By T Murrali

As India will be moving to the new emission regime from April this year, the manufacturing companies are fielding new models of new variants with BS-VI engines. India Yamaha Motor (IYM) has announced a slew of new brands, in line with its concept of ‘The Call of the Blue’ that carved out the ‘The Yamaha Uniqueness’ of product line-ups and experiences through the ‘Blue Square’ network. IYM has fielded four vehicles with several innovative features and technologies, with plans to create a strong network of dealers; nonetheless, it has still kept a conservative sales growth target of 4 percent.

In 2019, the company sold 624,000 units (with 40 percent scooters and the rest motorcycles), witnessing a 13 percent drop in sales over the previous year, matching the industry average. It exported 296,000 units during the year. For 2020, IYM has set a target of 650,000 units with the same break-up for scooters and motorcycles. This is just 4 percent more than last year’s sales. However, it aims to raise exports to 315,000 units.

Ravinder Singh, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Planning Group, Yamaha Motors India Sales Pvt Ltd, said, “We have been able to increase our market share in deluxe and premium segments and maintain it in the scooter segment (for Fascino), thanks to our focused brand strategy: ‘The Call of the Blue.’ Our success in 2020 will depend on creating a strong network and we have started working on this direction. ‘Blue Square’ is one such initiative.”

‘Blue Square’ 

‘Blue square’ is a unique concept intended to offer Yamaha’s racing DNA to exciting, stylish and sporty products and experiences. ‘The Call of the Blue’ started in 2018 expanded to products and experiences in 2019.

‘Blue Square’ is created as a destination for all two-wheeler enthusiasts. The concept was to expand the company’s uniqueness for fuelling the passion for riding in India featuring a wide range of riding gears and accessories along with the two-wheeler line-ups that deliver good driving experience. Yamaha Blue Square Showrooms will serve the excitement to grow into a popular culture by turning it into an aspiration for every young rider.

To a question on how ‘Blue Square’ will help the company to strengthen its market position, Singh said the company’s objective is to focus on youngsters. It launched the brand campaign ‘The Call of the Blue’ mainly to connect with the young customers. Now IYM is taking it to the next level with ‘Blue Square,’ which according to him is more of the brand connection, linking its BTL (below the line) activities. “From ATL (above the line) activities to BTL, we are connecting the customers and giving the experience of sporty and stylish vehicles, which is our core DNA, to the product.” The additional dealerships planned for this year will be primarily for ‘Blue Square’ outlets, he said. 

Many of the existing dealerships will also be upgraded to deal with its new introductions of 155cc motorcycle MT-15 and the 125cc scooters, the Ray ZR 125 FI and Street Rally 125 FI, and the iconic Fascino 125 FI. Shifting from the 110cc segment, IYM is strengthening its market in the 125cc scooter segment and the motorcycle line-up.

MT-15

Known for its balance of torque and agility, MT-15 has enhanced control postures and single-channel ABS. A special colour ‘Ice Fluo-Vermillion’ was also introduced. It received rave reviews in many countries for its distinctively aggressive appearance. The new BS-VI compliant MT-15 has a rear radial tyre. Its advanced design expressing torque and agility is popularised further by a minimal look, dynamic headlight, short tail and an overall finish that illustrates its unique style.

The new bike comes with VVA engine for nimble acceleration with model-specific ECU,  optimized secondary reduction gear ratio for snappy riding in town, A&S clutch for stress-free gear shifts, motard-like riding position with a great deal of freedom on a tight, concentrated silhouette, 282mm front disc brake with single-channel ABS for excellent stopping power. The advanced design expressing torque and agility is further accentuated by dynamic front face styling headlight, short tail with a vertical tail light and overall graphics and finish.

Ray ZR 125 FI, Street Rally 125 FI

The new scooters come with several new features, new engine technologies and are available in a range of new colours. The new Ray ZR 125 FI and Street Rally 125 FI are powered by a BS-VI compliant, air cooled, fuel injected, 125cc blue core engine that produces a power output of 8.2 PS @ 6,500 RPM and a torque of 9.7 Nm @ 5,000 RPM. The power output and economy are 30 percent and 16 percent higher respectively than the earlier scooters.

The styling concept is ‘Armored Energy’ which evokes the feeling of a powerful motorcycle laced to proportions, details, striking design and new technologies. The sporty, sharp-looking headlight is Class C-compliant while the Y-shaped LED position light adds greater originality to the design. The turn signals at the front and rear use individual mounting stalks like those used for motorcycles. The Ray ZR 125 FI is available in both drum and disc brake versions, and the disc brake version gets digital instrument cluster as a new feature. The new Ray ZR 125 FI is available in a wide range of colour variants including Dark Matte Blue, Metallic Black, Cyan Blue, Matte Red Metallic and Reddish Yellow Cocktail.

The new Street Rally 125 FI also fuses motorcycle elements with those of a scooter and scatters them throughout the design. Brush guards shield the rider's hands from oncoming airflow and add a sporty, adventure-influenced touch to the machine. It additionally offers fully digital instrument cluster, side panels designed to look like a rugged frame, block-pattern tyre, sporty coloured wheel stripes (front and rear) and side panels intended to look like metallic protectors. The new Street Rally 125 FI is available in two colours: Deep Purplish Blue Metallic and Sparkle Green.

Fascino 125 FI

The new Fascino 125 FI is powered by a BS-VI compliant, air cooled, fuel injected, 125cc blue core engine that produces a power output of 8.2 PS @ 6,500 RPM and a torque of 9.7 Nm @ 5,000 RPM. The power output and economy are 30 percent and 16 percent higher respectively than the earlier scooters.

Along with the new features and technologies, the visual impression of the new Fascino 125 FI rests on its classic European styling as it gets an all-new exterior design, higher quality bodywork, newly designed headlight, new gauges and other features that produce a feeling of elegance and status. The new scooter is designed to be a fashionable vehicle with styling that embodies strength, refinement and beauty along with classical touches. The vehicle is available in disc and drum brakes and a wide range of colour variants including Vivid Red, Metallic Black, Yellow Cocktail, Matte Blue, Dark Matte Blue, Suave Copper and Cyan Blue.

Lightweighting

The body weight of the new Ray ZR 125 FI, Street Rally 125 FI and Fascino 125 FI is 99 kg, which is, at the least, 4 kg lighter than Yamaha's earlier scooters. All the new scooters come with ‘stop & start system’ that prevents engine idling and subsequent start with a single throttle twist which uses the sensors to assess the riding environment. The vehicles have front disc brake with unified brake system. In addition, the smart motor-generator fitted to these vehicles uses electronic controls to bring a quieter engine start without the need for a separate conventional electric starter. One of the key features is the ‘side stand engine cut-off switch,’ which prevents the engine from starting if the side-stand is not retracted. This is a unique feature as it can prevent accidents and ensure safety of the rider.

Talking to this publication on the objective to introduce the engine cut-off switch to the side-stand, Yasuo Ishihara, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Research & Development India Pvt Ltd, said that in Europe these safety systems are mandatory. Since it is a safety feature the company wanted to introduce it in India also. “We have decided to incorporate this feature in the two-wheelers (Ray and Fascino) that we have launched now. In a phased manner this feature will be introduced in all the models we produce.”

The company has also introduced stop-start systems and this was possible as it replaced the starter motor with a combined generator-cum-starter motor. Ishihara said that in India the traffic is dense with more stopping and starting conditions, not only at traffic lights but also on congested roads. This mild hybrid helps in managing these situations while conserving fuel. However, when there are frequent stops and starts, the power drawn will be more from the battery; therefore the company has increased the battery capacity.

Yamaha has also reduced the total kerb weight by 4 kg. This was achieved as the design team was given very stringent targets to reduce weight. There were targets set for every major part in the vehicle. This combined with high-end design helped the company achieve weight reduction despite increasing the sheet metal content. For instance, in the earlier version of the scooters, the front fender was in plastic but in the BS-VI version this has been replaced with metal. According to him, one of the reasons for weight reduction was that the vehicles have no starter motors, since the generators do that function. Despite introducing new technologies, localisation in all the models is over 90 percent, he said.

Target Customers               

The target customers for the three scooters, according to the company, are the youth (18-24 years) who are high on adventure, and who find the true reflection of their riding personality by the mobility they ride and its performance. Motofumi Shitara, Chairman, Yamaha Motor India group of companies, said, “Customers can now take the experience of all such exciting Yamaha two-wheelers at the new ‘Blue Square’ outlets of Yamaha which is conceptualized to garner the racing spirit along with its comfort, ambience and the beacon of the Yamaha Blue. The company also plans to expand its brand strategy of ‘The Call of the Blue’ including product strategies and networks in 2020. The ‘Blue Square’ which was opened recently in Chennai will expand to 100 outlets in 2020 and eventually would consolidate the 125cc scooter market share and sports market share for the brand. The ‘Call of the Blue’ will be scaled up in 2020 to offer the excitement, sporty and stylish experiences to a wider audience.”

Digital Communication

On the communication side, he said, the company is more focused on the digital platform. Despite fielding new stylish models with more safety features and power, the company has set itself a growth of just 4 percent for the current calendar over 2019. Seeking his reason for this, Singh said it is justified. “At this moment we are very conservative. We are talking to dealers and we are also taking feedback from people like you. We see a clear shift from 110cc to 125cc (in scooters) and it will increase in the coming years as people are further upgrading.” Therefore, the segment will further evolve. But it all depends on increasing affordability, which is directly linked to economic growth. The key point is that India is a country where more than 50 percent of the population is young. This is precisely the reason for the company to field products targeting the youth, he said. “Based on the features and the pricing we are going to get a good amount of market share in this segment; still we are taking cautious steps,” he explained.

The company will focus on three areas to connect with its customers easily - Premium, Deluxe and Scooters. Otherwise, connecting with customers from the commuting point of view would be difficult for Yamaha. This is the reason for the company to upgrade its scooters to 125cc, Shitara said.

Currently, IYM has 593 dealers across India with about 2,000 touch points. The company has allotted INR 1,500 crore for building capacity and capabilities, to be spent over four years from 2018. It had to invest INR 16 crore to develop BS-VI engines. Though modifications to the engine were minimal, the additions were in the form of double catalytic converters for exhaust, O2 sensors and advanced OBD modules. Investments have also gone into precision machining of parts for BS-VI related elements, and the development of new parts.  (MT)

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Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has reported 566,086 unit wholesales for April 2026, up 85 percent YoY, as compared to 305,406 units last year.

Domestic sales came at 532,433 units, up 85 percent YoY, as compared to 288,524 units a year ago. This includes 501,791 motorcycles at 75 percent YoY and 64,295 scooters, up 233 percent YoY.

Domestic retail performance also remained robust during the month, with 552,713 two-wheeler registrations (as per VAHAN) indicating growth of around 8 percent. 

VIDA, Hero MotoCorp’s e-mobility business, reported a 129 percent YoY growth, albeit a low-base.

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Suzuki Motorcycle India (SMIPL), a leading manufacturer of scooters and motorcycles, has announced its wholesales of 117,514 units in April 2026, marking a 4 percent YoY growth compared to the 112,948 units sold in April 2025.

The company began the new financial year with increases across both its domestic and international operations. Interestingly, while domestic sales at 98,004 units grew by 3 percent as compared to 95,214 units a year ago, exports clocked a 10 percent growth at 19,510 units.

Revenue from spare parts sales reached INR 915.90 million, representing a 14 percent growth over the previous year.

Last month, Suzuki Motorcycle India celebrated two decades of manufacturing in the country and also introduced the new Suzuki Burgman Street ‘One and Only’ and a new colour option for the Suzuki Avenis Special Edition.

Deepak Mutreja, Vice-President – Sales & Marketing, Suzuki Motorcycle India, said, “We have started the new financial year on a steady note with growth across both domestic and exports markets. This performance reflects the continued trust customers place in our products. As we move ahead, we remain focussed on delivering quality products, while deepening our connect with customers and partners across markets. We are also enhancing customer experience through focused events and brand activations.”

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Chennai-headquartered mid-sized motorcycle major Royal Enfield has reported monthly wholesales of 113,164 units in April 2026, which marks a 31 percent growth compared to the 86,559 units sold in April 2025.

The OEM also entered the electric mobility market during the month with the launch of its first electric model.

Last month, the company reported domestic growth of 37 percent at 104,129 units, as compared to 76,002 units a year ago. While, exports came at 9,035 units, down 14 percent, as against 10,557 units last year.

In April, Royal Enfield introduced several updates to its motorcycle and lifestyle portfolio, which includes the launch of the its first electric motorcycle under the Flying Flea brand at INR 279,000  or INR 199,000 under a battery-as-a-service model.

The 2026 Hunter 350 portfolio was expanded with a Base Premium variant in Tarmac Black and two new colours: Mumbai Yellow and Moonshot White.

Interestingly, Himalayan 450 recorded an annual sales growth of 53 percent outside of India, with global sales for the platform exceeding 38,000 units this year.

B. Govindarajan, Managing Director, Eicher Motors and CEO of Royal Enfield, said, “We have started the new financial year with strong momentum, setting the tone for an exciting and important year ahead. April 2026 was special for us as we took our first step into electric mobility with the launch of the Flying Flea C6 - which has received an overwhelmingly encouraging response. During the month our growing global brand strength was further affirmed as Royal Enfield was recognised as the world’s third strongest automobile brand by Brand Finance. Internationally our key markets continue to perform well, driven by successful new launches, industry accolades and a growing rider community. With a robust pipeline of new products and brand initiatives, we are confident of maintaining the growth trajectory through the year.”

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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), a leading manufacturer of scooters and motorcycles in the country, has announced its sales results for April 2026, recording a total of 563,000 units wholes. This marks a 17 percent YoY growth compared to the 480,000 units sold in April 2025.

Last month, the company sold 484,000 units in the domestic market, up 14.7 percent, as against 422,000 units a year ago. The exports came at 79,600 units, up 37.4 percent, as against 57,900 units last year.

At present, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, has a robust network of 7,000 touchpoints across India.

Tsutsumu Otani, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said, “Building on our April performance, we continue to strengthen customer trust through disciplined and consistent execution. Demand across the two-wheeler market remains resilient across segments. We will continue to respond with agility to market dynamics while focusing on delivering sustainable and stable growth. Supported by a strong product portfolio and our dealer partners across the country, we remain committed to enhancing long-term enterprise value.”

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