India is a really huge market for two-wheelers as a major population of the country rides them. In a lot of ways, a motorcycle is the ideal vehicle for a majority of Indians as they are affordable, fuel efficient and suitable for prevalent traffic conditions. Also, India has a large population of young people, who prefer riding a motorcycle over a car due to a number of reasons. All these reasons culminate to make India a critical centre of operation for bike manufacturers from all around the world. Companies from India, over the years, have mapped this sort of demand and produced vehicles accordingly. Style, fuel economy and pricing are three of the most important factors, which influence the decision of anyone who wants to buy a two-wheeler. Models that come with all these three things have done remarkably well in the Indian auto market.
Innumerable bikes have been launched in the country over the years and some have managed to sustain themselves for a really long time. Hero MotoCorp is among the leading two-wheeler manufacturers of the country and has been able to sustain dominance for a prolonged period. Splendor could, perhaps, be counted among the most popular bikes of all time given the kind of sales figures it has consistently registered. Even in recent times, officials from Hero MotoCorp have been seen communicating importance of Splendor and how it has managed to outperformed its competitors.
In a recent interaction, an official from Hero MotoCorp, was quoted as saying, “We have already sold more than a million units (10,39,006) of Splendor, which is more than double of Discover, which sold 5,01,270 units.” There are four models in Splendor series, namely Super, Pro, Plus and NXG. While NXG, Plus and Pro are fitted with an air-cooled four-stroke single cylinder engine that has a displacement of 97.2 cc, Super Splendor runs on a powertrain with a displacement of 124.7 cc. Industry experts feel that the high fuel economy, durability and aggressive pricing of Splendor have helped it to dominate the market.
Bajaj Auto can be considered as the toughest competitor of Hero MotoCorp as the two are constantly battling for supremacy. Discover is to Bajaj Auto what Splendor is to Hero MotoCorp, in terms of earning revenue and increasing brand's popularity in the country. Discover, by far, has been the most successful series for Bajaj Auto, which can be seen by the fact that till now, six models have been launched including the most recent 100 M. Bajaj Discover was launched in India with a lot of expectations in India and to say the least, it has delivered. Currently, there are six Discover models on sale in the market, namely 125 ST, 125 T, 100 T, 125 and 100 M. These models have been appreciated for their styling, well designed body and superb engine performance. Industry experts have also praised how well Bajaj Auto has managed to market Discover models in India.
No discussion of Bajaj Auto could take place in the Indian context without mentioning, possibly, its most famous series of products, Pulsar. Be it youngsters or middle-aged people, Pulsar has managed to carve a niche for itself among all. Ever since its first advertisement, buyers in the Indian market have connected with this bike. The success of first model propelled Bajaj Auto to introduce more products in the Pulsar line-up. Currently, there are five models in this series, namely 135 LS, 150, 180, 220 and 200 NS. Pulsar has stood out among others owing to its unique styling, power and solidarity. Notably, this model is still going strong in the Indian market, registering good sales figures from a long time.
TVS Apache RTR is also counted among the most popular bikes in the Indian two-wheeler market. Two models of this stylish bike are available in India, namely 160 and 180, both of which have done really well. The Apache series has managed to find a liking among youngsters, who have appreciated it for style, acceleration and power levels.
Last but certainly not the least is the Royal Enfield Bullet series, which is considered to be a legend by many people in India. A bike series that has managed to withstand the test of time and still sustain its popularity levels. Almost all models of this series have enjoyed distinct success levels in terms of brand value. Some of most popular bikes in the Bullet series are 500, 500 EFI, Electra, Electra EFI and 350 Twinspark. Muscular, powerful and stylish, Bullet bikes have always known for their sense of class. Not only in the market, Bullet models have also become a part of popular culture and have been shown in films many a times.
