Two-Wheelers of 2012: Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.80 lakhs

2012 Yamaha Scooters

Expected: mid-2012 Price: Rs. 50,000-80,000

After having given some bumper motorcycle products in recent years, Yamaha India is now shifting its focus onto the scooter segment in the country, which is huge and growing at a solid pace. Currently, Yamaha is doing the necessary research on what scooters to bring into India from its huge scooter range. The scooters will be introduced in 2012 in India and they will be locally made at Yamaha’s current production facilities in Surajpur and Faridabad. Expect the scooters to be just as stylish and upmarket as their motorcycles sold in the country, however, which also means that the products will also demand certain premium over its rivals. The made-for-India Yamaha scooter has been developed in Japan, similar to the first generation YZF-R15. The company has plans to invest about Rs. 10 crore in setting up a dedicated assembly line for its new scooter models.

2012 Hyosung GT250N

Expected: mid-2012 Price: Rs. 1.7-1.9 lakh

Similar to its strategy of introducing the GT650 twins of R (with fairing) and N (without fairing), respectively, the same line of thought will also follow on the GT250, with a naked and more affordable version of the GT250R making its entry into the Indian market sometime next year. Identical to the Hyosung GT650, the GT250 too will be considerably cheaper than its racier sibling and hence will fall in a very enticing price bracket where it will have to slug it out with some equally convincing and in fact, already established players like the new Bajaj Pulsar and the Honda CBR250R.

Suzuki GW250

Expected: late-2012 Price: Rs. 1.4-1.7 lakh

Suzuki India, currently working with just three localized products and three imports, is now gearing up to launch another product in its portfolio with the GW250 – a 250cc single cylinder motorcycle with its styling based on Suzuki’s 1,300cc naked monster, the B-King. With the 250cc market in the country heating up like never before, Suzuki too wants a piece of the pie and it is sufficiently armored to take on the competition with the smart-looking GW250. Pricing will be a key factor in determining how well this Suzuki performs in the Indian space, however considering the fact that there is going to be a lot of players in this category, Suzuki will be forced to price the GW250 competitively. Expect the new Suzuki to be in the dealerships by late 2012.

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Yamaha Fazer 250

Expected: mid-2012 Price: Rs. 1.4-1.8 lakh

It’s a steady strategy for motorcycle makers in India. Keep feeding the stagnant volume segment while building the brand with the growing premium class of bikes. Next in line to join the performance bandwagon is Yamaha with its soon-to-be launched and largely hyped Fazer 250. A single cylinder 250cc machine currently sold in select few markets around the world, the Fazer 250 will be a very practical and sensible choice of wheels for someone looking to get his hands on a decently powerful and stylish motorcycle. Knowing Yamaha, the pricing will demand a bit of a premium but then it will proudly flaunt Yamaha build quality and superb handling. The Fazer 250 will be coming sometime around mid-2012.

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Expected: mid-2012 Price: Rs. 1.6-1.9 lakh

A project which has been in the pipeline for a while now, the new Thunderbird 500 will soon be out in the Royal Enfield dealerships within the first quarter of 2012. Powered by the same UCE 500cc mill that propels the Classic 500, the added grunt will certainly help increase the Thunderbird’s cruiser charm and character to a huge extent. Already a popular model from the Royal Enfield portfolio, the Thunderbird has been hugely responsible for helping Royal Enfield establish its ‘Trip’ identity and amass respectable numbers in recent times. The soon-to-be launched 500 iteration of the Thunderbird will definitely be more expensive than the current model, which is powered by the 350cc motor, but the new model will also see a host of other improvements and tweaks to match the increased power and performance.

Also look at:

Two-Wheelers of 2012: Under Rs.70,000

Two-Wheelers of 2012: Rs. 1.80 lakhs to Rs. 2.50 lakhs

Two-Wheelers  of 2012: Above Rs. 2.5 Lakhs