The Italian sportsbike manufacturer, Ducati is planning to foray into the entry-level premium bike segment in the Indian market. In order to do so, the company might join hands with Hero MotoCorp that has vast distribution network in the country. If this happens, the home-grown bikemaker will also help the Italian motorcycle brand with the local manufacturing.
According to a fresh report, the first model that will be manufactured under the Ducati and Hero MotoCorp joint venture will be a 300cc, single-cylinder motorcycle. The 300cc motor will have liquid-cooled and fuel injection technology. The new Ducati-Hero 300cc bike will be put up against the KTM 390 Duke, Yamaha R3, TVS Apache RR310 and the newly-launched BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS.
While the powertrain, chassis and important components are likely to be developed by Ducati, Hero will take care of the bike’s production and distribution. Hero MotoCorp’s Jaipur-based Center for Innovation and Technology could serve as production hub for its premium products based on Ducati platform.
Ducati’s new small platform could be spawn two motorcycles. While the affordable model might share some of its design bits with a Scrambler, the premium model will be a mini Multistrada. Both the bikes will share brakes, gearbox, wiring harness and other components. Read – Top 10 Upcoming Bikes in India
Hero MotoCorp might also use Ducati’s new small platform for its new motorcycle sourcing features and components with Ducati. This strategy will help both the bikemakers to reduce manufacturing cost and improve their product reliability. However, Hero’s R&D team might employ new design language along with subtle mechanical changes. Read – Upcoming Bikes & Scooters Under Rs 1 Lakh
In the first half of 2018, Ducati Motor recorded total sales of 32,250 units with revenue of 448 million Euros. It witnessed a fall of 7.4 percent compared to the first six months of the last year. In between April to June, 2018, the bikemaker sold 20,319 units as opposed to 22,300 units of the same duration last year.
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