Indian Superbike Segment Accelerates at 50pct

By siliconindia | Tuesday, 14 April 2015, 12:50 Hrs

BANGALORE: The not very affordable Indian superbike market is going to witness growth at a rate of 50 percent. The market analysts expect the figures to take a giant leap from 9,500 sales to 20,000 sales by 2020, reports TOI.

The top sources from the industry reveal that the superbike segment, led by the Royal Enfield and Harley Davidson, is growing by 40-50 percent each year. Triumph, Suzuki, DSK Motowheels and Yamaha are some of the other significant competitors of the segment.

Vimal Sumbly, MD, Triumph India, said, "The 500cc plus superbike segment has grown exponentially from a mere 450 units in 2008-09 to 3,500 units in 2013-14. In the year 2014-15, the market should hit around 9,500 units and is expected to at least double to 20,000 units by 2020."

The segment is presently led by the home-bred brand Royal Enfield followed by the global leader Harley Davidson. However, the growth in the segment has drawn new competitors to widen the range of availability. These new players include Ducati and Benelli. In addition to this, superbikes from Japan-based Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda would also make it to the Indian market soon.

Roy Kurian, VP-marketing and sales, Yamaha Motor India, said, "The superbike market has been growing pretty well from 2,000-odd units in the year before to around 3,500-odd units last fiscal. It should hit 10,000 units shortly."

Experts revealed that 60-65 percent of the customers prefer ‘around 5 lakh’ bikes of the segment, which includes Royal Enfield and Harley Davidson while the rest 35-40 percent of the market sales are form the pricier end.

However the growth in the two wheeler sector is not as rapid as for luxury cars. "Riding a superbike is not just about spending the money, it's also a total lifestyle choice and many of these products are priced as much or higher than an entry-level luxury car," said Sumbly.