With competitive pricing, Bajaj Auto hopes to Discover a larger market

Bajaj Auto today launched a new 125 cc bike Discover. The company said that this will play a crucial role in increasing its market share in motorcycles from 22 per cent now.

The 125 cc bike addresses the large market of 100 cc to 125 cc segment, which accounts for about 85 per cent of the domestic motorcycle market.


It is seen to help garner big volumes as it is priced attractively at ₹49,075, ex-showroom in Hyderabad.


This bike is about 4,000 lower than similar bikes offered by other manufacturers such as Glamour and Passion , making it an attractive proposition, said K Srinivas, President, Motorcycle Business.


Srinivas said: “AP accounts for about 17 per cent of total 125 cc bikes sold in the country. Therefore, we decided to launch the bike here.”

The new bike comes with a 125 cc 4-valve twin-spark DTSi engine offering 11.5 Ps power and a mileage of 76 km per litre making it an attractive proposition for new bike buyers, he said.


“Bajaj Auto has a market share of about 22 per cent of the country’s market of about 8.3 lakh motorcycles per month. However, in the sporty bike segment, we have a market share of about 45 per cent,” he explained.


Market remains subdued : The company has overall manufacturing capacity of 4.8 million a year and the current capacity utilisation is at about 85 per cent, he said.


Referring to the country’s market of motorcycles, he said the SIAM data shows that the market continues to be subdued. On the Government’s recent move to bring down excise duty, he said though the manufacturers have passed on the benefit to the customers immediately after it was announced late last month, its impact has not yet been felt so far.

“While the move is good for the automotive sector, we expect volumes to pick up in the next couple of months.

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Bajaj to launch four-wheel vehicle but it's not a car

It's got four wheels and seatbelts, but Bajaj Auto, the creator of India's first quadricycle, would rather you didn't call it a car. Bajaj Auto is marketing the RE60 as a more stable and comfortable alternative to the three-wheeled autorickshaws ubiquitous on India's roads even though it looks like a small hatchback car and is expected to cost less.

Weight, top speed and other specifications, including safety standards, mean the RE60 will not be classified as a car. But that didn't stop executives from top automakers such as Tata Motors from comparing it to a car and finding its safety features come up short.

Rajiv Bajaj, the company's managing director, insists the RE60 is neither a car nor an autorickshaw. The government is even creating a new classification category for the vehicle, which is expected to be launched within months.


"In every market that a three-wheeler is available the quadricycle should be relevant," Bajaj told Reuters in a phone interview.

"Because at the end of the day it provides a very logical upgrade from a three-wheeler for people who want to pay a little more and want to have the comfort and safety of four wheels, four doors, a roof and seatbelts," he said.

In India, autorickshaws typically have no doors and a soft roof. The vehicles are usually turned into taxis and known in many countries as tuk-tuks.

The RE60 is part of a long-term expansion strategy by Bajaj to boost sales growth at home and abroad.


The company is the world's largest autorickshaw maker and India's second largest motorcycle maker, and sales of both these vehicles have decelerated over the last two years, hit by falling demand in a slowing economy.

Bajaj's three-wheeler sales fell 6 percent in the 2012/13 financial year compared to a 17 percent increase in the previous year and a 28 percent rise in 2010/11.

Motorcycle sales also showed a similar trend: they fell 2 percent in 2012/13 compared to a 13.2 percent gain in 2011/12 and a 35 percent increase a year earlier.

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Bajaj Pulsar 150NS and 180NS first spy shots: 2014 Delhi Auto Expo

Bajaj Auto, India’s leading two wheeler manufacturer in the 150+ cc segment, has already confirmed the launch of new motorcycles under the Pulsar range. Recently, we spotted two new Pulsar variants, which looked like NS versions of Pulsar 150 and Pulsar 180.

Bajaj Auto Limited, is suffering a slight slowdown in the 150-200 cc motorcycle category and is keen to augment its position as No 1 with a slew of new product launches. At the Delhi Auto Expo, they are expected to show their new range of Pulsar motorcycles.

This will include the launch of all new 200 SS Pulsar. It is a fully faired version of Pulsar 200 NS, with slight improvements in the engine output and riding dynamics. You can have a look at the spy shots of the same in our previous post. Apart from this, there will also be new Pulsar 150 and 180 variants, in the NS format. We managed to click the new Pulsar 150 NS and 180 NS while they were being tested on NH4 near Mahabaleshwar.

The images you see below, are the first clear shots of the Pulsar 150NS and 180NS. Looking at the spy pictures here, you will see that all motorcycles look the same at first glance. A closer look and you will realize that they are a little different.


For instance, the rear mud guard is different, so is the design of rear seats. We guess the Pulsar 180 NS will feature split seats, while the 150 NS will come without split seats. Major update seen is the much needed monoshock suspension at the rear. The tank is different as compared to the current 150/180, and is more like the existing 200 NS Pulsar. The usual silencer is also missing, and is replaced by an under-body one, just like one’s in Duke 200, 390, and Pulsar 200 NS.

On the engine front, both the 150 NS and 180 NS featured the same DTS-i engine as seen on the existing variants. But performance seems to be tweaked for better top speed and acceleration. We were also able to listen to it’s sound, and the new Pulsar 150NS and 180NS sounded more like the 200NS, thanks to the new silencer.


Price of the new bikes should be similar to the existing 150 and 180, in the Rs 70-75k, while launch should take place at the Delhi Auto Expo next month.   

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Bajaj dares autos with RE60

New Delhi, May 26: Bajaj Auto will start production of its four-wheeled commercial vehicle RE60 — considered as a rival to autos — after the government notifies the specs and configuration of quadricycles, which is likely to come in 10 days.

Last week, the government allowed quadricycles within city limits as public transport. The quadricycle is a four-wheeled vehicle with a metal body and doors. It looks like a small car but is lighter than the Nano and has lower engine capacity and lower top speed.

“The RE60 will soon be joined by other such vehicles. We should expect more similar light, small and low speed commercial vehicles, which are safe to use in the days to come. As an anti-car company we are just delighted,” said Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj after the Centre’s announcement last week. The vehicle is likely to be priced around Rs 1.5 lakh.


Bajaj has been campaigning for the approval of this vehicle platform, which is set to be a safer option than the three-wheeled auto-rickshaw.

According to sources, quadricycles will be classified as commercial vehicles with a maximum weight of 450 kilogram and a top speed of about 70 kilometres per hour. The vehicle will only be allowed to ply on city roads and not on highways.


The RE60 has been developed in-house and is touted to set a global benchmark in CO2 emissions and deliver a high mileage of 35 kmpl. The company plans to roll out 5,000 units per month of the much-delayed vehicle from its Aurangabad plant.


It has light weight and a robust monocoque metal-polymer hybrid structure. The water-cooled DTSi four valve 200cc engine possesses a closed loop fuel injection system for a high performance and fuel efficiency.


“The RE60 seems to be a functional vehicle and is definitely better than an auto-rickshaw. We have to see its commercial viability though and pricing will play an important role in deciding its fate. Pricing will also depend on how much government support it manages to garner,” said auto expert Murad Ali Baig.


According to Baig, other companies are likely to come out with quadricycles only after seeing the performance of Bajaj’s new entrant.


“TVS originally brought in the concept of a quadricycle but never worked on it. The company can easily bring out one, but it will see how the people react to the RE60,” he said.

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Chamber urges Mamata to woo Bajaj quadricycle project

Mamata Banerjee has the opportunity to redeem what many believe is a historic blunder: driving the Tata Motors Nano project away from West Bengal. Though the anti-Tata demonstration paved the way for Trinamool Congress' equally historic and emphatic victory over the Left in the 2011 assembly elections, a business chamber has written to Mamata, urging her to invite Rajiv Bajaj to set up the quadricycle plant in the state.

The move follows the ministry of road and highways' green signal to the 200-cc vehicle with hard body, four doors and four wheels that Bajaj Auto had showcased in January 2012 at the Auto Expo in Delhi.


"This is the next-gen auto which is no doubt going to replace the three-wheelers in India in course of time. Quadricycles are bound to emerge as the future vehicle for urban people. We feel that if Bajaj Auto, the pioneer manufacturer of this new vehicle, is invited to set up a large-scale quadricycle factory in West Bengal, huge employment opportunities will open up and hundreds of ancillary units will emerge to provide the required parts and components," chamber president Deepak Jalan stated on Friday.
If Nano was the most inexpensive car to roll off an auto plant, the quadricycle cannot aim for the cheapest tag in motorised public transport as its older cousin; the three wheeler Bajaj autorickshaw already owns it.

Though the auto industry fraternity is not as excited about the quadricycle as it was about Nano, many believe the former has the potential to revolutionize Indian roads. "It will make commuting so much safer than it has been travelling in the door-less auto," an auto expert said.

Incidentally, a similar concern had led Ratan Tata to ask the Tata Motors team to design the Nano, an affordable Nano car that would allow Indian families to travel safe. The conscience call had come after he saw a couple with two children perched precariously on a scooter. Ironically, that scooter could have been a Bajaj.

Though the outspoken Rahul Bajaj had publicly thrown his weight behind Tata after the Nano exit, terming it a bad chapter that needed to be forgotten after having taken lessons, his son may not mind mending the fence with Mamata. After all, he has had differences with his father over exiting the scooter business.

"We request you to consider sending an urgent proposal to Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj to set up a factory in West Bengal for manufacturing RE-60 quadricycles as soon as possible. The factory may come up on a PPP model or as a private entity and necessary land and other infrastructure facilities may be offered for fast-track implementation. We believe that assurance of quick statutory clearances will elicit a positive response from Bajaj Auto," Jalan stated in the letter.

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Bajaj sales highest in Gujarat alone in Western Region, Discover achieves 14 Lakh sales

AHMEDABAD: Bajaj Auto Ltd. sold 14 lakh plus Discover motorcycles in India's Western Region. Gujarat was one of the largest contributors in its growth in Western Region.

The accomplishment, according to the company's press statement, has been set in a very short span is backed by the growth of Discover 100, Discover 125, Discover 125 ST and the newly launched Discover 100T. Out of the 14,12,647 Discover units sold in the Western Region between July 2009 and March 2013, 3,71,793 units have been sold in Gujarat alone. The Western Region consists of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

Accroding to Vimal Sumbly, ( General Manager) Sales, Bajaj Auto Ltd. said, "This is a very important milestone for the Discover brand reiterating its success in the Indian market. Discover's high sales volumes, is not an outcome of compromising on value, as the brand continues to maintain its price-premium vis-a-vis competition.."

Mr. Sumbly further elaborated "The recent launch of the Discover 100T, setting new benchmarks of power, style and features, has further given momentum to the brand."


With the launch of the all new Discover T and ST range, Bajaj Auto introduced a breed of two-wheeler that offers superior mileage without compromising on design and features. Discover is one of the largest selling brands in the Indian motorcycle market.

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Bajaj to be first Indian auto firm to make bikes for US roads

Come early 2014, Bajaj Auto would become the first Indian automobile company whose India-made motorcycle would burn rubber in the US.

The Indian motorcycle maker would manufacture street bikes for its Austrian partner, KTM AG, which has so far been selling only off-road bikes in the US. The stylish, high-performance and race-oriented bike model, KTM Duke 390, would be produced at Bajaj’s Chakan plant, near Pune.

In an interview with Business Standard, KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG CEO Stefan Pierer says: “It is a strategic decision with Bajaj to go for sporty, stylish motorcycles, even for the saturated markets, because cars have become too expensive. We are entering the US street-bike segment for the first time and, beginning next year, the Duke 390, built in India, would be sold in the US market.”


The US is the world’s biggest market for high-end super bikes (above 990cc). However, the ongoing financial crises have forced consumers to scale down to more affordable, efficient and easy-on-pocket products.

The Duke 390, to be launched in Europe by the middle of this year, followed by India, before the US, has been developed under a joint programme of Bajaj and KTM engineers. Its concept was developed in Austria, while everything else, including design and final product development, was done in India by Bajaj.


Before this, Bajaj Auto, which owns stake in KTM, successfully launched two models — Duke 200 and Duke 125 — which were built and sold in India and exported to Europe and other markets.

Pierer adds: “These small-displacement street bikes are ideal for urban commuting, especially in saturated markets like the US and Europe.”


“What we are talking about are powerful (40-44 bhp) but affordable bikes; at 138 kg, these are powerful and agile. With a target price of ^5,000, including VAT, we think it could be a big success,” he adds.

Riding high on India-made smaller bikes, KTM dethroned German giant BMW last year to become Europe’s largest bike maker, with sales of 107,000 units, as against BMW’s 106,000.

The plan forward is to rapidly ramp up production from India and simultaneously hunt for newer markets in the Asean region and Latin America.

In some Asian markets, Bajaj has a strong network of its own, while in others it taps into resources of its other partner Kawasaki. Similarly, the Pune-based bike manufacturer, India’s second-biggest, has a strong infrastructure in Latin America, too.

Pierer sees a multi-fold increase in production from Chakan in the next five years — to at least 100,000 units a year from 17,000 as of last year. This would be half the total expected output for KTM globally by that time.

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Bajaj Auto launches new Discover 100T at Rs 50,500

India's second largest motorcycle manufacturer, Bajaj AutoBSE 0.29 % on Monday launched a new 100 cc mass market motorcycle Discover 100 T at the upper end of the mass market segment priced at Rs 50,500 ex-showroom New Delhi.

The Discover 100 Tourer will take on likes the Hero MotoCorp's Passion and Honda Motorcycle's Dream Yuga, which will help Bajaj Auto increase its presence in the mass market space, where it currently enjoys 20 per cent market share.


Powered by Bajaj Auto's patented 4-valve DTS-i technology, the Discover 100 T delivers 10.2 ps of power and is 30 per cent more powerful than other motorcycles in the category and the company claims this bike delivers a fuel efficiency of 87 kilometer per litre.


K Srinivas, president (Motorcycle buisiness), Bajaj Auto said, "The steady growth of the more expensive 100 cc bikes at the cost of the cheaper models is a clear evidence of this. The Discover 100T delivers power of 125 cc motorcycle and mileage of a 100 cc."


The mass market motorcycle segment contributes about 65 per cent of the overall market. With executive segment contributing 19 per cent and the sports bike segment 16 per cent.


The company says, the mass market segment wherein 5.5 lakh units are sold every month is getting further dissected into sub-segments namely A1, wherein bikes like Platina and Hero HF are sold between Rs 36,000 to Rs 40,000, A2 segment which includes bikes like Splendor, Passion and its own Discover 100 Rs 41,000 to Rs 45,000 and the A3 segment has motorcycles like Honda Motorcycles Dream Yuga and Hero MotoCorp's Passion Pro, which are priced between Rs 46,000 to Rs 51,000 at present.

And the Discover T is positoned in this A3 segment, where Bajaj Auto has no products available. Bajaj Auto is hoping to sell around 40,000 to 45,000 units per month of this new Discover 100T.


The company says with the existing Discover 100, it has only 20 per cent market share in the mass market category, with the launch of Discover 100T, it is hoping to increase its market share in the segment to 30 per cent within the next couple of years.


Bajaj Auto has developed this model with a minimal expenditure of Rs 5 crore to Rs 6 crore, but it is based on an all new Discover platform, which already has spawned out Discover 125 ST. Bajaj Auto invested Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore on this new Discover platform. The company is planning to introduce one more motorcycle on this platform in the calendar year 2013.

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Bajaj Auto's most ambitious variant in Pulsar line-up, the 200 NS launched nation wide

Bajaj Auto, India's second largest manufacturer of motorcycles has announced country wide launch of its all new Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS. The new bike has already been on sale in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune and now motorcycle aficionados across the country can get their hands on the new adrenaline pumping launch from the two-wheeler manufacturer. Reportedly, the bike after having been introduced in Maharashtra was slated to be launched in other states in a phased manner.

The sporty motorcycle attracted great response from the buyers ever since Bajaj pulled the wraps off it in January, 2012. Since then serious comparisons have been made between the Pulsar 200 NS and KTM 200, launched in alliance with Bajaj Auto. The hype inspired a different ball game as both the bikes being very different from each other rendering motorcycle enthusiasts struggling to zero in upon one of these two models.

The new Naked Sports incorporates Bajaj's latest and the world's first tripe spark technology which proclaims unprecedented performance and efficiency. The high performance triple spark technology is controlled by an advanced Electronic Control Unit (ECU), and coined as the technology of future. The 200 NS boasts of a variety of other defining features like the reinvented liquid cooled four valve SOHC engine mated to a refreshingly smooth six speed gear box. The engine displacement happens to be a respectable 199.5 cc.


Going a step ahead the combustion in a triple spark powertrain is 27 per cent quicker than a twin spark and 50 per cent than a single spark engine ensuring lower emission and better fuel efficiency. The four valve engine allows induction of more quantity of charge (air-fuel mixture) with complete removal of burnt gases which ensures increased engine response in terms of power, throttle and pick up. Four valved engines can be easily revved at higher RPMs without producing any strain on the engine and thereby enhancing the engine performance and bettering driving pleasure for the rider.


Pulsar 200 NS is slated to be Bajaj's best high performance offering to the Indian market. To ensure optimal performance in all conditions, the powertrain has been equipped with liquid cooling as its heat dissipation is much better than an air cooled engine. Liquid cooling also ensures no power fading due to overheating and contributes to prolonging engine's life and slashes engine noises even at high rpm.

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