Over two years after announcing their interest to co-develop mid-size motorcycles, Bajaj Auto and Triumph Motorcycles are likely to sign a formal agreement for a non-equity partnership on 24 January. Regular followers would know that Bajaj Auto and Triumph Motorcycles had announced their plans to co-develop new bikes in August 2017.
Also Read: Triumph to launch two new motorcycles in India by June 2020
While the two brands are yet to sign a final agreement, Triumph Motorcycles’ executives had confirmed in that past that an early prototype was already undergoing test runs. Another report claimed that the first product from the Anglo-Indian partnership will be ready by 2022. Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer, Triumph Motorcycles, had stated in an interview that Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto, has already seen the product. Sargent also added that the two manufacturers are pleased with the vehicle.
Sargent said:
This is a product in the 250cc to 750cc segment. It will be a one engine platform, but there will be different engine capacities catering to different bike styles. We have been discussing with Bajaj about what is the desirable specification. We agreed on what that would be in terms of performance, power and capacity. We know fuel economy is very important in India. Bajaj has a lot of knowledge about the Indian consumer, which they have brought to the project.
The Made-in-India Bajaj-Triumph motorcycles, as confirmed by Rajiv Bajaj, will be exported to markets like Europe, Japan and the US. In India, the co-developed/manufactured motorcycles would be sold through the Triumph dealerships. Local manufacturing will enable Bajaj-Triumph to price the products competitively.
To give you a recap, Triumph Motorcycles will develop the new bikes, while Bajaj Auto will handle the manufacturing. The Anglo-Indian joint venture will target the 250 cc to 750 cc displacement categories, thus introducing products to rival the likes of Royal Enfield and Harley-Davidson. Sargent had stated in an interview that Bajaj Auto will not get to use the platform to produce products vehicles for its own brand. We hope to hear more details about the new products from the Bajaj-Triumph Motorcycles’ partnership on 24 January.
Also Read: Bajaj Auto confirms no electric motorcycle in the pipeline
In other updates, Bajaj Auto is working on expanding its product portfolio with the launch of a quarter-litre Dominar branded motorcycle. A test mule of a Bajaj Dominar was seen with a budget-friendly swingarm and a relatively skinnier tyre earlier this month.
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