03 Sept 2009;hindustantimes.com:Suprotip Ghosh:Buoyed by the success of its 100 cc motorcycle relaunch, Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL), the country’s second largest maker of motorcycles and scooters, will expand its portfolio of 100 cc motorcycles to include new variants in the coming six months. The company reintroduced the 100 cc motorcycle to its portfolio in July after year-on-year sales for the company fell drastically, while number one motorcycle maker Hero Honda continued adding marker share to its kitty. However, Bajaj has repeatedly said that the company had always wanted to provide value for money to the customer, and not stay away from the 100 cc market. The company has sold 48,000 units of its new 100 cc Discover motorcycle in August, the first full month of sales since the company restarted its foray into the 100 cc segment, said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, BAL. “We will introduce new variants and models in the 100 cc segment once the sales of the Discover reaches about 80,000 a month and stabilises. The challenge is to sustain the numbers after the festive season is over,” said Bajaj. The festive season starts in September and continues till early November. Discover, which BAL is trying to turn into the company’s flagship model at the lower end, has sold a cumulative 65,000 units this month including the 135 cc variant, Bajaj said. The company’s primary breadwinner is still the Pulsar, which is the dominant player in the 150cc and above segment of motorcycles with close to half the market share. The foray is part of the company’s future plans at revamping and launching a slew of new models and innovations. BAL has hired Edgar Heinrich, an engineer from BMW motorcycles to head its design function, the department that would design new motorcycles and models.
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