 "Triumph trumps Harley-Davidson in India")
A year after setting foot in India, iconic British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph Motorcycles has overtaken rival Harley-Davidson in domestic sales.
Triumph clocked 954 units sales in the above Rs 5 lakh category, having engine capacity of more than 500cc, during the period May-December. Harley Davidson, the world's largest manufacturer of premium cruiser bikes, clocked sales of 936 units during the same period.
Vimal Sumbly, Managing Director, Triumph Motorcycles (India) said, "The demand for Triumph in India is well over our expectations. At the start of operations, we hoped to do around 1,000 in sales but we ended 2014 with sales of 1,300 units. We have clearly overshot our targets".
Triumph presently has a market share of 36% in the above 500cc category, having a price tag of over of Rs 5 lakh. Harley Davidson, which began sales operation in India in 2010, has a share of 35%.
Both Triumph and Harley have 12 motorcycles on sale in India. With the opening of two new dealerships in Surat and Bangalore in December, the company has 17 dealerships across the country while Triumph has 11 dealerships.
Both companies have local assembly bases in Haryana. While Triumph has its base in Manesar, Harley has it in Bawal.
The market for such high-end bikes has grown to 3,656 units by end of last financial year, a growth of more than 700% compared to the 2010-11 when the industry clocked 450 units sales.