Since the time it began its India journey three years ago, Triumph has emerged as one of the fastest growing super bike brands in the 500cc plus category. Vimal Sumbly, Managing Director, Triumph Motorcycles India, speaks about the road ahead.

Is the super bike market maturing in India?

In India, the two-wheeler is still seen as being risky. People are yet to understand that the current generation of bikes is safer than preceding models. They are more technology and rider-oriented with better braking systems, ABS, traction control, tubeless tyres and so on. Super bike customers have the same levels of aspiration as mass buyers and it boils down to passion, freedom and individuality. I don’t find any difference between a rider in India and elsewhere in the world.

What is Triumph’s mantra in this market?

Our strategy is to stay in the price point of ₹7-22 lakh. Earlier, the sweet spot in the Indian market was ₹3-4 lakh which has moved to ₹6-7 lakh. India is a value-conscious market where people are ready to splurge on an iPhone 7 because they see value in it compared to other brands. The same thought process applies to premium motorcycles which is essentially about offering a huge value proposition.

In our classic range, which was predominantly the old generation of Bonnevilles, we have now loaded new technologies such as traction control, liquid cooling, LED lamp, immobiliser etc. It is a modern generation classic and will attract both old and young buyers. New styling and technologies improve the value proposition in our bikes.

With the mid segment (250-750cc) now the centre of action, how does Triumph plan to position itself?

We want to be in the luxury and lifestyle brand segment and do not want to be in the entry level category. There is huge potential in the segment we intend to address where latent demand will eventually grow.

Globally, luxury bikes are noted for styling and riding features. For instance, you ride classic bikes with a straight posture. In cruise bikes, you are almost relaxed while in adventure bikes, you are literally standing and riding. In super sports bikes, your chin almost touches the fuel tank.

All these categories have different cc bikes, but it does not determine the price. It is actually defined by the output the machine is supposed to deliver. A 900cc machine has high torque while a 675cc has very high power. So it is all about the categories.

To cater to different customers, we have Roadsters starting from 675cc and modern Classics with 900cc and 1200 cc platforms. In cruisers, we have the largest twin cylinder engine and the largest production model 2300cc Rocket III while the adventure category has 800-1200cc bikes.

What are some of the fast growing categories in India?

We believe adventure and classic bikes will be the future of motorcycling in India. The classic range is becoming a new epicentre of motorcycling not only in here, but also in overseas. With driving becoming more challenging in cities, I can see IT people riding Bonnevilles to their offices. We are seeing almost 40 per cent of numbers coming from the Classic range.

The adventure bike segment is also taking off in a big way. People want to travel with their friends and the riding community. The adventure segment will become large going forward. We have sold 500 motorcycles in this category and dominating this market.

Do you offer any special training programmes?

Over the last eight months, we have taken up training sessions under theTriumph Tiger Training Academy programme. We create a track and train people on adventure biking. This helps customers understand our big bikes better. In addition, we offer training on safe riding along with a US-based school. All this give riders more confidence.

We have trained 350 people on adventure riding so far as well as 100-odd prospective customers on safe riding. We will not sell our bikes if the customer refuses to wear a helmet and other riding gears.

What are the plans on dealership expansion?

We have 14 outlets and three more will come up soon. By 2020, we intend to have 20-25 outlets.

Going forward, there will be greater penetration into Tier 2/3 centres such as Coimbatore and Kozhikode.

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