Indian bike aficionados are eagerly waiting for 28th November as Triumph will officially make its debut in the country. The company would be commencing its operations in India from the first dealership that is expected to be opened in Bengaluru. With the launch of Triumph bikes, the company would be aiming to capture the attention of Indian buyers. However, things would not be easy for Triumph in India as rivals like Harley-Davidson and Ducati are already present. Experts are saying that there are a few challenges that Triumph will face in order to excel in India. The company has to first persuade the people in buying touring bikes, something that could be a little tricky.
As far as model launches for Triumph India are concerned, the British bike maker would be offering Bonneville, Street Triple, Speed Triple, Daytona 765, Tiger 800 XC, Thunderbird Storm and Rocket III in India. What remains to be seen is whether or not all these models would be introduced during the initial phase. However, reports have suggested that the company would not be adhering to the product line-up it showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo.
It is quite certain that Triumph will be introducing the entry-level Bonneville model. Equipped with an air-cooled 865 cc engine, it produces a peak power of 67 bhp alongside a maximum torque of 67 Nm. Apart from this, Street Triple is also likely to make a mark in India as soon as Triumph enters the fold. Powered by a three-cylinder 1050 cc liquid-cooled engine, Street Triple generates 133 bhp worth of power and 110 Nm of torque. Talking about the high-end models, the famous Rocket III might be launched in the country, reports have claimed. It gets a massive 3-cylinder 2294 cc engine that delivers maximum power of 105 bhp and 202 Nm of torque.
Triumph is looking to expand its dealership network in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, after which it plans to open stores in Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin and Goa. In all likelihood, Triumph would
be choosing the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) route for bringing bikes in India. Interestingly, if the company sells its bike through the CKD route then prices announced by the company for its models at the 2012 Auto Expo might be the same. However, with the depreciating value of Rupee against Dollar, it might be quite hard for Triumph to turn up with the same prices as announced at the 2012 Auto Expo.
In India, Harley-Davidson leads the premium bike segment in India with sales of about 150 units a month through its various dealers. In order to topple Harley-Davidson from its perch, Triumph would first need to expand its dealer network and also create a brand value by organising promotional and marketing events. Experts are saying that Triumph is entering the Indian car market at the right time as the demand for high-specification bikes has increased lately. According to estimates of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the market share of bikes having a displacement of 350 cc have risen by 3.5 per cent.
