After months of being in the red, the world’s largest motorcycle market is seeing an uptick in monthly numbers again. In August 2020, of the 15,59,665 two-wheelers sold, the motorcycle segment contributed 66 percent and with a 10.13 percent year-on-year growth. In comparison, scooters, with sales of 4,56,848 units (-12.30 percent) accounted for 29 percent and mopeds with 70,126 contributed 4.49 percent. A total of 215 electric two-wheelers were also sold during the month, accounting for 0.013 percent of total two-wheeler sales.
The top 10 bestsellers’ list below shows that the first five positions remain unchanged from August 2019. The big difference though is that the first four – Hero Splendor, Hero HF Deluxe, Honda CB Shine and the Bajaj Pulsar – have each improved on their year-ago sales. Cumulatively, these four add up to 6,02,804 units, which marks a 34 percent YoY increase (August 2019: 531,519) and account for 58 percent of the total 10,32,476 motorcycles sold in India last month.
1. Hero Splendor: 2,32,301 units
The undisputed king of the motorcycle world sold 2,32,301 units in August 2020, which translates into 7,493 Splendors being sold every single day.
The Splendor range consists of three models – the Splendor Plus, Splendor iSmart and the Super Splendor – and the Splendor Plus continues to be the most affordable with a starting price of Rs 59,600. The Super Splendor, meanwhile, is the most expensive variant, starting at Rs 67,300.
Also see: BS6 Hero Splendor Plus launched at Rs 59,600
2. Hero HF Deluxe: 1,77,168 units
Adding to the Splendor’s power on the motorcycle market is its sibling, the HF Deluxe. With 1,77,168 units sold in August 2020, this commuter saw a 10 percent YoY increase. Early in January 2020, Hero launched the BS6 HF Deluxe and priced the base variant at Rs 55,925 and the i3S variant at Rs 57,250 (both prices, ex-showroom, Delhi).
Also see: BS6 Hero HF Deluxe kick-start launched at Rs 46,800
3. Honda Shine/SP 125: 1,06,133 units
The Honda Shine and SP 125 retain third place with a total of 1,06,133 units, which constitutes a 21 percent YoY growth (August 2019: 87,434). The Honda SP 125 was among India’s first bikes to get the BS6 treatment.
Also see: Honda SP 125 BS6 review, test ride
4. Bajaj Pulsar: 87,202 units
The sporty Pulsar family which is all of nine variants strong – Pulsar 125, Pulsar 150, 150 Neon, 150 Twin Disc, Pulsar 180F, Pulsar 220, NS160, NS200, and RS200 – clocked sales of 87,202 units in August 2020, up 23 percent (August 2019: 70,562).
Between May and July 2020, Bajaj Auto has hiked its product portfolio more than once, but that has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of buyers.
Also see: BS6 Bajaj Pulsar 150 priced from Rs 85,920
5. Hero Glamour: 54,315 units
The third Hero in the top 10 list, the Hero Glamour looks to be getting back in the game. Once a powerful seller, numbers had dropped substantially. However, this motorcycle is seeing demand return. In August 2020, it sold 54,315 units, albeit down 10.5 percent on year-ago sales.
Also see: 2020 Hero Glamour review, test ride
No. 6 Hero Passion: 52,471 units
Hero MotoCorp seems to have things well-sorted-out in the commuter bike segment. The Passion has been around for two decades now and Hero recently introduced the 2020 Passion Pro, 52,471 units of which were sold in August 2020.
Also see: 2020 Hero Passion Pro review, test ride
7. Bajaj Platina: 40,294 units
The second Bajaj bike in the top 10, the Platina sold a total of 40,294 units last month, down 10 percent than the 44,774 units it sold in August 2019.
In early July, Bajaj added a new ES (Electric Start) Disc Brake variant to the Platina 100’s line-up, taking the total number of variants to three. This new variant is priced at Rs 59,373 while the KS Alloy Drum Brake and ES Alloy Drum Brake variants are priced at Rs 49,261 and Rs 55,546, respectively (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi).
8. Bajaj CT: 34,863 units
India’s most affordable motorcycle sold 34,863 units in August 2020. Despite receiving a BS6 upgrade that made it nearly Rs 9,400 more expensive than its BS4 model, a starting price of Rs 42,790 means the Bajaj CT100 is still quite affordable.
Also see: BS6 Bajaj CT100 and Platina 100 launched
9. Royal Enfield Classic 350: 34,791 units
The iconic thumper from the Chennai-based manufacturer makes its appearance in the bestsellers’ chart at No. 9 with 34,791 units. The Classic 350 is Royal Enfield’s most popular motorcycle and remains the mainstay of its range. FY2019 saw Royal Enfield sell 6,56,651 motorcycles, with the Classic 350 accounting for 60 percent of them.
Also see: BS6 Royal Enfield Classic 350 review, test ride
10. TVS Apache: 33,540 units
The sole TVS motorcycle in this pack, the Apache series of motorcycles is seeing an upswing in sales. At 33,540 units in August 2020, sales were an improvement of 27 percent over year-ago numbers (August 2019: 26,402).
Also see: 2020 BS6 TVS Apache RTR 160 4V review, test ride