Winners and Losers for September: Motorcycles

September has been a good month for the Indian motorcycle market. With the festive season and healthy monsoon bringing a positive outlook among buyers, the industry saw some interesting changes in sales numbers. Here are the motorcycles which made the most of the festive season and the ones who failed to capitalise on the opportunity.

Winners:

Honda CB Hornet 160R

Despite the Honda CB Unicorn and CB Hornet 160R enjoying a good demand, the company has been facing production constraints for these motorcycles. Given its limited production capacity for 150cc and 160cc commuter bikes, the Japanese manufacturer has to balance the production depending upon the individual model’s demand. As such, we keep seeing huge variations in the monthly sales numbers of these bikes. While the CB Hornet 160R sold only 2,738 units in August, the sudden push for its production saw numbers jump to 6,364 units in September, an increase of 132 per cent. The additional manufacturing of the motorcycle seems to be an attempt to reduce the waiting period of the premium commuter.

Bajaj Pulsar 220F

Bajaj recently rolled out a special scheme for its Pulsar range to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the brand. The company offered savings of up to Rs 6,700 for those opting to finance their purchase, and it seems like this scheme has worked its magic. Bajaj sold 13,933 units of the Pulsar 220F in September, which is 65 per cent more than what the company had managed in August. Though it has been on sale since 2011 without any major upgrades, these sales numbers indicate that the Pulsar 220F is still a favourite among the audience when it comes to entry-level sportbikes.

Bajaj Platina

The Bajaj Platina has been performing exceptionally since the past few months. While the company sold 29,163 units of the Plantina in August, which in itself is an impressive number, sales further burgeoned to 46,287 units in September, translating into a jump of 59 per cent. Partly responsible for this success is the Bajaj CT100, the country’s most affordable motorcycle. While the CT100 has been very effective in drawing customers to Bajaj showrooms, a major chunk of these end up buying the Platina thanks to its better looks and the marginal difference in price. 

The Harley-Davidson Street 750 too deserves a special mention, sales of which grew by a whopping 204 per cent in the last month. The festive season saw the numbers grow from 128 units in August to 390 units in September. While the actual growth in terms of units might seem very insignificant considering other motorcycles on this list, the number is truly impressive for a bike carrying a price tag of Rs 4.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Losers:

Honda CB Unicorn 160

While the Honda CB Unicorn 160 had never been able to replicate the success of the CB Unicorn 150, the launch of CB Hornet 160R has further dampened the sales performance sheet of this premium commuter. Sales dropped from 1,841 units in August to 1,007 units in September, giving an idea about the dearth of its demand among customers. Honda dealers maintain that aged customers still prefer the CB Unicorn 160 due to its sober looks, though the 45 per cent drop in sales numbers clearly show that the ratio of these buyers is relatively low.

Bajaj Pulsar 180 DTS-i

The Pulsar 180 DTS-i is another one of Bajaj’s old generation motorcycles. And while 6,650 units might not seem like a bad number for a five-year old model, the demand seems to be waning slowly. Bajaj had sold 8,999 units of the Pulsar 180 DTS-i in August, which translates into a 26 per cent decline in September. 

Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i

The Pulsar 150 DTS-i has been one of the best-selling 150cc commuters for a long time now, though cannibalism within the brand has led to a 25 per cent drop in sales figures in September. Numbers dropped from 45,075 units in August to 33,815 units in the last month. Customers walking into Bajaj showrooms have been opting for offbeat options like the Avenger 150 Street and the V15, causing this drop in sales.