Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, Hero MotoCorp, has taken the lead position at the ongoing Rallye du Maroc 2024 with an impressive performance in Stage 1. Hero team pilot Ross Branch emerged as the fastest rider of the stage.

Riders Ross Branch, Sebastian Buhler and Nacho Cornejo, who were competing in the premier Rally GP Class, finished the first stage in 1st, 6th and 8th place, respectively. In the overall Rally GP Class standings, they are currently ranked 1st, 6th and 9th. Branch had the advantage of starting 11th for Stage 1 after placing second in the Prologue, which he capitalised by finishing first by a 48-second cushion over his closest rival. Cornejo started the stage today and made a determined effort to go cautiously across the incredibly challenging terrain, reaching the finish line without suffering any significant errors.

The first complete Stage of the 2024 edition included 180 km of timed sections and an additional 200 km of liaisons. The event organisers had to make last-minute changes to the race strategy yesterday when floods caused delays in the cars' arrival at the bivouac in Zagora. Participants in Stage 1 were dispatched on the Stage 2 course, although with a shorter mileage and later start times. However, this circuit around Zagora turned out to be one of the most difficult stages that Maroc has experienced recently. On rocky, uneven paths badly harmed by the rains, the day began with dangerous pathways that lay ahead, with much of the original routes swept away. In the last stretch, where visible, rolling trails guided the way to the finish line, the riders finally found some solace after risking their journey across narrow dunes.

In Stage 2, the participants will return to the original course planned for Stage 1. This second loop around Zagora will be one of the longest specialities in this year, spanning 314 km in the Sahara and an additional 158 kilometres in road sections.

Rallye du Maroc is the fifth and final round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2024. Since the second race of this season, Branch has held the top place in the standings chart, and this impressive perfoemance in the Maroc Rally has increased his chances of winning the World Championship title.

Branch said, "I’m happy to have finished Stage 1 with a good result. It was a really tough one – definitely one of the most challenging stages I’ve ever ridden at Rallye Du Maroc! The tracks were really beaten up and washed away from yesterday’s rains, but I managed to pull through. Nacho did an amazing job opening the track; I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been for him. Opening the Stage tomorrow will be a mammoth task, but we’re pushing forward with confidence."

Buhler said, "It was a very difficult Stage – perhaps one of the hardest I’ve ever ridden here at Maroc. The terrain was full of rocks and rivers, making it challenging to manoeuvre. I tried to maintain a good pace, but it wasn’t easy – every time I went full on the gas, I seemed to be hitting something. I’m glad to have finished well, and I hope tomorrow will be a bit smoother."

Cornejo said, "Stage 1 is complete, and it was very rough, thanks to the rains from yesterday. I did my best opening the Stage, and lost a few minutes here and there. But overall, I’m happy with my focus and navigation. Tomorrow is a new day, so we’ll keep pushing and doing our best – one day at a time."

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Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, celebrated the festive period by recording nearly 1 million two-wheeler retail sales, with 994,690 unit registrations reported on VAHAN in October 2025. The company also achieved its second successive month of over 600,000 wholesales, with 635,808 units dispatched.

The positive performance reflects sustained festive momentum and customer confidence, supported by GST benefits.

The growth was led by demand for models including the Splendor, Xpulse, GlamourX, and the entire scooter range featuring the Destini, Xoom and Pleasure.

On the other hand, VIDA, powered by Hero, recorded approximately 16,000 VAHAN registrations in October 2025, marking a 117 percent YoY growth.

For October, Hero MotoCorp’s Global Business continued its upward trajectory sales reached 30,979 units, marking a 42.8 percent growth over the same month last year.

In H1 FY2026, the company reported a 54 percent YoY growth in the first half of the year, delivering 175,997 units and gaining a 1.4 percent global market share.

During October, the company successfully entered the European markets – Italy, Spain, the UK and France – with Euro 5+ compliant models, led by the Hunk 440 and Xpulse 200. Hero MotoCorp now has a presence across 52 countries.

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Pune-based two-wheeler and three-wheeler major Bajaj Auto has reported an 8 percent YoY increase in its total wholesales for October, selling 518,170 units compared to 479,707 units last year. The strong growth was primarily fuelled by export performance in both the two-wheeler and commercial vehicle segments.

Last month, the company sold 266,470 two-wheelers in the domestic market, up 4 percent YoY, while exports grew 11 percent YoY at 175,846 units, taking the total sales to 442,316 units, as compared to 414,372 units last year.

The three-wheeler sales, on the other hand, grew by 16 percent YoY to 75,854 units, compared to 65,535 units last year. Interestingly, while domestic sales saw a marginal decline to 47,678 units, exports grew by 62 percent YoY to 28,176 units.

For the April-October 2025 period, the total wholesales grew by 4 percent YoY to 2.92 million units, as compared to 2.80 million units last year. This includes 2.46 million two-wheeler sales, up 3 percent YoY, while three-wheeler sales grew by 14 percent YoY to 463,433 units.

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Chennai-headquartered mid-sized motorcycle major Royal Enfield has reported its wholesales for October with 124,951 units sold, up 13 percent, which includes 8,107 units exported.

The company also witnessed its highest-ever festive sales, with over 249,000 motorcycles sold during September and October, marking a 26 percent growth YoY.

B Govindarajan, Managing Director, Eicher Motors and Chief Executive Officer, Royal Enfield, said, “This festive period has been truly special for all of us at Royal Enfield, as the festive spirit translated into an overwhelming response from customers across the country. With over 249,000 motorcycles sold during the festive months of September and October, our best-ever festive performance, we have achieved a milestone that speaks volumes about our momentum and the unwavering love riders have for the brand. From refreshed favourites like the Hunter 350 and Meteor 350 to timeless icons like the Bullet and Classic, our motorcycles continue to inspire and bring riders closer to the joy of motorcycling. As we are now gearing up to showcase some of our exciting new motorcycles at EICMA and celebrate the spirit of riding with our community at Motoverse, it is going to be truly a special time for us.”

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Suzuki Motorcycle India, a leading manufacturer of scooters and motorcycles, has recorded its highest monthly wholesales to date, with a total of 129,261 units sold in October 2025.

This marks an 8 percent YoY growth compared to the 120,055 units sold in October 2024. The sales includes 103,454 units in the domestic market and 25,807 units exported. Alongside dispatches, the company claimed its retail sales reached an all-time high of 140,679 units last month.

Deepak Mutreja, Vice President – Sales & Marketing, Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd., said, “October 2025 marks a significant milestone in Suzuki Motorcycle India’s growth journey. Achieving our highest-ever monthly performance is a direct reflection of the trust customers place in our brand and products. The record domestic retail sales of more than 140,000 units demonstrate robust demand during the festive period. We deeply appreciate the continued support of our dealer network and customers. Our focus remains on enriching the overall ownership experience while expanding our presence across the country.”

Suzuki Motorcycle India’s spare parts business also reported a healthy performance, with sales of INR 857 million in October 2025.

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