At the recently concluded New Delhi Auto Expo last month, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Pvt. Ltd, (HMSI) had showcased seven new models which were in the wings. The company has now come up with their next generation of model of Dio. It is expected that the new two wheeler may carry a price tag of Rs. 42,362.

As the bike has just been launched, it is yet a while before it gets on the roads. How long? Well, as long as the month end only. The company plans to bring it into the showrooms latest by the end of February. The Dio boasts of a pleasurable riding experience coupled with excellent fuel efficiency.

The engine, the ergonomics, the safety and the styling are all new brand in the new Dio. Every aspect of the vehicle has been worked upon by the company to present the customer with something they have never experienced before. These changes should be a great advert for the bike in itself.

The bike sports an 110cc engine. This is powerful by around 10 per cent than the engine of the old Dio model. The engine of the old Dio was 102cc. The new model has several changes made in the engine itself. The roller rocker arm, an increased stability for better control are a couple of features worth mentioning.

These features help the engine perform relatively better. That in turn, reduces the friction on the engine and it can boost the performance by as much as 15 per cent. So that is 15 per cent more of fuel savings, in a sense. The aerodynamic design adds to the solution of having a fuel efficient remake of the older Dio.

The Dio uses a 3D emblem that is as attractive as is sporty. The bike comes with a new feature known as combi brake feature. It gives a better riding control and also the braking efficiency is improved a lot. It allows the rider to give a better grip and comfort.

The tubeless tyres and the maintenance free battery are an added advantage for the bike. There is enough space for the luggage under the seat as is seen in most scooters. The Dio comes in five attractive colors to choose from. They are candy palm green, matt axis grey metallic, sports red, liblon violet metallic and pearl sunbeam white.

With a competitive price, the bike is expected to bring in good results for the company.

Last we had reported to you about the royalties paid by Hero MotoCorp to their Japanese partner Honda Motors. For the third quarter that ended on December 31 2011, Hero had paid Rs. 180 cr. as royalties. This process is expected to go on until June 2014 – according to the company’s license agreement.

The above information was included in the article when we wrote about Hero’s Q3 performance. The sales figures were fantastic for the company, especially in the subcontinent. But the profits had fallen for the company as they shared the same with Honda. Otherwise, the sales were magical.

However, in spite of the cozy news on one side, there is monitory loss on the other. This is due to the depreciation of the Indian rupee on the global level. This is expected to lead the Hero to something in the region of 24 per cent increase in the royalty payments they are doing to Honda. This is a huge increase that neither of the companies had expected at the start of this financial year.

But there is no need to worry for the Indian auto maker. This is a trend that may not continue for a long time. In fact, the payments might see a drop in the next financial year on pure expectations of the appreciation of the Indian rupee. As a matter of fact, the situation may change until the end of next three months – the last quarter of the fiscal.

The company has paid Rs. 180 cr. in the first quarter, Rs. 210 cr. in the second quarter. However, the third quarter was the most devastating for Hero as they had to pay an amount of Rs. 228 cr. This trend has been constantly on the rise. Hero is bound to pay Honda such royalties until the first quarter of the 2014-15 fiscal.

When Hero actually signed the licensing pact with Honda, it was worth ¥45,000 million (this is around Rs. 2,400 cr.).  However, the royalties which are expected to be paid in installments every year may see an increase of up to Rs. 670 cr. until the license agreement period ends.

If Hero has to pay the same amount it paid in Q3 in Q4, then the total sum of royalties will reach Rs. 846 cr. All the things will get cleared by the end of this financial year and how the rupee behaves in the days to come.

The Indian two wheeler market is considered to be the most lucrative one for all the auto majors from around the world. So along with it comes the prestigious tag for a certain company’s bike to be named as the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY). The IMOTY happens to be the most esteemed tag a bike can boast of.

The award is equivalent with the bikes specially manufactured for the United States, Europe or Japan. So the Indian Motorcycle of the Year carries a good amount of value along with it. The coveted Indian Motorcycle of the Year for 2012 has gone to Honda CBR250R as it got the most number of points.

There are some terms and conditions that the bike has to satisfy in order to be crowned with the celebrated tag. The bike should be launched before the end of November in the corresponding year. For the Indian type of approval, the bike should be homologated.

The good thing about some other parameters is that bikes with minor changes or facelifts do not qualify for the prize. What matters more, is how the bike performs, what the fuel consumption is apart from design and most importantly the safety measures the bike has adopted.

A rider’s comfort and satisfaction, ergonomics, overall functionality, the technicalities involved especially the innovations if any, are other factors that are taken into account. Another aspect that is considered is the environmental responsibility and finally the value for money a customer gets.

The Honda CRB250R has satisfied all these terms and that is why emerged the winner according to the jury panel that comprised of Vikrant Singh and Rahul Ghosh of Auto Bild, B.Bob Rupani and Gautam Sen of Auto India among other distinguished members. The jury that consisted of automotive journalists, had around 300 years of experience in the field.

There were Hero Impulse, Bajaj Boxer BM150, Kawasaki Ninja 650R, Harley-Davidson Iron and Hyosung GT650N apart from the Honda CBR250R as the finalists. The two bikes that proved to be a threat to the Honda CBR250R were Hyosung GT650N and Hero Impulse.

bikeSpace.in Team takes this opportunity to congratulate the Honda CBR250R for its deserving title!

Honda Motors have a busy 2012 in the offing. The reason is their chain of releases in Indonesia. In Indonesia alone the auto major will be launching as many as seven models. Indonesia is the third biggest two wheeler market in the world. These products will be launched by Astra Honda Motors (AHM), which is the Indonesian subsidiary of Honda.

These seven models include bikes from both the motorcycle and the bike category. As the Indonesian market is as lucrative as the Indian market, there are various kinds of demands from the consumers. To address this problem, the company has decided to launch various models in both the categories.

However, according to the company, the launch of sports bike is also imminent. There are already Honda CBR250R and Honda CBR150R in the Indonesian market. Another sports bike will also be included in the launch, as there has been a warm response for such bikes from the local consumers.

It is clear that Honda is trying to get the most out of Indonesia. AHM is targeting sales of at least 4.8 million units in the entire country. For this to materialize, Honda is ready to invest Rp104 billion (about Rs. 600 million). That will help in increasing the monthly production. The production of scooters will increase up to 2 lakh units per month until the end of the current financial year.

To increase the sales is not the only target for the company. Actually, to make their stand firmer, they are trying to implement the fuel injection (PGM-FI) technology in the entire seven models which they are planning to introduce in the country. However, it may take about two years for that to happen.

The company will have to take these steps for two primary reasons. The first reason is that there is strong competition in the domestic market for Honda and second reason is the emission norms. Even though Honda holds around 52 per cent share in the market, holding on to it is not easy.

As far as the fuel injection technology goes, it may be a bit harder for the company to implement these vehicles. The reason is the cost factor. The costs of such vehicles increase by about Rs. 8000 to Rs. 10,000 than the carbonated version of the bike.

The Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) have called back as many as 10,000 CBR 250R bikes. The recall has been done to take care of the nuts and bolts that are fixed along the mirror housing, the side fairing and the grab rail fittings. There is not any kind of worrying factor in recalling these bikes, though.

However, over a period of time these bolts and nuts could rust. That is the only reason why Honda is concerned and decided to recall the vehicles. The premium motorcycles which were manufactured in the initial five months of the current financial year have only been recalled.

However, the models and all the bikes which were manufactured from September 2011 are not affected. Therefore, these bikes will not be recalled, the official statement from the company read. The company had manufactured 9,175 units during these five months – the period of recalling the bikes. All these bikes were of the 250cc capacity.

The above data has been known through Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Even when the company has given a call to bring these vehicles back, they are not ready to term the same as a recall. On the contrary, they said that the benefit has been given to their current customers. The company is advancing towards improvement in the aesthetic area of the machine, they claimed.

Even the trade analysts spoke for the company. According to them, they stressed the fact that a policy for recalls is not a custom in India, as there is no official recall policy for the same. No formal mechanism exists in the Indian auto market for recalling vehicles. However, customarily, the manufactures to announce a formal recall, irrespective of the fact that the safety issue has to be addressed.

Mahindra & Mahindra – one of the leading auto majors in India also had not made their announcement public, when they recalled approximately 5000 units of Stallio. Stallio was the first bike model for M & M. The ‘recall’ was made earlier in the year. Stallio needed a change in the gear levers and clutch. They were detected to be defective for the bikes that were produced from October 2010 to June 2011. The company is hopeful of launching the new version of Stallio without these hitches.

Honda had launched the Fury chopper bikes in 2009. Hardly anyone might have predicted that the bike would go on to sustain the tough market conditions. Two years later, the company is ready to launch the 2012 version of the bike. It is extremely commendable for the company to be yet in the competition with this model in a world where the Harley Davidson rules.

It has been more than two years that the first Honda Fury bike was sold by the company. The bike is powered by a 1312cc V Twin liquid cooled engine. The bike can generate a top power of 57 Bhp at 4,300 rpm and can reach a high torque of 71.32 lb-ft at 3,100 rmp. Another noteworthy thing about the Honda Fury is that it has the longest wheelbase that has ever been found in a Honda product.

The physical features of the bike are also worth mentioning. The 2012 version includes the new chopper style decals. The new bike will have specially added powerful sound as well. Looking at the bigger picture, the bike has been designed to emit lesser pollutants. So it is more environmental friendly. This should work in the bike’s favor.

As far as the sitting arrangement of the bike is concerned, the driver can sit in an easily and comfortable position. The front tire is slightly bigger than the rear tire. However, for better grip, the rear tire is a tad wider and smaller. That gives the rider enough room to get the feet to the ground.

Black, Mattl Silver Metallic, Dark Red Metallic, Metallic Silver and Ultra Blue Metallic are the five colors the bike is available in. If as an avid biker you want your own design that is possible with the Honda Fury. The Honda Fury comes with custom cast wheels. There is even the programmed fuel injection system as well.

The bike will bear a price tag of $13,000.  The manufacturers are currently offering two years of warranty period.

We have reported to you about Hero Group’s new independent releases and their highest recorded profit after the split with Honda Motors. Meanwhile, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) are not lagging far behind either. They are up to their task of doing the best for their company in the Indian market.

As a matter of fact, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India are planning to set up two more new brand plants in India to step up their production. The company is in talked with two state governments. One of them is the government of Gujarat and the other is the government of Uttarakhand. These are the two states the company has shortlisted for their new plants. These plants are likely to add around 2.5 million units in the current production figure.

The plans for Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India are crystal clear. The company plans to become the largest two wheeler producer in the country by the year 2020 with these two plants. It would take around three to four years for the company to make these plants fully operational. HMSI is eyeing to manufacture at least 10 million units and that is exact reason why they are aiming for setting up these couple of plants.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India are not blindly planning what they have already planned. Experts are of the opinion that the two wheeler market would grow twice in the next four years and with the same trend, by 2020, the market will have four times greater demand.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has some important figures to talk of. According to them, the entire industry had sales of 11.8 million units in the last year. In this year, there has already been a growth of 26 per cent. To cash in on the growth the company is taking fast strides in the setting up of the plants. The concerned officials have already begun dialogues with the Gujarat government. The HMSI plant will need at least 250 acres of land.

Gujarat may see other auto plants as well. Peugeot and Ford are the two other companies that may land companies in Gujarat as the state is fast becoming an auto hub.

No wonder successful films are going for more success with their sequels. The formula applies to the auto industry as well. We are talking about the Japanese company Honda Motors. They have had pretty good business with their previous launch – the CBR250R. Let alone business, it was a great success for them.

Banking on the success of the CBR250R, Honda Motors are now focusing their attention on the 150cc bike. Recognizing the growing potential of the two wheeler market in the 150cc segment, Honda is making efforts to launch a 150cc bike in the market as early as possible. There is huge potential in the 150cc market and no doubt Honda want to make their presence felt.

However, it will not be easy for Honda Motors to do so. Bajaj has already captured the 150cc market with both hands. The Pulsar brand has helped Bajaj stay at the top in the 150cc segment. To tackle it, Honda is looking at introducing CBR150R – on the lines of the CBR250R.

A leading bike forum got the information about the plans of Honda to make their way in the 150cc segment. According to the forum, they had a talk with the MD of Honda Motors in India. It was possible to know some details of the CBR150R bike. The bike would have an engine of 150cc. It will be a DOHC engine with 4 valves. The bike will come with fuel injection and will be a water cooled engine.

The bike is expected to generate a high power of 18.98 Bhp at 8,500 rpm and can go up to a top torque of 1.37 Kgm at 10,500 rpm.

There are yet no details available about when the bike will be launched. However, it seems sure that it is only a matter of time before Honda Motors makes their unofficial announcement an official one along with the launch of the CBR150R.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HSMI) is staring at their third plant in Kolar. The Kolar plant is situated in the state of Karnataka. The Kolar plant is not too far from the major city Bangalore. So that would be another advantage for the company. The plant has been set up at a cost of around Rs. 1,000 crores.

This is the first plant of the Honda family in India. The plant consumes an area of about 3, 50,000 sq. mts. It is expected that the plant will be in the production ready state until the start of 2013. It is expected that the new plant will increase the company’s production by about 1.2 million units per year.

The plant will handle the production of both scooters and bikes. There is a vast range of production that Honda incorporates in India currently. There are three variants of scooters apart from six other types of motorcycles in the consumer sector. Apart from that, there are three superbikes in the Indian market as well in the 1000cc category.

As and when the third plant of the company gets fully operational, there will be a total production of about 4 million units per year. The plant at Manesar, Haryana has the highest production capacity of 1.6 million units. The other two plants will make up the 2.4 million production even between them. The new plant will not only help in increasing the production, but will also help in cutting down the waiting period for some vehicles.

Currently, Honda has a waiting period of around three months for models like Shine, Activa and Unicorn. By making way for the third plant, the company wants to bring down the waiting period to as low as 15 days to one month at the most. The Indian two wheeler market has a demand of 11.32 million units each year. With the company’s models like Shine, Activa and Unicorn, Honda wants to grab the lion’s share of the market. These models are some of the hot selling items currently.

]]> http://www.bikespace.in/2011/10/honda-sets-the-ball-rolling-for-the-kolar-plant/feed/ 0 http://www.bikespace.in/2011/09/hmsi-inaugurates-company%e2%80%99s-third-plant-in-karnataka/ http://www.bikespace.in/2011/09/hmsi-inaugurates-company%e2%80%99s-third-plant-in-karnataka/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:10:27 +0000 Faizan http://www.bikespace.in/?p=3709

With a view to increasing their production capacity, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India laid the foundation stone for their yet another plant in India. The plant will spring up at Narsapur, in Karnataka state. The Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, is a fully owned two wheeler wing in India by Honda.

The plant is spread across 3, 50,000 square meters. It lies in the Narsapur Industrial Area which is around one and a half hours drive away from Bangalore. The plant will take more than 18 months to get fully operational. The plant, when in its full use, will be able to deliver 1.2 million units per year. There is an investment of Rs. 1350 crores for the plant.

However, as the plants gets operational, the company has plans of increasing the production capacity by 0.60 million units. This will take the total output to 1.8 million units per annum. Apart from that, the good thing is, it will also get an employment to as many as 3000 people.

Taking a cue from the Manesar and Tapukara plants, HMSI will try their best to up the production tempo. For that they are looking to get better on the process ergonomics. The more advanced automation options will lend them a helping hand at achieving their target.

When the third plant gets complete and worth producing to its fullest strength, the total manufactured units from the Honda family will reach 4 million units. This is how the bifurcation is in a nutshell:

There will be 1.6 million units manufactured at the company’s first plant at Manesar, Haryana. 1.2 million units per plant at Tapukara, Rajasthan and at the third plant proposed at Narsapur, put together will make it 4 million units.

There are world’s two largest motorcycle markets in Asia – first China, which is followed by India. However, HMSI has been doing well in India. They have been registering highest growths for ten years on the trot now.