Aurelia Butler

Kawasaki Ninja 300 will be receiving its annual update shortly in the next few daysExisting Ninja 300. Image – Shahrukh AkhtarKawasaki India has teased an update for Ninja 300 on its social media handles. The entry-level supersport bike is due for its yearly update soon which should be launched in the coming few days.2022 Kawasaki Ninja 300 UpdatesThe motorcycle last received an update in March last year when it got upgraded from BS4 to BS6 emission norms. Although the nature of updates isn’t confirmed yet, it is expected to feature only cosmetic changes.The Japanese superbike brand is known for continuously updating its lineup even though the order and extent of updates might be subtle and minute. In this case, too, Ninja 300 is expected to feature cosmetic updates in the form of new colour options, most probably.Kawasaki might also throw in a few additional features to its kit but no major changes are expected. It is currently priced at Rs 3.37 lakh (ex-showroom). The entry-level faired motorcycle is available in a single trim with three colour options namely Lime Green, Candy Lime Green and Ebony.2022 Kawasaki Ninja 300 Facelift TeaserNo changes to its mechanical specs or design are expected in the upcoming iteration of Ninja 300. It is powered by a 296cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine that dishes out 39 PS of power at 11,000rpm and 26.1 Nm of peak torque at 10,000rpm. This motor is mated to a six-speed gearbox via a slipper and assist clutch.Features on offerNinja 300 is underpinned by a steel tube diamond frame that sits on 37 mm telescopic forks at front and a gas-charged mono-shock at rear with a 5-way adjustable preload. Braking duties are handled by single petal-shaped discs at both ends chewed down by dual-piston callipers. The motorcycle rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped around by slicks.As far as features go, the current iteration of Ninja 300 gets a basic semi-digital instrument console, LED lighting and dual-channel ABS. Ninja 300 is the entry point to Kawasaki’s lineup and is exclusively built in India. It competes against other entry-level supersport bikes like TVS Apache RR 310 and KTM RC 390. The upcoming Ninja 300 could also witness a minute bump in its prices.Earlier in January this year, Kawasaki also unveiled its new entry-level product in the form of Versys-X 250 is offered in select countries such as Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Given the demand for entry-level adventure bikes in India, Kawasaki might think of launching the quarter-litre ADV in the country. If launched, this bike will compete against KTM 250 Adventure, Benelli TRK 251 and the recently launched Suzuki V-Strom SX. More

All except Royal Enfield Classic 350 have negative YoY growth in March 2022; MoM numbers stay buoyantNew Royal Enfield Meteor 350 GreenIn March 2022, the 350cc motorcycle segment registered sales of 55,432 units. YoY growth is negative at -9.42%, as compared to 61,199 units sold in the corresponding period last year. MoM numbers are positive at 11.34%, as compared to 49,788 units sold in February 2022. Only Meteor 350 has negative MoM growth.350cc Motorcycle Sales Mar 2022 – Classic 350 leadsClassic 350 continues to be the bestselling 350cc motorcycle in the country. New-gen version of the bike was launched last year in September at a starting price of Rs 1.84 lakh (ex-showroom). Sales are 32,694 units in March 2022. YoY growth is 3.16%, as compared to 31,694 units sold in the corresponding period last year. Classic 350 market share is at 58.98% in March. MoM growth is positive at 8.68%, as compared to 30,082 units sold in February 2022.At number two in the list is Bullet 350 with sales of 8,283 units in March. YoY growth is negative at -14.55%, as compared to 9,693 units in March last year. Market share is at 14.94%. Bullet MoM growth is positive at 28.78%, as compared to 6,432 units sold in February 2022. Royal Enfield is currently testing next-gen Bullet that will have the new J platform and new 350cc engine. It is expected to be launched later this year or early 2023.Meteor 350 has dropped to third spot, registering the biggest percentage reduction in sales. A total of 6,589 units were sold in the month of March. YoY growth is down by -37.82%, as compared to 10,596 units sold in March last year. Market share is at 11.89%. Meteor MoM growth is also negative at -2.37%, as compared to 6,749 units sold in February.350cc Motorcycle Sales March 2022At number four is Electra 350 with sales of 4,460 units in March. YoY growth is negative at -9.24%, as compared to 4,914 units sold in March last year. Market share is at 8.05%. Electra MoM growth is 30.18%, as compared to 3,426 units sold in February. Percentage-wise, this is the highest MoM growth in the group.Honda H’ness CB350 is fifth with sales dropping by -20.83%. A total of 3,406 units were sold in March, as compared to 4,302 units in March last year. Market share is at 6.14%. CB350 MoM growth is 9.91%, as compared to 3,099 units sold in February.350cc motorcycle exports March 2022In exports, 350cc motorcycles have registered positive gains in both YoY and MoM terms. A total of 4,077 units were exported in March 2022. YoY growth is 136.76%, as compared to 1,722 units exported in March last year. MoM growth is 2.05%, as compared to 3,995 units exported in February.350cc Motorcycle Exports March 2022Here too, Classic 350 leads the pack with exports of 2,581 units in March. YoY growth is 280.12%, as compared to 679 units exported in March last year. Share in exports is at 63.31%. MoM growth is at 77.27%, as compared to 1,456 units exported in February.Next is Meteor 350 with exports of 1,046 units. YoY growth is 17.53%, as compared to 890 units exported in March last year. Share in exports is at 25.66%. MoM growth is negative at -21.88%, as compared to 1,339 units exported in February.At number three is CB350 with exports of 450 units in March. Exports have tripled as compared to 150 units exported in March last year. Contribution to exports is at 11.04%. CB350 MoM growth is negative at -62.50%, as compared to 1,200 units exported in February. Motorcycles with zero exports in March 2022 are Electra and Bullet 350. More

Ever since the Royal Enfield Himalayan was launched back in 2016, it has become the de facto adventure bike for touring aficionadosNew Royal Enfield Himalayan 450Though the initial lot of the motorcycles was beset with myriad of issues, which have been resolved over the years. It even got a minor update last year, and now the bike is almost sorted. What it still lacks is top-end grunt needed to make brisk progress on highways. To address this shortcoming, a new Himalayan with a more potent engine is in the works.The new bike, rumoured to be called Himalayan 450 , will have a 450 cc liquid-cooled engine compared to the present one’s 411 cc air and oil-cooled. This new motor is expected to churn out more power and torque, around 40 bhp and 45 Nm, compared to the present Himalayan’s 24 bhp and 32 Nm.Not only will these figures endow the Himalayan 450, with higher highway speeds thanks also to a new 6-speed transmission. The enhanced torque will help the bike tackle tough mountain passes high up in the Himalayas more easily.New Himalayan 450 to be feature-richUpcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 has now been spied again. Latest spy shots are credit to Akshai (the_nakedwolf). Hat tip to automotive enthusiast Bhart Vyas for sharing the update. Apart from a more powerful engine, the Himalayan 450 will also get the latest features sported by other bikes in this segment like ride-by-wire throttle and riding modes like road, off-road and rain.New Royal Enfield Himalayan 450There will be no need to manually switch off ABS at the rear like it is on the Himalayan 411 while going off road. Select the off-road mode and the rear ABS switches off automatically. Another touring-friendly feature on the Himalayan 450 will be the large 20 litre fuel tank, which is 5 litres more than that on the existing Himalayan.The instrument cluster will be vertical, similar to the one seen on the Yezdi Adventure and it would be modern with a full digital TFT cluster displaying comprehensive information though it is yet not clear whether it will be a colour display. On the looks front, the Himalayan 450 will be bigger than the present in every aspect one and come fitted with bigger upside-down forks at the front, which would make for better handling characteristics.The bike is expected to have a 21-inch wheel at the front and a 17 incher at the back but the tyres will be designed to perform equally well on tarmac as well as the rough unlike the Himalayan 411 on which the tyres are more road biased. The Himalayan 450 will have a strengthened frame which would enhance its load carrying capacity and this will allow carriage of more luggage and other stuff like fuel packs etc.New Royal Enfield Himalayan 450For increasing comfort while riding in cold, the bike will come with heated grips as an option along with variety of handguards, handlebars etc which are part of a pretty long list of options to be made available by Royal Enfield.Himalayan 450 RaidRoyal Enfield is also simultaneously working on a more potent version of the Himalayan 450 called the Himalayan 450 Raid. This bike as the name suggests will be earmarked for serious off-road events like the Dakar Rally. Himalayan 450 Raid will have enhanced power output, ruggedized suspension, tubed spoke wheels among other features which would it at home in the gruelling Dakar Rally. However, the launch of this version is some time away, expected in 2025-26.New Royal Enfield Himalayan 450The present Himalayan 411 could have reached the end of its evolution cycle and may be retired when the Himalayan 450 is launched. Though price of the Himalayan 450 will be known near its launch, it can be expected to be priced about Rs 30-50k more than Himalayan 411. In this range, it will be a serious contender for the likes of KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G 310 GS. More

Top 10 two-wheeler sales for the fiscal just concluded is reported at 7.57 percent decline; Hero Splendor leadsNew TVS ApacheCumulative Top 10 two-wheeler sales for FY 2022 fell below the 1 crore mark. Total sales fell to 97,57,340 units, down from 1,05,56,499 units. Volume loss is reported at just under 8 lakh units at 7.57 percent decline.Top spot, as always goes to Hero Splendor. Sales is up at 26,65,38 units at 8.30 percent growth. Volume gain stood at 2,04,214 units, up from 24,61,172 units. Hero Splendor sales in the last fiscal made up for over a quarter of 10 top two-wheeler sales at 27.32 percent.Top 10 Two Wheelers FY 2022Honda Activa sales continue at second place despite decline. Sales in FY22 fell to 17,08,305 units, down from 19,39,640 units. Volume loss stood at 2,31,335 units at 12 percent decline. Activa sales contributed to 17.51 percent of total sales of the top order. With over a tenth of its volume shaved off, volume difference between both top sellers is at a humongous 9,57,081 units. This puts Splendor dominantly on top spot.Hero HF Deluxe takes third spot following a sharp fall of 30 percent. FY22 sales fell to 11,65,163 units, down from 16,61,735 units. Volume loss stood at just below 5 lakh units marking the sharpest fall in the top order. The steep decline resulted in HF Deluxe only just edging ahead of Honda CB Shine sales.Top 10 Two Wheelers FY 2022The latter reported 11.48 percent growth, up at 11,01,684 units from 9,88,201 units. Volume gain stood at 1,13,483 units. Both bikes enjoyed market share at over 11 percent. Volume difference reduced to 63,479 units, having improved vastly from volume difference of 6,73,534 units in FY21.Bajaj took fifth and sixth spot with its Pulsar series, and Platina. While Pulsar sales fell for the fiscal, Platina sales improved. Pulsar sales were down at 7,77,044 units from 9,45,978 units. Volume loss stood at 1,68,934 units at 17.86 percent decline. It accounted for just under 8 percent of market share in the top 10 list. Platina contributed to just under 6 percent. Total sales for FY22 were up at 5,75,847 units from 4,51,685 units. Volume gain stood at 1,24,162 percent. Sales growth for the fiscal is reported at 27.49 percent.Suzuki Access scooter salesTVS took the next 2 spots. The Jupiter scooter took top spot for TVS at 5,04,567 units. Sales fell from 5,40,466 units. Volume loss is reported at just under 36k units. Volume loss stood at 6.64 percent. Jupiter accounted for 5.17 percent market share. XL100 sales fell by 23.35 percent. Sales were down at 4,73,150 units from 6,17,247 units. Volume loss is reported at 1,44,097 units. Sales accounted for just under 5 percent market share in the top 10 sales orders.Top 10 Two WheelersFY 2022FY 2021Growth % YoY1. Hero Splendor26,65,38624,61,1728.302. Honda Activa17,08,305 19,39,640-11.933. Hero HF Deluxe11,65,16316,61,735-29.884. Honda CB Shine11,01,6849,88,20111.485. Bajaj Pulsar 7,77,0449,45,978-17.866. Bajaj Platina5,75,847 4,51,68527.497. TVS Jupiter5,04,5675,40,466-6.648. TVS XL 1004,73,1506,17,247-23.359. Suzuki Access4,60,5964,17,60110.3010. TVS Apache3,25,5983,25,644-0.01Total97,57,3401,05,56,499-7.57Suzuki Access scooter sales improved for the fiscal year just ended. Growth stood at 10.30 percent. Sales were up at 4,60,596 units, up from 4,17,601 units. Volume gain stood at 42,995 units. While Access trailed XL100 sales by 2 lakh units in FY21, in FY22 that number is miniscule at around 13k units. TVS Apache sales graph was flat at 3,25,598 units. In the previous fiscal the company had sold 46 more units. More

This fancy number plate cost the bidder Rs 15.4 lakhs which is Rs 14,69,000 more than the cost of the new Honda ActivaNew Honda Activa 6G. File Photo.Buying a vehicle could become news. Recently, a man from Tamil Nadu purchased a Bajaj Dominar at Rs 2.67 lakhs with Rs 1 coins. He was saving money for 3 years to buy his dream motorcycle. This news was all over the internet, even Bajaj Auto had shared it on their social media.Now comes a story where a man who spent more than Rs 15 lakhs for a fancy number plate. Yes, Rs 15 lakhs, and that too on a scooter. Usually, fancy numbers are bought for expensive cars or bikes. But this one here, is for a Honda Activa. The no is CH01- CJ-0001.Honda Activa Fancy Number Plate at 21:1 RatioIn a recent auction held by the Chandigarh Registering and Licensing Authority, 378 fancy registration numbers and leftovers were sold for Rs. 1.5 crore. Among these was the fancy number plate which was picked up at Rs 15.44 lakhs for a Honda Activa that cost the buyer Rs 71,000.This was against a reserve price of Rs 50,000. This is a ratio of 21:1 and something rarely seen as fancy number plates are usually purchased for luxury cars in the sedan or SUV segments, which cost many times over. This was earlier the case with a 0001 number plate for which an owner of a Mercedes Benz S-Class had bid Rs 26.05 lakhs in 2012.Honda Activa 0001 NoBrij Mohan, the bidder of the fancy number plate from Chandigarh, runs an advertising agency. He states that initially this no will be seen on his Honda Activa, but it will be migrated to his new car, which he plans to purchase during the upcoming Diwali festival. 0001 number plates are the most favoured and often auctioned at exorbitant prices. CH01CH had fetched Rs 24.40 lakhs in an earlier auction, while in 2012, the CH01 AP series was picked up by a bidder at Rs 26.05 lakhs.This auction comes at a time when Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar opened up fancy number plates to the general public for numbers such as ‘0001’ for their vehicles. This announcement was made by Khattar, at a Cabinet meeting held in Chandigarh. Such numbers are allotted via e-auction.As on date, there are 179 state government vehicles using the 0001 number plate in Haryana and the aim was to generate added revenue from the e-auction with bidding starting from Rs 5 lakhs. As per estimates, revenue of Rs 18 crores could be collected via e-auctioning of these fancy number plates.Honda Activa Price HikeHonda has recently hiked prices of the Activa range from 1st April 2022. Both the Activa 6G and Activa 125 get priced higher by Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 respectively and now carry price tags of Rs 71,432 and Rs 74,898. Apart from this price hike, the company has not introduced any other visual changes while it continues to be powered by the same engine lineup. Honda Activa 125 competes with the Suzuki Access 125 and TVS Jupiter 125. More