Hero MotoCorp stopped the production of its off-roader motorcycle Impulse in 2012. The company is all set to make a comeback of the Impulse, sporting a bigger and better engine with a domestic and global launch early next year. The process to re-launch the model is underway. The Impulse will be re-launched with the same 150cc engine and a higher specced engine will also be on offer (maybe a 250cc). It sure is good news for 2-wheeler off-road enthusiasts around the country given the fact that the segment is devoid of variety.
It was the Impulse which first rolled out upon the unveiling of Hero MotoCorp’s global brand identity at London in 2011, after the automaker split from Honda. Though the Impulse received ecstatic reviews upon launch, it failed to make a noticeable mark leaving no option for the company but to discontinue it. Hero expects its collaboration with US-based high-end motorcycle manufacturer Erik Buell Racing (EBR) to help rekindle the Impulse by providing better design and engine performance so that it will find takers for off-roaders and semi-premium motorcycles in its new market, Latin America.
Through their tie-up with EBR, Hero looks to initiate new product developments, R&D initiatives as well as motorsports and the new Impulse will be a product of one such initiative. It is clearly evident that the target markets for this model is Latin America and India. The company is also looking to foray into the Turkish and Egytian markets to capitalise on the growing 2-wheeler sector.
Hero MotoCorp is also working on a bike in the entry-level segment. The company is working on a bike whose cost would be cheaper than the current entry-level offering, the HF Dawn, but the price difference is not expected to be substantial. The first bike to be launched from Hero’s commercial production after its tie-up with EBR will be the Karizma. The new Karizmas will go on sale by the end of the year.
