Indian Motorcycle rides in, targets 10% share in superbikes within a year

New Delhi, January 22, 2014: The now spoilt-for-choice motorcycle buyer in India is now going to be spoilt even more. The world’s oldest motorcycle marque – US-based Indian Motorcycle – has just blitzed into the Indian market to add to the competition in the growing superbike market.

Polaris India, the wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries Inc of USA which acquired the iconic brand in April 2011, has introduced the entire Indian motorcycle range comprising the Chief Classic/Rs 26.5 lakh, Chief Vintage/Rs 29.5 lakh and the Chieftain/Rs 33 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom Delhi).

Bookings for these three models have opened with deliveries to commence from March this year. The company has opened its first showroom in Delhi with the second planned for Bangalore by the end of this second quarter this year.

Speaking to Autocar Professional, Pankaj Dubey, MD of Polaris India, said: “We plan to have 5 exclusive dealerships within the next two years. Other outlets will be opened at Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. Accessories for the Indian motorcycles will also be available at the outlets,”

Indian Motorcycle’s launch also sparks off Polaris’ entry into the motorcycle segment in India. At present it imports and markets off- roaders, mainly All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), for racing and recreation, for border security forces, paramilitary forces and for individual customers mostly residing in A and B towns.

“This launch holds great importance for us. We launched the marque bikes in the US early last year and were appreciated for reviving history. Reviving the legend with a new heart but its same soul, Polaris India has ended the long wait for Indian motorcycle enthusiasts with this launch,” added Dubey.

The Indian Motorcycle range comes powered by the Thunder Stroke 111 (1811cc) engine. The ‘111’ here refers to the engine capacity in cubic inches, which equates to 1811cc. It’s an air-cooled and fuel-injected engine that produces 14.1kgm at 2600rpm. New engine apart, the new Indians look very much like the Indians of the past. There’s lots of chrome, studded seats and the traditional flowing rear fender. However, the three bikes do differ slightly on styling and equipment.

The bike’s architecture includes parallel pushrod tubes, finned heads, down-firing exhausts and left side air intake. The crankcase has a unit design with a high-capacity semi-dry sump oil system and oversized oil radiator. The transmission is a six-speed overdrive with a constant mesh and helical gearbox while the bike has electronic sequential port fuel injection and electronic throttle control.

According to Ross Clifford, director APLA, the new range of Indian motorcycles have optimised a premium packaging. They were launched globally last August. Post the acquisition of the premium brand, Polaris leveraged advanced technology in the new design of the Indian motorcycle. “From the outset, the aim was to capture the iconic design and styling aspects of the 113-year-old brand’s most historic models and fuse that heritage with state-of-the-art technology and progressive design elements.”

The Indians harness the latest technology including keyless ignition, ABS, cruise control at the front and rear, Bluetooth, power windshield and driving LED lights with 100 watts of audio as well as remote locks. The all-leather seats and bags in the Vintage model come from the original supplier in the 1930s and 1940s.

The company’s strategy for the hand-finished bikes is based on ‘respect brand heritage’ in India. While the motorcycles will be imported as CBUs from the US, Dubey does not rule out looking at CKD options over the next three years once volumes pick up.

While Indian merchandise and accessories will be on offer at outlets, Polaris could also look at entering into partnerships for expanding its merchandise distribution system particularly for leather jackets over the next 3-5 years.

Customers can avail of service facilities at Polaris’ existing workshops at Polaris’ 50 touchpoints for ATVs which are linked with Indian Motorcycle engineers.

Dubey remains deterred by the market slowdown and says that the premium vehicle market – for two- and four-wheelers – has not been hugely impacted. He traces the growth of the superbike segment from a paltry 100 units per year in 2007 to 2,500 units annually at present.

Following the Indian launch, Polaris is targeting a 10 percent market share in a 1600cc plus segment within a year. This market was pegged at around 200 units in 2012-13. Harley-Davidson India holds the chunk of the pie with the majority share of 74 percent and calls the shots here. Other major competitors include Yamaha and Suzuki with their superbike portfolio. The target customers for Polaris will be in the 30-50-year age group enveloping businessmen, company executives and sports enthusiasts who already have own multiple two- and four-wheel options and are eager to splurge further.

SHOBHA MATHUR