In a recent interview, Rajiv Bajaj justified the company’s competitive strategy in the Royal Enfield-dominated segment.
Royal Enfield is one of the most popular brands in the Indian market. It has been dominating the 350cc – 650cc segment for a long time. Recently, there has been an increase in consumer interest in this segment of bikes. It has seen a growth of 9-10 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Naturally, many brands have entered the market with their own offerings, with Hero and Bajaj offering new bikes at competitive prices. Now, Rajiv Bajaj has defended the company’s move into the 350cc – 650cc segment.
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Rajiv Bajaj: Royal Enfield is Where Money Is
In a recent interview, the MD of Bajaj Auto was asked about competing for a segment dominated by Royal Enfield. Rajiv Bajaj justified his company’s moves with the example of the famous American robber, William Sutton. “There was a famous bank robber in America called William Francis Sutton. When asked why do you rob a bank he said that’s where the money is. So if Royal Enfield is where the money is then we have no choice but to rob that bank,” he said. William Francis Sutton robbed over two million dollars in forty years.
Mr. Rajiv Bajaj essentially stated that the company has no choice as the consumer interest is captured by the 350cc – 650cc segment. So far, Royal Enfield has been the only major player in this segment. Now, Bajaj Auto has entered the segment with Triumph’s Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X. The Bajaj Triumph 400cc motorcycles are a good alternative option along with Harley-Hero. The price of the Royal Enfield Himalayan 411cc starts at Rs 2.15 lakhs (ex-showroom), respectively. On the other hand, the new Bajaj-Triumph offering is priced at 2.3 lakhs. Rajiv Bajaj also claims that Bajaj Auto has a 50 per cent profit share in the motorcycle market.
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Bajaj Triumph Speed 400 Specs
The Bajaj Triumph Speed 400 is powered by a 398.15-cc liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 4V engine that outputs 39.5 hp of peak power and 37.5 Nm of max torque. It is paired with a 6-speed gearbox and an assist-and-slipper clutch. On the front, the company has added a 43 mm USD suspension. However, the rear tyre gets a Gas Monoshock suspension setup. The 17-inch alloy wheels come with a 110/70 tyre with a 300 mm disc brake on the front and a 150/60 tyre with a 230 mm disc brake on the back. The new bike weighs 170 kg and features a decent 13 litres fuel tank. It is expected to offer a mileage of around 30-32 km/l.
