India Sales: Top 10 motorcycles – August 2017 | Hero Splendor, HF Deluxe record best-ever numbers

Both of Hero MotoCorp’s best-selling commuter motorcycles record their best sales in the fiscal year this far. 

For the motorcycle segment, August was the best month in terms of monthly sales in FY2017-18. The segment, which constitutes 61.88 percent of the total domestic two-wheeler market (for April-August 2017) and is also understood as an indicator of the rural economic sentiment and demand, recorded total sales of 11,35,699 units last month. This marked YoY growth of 12.93 percent in August as against growth of 7.89 percent YoY during April-August 2017 period.

The performance of the motorcycle segment (in August) was driven by top performers Hero Splendor and Hero HF Deluxe. Both the top two bestselling motorcycle brands have recorded their best numbers so far in the ongoing fiscal.  

The Hero Splendor, India’s largest selling motorcycle and also the second largest selling two-wheeler brand, registered sales of 242,431 units (up 5.84 percent YoY) last month.

At number two is the Hero HF Deluxe, which sold 161,177 units in August, up 26.16 percent YoY. The HF Deluxe, a popular 100cc mass commuter motorcycle, has stood as a solid pillar for Hero MotoCorp delivering growing sales month-on-month for about last two-three years. This period, on the other hand, has witnessed the decline of its Passion umbrella.

The Hero Passion used to be the second largest motorcycle brand sold in the country. It, however, now is the fourth largest, as per its sales in August, when it had sold 93,003 units.

The Hero Passion is now often beaten by Honda’s CB Shine range, which is the top seller in the executive commuter or 125cc motorcycle category. In August, Honda’s CB Shine sold 94,748 units (up 48.96 percent YoY) and stood at the third slot in the top 10 bestselling motorcycles list.

The fifth top-selling motorcycle is the Hero Glamour, which is also Honda CB Shine’s arch-rival in the 125cc category, sold 80,106 units last month thereby growing at 7.25 percent YoY. Interestingly, in August last year, the Hero Glamour was ahead of Honda’s CB Shine in terms of sales and rankings.

Bajaj Auto’s Pulsar range is the sixth top-selling motorcycle brand followed by CT100 at the seventh position. While the Pulsar range, which now constitutes a portfolio of seven models and their variants, sold 58,795 units (up 20.21 percent YoY), Bajaj Auto’s 100cc entry-level mass commuter CT100, which now comes in three variants (as per the company website), sold 57,561 units last month. 

The CT100’s sales seem to have picked up after the company recently rolled out its electric start variant (CT100 ES), which along with the other CT100 variants, is among the most affordable 100cc motorcycles on offer in the domestic market. 

Royal Enfield’s bestselling model, the Classic 350 stands as the eighth highest selling motorcycle model with sales of 45,555 units in August. It grew by 38.17 percent YoY over August 2016 when it had sold 32,971 units.

While the Honda Dream secures the ninth position with sales of 33,429 units in August. It recorded YoY growth of 27.53 percent, TVS Motor’s premium Apache range scored the tenth slot with sales of 31,502 units (down 12.08 percent YoY) last month. The premium motorcycle brand has slipped from the eighth position in August 2016 to the tenth slot in lieu of decline in its monthly sales.

Typically, the top five in the Top 10 bestselling motorcycles remain the same with Hero MotoCorp occupying four positions and the remaining by Honda. The lower half of the list is more dynamic in terms of close fight between the different models. It would be interesting to see how the top contenders score in September and if a new entrant can throw out an established model. 

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