Bajaj Auto has just announced the V which they say is a differentiated motorcycle. The Bajaj V 150cc commuter motorcycle will be priced between Rs. 60-70,000/- with sales starting in March 2016.
Bajaj Auto has just announced its new motorcycle brand, called V (has a V15 badge). The commuter bike uses the metal from INS Vikrant as Bajaj Auto sourced the same recently but the amount used in the bike hasn’t been disclosed. The metal from India’s aircraft carrier has been used in the tank which the company likes to call invincible. Using a double-cradle frame, the Bajaj V is powered by a 149.5cc, DTS-i, single-cylinder, air-cooled, SOHV, 2-valve, 4-stroke engine.
The Bajaj V 150cc produces 12 PS of power at 7500 RPM and 13 Nm of torque at 5500 RPM, mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The front suspension uses 33 mm telescopic forks while the rear employs a twin-spring loaded hydraulic type gas filled unit. Braking duties are taken care by a 240 mm disc at the front and a 130 mm drum at the rear. The front tyre is 90/90/18 while the rear is a 120/80/16. The fuel tank is 13-litres with 1.3-litres reserve.
The Bajaj V measures 2044 mm in length, 780 mm in width and 1070 mm in height, it has a wheelbase of 1315 mm and has a kerb weight of 135.5 kgs. The ground clearance is 165 mm while the seat height is 780 mm. The Bajaj V commuter is available in two colours – pearl white and ebony black. The headlight on the motorbike is a 55/60W unit with a trapezoidal design, which gives it 60% higher brightness over rivals, the company claims.
The Bajaj V15 comes with a removable rear seat cowl which can be detached in order to seat the pillion rider (using the key itself which has an allen key on the other side). The instrument cluster has dual colour LED fuel level indicator that turns red as the tank hits reserve. The bike gets an LED tail lamp too. The company hasn’t announced the prices yet but Rajiv Bajaj has hinted at the Bajaj V being positioned in the Rs. 60-70,000/- bracket (ex-showroom, Delhi). He further mentioned that the price of the Bajaj V will be closer to Rs. 60,000/-.
The Bajaj V will be exported but initial focus will be on the domestic market where the market size is 5 lakh units a month. Bajaj will produce 20,000 units of the V every month which has been set as the initial capacity. The launch of the motorcycle will happen later this month while shipping to dealers will commence in early March, sales expanding to other parts of the country by the end of this fiscal year.
