Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has scheduled a new two-wheeler launch in India for 8 August 2022. It is rumoured that the company might launch a motorcycle in the 300cc to 450cc category for the Indian markets.
While the details for the motorcycle are yet to be revealed, Honda Motorcycles’ upcoming “The Formidable” might be a two-wheeler from the OEM’s BigWing lineup. There are also rumours that the upcoming Honda Motorcycle could be a direct competitor to the likes of Royal Enfield Himalayan and Yezdi Scrambler. Honda Motorcycles is already retailing Honda Highness (H’Ness) in the 350cc category here.
H’Ness CB 350, CR300R, CB350RS, CB500X, CB650R, and CB650R motorbikes fall under the BigWing club of Honda Motorcycles globally. The demand for 300cc to 500cc is on the rise in the country. Royal Enfield, specializing in above 350cc bikes, has sold 50,265 motorcycles in India in June 2022. These figures last year stood at 35,815 units.
There are also speculations that Honda will either launch the Forza 350cc or Forza 125cc scooters in India on 8 August 2022. If launched, the scooter will be retailed via the Honda BigWing showrooms in the country. Honda Forza 350, if launched in India, will compete against the BMW 350cc scooter in the country. Honda 125, on the other hand, will compete against the likes of TVS NTorq 125 on being launched in India.
Powered by 124cc engines, Honda Forza 125 generates 8.14bhp and 10.3Nm as maximum power and torque. The Forza 350 is equipped with a single-cylinder, liquid-cooled 349cc engine, producing a peak power of 20.2PS and 31.5Nm of torque.
A Honda CRF300L adventure bike was spotted at a Honda dealership in India recently. The OEM’s CRF range contains a lineup of its motocross and dual-sport motorcycles. A 190cc bike, CRF190L, is also rumoured to be in the works. Once launched, the same will compete against Hero XPulse 200 4V. Hero had recently unveiled a rally-edition variant of the XPulse in the country.
Notably, the OEM has already announced its plans to enter India's 100cc motorcycle segment. However, it is highly unlikely that the company will launch a 100cc bike in India on 8 August 2022. One of the company’s spokespersons, in a recent conversation with the Mobility Outlook team, revealed that the 100cc bike will be launched in 2023.
The possibility of Honda Motorcycles launching an electric bike can’t be ruled out as the two-wheeler, and the three-wheeler verticals have registered the highest adoption rates among electric vehicles in the country.
Statista has projected the revenue from the Indian motorcycle market to show a CAGR of 13.15% between 2022-2026, resulting in a projected market volume of $30.91 billion by 2026. Motorcycles market unit sales are expected to reach 14,362.22K in 2026.