Motorcycle Industry is facing a downtrend in sales this year due to higher lending rates. Motorcycle makers are rationalising their production to face this down trend.Japanese major Honda has put off its plans to build a second plant, announced a few months ago, because it doesn’t anticipate to sell enough from the unit to warrant a new factory. But Honda will spend Rs100 crore on upgrading its factory and introduce two new products next year, in addition to a previously announced Rs300 crore expansion plan, as it seeks to improve market share. Honda currently holds 11% market share with products such as 150c unicorn, 125cc shine, eterno and dio scooters.
* Honda is planning a new scooter, 125cc motorcycle and a niche 100cc bike. Honda says it will shortly come up with another bike in the 125cc segment. “We already have a 125cc bike Shine but the product is not meeting younger people’s demands,” Honda says.
* Regarding the 100cc bike Honda is not expecting too much volumes from this bike and it only expects the new bike to target a niche audience such as off-road bikes. Honda’s new 100 cc model could be positioned slightly higher than the existing ones in the market and sport a premium price tag.
* The new scooter model will be on the same platform as the Honda’s flagship model — Honda Activa and will be rolled out by the end of this fiscal.
* Honda is currently conducting a feasibility study regarding the higher engine capacity bikes and might introduce our global brands — CBR 1000 and Gold Wing — into the Indian market soon with a price tag of Rs 10 lakh