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.

The all new Glamour

The all new Glamour now boasts of a new sexy front visor and headlight. Though this is smaller in size than the old one, this looks very fresh making the front quarter of the bike look totally refreshed. The visor resembles the Splendor NXG.

A new muffler cover is added to the exhaust. This is full black in colour and is catchy as well.

The air scoop shrouds are very fresh and the new design seems to cater the purpose of air intake. The amount of effort that the Hero Honda engineers have put in facelifting this bike is pretty obvious just by seeing this. It resembles the air scoop of the Honda CB Twister to a certain extent, but matches very decently with this bike.

There is also a visible change in the graphic pattern which is spread all across the body.  Hero Honda has also added the Analog combo meter console to the all new Glamour. This is pretty similar to the one present in the new Hero Honda Hunk.

The rear half of the bike has undergone no serious changes except the body graphics and the newly added muffler cover. It looks exactly the same from the rear.

The bike is available in 5 hot colour schemes namely Black with Vibrant Orange, Black with Tornado Grey Metallic, Black with Frost Blue Metallic, Black with Sports Red, Candy Blazing Red. Out of these 5 colours, the first one which is Black with Vibrant Orange is really hot. It seems to be a new colour scheme and matches the present trend perfectly. It is really amazing.

SPECIFICATIONS:

ENGINE                            : Air cooled, 4 - Stoke single cylinder OHC   

DISPLACEMENT               : 124.7 CC

MAX. POWER                  : 6.72 KW ( 9 BHP) @ 7000 RPM

MAX. TORQUE                 : 10.35 N-m @ 4000 RPM

BORE X STROKE             : 52.4 X 57.8mm

COMPRESSION RATIO    : 9.1:1

STARTING                       : Self Start / Kick Start

IGNITION                         : AMI - Advanced Microprocessor Ignition System

              TRANSMISSION

CLUTCH                          : Multiplate Wet

GEAR BOX                      : 4 Speed Constant Mesh

              CHASSIS

TYPE                              : Tubular Double Cradle Type

             SUSPENSION

(FRONT)                           : Telescopic Hydraulic Shock Absorber

(REAR)                             : Swing Arm with Hydraulic Shock Absorber

             BRAKES

(FRONT)             DISC        : 240mm Dia ; Pad - Non Asbestos Type

                          DRUM     : Internal expanding shoe type ( 130mm )

                                           Linears - Non Asbestos Type

(REAR)               DRUM     : Internal expanding shoe type ( 130mm )

                                           Linears - Non Asbestos Type

            WHEEL AND TYRES

RIM SIZE           (FRONT)   : 18 X 1.60, Spoke wheel / cast wheel

                         (REAR)    : 18 X 1.60, Spoke wheel / cast wheel

TYRE SIZE         (FRONT)  : 2.75 X 18 - 42 P / 4PR

                         (REAR)    : 3.00 X 18 - 52 P/ 6 PR

            ELECTRICALS

BATTERY                          : 12V - 3Ah, MF Batttery

HEAD LAMP                     : 12V - 35/35W halogen bulb (Multi- reflector type)

TAIL / STOP LAMP            : 12V - 5/21W (Multi- reflector)

TURN SIGNAL LAMP         : 12V - 10W (Amber bulb) X 4nos (MFR - clear lens)

ENGINE OIL GRADE         : SAE 10 W 30 SJ Grade

FUEL TANK CAPACITY     : 13.6 Ltrs(min)

           DIMENSIONS

LENGTH                           : 2005

WIDTH                             : 735

HEIGHT                           :  1070mm

GROUND CLEARANCE    : 150mm

           WEIGHTS

KERB WEIGHT                : 125 kg (kick)  / 129 kg(self)

Sales Performance - TVS Motors

TVS Motors has reported a revenue growth of 25.3 % in the first quarter of the current financial year, with consistent growth across all segments. The company’s revenues grew to Rs.1746.03 crore in the current quarter ended June 2011 from Rs.1392.96 crore in the quarter ended June 2010.

Profit before tax during the quarter under review grew 54.3 % at Rs.77.86  crore compared to Rs. 50.46 crore recorded in the comparable period of the  previous year. Profit after tax in the current quarter grew at 45.7% to Rs.  58.80 crore from Rs. 40.37 crore in the previous comparable quarter.

The company should have felt that it’s time to pass on the benefit to the  investors too. The board in the meeting held today declared a second interim  dividend for the year 2010-11 of 60 paise which is 60% per share. The  aggregate dividend for the year 2010-11 including the first interim dividend  therefore is 110% on a post bonus capital of Rs. 47.51 crore as compared to 120% on a pre-bonus capital of Rs. 23.75 crore in the previous year, 2009-10.

Total two-wheeler sales of the company grew up at 16.3 % in the first quarter of the current fiscal at 5.35 lakh units compared with 4.6 lakh units in the corresponding period of the previous year. Motorcycles sales grew at 10.3% to 2.24 lakh units in the reporting quarter from 2.03 lakh units in the quarter ended June 2010. Scooters, which are TVS Motor’s do0minating segment grew up at 25.3 % totalling 1.19 lakh units in the current quarter from 0.95 lakh units during the corresponding quarter of the previous year which is a very great improvement for the company.

Similarly, two wheeler exports registered 36.4% growth with sales increasing to 0.78 lakh units in the current quarter from 0.57 lakh units in the quarter ended June 2010.

Honda Planning a 500cc Bike for India

The world of premium bikes is not just limited to the known players but every other successful two wheeler manufacturer is looking to venture into the premium segment. India is turning from a land of commuters to a land of premium heavy weigh bikes because the trend for higher capacity bikes is fast catching up fast. Every other bike maker is focusing on the segment of premium bikes so that they can capitalize on the current trend. News has it that Honda is planning a 500cc bike for India. Furthermore the company may also raise their standards and manufacture higher capacity bikes too.

The news came in from the most reliable source, the operations head of Honda, said that they have bikes from 50 to 1800cc however he also said that the bikes with higher displacement were not preferred in India in the past but now the perception has changed and thus the company is planning a 500cc bike for India. He said that the company will launch 500, 1000cc capacity bikes in India soon.

On the contrary, HMSI’s CEO and president Yukihiro Aoshima said that the company is studying the Indian market as regards the higher displacement segment. He said that there are two possibilities open to the company; the first is importing the completely built units and the second is to assemble the parts in India itself. However he made it clear that company may look to import completely built units for 500cc and more capacity bikes. Lastly he said that the company is looking for options for assembling the lower capacity (Less than 500cc capacity bikes) bikes in India itself rather than importing them. All in all, Honda is pretty much in confirmation with their plans to conquer the higher displacement bike segment. We will have to wait and see if Honda makes it big.

SALES PERFORMANCE - Hero Honda

SALES PERFORMANCE

STRONG UNDERLYING RETAIL GROWTH CONTINUES

• STRONG UNDERLYING RETAIL GROWTH CONTINUES • BEGINS FISCAL ’11 WITH 2 NEW LAUNCHES – REFRESHED LAMOUR & GLAMOUR FI • CROSSES THE MILESTONE OF 1 LAKH VILLAGES ON COVERAGE UNDER THE RURAL INITIATIVE

Hero Honda Motors Ltd (HHML), the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, continues to post monthly sales of over 3 lakh units. This is the 16th consecutive month that the company has reported three-lakh-plus sales.The company today started the first quarter (April-June) of Financial Year (FY) 2010-11, with sales of 3,71,652 units in the month of April, 2010. Hero Honda had sold 3,70,575  two-wheelers in April last year. Mr. Anil Dua, Sr. Vice-President (Marketing and Sales), Hero Honda Motors Ltd said, ““We have been witnessing a steadily growing demand for our products, and have been ramping up our production levels accordingly. However, as we have already informed, due to certain IR issues at our suppliers' end, we have faced an acute shortage of batteries for over two weeks in the month of April. As a result of this, our despatches have been adversely impacted and currently over 50,000 fully finished motorcycles are stranded at our plants for want of batteries. I am happy to inform that these issues have now been resolved and we have been assured of supply returning to normal within a week’s time." Hero Honda’s retail sales continue on its robust growth trajectory. To further keep up this momentum, the company has introduced two models in April – the refreshed Glamour and Glamour FI. Both these models have been contributing significant volumes to the company’s strong share in the deluxe segment, and the launch of the refreshes are set to further build on this leadership. Hero Honda also recently crossed yet another significant milestone by covering 100,000 villages under its path-breaking rural initiative – “Har Gaaon Har Angan”.The umbrella platform for all rural initiatives which was launched in late 2007, has been instrumental in the steadily growing share of Hero Honda in the rural and upcountry markets, taking the contribution of sales from these markets to 42 per cent of the company’s total sales. Hero Honda crossed several new milestones in the recently concluded fiscal (2009-10). The company posted a stellar top line performance with the total cumulative sales volume of more than 4.6 million units. Hero Honda also crossed the landmark million units in sales in each quarter of fiscal ’10, capping it off with the highest-ever quarter sales of 11, 86,536 units in the fourth quarter. The company also reported an excellent bottomline with its highest-ever annual revenues, net profit and earnings per share.

HERO HONDA SCALES NEW HEIGHTS WITH HIGHEST-EVER MONTHLY SALES OF 4.35 LAKH TWO-WHEELERS GROWS BY 14% WITH SALES OF 4,35,933 UNITS IN MAY’10 HERO HONDA REPORTS OVER 4 LAKH UNIT SALES IN JUNE & A RECORD QUARTER HERO HONDA KEEPS CONSOLIDATING ITS LEADERSHIP HERO HONDA REPORTS 4TH CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF FOUR LAKH-PLUS SALES HERO HONDA REPORTS ITS HIGHEST-EVER QUARTERLY SALES OF 1.28 MILLION UNITS HERO HONDA REPORTS HIGHEST-EVER SALES IN A MONTH WITH RECORD 5-LAKH PLUS UNIT DESPATCHES IN OCTOBER’10 HERO HONDA REPORTS SALES OF 421,366 UNITS IN NOVEMBER’ 10 HERO HONDA RECORDS 5 LAKH UNIT SALES IN DECEMBER CROSSING THE 5 MILLION MARK FOR THE CALENDER YEAR 2010 HERO HONDA BEGINS THE NEW YEAR WITH A RECORD JANUARY SALES OF 4.67 LAKH UNITS HERO HONDA SET TO ZOOM PAST RECORD 5 MILLION UNIT SALES IN FY ‘10-11