TVS gears up to launch 100cc bike

TVS Motor Company will launch a new four-stroke 100cc entry-level motorcycle in this financial year.

With this the company aims to take on rivals Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto in the economy segment, which constitutes a majority of all motorcycles sold in the country.

Harish Krishnamachar, vice president (marketing), TVS, said at the launch of the 125cc Victor GLX that the new motorcycle may replace the existing 2-stroke Max range, which has witnessed declining sales following competition from 4-stroke models like Hero Honda CD-Dawn and Bajaj Boxer.

The Victor GLX would cost Rs 42,886 (ex-showroom Delhi) for the drum brake version.

Krishnamachar hopes the new 125cc Victor GLX and the recently-launched Centra to drive sales up 15 per cent to about 805,000 units in 2004-05 from 700,000 motorcycles in the previous year.

"The motorcycle industry is growing at 10 per cent. We would like to grow at 15 per cent. The GLX 125 is part of that strategy," he said.

TVS Motor hopes to sell 15,000 units of the motorcycle in 3-4 months.

The Chennai-based company would support the launch with a new advertising campaign and brand promotion activities across the country.