Bajaj six motorcycle launches in 2009 planned

Bajaj Auto said, on December 2, 2008, that it would launch a new motorcycle every month in 2009, for six months.

Bajaj Auto will start its new motorcycles launches from January 2009.

This is a short-term measure the company will take to deal with decline in sales in November 2008. Bajaj Auto’s sales fell by 37 per cent in November 2008 at 1,31,681 units compared with 2,09,876 units in November 2007.

Sales will continue to fall in December 2008, as dealers are not willing to take on more vehicles to avoid inventory pile-up.

Bajaj’s three-wheeler sales, though, have showed a slight increase of 13 per cent from 24,197 units to 27,326 units.

Bajaj has said that high interest rates and lowered consumer spending has impacted the demand for automobiles, motorcycles, and scooters. Therefore, the company plans to offer a retail finance scheme under which users can buy Bajaj’s vehicles at interest rates below 8 per cent.

Reports say that the cost of the new launches will hit the profit margins of the company considerably.

In July 2008, Bajaj Auto had launched the Bajaj Discover 135 DTS-i – sport, an upgrade of existing 135 model. In September 2008, Bajaj had launched the Bajaj Platina 125 cc motorcycle.