The global motorcycle market can be roughly divided into five camps: Japan, the United States, Europe, China and India. Japan has the "Four Heavenly Kings": the Honda that can't be broken, the Suzuki that can't be ridden, the Kawasaki that can't catch up, and the Yamaha that can't be repaired. Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Victory are the leaders of American motorcycles, while Europe is represented by Italy's Ducati and Piaggio, Germany's BMW, and Austria's KTM. As one of the world's largest motorcycle manufacturers and sellers, China has given birth to brands such as Dachangjiang (Haojue), Loncin, Zongshen, Qianjiang and Chunfeng.
When it comes to Indian motorcycles, many people first think of unique motorcycle performances, stacking arhats, flying people, and upside down...... All kinds of acrobatic movements are dumbfounded. Not just to show off their skills, relatively cheap motorcycles are also an important means of transportation for the country's people.
According to the Automobile Manufacturers Association of India (SIAM), motorcycle sales in India reached 17,075,160 units in 2023, up 9% year-on-year. Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor, and Royal Enfield (acquired by Indian car company Eicher) all performed well.
Hero is India's largest motorcycle manufacturer, with sales of 5.6 million units last year, up 5.4% year-on-year, behind Honda (18.4 million) and second in the world, ahead of brands such as Yamaha, Suzuki, Yadea and others. [Note: Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor sold 3.6 million and 3.4 million units, respectively, ranking fourth and fifth in the world]
South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.) was the most important market, with volume growth of 6.2 percent, while Africa remained stable with a slight increase of 0.2 percent, while Latin America declined (-10.1 percent). Last year, sales in the Latin American motorcycle market increased by 4.6% year-on-year to 5.6 million units, marking the 12th consecutive year of growth.
Public information: Hero MotoCorp, headquartered in New Delhi, India, was originally a bicycle manufacturer, and in 1983 it established a partnership with Honda to form a joint venture company, Hero Honda, and launched its first motorcycle, the CD 100, two years later. With the advantages of Hero's production and sales network, coupled with Honda's technical support, by 01, Hero Honda had become the world's largest manufacturer of ordinary motorcycles and small motorcycles.
In 2010, the Hero Group split into four, with Pawan Monjar (chairman and CEO), the son of founder Brijmohan Lall Munjal, at the helm of the joint venture Hero Honda, and the following year parted ways with Honda, and the company changed its name to Hero MotoCorp.
Later, they began to develop their own engines and related technologies, and although they encountered many setbacks, they also succeeded in expanding their exports to the global market. Previously, in order to prevent the joint venture from competing with its own overseas sales, Honda restricted the export of Hero Honda products.
In 2015, Hero MotoCorp opened its first offshore factory in Villarica, Colombia. This was followed by the inauguration of the INR 8.5 billion Global Innovation and Technology Centre (CIT) in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. In 2018, its sales reached a record 7.8 million units, and although sales have been affected by changes in the market environment in recent years, it has always been at the forefront of the world due to its leading position in India.
It's worth mentioning that Hero MotoCorp is constantly moving. The year before last, it launched its first smart electric motorcycle, the Hero Vida V1, equipped with a 7-inch large touch screen, which is billed as a "smartphone on wheels". In February this year, the Surge S32 was released as a modular electric tricycle, which can be used as a stand-alone electric two-wheeler due to its detachable design.
In the high-end segment, Hero continues to cooperate with Harley Davidson in the United States to produce small and medium-displacement models. Earlier this year, the Hero Mavrick 440, which is based on the Harley X440, was officially unveiled, and the exterior is inspired by the Honda CB650R design, and is powered by the same 440cc single-cylinder oil-cooled engine.