Bike buyers upgrade to pricier variants amid economic uncertainty

Two-wheeler market leader Hero MotoCorp, which has a stronghold in the entry level of the motorcycle market, is now seeing an upturn in the premium segment

Amid economic uncertainty and the Covid-19 pandemic, motorcycle buyers are responding enthusiastically to pricier variants (125cc and above), giving entry-level models a clear miss. This buying trend bumped up average realisations in the July-September quarter for most two-wheeler companies.
 
This is even as sales of motorcycles with an engine displacement of 100-110cc — categorised as entry level — remained subdued in the three months till September over the corresponding period. Such bikes account for eight of the 10 models sold in the domestic market. 
 
In September for instance, sales of 125cc models — that include the Hero Glamour,