The incidence of initial quality problems in two wheelers in the Indian market has reduced significantly according to a study conducted by JD Power.

The research indicates that problems reported by owners in the initial post-purchase period has declined by 14 problems per 100 vehicles for motorcycles and 13 problems per 100 for scooters. The improvement is largely driven by a reduction in engine related issues according to the Two-Wheeler Initial Quality Study.

The study deals with 138 types of problems reported by two wheeler owners across seven categories in the first two to six months of ownership and the results are measured in terms of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). It included 87 two wheeler models from 10 different manufacturers.

While the 2015 edition of the study reported an overall initial quality of 173 PP100 for motorcycles and 150 PP100 for scooters, this year’s results indicate an average of 159 PP100 for motorcycles and 137PP100 for scooters.

More than three-fourth of the respondents surveyed were first time buyers and they tended to report fewer problems than those who had previously owned motorcycles. Average distance travelled per day also affected the quantity of problems reported with owners who rode more than 41 km a day reporting more issues than those who rode less, with the difference at a statically significant 18 PP100.

According to JD Power, the TVS Wego and Yamaha Alpha are tied for the title of the most problem-free scooters among the models studied, with the Honda Activa i coming in second. Among motorcycles, the Honda Dream Neo, Hero Super Splendor, Suzuki Gixxer and TVS Apache RTR 180 generated the least complaints in the economy, executive, upper executive and premium categories respectively.

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