There is a thirst for variety among biking enthusiasts, not just for global brands, but across the spectrum of power and category of two-wheelers – on road, off road, cruisers, in-city rides and, premium adventure and sports models.

While buyers wait with bated breathe for the next set of shiny two-wheels to roll out, manufacturers are also salivating over the opportunity that the burgeoning market here represents.

Talk to any of the top honchos of premium biking brands, what comes through is their anticipation of the growth in the high end bikes segment.

Whether it is Harley Davidson carving a niche in the high-powered cruiser segment and exploiting its cult-bike status, Triumph positioning itself as a premium, sporty option or Benelli planning its carpet bombing strategy with offerings ranging from 300cc to 1,100cc for the budget-conscious rider, all of them agree that the next couple of years are bound to be interesting.

Last weekend at Vagator near Goa, where the India Bike Week was organised these leading manufacturers showcased a wide range of products marking the growing interest in the segment. These brands are not looking at a couple of launches but half a dozen at a time catering to a wide price band and segment preference.

Vimal Sumbly of the UK brand Triumph says `people want choice’ and there is a wide market. Triumph has opened 10 dealerships in one year and is targeting the luxury premium segment with bikes of over ₹ 5 lakh. The company which has been in India for just over a year now has sold 1,300 bikes with its offering of 12 motorcycles across five categories. For the first time it showcased the adventure category with the Tiger XRx and the Tiger XRc.

This is a category that is opening out now and is a mark of the diverse tastes and willingness to experiment amongst Indian bikers, says Sumbly.

For Harley-Davidson this will be a year of consolidation and growth. Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India, says, with over 8,000 bikes on Indian roads in the last five years, it saw double digit growth across segments.

“So you can see that once you build a good foundation of riders and they continue to enjoy the lifestyle and experience they continue to upgrade to the bikes they need,” says Prakash.

Harley-Davidson India makes its latest Street 750 and the Street 500 in India and the US. The Street 500 made in India is purely for the export markets, says Prakash. The Street 750 being sold in India will also be exported to Harley-Davidson’s markets in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Italian brand Benelli, apart from showcasing the five brands it plans to launch in the domestic market from mid-March, also had on show three more models planned for launch by Diwali, if it can get the clearances sorted out or ‘definitely by January 2016,’ according to S Kulkarni, Chairman DSK Motowheels which is bringing Benelli to the domestic market. Benelli is betting on ‘killer pricing’, which it will formally announce in March along with the launch of the two-wheelers.

Benelli will bring in a 250cc cruiser and a street bike that will widen its present offering beginning from 300cc.

The Italian brand will make it easy on the pocket for riding enthusiasts to get into the premium biking segment, says Kulkarni.

The writer was at IBW, Goa, at the invitation of Harley-Davidson

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