create its new brand identity. A part of the Omnicom group, Wolff Olins was mandated to work on the new brand identity in its totality, including the brand architecture, name, logo and positioning.

Later on, in May, the two-wheeler major roped in Law & Kenneth (L&K) as a creative partner to launch and establish the new brand of the company. The independent brand communications firm was mandated to devise the new brand positioning of the company.

It embarked on the journey to acquire a new brand name after the two joint venture partners of HHML -- Hero Group of India and Honda Motor Co -- decided to part ways in December last year. The Hero Group had agreed to buy out Honda's 26 per cent stake in HHML for Rs. 3,841.83 crore.

As per an agreement signed between the two erstwhile partners, Hero can use the Honda brand till 2014, but the Indian group wants to acquire a new identify of its own at the earliest in order to maintain its leadership position.

Hero Group and Honda had signed a new licencing agreement in March under which the Indian firm will pay Honda 45 billion yen (about Rs. 2,450 crore) till 2014.

Source:
http://profit.ndtv.com/news/show/hero-honda-changes-name-becomes-hero-motocorp-166382

Bike maintenance tips for monsoon

Keeping your bike tuned in rains is one of the preferred ways through which you can have less maintenance issues with the bike.During monsoon your bike needs as much care as you take of yourself. Heavy rains can spoil the engine within seconds. Tires should be in good condition which can grip the bike on wet surface. Always keep the bike protected with appropriate size rain cover. You also need to ride the bike with extreme care and precaution when it’s raining heavily. Headlight and brake lights must be working so that you are visible to others. Servicing plays an important role in keeping the bike safe and ready for any type of climatic change. 
Scheduled Checks:
Routine servicing and check-ups of the bike should be done before riding in the monsoon. Life can become very difficult in case your bike stalls in heavy rains. As far as the engine is concerned, there isn’t much you need to check if you have had your timely scheduled servicing.

Tyres:
Keeping your tyres in shape is very important during monsoons. If the rubber is worn off, make sure to replace the tyres before you ride in the rains. The treads of the tyres do the job of dispersing standing water and in the process provide grip. The treads need to be deep not just in the centre portion of the tyre, but also on the sides. To test the depth of the grooves, you can insert a one-rupee coin into the grooves. A minimum of 2-3mm of tread depth is necessary for the tyres to provide a fair amount of grip on wet roads. Anything below that, and it might warrant changing the tyres. Tyre pressure can also make a huge difference in the grip you get. Ideally you should set your tyre pressure a couple of psi below the levels required in the dry. Check for tyre pressure regularly to ensure it is at optimal levels. 

Brakes: 
The brakes of the bike should be top notch. Since you cannot brake hard or suddenly on wet roads it is all the more important to have your brakes in good condition. For this reason, running your bike on old worn out pads or liners, or a brake that is not very effective can lead to disaster. Make sure to get your liners, discs and the inside of your drum brakes cleaned before monsoon starts. Also verify if the level of the brake oil is as per requirement.

Parking methods
Even when you halt for a break, as far as possible make sure you park the bike under a shed. Avoid parking your bike under the shade of a tree as there is always a risk of a branch falling on your bike. When not on a ride keep your bike covered at all times to protect it from the rain. In fact you should even clean your bike and remove the muck off the engine once you back from the ride, as dry muck can be a huge hindrance for the cooling process of the engine. The rains tend to bring a lot of pebbles and gravel on to the road surface, which are kicked up by the tyres. So it becomes necessary to check the oil chamber and engine casing for damage after the ride.