Bajaj lines up more 400cc bikes for India

Bajaj Auto, which launched NS400Z, its first 400cc bike under the Pulsar family, has dropped enough hints to suggest that there are more offerings in the pipeline. The company’s managing director, Rajiv Bajaj, said, “In my view, this is the most lucrative motorcycle segment in the world. It's high in revenue, high in bottom line, high on imagery; so, it’s good for the brand and the product in every way.”

1. Bajaj, KTM, Husqvarna, Triumph sell about 25,000-30,000 400cc bikes a month
2. Non-Classic segment (above 300cc) growing at 13 to 14 percent

Along with its partner brands KTM, Husqvarna and Triumph, Bajaj Auto sells about 25,000 to 30,000 units a month (in the 400cc segment) and there’s enough headroom to grow, said Bajaj on the sidelines of the launch event on Friday. When asked about a potential cannibalisation within the company’s portfolio, Bajaj seemed unperturbed. “We are doing well, but we are not 80 percent of the market. So, at this stage, with a share of 20 to 25 percent in this segment, the opportunity to grow is much higher. We have much more to gain as compared to a little bit that may get cannibalised along the way,” he explained.

The new Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z is positioned as a street bike – different from the 400cc Dominar that is positioned as a sports tourer– thus catering to different buyers, and characteristically, both are distinct machines, claimed the management. 

On the next step for the Dominar brand, Rakesh Sharma, executive director at Bajaj Auto, said, “We have plans for refurbishing and renovating and taking the Dominar to another level, and we will just have to make a few more trips back here in due course of time.” This hints at an action-packed year for the company, with a slew of offerings planned across categories.

The 350-500cc segment has witnessed the most action in recent years with over 25 models available in the Indian market. Sharma claims that the premium motorcycle market, above the 250-300cc segment, is getting spliced into two different categories – the Classic segment (dominated by Royal Enfield) and the Non-Classic segment, which includes different categories such as sports bikes, sports tourers, and adventure bikes, among others.

“The Classic segment is growing at a low single-digit rate of 3 to 4 percent. But it is the Non-Classic segment, i.e., the sports and touring segment, which is growing at a faster pace of 13 to 14 percent; the new Pulsars and Dominar fall in that category. Hence, we are confident of further growth in the segment,” added Sharma.

With inputs from Prerna Lidhoo