The Hindu Business Line : Hero Motors launches Sting; more bikes to roll out

Launching Hero Sting here today, Hero Motors's Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Sales, Mr Sanjay Bhardwaj, said the tie-ups with Bombardier Rotax on engine quality assurance and Aprilia for two-wheelers will give them an edge in the market .

The two-wheeler range from Hero Motors will be high performance machines with respect to fuel efficiency, manoeuvrability, pulling power and load bearing. These are features that will satisfy the college-goer, young executive and the self-employed. The two-wheeler range, with ``international styling'', will target the domestic and export market, he said.

Hero Sting, a step-through, powered by a 92-cc engine, will be priced at Rs 23,990 for the cost-conscious while a premium model will cost Rs 25,000.

The other offerings slated for the coming months are Smart DX, a moped, that ``sounds and feels like a motorcycle.'' This 75-cc, 4-stroke machine will be available in two variants, to carry passengers or haul load. This is a re-launch after a false start last October. The company has heard out the customers' complaints and made alterations, according to Mr Bhardwaj.

A scooterette, Hero Sonic Aprilia (a two-stroke, 75-cc or a 4-stroke, 92 cc) will be on the roads in January 2005. Twister, a 4-stroke and liquid cooled family vehicle and Hero Aprilia SR 125, ``an aggressive 4-stroke moto-scooter'' are the other models in the pipeline.

In a tearing hurry

It is common for advertisements to depict two-wheelers tearing up roads as each manufacturer tries to impress on the customer his machine's capability.

Dealers at the launch of the Hero Sting had a taste of the bike's capability as it tore the carpet at a demonstration in a five-star hotel in Chennai today.

An apologetic Mr Sanjay Bhardwaj, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Hero Motors, told journalists that a demo planned for them had been cancelled.

"After the morning's demonstration, the hotel is demanding Rs 25,000 for damages," he said.

The journalists had to settle for an audio-visual demonstration of the Hero Sting.

More Stories on : New Products & Services | Two/Three Wheelers

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