Yamaha Motors plans to enter automatic scooters segment of INDIA



Yamaha Motor India (YMI), a fully-owned subsidiary of the $12-billion Japanese auto major Yamaha Motor Company, plans to foray into the fast growing automatic scooter segment. Yamaha, which has several scooter models, ranging from 110 cc to 400 cc, is evaluating the right segment to foray into the Indian market. YMI managing director and CEO Tomotaka Ishikawa told ET, “We will enter the scooter market but are yet to finalise the segment and the products.

Once we introduce our new range of bikes in early 2008, we will concentrate on the right kind of scooter for the Indian market. We plan to hit the premium segment first and target customers who prefer to go for style and power rather than use scooters for their commuting needs.”

The company is likely to introduce its automatic range of scooters with dual disc brakes and twin-shock chassis with high-powered liquid cooled engines in the premium segment. It may also hit the entry-level segment with its fuel-injected 125 cc four-stroke engine and compact-sized urban scooters. YMI has already commissioned a market survey to determine different volume generating scooter segments in India.

“We will have India-specific products, though our high-powered range in Europe and sub-150 cc Asian models could also be considered. We will bring new and better features in our scooters with comfortable suspension which will meet high safety standards,” Mr Ishikawa said.

As part of its Rs 1,000-crore restructuring plan, YMI will increase its portfolio from the current three bikes it sells in the domestic market. While its high powered 150 cc to 250 cc scooters will hit the urban markets, the 100 cc to 125 cc scooters will target smaller cities and towns.

With a slew of launches in different segments, Yamaha is aiming to dent the scooter market which has remained positive despite the slump in two wheeler sales. While motorcycle sales, which forms 85% of the market, has fallen by 15%, scooters sales grew by 20% to 5.30 lakh units in the first half of this fiscal.

YMI will compete with Japanese arch-rival Honda Motorcycle & Scooter, which commands a 50% marketshare while TVS Motors and Hero Honda also sell a significant number. Recently Suzuki Motorcycles India and Kinetic Motor Company have also joined the fray by launching new scooters in the 125 cc segment while the Ludhania-based Hero Cycles has also introduced a wide range of electric scooters in technical collaboration of Ultra Motors of UK.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hello. And Bye.
March 20, 2010 at 8:23 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kinetic SYM flyte

Image
It is compact,neatly proportioned and offers generous space. Kinetic imports around 15% of spare parts to keep the Sym quality. Panel gaps are minimal and flyte make use of high quality plastic It is powered by an 8bhp motor which produces 9.1Nm at 5500rpm. Since air filter is superficially located it makes it easy for servicing. The dash choke is also an another useful feature. The engine employs secondary air injection to cut emission. Kinetic Sym flyte makes use of CVT(continuously variable transmission) and a powerful 9Ah which assures easy starting. Flyte’s top speed is claimed to be 80kmph Kinetic SYM flyte features front fueling sytem. Poping out fuel tank lid, 22 litre 2 level underseat double cab storage(spacious even after accommodating the helmet) which is LED illuminated. Mobile charging point, smart bag hook and a smart storage section are quite useful for commuting. 4- in -1 locking system - under-seat storage lock, fuel filler lock, ignition lock and an innovative magnet
Read more

Kymco’s new 700cc scooter Myroad 700i

Image
Taiwanese manufacturer Kymco is getting ready to stamp some serious presence on the scooter market with a brand new 700cc super-scooter unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Myroad 700i features plenty of neat gadgets such as inbuilt tyre pressure gauges, electronically adjustable suspension, keyless ignition, ABS and an alarm, as well as a 170kmh+ top speed to make it the up-and-coming company’s technology flagship for 2008. Already established in Europe, America, and Africa as well as Asia and Oceania (sometimes branded as Bug scooters), Kymco looks set to mount a challenge for a serious slice of the scooter market as it pours resources into quality programmes and hi-tech componentry. The Myroad 700i, which we’ve just clapped our eyes on at the Tokyo Motor Show, will be the company’s flagship for this year, with an impressive feature list surrounding the liquid-cooled 699cc 4-stroke parallel twin engine, which is good for around 45Kw (~55hp) at 7250rpm.
Read more

The 2008 Yamaha Spark 135i, with Fuel Injection

Image
The Yamaha Spark 135i, or Yamaha T135 as the experts call the motorcycle. To be honest the Yamaha Spark 135 has many names in the Philippines the Spark is known as the Yamaha Sniper and in Indonesia as the Yamaha Jupiter MX and some parts of the world the Yamaha Spark 135i is known by the simple name of just Yamaha 135LC. The Yamaha Spark 135i is a small underbone bodied motorcycle which is also the motorcycle with the second-largest displacement in its class. The Yamaha Spark 135i is powered by a SOHC 4-valve 4-stroke liquid-cooled forward-inclined single DiASil cylinder 134.9cc engine. With a 54mm bore and 58.7mm stroke, producing a compression ratio of 10.9:1. Yamaha uses for the Spark 135 a Die-cast aluminum cylinder (DiASil), which offers better heat conductance to dissipate excessive heat more easily. The light forged piston can normally be found in high performance race engines. The Yamaha engine is capable to push this motorcycle, with its close to 16 horsepowers, to a maximum
Read more