Honda Motorcycles Japan unveiled the world premiere of two types of new NM4 concepts at the 30th Osaka Motorcycle Show. The NM4 concept is a new model that is planned for production. The concept was developed with the terms ‘neo-futuristic’ and ‘cool’ kept in mind for a unique styling. There are two versions of the NM4 concept showcased at the show, namely the NM4-01 and the NM4-02 which offer two style variations to the motorcycle.

The Honda NM4 concept measures 2380 mm in length, 810 mm in width and 1170 mm in height; while the seat height measures at 650 mm. The concept is powered by a 745cc liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, OHC inline twin-cylinder engine. You get dual clutch transmission as standard. The power output levels have not been disclosed on the concept though. The concept rides on 120/70ZR18M/C tyres at the front and 200/50ZR17M/C tyres at the rear.

The NM4 concept is designed with a massive front styling along with the cockpit position focused on the sense of unity of the bike with the rider. Honda says, the cockpit position is designed keeping in mind the comfort of the rider. Riders can easily get onto the motorcycle with the low seat height and the adjustable backrest has been aimed to provide maximum comfort. LEDs were used throughout the NM4 concept including the front and rear lights as well as indicators. The instrument panel on the other hand is designed to provide clear readability.

The Honda NM4 concept is a stunning motorcycle with a massive front fascia. The very pleasing front fairing also gets utility boxes to store small articles on both the sides. The concept adapts the comfort of a cruiser with the visual prowess of a sports bike. The NM4-01 version of the concept featuring a black paint job showcased a dynamic design with a wide rear tyre and a low silhouette, while the NM4-02 version that was done-up in white, featured a prominent rear design and gets utility boxes on each side of the rear body. Currently no details about when the motorcycle will go into production have been provided. Honda will be showcasing the NM4 concept at the 41st Tokyo Motorcycle Show next week as well.

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Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) is setting up a new ‘rural vertical’ to penetrate further in the rural markets to dethrone the current leader Hero MotoCorp. Honda is working to improve its 100cc motorcycles and also create a new entry level point for the company as it builds its distribution network by adding 1000 new sales points within a year across the country, 70 percent of which will come in rural markets. Hero MotoCorp on the other hand has its roots planted and boasts of a large rural distribution network. The market is one of the key volume pullers for the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer by volumes.

The new rural vertical will comprise of 15 people who will oversee the strategy, communication and implementation. The vertical will not only see the communication in rural markets, but will also develop an all-new approach, very different compared to the urban areas; while giving feedback to the R&D department. Honda’s headquarters in Japan too feel the importance of rural markets and the potential they offer. For Honda, rural markets contribute about 30-33 percent of its overall sales today; and with the rural vertical in place, the aim will be to take the market share to 45 percent over a period of time.

Compared to other manufacturers like Hero which boast of 5500-6000 sales touch points, Honda has only managed to reach half way with 2850 touch points. The company is working on improving its presence and plans to have 4000 touch points by the end of 2015. Honda is also working to improve its entry level offering the Dream series (Neo and Yuga) for the rural market. In spite of an optimistic response, the sales from the motorcycles haven’t matched the company’s high expectations. In the span of 18-24 months, Honda managed to sell a total of 7.5-8 lakh units of Dream Series motorcycles in the country.

Honda currently is flying high on the success of the Activa scooter, which was the second best selling two-wheeler for FY2014 after the Splendor. While the company did not confirm, a rural specific entry-level motorcycle could well be on the cards from Honda to capture a larger market share. Honda managed to sell around 36 lakh units of its two-wheelers in the last fiscal, but is still a distant second when compared to 61 lakh units sold by Hero MotoCorp. However, the rural vertical will help Honda close in on the gap faster.

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As we all know that Honda is getting very aggressive with their plans to “serve” Indian customers. Honda has been busy launching products over the past two years which concentrated on improving the existing product lineup to sustain numbers till new products came in. Come year 2014 and they have chalked out plans for new products this year. This news is already turning the heat up, as new products in old categories are still awesome. However, Honda has chosen to enter a new segment, which is extremely niche. They have sent out a release, which states a stupendously aggressive plan for their growth in the Indian market.

Honda has mentioned that two new motorcycles are coming to the market next quarter, which means within the next four months. What we will assume that these are boring commuter motorcycles and we enthusiast do not need to start grinning. However, this time there is a reason to grin. Obviously, one out of the two motorcycles is a model from the “Dream” series but the second motorcycle is a brand new 160cc sporty motorcycle to target the youth! Yes, you heard it right.

A motorcycle that will challenge the likes of the Yamaha Fazer, new upcoming FZ (with a larger heart) and the upcoming Suzuki Gixxer. This raps up the Japanese competition Honda faces. From the domestic market, there is already a player in this segment since ages and which started this segment. The TVS Apache RTR 160. A bike which is a cult, a motorcycle that the enthusiast swears by for its performance, dynamics and quality. However, people with sharp memories will remember that Mahindra also announced its plans to launch a 160cc motorcycle this year.

As you can see, the segment has already started to heat up, no, burn actually. The plans are definite and there is no denying that this news is the best thing to happen to displacement hungry motorcyclists, as they are in bulk in our country. A little more “CC”, a little more power with minimum loss in efficiency and a lot of style is definitely going to attract the youth by herds. Expect these motorcycles to produce around 16-18 BHP of power. These numbers are expected from Honda, Yamaha and Mahindra.

Suzuki with the 155cc Gixxer and Yamaha with the upcoming Fazer will fight it out too if the Fazer sticks to the same powerplant which it has now. Bajaj and Hero will continue to play with popular models. The Karizma R, ZMR and the Pulsar 220 with horsepower between 20-22 BHP have their own fights to fight. The Pulsar 180 will play too, but not for long as it will be discontinued early next year. A new Pulsar 150cc producing 16-17 BHP is also speculated. The Pulsar will join the bandwagon and fight others with their 160cc motorcycles.

Priced between Rs. 75,000 to 90,000/- these motorcycles will fall under the 150cc supersports category and a great alternative to those who still want 2-valve punchy motors rather than 4-valve screaming engines. What do you think about all this “bikenama”. Is it on the verge of getting confusing and complicated or is this the best thing to happen to entry-level “sports bike” buyers.

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Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) has aggressive plans of launching new products every quarter. The company is going to stick by their schedule irrespective of the product being ready to be shipped. Case in point is the CB Trigger, Honda went ahead and launched it even though sales will only begin next month. Delay of one product launch will result in other products being subsequently delayed. We have been reporting about Honda’s plan to launch a 125cc scooter in India since a long time now. We knew it was coming in 2013 and now our good friend at OnCars.in, Rohit Paradkar has sent out a tweet, confirming the same.

The upcoming Honda scooter will be launched within the next two months and is expected to become the company’s flagship scooter in India. Although details remain sketchy, we have a feeling the upcoming scooter could be the Honda Lead, which is already on sale in Vietnam. The Honda Lead uses a single-cylinder, 125cc, liquid-cooled engine which belts out around 12 BHP of power. This scooter gets Honda’s PGM-FI technology although we doubt the company will offer the same in India for cost reasons.

The Honda Lead has good scope in India, where people want performance scooters. Case in point is the Suzuki Access and Swish, both of which have been selling very well for the Japanese automaker. The upcoming Honda scooter will also rival Piaggio’s Vespa, which is the most expensive scooter in the country today. The Italian company will launch more variants of their retro offering and we hope to see a good battle between Honda and Piaggio in the scooter segment. Now only if Yamaha offers a 125cc scooter, enthusisats will be really spoilt for choice.

Source – Rohit Paradkar On Twitter

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Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) which was established in 1999 is now planning to go the offensive way after parting away with its partner Hero MotoCorp. This is in accordance with their plans to claim the number one spot in the Indian market. Honda now plans to develop products that would be made in India entirely. A team of about 200 engineers are working together on this project and they expect to roll out their first 100% made in India motorcycle next year.

According to sales figure released by Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturer (SIAM), Honda sold a total of 26,06,841 units of its product in 2012-13. These figures are well ahead of Bajaj Auto which sold 24,63,863 units in the same period. However these figure constitute both motorcycles and scooters for Honda unlike Bajaj Auto which only sells motorcycles.

Hero MotoCorp continues to sit high above with sales figures of 59,12,538 units last fiscal year. Honda plans to manufacture 10 million two-wheelers by the 2020 in an attempt to surge ahead of Hero MotoCorp, a target which they feel they will achieve by 2016 itself.

It now seems that Honda is leaving no stones unturned to rule out competitors and surge ahead to take the top spot. With their plans of local production, prices would surely come down due to locally available products. This would enable them to price their products aggressively. It is however not going to be easy considering the fact that Hero MotoCorp has got a strong foothold in India. What remains to be seen is how Honda moves forward. We can surely expect a slew of launches from the Japanese manufacturer in the next few months.

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Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has sent out an interesting press release, which states that the company has now taken second position for overall sales in the 2-wheeler market (Domestic and Export). This means that Honda has overtaken Bajaj Auto. The press release starts by introducing the company as the only Honda in the Indian 2-wheeler industry! The Japanese automaker has recorded its highest sales in India till date (it first started sales 13 years ago).

So where exactly does Honda stand? The company has a market share of 24% in India and sold 2,87,117 units in July 2013. Out of these 2.87 lakh units, 1,47,635 are motorcycles and 1,39,542 are scooters. This is the first time Honda has sold more motorcycles than scooters and the company believes the Dream series (Neo and Yuga) is the reason for this fantastic performance. The company has also started production at its third plant, where the Honda Activa is being made in Narsapura, Karnataka.

Meanwhile Bajaj Auto sold 2,46,828 units last month (including exports). So Honda is indeed ahead but remember, out of the 2.47 lakh units the Pulsar manufacturer sold, zero were scooters. So Bajaj Auto is still ahead of Honda in terms of motorcycle sales and the Indian automaker is ahead by a whooping 1 lakh units. It will take Honda some time to catch up and had Bajaj sales not dropped in the last month, Honda wouldn’t have overtaken them. The strike at Bajaj Auto’s Chakan plant meant hindrance in production and sales but it’s too early to comment on the actual effect. So is Honda’s second position short lived? We certainly think so!

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Honda is set to disappoint scooter enthusiasts yet again as the company will be launching yet another 110cc scooter next month. The Japanese automaker was widely rumoured to launch a 125cc scooter this year but that might not happen as the focus towards volumes and profits continue to drive Honda’s 2-wheeler division in India. The new 110cc scooter is codenamed K24A and we reported about its launch more than a year back. Ironically the K24A codename was given to a 125cc scooter based on the Aviator platform, so either Autocar Pro has gone somewhere wrong or Honda is indeed continuing its dream run of fooling Indian customers by giving us another 110cc scooter.

The new Honda K24A scooter will be manufactured at the company’s Manesar plant and only 800 units will roll out every month. The capacity of this new scooter will slowly be increased to 1 lakh units per year. Honda 2-wheelers will announce its fourth plant in India soon, which is being set up in Gujarat. This new plant is just 50 kms away from Maruti Suzuki’s upcoming facility. This new factory will churn out the next generation Activa (codenamed KWPH) and Honda will have 4.5 lakh unit capacity for the new Activa. Honda’s 2-wheeler division will have 7 plants across India by 2018.

So what can be expected from the upcoming Honda scooter? Telescopic front forks are bound to be offered while other new technologies too could make their way. Power will come from the same 109cc, single-cylinder engine which gets HET to better fuel economy. This new Honda scooter has to be priced aggressively and the company cannot afford to charge buyers just for its badge, something which the 2-wheeler giant has managed to do for quite sometime now. Honda has been facing the heat from competitors and the Yamaha Ray and TVS Jupiter are two scooters which are better than Honda’s scooters in multiple ways.

Source – Autocar Pro

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Off-road motor bike championships are not so popular in India but are very popular in western countries. Honda, which specifically designs application oriented bikes, has a strong presence in the off-road market but many of us are not aware because there isn’t a single product of such kind in the company’s Indian portfolio. The reason may be due to the lack of interest of Indian buyers for such type of off-roaders. The only motorcycle which reaches off-road standards is the Hero Impulse.

To make its presence felt more in the off-road market globally, Honda has officially unveiled the all new CRF450 Rally bike which is the next generation model designed specifically for rally racing in Tokyo, Japan. This motorcycle will be used by Team HRC which is Honda’s motorcycle works team for rally races. The 2014 Honda CRF450 will participate at the 2014 Dakar Rally which is going to be held in Argentina in January 2014.

The new Honda CRF450 Rally bike is not a brand new vehicle in terms of technology and retains some of the features from its predecessor (electronic fuel injection). This vehicle is developed based on data obtained in key areas such as engine output, aerodynamic performance, durability and maintenance requirements from the 2013 Rally where the old model participated. In addition to this, Honda will also participate in the 2013 Morocco Rally with the new CRF450.

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Honda was on a product onslaught last year and what they did was update every model in their existing line-up. The Activa got HET, while the CB Trigger came as a replacement for the flop CB Dazzler. Meanwhile, other scooters got HET engines as well and Dream series of motorcycles were launched in the 110cc category. The 110cc segment is bursting with new products right from the latest 110cc TVS Star City+ to the one year old Mahindra Centuro. Bajaj Auto also created 125cc bikes in bulk and targeted it with loads of technological equipment and value for money quotient.

Now as we know, Hero has been strong in the segment and why would Honda stay behind. Honda’s next Dream series bike is a 125cc and what can be expected from it? Well, the CB Shine has already made them immensely famous. The 125cc engine was lifted from the CB Stunner, de-tuned and was given a 4-speed gearbox. So with the Dream 125cc which is meant to be positioned lower, will it cannibalise sales of the CB Shine? Or will Honda go vice versa and give the Dream 125cc a 5-speed gearbox and even more power while keeping the pricing bang-on?

If you ask us, Honda will take the age old 125cc engine and give it the HET treatment and increase the mileage, offering better drivability with the same horsepower and torque output. The CB Shine is a product which customers swear by and creating a replica or a future replacement won’t be as simple as we all think. The CB Shine may get discontinued if the Dream series 125cc picks up momentum in the coming years. But looking at how the CB Unicorn is still on sale, the axing of the CB Shine seems highly unlikely.

After all, the CB Shine is a product which came when Honda entered solo in the market years ago. The new Honda Dream 125cc will target the Bajaj Discover 125M/125T and Hero Glamour. There are definitely no plans of Honda offering fuel injection (like the CB Stunner) to this bike as the fuel injected 125cc engine is discontinued in India (Hero still sells the Glamour FI though). Another speculation, which we can safely put down in the drain. Expect a 68 km/l mileage figure from this bike which will get the ball rolling for Honda yet again.

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Honda has announced that the second version of its NM4 Vultus which is called the NM4-02, is going into production. This model will go on sale in Japan next week which is on the 10th of June. The motorcycle was revealed in Osaka a couple of months ago but details have been sketchy until now. The styling has been changed significantly. Restyled rear reduces the NM4’s bulky appearance and makes it look far more sleeker and attractive.

The Europeans are getting the base version of this later in time but will get the NM4-02 first. The NM4-02 makes a lot of sense for the Europeans and for us as well. The Honda NM4 is a machine full of potential since it has the added practicality of panniers. The bike is designed to be a practical motorcycle which will be capable of both commuting and touring. The version two aka the NM4-02, has totally different bodywork with the luggage mounts and other changes including new rear lights.

The NM4-02 is based on the NC750, the highest-spec model in the New Mid category from Honda. All of that includes the Integra scooter, NC750S, NC750X, CTX700 and CTX700N as well as the base NM4 Vultus. Like the Integra, the NM4 has the DCT (dual clutch transmission) as standard with no option of a conventional manual 6-speed gearbox.

The NM4 is powered by a 670cc 8-valve, SOHC parallel-twin engine with twin balance shafts and is called a power cruiser in Honda language. The Japanese automaker did not show this model at the 2014 Auto Expo and certainly isn’t planning to launch it in India. The NM4 is a step through product which is still miles away from the liking of our audience. The bike promises a lot as this is one of the few motorcycles which Honda is creating for the next generation.

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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has announced plans to sell 45 lakh units in 2014-15, a jump of 21% over the previous fiscal. Honda has achieved highest ever sales of 37.21 lakh units in the fiscal year 2013-14. The target for the current fiscal year is to sell around 45 lakh units and grow by 21%. Stating that sales performance so far this year has been as per plan, Honda is sure that it will meet the target set for this year as well. Honda has strengthened its position as India’s second largest 2-wheeler company which boosts their confidence even more.

Referring to its expansion plans, Honda is setting up a new fourth plant at Ahmedabad in Gujarat in order to serve customers more efficiently with speed. The new plant is likely to begin production in 2015-16 with an initial annual capacity of 1.2 million units. All this would take Honda’s total production capacity to a staggering 5.8 million units per year. If all factories run at full pace throughout the year, then there is very little stopping Honda. Reason? It has become the largest scooter selling company in India and motorcycle sales and plans are quite aggressive in volume segments. Honda has also added 800 touch points across the country last year and this year it plans to create even more, in fact, 1000 brand new outlets!

Honda also highlighted the company’s emphasis on safety. Honda says they have been promoting safe riding activities across India and has been helping spread the safety message since decades. The growing demand for its two-wheelers has helped Honda do the same. Honda has planed to spread this message in vast rural areas by expanding its network, giving the right product, launching aggressive campaigns and all of this is in an innovative way. Honda has launched its new plan called ‘traffic park’ for the first time, starting with the eastern part of India. The company has simultaneously inaugurated two new traffic parks in Odisha at Bhubaneswar and in Cuttack. For this, Honda has associated with respective Regional Transport Authorities (RTO) of Bhubaneswar-II and Cuttack.

Honda is ready with a lot of motorcycles in the year 2015. A 160cc motorcycle coming in two months while the CBR300R is on its in by the end of the year. A Dream series motorcycle is on its way within the next three months as well. The new well priced CB Trigger is working wonders for Honda and the brand new Activa 125 is already making them dance to the tunes of rock and roll. We will only be able to gauge the response of the 125cc Activa after the first three months of numbers to tell whether it has been a success or not. Till then, Honda has a lot of dreams to accomplish and we are waiting too.

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Honda, with expansion plans in mind has said that it will reach the farthest corners in the country with dealer and service network soon. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India plans to add another 1000 customer touch points in the current fiscal after adding 800 last year. Out of the 1000 planned for this year, the company has already added 150 touch points in the last four months. In total, Honda now has 25% market share in the country’s two-wheeler market now, with a total of 1950 sales and service outlets. All of these achieved numbers are half as of now of the desired target by the company.

The further expansion of sales network (remaining 650) will now be sped up as various activities including paperwork and other formalities will commence faster from now on. Honda says the aim is to reach the entire country irrespective of state or region as part of the plan to reach everywhere just like their arch rival and ex-partner Hero, as this is the only way they can gain customer’s trust. Out of 100% of current dealerships, 35-40% of dealerships and service stations are in rural areas because Honda is already strong in urban markets. Still, it is yet to be decided where the total of 1000 touch points will be added.

The company has also launched a new internal corporate campaign that will focus on urban and rural population equally, as growth comes from everywhere rather than just one place in India. The dealership expansion plans is as always a welcome move but improving the quality of service and the attitude towards customers, needs to improve and expand on the positive side too. While spare part prices are sky high and not available most of the time and customer satisfaction is low, it is impossible to stay number one in the minds of the people. Honda needs to work not just on quantity but quality as well.

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It’s no secret that Honda wants to dethrone Hero MotoCorp to become India’s largest 2-wheeler manufacturer. The Japanese automaker’s plans of bringing motorcycles to tackle Hero hasn’t worked well as the Dream series is in no way able to outsell the popular Splendor. Honda has thus decided to use its scooter popularity to overtake Hero. The CBR250R maker is planning to set up the world’s largest scooter plant in Gujarat which will roll out 12 lakh units of its scooters every year. The company will invest Rs. 1100 crores in this upcoming plant in Ahmedabad, creating 3000 jobs.

Honda was among the first in the gear-less scooter segment and the company is the current leader in the scooter market, selling every second scooter with a market share of 53%. Honda already has three plants in India, with a total capacity to churn out 46 lakh units per annum. With the new scooter plant, the annual production capacity will increase to 58 lakh units! This new plant will commence production by 2016. 27% of total 2-wheeler sales come from scooters while majority of Honda sales come from the Activa, the scooter selling almost 1.8 lakh units last month.

The high demand for the Honda Activa has resulted in a long waiting period for the scooter, the company has a backlog of 60,000 units currently. The recently launched Activa 125 has been very successful and commands a waiting period of almost six months in certain cities. Currently India is Honda’s second biggest 2-wheeler market and with the set up of this new scooter plant, it will become their bigger market in the world. It’s not only Honda but other manufacturers are also seeing a tremendous increase in demand of scooters. TVS was able to overtake Bajaj Auto solely because of rising scooter sales.

Source – Economic Times

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Honda’s motorcycle subsidiary in Brazil has today announced that their cumulative motorcycle production in the country has reached the 20 million unit mark. Honda’s subsidiary called HDA in Brazil began motorcycle production in 1976 with the model CG125 and continued its sales expansion mostly with the CG Series till date. The motorcycle is the most mass produced model in the market. Honda reached the cumulative motorcycle production milestone of 10 million units in 2007 and seven years later, the 20 million mark has been achieved.

The 20 millionth unit produced was the CG150 TITAN, a new model just introduced in the country. The CG Series has been a series of motorcycle products that represents Honda in Brazil. The CG150 TITAN became the first model in the small-sized motorcycle category in Brazil to feature CBS as standard. By installing CBS to a popular model in a category that accounts for approximately 80% of the overall motorcycle market in Brazil, Honda has achieved the goodwill of customers in the Brazilian market.

In 2009, Honda Brazil began sales of the CG150 TITAN MIX, which was the world’s first motorcycle model equipped with environmental friendly flex-fuel technology through its efforts to deliver products that are desired by local customers. The Brazil subsidiary has achieved sales of 1.22 million units in 2013 which accounts for 80% of the industry-wide motorcycle sales in Brazil with this model. The model here in India looks different and has CBS as a different variant, it was recently launched as well and is called the CB Trigger.

Honda will continue being number one or have northwards of 50% market share throughout the world. South America as well as Asian markets also remain key for their growth. In India the story seems similar as Honda is on the verge of overtaking everybody in its path and is trying to beat ex-partner Hero MotoCorp in this number race.

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Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) announced that the manufacturer achieved a milestone of selling 10 lakh Dream Series motorcycles in the Indian two-wheeler market within a short span of just 26 months. Launched with the Dream Yuga motorcycle in 2012, the Dream Series range also comprises of the Dream Neo and the new launched CD 110 Dream motorcycles and have been positioned in the entry-level commuter segment in the market.

On the momentous occasion, Honda also announced the ‘One Million Dream Celebration Offer’ that gives customers free insurance and attractive finance schemes of up to 100 percent loan, applicable only on the Dream Yuga and Dream Neo and can be availed before 31st August, 2014. The Honda Dream Series range is powered by the same 110cc air-cooled engine that is equipped with Honda Eco Technology (HET) for improved fuel efficiency, producing 8.25 BHP of power and 8.63 Nm of torque, paired to a 4-speed gearbox.

The Dream Series has had a major impact for Honda in establishing the Japanese automaker’s position in the mass commuter segment that till now has been erstwhile partner Hero MotoCorp’s forte. Since 2012, the company witnessed its market share in the 100-110cc segment grow by 400 percent and has given Honda a significant lead over other mainstream two-wheeler manufacturers in terms of volumes. Honda managed to even overtake Bajaj Auto in terms of motorcycle sales in July and it had already become the second largest two-wheeler maker in India many months back. The automaker is also planning to set up the world’s largest scooter plant in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

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In attempts to capture the rural market and snatch some pie from Hero MotoCorp, Honda has announced their ‘Mobile Service Van’ for its customer in rural areas. These mobile units of the dealership and service centre will have all the services and comfort of a dealership/service centre, for example a customer lounge. The motorcycle will be addressed in front of the customer (for good measure) and servicing can be commenced. Meanwhile, customers can also check out new vehicles which are kept for display and also test ride if they want to. The technicians doing these duties will be specially trained for this job and will provide spare parts and service at that very moment.

This initiative has been clearly done to penetrate as far as possible in rural areas as it is a mobile unit. People in urban areas who don’t ride fast all the time may have noticed these vans in their locality as display units only, standing across the traffic signal or a place which is easily noticeable. These are the same vans which are now modified to help people with servicing and making spare parts easily available. Don’t be in an impression that it is going to happen in cities as this idea and concept is mostly for rural areas.

Honda is trying real hard to be the next Hero in our country. The rivalry gets intense day by day after either of these companies do something new or the other. Recently, Hero got BMW’s top engineer for their R&D while just before that news came about Honda planning to set up over 1000 touch points mostly in rural markets and the list from the past and the coming future is going beyond counting as the erstwhile partners fight it out. Meanwhile, rest of the manufacturers are fighting for something or the other at any given point. Whether its sales, product launches or pumping money into our country, the war between 2-wheeler firms is unending.

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India is the largest two-wheeler market for Honda globally, surpassing its other larger markets Indonesia and Vietnam. With demand outpacing supply, the company plans to start it fourth and fifth plant in the country and increase the annual production capacity from the current 4.5 million units.

The Dream Series has helped Honda gain momentum in the commuter segment

Hero and Honda’s alliance in the past had given the Japanese manufacturer a deep insight into the Indian two-wheeler market. With a rich heritage of producing commuter and high-performance products alike, it wasn’t too difficult for Honda to bring products to the market. So when the joint venture was terminated, Honda made sure to channelize all its knowledge, resources and prowess in coming out as a victorious and independent company from Hero. Four years since the parting and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is the second largest selling two-wheeler manufacturer in the country, while India has turned out be the largest two-wheeler market for the company globally.

Honda stated that India surpassed its other large markets like Indonesia and Vietnam, becoming the world’s largest market for the company in the last two months. Within just few years from riding solo, Honda has shown exponential growth and moved from the fourth position to second in the Indian two-wheeler space. The company further added that despite the overall market growth being slower than usual in the past year or two; Honda’s individual growth was exceptional during the same period.

Honda currently produces 4.5 million units per annum out of its three production facilities located in Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Work has commenced on the company’s fourth facility located in Gujarat that will start rolling out products by 2017 and will further add 1.2 million units per annum to the overall capacity, while study for the fifth plant will commence this year. Honda expanded its range recently in 100-110cc segment with the Dream Series that has helped them in achieving the numbers, while the Shine motorcycle is already crowned as the world’s largest selling 125cc bike. The company is now working to penetrate further into the rural market, predominantly ruled by Hero MotoCorp.

The Activa is Honda largest selling 2-wheeler matching up to Hero’s Splendor

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Honda 2-Wheeler’s 160cc offering will be more powerful than the CB Trigger with a lot more sportier appeal but will sit below the CBR150R, competing against the Yamaha FZ FI V2.0, Suzuki Gixxer and the likes in the 150cc premium commuter segment.

The CB Trigger is a good bike but can’t match the Yamaha FZ in sales

Honda’s 160cc motorcycle is one well-kept secret that everyone is waiting for. While the upcoming premium motorcycle was scheduled to launch by the end of this month, it is now learnt that the Japanese manufacturer has delayed the launch of the bike to November this year. A very important model for Honda India, the new motorcycle is finally expected to bring the company glory in the premium 150cc segment that the CB Unicorn, CB Trigger and even the CBR150R have failed to do so.

Very little is known about the motorcycle till date apart from the displacement. However, we do know the bike will be a completely new motorcycle sporting an al -new 160cc engine. The bike will be positioned above the CB Trigger and below the CBR150R in Honda India’s lineup. The manufacturer had confirmed earlier that the new bike does not take any inspiration from the CX-01 concept that was showcased at the Auto Expo earlier this year, but will boast of impressive riding dynamics. A street fighter styling, this could use the CBZ name.

Holding the second position in the Indian two-wheeler market after Hero MotoCorp, Honda’s concentration currently has been on mass market offerings. Even though a good product, the CB Trigger has not be able to change Honda’s fortunes in the segment and the new 160cc bike is expected to turn tables for the company . The bike will be competing against the likes of Yamaha FZ FI V2.0, Suzuki Gixxer, TVS Apache RTR 160 in the segment. It is likely to be offered with a rear disc brake as standard while CBS will be optional.

The CBR150R hasn’t managed to sell well in India and a replacement is long due

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The new Gujarat plant will attract an investment of Rs. 1100 crores and will churn out 1.02 million two-wheelers every year from the facility.

Honda will be investing Rs. 1100 crores in the new facility to be operational by 2015-16

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has signed a state support agreement with the Gujarat government and will be investing in a new two-wheeler facility that will be located at Vithalapur village in Ahmedabad district. The upcoming facility will attract an ivestment of Rs. 1100 crores from the Japanese auto giant and will be providing employment to 2000 local youths, while churning out 1.02 million two-wheelers from the facility on an annual basis.

Honda currently has three two-wheeler facilities located in Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka and the fourth upcoming facility in Gujarat is expected to be operational by the second half of 2015-16 fiscal. The company had announced its plans of opening the new facility at the Auto Expo earlier this year that will be producing a range of scooters and will have two assembly lines for faster production.

In more recent times, Gujarat has turned out to become the automotive manufacturing hub with more and more automakers setting up shop in the state. After Tata’s Nano plant in Sanand, other global manufacturers including Ford and Maruti Suzuki have also come to the state. Honda retails a range of scooters in the country including the Activa series, Aviator and Dio along with several motorcycles. The company’s current total annual capacity stands at 4.6 million units.

The new facility will produce 1.02 million units per year & will have 2 assembly lines

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Honda says that the new Forza 125 offers more class than any other scooter in its segment, class-leading performance, a sportier styling and more practicality.

The 2015 Honda Forza 125 offers highway performance & city practicality

In a bunch of adrenaline rushing, multi-cylinder, four-wheeled works of art spread across different pavilions at the Paris Motor Show, Honda has unveiled the Forza 125 high-performance scooter that has been designed to offer the comfort of larger capacity scooters, with the ability to ride on the highways with the comfort of GT (Grand Touring) style scooters along with easy riding on the streets, sporty acceleration, easy-to-park utility of a lighter scooter. With a massive storage capacity of 48-litres (enough for 2 full face helmets), the Forza is also practical and comes with impressive styling cues.

Measuring 2134 mm in length, 748 mm in width and 1452 mm in height, the Honda Forza 125 certainly packs a punch with razor sharp styling, slim exterior and aggressive lines that is completed with an LED head and tail light. With ample road presence and a very sporty stance, the sharp cuts and creases are further accentuated with the step up seat that will make for a comfortable ride for both the rider and pillion, while the windshield can be adjusted to suit highway and city riding conditions. The scooter also comes with a reverse LCD display that features all vitals including fuel gauge, average fuel economy metre, section fuel economy metre, A and B trip meters, odometer and coolant temperature.

Powering the Forza 125 is the 125cc 4-valve, liquid-cooled engine producing 14.08 BHP of power and 12 Nm of torque, paired to a CVT transmission. Honda says that the engine has been tuned to offer a strong mid-range and top-end power and comes with a rolling acceleration of 88 km/hr. Suspension duties are performed by 33 mm telescopic forks at the front and twin rear shock absorbers. The Forza rides on a 15-inch alloy wheel at the front, while the rear gets a 14-inch unit and comes packed with single disc brakes at the front and rear with ABS offered as standard.

Scheduled for launch across Europe by mid-2015, Honda will be offering a range of accessories for the Forza 125 including heated grips, rear carrier and a 35-litre colour-matched top box. In terms of efficiency, the scooter returns 43.5 km/l of mileage and comes with a 11.5-litre fuel tank. Honda is offering the Forza is in three colour options namely Matt Pearl Cool White with Matt Pacific Blue; Pearl Nightstar Black with Castagna Brown; Moondust Silver with Matt Cynos Grey. Prices have not been announced yet and there is no chance of this scooter coming to our shores.

The LCD display houses all major vitals including fuel consumption, trip meter, etc

The Forza 125 gets LED head and tail lights & wing mirror mounted turn indicators

The step up seats offer a comfortable ride with 48-litres of underseat storage

Stopping power comes from single discs at the front & rear with ABS offered as standard

The Honda Forza 125 will go on sale next year across Europe & is available in 3 colours

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