Is
India finally ready for lifestyle bikes??? Well, that’s a question only time can answer. The current changes in the automobile market will be a welcome change for the enthusiastic riders across the country. All the guys who could only dream to scorch the Indian Highways at mind boggling 3-digit speeds can soon turn out to be a reality.
If you observe, the performance segment in the Indian Two wheeler market has never crossed a maximum of 500cc and a puny 22bhp. Any bike enthusiast will blindly suggest the Yamaha RD 350 as the mother of all performance bikes, which was available in India, as there was not a single challenge against it. Even the current leading players in the Country like Hero Honda, Bajaj auto, Enfield etc have limited models under the performance category, all below the 300cc cut off !!
Most of the manufacturers always played the volume game rather than satisfying the thirst of a few and selected hardcore bikers. Almost all the models were aimed at meeting the expectations of the “Average kya hai?” class of customers who saw a two-wheeler just as a mode of commutation and not as an experience. This often resulted in bikes that turned out to look like cycles fitted with motors, totally discarding the ‘experience’ out of biking. This is Unfair !
I am not blaming the manufacturers alone. This is mainly because; even the Govt. has played a spoilsport, when it comes to High-end Sports Bikes. The legal and other administrative issues that have to be met with, including the Homologation process etc has made the import of such bikes almost impossible. The general understanding that such performance bikes have no market in India is a misconception. The Indian four-wheeler segment is a standing proof to the case that High-end Luxurious models do have a market. As soon as the four-wheeler segment was opened up and the process of Import, either as CBUs or part-by –part was simplified, there was a dramatic change in the Indian Car market. Not only it forced the existing Indian Players to ramp up their existing models but also offered a Plethora of choices to the Indian auto buff. Bentley, May Bach, Porche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, BMW, Audi…. Names that we have only heard of before, are no longer unique or something that is Unavailable. Now a days we find these cars plying on the very own highways of Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai etc. We have also sent that BMW has set up its own manufacturing plant in Chennai. What does this say???
It reveals that the Indian automobile market is more ready than it was ever before. With the economy doing well and disposable incomes going up, the market is at an all time high. What I feel is that, the two-wheeler segment will also go through the same boom.
The Good news is that the change has already begun. Gradually, the companies like Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, BMW etc are coming up with high-end performance bikes in India. Several Adventurous companies have tried their luck at the emerging two-wheeler market. E.g. BMW. In spite of burning its fingers with the Launch of its premium F-650 model in India, BMW is re-considering the option of launching high-end bikes here. This itself reveals that the Indian performance segment for two-wheelers is all set to fly high.
All in all, it seems that the Indian biker, who was always denied his share of Fun, is finally getting what he deserves. Its high time that we one up our riding skills, as the experience is going to take us to a new level. Letz gear up to scorch the roads !!!
Is 
