INDIA SALES: Top 10 Motorcycles in July 2016

Last seen on the list of Top 10 bestselling motorcycles in India in December 2015, TVS Motor Company’s premium bike, the Apache, has made a comeback. The Apache RTR series – available in 160cc, 180cc and 200cc variants – sold a total of 30,116 units in July 2016.

In January 2016, TVS had launched its most powerful bike the Apache RTR 200 priced at Rs 89,990 (ex-showroom, Delhi). For the first time in the 200cc segment, TVS introduced an oil-cooled combustion chamber with ram air assist, which enables the bike to hit a top speed of 128kph and a 0-60kph time of 3.9 seconds, making it one of the fastest accelerating bikes in its segment.

The return of the Apache in the Top 10 list can be attributed to TVS Motor Company’s overall strong performance in July as motorcycle sales grew by 23 percent to 95,062 units (July 2015: 77,397) which offset the company’s declining scooter sales.

Despite the Apache making a place for itself at the expense of Bajaj Auto’s V15, the Pune-based manufacturer held on to three spots with its Pulsar range, selling 44,002 units, and its commuter motorcycles – CT 100 and Platina. With Bajaj Auto dropping the price of its smallest Pulsar model – the 135 LS – sales are expected to continue growing in the coming months.

At the same time, the CT 100 sold 41,301 units while the Platina managed to increase its sales by 24 percent month-on-month to 33,384 units, helping it beat Royal Enfield’s Classic 350 to the eighth spot. Royal Enfield’s flagship model meanwhile reported sales of 31,372 units.

Even as Royal Enfield continues on its dream run with the Classic 350, the company had earlier announced plans to invest Rs 600 crore in new product development, boosting production and R&D capacities and under other heads. According to industry analysts, the company may expand its total production capacity to 675,000 units for FY2017, largely banking on the Himalayan adventure bike.

Hero MotoCorp’s stranglehold on the Top 10

Meanwhile, the top half of the table continues to be a domain of Hero MotoCorp as the company holds onto four spots, a position akin to Maruti Suzuki which in July holds seven spots in the passenger vehicle Top 10.

The company’s flagship Splendor range was the top-selling motorcycle in July, garnering total sales of 197,760 units. Hero also launched the Splendor iSmart 110 last month, which is already on sale. The 110cc mass commuter model, also the first completely designed and developed motorcycle by Hero’s engineering team at its Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT), Jaipur, is receiving a positive response in the market, says an official note from the company.

At number two, Hero’s HF Deluxe sold 101,708 units, managing sales of over 100,000 units every month since the start of the year. In the 125cc segment, Hero’s Glamour has been the top-selling bike for the sixth month running, leaving behind Honda’s CB Shine which saw its sales fall by considerable 17,394 units compared to June 2016. It is understood the massive downturn in sales of CB Shine variants was due to capacity restraints at Honda’s Tapukara and Bangalore plants, where the models are currently manufactured.

Also read: Hero MotoCorp vs Honda sales in 125cc segment

In its effort to reinstate its leadership in the 125cc executive commuter motorcycle segment, Honda is planning to boost the production capacity of its CB Shine models, thereby increasing its supplies in the local markets.

The strong upswing in the Glamour’s sales also helped it outperform Hero’s Passion series for a second consecutive month. The Passion brand managed to sell only 63,229 units in July 2016, a decrease of 33 percent year-on-year.

Considering the two-wheeler industry's current pace of growth, August 2016 sales bid fair to be august numbers.

Recommended:

- Top 10 Motorcycles in June 2016

- Top 10 Scooters in July 2016

- India Two-Wheeler Sales Analysis: July 2016

- Carburettor units to bid adieu with BS VI norms