With the first four months of this fiscal over, our editor Saad Khan analyses 125cc motorcycle sales and how are things shaping up with various makers..
In the 125cc motorcycle segment, Hero and Honda were the two leading sellers with Bajaj being a distant third so far. However, in the last few months, the landscape of this segment has changed. TVS joined with its Raider and Bajaj played its biggest trump card – dropped the Pulsar brand in this segment and the results are for every one to see.
I am collating this fiscal’s data to share some interesting pointers of this segment. Do note that these are official wholesale numbers shared by SIAM…
Total 125cc Motorcycle Sales – April to July 2022
| April-July 2021 | April-July 2022 |
| 6,17,650 units | 9,38,765 units |
As you can see, during this period 3.21 Lakh extra units were sold this year which corresponds to a growth of almost 52 percent and that is a BIG number. Apart from the normalization of COVID disruption, aggression from makers also played a role in the expansion of sales.
Makers Standing – April-July 2021
| Maker | Sales | Deficit |
| Honda | 2,82,079 | – |
| Hero | 1,86,067 | 96,012 |
| Bajaj | 1,49,504 | 36,563 |
Makers Standing – April-July 2022
| Maker | Sales | Deficit |
| Honda | 4,65,788 | – |
| Hero | 2,30,623 | 2,35,165 |
| Bajaj | 2,10,590 | 20,033 |
As you can see, Honda has just zoomed off with the same set of models – Shine and SP125 which is a commendable feat for the brand! From around 1 Lac units ahead last year, it is now double the size of arch rival Hero. Interesting thing to note here is the fact that Hero has tried various iterations of its models Glamour and Super Splendor.
During this period, Bajaj gained almost 61,000 units whereas Hero could only amass about 45,000 extra units. With relative stagnation in Hero’s sales, this means that only 20,000 units separate the two makers for the second spot at this point.
Bajaj has always been an on and off player in this segment and it has tried various Discovers, CTs and what not. But the gamble of downsizing the Pulsar brand seems to have paid off and this may not just be a momentary scale up of sales. Standing today, it is ringing bells just under the throat of Hero for the first time in the last many many years. With a new Pulsar waiting to enter this segment, it will definitely be worth a watch – the coming few months. Which one? Here is the answer!
And not to forget TVS that has made a re-entry in this segment with its Raider. Despite being placed in the premium sub-segment, Raider sold a total of 31,764 units during this period. This is a good start and it looks like this sporty 125 is here for a long innings You can check how good the motorcycle is in my following review. It must be noted that even TVS has found it difficult to be a permanent big player in this segment so far.
With the festive season approaching, I will be waiting to get the answers of the following questions..
- Can Hero fight from here on…?
- Will Honda continue to gain at the same pace…?
- Can Bajaj snatch the second position from Hero…? More importantly can it resist its urge to discontinue models…?
- Can TVS be a threat to others in this segment…?
2-Wheeler Retail Sales July 2022 – Big Fall for Bajaj, Yamaha Gains
I will do another story – a follow-up of this one – after 4-5 months to understand the answers of all the above questions. Stay tuned…
