No matter how good a machine has been engineered, it is bound to break down one day or the other. Everyone has experienced a breakdown while travelling on their two-wheelers and has somehow managed to get it fixed by a roadside mechanic. But the problem amplifies when you are cruising aboard an American V-twin in the far countryside and it breaks down. This is one of the main reasons why most of the big bike owners in our country avoid touring on their mean machines. But if you are a Harley-Davidson owner you need not worry about these things as the American two-wheeler manufacturer has launched its 24x7 roadside assistance programme. The new initiative provides on-road assistance support to registered Harley-Davidson owners in all nine dealership locations across the country. The programme has been initiated in association with India Assistance, a 100 per cent subsidiary of leading international assistance company Mapfre Assistance.

Speaking on the roadside assistance programme, Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India, said, "As a brand built around the customer, Harley-Davidson is committed to providing our riders with a superior ownership experiences. With the team at India Assistance, we are now offering a menu of important services, 24x7 support, and trucks that can safely and efficiently tow our entire model line-up. The roadside assistance program provides a sense of safety and comfort to our customers who can now cruise Indian roads with greater peace of mind. Our investment is in line with our longandndash;term commitment to lead the development of leisure motorcycling in India."

The 24x7 Services include fuel delivery, transportation in case of breakdown/accident/flat tyre support, provision of local taxi, dedicated helpline and relay of urgent messages. The geographic scope of the Roadside Assistance Services shall be within 150 km radius from the nearest Harley-Davidson dealership and if the rider is beyond the 150km range, assistance will be available on a paid basis at a rate of Rs 40/km as towing charges and Rs 25/km as petrol delivery charges for km covered above 150 km. One of the cool features of the new scheme is that the bike is entitled to the same benefits even after a change of ownership.

A unique camp and workshop aimed at road safety and self defence training for women was launched by Honda Motorcycles and Scooters (HMSI) in collaboration with the Delhi police. The workshops and training camps taking place from May 14-22, 2013 will be held across three venues in Delhi which are the Kirpal Bagh Ashram in Model Town, the training hall at Special Police Unit for Women and Children in Nanak Pura, and at the Sports Complex in Jamia Milia University.

Registrations for the workshop and training camp at the fourth venue which is the Sneh International School in Rajdhani Enclave near Karkari Mor start on May 17, 2013. The camp at this venue will be held from May 22 to June 5, 2013. The Road Safety workshop will aim at educating first time female riders on correct two-wheeler riding techniques, safety measures to be taken by existing two-wheeler riders such as mounting dismounting tips, basic riding posture and traffic safety.

Additionally Honda is also offering an opportunity of a free training camp for women who want to learn how to ride a two-wheeler, which will be held across various Traffic Parks in Delhi. A company like Honda has been associated with road safety initiatives all across the globe, and being a leading two-wheeler company they have contributed towards taking measures to help empower women in Delhi where safety for women has become a concern lately.

Hero MotoCorp, India's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, expanded its international foothold by launching its range of two-wheelers in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras under the brand name Hero. To enter the above mentioned Central American markets, Hero MotoCorp has signed a joint venture with Indy Motos which has been appointed as the authorised distributor for its range of two-wheelers in the above mentioned countries.

Speaking on the move, Pawan Munjal, Managing Director andamp; Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said, "This launch is a significant milestone for us considering this is the first of the new international markets where we are starting our operations. It gives me immense pleasure to announce Indy Motos as our partner for Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. I am sure that their rich experience in this market and knowledge of the local customer will go a long way towards further strengthening our business here."

Hero has launched the Karizma, Hunk, Glamour, HF Dawn, Super Splendor, Splendor NXG and Achiever in the three Central American countries. Expansion in foreign markets seems to be a positive move for Hero with bike sales dwindling in the domestic market (). Hero will soon start operations in Latin andamp; Central America and Africa and has set a target to register 10 per cent of its overall sales from overseas markets. Currently Hero exports to Colombia, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Though many may know of the Indian Motorcycle brand thanks to the movie "The Fastest Indian," the company boasts a rich history and legacy. In fact, Indian was the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world during the period after 1910 and was even ahead of the most well-known American motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson. The most prolific models for Indian were the Scout and Chief which were drenched in the trademark shade of deep red. But the two-wheeler manufacturer wasn't able to hold its sales post World War II and owing to poor quality and lack of development, sales of motorcycles slid and in 1953 the company eventually became bankrupt.

In 2011, the brand got a new lease of life when Polaris Industries renowned manufacturer for off-road/ leisure vehicles and also the parent company for Victory Motorcycles took over the brand. It seems Indian Motorcyle is finally set for a resurrection with a teaser image on the company website showcasing the silhouette of the new bike. The site also makes it amply clear that the motorcycle maker will be entering our market soon. It will be a relatively easy task for the American motorcycle brand to enter our market as Polaris, the parent company of Indian is already present in our country through its range of ATVs.

The 2014 Chief, which is named after the most successful bike in the company's portfolio, will be powered by the recently showcased Thunderstroke 1,819cc, V-twin engine pumping out an astonishing 155Nm of torque. It is speculated that the new bike would be showcased publicly at the upcoming Sturgis Rally scheduled to be held from August 5-11, 2013. In an teaser video released by the company it is mentioned that pricing of the Chief would start at $ 18,999 which equates to Rs 10.4 lakh. If Indian enters our two-wheeler market, then Harley-Davidson will finally have competition as currently they have no brand to rival it.

Now into its sixth edition the Indian Premier League has steadily increased its associations with the automotive world with brands like Nissan, TVS, Hyundai, Gulf and others frequently seen co-sponsoring teams participating in the annual T20 tournament. Better late than never we say as Mahindra's two-wheeler division signs up as an associate sponsor of the Rajasthan Royals cricket team for the 2013 edition of the Pepsi Indian Premier League.

If you aren't quite sure what this means, be sure to take a good look at Rahul Dravid or Shane Watson's trousers the next time they are out on the field and you'll see the Mahindra Pantero branding. The Pantero is also being showcased at the Rajasthan Royal's home stadium andndash; Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur for the duration of the tournament.

Commenting on this association, Sarosh Shetty, Vice President andndash; Marketing, Mahindra Two Wheelers said, "Cricket in India is truly a national game, rising above geography, age and gender. When two brands that share similar values come together, it gives 'Rise' to a winning combination. Rajasthan Royals in previous IPL editions have stood for inspired leadership, innovation and professionalism. Mahindra Two Wheelers displays similar qualities and looks forward to a continuing partnership with the Rajasthan Royals."

The Panther inspired motorcycle which we have had the opportunity to test quite rigorously a while ago () is as the company puts it, quite young and agile, but comparing its ability to adjust and accelerate ahead in any given situation just like the Rajasthan Royals have so far in the tournament under Dravid's leadership is simply taking it a bit too far.

The Pantero is however a very practical motorcycle for everyday commuters and was recently launched in entry level version priced at a very competitive Rs. 39,650 (ex-showroom Delhi). More importantly like we have seen before the Indian Premier League does provide a great platform for brand visibility and Mahindra's decision to partner with the Royal will certainly help them connect and engage with a larger target audience. After all cricket is the most followed sport in the country with a fan base of approximately 1 billion across India.

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Just four weeks after showcasing E-SPEED electric scooter at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show, KTM has announced that their concept study will be ready to hit production lines by 2015. The E-SPEED was showcased for the first time in Europe where it was displayed to the domestic market at the Bike-Austria exhibition in Tulin, Austria. This is the second electric vehicle from the KTM stable after the offroad bike FREERIDE E, which will be made available in Europe next year.

Although offroad sport is KTM's main focus area for which they have developed the FREERIDE E, they also want to focus on urban mobility and it was the overwhelming response that they got in Tokyo that brought the idea of transferring the results from the development of the E-Cross bike into the road segment.

Harald Plandouml;ckinger KTM Executive Board Member for Production and Business Development said, "The E-SPEED is our interpretation of emission-free propulsion for city use, but without compromising on the design and sportiness of our KTM genes"

The E-SPEED will be powered by an electric motor that generates 15PS and 36Nm of torque all of which is delivered to the rear wheel via a belt drive. The scooter will max out at a top speed of 84km/h and has a range of 64km in a full charge.

With the FREERIDE E and the E-SPEED set for the streets in 2014 and 2015 respectively, KTM believes that a switch to the electrical way of mobility will definitely be a huge success in the urban areas.

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It is no secret that Bollywood macho man John Abraham loves mean machines specially the ones on two-wheels. In fact, John's first major matinee success Dhoom saw him zooming past cops aboard the fastest production motorcycle of the time, Suzuki Hayabusa. John also has an envious personal collection of motorcycles and has owned a range of bikes starting from Yamaha RD-350, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R, Suzuki Hayabusa, Yamaha R1, FZ1000 and VMax. In an interview earlier, John had proclaimed that he treats his bikes at par with his girlfriend He personally takes care of his machines and has even recorded and kept the exhaust note of his R1 as his ringtone. John incidentally is also the brand ambassador for Yamaha Motor India.

The actor's latest underworld-based flick Shootout At Wadala has been well received by the audiences and he wanted to gift something special to the director of the film and his close friend Sanjay Gupta for the movie's success. The gift, in this case, turned out to be Yamaha's mean monster the VMax. The VMax is powered by a humongous 1,679cc, V4 engine pumping out an astounding 200PS of power and a massive torque rating of 167Nm.

A jubilant Sanjay Gupta tweeted about his new bike: "I am now a very proud owner of The Yamaha VMax Motorcycle thanks to my hero John Abraham. Can't wait to go on a really long ride on my new beauty. Thank you John. This is the best gift ever. The sweet bike of success :-)"

In a boost for India's leading two-wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto, the Chennai bench of the IPAB or the Intellectual PropertyAppellate Board has dismissed an appeal filed by rival LML Ltd which had sought the revocation of a patent granted to Bajaj Auto on air andamp; fuel intake systems for engines.

Bajaj Auto was granted the patent for an intake system for two-stroke engines used in two-wheelers that would result in improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. LML had moved the IPAB in 2007 arguing that the claimed invention was not novel and a minor rearrangement of technology in the public domain.

"The IPAB verdict upholds the validity of the patent as the bench has held that it is an inventive improvement over prior patents which made the invention in question more useful and efficient. LML Ltd is likely to challenge this verdict by filing a writ petition at the Madras High Court," said an individual familiar with the case.

When contacted, a Bajaj Auto official said the company was "pleased with the verdict and was examining it in detail ." Bajaj Auto was represented by advocate Mihir Kumar Chakrabarti while LML Ltd was advised by advocate Pratibha Singh and law firm Kurian andamp; Kurian Advocates.

The Apache has been a great success story for TVS since its launch back in 2006. At the time of its launch, the bike notched up major automobile awards owing to its performance oriented nature and nimble handling. The Apache added one more feather to its cap recently with sales crossing the 1 millionth mark.

Speaking on the occasion, K N Radhakrishnan, President and CEO, TVS Motor Company, said, "This is an important milestone for the Apache brand. Constant upgrades with new and innovative features, styling and refreshing graphics has helped us achieve this milestone. To mark this occasion, TVS Apache will come with a unique one million badge."

The Apache debuted as a 150cc motorcycle with 5-speed transmission and was poised to take on the segment leader Bajaj's Pulsar 150. While it was fairly successful in denting the Pulsar's sales, TVS followed it up by bumping up the engine capacity to 160cc in 2007. The Hosur-based two-wheeler manufacturer launched the 180cc variant of the bike, Apache RTR 180, with more aggressive styling. Also, it was the first bike in the segment to offer ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) as an option.

Last year the entire Apache RTR range was given a beast-themed styling update to make the bike look more aggressive. Currently TVS has three variants under the Apache brand which are Apache RTR 160, Apache RTR 180 and Apache RTR 180 ABS.

But with competition upping the bar, the Apache seems to be loosing its sheen. Though bike still registers healthy sales numbers, it's nowhere close to what it when the bike was launched. TVS has now released teaser images of an Apache RTR 180 with the tag 'the beast seeks a new skin" on their official website and Facebook page suggesting the bike is due for a fresh styling update, which includes a new grab rail. It is uncertain whether the new Apache will see any improvements on the mechanical front but we feel there will be no changes to the bikes' performance.

TVS had given cosmetic tweaks to the Apache just last year but the design wasn't much appreciated by Apache loyalists. The Apache RTR 180 is powered by a 177.4cc, four-stroke mill capable of pushing out 17.26PS of power and 15.5Nm of torque and the bikes is renowned for its performance oriented DNA and lively handling.

Two-wheeler manufacturers in the country have released their respective sales data for April 2013 and the overall picture seems to mirror last month's performance. While Honda and its Japanese sibling Yamaha registered positive sales figures, the Indian trio of Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and TVS have reported a decline.

The Gainers:

Honda:

Honda Motorcycle andamp; Scooter India (HMSI) registered its highest ever monthly sale with 2,59,560 units sold in April 2013 compared to 1,98,831 in the corresponding month last year, which equates to an impressive 30.54 per cent growth. Of the overall sales, motorcycles accounted for 1,23,240 units, up by a humungous 51 per cent Scooter sales stood at 1,36,320 units which translates to a more modest 16 per cent growth. Honda had announced two new bikes in March -- the 110cc Dream Neo and the 150cc CB Trigger -- which are further expected to boost sales.

Yamaha:

India Yamaha Motor is the other two-wheeler manufacturer to register a sales growth though their volumes are not as dramatically high as Honda's. Yamaha sold 35,927 units in April 2013 compared to 26,944 domestic units in April 2012. That represents an overall gowth of 44.3 per cent though it was largely owing to the massive 75 per cent growth in exports. The positive sales can be credited to the 113cc Ray scooter, which has been well received.

Hero MotoCorp:

Hero MotoCorp, the country's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, had another disappointing showing with a 9.51 per cent decline in sales. Hero managed to sell 4,99,113 units in April 2013 compared to 5,51,557 units in the same period last year. Hero MotoCorp Senior Vice President (Marketing and Sales) Anil Dua said: "We are glad to have opened the new financial year with despatch of close to 5 lakh two-wheelers in April....we expect retails sales to stay buoyant even in May." The worry lines for Hero are increasing with Honda hot on Hero's heels to grab the No.1 crown, having launched two new bikes recently.

Bajaj:

Bajaj Auto, which was recently displaced from the No.2 position by Honda, had yet another bad month with a 10 per cent drop in sales. Bajaj managed to sell 3,44,178 units in April 2013 as against 3,81,590 units in April 2012. To add to its woes, exports too fell to 1,30,329 units compared to 1,69,010 units in April 2012, which translates to a decline of 22.89 per cent. Bajaj has a lot of catching up to do if it wants to regain the No.2 position it lost to Honda. Also, the recently launched Discover 100T hasn't done any wonders for the Chakan-based two-wheeler manufacturer.

TVS:

Hosur-based two-wheeler manufacturer TVS also reported a slide in sales with 1,65,215 units sold in April 2013 compared to 1,74,455 units in the corresponding month last year. Though motorcycle sales remained almost stagnant at 67,849 units in April 2013 against 67,966 units in April 2012, scooters sales took a steep fall with 29,692 units sold compared to 35,833 units in the same period last year.

This is the news piece every Royal Enfield enthusiast has been longing to hear The company today rolled out the first motorcycle from its new plant at Oragadam in the outskirts of Chennai. This is RE's second production facility and has been constructed at an investment of Rs 150 crore for the first phase of the facility. The new plant was completed in just 11 months and is spread across 50 acre -- five times the size of the older plant at Thiruvottiyur near Chennai With the new facility operational, waiting periods on some of the models are expected to go down from the present eight months to six months -- something that should come as a relief to to prospective RE bike buyers.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddhartha Lal, Eicher Motors Managing Director and CEO, said, "At Royal Enfield we have recorded a major milestone today with this plant at Oragadam becoming operational. Royal Enfield has witnessed a huge surge in demand in the recent past, recording a growth of over 50 per cent for each of the last two years. However, even as we start commercial production today, we have already begun working on the second phase of expansion at Oragadam, which will further increase the production capacity to 250,000 motorcycles in 2014."

Apart from hiking production capacity, the new facility optimises production costs by merges relevant automation with human craftsmanship. A new CED (Cathodic Electrocoat Deposition) paint shop with a capacity of 600 motorcycles per day has been set up. Further, a robotic painting system and powder coating system have also been employed to reduce wastage.

According to company officials the new plant has a capacity to produce 1.50 lakh units initially which it hopes to hike to 1.75 lakh units by the end of the year. Royal Enfield has set a target to produce 2.5 lakh units by 2014 from 1.13 lakh units it managed to produce last year. As of now only the Desert Storm and Thunderbird 350/500 models will be manufactured at the new facility though other models from the RE portfolio will be added in the long run. Royal Enfield currently employs 200 people and have said that its workforce will be extended to 500 by end of the year.

The vroom of premium superbikes is getting louder by the day with the monstrous, powerful machines making their way onto Indian roads faster than ever before. In a country where motorized two-wheelers bombilate louder than people can speak, luxury bikes are increasingly contributing their might.

Over the last one year alone, the number of luxury bikes (over 500cc in engine capacity) andmdash; the likes of Ducati, Enfield, Harley-Davidson or Hyosung andmdash; has almost doubled , according to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

"From 9,000 units sold in 2011-12, the market has widened, albeit on a smaller base, to about 16,000 units. Eicher's Enfield leads sales with about 12,000 annually," said Yaresh Kothari, research analyst (automobile), Angel Broking.

The market leader in India, Royal Enfield, sold 1,13,432 units in 2012, a 52% growth over 2011. It is also close to launching its 535cc Continental GT later this year, its fastest motorcycle to hit the streets. "The segment, when compared with the 10 million units for motorbikes overall, is small but is showing good growth," Kothari said.

The sector has managed to buck the slowdown and going forward, too, industry analysts foresee a 25% growth in the market. Abdul Majeed, leader (automotive practice), PwC India, said, "The segment is growing significantly with more people moving from the higher middle to the rich bracket. Over the last six months especially, I see more such premium bikes on the roads in cities like Delhi, Bangalore , Mumbai and Chennai." Most owners are biking enthusiasts and high net worth individuals, or HNIs, aged between 18 and 40 years. But going forward, "I won't be surprised if a lot of women own such bikes" , Majeed said. And this kind of interest comes not just from the metros but smaller cities and towns as well. South Korea's Hyosung, for instance, which has sold about 1,200 units in the last six months, sold a large chunk of it in towns in the North-eastern states like Meghalaya, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

DSK Motowheels, which sells Hyosung bikes in India, plans to set up shop in more Tier-II towns like Bhopal, Baroda , Mysore and Dehradun over the next few months, the company's MD, Shirish Kulkarni , said.

Harley-Davidson , too, saw an increase from 500 units last year to 1,300 this year, and also has plans to enter smaller towns like Kochi and in Goa. Yet, despite such growth, India still lacks the servicing ecosystem for premium bikes in the above-500 c segment. Almost all luxury bikes sold in India are assembled from completed knocked-down (CKD) kits that are imported, and experts say that not many know the bikes well enough to service them or have access to technology that the bikes work on.

Every biker aspires to be a racer or dreams of riding a bike on track but sadly for many this dream never turns into a reality because most of them cannot afford the expensive track days and for some due to lack of knowledge on how to cut into the world of racing. For such two-wheeler enthusiast's Apex Racing Academy is holding its riding school on May 11-12, 2013 at the Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore.

The training programme is not only open to rookie riders; even seasoned professionals also can take part to further hone their riding skills and has been divided into two levels, which are Level 1 and 2. Apex's Level 1 training consists of basic yet vital set of skills with individual sessions for track etiquette, track familiarisation and more. The participants are trained under the guidance of highly trained professionals who posses over a decade of experience in track racing both in our country and abroad.

Level 2 riders will be instructed on aspects such as cornering, reference points, counter steering and braking. Level 3 covers track riding aspects such as position, race start and strategy, and overtaking. Experienced riders are eligible for both level 2 and 3.

Each level has been priced at Rs 6,000 and participants have the liberty of bringing the bike of their choice for the training programme. For the guys who don't wish to bring their personal bikes they have an option of renting out bikes for Rs 5,000 which includes fuel cost and damages at actual. Riding kit is essential and for those who don't posses a proper kit even that can be rented at a nominal fee. Also for guys who don't want to take part in the training programme can have open track time for Rs 3,500.

Hyosung has been clocking sales of more than 150 bikes a month recently, which is quite commendable considering their product portfolio starts above Rs 2.8 lakh. But Hyosung it now seems has set its eyes on the high volume, mass-market segment. It is reported that DSK Motowheels, Hyosung's Indian ally, is contemplating to enter the 125-150cc two-wheeler segment under the brand "DSK Hyosung".

Currently, DSK Motowheels has a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) facility in Wai on the outskirts of Pune where it assembles its 250cc to 650cc range of bikes. The current plant has a production capacity of 250 two-wheelers per month and in tune with its expansion plan, the company is eyeing to buy a 100-acre land in Maharashtra to set up its second plant. Apart from manufacturing 125cc to 150cc bikes for the Indian market, DSK Motowheels also plans to export them for the international market.

Speaking about the new facility, DSK Motowheels Managing Director Shirish Kulkarni is quoted by PTI as saying, "We are planning to invest around Rs 300-Rs 350 crore for setting up our second plant in Maharashtra. Mostly we will be finalising the 100-acre land in Maharashtra itself. It will be highly automated plant with a paint shop. Probably the construction should commence in six to eight months from now,"

Buoyed by the young generation's preference for performance-oriented bikes, the 125cc to 150cc is one of the fastest improving segment in the Indian two-wheeler market. Bajaj has been the undisputed king in this segment so far and their success can be credited to competitive pricing of their products. If DSK Motowheels want to make an impact in this segment, pricing will need to be spot on. What works in their favour is that they are already a firmly well-established name in the premium two-wheeler segment.

As of now, the company has a dealership spread of 25 outlets in the country and it plans to add 10 more by the end of 2013. Currently, DSK Motowheels has five bikes on sale which include GT 250R, GV 650 Aquila Pro, GT 650R/N and ST7 and will be launching the naked version of the GT a250R by end of the year.

The country's second largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Honda Motorcycle andamp; Scooter India (HMSI) announced that they would be increasing the price of their entire two-wheeler range by Rs 800 due to the hike in diesel price which has increased the cost of transportation.

Speaking on the price hike, Y S Guleria Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) (HMSI) said, "We have hiked the prices of all our models by Rs 200-800 from April 1. It is done mainly because of the impact of diesel price increase in recent times. Besides, recently insurance charges also increased. So, finally we decided to pass on some burden to the consumers."

Honda isn't the only manufacturer to increase the price of its entire portfolio. Bajaj Auto too have declared a hiked in price of its entire two-wheeler portfolio by Rs 500. According to company officials they have increased the price owing to rise in logistics costs and other expenditures. This hike comes at a time when Bajaj has recorded a slide in sales figure by 10 per cent for the month of March on a Y-o-Y basis. Related:

It's been mostly downhill for TVS Motor Co ever since the two-wheeler maker parted ways with Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp more than a decade ago all models but one have flopped, research and development has stagnated and legal tussles with rivals are clearly hurting. Perhaps it is an acknowledgement of this fact that has pushed the company, headed by the group's scion Venu Srinivasan, to look abroad once again for support. TVS announced earlier this week a tie-up with BMW AG's motorcycle division for developing and making motor bikes in the below 500 cc category.

The good news for TVS fans is that the company is slowly shaking off its inertia and taking steps to regain lost ground. The bad news, however, is that the first bike from its tie-up with BMW Motorrad is likely to roll out only in 2015, by which time rivals like Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycle andamp; Scooter India (HMSI) and Bajaj Auto are going to be much stronger. Also, there is no guarantee that the alliance will do anything to alter the downward spiral that TVS finds itself in.

Vulnerable Venture

Both partners are novices when it comes to the sub-500 cc category TVS makes bikes in the sub-250 cc category while BMW operates in the 600-1,600 cc space and even if they do come up with some interesting products, the 200 cc-plus category makes up for only about 2.5 per cent of the Indian two-wheeler market, the world's second biggest. "For the first time, both of us are getting into products above 200 cc and below 500 cc. I would not like to term it as a game changer, but I would say it is certainly a very significant step to get into high-quality premium bikes over 200 cc. It does provide aspirational value for TVS Motor bikes," TVS chairman Srinivasan told ET.

Rajiv Bajaj, MD andamp; CEO, Bajaj Auto, agrees that a European brand and that too a high-end one lends aspirational value to TVS. "It also allows TVS to enter the global market in the 200-500 cc space," he adds. Bajaj should know. He has Austrian offroad and street bikemaker KTM as a partner for similar reasons. Both BMW Motorrad and KTM run neck and neck in the European market with the latter inching ahead in 2012 (the gap though is marginal, at some 2,000-odd units).

Analysts, however, point to one crucial difference between Bajaj's alliance with KTM and TVS' with BMW: the former is a solid equity alliance with Bajaj Auto holding almost 48% in the Austrian bikemaker. TVS-BMW, on the other hand, is a non-equity alliance, at least as of now, with the Indian partner looking for technology and overseas market access, and the European bikemaker seeking to leverage TVS' lower cost structures. The upshot: if KTM does well, Bajaj benefits financially too. For instance, the Pune bikemaker earned dividend of roughly `50 crore in 2012. On the other hand, TVS has little to gain if BMW bikes start selling well, says a Mumbai-based equity analyst who did not want to be named.

The same analyst adds that the Bajaj-KTM partnership is on more solid ground because both brands have something in common. Thanks to the Pulsar, Bajaj Auto has developed a sporty image of making powerful bikes, which fits in well with KTM's off-roaders and sports bikes. As far as brand positioning goes, TVS and BMW are at two ends of the bike spectrum: whilst consumers associate the Indian company with affordable, value-for money bikes, prestige brand BMW is known for anything but that. "It is a bit like the merger of Daimler and Chrysler coming together, and we all know what happened to that merger," says the analyst (the merger of the German maker of marquee brand Mercedes and US volumes brand Chrysler was a classic marriage of unequals, which duly failed).

Competitors Racing Ahead

Another factor worrying experts is that details of the pact are sketchy and it is still not clear which partner will do what. For its part, TVS has agreed to pump in about 20 million (Rs 143 crore) into the project. "While short-term benefits are limited, apart from improved brand association, the exact nature of benefits to both partners will be clear only once more details are out," said Bhaumik Bhatia, analyst at IDBI Capital, in a research note. "Due to lack of details on the terms and conditions under the technology cooperation agreement, we are unable to assess the exact financial implications." He further said "as the first product will come up only by 2015, the tie-up will have any significant impact on financials only in fiscal year 2016, by when peers are likely to get even stronger".

TVS Motor has been hurt badly by a series of missteps. For long it did not have any new models in the lucrative executive bike segment, and product launches have been few and far between. This led to its market share falling from about 20 per cent in 2003 to about 5.5 per cent now.

With competition in the two-wheeler market heating up by the day, Hero MotoCorp has come up with an innovative marketing strategy to stay ahead of its rivals. The country's largest two-wheeler manufacturer announced that it would give a warranty of five years on its entire two-wheeler portfolio. For motorcycles, the warranty period will be five years or 70,000km, whichever is sooner while scooters get a five year/50,000km warranty depending on which comes earlier. With this scheme, Hero MotoCorp has become the first two-wheeler manufacturer in the country to give five-year warranty on their products.

Talking about the warranty plan, Anil Dua, Sr. Vice President (Marketing andamp; Sales), Hero MotoCorp said, "Staying true to our splendid legacy, all Hero two-wheelers will now have a 5-year warranty. Hero MotoCorp is the first manufacturer in the country to offer this benefit. This announcement is also an expression of our confidence in the unparalleled quality of our products, backed by strong Randamp;D and excellent manufacturing capabilities."

This scheme seems to be an attempt by Hero to arrest its sliding sales figures (Related:). March wasn't a good month for the company with a 11.36 per cent decline in sales. Hero sold 4,68,283 units in March 2013 as against 5,28,290 units in the corresponding month last year. For customers, the scheme comes as a welcome move as they would be able to enjoy the longest warranty for any two-wheeler in the country

Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) seems to have a new potboiler in the making. The company has posted on their website a teaser image of what it terms the next "SuperStar," along with a message that suggests that bike would be revealed on April 17. Going by the bike's silhouette, it seems to be none other than the 100cc bike (codenamed K23) that will take on the undisputed king of the entry-level commuter segment, Splendor.

The bike, based on Honda's 110cc offering Dream Yuga, would expand the company's Dream range of bikes. But unlike the Dream Yuga which is powered by a 109cc engine, the new bike will be powered by a 100cc motor. The brief for engineers at Honda was to tune the new engine for maximum fuel efficiency, which is the main USP of Splendor. Currently, the Dream Yuga is priced at Rs 45,101 ex-showroom Delhi which is Rs 2,850 more than the Splendor but the new offering holds the promise of being priced at par with the Hero bike or even below it.

Honda plans to sell around 6 lakh units of the new bike in FY 2014. Together with the Dream Yuga, it has aimed sales of around 12 lakh units. If Honda manages to achieve this target, it would make the Dream series of bikes' to account for around 30 per cent of the company's overall sales.

Picture Courtesy: UniTezz.com

Way back in July 2012 () ZigWheels had reported that Suzuki would be launching its 250cc naked bike, Inazuma (which will be brought to the Indian market as GW250) in 2013 and if the above photo is anything to go by, it appears our prediction is about to turn true soon. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was spotted riding the bike while shooting for his upcoming flick 'Mental' in Lavasa, Maharashtra. Salman Khan, who is also Suzuki's brand ambassador, will be seen riding the GW250 in the film, probably to promote the upcoming quarter-litre bike. The bike's launch is expected to be around the same time as the movie's release in September.

The entry-level performance bike segment has witnessed its fair share of action in the recent past with many launches in this segment. Currently the bikes on sale in this segment are Honda's CBR 250R, Hyosung's GT250R, the recently launched Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the soon to be launched KTM 390. Apart from these, many other two-wheeler manufacturers are eyeing this segment buoyed by demand from young, first-time buyers who perceive bikes less as a mode of transport and more of a lifestyle symbol. Related:

Powering the GW250 is a 248cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin mill capable of pushing out 25PS of power and 24Nm of torque. All this power and torque is transferred on the tarmac via a six-speed gearbox. The bike borrows its design language from the huge 1,300cc B-King naked bike (though this one weighs just 183kg) and it looks smart however, it's not as flamboyant as the Kawasaki or the Honda. The GW250 is priced at andpound;3,400 in UK which translates to roughly Rs 2.84 lakh but it is expected that with CKD assembly, Suzuki would be able to price the bike below Rs 2 lakh for the Indian market.

The two and three wheeler segments have registered growth in sales of 2.90 per cent and 4.87 per cent respectively. While scooter sales dominated the growth of the two wheeler segment by changing market dynamics, passenger carriers contributed to the growth of the three wheeler segment.

Here is a break down of the segment wise sales of two and three wheelers.

Two wheeler segment

Scooter, moped and motorcycle sales grew by 14.24 per cent, 1.53 per cent and 0.12 per cent respectively in FY 2012-13 over that of FY 2011-12. The two wheeler segment as a whole experienced a growth of 2.90 per cent during FY 2012-13 over that of FY 2011-12. However, in March 2013 sales of scooters, mopeds and motorcycles declined by 3.18 per cent, 8.32 per cent and 4.54 per cent respectively.

Scooter sales achieved remarkable growth due to new model launches and the introduction of fuel efficient technology. However, weak rural demand and cautious urban sentiments took their toll on motorcycle sales.

In the new financial year the motorcycle segment should see better growth with introduction of more new models while the premium motorcycle segment is also expected to fare well with the new premium biking culture picked up by the youth.

Scooters traditionally used to cater to high income families in metros, but now higher fuel efficiency and ease of riding is seeing them increasingly substitute motorcycles especially in Tier II cities. New model launches resulted in 50 per cent of incremental scooter sales between April-March FY 2013, and this trend is expected to continue with higher demand for new models and expansion of dealer network.

The probable growth rate for the two wheeler segment for FY 2013-14 is has been pegged at 6-8 per cent. However, keeping the volatile market conditions in mind the growth may vary. Also, the fall in petrol prices in the future will give an added impetus to two-wheeler sales in the country.

Three wheeler sales analysis for FY 2012-13

Three wheeler sales in the country experienced a consolidated growth of 4.87 per cent in FY 2012-13 over that of FY 2011-12. The passenger carrier segment grew by 8.58 per cent while during the period while goods carriers registered a drop in sales of 9.20 per cent.

The growth in sales was accounted for by the passenger three wheeler segment while the goods three wheeler segment registered a decline in sales.

In the 2013-14 financial year small three wheeler sales with a payload of 500kg is expected to bring in modest growth to the overall three wheeler segment due to their competitive cost economics and last mile connectivity.

Large three wheelers will face stiffer competition from four-wheelers after the launch of 500 kg payload four wheelers. As a result, sales of large 750 kg payload three wheelers are expected to continue their decline on the sales charts.