A majority of automobile manufacturers in India are on a price increase spree due to the hike in the excise duty. However, Kawasaki India has gone ahead and is offering a Rs 55,000 discount on their popular middleweight motorcycle, the Z800. This will bring down the price of the Z800 to Rs 7.35 lakh (ex-showroom Pune) and will be effective till the end of March, this year.
Kawasaki has revealed that the discount for the Z800 is a result of a price cut in Thailand. As the Z800 models sold in India are directly imported as CBUs from Thailand, Kawasaki has gone ahead and passed on the benefits directly to the Indian customers, instead of continuing with the old price and earning more profits.
Kawasaki’s portfolio in India currently comprises of nine models, of which two are locally assembled at Bajaj’s factory in Chakan, Pune, while the rest are imported as CBUs. As CKD (completely knocked down) and CBU motorcycles fall under a different tax bracket, the prices of majority of the Kawasaki range have remained unaffected by the hike in excise duties.
The Z800 is currently the most affordable four-cylinder motorcycle. It is powered by an 806cc inline-four liquid-cooled engine, which produces 111bhp and 83Nm of torque. With this price cut, Kawasaki has managed to undercut its closest competitor, the Triumph Street Triple. While the Z800 was already a lucrative option when compared to the 78bhp Street Triple, this price cut will be the icing on the cake, making the Z800 an even better value for money proposition. Check out the video by PowerDrift which compares the performance of the detuned 78bhp Street Triple with that of the Kawasaki Z800 and the ER-6n.
