Suzuki Bikes

2021 Suzuki Burgman Electric Scooter
Suzuki is likely to launch an electric scooter under the Burgman brand name in India sometime next year

The prototype of Suzuki Burgman Electric has been spied testing once again. Like in the previous case, in the recent shots as well the absence of an exhaust canister can be clearly seen.
As mentioned in our previous report, the electric scooter is similar to the Burgman Street in design. It gets a similar maxi-style design just as its petrol counterpart, however, the electric scooter prototype is seen in a white and blue dual-tone paint scheme.
2021 Suzuki Burgman Electric Scooter
Suzuki had revealed its intentions of developing an electric scooter back in 2018 but it was not known that the Japanese brand would be adding it to the Burgman range. Tagging it as ‘Burgman’ would make good sense since the first electric scooter will be expensive and the Japanese brand needs a strong donor with convincing looks, features and presence to justify its price. Moreover, with increasing popularity of maxi-scooters in India, it might give Suzuki a certain edge.
Distinguishing styling elements
The electric scooter also had a grey sleeve around the footboard which offered a visual distinction. Another major difference revealed on closer observation is that on the IC engine Burgman Street employs a single-sided shock absorber on its left side whereas in the test mules spotted the shock absorber was on the right. Common elements included telescopic front suspension and alloy wheels.

Features expected
Other design elements noted were a rear tyre hugger for better protection and a digital instrument cluster. Also, the reflector is now re-positioned from below to above the registration plate. The instrument console might feature Bluetooth as well as 4G LTE which allows for smartphone connectivity and using connected vehicle functions.
Last month, Suzuki rolled out the latest version of the Suzuki Connect which now offers features like SMS and Call Alerts, Whatsapp alert, turn-by-turn navigation, caller ID alert, riding statistics, charging status, etc.

Rivals & Expected Price
There has been no word from Suzuki on its powertrain yet, however, one can expect it to be equipped with a battery pack capacity of 3-4 kWh and paired to a motor generating 4-6 kW power. Performance would be in the range of Burgman Street 125cc scooter.
One can expect a top speed of 80 kmph with single charge range of 70-90 km. As far as prices are concerned, expect it to be well over Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom). Upon its launch, it will rival the likes of Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube.
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Image – Sinha Suzuki
Suzuki says that the retail sales operations have been registering sustainable growth compared to last year

Contrary to the positive growth trend of the two wheeler industry in November 2020, Suzuki Motorcycles India posted a YoY decline of 7.93% in overall sales. The company, however, remains positive about its immediate prospects as more and more people are opting for personal mobility.
Suzuki Motorcycles India November 2020 sales
Suzuki sold a total of 64,224 units last month compared to 69,755 units during the same month in 2019. The domestic dispatch accounted to 57,429 units which represented a YoY decline of 5.63% while the exports dropped by 23.65% (at 6,795 units) mainly due to pandemic induced challenges.
Looking at the MoM growth rate, the Japanese two wheeler brand registered a decline of 14.57% in domestic sales compared to 67,225 units in October 2020. The overall sales of 76,865 units in October 2020 is Suzuki’s highest monthly sales performance in the country.
However, Suzuki Motorcycles India revealed that the retail sales is actually indicating a sustained growth in demand compared to last year. In the scooter range, it was the Access which delivered highest sales. Other scooter in lineup is Burgman. Motorcycle range includes Gixxer and Intruder. Below is the detailed sales table of Suzuki for Nov 2020.
Suzuki Two Wheeler Sales Nov 2020 vs Nov 2019 (YoY) vs Oct 2020 (MoM)
New addition to the portfolio
Suzuki introduced the V-Strom 650XT BS6 to its premium motorcycle lineup last month. The company is happy about the number of queries the medium displacement adventure touring has been receiving.
In October, Suzuki introduced a refreshed version of its popular Access scooter in addition to the sporty Burgman 125. New color themes for the Gixxer family were introduced as well.
Suzuki electric scooter on the anvil
Like most other two wheeler OEMs, Suzuki is seriously looking at the electric scooter segment. The company had previously expressed its interest in this sector and a pair of prototypes of what appeared to be a pure electric Burgman was recently caught testing in India.
While the prototypes retained the India-spec Suzuki Burgman 125’s edgy design, they eschewed the exhaust canister. The test mules appear to be equipped with an additional spring at the rear to handle the added weight of the electric powertrain. Nothing much is know as of now but we expect the Suzuki electric scooter for India to have sufficient localization and appropriate technical specifications to take advantage of the government’s FAME II subsidy.
One can expect the Suzuki Burgman electric to be equipped with fully digital dashboard with connectivity features, sprightly performance, a range of around 80 km, and a price tag in the vicinity of INR 1 lakh (ex-showroom). The zero emission urban runabout is not expected to be ready before 2022. More

Image – Sinha Suzuki
Suzuki two wheeler domestic sales were at 67,225 units while exports stood at 9,640 units in October 2020

The two wheeler segment in India has noted strong sales in the past month as the country emerged out of the slowdown followed by the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. Not only were domestic sales substantially higher but exports also increased on an equal footing. Oct 2020 sales were the highest ever by Suzuki India.
In the domestic sales, Suzuki India registered over 67.2k sales in Oct 2020 – growing by over 1.59%. Majority of the domestic sales were thanks to their Access scooter, which registered sales of over 52.4k. Followed by Burgman scooter at 10.6k sales. This was followed by Gixxer 155 sales at over 3.2k. YoY domestic sales have grown by 1.59% while MoM have registered a growth of 3.11%.
Suzuki Two Wheeler Sales Oct 2020 vs Oct 2019 (YoY) vs Sep 2020 (MoM)
Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd (SMIPL) has revealed their export figures for October 2020. It may be seen from the attached table that both their YoY exports and MoM exports increased substantially. The Suzuki Gixxer, Gixxer 250 and Burgman were the three products to scale past the 1000 unit mark with the Gixxer being the most in demand in global markets.
Total exports of the company stood at 9,640 units. This was a 14.83 percent YoY increase as against 8,395 units exported in October 2019 and a 49.09 percent MoM increase over 6,466 units sold in Sept 20. In the past month, the company also introduced the new Access 125 and Burgman Street scooters with Bluetooth and new colors for the Gixxer range.
Suzuki Two Wheeler Exports Oct 2020 vs Oct 2019 (YoY) vs Sep 2020 (MoM)
Suzuki Gixxer Leads Exports
Talking about the most preferred model in export markets, the Suzuki Gixxer suffered a 12.27 percent de-growth in terms of YoY exports. However, it still commanded the charts with 4,711 units exported in the past month. MoM exports faired better with a 39.67 percent increase as against 3,373 units exported in Sept 20.
The Gixxer currently commands a market share of 48.87 percent lowered from the 52.17 percent market share it commanded in Sept 20. Exports of the Gixxer 250 increased significantly by 3,719.05 percent to 1,604 units in the past month, up from 42 units exported in October 19. Market share of the Gixxer 250 also dipped to 16.64 percent in October 2020 down from 19.05 percent share it held in Sept 20.
Exports of the Burgman also increased by 75.54 percent to 1,536 units in the past month, up from 875 units exported in October 19 while MoM shipments also improved by 21.62 percent as against 1,263 units exported in Sept 19.
The Suzuki Hayate was at No.4 on export charts with 960 units exported in October 2020, down 39.70 percent as against 1,592 units exported in the same month of the previous year. However, MoM exports surged 1,233.33 percent as against 72 units exported in Sept 20. Market share of the Suzuki Hayate has increased substantially MoM from 1.11 percent market share held in Sept 20 to 9.96 percent in October 2020.
Suzuki Access, Lets and Intruder
Lower down the order were the Suzuki Access 125, Lets scooter and Intruder. Lets and Intruder 150 BS6 cruiser showed a YoY degrowth of 32.05 percent and 26.39 percent respectively while the Access scooter noted a 751.67 percent increase to 511 units, up from 60 units exported in October 2019. MoM exports of this scooter increased 25,450 percent as against just 2 units exported in Sept 20. More

2021 Suzuki V Strom 650
After months of waiting, the new BS6 Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT adventure motorcycle has been launched in India today

Suzuki Motorcycles India has launched V-Strom 650 XT today in India. The adventure bike was launched in Australia a couple of weeks ago. The ADV has been able to carve a niche for itself in the Indian biking fraternity. Price is Rs 8.84 lakhs, ex-sh. Two colours are on offer – Pearl White and Champion Yellow.
The updated V-Strom 650 was showcased at the last edition of AutoExpo held in February this year. The India-spec model is similar to the one which went on sale in Australia earlier this month. The adventure motorcycle was expected to hit showrooms in April itself, however, Covid-19 had some other plans which forced the makers to alter theirs.
Updates on 2021 V-Strom 650 XT
2021 iteration of the middleweight adv-tourer gets an updated engine which now complies with the latest Euro-5/BS6 emission standards. Visually the bike remains identical to its predecessor. It, however, gets new colour options to choose from. These include a full-black paint with a red beak, white colour with gold rims on wheels and silver paint with blue rims and highlights. India gets two colours only.
Even design-wise, V-Strom 650 XT is similar to its predecessor that features a stepped-up seat, a sloping fuel tank with extensions, a raised transparent windscreen and an upswept windscreen.

With regards to features, it gets a smartphone charger, handguards, a semi-digital instrument cluster, a 12-V accessory power outlet and a plastic sump guard. In addition to this, it receives a bunch of electronics including a dual-channel ABS, three-stage switchable traction control as standard and more.
Mechanical Details
Coming to its powertrain, it continues to draw its power from a 645cc, liquid-cooled, V-Twin motor that churns out 70 bhp at 8,800 rpm and 62Nm of peak torque at 6,500rpm. These figures are almost identical to the outgoing model. This unit is linked to a six-speed transmission. The upcoming model also features Suzuki’s Low RPM to assist the system in order to minimise engine stalling by automatically tuning the idle speed at low revs.

Nothing is different when it comes to the dynamics of the adventure bike. V-Strom 650 XT rides on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels wrapped in tubeless Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 tyres.
Suspension duties are handled by 43mm telescopic forks at front and link-type preload adjustable mono-shock at rear. Anchorage is taken care of by twin 320mm discs at front with twin-piston calipers and a single 260mm disc at rear with a single-piston caliper. It tips the weighing scale at 216 kg.
Mr. Koichiro Hirao, Managing Director, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. said, “V-Strom has made its own following in India. The ultimate adventure tourer has proved its mettle in the highway touring capabilities while exploring different terrains. It is truly a masterpiece with the ultimate balance provided by the natural riding position, comfortable seat and the flexible engine character. This is our first BS6 compliant big bike and we are confident that this cleaner and greener motorcycle will continue to win people’s hearts with its performance and maneuverability as it hit the Indian roads.” More

2021 Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT
2021 Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT mid-segment ADV has been in Australia ahead of India launch next year

Suzuki Motorcycles has launched its mid-segment Adventure motorcycle V-Strom 650 XT in Australia in its latest avatar. Barring a few minor cosmetics and the emission update, nothing major has been changed in the new V-Strom 650 XT. Visually the bike remains identical to its predecessor except for new colour options.
The adventure tourer now gets three new colour schemes to choose from. These include a full-black paint with a red beak, white colour with gold rims on wheels and silver paint with blue rims and highlights. Visually the bike remains the same as its outgoing model.

BS6 Powertrain Details
A major update has been rendered to its powertrain as it complies with the latest Euro-5 emission norms. This makes its path clear for an India launch as Euro-5 norms are equivalent to BS6 standards in India.
It still draws its power from a 645cc, liquid-cooled, V-Twin motor that produces an output of 70 bhp at 8,800 rpm and 62Nm of peak torque at 6,500rpm. These figures are almost identical to its predecessor.

This unit is paired to a six-speed gearbox. The latest iteration of the ADV is also equipped with Suzuki’s Low RPM to assist system that essentially minimises engine stalling by automatically tuning the idle speed at low revs.
Hardware
Dynamics of the ADV also remain identical to the outgoing model. It rolls on 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels wrapped in tubeless Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 tires. Suspension duties are carried out by 43mm telescopic forks at front and link-type preload adjustable monoshock at rear.

Anchoring duties are relied on twin 320mm discs at front with twin-piston calipers and a single 260mm disc at rear with a single-piston caliper. It weighs an identical 216 kg in its latest iteration.
Design & Features
It features an eye-grabbing styling that features a stepped-up seat, a sloping fuel tank with extensions, a raised transparent windscreen and an upswept windscreen. In terms of equipment, it receives a semi-digital instrument console, a smartphone charger, an all-LED lighting setup, a plastic sump guard and handguards.

It also gets a 12-V DC accessory power outlet. Apart from these, it also receives a bunch of electronics such as dual-channel ABS, three-stage switchable traction control as standard.
In Australia, the new V-Strom 650 XT has been pegged at a price of AUD 13,490 which is equivalent to Rs 7.32 lakh in Indian currency. When launched in India, it is expected to carry a price tag of around Rs 7.60 lakh (ex-showroom, India) which is Rs 25,000 costlier than the outgoing model. It is expected to be launched in India early next year. More

Image – Sinha Suzuki
Suzuki Motorcycle India sold 76,865 units in October 2020, and YoY exports grew by 15 percent

Suzuki Two Wheelers reports total sales of 76,865 units last month, up 3.02 percent at 2,255 units volume gain, up from 74,610 units sold last year. Of this, domestic sales accounted for 67,225 units, up 1.53 percent from 66,215 units at 1,010 units volume gain.
Domestic sales accounts for 87.46 percent of total sales. Exports grew to 9,640 units. Up 14.83 percent from 8,395 units at 1,245 units volume gain. Exports account for 12.54 percent of total sales. For the company, this is the highest ever domestic sales reported to date.
Alongwith YoY sales growth, Suzuki Two Wheelers has also reported MoM sales growth. MoM domestic sales grew by 2,030 units, up from 65,195 units at 3.11 percent growth.
MoM exports grew 49.09 percent at 3,174 units volume gain, up from 6,466 units. Total sales gain from the month earlier is reported at 7.26 percent at volume gain of 5,204 units, up from 71,661 units.
Suzuki Sales Oct 2020 vs Oct 2019 (YoY) vs Sep 2020 (MoM)
Devashish Handa, Vice President, Suzuki Motorcycle India said, “Suzuki’s growth curve has continued into the month of October as well. The ongoing festive season has saw us achieve a 3% year-on-year growth for the month. We have surpassed our Sales Volume of last October. This is quite significant since in 2019, the predominant Festive Season from Navratri to Diwali was concentrated in the month of October unlike this year where it is spread over the latter half of October and going upto the earlier half of November. This makes us a little more optimistic about the demand recovery post pandemic.”
Festive season offers
October 2020 brought with it good tidings for the auto industry with most manufacturers posting sales growth. While this doesn’t negate the business losses endured through Covid-19 pandemic related lockdown, it does portend some positivity for Q4 2020.
A good start in October has been possible owing to the ongoing festive season, and sales momentum is expected to be sustainable through November too. With festive season sales being a period that manufacturers look forward to each year, this year has been even better for most manufacturers.
Festivities at Suzuki Motorcycles meant the auto manufacturer offer free accessories up to 3k on its two wheeler purchases through October 2020. Eligibility was approved for bookings made online. Offers on scooters was capped at 1,500 bucks, and at 3k for motorcycles, and was valid for a pre-approved list of accessories.
Suzuki Ride Connect
With new launches being a major strategy during the festive season, last month Suzuki Access 125 and Burgman Street scooters saw the introduction of connectivity features as part of ‘Suzuki Ride Connect’ suite. This is via Ride Connector app, and includes navigation, calls, and messages through bluetooth.
The console displays ETA updates, calls/SMS/Whatsapp alert/missed calls, calledID, and turn by turn navigation. Speed warning system lets one set desired speed limit, and sends alerts if speed is breached. Phone battery level, ETA, and Find My scooter with last parked update can be accessed.
While a number of manufacturers were beginning to report sales contraction by the end of the last fiscal, Suzuki was in fact reporting sales gain for months at an end. This however was disrupted industrywide starting March when lockdown was announced. With business now being brisk, it can be expected that Suzuki Motorcycles is able to build on that interrupted momentum to becomes a more formidable force. More