Hero MotoCorp Looking To Launch New Premium Motorcycles

Hero MotoCorp is gearing up to launch a slew of premium motorcycles, which will have a displacement of above 300 cc, in the coming years, which is another step in solidifying its status as the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India and the world as well. At a recent investor meet, the company also confirmed that it is working on a new product platform, with its partner, Harley-Davidson, for a brand-new premium motorcycle range. It is still unclear as to by when we could see these motorcycle and also, the kind of motorcycles that will come out of this partnership.

Also Read: Exclusive: Hero MotoCorp Working On A New 400 cc + ADV

The first of the premium motorcycles from Hero is likely to be a new 400 cc + adventure motorcycle, which will take on the likes of the KTM 390 Adventure, BMW G 310 GS and the Royal Enfield Himalayan. Team carandbike broke the story of the motorcycle being in the works and it being tested in Ladakh. The new ADV is likely to be called the XPulse 400 and have a 421 cc single-cylinder engine. It will be built around a new chassis and will have performance to challenge the KTM 390 Adventure. We expect the 421 cc engine to put out performance figures of around 40 bhp and 35 Nm of peak torque along with a 6-speed gearbox and features to boot.

While we expected the new adventure bike to be launched sometime in 2023, another source confirmed to carandbike that the XPulse 400 will only be launched in the second half of 2023, and not early next year as we had expected.

There is a 300 cc entry-level sportbike in the works as well, which is likely to take on the TVS Apache RR 310 and the KTM RC 200/390 range. This is also a bid to compete with the likes of TVS, Bajaj and Hero’s biggest rival, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), all of whom have models in 300 cc to 400 cc range, in addition to Royal Enfield, which is one of the biggest players in the 300 cc to 700 cc segment globally.

Data from Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) suggests that Hero MotoCorp has a market share of a massive 47 per cent in the overall two-wheeler segment, with bulk of its sales coming from low-displacement 100-110 cc motorcycles. Hero is keen to change that narrative and get a decent hold in the premium segment, of which it currently has a share of less than 7 per cent.