KAW Veloce Motors Pvt Ltd (KVMPL) has unveiled the Brixton brand of motorcycles (600 cc and 1200 cc) and an e-scooter of the Italian brand Velocifero (VLF) called Tennis in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

The unveiling of both the machines – the motorcycle with an ICE and the e-scooter with a battery and motor – at the Highland Club on the outskirts of the city took place amid much fanfare.

The Brixton motorcycle and VLF e-scooter – with an angular bodywork overall that is synonymous with Italian design culture and featuring a 2.1kW hub motor, and a range of 130 km – will be offered through the MotoHaus retail channel, the first outlet of which is set to be commissioned in a few days from now in Kolhapur.

Both the two-wheelers – the e-scooter is priced at INR 1,30,000 ex-showroom – are being put together (from a CKD kit) at a plant that is about 12 km from the launch venue as part of the Phase I strategy. To be offered through MotoHaus outlets in cities Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Jaipur, Vapi, Goa, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Nashik, Nagpur, Surat, Ahmedabad and Vadodara besides Kolhapur, the two vehicle brands are expected to be joined by a third Italian brand and an in-house electric two-wheeler brand at a later date.

Once the Phase I strategy plays out and the Bixton and VLF offerings find a footing in the Indian market, the company will embark on the Phase II strategy that will include a design and development centre at Kolhapur. The strategy will also include a manufacturing plant that can do 25,000 units and enable the engineering of a robust supply chain in terms of localisation.

It is at the Phase II level that investments from Brixton Motorcycles (Austria) and VLF are expected to come into the venture, which is initially supported by the parent company of KAW Veloce.

Aishwarya Pissay has added one more World Championship medal to her kitty by securing third place in the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup. With this victory, she has become the first and only Indian to win three World Championship medals in Motorsport.

The championship's eighth and final event, the challenging Dubai International Baja, took place on Sunday, marking the end of the season. The Bengaluru rider, who competed in the 450 cc and Ladies' classes, encountered technical difficulties, including problems with her navigation system in the last round, which prevented her from making it to the final classification. Notwithstanding these disappointments, she was able to solidify her position as a trailblazer in Indian motorsport by earning enough points from previous events to clinch the second runner-up spot on the Bajas World Cup standings.

With her victory in the 2019 Bajas World Cup, Pissay became the first Indian to win a World Championship in motorsport. She currently possesses three World Cup medals, which is a record in 2W motorsport. Together with co-sponsors IIFL, Micro Labs and Surana College, TVS Racing has helped to support her outstanding achievements.

Pissay said, “This rally was a true test of resilience. Unfortunately, technical issues with the navigation system on both days kept me out of the general classification, but every challenge brings a valuable lesson. Rally life often throws the unexpected at you, and this experience has only fuelled my determination to come back stronger. Despite the setbacks, I’m immensely proud to have secured 3rd place in the World Championship for India. This marks my third World Championship podium in the history of the sport, and I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my team, fans, and everyone who continues to believe in me.”

Royal Enfield commissioned a new plant in Thailand to assemble its motorcycles out of CKD kits supplied from India. The facility marks the two-wheeler maker’s first such in Thailand and sixth globally. 
Located at Samut Prakan near Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, the facility – fully owned and operated by Royal Enfield – will help the two-wheeler major to cater to the home market of Thailand as well as the surrounding markets. 
Adding to the number of such facilities Royal Enfield has in Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nepal, the Thai facility is spread over an area of 57000 sq. ft and can do 30,000 units per year. 
Modern, efficient and flexible, the facility will initially cater to the home market of Thailand. It will ramp up in a phase wise manner to cater to the other markets in the region over time. 
Of the opinion that the reception from the international audience has been great as they look for motorcycles that are accessible and a unique extension of their personality, B Govindarajan, CEO, Royal Enfield, averred, “Royal Enfield has been working extensively to grow the middleweight motorcycling segment globally. We have an evocative range of motorcycles across various platforms catering to our global audiences.”
Emphasising that Royal Enfield is a truly global brand and ranks among the top mid-segment motorcycle brands in markets such as the UK, Korea, Australia-New Zealand among others, he explained, “Our strategic intent is to have an international expansion strategy of investing in markets with huge potential to grow. Thailand assembly plant caters to this vision. We thereby are bringing more and more motorcycle enthusiasts to experience the DNA of Royal Enfield - Pure Motorcycling”.
 

In the India Bike Week, 2024, that will take place in Goa on 6 and 7 December, will see the Pulsar brand of motorcycles from Bajaj Auto make a ‘Definitely Daring’ debut. This will involve a unique experience of riding on a 100 ft. long bridge on the recently introduced NS400Z that is also 24 ft. high. 
Bajaj Auto, in collaboration with Ghost Ryderz (which is claimed to be India’s number one stunt riding team), will provide participants an experience that is unique as well as ‘learning’. For the first time, the two-wheeler major is taking Ghost Ryderz to India Bike Week to provide an opportunity for the participants to stunts such as a ‘wheelie’ or ‘stoppie’ under guidance of experts and in a safe manner. 
The participants at the India Bike Week will also witness signature Pulsar Stunt Shows featuring daring performances with never-seen-before stunts. Bajaj Auto has partnered with Tiivra to offer the participants an opportunity to experience the NS400Z and the all-new N125 on a specialised fun track curated to showcase Pulsar's performance and agility.
“Over twenty-four years, we have built a strong following of ‘Pulsar Maniacs’ across India who love the bike for its daring attitude and sporty DNA. We have always found innovative ways to connect and engage with our loyal customers across India. For our debut at IBW we decided to create moments that define Pulsar’s philosophy of being ‘Definitely Daring.’ At IBW, we’re inviting enthusiasts to experience the thrill, the adrenaline, the pure joy of riding a Pulsar,” said Sumeet Narang, President, Marketing, Bajaj Auto Ltd. 
 

KTM, the world's largest and India's fastest-growing premium European brand, has announced a price cut of INR 20,000 for its KTM 250 DUKE 250 cc motorcycle in India as part of its year-end celebrations.

Featuring two ride modes, Street and Track, the motorcycle now also boasts new LED headlamp setup with integrated pilot lights and a 5-inch colour TFT display with turn-by-turn navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. Bi-directional Quickshifter now comes as standard on the KTM 250 DUKE 250 cc.

The 2024 KTM 250 DUKE will be available at INR 225,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi) instead of its original price of INR 245,000 till 31 December 2024.