Yamaha has quietly removed several commuter motorcycles from its entire line-up in India including the entry level YBR 110 and the SS 125

India Yamaha has removed as many as five commuter motorcycles from its official website, indicating that these models may no longer be offered as part of Yamaha’s product line-up.

The models which are likely to be discontinued include the entry level YBR 110, YBR 125, SS 125, SZ-S, as well as the 150cc SZ-S and SZ-RR bikes.  

So, now Yamaha’s entry level offering is the 106cc Crux, followed by the 125cc Saluto, which recently got a disk brake version as well. The commuter 150cc segment will be served by the SZ-RR Version 2.0, which remains in the product line-up, even though the earlier generation SZ-S and SZ-RR have been phased out. The SZ-RR Version 2.0 will be the entry-level 150cc bike, placed just below the FZ series.

Yamaha has also decided to keep the bestselling earlier generation FZ, FZS and Fazer in the product portfolio, alongwith the current generation fuel-injected ‘Version 2.0’ FZ, FZS and Fazer models.

So, with this trim up, India Yamaha’s current product line-up will include 16 models in all – Crux, Saluto, Saluto (Disk Brake), SZ-RR Version 2.0, FZ, FZ Version 2.0, FZS, FZS, FZS Version 2.0, Fazer, Fazer Version 2.0 YZF-R15 Version 2.0 and the all-new YZF-R3. Yamaha’s CBU line-up includes the FZ1, YZF R1, YZF R1M and the VMAX power cruiser. Yamaha’s scooter range will continue to include the Ray, Ray-Z, Alpha and the Fascino.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The Iron 883, Forty-Eight, and Street 750 to get upgrades; Road King motorcycle to make a comeback.

 Harley-Davidson has announced updated versions of three of its Dark Custom motorcycles – the Iron 883, Forty-Eight, and Street 750. In addition, the American manufacturer’s new line-up will feature a broad range of performance and styling enhancements across the range. The company also announced the return of the Road King touring motorcycle.

Updates on the new Iron 883 include an all-new front suspension and an adjustable rear suspension, lighter mag wheels and improved seating. The Forty-Eight gets new mag wheels, a larger front end with 49mm forks, and a new adjustable rear suspension and seating. The new Street 750 model gets new front and rear braking systems.

Previously only seen on Harley-Davidson touring bikes, the High Output Twin Cam 103 engines will now be available on all Softail motorcycles – the Fat Boy, Heritage Softail Classic, and Breakout. The Heritage Softail Classic also receives refreshed styling for 2016.

All 2016 Sportster models are also set to get all-new front and rear suspension which pair emulsion coil-over shocks with new front cartridge forks, and new seats.

Speaking about the new line-up, Pallavi Singh, director (Marketing), Harley-Davidson India said, “This is another historic year for Harley-Davidson. We’re raising the bar on Dark Custom motorcycles with the new Iron 883, Forty-Eight and Street 750, the purest expression of the design. And we’re extending our lead in touring with the return of the Road King and redesign of the popular Heritage Softail Classic.”

Courtesy : Autocar

UM will launch three different variants of the Renegade series of motorcycles, designed specifically for the Indian market and will price them below Rs 2 lakh

American two wheeler manufacturer UM Motorcycles has postponed plans of launching their bikes in India to February 2016.

UM was earlier slated to launch a new series of cruiser bikes in June 2015 and then later the launch was postponed to September 2015.

Three new bikes – the Renegade Commando, Renegade Classic and Renegade Sport – will be launched in February 2016, around the time the 2016 Auto Expo is held. All three bikes will share the same heart - a 300cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that is expected to make around 18PS of power.

UM’s three new bikes are expected to be priced below Rs 2 lakh and they will be officially unveiled in November 2015. All bikes will have features like dual disc brakes and ABS.

UM has already signed a 50:50 joint venture with Indian electric bike maker Lohia Auto. Manufacturing is believed to be underway at Lohia’s existing facility in Kashipur, Uttarakhand. Eventually, the manufacturing unit in India will serve as an export hub for UM to markets in South East Asia and Africa.

The subsidiary will directly sell to dealers and even to customers as a well as directly conduct all market development and support activities such as marketing, service, after sales etc for the Royal Enfield brand in North America.

To cater to the North American market, niche bike maker Royal Enfield has set up a direct distribution subsidiary in the US, its first outside India.

The company, the two-wheeler division of Eicher Motors, also plans to open its fully-branded retail stores in the US that will sell its entire product line up of motorcycles and gear.

The subsidiary will directly sell to dealers and even to customers as a well as directly conduct all market development and support activities such as marketing, service, after sales etc for the Royal Enfield brand in North America, the company said in a filing to the BSE.

"North America is a key international market for Royal Enfield with a rich history of riding enthusiasts. Given the lack of attractive options in the mid-size segment, we are well poised to fill the gap and serve potential customers at a close, intimate level by localising our operations in North America," Royal Enfield President Rudratej Singh said.

This strategic announcement is in line with Royal Enfield's focused international thrust of leading and expanding the global mid-sized motorcycle segment (250cc-750cc), with North America representing a priority market for it, the company said.

Royal Enfield's current product line up in North America includes Bullet 500 cc, Classic 500cc and the Continental GT 535 cc cafe racer, priced between USD 4,995 to USD 5,995.

Royal Enfield North America, President, Rod Copes said: "Royal Enfield's first fully branded retail store in the US will soon be launched in Milwaukee that will retail its entire product line of motorcycles and gear."

Over the next 18 months, the company plans to launch several such stores in key metropolitan areas across the US, he added.

"We are also focussing on building a strong independent dealer network that will maximise our brand awareness and sales," Copes said.

The company's current distributors - Classic Motor Works (CMW) located in Fairbault, MN, would be transitioning out of distributing Royal Enfield motorcycles by the end of 2015, he added.

The Chennai-based bike maker has been exporting bikes to North America for 15 years.

All manufacturing activities of the company would continue in Chennai, while global headquarters would also continue to reside in Gurgaon, it said.

In 2014, Royal Enfield sold more than 3 lakh bikes globally. In 2015, the company aims to produce 4,50,000 motorcycles to support its growth strategy globally.

Courtesy : Autocar

The Z250SL is powered by a single-cylinder 249cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled engine; Kawasaki may use locally sourced components.

Kawasaki is expected to launch the Z250SL in India, its first single-cylinder offering in the market. Unlike the Z250, which uses a parallel-twin, 249cc, 31.5bhp engine, the Z250SL uses a similar displacement, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, four-stroke motor which is expected to develop around 27bhp.

The Z250SL is 20kg lighter than the Z250, thanks to the use of high tensile steel for its trellis frame. The models weighs 148kg for the non-ABS model, while the ABS-equipped model weighs 150kg.

A source close to the development told our sister publication Autocar Professional, “Components such as handlebars, clutch plates, front and rear suspensions, wheels, tyres, head- and tail-lamps, electrical switches, switch housings, radiator fans and other similar parts may be locally sourced for the Z250SL. The engine and its parts are, on the other hand, imported from Thailand. Kawasaki is working on localising this model to keep costs low and is sharing the part vendors of Bajaj Auto. Also, the single-cylinder engine will ensure that this model (Z250SL) would be the most affordable model from Kawasaki ever.”

However, deputy MD of India Kawasaki Motors, Shigeto Nishikawa, in an official communication to our sister publication, refused to make any comments about the upcoming new model.

The Z250SL is expected to be launched by end-2015, with a cost likely to be hovering around the Rs 2 lakh mark. Once launched, the motorcycle will compete against the likes of the single-cylinder 199.5cc, 25bhp KTM Duke 200, the single-cylinder 249cc, 26bhp Honda CBR250R and other models in the entry- level performance bike segment.

Kawasaki stated that it has no plans to discontinue the Z250.

Courtesy : Autocar