August 2024 Sales: Two-wheelers That Are Struggling To Sell

The festive period approaches rapidly as while manufacturers are gearing up for making hay while the sun shines, there are some areas where some can improve. Notably, we have gone through the latest SIAM monthly sales data for August 2024 and found 5 products that are not performing quite as well. Here’s the list that needs some rethinking and reviving:

Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 - 48 units sold

Despite the major overhaul, Husqvarna’s fortunes in India haven’t improved dramatically. The Svartpilen 401 promises to be a more calming and easy riding experience when compared to the bike it is based on: the KTM 390 Duke. However, the sales numbers prove that the Indian buyers are still more keen on the rather rapid and emotionally charging Duke than the more affordable Husky. And since the pricing between the two motorcycles is barely more than ₹20,000, it becomes rather easier for buyers to stretch their budget and get the more established KTM. 

Vespa 150s - 62 units sold

Asking ₹1.40 lakh (ex-showroom) for a 150 cc scooter that mostly acts as a style statement, well, it becomes hard to justify purchasing any of the Vespa 150s. There are 4 models on the Vespa 150 platform and a combined performance of 62 units is a bit hard to digest. There’s not much change on the scooters as well with the 149.5 cc motor making a little more than 10 horses and 11.26 Nm, which even some of the more sporty 125 cc offerings provide. And the most premium 150 of them all costs nearly ₹10,000 more. 

Suzuki Gixxer 250 - 72 units sold

Meant to be a middle ground between the thrilling KTM 250s and the bland Yamaha FZ25, the Suzuki Gixxer 250 (naked and SF full-faired versions combined) isn’t performing nearly as well. The Japanese quarter-litre offerings haven’t been doing quite well of late. While the motor is versatile and mildly exciting, the bike hasn’t witnessed any major change since its arrival nearly 5 years ago. In comparison, its ADV sibling – the V-Strom 250 SX – has sold 693 units, clearly getting the ambition of the budding Indian enthusiast right on point. 

KTM 125 Duke and RC 125 - 108 units sold

KTM’s most accessible motorcycles have become KTM’s most underperforming motorcycles as the combined sales of the 125 Duke and the RC 125 have just managed to cross a ton. The ridiculously high asking price of the two bikes becomes all the more hard to digest when the chief competition – the MT-15 V2 and R15 V4/M – are handsomely selling nearly 20,000 units combined. The 125 cc KTMs are severely lacking when it comes to performance and fancy features. Great hardware that offers lovely handling capabilities is going rather underappreciated. Maybe it is finally time that KTM pulls the plug for the bike for at least India and focuses on better things ahead.

Hero Karizma XMR - 258 units sold

One of the icons of the Indian motorcycling scene of the 2000s, the Karizma name needed to be respected. A motorcycle that took the legacy of the brand forwards with more meaning and purpose was key. Sadly, a 210 cc motor and a sports tourer format didn’t quite work out for Hero. A year into launching the new Karizma, sales aren’t showing any positive signs for the bike. The lack of sheer wow-ness from any department makes you take a step back and wonder whether it is befitting to carry the Karizma name or not. It comes off as good, not great. And its chief rival – the Bajaj Pulsar 250s – while not performing quite as well as Bajaj hoped, is still doing far better. And no need to mention the Pulsar 220F still doing handsomely well. 

Like we had mentioned a year ago, perhaps Hero needs a 400 cc version of the Karizma desperately, one to assert its presence as the premiere performance offering from an Indian manufacturer. And no, we aren’t hoping that Hero plonks in the 440 cc mill from the Mavrick 440 into a Karizma body. The Mavrick 440 is slowly picking up pace for a new model but that engine is well suited for laid-back chilled riding, not excitement. Hence Hero needs to rethink the Karizma quickly before it too meets the same fate that the older Karizma ZMR did.