Hero MotoCorp is betting heavily on new products to maintain market share in the highly competitive 2-wheeler market of India. The Indian 2-wheeler giant has dominated the industry since a long time now but after the exit of its JV partner Honda, the company is facing the heat when it comes to developing new offerings. Hero has been quick to forge partnerships with global companies which is likely to help them considerably in developing new and competitive products. Although the company is yet to unveil an indigenous product, the automaker is likely to showcase its first few non-Honda bikes at the 2014 Auto Expo.
Hero has successfully fired three new engines which will make their way to next generation of their bikes. These engines are 100, 110 and 250cc in cubic capacity. While the 110cc engine will power the next generation Splendor and Passion, the 100cc engine is made for use in export models. The 250cc engine will power an all new bike which is going to be showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo. This new quarter-litre machine is being developed in collaboration with Erik Buell Racing (EBR) and will also be sold in the United States of America.
What can we expect from the 250cc Hero bike? It is likely to feature a full-faired design, petal discs and monoshock rear suspension. The engine is expected to be a single-cylinder unit producing around 26 BHP of power and 23 Nm of torque. The motor will get liquid-cooling, 4-valves and will be coupled to a 6-speed gearbox. Currently Hero’s flagship bike is the Karizma ZMR which in its recent update has got a power bump to 20 BHP. Expect Hero to price their new 250cc bike competitively against the Bajaj Pulsar 200 SS.
