New Delhi: About six of the ten motorcycles sold in India are priced in the range up to Rs 60,000 and mostly these buyers keep value for money quotient on the top of its preference. The motorcycles priced in this range focus more on fuel efficiency and almost every two-wheeler manufacturer has its presence in the commuter motorcycle space.
The Affordable commuter segment dominates the motorcycle market share by over 58.4% in the overall motorcycles space and about 37% in the overall two-wheeler space (including scooters & mopeds). Five of the 10 best selling two-wheelers in India are from this segment. The motorcycles in this segments are powered between 100 to 110 cc range.
The segment is dominated by India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero Moto Corp which commands 73% of market share.
According to SIAM sales report, over 54.65 lakh units of commuter motorcycles (upto 110 cc) were sold in the Indian domestic market between April 2016 to January 2017. The sales in this segment has seen a decline by about 2% over the same time last year. The increase in sales of scooters can be regarded as one of the reasons for this decline.
Top 10 motorcycle models sold in January 2017 (All segments)
| S.No | Model | Units sold |
| 1 | Hero Splendor | 208,512 |
| 2 | Hero HF Deluxe | 122,202 |
| 3 | Honda CB Shine | 70,294 |
| 4 | Hero Passion | 56,335 |
| 5 | Royal Enfield Classic 350 | 39,391 |
| 6 | Hero Glamour | 38,204 |
| 7 | Bajaj Pulsar | 36,456 |
| 8 | Bajaj Platina | 23,963 |
| 9 | Honda Dream series | 18,794 |
| 10 | Honda CB Unicorn | 18,654 |
Here are the top 5 commuter motorcycles available currently in the Indian domestic market.
1. Hero Splendor iSmart:
First motorcycle from the Hero Motocorp’s stable to get the company’s in-house i3S technology. The company claims a mileage of 102.5 kmpl on its Splendor i3s. The iSmart technology automatically switches off the engine when idle and switches it on when as soon as clutch is pressed. The engine has a displacement of 97.2 cc with a max power of 8.36 ps and 8 Nm of torque. Over the years Hero Moto Corp has introduced many variants on its most sold motorcycle. Currently, there are five splendour variants sold namely Splendor i3s, Splendor pro classic, Splendor Pro, Splendor + and the more powerful Splendor iSmart 110. The price ranges from Rs 47,530 – 54,080 (Ex-Delhi). Altogether in the period April 2016 – January 2017 the company has sold over 21.16 lakh units in the domestic market.
Hero Splendor specification and price
| Model | Displacement | Max Power | Peak Torque | Transmission | Price (Ex-Delhi) |
| Hero Splendor | 97.2 cc | 8.3 ps @ 8000 rpm | 8.05 Nm @ 5000 rpm | 4-Speed constant mesh | Rs 50,580 – 51,910 |
| Hero Splendor Pro | 97.2 cc | 8.3 ps @ 8000 rpm | 8.05 Nm @ 5000 rpm | 4-Speed constant mesh | Rs 49,285 – 50,00 |
| Hero Splendor + | 97.2 cc | 8.3 ps @ 8000 rpm | 8.05 Nm @ 5000 rpm | 4-Speed constant mesh | Rs 47,280-49,530 |
| Hero Splendor Pro Classic | 97.2 cc | 8.3 ps @ 8000 rpm | 8.05 Nm @ 5000 rpm | 4-Speed constant mesh | Rs 51,405 |
| Hero Splendor iSmart 110 | 109.15 cc | 7 kw @ 7500 rpm | 9 Nm @ 5500 rpm | 4-Speed | Rs 54,080 |
2. TVS Victor:
Hosur based two-wheeler manufacturer TVS Motor Company reintroduced the Victor brand in April 2016. The 110cc segment is the company’s latest offering in the commuter segment. TVS Victor gets a 3V ecothrust 110cc engine with a claimed mileage of 76 kmpl. The engine is mated to a 4 speed constant mesh gearbox, since its launch the company has sold over 1.32 lakh units of this motorcycle. The drum variants of TVS Victor is priced at Rs 51,215 (Ex-Delhi) and the disc-brake variants costs Rs 53,215 (Ex-Delhi).
TVS Victor specification and price
| Model | Displacement | Max Power | Peak Torque | Transmission | Price (Ex-Delhi) |
| TVS Victor | 109.7 cc | 9.6 ps @ 7500 rpm | 9.4 Nm @ 6000 rpm | 4-speed constant mesh | Rs 51,215 – 53,215 |
3. Bajaj Platina:
Indian motorcycle manufacturer Bajaj Auto also reintroduced its Platina brand last year and the company is betting huge with its comforTec technology which focuses a lot on suspension and ride quality The company claims 20% less jerks on this commuter motorcycle with its suspension being 28% longer than the competition. Bajaj also claims a mileage of 96.9 kmpl on its Platina. The motorcycle was first introduce in 2006 and since then company has sold 50 lakh units of its Platina and in the ongoing financial year ove 3.29 lakh units of the motorcycle has been sold in the Indian market. Bajaj Platina is priced at Rs 45,985 (Ex-Delhi).
Bajaj Platina specification and price
| Model | Displacement | Max power | Peak Torque | Transmission | Price (Ex-Delhi) |
| Bajaj Platina | 102 cc | 8.2 ps @ 7500 rpm | 8.5 Nm @ 5000 rpm | 4- Speed | Rs 45,985 |
4. Honda Dream Series:
Honda Dream series which includes company’s top selling motorcycles – Honda Dream Yuga, Honda Dream Neo and Honda CD 110. All three vehicles get the same engine which has a displacement of 109.19 cc and a max power of 8.25 hp and 8.6d3 Nm of torque. All three bikes get an option of self-start button. All together Honda has sold about 2.50 lakh units of its Dream series between April 2016 – Jan 2017.
Table: Honda Dream Series
Honda Dream series specification and price
| Model | Displacement | Max Power | Peak torque | Transmission | Price |
| Honda Dream Neo | 109.19 cc | 8.25 hp @ 7500 rpm | 8.63 Nm @ 5500 rpm | 4-Speed | Rs 49,844 |
| Honda Dream Yuga | 109.19 cc | 8.25 hp @ 7500 rpm | 8.63 Nm @ 5500 rpm | 4-Speed | Rs 51,741 |
| Honda Dream CD 110 | 109.19 cc | 8.25 hp @ 7500 rpm | 8.63 Nm @ 5500 rpm | 4-Speed | Rs 44,765 – 46,965 |
5. Hero Passion Pro:
Despite seeing a decline of over 24% in sales in the ongoing financial year, The passion pro still managed to sell over 7.15 lakh units between April 2016 – Jan 2017. The sub 100cc motorcycle is priced on the expensive side at Rs 54,205 (Ex-Delhi). The motorcycle uses the same Splendor engine and gets a displacement is about 97.2 cc and sheds a power of 8.36 ps and 8.05 Nm of torque mated to a 4-speed gearbox.
[“Source-economictimes”]