CONFIRMED! Honda Middle-weight to be Made in India
WITH SPORT and adventure bikes becoming more popular in India, Honda are focusing their their attention on this segment. In a recent interaction, the Japanese company confirmed that it would be producing sub-500-cc motorcycles in India. That’s not really the big news because Honda already assemble bikes such as the CB300R here but since even completely knocked down (CKD) units attract huge taxes, the single-cylinder neo-retro bike costs about the same as the Royal Enfield 650 twins. The story peg is that Honda are aiming at 100 per cent localization for the new line-up of middle-weights and this should facilitate a lot more competitive price point. Thus, the company will not be importing foreign-made components and assembling the motorcycles here but, this time round, vital components such as the powertrain, frame, wheels, tyres, and suspension will be sourced locally. The company has already activated its India-based suppliers and some have already met the desired international quality standards. The buzz is that Honda are also considering export of bikes produced in India to international markets, so the volumes will help them achieve an even more competitive pricing. The idea probably would be to introduce an all-new range to bridge the gap between the CB300R and the CBR650R. This means Honda will use a flexible platform on which up to four different versions could be based — such as a naked street bike, a cruiser, an adventure tourer, and a full-fairing sport bike. Something like the TVS-BMW alliance which uses the same platform for the BMW G 310 R, 310 GS, and the TVS Apache RR 310. Internationally, Honda already have a 500-cc motorcycle platform which underpins the CB500X adventure tourer, CMX500 Rebel cruiser motorcycle, CBR500R full-fairing sport bike, and the CB500F streetfighter. India could see a similar treatment, if not the same platform.
Harley-Davidson Unveil 2020 Softail Standard
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