Z900 price cut comes as a sweet news for many but there are a few who are disgruntled…
It appears that Kawasaki has decided that they want a major chunk of the pie in the premium motorcycle segment. Nothing else could define the shocking price tag of their latest liter class – 2017 Ninja 1000. What more, they also slashed over Rs 1.3 Lakhs on their Z900 (details) to make it a terrific value for money streetfighter.
So, it is bound to attract a lot of new customers into the fold, including the ones who were considering buying Triumph Street Triple, Ducati Monster 797, Yamaha MT09 etc. However, that is for new customers to rejoice – what about the ones who have just purchased a spanking new Z900? at the pre-deducted original price?
Actually, Kawasaki introduced Z900 in India in March this year along with accessories like radiator guard, frame sliders, fork sliders etc. And before you ask – there was no option of NOT opting for these accessories. So, it was mandatory for a customer buying the Z900 to pay for them (included in the old price of 9.0 lakhs). This is apart from the fact that a lot of prospect buyers did not consider the accessories worth the premium asked for.
Ironically, a lot of these customers who purchased their Z900s are yet to get these accessories. One such case we noticed is of a team-BHP member rashreddy from Bangalore. He got his Z900 more than a month before (at the original price of 11.65 lakh on road) and the dealer is yet to get his motorcycle registered. What is adding to his woes is that the accessories are “still arriving” in a separate container. So, in simpler terms he paid around Rs 1.5 lakh more than what he would have paid at this point of time for exactly the same bike in a very similar condition! It is natural for him to feel cheated!
Following his reply, a lot of readers have commented that this is one policy (of slashing prices abruptly) of Kawasaki that is unsettling. They have done this in the past as well.
This brings us to the story we did yesterday related to Triumph. Vimal Sumbly, head of Triumph India said they bought all the 93 BS3 compliant motorcycles from dealerships and shipped them abroad. Whatever stock was available with the company they made it BS4 compliant and shipped it to dealerships and there was no discount given at all (link to story). The bigger point he made was – steps like this restore and grow a customer’s faith in the brand. Frequent (and massive) price cuts also take a toll on the resale value of a motorcycle.
Also Read: Kawasaki ‘Keen’ to Launch 300cc Adventure Motorcycle Versys X300 in India This Year
Nonetheless, a few Z900 customers who purchased the motorcycle at the older prices have approached Kawasaki to see if they have some resolution.
So, at the one end we have a big chunk of guys who are ready to buy the extremely beautiful motorcycle but at the other a handful few who are and must be disgusted by losing out a fairly big amount of money, simply because of the fact that they trusted the brand and bought the motorcycle as soon as it was launched!
Next Read: Ninja ZX-10R & Z1000 May See a Major Price Slash; More SKDs Planned
