in Motor News
7 Easter Eggs Found on Nissan's Sexy Z Proto
The closer you look, the more heritage you’ll find on Nissan’s characterful Z Proto, the preview of its seventh-generation Z-car. More
News
Subterms
More stories
- in Bike
Benelli Imperiale 400 Diwali Offers Up To Rs 12k Announced
Image for reference
Benelli Imperiale 400 helps save over 10k if purchased this festive seasonWith the ongoing festive season being hotbed for offers, Benelli India has now introduced its Diwali Sparkle Offer. This makes the Benelli Imperiale 400 an even more tempting offering. Diwali Sparkle Offer customers can own Imperiale 400 with savings up to Rs. 12,000 for the red and black colour option. It is to be noted here that the silver colour is already offered at a Rs 10k lower price as compared to the other two colours.
Just as all good things come to an end, the festive offer is available for a limited time across all Benelli dealerships. With festive season sales sentiment always being stronger, and customers receiving more footfalls, the specially curated offer will will the manufacturer reach a wider audience, while making the value proposition on Imperiale 400 even more accessible for potential customers.
Benelli financing option
Benelli India has rolled out the offer in conjunction with a recently announced ‘Low EMI’ scheme of Rs. 4,999 with up to 85 percent funding. Available at a starting price of Rs. 1.99 lakhs onward, customers can book a Benelli Imperiale 400 for Rs. 6,000. Of course, this can be done online or at a dealership.
The finance scheme is curated to be a convenience to ensure ease of purchase, which in turn would make the proposal more attractive for likely customers. This is in tandem with recent trends where finance options have been reworked to up the ease of purchase quotient keeping in mind disruption brought about by Covid-19 pandemic. The impetus is one that’ll yield positive response for bike that has already proven its popularity, having closed bookings at 4k units in 2019.Imperiale 400 retro-classic the manufacturer says is for ‘free spirits’, and strongly recalls brand heritage. Imperiale 400 owners are offered 3-year unlimited kms warranty, and 2-year complimentary service as standard’. 3rd-Year Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC), and 24X7 RSA service are on offer.
Available in 3 colours, Red, Silver and Black, Imperiale 400 gets power from a SOHC, single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled BS6 engine with electronic FI that returns 21PS @ 6000rpm, and max torque of 29Nm @ 3500rpm.
Benelli Imperiale 400 colours
Of course the specially curated offer is only on the Red and Black colour option this season. Regular price applies for the Silver Imperiale. Of course, it’s most likely a blink and you miss offer considering the season of festivity is spans for only a fortnight more.
And even as Imperiale 400 goes about creating a strong buyer base, the manufacturer finds yet another bike to contend with in the Honda CB350. The latest segment entrant proves to be yet another chose for those interested in a mid-size segment offering.
Interestingly, the segment now appears to be a lot more sizeable with the product range now being a handful as compared to just having to buy a Royal Enfield, which was the only option until a few years ago. More - in Bike
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Blue Colour With RTO Registered Number Plate – Spied
Credit – Neelesh Bajaj
Meteor 350 is all set to be launched in India on 6th Nov at an expected price tag of Rs 1.7 lakhs, ex-shThe successor to Thunderbird range, Royal Enfield Meteor 350 will be launched on November 6. A retro cruiser, Meteor 350 is distinguishable with its round halogen headlamp, LED DRLs, raised handlebars and forward-set footpegs. It will be offered in three variants – Fireball, Stellar and Supernova.
Meteor will be utilizing an entirely new ‘J’ platform and a 349 cc single cylinder, air cooled engine. Power and torque output are 20.5 hp and 27 Nm. Engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. A rival to the recently launched Honda H’ness CB350, Meteor 350 is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 1.60 lakh to Rs 1.80 lakh, ex-sh.
Meteor 350 RTO Registration
Ahead of the actual launch, now an image of the Meteor 350 has surfaced with an RTO registered number plate. When checked with the RTO website, the bike is registered with Delhi RTO. Owner name is mentioned as Eicher Motors. Registration date mentioned is 22 Sep 2020 and validity is up to 21st Sep 2035.
This is actually around the same time when the bike was originally planned for launch. But then Honda CB350 came into the picture out of nowhere, and RE’s Meteor launch plans were derailed.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 RTO registered.
The above motorcycle is probably a media test ride unit. Ahead of launch this week, Royal Enfield has started media test rides across major cities of India. First ride reviews of Meteor 350 will be out on the same day of launch.
Meteor 350 engine and chassis
As revealed earlier, Meteor 350 will have an entirely new 349 cc, single cylinder, air cooled, FI engine. As compared to the earlier unit that had push-rod actuated valves, the new engine will have an SOHC (single overhead cam) setup. The new engine will deliver slightly more power and it will be smoother, as compared to the current BS6 350 cc engine that powers Royal Enfield motorcycles.
The new engine is capable of delivering 20.2 bhp of max power at 6100 rpm and 27 Nm of max torque at 4000 rpm. That’s around 1 bhp more than the current engine. However, torque output has gone down by 1 Nm. The new engine will be mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
Among other key changes, Meteor 350 will be utilizing the entirely new J platform. This platform will also be used for several other next-gen products that Royal Enfield will launch in the future.
It is expected that Meteor 350 will be competitively priced in the range of Rs 1.60 lakh to Rs 1.80 lakh, ex-sh. It will rival the likes of Honda CB350, Jawa 300 and Benelli Imperiale 400. More - in Motor News
All the Presidents' Cars: World Leaders' Rides vs. Their Countries' Top-Selling Cars
In some countries, the leader’s limo is worth over 100 times that of the best-selling car. Where does The Beast stack up? More
- in Bike
Harley Davidson Dealers May Reduce Because Of Partnership With Hero
File Photo
Harley Davidson last week entered into a distribution and licensing agreement with Hero MotoCorp as a part of its Rewire strategy.Harley Davidson’s partnership with Indian two-wheeler giant Hero MotoCorp was on the expected lines since the American brand quit its India operations a couple of months ago. As per this deal, Hero MotoCorp will now develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley Davidson brand name.
However, this partnership has put the fate of Harley India’s existing 33 dealerships across the country in doubt. These dealers are spread across metros and smaller towns across India and have no idea what future holds for them. As per last update, Harley Davidson was still in process of communicating this transition to its existing dealers.
Current status of Harley Davidson Dealer in India
Dealers still awaiting clarity from Harley or Hero MotoCorp; expect the network to be shrunk to 13-15 dealerships from the current 33. Dealers have confessed that mid-sized motorcycle Street 750 accounted for 70-80 percent sales in the country and has been out of production for more than a month.
A Harley Davidson dealer on condition of anonymity admitted that in its good days, the dealers sold around 20-25 units of Harley each month which has come down to single-digit figures. With Street 750 most likely not to return and the launch of a mid-size motorcycle from the Hero-Harley combination still a few years away, dealers feel they should be compensated for the investments made by them or should increase the profit margins to sustain operations.
Hero will take care of Harley Motorcycle Sales and Service in India
Future of these dealers
The report states that Hero Moto will not only sell and service existing Harley bikes in India but also “sell parts and accessories and general merchandise riding gear and apparel through a network of brand-exclusive Harley-Davidson dealers network in India”.
Another Harley Davidson dealer said that in 2013, the American motorcycle brand was solely dependent on CBUs and there were only 9-10 dealerships at that time. The company is heading towards the same direction now.
The most affected dealers are going to be those in the smaller markets of the country and those who had recently refurbished their showrooms and invested a sizeable chunk. A clearer picture is expected later this week when an official communication from Harley Davidson is sent out to dealers which will throw some light on increased margins or compensation for the dealers.
Harley Davidson officially announced its tie-up Hero MotoCorp. This is not a first in two wheeler industry. We have already seen the likes of Bajaj-KTM, BMW-TVS and Jawa-Classic Legends. The first product of this joint venture is likely to be a mid-size motorcycle in the 350-500cc segment. This made-in-India Harley motorcycle is also expected to be exported by Hero to overseas markets.
SOURCE More - in Bike
Two Wheeler Sales Oct 2020 – Hero, Honda, TVS, Bajaj, Suzuki, Royal Enfield, Yamaha
Hero Splendor BS6
Powered by the festive mood, two-wheeler sales continued to be buoyant in OctoberA total of 19,91,260 units were sold, which is YoY gain of 15.77%. Sales during the corresponding period last year stood at 17,19,962 units. MoM gain is 8.01%, as compared to 18,43,599 units sold in September 2020.
Hero, Honda, TVS in top three
At 32.54%, Hero MotoCorp has registered the highest percentage YoY growth in October. A total of 7,32,498 units were sold, as compared to 5,52,672 units in October last year. MoM growth is 5.05%, as compared to 6,97,293 units sold in September 2020. The company’s market share in October stands at 36.79%. Primary growth drivers for Hero are its popular commuter bikes, Splendor and HF Deluxe.
Honda Two Wheelers is at second place with 4,94,459 units sold in October. YoY growth is 1.36%, as compared to 4,87,819 units sold in October last year. Interestingly, while sales were expected to grow in October, the company has registered negative MoM growth of -1.28%. Sales in September 2020 were higher at 5,00,887 units. Honda’s primary growth driver continues to be its popular Activa scooter. The company’s market share was 24.83% in October.
TVS Motor takes the third spot with 3,01,380 units sold in October. YoY gain is 19.27%, as compared to 2,52,684 units sold in October last year. MoM growth is 24.66%, as compared to 2,41,762 units sold in September 2020. Some of the bestsellers in TVS portfolio include XL Super, Jupiter, and Apache. The company commanded a 15.14% market share in October. If we combine the top three (Hero + Honda + TVS), their collective market share turns out to be more than 75%.
Two Wheeler Domestic Sales Oct 2020 vs Oct 2019 (YoY) vs Sep 2020 (MoM)
At number four is Bajaj with 2,68,631 units sold in October. YoY gain is 10.77%, as compared to 2,42,516 units sold in October last year. MoM gain is 22.38%, as compared to 2,19,500 units sold in September 2020. The primary growth driver for Bajaj continues to be its Pulsar range. Other contributors include CT100 and Platina. The company’s market share in October was 13.49%.
Suzuki takes the fifth spot with 67,225 units sold in October. YoY gain is 1.53%, as compared to 66,215 units sold in October last year. MoM gain is 3.11%, as compared to 65,195 units sold in September 2020. Suzuki’s bestsellers continue to be Access, Gixxer, and Burgman. The company’s market share was 3.38% in October 2020.
No
Two Wheeler Sales
Oct-20
Oct-19
1
Hero
7,32,498
5,52,672
2
Honda
4,94,459
4,87,819
3
TVS
3,01,380
2,52,684
4
Bajaj
2,68,631
2,42,516
5
Suzuki
67,225
66,215
6
Enfield
66,891
71,964
7
Yamaha
60,176
46,082
–
Total
19,91,260
17,19,952
Royal Enfield YoY sales down
At number six is Royal Enfield with 66,891 units sold in October. It is the only two-wheeler manufacturer to register negative YoY growth in October. Sales are down -7.05%, as compared to 71,964 units sold in October last year. However, MoM sales have improved 19.64%, as compared to 55,910 units sold in September 2020. The company’s bestseller continues to be its Classic 350 motorcycle.
Yamaha is placed seventh in the list with 60,176 units sold in October. While YoY sales are positive at 30.58%, MoM sales are down by -4.56%. Yamaha’s bestsellers in October include R15, MT15, Ray, FZ and Fascino. More - in Motor News
Tune In for Episode Six of Inside Track, R&T's Virtual Q&A Series
On the next episode of Inside Track, our friends at Road & Track will be chatting with the founder of one of the most iconic websites in the world of cars: Bring a Trailer.
Head on over to our dedicated sign-up page here to access episode two of Inside Track on Thursday, Nov. 12 , 5:00 p.m. EST.
Next Thursday, Hearst Autos chief brand officer Eddie Alterman and Bring a Trailer founder Randy Nonnenberg will be coming together to talk about the classic-car market, the site’s mission, and how it became an iconic stop for vintage-car sales.
To join in on the chat, head over to our dedicated sign-up page here. See you there.
Disclaimer: Bring a Trailer is also owned by Road & Track’s parent company, Hearst Autos.This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More
- in Motor News
Toyota Brought This Overland-Ready Tacoma TRD Pro to Virtual SEMA
Toyota teamed up with 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine to build this Tacoma TRD Pro overlanding rig.
It’s equipped with CBI Offroad heavy-duty bumpers, 33-inch mud-terrain tires, a rooftop tent, and more.
The team also installed a supercharger to give the V-6 engine more power to account for all the added weight.
The overlanding community has been blowing up in recent years with people modifying Jeeps, Toyotas, and really anything with four-wheel drive with beefed-up suspensions, big all-terrain tires, roof racks, rooftop tents, onboard refrigerators, and everything else needed to survive off-road and off the grid for days at a time. Toyotas are the vehicle of choice for some overlanders because of their reliability, and Toyota, in partnership with 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine, is showing off this Tacoma TRD Pro at virtual SEMA fully kitted out for overland adventures.Toyota
The build starts off with a 2020 Tacoma TRD Pro, which comes factory-equipped with Fox shocks, protective skid plates, and a hood-mounted snorkel intake, and then it adds all the necessary accessories needed for overlanding. They swapped out the factory shocks with ToyTec coilovers on the front axle, new dampers, and added a leaf spring to the rear as well as CBI Offroad lower control arms and Camburg Engineering upper control arms.
Essential Gear for Overlanding Adventures
2021 Ford Bronco Looks Best Fully Kitted Out
Jeep Shows Off Concept Gladiator Overlander
It sits on 16-inch matte black Method Racing wheels wrapped in 33-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrain KM3 tires, and for protection they added aluminum and steel skid plates and rock sliders. A CBI Offroad aluminum front bumper with a ComeUp winch and a steel dual swing-out rear bumper are also installed along with a Prinsu roof rack with LED light bars installed in all three. And it wouldn’t be complete without a Yakima rooftop tent and extra fuel and water storage.
Toyota
The Tacoma TRD Pro is powered by a 278-hp 3.5-liter V-6, but the team added a Magnuson supercharger to add more power to account for all of the extra weight added to the truck. The blower ups the six’s output to 370 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque, so it’ll be ready to conquer all sorts of off-road terrain.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More
