NEW DELHI: European arm of Japanese two wheeler manufacturer Honda Motor has confirmed the production of a new breed of motorcycle for the 2017 sales season - the 'X-ADV'.

Based on the City Adventure concept machine displayed at EICMA show in Milan in 2015, the X-ADV features an upright riding position for high visibility and long travel suspension to handle the roughest road surfaces. At the same time, the X-ADV offers the practicality of a 5 stage adjustable windscreen and storage space for an off-road style helmet, informed the company in a press statement.

The X-ADV will come with Honda's Dual Clutch Transmission as standard fitment.

The X-ADV will be shown to the public for the first time at the EICMA show in Milan, from 8 - 13 November 2016. Full technical specifications will also be available at this time.

Source : Honda confirms production of new ‘X-ADV’ motorcycle

NEW DELHI: Italian super-bike maker Ducati has said that demand for premium motorcycles has sobered down in India this year, but the market is likely to pick up in the coming time on festive cheer and new model launches.

Ravi Avalur, MD of Ducati in India, said that the growth rate for premium bike sales - priced above Rs 4 lakh - has tempered down in the last couple of months.

"Till last year, the market was going strong and industry-wide sales were up 47%. This year, we are seeing a growth of only around 15%," he said as the company launched the 'XDiavel' cruiser in two variants, priced at Rs 15.9 lakh and Rs 18.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The premium bike market is estimated at about 6,500 units annually and companies selling the super-bikes include Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Kawasaki and Ducati. Harley-Davidson is already assembling its bikes in the country, and is the leader in the segment.

Avalur said that the slowdown in the pace of growth is a "temporary blip" which "should be corrected by the end of the year".

Ducati, which imports bikes from Thailand using India's free-trade agreement with the country, sells 11 models here which are priced between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 55 lakh. These include sports bikes and cruisers.

Speaking about the new launch, Avalur said the model is likely to see healthy demand here as Indians prefer to ride cruisers rather than pure sports models. "Cruisers are the largest segment in the luxury motorcycle category. We wanted to enter this segment... (and) the XDiavel achieves that... Our dealers have been overwhelmed with pre-bookings and we're confident that the XDiavel will be the cruiser-of -choice for the connoisseurs."

The company - which last year sold around 50,000 units globally -- had re-entered the Indian market in March last year. Avulur did not disclose the numbers it has sold so far. The company sells its bikes from 5 dealerships, including in Delhi-NCR, Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune.

NEW DELHI: Mahindra Two Wheelers today launched a special edition of its scooter model Mahindra Gusto 110 which could be pre-booked at an initial booking amount of Rs 5,000 exclusively at mobile payment and commerce platform Paytm.

 "We are at the forefront of embracing e-commerce by making our products available to customers at their convenience. With this we are launching the advance booking plan for the special edition Gusto at Rs 5,000 only with our preferred e-commerce partner, Paytm," Mahindra Two Wheelers Senior General Manager - Sales, Marketing & Product Planning  Naveen Malhotra said in a statement.

The special edition Gusto would be available in two colours - Pacific Matt Blue and Crimson Matt Red, priced at Rs 52,010 (ex-showroom Delhi).

Source : Mahindra two wheelers launches Gusto variants on Paytm

NEW DELHI: In what may come as music to the ears of Mauti Suzuki fans in the country, the company reportedly plans to incorporate Harman Kardon music systems to its cars from 2017. 

Harman Kardon is a US-based home and car audio equipment manufacturing company which has tie ups with several luxury car makers - globally as well as in India. 

According to a report in Team-BHP, Maruti is looking to bring Harman Kardon systems to its lineup in a bid to make their offerings even more lucrative for buyers. The Ignis - expected to be launched in December - may become the first car from the auto giant to be fitted with these systems.  

It is highly unlikely that the small car offerings from Maruti will get fitted with these systems as it would bump up the prices in a price-sensitive segment, the sedans and sub-compact SUVs will get the systems on the higher variants - subject to the deal materialising, media reports suggest. 

Harman Kardon though has already collaborated with Tata to bring in their products in the entry-level segment. A deal with Maruti will act like a catalyst for the company in the vibrant Indian auto market. 

KOLKATA: A day after the chief minister pitched for an automobile hub from Singur, Swedish car maker Volvo expressed its interest to invest in Bengal. The Bengal government has allotted 25 acres of land to the multinational at Panagarh in Burdwan district.

"Volvo has expressed interest to set up a unit in Bengal. We will give them 25 acres of land at Panagarh.We will provide all help if anyone wants to invest in Bengal. We have adequate land and infrastructure," Mamata Banerjee said at Nabanna.

Mamata, in her efforts to establish that everything is "normal" between the Tatas and the Bengal government, has taken a step forward towards building a fresh association with the group. The government has roped in Tata Metaliks to launch a skill development programme. She held a meeting with Tata Metaliks on Thursday. 

"It is indeed great that Tata Metaliks and the Bengal government are joining hands for a skill development programme. We are happy that Tata Metaliks has taken the initiative for an ITI in Midnapore. We are ready to extend all help. Skilled manpower is the need of the hour for the industry. We aim to train six lakh youths in a year," Mamata said. The group signed an agreement with the government on Thursday in presence of the chief minister. 

Source : Volvo to drive into Bengal, state government allocates 25 acres