Bajaj Auto has reported a seven per cent decline in motorcycle sales. The company couldn’t sustain the high sales figures seen in the previous years, which make us believe, that the economic slowdown seems to have started taking a toll on motorcycle sales as well.
The Pune-based motorcycle manufacturer sold 2,81,390 units in January 2014, whereas 3,01,361 motorcycles were sold in in the same month in 2013. The overall domestic sales dipped by 8 per cent in the same period, which includes commercial vehicles as well.
Nevertheless, exports for January 2014 saw a hike of 7 per cent with 1,37,644 units sold in comparison to the 1,28,482 vehicles sold in the same month in 2013. The sales numbers from April-January 2014 stood at 28,78,502 units while 31,98,771 motorcycles were sold in the corresponding period in 2013. This shows a 10 per cent decline.
We hope that the situation changes this year as Bajaj plans to launch some new motorcycles to widen their Indian line-up of motorcycles. This list includes the Pulsar SS400 and the Pulsar CS400 that were unveiled at the recently concluded Auto Expo. In addition to these, a smaller faired sibling, the Pulsar SS200, based on the Pulsar NS200, might also be launched.
We can expect the launch of these bikes with the advent of the festive season. The company might increase its sales and volumes as these motorcycles make their way to the Indian market this year.
