UM Motorcycles India launch in second half of 2015

UM Motorcycles generated lot of curiosity among Indian two-wheeler consumers when they showcased their range of cruiser motorcycles at the 2014 Expo. One of the main reasons for this interest was the fact that the fact that UM officials had announced that the bikes would be locally manufactured and will cost below Rs 1.5 lakh. When ZigWheels interviewed Rajeev Mishra, Director UM Motorcycles India he had mentioned that the manufacturer would enter the Indian market with a local partner by November 2014. Although it recently announced a joint venture with Lohia Auto, the launch plans for UM Motorcycles have been delayed. UM Motorcycles have announced that they will enter the Indian two-wheeler market by second quarter of 2015. The manufacturing facility will be located in Kashipur, Uttarakhand utilising Lohia group’s current facility with a capacity to produce 1 lakh units a year.

The reason for this delay according to UM Motorcycles officials is the fact that instead of the initial plan of introducing 200-230cc cruiser motorcycles, the company has now decided to introduce higher capacity motorcycles ranging from 300 to 500cc. This has been done after a market survey for their products which means the new range of UM Motorcycles wouldn’t be as affordable as expected initially. Still UM Motorcycles claims their products will be competitively priced with respect to their rivals Royal Enfield.

Also the design of the UM Motorcycles has been changed to better suit the taste of Indian consumers. UM motorcycles also have chalked out a plan of opening 50 dealerships in the country by end of 2015 most of which will be based in major metro cities across the country. Miami-based UM International, which makes street bikes, dual sport bikes and cruisers, will be using the facility in India as an export hub, shipping made-in-India bikes to the Asia Pacific region, Africa and even the US.