Kinetic Working On Developing New 250-500 cc Motorcycle

Pune-based Kinetic Engineering will develop an all-new motorcycle in the 250-500 cc displacement with its British partner Norton Motorcycles. The new Norton motorcycle will be a global product which will be manufactured in India, but sold across the world. The new 250-500c cc Norton motorcycle will be developed in the next couple of years and will be priced between Rs. 2-3 lakh, Ajinkya Firodia, MD, Kinetic Engineering and Motoroyale has said. Kinetic Motoroyale is a multi-brand initiative with brands like MV Agusta, SWM, FB Mondial, Hyosung and Norton. Kinetic has an equity partnership with Norton Motorcycles, with Kinetic holding 51 per cent equity in the JV and Norton holding 49 per cent.

Also Read: Kinetic Group And Norton Motorcycles Join Hands To Sell And Manufacture Bikes In India

Norton Motorcycles CEO Stuart Garner with Kinetic Group MD Ajinkya Firodia

"We will make this motorcycle in 1-2 years which will be in the 250-500 cc range, but will be priced between Rs. 2-3 lakh. While Motoroyale has an entire bouquet of brands, the first brand that will be preferred for this collaboration is Norton Motorcycles, because we have a 51:49 JV which was created with a vision like this. We will develop a new bike and localise as we go ahead," Firodia said in an interview.

Also Read: Kinetic Motoroyale Planning 300-500 cc Motorcycle In India

Ajinkya Firodia, MD, Kinetic Engineering

This is not the first time there's been talk about a new small displacement motorcycle from Kinetic. Last year, Firodia had said in another interview that a new 300-500 cc motorcycle is in the making, and it will be completely developed in-house by Kinetic. But this time around, Kinetic has also talked about developing the new engine which can also be exported across the world. And it's not just Kinetic, but technology and expertise from Norton will also find its way to the new bike.

"The two-wheeler engine will be strapped onto a brand new premium motorcycle that we will develop using design and technology of our foreign partners (in Motoroyale) and manufacturing capability of Kinetic Engineering," added Firodia.

The Norton Commando is priced at Rs. 20.99 lakh (ex-showroom)

Norton Motorcycles already has its presence in India with Motoroyale launching the Norton Commando and Norton Dominator in India in 2018. Both these models are brought to India as Completely Built Units (CBUs). The Norton Commando is priced at Rs. 20.99 lakh (ex-showroom), while the Norton Dominator is priced at Rs. 23.70 lakh (ex-showroom). Kinetic also has plans to assemble these bikes in India, but it's the upcoming made-in-India, small displacement Norton which will be interesting to see. At present, Motoroyale has dealerships across Pune, Thane, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, and Bengaluru. For the new 300-500 cc motorcycle, however, Motoroyale will need to expand its dealership and after sales network.

(Stuart Garner, CEO, Norton Motorcyles and Ajinkya Firodia, MD, Kinetic Engineering, signing the JV))

Kinetic Engineering is best known for the Kinetic Luna moped, and India's first scooter with an automatic transmission, the two-stroke Kinetic Honda. Kinetic and Honda parted ways in 1998 when the Firodia family bought out the majority stake of their joint venture partner. In 2008, Kinetic entered into a joint venture with Mahindra Automobiles, where Mahindra had 80 per cent stake. Through this joint venture, Mahindra acquired the two-wheeler manufacturing facilities as well as the brands of Kinetic. After ceasing two-wheeler manufacturing, Kinetic Engineering produces and exports automotive components. In 2015, Kinetic re-entered the two-wheeler business after bringing the MV Agusta brand to India, under its multi-brand retail arm Kinetic Motoroyale. In 2017, Kinetic announced its joint venture with Norton Motorcycles.