The entry-level performance motorcycle segment continues to be Bajaj Pulsar’s playground that has witnessed positive sales, while the TVS Apache despite higher volumes saw a drop in numbers.
It is evident that the popularity of entry-level performance motorcycles knows no bounds in India. Motorcycle manufacturers that have understood this trick have been extremely successful, case in point being none other than Bajaj Auto, Yamaha and TVS. Offering a compelling mix of performance and affordability, it is the TVS Apache leading the bandwagon with maximum sales of 17,684 units for the 160cc and 180cc versions in July this year. That said, the Chennai based automaker has seen a stark drop in sales of 20 percent on a month-on-month basis.
In comparison, the Bajaj Pulsar series has gained momentum on the sales front as the Pulsar 180, AS 200 and RS 200 sold a cumulative 10,355 units during the previous month, amassing a monthly growth of 10 percent. In fact, the new Pulsar AS series completed 30,000 units of sales within four months of launch, thereby achieving a new milestone for the company. While the new Pulsars are gaining growth in terms of volumes, Bajaj Auto’s tried and tested offerings the Pulsar 220F and the Avenger take little effort to sell.
The previous generation Bajaj Pulsar 220F sold 6025 units single handedly in the previous month with sales growing by 28.5 percent, whereas the Avenger has been at its consistent best with 3536 units sold last month. Moving on to the Japanese offerings in the segment, Yamaha India leads its compatriots here with the most popular YZF-R15 being a dominant seller. With a surge in sales of 20 percent, 2291 units of the R15 were pushed out of showrooms last month and the numbers are definitely healthy despite the arrival of the Pulsar RS 200 in the same price bracket.
While Yamaha is moving forward at its own pace, Honda India’s negligence in the premium segment is surely showing off on the sales front. The company sold a meagre 774 units of the CBR150R and 403 units of the CBR250R performance motorcycles last month and the numbers completely tarnish the reputation of the otherwise good products. Honda did showcase the cosmetically tinkered versions of the CBR series at the recently concluded RevFest that will go on sale around the festive season, but it is quite clear that the company needs to bring in the internationally facelifted versions to add some excitement to the otherwise dud selling products.
As disappointing as it gets, Hero MotoCorp’s once popular Karizma has taken a massive hit in numbers ever since the facelift arrived last year and sales have only been downhill ever since. For the month of July this year, the Karizma R and ZMR sold only 247 units. Until 2013, the Karizma averaged almost 10 times the number without any hassles. Even though Hero may not have forgotten about the model and another facelift is reportedly in the pipeline, the flagship offering for now has a bleak future to look forward to. That said, the automaker is working in full steam on the highly awaited HX250R that will be launched soon and just might blow away the competition, given the initial specifications.
