Expansion – HMSI Manesar plant reached it peak production of 16 lac units last year. HMSI started its production out of the Tapukara (dist. Alwar, Rajasthan) for the financial year 2011-12, with a capacity of 12 lac units.

The third plant at Nasapuram (dist. Kolar, Karnataka) is under construction.

Network – HMSI has 1,500 outlets (511 dealers, 481 branches/sub dealers, 502 service centers). It plans to add 300 more outlets in the current FY (2012-13).

Honda Dream Yuga – Prices (ex-showroom Delhi)

• Base variant – Rs. 44,642
• Mid – Rs. 46,134
• Top – Rs. 48,125

The Honda Dream Yuga sits lower than the CB twister becoming the new entry level motorcycle for HMSC. It is manufactured at the Manesar plant and will be available in showrooms in the 1st week of june.

Honda Dream Yuga Technical Specifications and Features

The Bajaj Discover 150 ST gets a new platform and all the future Discover variants will be based on this bike. Unlike the old Discover, which had conservative looks, this one goes all muscular and sporty. Just a casual glance can help you notice the new alloy wheels, headlamp cluster, muscular fuel tank and the rear Monoshock suspension.

The new DTS-i engine is claimed to have better drivability and the usual technologies like “ExhausTec” and Twin Spark are present. A 5-speed gearbox provides good fuel economy while ensuring optimum power delivery. The new stiffer chassis claims to have lesser vibrations. The new “Petal Disk Brake” enhances safety.

Other features include electric start, LED tail lamp, new speedometer, new alloys and Nitrox Mono-Suspension that improves ride quality. The specifications are as follows :

Bajaj Discover 125 ST Image Slideshow

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Bajaj Discover 125 ST Video

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Bajaj Discover 125 ST Highlights

• First sports tourer in India based on the Discover platform
• New headlamp, fuel tank muscular
• Sporty nitrox mono suspension
• 125cc DTSI engine generating 13 PS
• Bajaj will dispatch this model to the showrooms in the second half of June

Stay tuned to IndianMotosBlog.com for more details!

Also present at the event were Mr. Praful Patel, Union Minister for Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises, Mr. Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra and Mrs. Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha; Mr. Roberto Colaninno, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Heading over to the plant, it is a Modular construction which leaves scope for expansion in the future. The company built this plant in approximately half of the total area it acquired. This year the capacity remains at 1,50,000 units but by the middle of next year, it will be doubled to 3,00,000 units.

The Vespa LX will be 100% locally manufactured and the engine will also be produced locally.

The plant directly employs 3,000 people and with a dealer network of 50 dealers in 35 cities, it sure brings in a lot more employment opportunities.

Below are the pictures from the inauguration of the plant and the assembly plant.

Vespa Baramati Manufacturing Plant inauguration Image Slideshow

[can't see the slideshow? Head over to the Flickr page for direct viewing]

Piaggio claims the Vespa LX 125 is all about iconic style, superior comfort, unmatched safety, great quality and reliability and an even greater user experience. The Vespa is the two wheeler counterpart of the Fiat 500, Mini Cooper, Porsche 911 or the VW Beetle.

With over 17 million vehicles sold till date, Vespa is the best selling brand owned by Piaggio. It’s the highest selling two-wheeler in the whole of Europe. In India, there will be over 50 dealerships in over 35 cities to begin with. The initial response has been encouraging as many showrooms have already bagged about 20-25 bookings in just a matter of hours after the launch. The company’s sales target is 12,000 vehicles per month by Oct-Nov this year.

Storage spaces are provided under the seat and in the front. The chrome garnish certainly gives it a more premium look and the attention to detail is simply unmistakable. The appeal, the stance, the colors, the quality, the practicality comes on to you the moment you settle down on the bike.

Vespa LX 125 Technical Specifications

• Engine – 125 CC, 10 PS@7500rpm, 10 Nm@6000rpm, 4 Stroke, Single Cylinder, Air Cooled.
• Transmission – Continuous Variable Transmission.
• Ignition – Self Kick.
• Electricals – A low maintenance battery, Multi Focal headlamp.
• Suspension – Front – Single-arm with coil spring and dual effect shock absorber
• Rear – Coil spring with dual effect shock absorber.
• Chassis – Monocoque steel high rigidity structure.
• Dimensions – 1770x690x1140 mm
• Wheelbase – 1290mm
• Seat Height – 770mm
• Brakes – Drum brakes (150mm front and 140mm back)
• Tyre Size – 90/100-10 53J
• Fuel Tank Capacity – 8 Liters

Will be available in 6 colours – Monte Bianco – White, Nero Volcano – Black, Giallo Lime – Yellow, Rosso Dragon – Red, Rosso Chianti – Deep Red/Brown and Midnight Blue.

Vespa LX 125 Image Gallery

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Vespa LX 125 Walkaround Video

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Vespa LX 125 Price update

- Vespa has launched the LX 125 at a price of 66,661 rupees (ex-showroom Maharashtra)

Vespa LX 125 pointers from the launch

• Vespa is the only scooter in the world with a single piece monocoque chassis. Front suspension system has an aircraft derived single sided trailing arm.
• Exclusive accessories and merchandise will be available for Indian customers too.
• Vespa is the bestselling product for Piaggio globally.
• The LX125, Vespa’s first scooter in India, draws power from a single cylinder, three valve, four-stroke engine displacing 125cc. It produces 10.06 PS @ 7,500RPM and 10.6 Nm @ 6,000RPM.
• The 125cc engine is paired to a Continuously Variable Transmission and comes to life either through a push-button or a kick start.
• 1770 x 690 L*B (in mm) – available in 6 colors
• Fuel tank capacity is 8 liters
• To begin with 50 showrooms in 35 cities with an expectation of selling 12k units per month by Oct-Nov 2012

Vespa LX125 brochure scan

Vespa LX 125 Official Photographs

Stay tuned to IndianMotosBlog.com for more details!

Yoshimura are Japanese based exhausts manufacturers who initially started off making engines. But soon their exhaust parts sales picked up and they went on to become fully-fledged exhaust systems manufacturers and have now become a major brand and are involved in a lot of racing bikes and events.

Yoshimura Exhausts in the R15 will be an additional power boost and will definitely leave the Yamaha fans with a big grin on their face. Sources have said that the new R15s are getting fitted Yoshimura exhausts along with Daytona kits.The performance boost and other stats are not known yet. The Yoshimura end-can is a free flow exhaust with CF tips and is expected to cost Rs.25,000. Hopefully the performance boost is big enough to make the buyers forget that price.

Yoshimura Exhausts for Yamaha YZF-R15 Image Gallery

Its wide range of ATV’s has a wide range of audience too from kids to serious off-roading adults. The sportsman range is the nimbler ATV which provides capable off-road abilities and looks like a regular ATV.

The Ranger (pictured) and Ranger RZR are much serious machines made for challenging off-road tracks and deliver high performance.

Apart from this news Polaris has also announced that it will be launching its Victory motorcycle brand in India in 2012. Polaris looks very serious about the Indian market and has promising plans and a solid line up for the future.

With big manufacturers like Triumph and Harley Davidson heading to India firing in all cylinders it’s inevitable for brands like Polaris to ignore the Indian market anymore.

Visit the Polaris international website to learn more about these special vehicles.

[Source - BikeIndia.in]

And to enter the 250 cc segment, the Korean manufacturer has just one motorcycle with two versions. While it may be known as the Comet in some countries, GT250 is the global name for the bike.

In contrast to its well dressed twin GT250R, the GT 250 is a naked street machine. The bike which is propelled by a 249 cc V-twin will churn out 29 bhp at 10, 000 rpm and a twist of 23 Nm. With a kerb weight of 155 kgs, the GT250 is lighter than the CBR 250R and the Ninja, which translates to better power to weight ratio. The V- twin geometry also promises top speeds well above 150 kmph.

The bikini fairing and headlamps are reminiscent of a certain FZ that we know of. The boldly exposed frame and neatly upswept exhausts make up the package. If and when the GT250 is launched, the bike will be competitively priced. And when that happens we will be all too happy to get our eager hands on it.

[Image Sourced from TMCBlog.com]

If this was not enough for, there comes good news from the Austrian company. The third variant of the low-displacement Duke series, the Duke 350 will also be launched in India once the 200cc lays its path.

The Duke’s 350cc motor could be installed on a fully faired sportsbike called the KTM Moto3 350, an Enduro and a motocross sibling understood through a photograph published on HellForLeather magazine showing the product roadmap till 2014.

We have written several times about the alliance between Bajaj and KTM. Both the 200cc and 350cc Duke Bikes will be manufacturer at Bajaj’s Chakan plant and it is from here where the Duke 125cc is also manufactured for European countries.

Mr Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM Sport Motorcycle AG expects KTM sell 25,000-35,000 KTM bikes in the first year of its launch with the 125′s right blend of performance, quality and fuel economy.

[Source - HellForLeatherMagazine.com]