Scoop! Honda's next bike for India

Our sources close to Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), the second largest two-wheeler manufacturer of our country, have disclosed that the company is working on a new bike which will be launched in the first quarter of the financial year 2014-15. The company has its eyes firmly set on the numero uno position and is concentrating its energy towards the mass segment, which will help them gain the numbers. This might sound a bit disappointing for motoring enthusiasts, but in the cut-throat environment where the two-wheeler companies are competing, this direction definitely makes perfect business acumen.

Recently, during the Auto Expo 2014, Honda unveiled its highest capacity scooter in India, the all new Activa 125 and also announced the production of the CBR 650F in the country, which would be available by 2016. The company will also invest Rs 1,100 crore on a new manufacturing facility in India which will be set up in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. This would be HMSI’s fourth plant, which is expected to be operational in 2015 and will have an initial production capacity to manufacture 12 lakh vehicles per annum. This will boost Honda’s total annual production capacity to 58 lakh units by 2015-16.

With this kind of investment pouring in, it’s obvious that the company will focus on commuter bikes and scooters. Our sources inform that the company’s next bike is going to be a premium commuter. The bike will be the third offering in the Dream series — the first two being the Dream Yuga and Dream Neo. The latest Dream bike would be powered by an efficient and refined 109cc, single cylinder, Air Cooled, 4 Stroke, SI Engine with power output of about 8.4 PS. This is the same motor that does duty on the current Dream series bikes. It will get the usual – improved body design with stylish graphics, alloy wheels, disc brake option, informative instrument console and tubeless tyres, but the highlight of the new bike would be a host of innovative features. This will help the company to counter its competition which has launched feature-rich products in the highly competitive commuter segment.

The bike, along with the other Dream models; and the now beefed up scooter range will justify Honda’s huge investment in India and the four manufacturing plant’s annual production capacity. The new Dream bike will be launched by mid-2014 and would be priced slightly higher than the Dream Yuga which retails from Rs 49,155 to Rs 52,841 (ex-showroom Mumbai).