Almost every manufacturer is keen on introducing a product to rival the Royal Enfield range of motorcycles. In the segment which Royal Enfield dominates, the premium motorcycle range between INR 1.5 – 3 lakh, there are very few products which manage to catch the attention of buyers as Royal Enfield does. And that is primarily, because Royal Enfield sells more than a motorcycle, they give away an experience, a concept.
Honda still is undecided if they have the right product to introduce in this segment. Previous rumours suggested that the Rebel 300 & 500 could be worthy contenders, and will give access to Honda to operate in the cruiser segment in the mid-size motorcycles. However, seems like the Rebel 300 & 500 won’t make the cut.
Honda claims to have been working towards it and conducting customer clinics to understand the needs and market sentiment in this segment. But still, Honda isn’t sure about what product should hit the showrooms.
Meanwhile, Mahindra under the name of Classic Legends is getting ready to introduce new age Jawa motorcycles in India. The new Jawa will be a 300cc motorcycle, and just like Royal Enfield, the Jawa models will be able to deliver a similar package – heritage, nostalgia and hopefully some old school charm in a modern classic.
Honda though still remains obsessed with Hero MotoCorp. Honda wants to outnumber Hero MotoCorp and that remains their primary objective. Hence, Honda’s focus remains on the likes of the Activa, which are mass market favourite.