Sales of scooters, mopeds drop, bikes rise

NEW DELHI, OCT. 2. Domestic two-wheeler sales rose by 6 per cent during April-August this fiscal with a predictable dip in scooter and moped sales even as motorycles continued to record growth in sales.

Total two-wheeler sales rose to 15.60 lakh units from 14.70 lakh units during the same period last year, data compiled by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) show.

Scooter sales fell 2.5 per cent to 3.80 lakh units from 3.90 lakh units during the year-ago period. On the other hand, motorcycle sales rose by 25.4 per cent to 10 lakh units from 8 lakh units sold during the corresponding period last year.

Moped sales also registered a dip of 34.6 per cent at 1.80 lakh units against 2.80 lakh units during April-August 2000-01.

Scooter sales of LML declined by 20.9 per cent to 60,377 units from 76,398 units in the year-ago period.

However, Bajaj Auto posted a 4.9 per cent rise in its scooter sales at 1.70 lakh units (1.60 lakh units).

TVS-Suzuki registered a 2.2 per cent decline in its sales at 63,907 units during April-August 2001-02 (65,321 units).

Kinetic Motor Company's scooter sales stood at 47,588 units against 48,736 units, a decline of 2.4 per cent.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda Motors of Japan, sold 10,100 units in this fiscal.

India's largest motorcycle maker Hero Honda posted a 31.8 per cent rise in its sales at 5.10 lakh units during April-August this fiscal against 3.80 lakh units in the year-ago period.

Bajaj Auto's motorcycle sales went up by 14.4 per cent to 2.40 lakh units (2.10 lakh units) but, TVS-Suzuki posted a 1.8 per cent decline in motorcycle sales at 1.37 lakh units (1.39 lakh units).

Indicating a turnaround, Yamaha Motor posted a 36.8 per cent rise in its sales at 79,300 motorcycles (57,947 units).

Sales of LML, which entered the motorcycle market last year in alliance with Korea's Daelim Motor Company, increased to 15,646 units from a mere 143 units last year.

Royal Enfield Motors recorded a 12.3 per cent dip in its sales year-on-year at 7,851 units against 8,956 units.

Kinetic Engineering, a new entrant in the segment, sold 18,172 units during the period under the review.

Moped sales declined as all the players including Bajaj auto, TVS-Suzuki and Kinetic Engineering witnessed negative growth in sales.

- PTI

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