Aurelia Butler

2022 Yamaha FZS25 New Colour – Matte CopperYamaha FZ25 and FZS 25 competes against other naked quarter-litre bikes such as Bajaj Pulsar N250 and Suzuki Gixxer 250
2021 was a busy year for Yamaha with the all-important launch of the fourth-gen R15. The company also launched its first maxi scooter in India in the form of Aerox 155. The next big-ticket launch from Yamaha is expected to be the new-gen version of MT-15 which is the naked streetfighter iteration of R15. Before that, they have updated FZS25.
Yamaha continues to provide regular updates on its product lineup in order to keep prospective buyers interested. The Japanese bikemaker has added two new colour options to its naked quarter-litre offering- FZS25 for 2022. The new shades added to the palette include Matte Copper and Matte Black.
2022 Yamaha FZS25 – New Colour Options
Yamaha has updated the FZS25 as well as the FZ25. While the former has been priced at Rs 1,43,300, the latter is pegged at a price tag of Rs 1,38,800 (both prices ex-showroom). FZ25 will be offered with colour options of Racing Blue and Metallic Black while new colours of Matte Copper and Matte Black will be offered with FZS25.
Apart from new colour options, nothing has been changed in the quarter-litre naked streetfighter. Both dual-tone colour options enhance the bike’s sporty appeal. To complement the overall aesthetics, both colour options come with copper-coloured alloy rims which seem a little flashy. The standard variant is also offered with a MotoGP-inspired livery.
2022 Yamaha FZS25 New Colour – Matte Black
Engine Specs, Hardware & Features
Powering FZ25 is a 249cc, air-cooled, SOHC, single-cylinder engine that generates 20.5 bhp at 8,000rpm and 20.1 Nm of peak torque at 6,000rpm. This engine is paired with a 5-speed gearbox. Suspension duties are taken care of by telescopic forks at front and a mono-shock at rear.
Anchorage is handled by disc brakes (282mm front and 220mm rear) at both ends aided by dual-channel ABS. The motorcycle rides on 17-inch alloy wheels on both ends which are shod with 100 section front and 140 section rear rubber.
Features such as all-LED illumination, negative LCD instrument cluster, under cowling and side stand with engine cut-off switch are offered as standard in both variants. The top-spec S variant benefits from additional hardware like a long visor, brush guards on the handle grips and golden alloy wheels.
Yamaha recently updated the smaller FZ25 a couple of weeks ago. The 2022 FZ Fi and FZS Fi have received a new LED headlamp. With this update, the FZ range of bikes receives all-LED illumination as standard. The Japanese bikemaker has also updated the colour palette on the street naked bike with new options to choose from. More

Image – SouRik MotoworldHonda Activa sales continue to post huge decline – It is likely that a segment of buyers is moving towards electric scooters
Taking the top 10 best-selling scooters in India, sales stood at 2,28,045 units last month. This was a 24.44 percent de-growth over 3,01,820 units sold in December 2020. Even as demand for petrol powered scooter sales dipped, the electric scooter market has been on a continuous path of positive growth over the past several months.
Top 10 Scooters Dec 2021 – Activa Leads
India’s favorite scooter, Honda Activa topped the sales charts for the month of December. It saw sales of 1,04,417 units sold during the past month, down 22.64 percent over 1,34,977 units sold in December 2020. The Activa, with a 45.79 percent share in its segment, was the only scooter on this list to surpass the 1 lakh unit mark while every other model failed to see sales above 40,000 units.
At No. 2 was TVS Jupiter scooter. It saw sales remain flat on a YoY basis at 8,142 units, down 0.76 percent over 38,435 units sold in December 2020. TVS Jupiter is priced from Rs. 68,401-78,595 and is offered in 5 variants and 13 colour options and is the most popular two wheeler in TVS lineup.
Suzuki Access 125 suffered a sales de-growth of 36.85 percent in the past month. Sales which had stood at 40,154 units in December 2020 dipped to 25,358 units last month. Last month, the company introduced new colours for its range of 125cc scooters, Suzuki Access 125 and Suzuki Burgman Street. Suzuki also launched new Avenis 125 scooter to rival NTORQ.
Top 10 Scooters Dec 2021
TVS Ntorq, Hero Pleasure
At No. 4 was the TVS Ntorq with sales at 16,859 units, down 34.38 percent over 25,692 units sold in December 2020. Hero Pleasure also noted a YoY de-growth of 51.78 percent with 9,205 units sold in December 2021, down from 19,090 units sold in the same month of the previous year.
Though the Pleasure scooter has been on sale for many years, the company has kept its demand fresh with regular updates in terms of colour schemes and new features. Honda Dio at No.6 with 8,637 units sold, down 60.79 percent over 22,025 units sold in December 2020.
Yamaha Scooter Sales Dec 2021
Yamaha India’s best selling scooter was the Fascino. It managed to sell 8,455 units in Dec 2021, against 6,180 units sold in Dec 2020 – registering an increase of 37%. Ray ZR sales dipped 33.48 percent YoY to 8,781 units, down from 8,690 units sold in December 2020.

Top 10 Scooters
Dec-21
Dec-20
Growth % YoY

1. Honda Activa
1,04,417
1,34,977
-22.64

2. TVS Jupiter
38,142
38,435
-0.76

3. Suzuki Access
25,358
40,154
-36.85

4. TVS Ntorq
16,859
25,692
-34.38

5. Hero Pleasure
9,205
19,090
-51.78

6. Honda Dio
8,637
22,025
-60.79

7. Yamaha Fascino
8,455
6,180
36.81

8. Yamaha RayZR
5,781
8,690
-33.48

9. Suzuki Burgman
5,766
2,666
116.28

10. Hero Maestro
5,425
3,911
38.71

Total
2,28,045
3,01,820
-24.44

Suzuki Burgman Street and Hero Maestro completed this list of top 10 best-selling scooters last month and both showed significant growth in demand. Burgman Street sales increased 116.28 percent to 5,766 units from 2,666 units sold in December 2020 while Maestro sales were up 38.71 percent to 5,425 units from 3,911 units on a YoY basis. More

Image for referenceThe manufacturing facility owned by Saera Electric Auto was previously used for manufacturing two-wheelers for Harley Davidson in India
A few months ago LML announced its comeback to the Indian two-wheeler market by venturing into the electric mobility space. The defunct automaker has now announced a strategic partnership with Saera Electric Auto, a two-wheeler producer formerly manufacturing motorcycles for Harley Davidson in India.
This development was confirmed through a media release shared by the company. As per the agreement, Saera’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bawal, Haryana will be used to produce the upcoming LML electric vehicles. Kanpur-based LML is looking to play a big role in the rapidly rising adoption of battery-powered two-wheelers in India.
LML Teams Up With Saera Electric Auto
The advanced and innovative infrastructure of Saera will now be utilised by LML to develop a wide range of EV products from the LML electric stable. The company revealed that it intends to build a future-ready manufacturing facility using Saera’s technology and processes. This is the first of the many steps taken by LML in its aim to be a 100 percent “Make in India” entity by the end of 2025.
Spanning 2,17,800 square feet, this manufacturing facility has a production capacity of 18,000 units per month, and is equipped with best-in-class infrastructure. As of now, LML is currently tight-lipped on the kind of products it will roll out.
Ad of old LML Scooter
Commenting on this partnership, Dr. Yogesh Bhatia, CEO of LML, said, “We are very pleased to announce this important collaboration with one of the most reputed manufacturing names in the two-wheeler and auto segment. Saera was our first choice because the company holds unparalleled expertise and reputation with some of the world’s premier auto brands.”
LML- History & Future
First incorporated in 1972, LML wants to project itself as a brand that will produce ‘Empowered Vehicles’ rather than merely Electric Vehicles. Back in those days, products of LML scooters were a common sight on Indian roads for several years before settling into the sunset. In the 1980s, LML had a major collaboration with Italian company Piaggio to sell the LML-Vespa in India.
LML has been rebranded as LML Electric since it will only be retailing battery-powered vehicles. The company is being backed by an unnamed investment partner. LML had previously stated that it plans to invest approximately Rs 1,000 crore over the next 3-5 years.
While LML has refrained from revealing any specific detail, it has revealed that its upcoming electric two-wheeler will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and will be targeted at the upper-middle and urban segments of society. LML Electric Scooters and motorcycles are expected to be launched in the coming years. More

Image for reference.
A joint product development and platform sharing between Hero Electric and Mahindra Group will also enable electrification of Peugeot Motorcycles portfolio
Hero Electric and Mahindra Group have announced a strategic partnership in the electric mobility space. This partnership has been forged as part of Hero Electric’s growth and expansion plans in order to cater to the growing demand for electric vehicles in India.
As part of this joint venture, Mahindra will manufacture two of the most popular electric scooters from Hero Electric- Optima & NYX to meet the growing demands of the market. These two electric scooters will be manufactured at Mahindra’s Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh. This is the same plant where Mahindra manufactures their Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles.
Hero Electric-Mahindra JV: More details
This collaboration will also help Hero Electric with the expansion of their existing Ludhiana facility. By expanding its manufacturing facility, Hero intends to meet its demand of manufacturing over 1 million electric two-wheelers per year by 2022. It will further enable them to drive adoption of a cleaner mode of transport.
Naveen Munjal, MD, Hero Electric, has stated that partnership between the two automotive firms will enhance manufacturing capabilities to meet demand and utilize Mahindra Group’s robust supply chain to reach newer centers in the country. He further revealed that a long-term partnership will also see both the companies make the most out of each other’s deep knowledge of EVs and drive new product development in the next few years.
Hero Electric Scooters
The primary purpose of this joint venture will be production and development of a supply chain and sharing of platforms for electric two-wheelers. Though Mahindra currently doesn’t manufacture electric two-wheelers of its own, it supplies and manufactures parts for e-scooters for the French brand Peugeot. The joint development efforts will prove beneficial for Peugeot when it comes to platform sharing.
Development of EV-related tech for other brands
Mahindra and Hero Electric will enter into a 5-year contract with a possibility to enhance the areas of collaboration in future. The value of the transaction is expected to stand in the range of Rs 140-150 crores over the contract period.
The two companies will create a seamless channel of communication to aid knowledge sharing among the R&D teams to build new products and technologies. This will be done keeping the Indian and global markets in mind that will not just further the growth of electric vehicles but also go on to set benchmarks for faster adoption in the industry.
The partnership between Hero Electric and Mahindra will further help the latter in developing new EV-related technologies which could be further utilised in other Mahindra-owned two-wheeler brands such as Jawa, Yezdi and most importantly BSA. Reports of Classic Legends developing an electric motorcycle under Jawa had surfaced online a few months back. More

Royal Enfield Classic 350Royal Enfield Classic 350 was the best-selling 350cc motorcycle in December 2021 and despite de-growth scaled over the others by a significant margin
The Indian automobile market continued to face severe shortage in supplies of semi-conductors thus leading to some production constraints. Domestic sales were significantly lower in the 350cc motorcycle segment, although there was a notable increase in exports. Royal Enfield continued to dominate this segment with Classic, Meteor, Bullet and Electra along with Honda CB350.
Total sales of these 5 bikes in the 350cc segment in December 2021 stood at 64,643 units which included 59,646 units sold in domestic markets while 4,997 units were exported. This related to a YoY de-growth in domestic sales to the tune of 7.97 percent over 64,812 units sold in December 2020. Exports on the other hand increased 493.47 percent from 842 units shipped in December 2020.
350cc Motorcycle Sales Dec 2021 – Classic 350 Leads
Heading 350cc motorcycle sales list in the past month was Royal Enfield Classic 350. It saw domestic sales to the tune of 34,723 units, down 11.69 percent over 39,321 units sold in December 2020. Despite this de-growth, sales of the Classic 350 were higher than combined sales of other four in the sales chart by a significant margin leading to a 58.22 percent share in this segment.
Meteor 350 sales increased 28.10 percent to 10,977 units, up from 8,569 units sold in December 2020. Sales of the Bullet 350 dipped 23.08 percent to 8,061 units as did sales of Electra 350 that fell by 7.32 percent to 4,521 units in the past month, from 4,878 units sold in December 2020. Honda also noted a 12.79 percent YoY de-growth for its CB 350 to 1,364 units from 1,564 units sold in December 2020.
350cc Motorcycles Sales and Exports – Dec 2021 vs Dec 2020 (YoY)
Exports on the other hand saw substantial growth for RE Meteor 350 and Classic 350. Shipments went up by 2321.28 percent for the Meteor 350 to 2,276 units in the past month, from 94 units sold in December 2020. Classic 350 exports increased 733.19 percent to 1,983 units from 238 units sold in December 2020.
Honda CB350 exports also increased 44.71 percent to 738 units in December 2021 from 510 units shipped in the same month of the previous year. Electra 350 saw just 9 units shipped in the past month while Bullet 350 exports failed to take off.
350cc Motorcycle Sales and Exports Dec 2021 vs Nov 2021 (MoM)
When comparing sales in the 350cc motorcycle segment on a month-on-month basis, performance in domestic markets improved significantly. Sales increased 43.08 percent MoM from 41,688 units sold in November 2021 to 59,646 units last month. It was once again Classic 350 that claimed charts by a significant margin with a 77.15 percent MoM growth from 19,601 units sold November 2021 to 34,723 units in the past month. RE Classic 350 commanded a 47.02 percent share in November 2021 which increased to 58.22 percent in December 2021.
350cc Motorcycles Sales and Exports – Dec 2021 vs Nov 2021 (MoM)
At No. 2 was the RE Meteor 350 with sales growth of 62.02 percent to 10,977 units in December 2021, a MoM increase over 6,775 units sold in November 2021. Sales of Bullet 350 dipped 7.9 percent in December 2021 to 8,061 units from 8,733 units sold in the previous month while Electra 350 sales increased 6.20 percent from 4,257 units sold in November 2021. Domestic sales of Honda CB350 dipped 41.26 percent from 2,322 units sold in November 2021.
Exports saw the Meteor 350 in demand with 2,276 units sold, down 12.63 percent over 2,605 units shipped in November 2021. Classic 350 exports increased 44.22 percent over 1,375 units in November 2021 while Honda CB350 exports dipped 41.98 percent from 1,272 units in November 2021 to 738 units in December 2021. More

Render image for reference.Bajaj Auto is developing multiple new products in the premium segment of two-wheelers with KTM and Triumph
Bajaj Auto has been looking to foray into the premium segment of mid-displacement motorcycles for many years and hence has stitched many partnerships with international brands like KTM and Triumph. The Chakan-based automaker has filed a new trademark named ‘Twinner’ which could be used for an upcoming twin-cylinder motorcycle.
As per the trademark certificate, the name has been proposed for motorcycles and scooters among others, however, there hasn’t been any confirmation on the same by Bajaj yet. Bajaj has joined hands with the iconic British manufacturer Triumph to develop affordable mid-capacity motorcycles specifically for the Indian market.
Parallel-twin motors developed by Bajaj-KTM
It should be noted that Bajaj is already developing a new 490cc parallel-twin engine in association with KTM which will be utilised in multiple upcoming models under the Austrian brand such as 490 Adventure, 490 Duke, RC490, and 490 Supermoto/Enduro.
This 490cc parallel-twin motor could also power upcoming Bajaj models as well. Whether this engine will be the source of power for the Twinner is yet to be seen. It is possible that Bajaj could launch these motorcycles under the Pulsar brand – Bajaj Pulsar 500cc Twinner or the likes.
Bajaj Twinner Trademark Filed
Registrations of trademarks in the auto industry don’t guarantee a market launch. Bajaj has filed multiple trademarks in recent times including ‘Fluor’, ‘Fluir’, and ‘Neuron’. Most of them are likely to be utilised by the brand’s upcoming electric two-wheelers. That said, the Twinner trademark application doesn’t mention the use of electric vehicles.
Bajaj-Triumph joint venture
This motorcycle will cater to the 200cc-700cc engine capacity and it is squarely aimed at a segment dominated by Royal Enfield for the past many decades. As per earlier reports, the first product from the Bajaj and Triumph joint venture was expected to make its global debut this year. However, due to unavoidable delays, the market launch of the upcoming bike got pushed to 2023.
The first of the upcoming motorcycles is expected to be globally unveiled towards the end of this year. These bikes are expected to flaunt a neo-retro design similar to the Bonneville range of motorcycles from Triumph. Retro-styled bikes are currently the blue-eyed boys in the motorcycling community all over the world. However, other than the trademark filed, there isn’t any significant detail revealed.
Bajaj New EV Plant
This is interesting since Bajaj recently laid the foundation stone for its new EV manufacturing plant in Akurdi near Pune in Maharashtra. Bajaj has announced an investment of Rs 300 crore for this new facility which on completion will have an annual production capacity of 50,000 EVs. The first vehicle from this plant is expected to roll out by June this year. More