[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j78EvI0Af7I&autoplay=1 350 425]

The concept of “Free-Biking” has been introduced in the Advertisement. Free biking basically is the test of a biker’s ability to maneuver his bike anywhere he wishes to.With an international Feel to the ad, Bajaj clearly seems to state that it is an International Brand.Sure , it is! Also note the changed tagline of the bajaj Symbol.“Inspiring Confidence” to “Distinctly Ahead” .

THIS IS MY TAKE ON THE RIDE OF MY NEW PULSAR 220CC FROM PUNE TO MUMBAI

well starting with the probiking showroom..well the treatment and procedure was good..the probiking ppl definately make u feel priviliged…first they spent time in explaining me how important road saftey is coz since the bike is overpowered and its a one of a kind etc etc…then the fun began..they brought the bike out from the basement..it was glistening black..oooh the first look gave a huge smile on my face..trust me it was an achievement getting the most awaited bike ever..then those guys spent 15 to 20 minutes explaining me all about the fuel pump and ecu and alll…and then he handed me the keys..oh man i should tell u that was one hell of a rush..so i got on to the bike ..hit the switch and trust me i was on an all time high..well a little bit of city traffic and i hit the highway…and now the fun had only begun…doing abt 57kmph i was cruising along..the engine purrred as i ripped through the air..easily overtaking trucks buses and other slower and less important vehicles..the road presence of the bike is really of gigantic proportions..one flick of the head light and on comming traffic would just give way..the throttle response was just tooo good..making life very easy..with a steady wrist the bike just revved at 4k rpm…the riding position makes u feel u r astride a bike which is built to give the rider every comfort as well as give u 100% control…as i was travelling from pune to lonavala the 57 km stretch made me realise that here is a bike which has excellent fit and finish and is surely built to take u long distances with utmost comfort…the bike has really nice road grip even on dusty surfaces..inching my way i realised one thing that the bike gives u an incurable itch to hit the throttle and take the bike to its limit..but at the very same time i realised all that it took for me to get the bike and besides no true bike lover would want to hurt a new piston..so after a very composed and calm ride i reached lonavala..here i took a stop and gave the bike some time to cool off..after a nice 15 mins i got on and again hit the road ..this time i was in for an experience i had never imagined i could have got from an indian make bike or should i say a “bajaj pulsar”…the ghats i supposed is a very feard terrain because of its edgy inclines and serpantine curves..but trust me guys it was the most enjoyable stretch of road ever..the downhill journey felt like a roller coaster ride but the only difference was the coaster was very powerfull and i had control of it hehe …the turns and the breaking was just effortless..not even for a moment did i feel that i was descending down at 50kmph and at an inclination of a good 60 degrees..and just when i had begun enjoyin i realised i had reached “khapoli” (town at the bottom of the ghats)

i agin took a halt there and had this strong urge of going back up and doing the ghats all over again..but then i was time pressed so had to move on..from there again the ride was simple and sooner then i thought i was nearing vashi…realising that i am now again going to be bothered by the veryy irritating bumper to bumper mumbai traffic..and so with the innumerable redlights and traffic jams i made my way home ..only to have had the remenescence of wind blowing through my visor and my bike giving a quiet whistle of agreement that yesss i finally have the most sexiest indian bike…

well about the bike…its a nice 220 cc and the most important factor its a fuel injected 220 cc…the ride i guess i none like an indian bike till date..the clutching and gear shifting is soft..the riding postion i mentioned earlier i great..the head lamps are powerful..the firing sounds very husky and is pretty distinct..the overall make of the bike is neat..the engine responds flawlessly..over all i should say that the bike is WORTH EVERY RUPEE AND PLEASE DONT EVEN THINK OF BUYING ANY OTHER BIKE …

the only problem is that this bike is not ment for new riders and as the company says the 220 is surely a probiking experience.

The Commerce Ministry today notified that import of motorcycles up to 800 cc engine capacity or above subject to compliance to Euro III emission norms.

Individuals, firms and original equipment manufacturers with service networks would be allowed to import these bikes.

The relaxation followed an agreement reached at the India-US Trade Policy Forum meeting here.

“We have reached an agreement… now Harley Davidson motorcycles can be imported while Indian mangoes will be available in the US markets,” Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said.

“Indian mangoes are only a few days away from the shipment,” US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said.

The king of fruit has not been allowed to enter the US market due to various non-trade barriers and the last hitch of radiation testing is being addressed. A radiation testing facility is being set up in Mumbai on a cost-sharing basis.

Though bikes in India have to meet strict norms, Harley Davidson and other motorcycles of higher engine capacity have been given a liberal treatment. But they would have to meet at least Euro III norms.

The government has done away with the need for conducting homologation checks for these bikes. These tests are essential to see if imported vehicles meet Indian regulations. In place of this, test certificates of accredited agency will suffice.

In the past, India had taken a tough stand on import of Harley Davidson, citing the American bike maker’s inability to meet emission norms here.

The cruiser is considered a ‘must-have’ for the rich and the famous across the world.

Although, Harley will sell its bikes in India, it has maintained that the bikes will not be manufactured anywhere outside the US so as not to dilute its ‘Made in America’ exclusivity.

“The company’s overall promotional budget for 2007 will go up by 20-25 per cent as compared to that of last year’s. We have spent between Rs 1-2 crore on Pulsar’s new advertisement,” Bajaj Auto Marketing General Manager Amit S Nandi said here today.

Bajaj, which sold 39,675 units in 2006-07, would have a production capacity of 3.5 million bikes by 2007-08, he said.

The company, which claims to have 60 per cent market share in 150 cc and above segment, is coming up with an executive bike by next quarter. “The new bike will be in 100-150 cc range and will be priced in the affordable segment,” Nandi said.

The 200 cc bike, which was launched in the country in February, would soon be exported by the year end. “The export of the new Pulsar should happen this year itself,” he said.

When asked about the expected sales of the 200 cc bike, targeted at 18-24 year age group, he said, “The growth in sale might be good but not exponential.”

The 200 cc targets metropolitan markets and the northern part of the country, he said. Bajaj’s 200 cc new advertisement has been shot in Malaysia but given a Latin American look.

Admitting that sales in 100 cc segment had slowed down in March, Nandi said, “Sales in 125 cc have been good but not in 100 cc. But still we are not planning to exit the 100 cc market at present.”

Bajaj doesnt want to break 200′s market by releasing Pulsar 220 nation wide , and they are releasing 220 in limted numbers to keep people waiting for it and not go to HH showroom for ZMA. This kind of strategy took them way long since they launched calliber(1999) . Visually the only difference i can make out is that the saree gaurd is black compared to white ones in the first batch. But personally i think that they ‘may’ have changed something technically inside the engine/gear/console/electricals/Fi system from the feed back they got from the first lot bikes. Lets wait for another first hand review !

P ics :

Further, the year 2007-08 will be an year of new launches and new initiatives for the company. Besides a slew of new launches, TVS-M’s two new plants at Himachal Pradesh and Indonesia are also set to go on stream next fiscal.

“We have come out with ‘Star Sport’ to cater to that segment of customers, who were looking for more style in Star. While the Star variants at present have a market share of 10%, among all categories put together, we expect this to increase to 13%, with the launch of ‘Star Sport,” Mr K N Radhakrishnan, president, TVS-M told a press conference here on Monday.

Within the ‘entry-level’ segment, the Star variants command a 26% market share. “We hope to get market leadership in the entry level segment, with the launch of ‘Star Sport’ and we expect the market share to increase to 35%, from the present 26%,” Mr Radhakrishnan said.

He agreed that the launch of yet another variant of Star, may result in eating into the sales of some of the other models from the company. “There could be cannibalisation to the tune of around 10%. But, then the move launch a more stylish Star is for a set of customers, who were keen to buy a Star if it offered more style, alongwith its existing qualities,” he said.

While the basic variant of ‘Star Sport’ has been priced at Rs 33,990 (ex-showroom Chennai), the premium variant of the new model will carry a price tag of Rs 35,490 (ex-showroom Chennai). Nearly 75% of TVS-M’s motorcycle sales comes from the Star variants, with another 15% – 20% coming from Apache and the Victor series contributing the rest.

According to him, the financial year 2007-08 will be an year for new launches and new initiatives. “Our plant in Himachal Pradesh will go operational in April this year, even while the company’s first overseas plant in Indonesia, is expected to do the same in May. We will also be launching a new Apache, a three-wheeler in August, and a new Victor during 2007-08,” Mr Radhakrishnan said.

The move to launch a new Victor, re-inforces the fact that the company needs an aggressive model in the segment to influence market share. “Nearly 50% of all the two-wheelers sold are from the executive segment, where we have just about 5%-7% share. The new product will help us increase our numbers significantly in this segment,” he said.

But what about ordering a new bike online and having it home delivered. Well, that is something new.

Recently, Bajaj Auto launched a web site, where you can simply register, login and order a bike online. Called Bajaj’s e-biking web site, it is meant to be an online catalogue for five of Bajaj’s motorbikes — the CT100, the Platina, the Discover twins and the Pulsar 150 DTS-i.

Customers can get from the web site details about the product, break-up of the price and read more about the bikes being considered.

Bajaj also claims that a trained representative of the company will visit the customer to take the transaction forward, including assessing and trading-in an old bike, processing a financing deal, and eventually closing the transaction, before delivering the bike.

Currently, the service is available only to residents of Pune. But the company plans to extend it to other cities too in phases.

So, if you already have a fix on a Bajaj bike you have read about or heard from your neighbour, then sit back, put your feet up, sip your favourite beverage and just login in to Bajaj’s e-biking web site to place your order.

Check this http://www.bajajauto.com/ebiking/Login.aspx

When contacted on email, Yamaha Motor India director, sales and marketing Takahiro Maeda refused to comment on the issue. Sources in the auto industry say in the past three-four months, Yamaha has lost several senior managers including VP finance Sunil Vadhera, marketing head Atul Gupta, and head of manufacturing Rajiv Agrawal.

Part of the reason for the attrition, say sources, is the company’s south-bound sales graph and uncertainty over its future. A Yamaha official confirmed the exits and said that it was a “personal choice” on the part of these executives.

In January, 2007, Yamaha’s sales were 9,904 units, which officials say is among the lowest it has ever hit in India. Last January, its sales were 15,105 units. The January 2007 sales are a sharp 50% drop from the December 2006 tally of 18,136 units.

According to Yamaha officials, the company is in an uncomfortable situation financially although its parent continues to do very well globally. “The company has gone into losses and sales have been hit very badly,” said a Yamaha India official. “But the management is trying out new products and marketing strategies to revive its sales.”

The circular also refers to the company’s financial health, saying: “It is a matter of great distress that the financial condition of the company is further deteriorating and accumulated losses are continuously increasing.” The company has accumulated losses worth Rs 1,000 crore since 2001. It has around 2,000 staff on its rolls.

Yamaha India officials have indicated that the company is planning to invest nearly Rs 1,600 crore over the next five years. The Japanese company bought over partner Escort’s stake in the two-wheeler maker in 2001 and turned its Indian operations into a 100% subsidiary.

It’s not clear how Yamaha’s dipping fortunes will affect its joint venture talks with Bajaj Auto which, sources say, are proceeding as planned. Although, there is no confirmation on this, sources say that the JV, if it works out, will be a separate venture from both Bajaj Auto and Yamaha Motor India.

Market leader Hero Honda is currently running a discount scheme of Rs 1,001 on its models which include Glamour, Splendour and Passion plus. According to sources the company is likely to withdraw the discount scheme in three-four weeks.

Bajaj officials were not available for comment. Chennai-based TVS, however, has ruled any immediate correction in the prices of its bikes. TVS Motor VP marketing Prasad Narsimhan said, “We have no plans to increase prices on our bikes for any reasons in the near future.”

Meanwhile, Bajaj has discontinued the 0% interest rate scheme on its 100 cc bike Platina and replaced it with a Rs 2,000 discount. The discount is unlikely to trigger a price war in the entry-level bike segment but it is expected to help Bajaj exit the 100 cc segment.

Sources say that Bajaj is looking to exit the 100 cc segment, as per its long-standing plan, by the end of Q1 FY 08. Sources also say that Bajaj is likely to reduce prices of its 100 cc bikes further in the months to come to clear stock before launching its new platform in the second quarter of FY 08. The company is currently working towards launching higher-powered bikes that will target the 100 cc consumer segment with a better value for money proposition.

The influence of internet is maximum in case of premium bikes such as Bajaj Pulsar, Hero Honda CBZ and TVS Apache, Being a lifestyle product targeted at 18-25 year old urban college goers or those in their first jobs, premium bikes is a hot topic on the internet. Pulsar and Apache in fact have their own fan clubs and groups on the internet.
Some of the popular internet sites and blogs on the radar screens of bike marketers include xbhp.com, mouthshut.com, bikenomads.com, bajajpulsar.org, and yahoo groups for Royal Enfield, Hero Honda Karizma group and TVS Apache. “Online groups and product review sites are now the first point of reference for a prospective Apache buyer. If he reads a positive review, there’s a great probability of him purchasing our product or vice-versa. As such, we have to be alive to the reviews and discussions posted on these sites and incorporate these in our product features and brand communication,” says Mr Narasimhan of TVS Motors. The strategy seems to have paid-off. Apache is now India’s second largest selling premium bike.

Taking a cue from Apache’s success, Hero Honda incorporated internet feedback while marketing its 150cc CBZ. Prior to its launch, the company ran a teaser campaign asking prospective consumers to email their expectation from a high-performance bike. The idea was to give consumers a say in product development. Post-launch, Hero Honda created a dedicated website for CBZ to gather customer feedback on the product. “Giving the demographic profile of premium bike customers, internet has emerged as a powerful tool to connect with the consumer. Our internet initiative is still at a nascent stage and as we gain experience we will ramp it up,” says P S Sunder, head marketing, Hero Honda Motors.

Corporate interest in blogs may be rising by the day, but it doesn’t translate into tons of advertising revenues for owners/creators of these sites. This is because any corporate sponsorship will compromise their biggest assets – credibility and frankness of discussion. “Advertisement will kill the impartiality and frankness of these sites. So we remain a distant observer and don’t get involved in any manner,” says Mr Prasad Narasimhan, vice-president marketing of TVS Motors.

Some, however, discount the influence of blogs and internet groups on customer’s purchase decision. “Internet blogs are still a niche medium in India. My own calculation is that not more than 1% of the bike owning population refer to internet before making a purchase decision. May be its higher for performance bike customers, but they are still a minority,” says Atul Gupta, vice president Marketing, Suzuki Motorcycle India.

Source:Economic times

But even thought the title was “Blogs Boosting Bikes” , i couldnt find a single blog mentioned in this news. I know my hit rates and 1000s of indians lands up on my pages searching for pulsar / karizma and other bike news. So think about other bike blogs .. Like Indian2Wheels and riotreporting.. They all are dedicated to bike news and reviews. No , I am not against xbhp or any other forums or review websites. Infact most of the time, i get news for my blog from these sites. But since the reporter gave the title “BLOGS” boost the bikes, there should be some blogs mentioned in that report. Or else he should have given the title Internet boosting bike sales or any thing like that. After all, its a newspaper and 1000s of ignorant readers thinks xbhp and mouthshut are blogs!