Their split with Bajaj may have set them back by a decade or so in terms of dealership network, but that is not stopping Kawasaki from aggressively pursuing new product launches. They have updated their lineup recently and are now considering their next move – an all important one that is….
According a latest report at Autocar Pro, Kawasaki is evaluating localising its 300 cc and 650 cc engines. Both these motors power four of the top selling motorcycles for the company – Ninja 300, Ninja 650, Versys 650 and the latest Z650.
Z250, which makes do with the Ninja 250’s motor (the first Ninja motorcycle launched in India), is the motorcycle with the highest localisation content of about 40 percent. Ninja 300 has localisation levels of about 25-30 percent. Currently, the engine is imported with CKD kits into India and the motorcycle is assembled at Kawasaki’s plant in Pune.
They are scouting for reliable vendors who can supply good quality engine parts. As can be expected, initially, the plan is to source peripheral parts before going with the critical components which make the engine.
This will have a direct impact on Ninja 300’s price and it should be noticed that at the current levels, Kawasaki’s 300cc Ninja is priced about Rs 50,000 more than its chief rival Yamaha R3 (sales of which have been temporarily halted).
Engine is the most critical component of a motorcycle and one of the costliest in the kit. And if Kawasaki can attain reasonable benefits of localisation and offer the Ninja 300 at lower prices (their margins should have increased as they no longer have to share any part of the motorcycle’s sales with Bajaj), we can witness the Green toppling the Yamaha in terms of sales…
Next Read: Bigger, Meaner Z900 Launched at 9 Lakhs; 1.5 Lakhs More than Z800 [w Power/Torque Graph Comparo]
