Honda
Motorcycles and Scooters India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), has just announced that by
August 2015 the CBR650F superbike will be launched in India. The motorcycle
will be manufactured in India as a part of the “Make in India” campaign. The
localisation content will initially be only around 5pc for this bike.
The CBR650F
is powered by a 649cc 4 cylinder Honda DOHC engine mated to a 6-speed
transmission. Honda has stated that the motorcycle will be manufactured at the
HMSI production facility in Manesar, Haryana with a maximum capacity to produce
2 units a day from the plant in Manesar as of now. Critical components like the
engine will be imported.
The CBR650F
superbike will be available in 20 cities across the country by the end of the
year but the company has no plans in place to export the motorcycle from India
currently.
Five key HMSI
personnel from India were taken to Japan for formal training on assembly and
after sales services. The knowledge will be imparted onto personnel in the
Manesar factory, while also in service centres where mechanics will be trained
to service the vehicle in the 20 cities that the motorcycle will be available
in.
The superbike
will be the first motorcycle with its level of technology and the first 4
cylinder 649 cc superbike to be manufactured in India. The CBR650F is the
flagship model for Honda, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. The
Indian arm has not yet decided on the pricing of the vehicle, stated the
President and CEO of HMSI Pvt. Ltd., Keita Muramatsu.
News wrap
up from HMSI
Honda has
stated that 25pc of the company’s global sales comes from India, and by the
next couple of years, India will be the leading market for the company in term
of sales.
Honda has
stated that their motto in India is to “Retain – Expand – Create” to achieve
the target of 64 lakh customers by 2016, they have set for themselves for the current
fiscal of 2015-16.
Retain: Honda currently
hold the market leadership in the automatic scooter segment with the Activa,
and the CB Shine is the best selling 125cc motorcycles in the country. The aim
for Honda is to retain their position the ATSC and 125cc motorcycle segments,
while also becoming the no. 1 brand in the top 35 cities of India.
Expand: As a part of the
expansion plan, the company will
inaugurate their 4th manufacturing plant in the country by early 2016
in Gujarat which will be the largest scooter manufacturing plant in the world.
HMSI stated that the plant will increase capacity by 39pc in two years time. To
expand its customer reach network, 800 sales and service touch points will be introduced
to cater to the growing rural market and last mile rural customer support with
20 mobile service vans. Around 825 “Service On Wheels” (SOV) will also be
introduced for after-sales service.
Create: HMSI will launch
14 more motorcycles and scooters in India by the end of the calendar year. Six
models have already been launched while nine remaining models will be launched
in the coming months as stated by the company.
The company
has also stated that at the 13th Auto Expo ‘2016, HMSI will
introduce a new segment in the Indian Industry with a brand new model.
Muramatsu commented:
“We will focus our synergies to retain and consolidate our existing leadership
position in ATSC and 125cc motorcycle segment. Expanding to meet future demands
in India – a focus market for Honda globally, we will significantly invest in
fortifying our production capacity to 64 lack units, networks to 4600 outlets
and last mile rural penetration. In its challenging spirit, Honda will create
new benchmarks in its new products offerings. On the cards are the nine new
upcoming models, one of which will revolutionise the Indian two-wheeler
industry and create a new segment by itself.”
.