Whether it’s commuter bikes, power segment (sports) bikes or scooters the sales of all two-wheelers have soared in the domestic market. Sport bikes are in demand for their stylish looks and powerful engines while commuter bikes are in demand for utility and good mileage. Scooters are ever popular for comfortable seats and stylish looks which complements both male and female customers.

Sohan Bahadur Shrestha, National Sales Manager, Syakar Trading Company Pvt Ltd, authorised distributor of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters said, “Honda enjoys around 40 per cent market share in the two-wheeler segment. Our commuter bikes are preferred for their high mileage with comfortable riding posture; and sports bikes for looks, power and efficient braking system.”

According to Shrestha, Honda’s Automatic Scooters (ATSC) are also doing very well in the market. Powerful engine and reliability is the main feature in the scooters. “All our scooters have HET (Honda Eco Technology) that delivers maximum power and more mileage through less consumption of fuel. This makes Honda scooters more popular in the segment than others,” claims Shrestha.

Deepak Rauniyar, AGM, MAW Enterprises Pvt Ltd, authorised distributor of Yamaha said, “Yamaha commuter bikes enjoy around nine per cent market share in the commuter segment, and in the sport bikes it enjoys around 30 per cent and around 27 per cent in the scooters segment.” Yamaha two-wheelers are best known for their Fuel Injection (FI) system and eco-friendly features.

According to Rauniyar, great pick-up, mileage, eco friendly technology and colour variants in both sport bikes and scooters contribute to the brand’s popularity. Next year, the company’s target is to achieve four to five per cent increment in sales in scooters and the sports bike segment.

According to company sources at VG Automobiles Pvt Ltd, authorised distributor of Suzuki Motorbikes, sports bikes command around 12 to 13 per cent market share and commuter bikes around 11 per cent market share. The company informs that people prefer commuter bikes because of its mileage and reliability whereas people who look for style and performance opt for sports bike. The company informs that although the market for scooters is expanding, the demand for sports bikes has not faltered. This is mainly because consumers looking for power and performance prefer sports bikes. Suzuki scooters enjoy around six per cent market share in its segment. Suzuki is also introducing its new scooter, Access 125 soon in the market to compete with other two-wheeler brands.

According to company sources at Jagdamba Motors, authorised distributor of TVS, their commuter bikes enjoy seven per cent market share and power bikes (sports bike) enjoy 13 per cent market share. The reason people opt for commuter motorbikes are its affordable price range and the mileage it gives. The company informed that TVS commuter bikes are more popular outside the valley while sport bikes are popular in the capital. When it comes to style, power and pick-up, sport bikes are the first choice for customers. With the three models of TVS scooters the company enjoys around eight to 10 per cent market share in that segment. According to the company spokesperson, with changing lifestyle people have understood that scooters offer ease of use more than giving a riding experience and for that reason TVS scooters are in high in demand.