Bajaj has finally said that their partnership with Triumph will deliver fruits in the year 2023. More specifically, the 27th Of June 2023. Exactly two months from today, we can expect the motorcycles to be on sale in India. Made by Bajaj, for Triumph, these are going to be mini Bonneville, Scrambler and Speed twin types of motorcycles which will range from 350-400cc range. This is a single-cylinder motorcycle to have many forms as time passes by. Rajiv Bajaj confirms there will be more than two launches in the year 2023 itself. Primarily targeted at Royal Enfield, this is the biggest onslaught at Eicher Motors premium retro motorcycle portfolio.
Bajaj will help them keep costs in check but at the same time, Bajaj is making a whole new factory to make bikes with its partners such as GAS GAS, Husqvarna, KTM and Triumph Motorcycles which is set to come up in Pune. Yes, GAS GAS is also set to come into the Indian market, but we think that will happen in 2024. The Triumph motorcycles will be affordable as the price range will be from Rs 2 lakhs to 3.5 lakhs ex-showroom in India.
The bigger picture is, it is going to be exported from Pune to every Triumph showroom worldwide. Bajaj’s formidable track record of churning high-quality motorcycles in the last decade which includes Husqvarna and KTM has led to the belief of most European manufacturers that tying up with India’s biggest manufacturer is a very profitable move for them. At least to the manufacturers who are downright serious about maintaining the legacy and quality of their products.
Sooner or later, Bajaj will make their own branded and engineered motorcycle on the same platform just like how the Dominar is to the KTM Duke in terms of change despite using a similar platform. Bajaj will then finally be able to target Royal Enfield head-on instead of indirectly hitting Jawa, Yezdi and RE with the Dominar series right now. Royal Enfield was stagnant with their sales number as they just don’t seem to cross a threshold, but with the Hunter, a temporary push can be seen in sales. RE has gained a significant jump in sales by overtaking Suzuki Motorcycles in India.
Bajaj finally could hit the sweet spot as it can get the numbers, design and performance on par or better than RE with its new factory and a new approach to the market with its retro motorcycles. Till then we wait for the Triumph motorcycle for the first onslaught and then Bajaj could join in. Needless to say, Royal Enfield has serious competition but it seems ready with its humungous portfolio. A liquid-cooled 450 ADV is incoming this year and that could be the rival that Triumph has readied for them. A direct in the first year means this is a serious fun time ahead for enthusiasts.
