US motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson has said the company has created a strong market for premium bikes in the 500cc and above category in India.

“We came to India in 2010 and since then, have sold more than 6,000 bikes. We continue to explore the market across all models in the above 500cc category, and we are well over where we wanted to be,” Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India, told Business Line .

The Street 750 is the cheapest motorcycle from the company’s stable with the price starting at ₹4.3 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the company sold 1,830 units in 2013 and has already sold 2,919 units this year(January-September) in India.

Prakash said Harley expects better sales in future, especially led by assembling of most of the motorcycles at its Bawal (Haryana) plant.

Harley assembles nine motorcycles in India and five are directly imported. It also sells full range of genuine parts, accessories and general merchandise, which are available through its authorised dealerships.

The company has 15 dealerships across India, including in New Delhi, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, and will open two more by December – each one in Bangalore and Surat.

New models

Meanwhile, Harley launched three new bikes – Breakout, Street Glide Special and Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO), priced at ₹16.28 lakh, ₹29.70 lakh and ₹49.24 lakh, respectively (all ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Breakout (1690cc) is the newest addition to the popular Softail family of motorcycles and will be assembled at its plant in Bawal, while the other two will be imported.

The Street Glide Special (1690cc) will be a fully loaded version of the Touring model, equipped with a high output twin cam 103 powertrain, Boom Box 6.5GT infotainment system and enforcer cast aluminium wheels.

The CVO (1801cc) will be part of Harley’s limited edition, which are hand-crafted, stylish, luxury and performance with better ride experience.

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