Auto Expo 2016: UM Motorcycles’ first motorcycle to debut

UM Motorcycles is all set to launch their very first cruiser in India with its partner Lohia Auto during the Auto Expo 2016. The UM Renegade could be the first product to be launched in India during Expo.

Last year the US-based UM Motorcycles and the Noida-based Lohia Auto had signed an equal joint venture in September for the production of a range of street and cruiser motorcycles for the Indian market. The models will be powered by engines between 300 cc to 500 cc displacement. The JV is utilizing Lohia Auto’s Kashipur plant in Uttarakhand. The first UM models are being brought via the CKD route, and assembled with about 50 percent of local content. An investment of Rs 100 crore is being made by the Joint Venture for business expansion.

The company has appointed five dealerships including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and has shown the intention to inaugurate 50 dealerships in the Southern part of the country soon.

In cruiser segment (200cc to 500cc) India is currently dominated by Royal Enfield and the Bajaj Avenger cruiser. India is a huge market for mid-sized cruisers however UM Motorcycles is an unknown entity in the Indian bike market. To compete with the Enfields and Avengers, UM will have to focus on building its brand alongside selling top quality motorcycles.