Honda to launch India-specific models post Hero Honda exit

With its exit plan from Hero Honda being finalised, Japan's Honda Motor Co is gearing up to launch India specific two-wheeler models as it prepares for the solo ride here. 

The company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), will also expand its dealer base and strengthen vendor network to rapidly expand presence in the country. It will start selling 250cc sports bike CBR250R in India from April, priced at Rs 1.5 lakh onwards. 

"Our current and future endeavors will be directed to meet all kinds of customer requirements, including introduction of new and unique India-specific models," an HMSI spokesperson told PTI. 

The company, however, did not elaborate on the India specific models and the time-frame for their launch. 

Currently, HMSI sells both scooters, such as Activa and Dio, and motorcycles, including Stunner, Shine, Twister and Unicorn in India. 

When asked about plans for network expansion in the wake of Honda's exit from Hero Honda, the HMSI official said: "We are concentrating to meet the current demand and also focusing to expand dealer base, strengthen vendor network and increase quality manpower to service greater customer base." 

At present HMSI has a sales network of 790 outlets (398 dealers and 392 branches) and 389 authorised service centres. 

On January 24, Honda Motor Co and the Hero Group had executed a final binding licensing agreement paving way for the Japanese auto major's exit from the 26-year-old joint venture -- Hero Honda. Under the deal, Honda will sell its 26 per cent stake in Hero Honda to the Hero Group, although it will continue to supply technology for sometime. 

In order to expand presence in the high-end bikes segment, HMSI will start selling 250cc road-sports bike CBR250R from April priced Rs 1.5 lakh onwards. 

"Bookings for CBR250R, our global 250cc road-sports motorcycle have opened from January 1, 2011. Customer interest for this motorcycle is overwhelming and within a month we have received 1,800 confirmed bookings," the official said. 

On the overall sales front, the company is looking for 26 per cent growth in 2010-11. 

"HMSI plans to sell 1.6 million units in FY 2010-11 and grow 26 per cent over the 1.27 million units sold during FY 2009-10," the official said.

Source: economictimes.com

Scooters aren't cars

If you have a mobility scooter, do you need insurance? In my vehicle, I have to carry liability, have a mirror, lights and registration. How about those driving scooters?

— Brett H., via e-mail

Brett, by mobility scooter, we assume you're referring to what Medford police Lt. Bob Hansen calls an "electric, personal-assistive device." They're also referred to as electric scooters and essentially serve the same purpose as an electric wheelchair — but they're much cooler for cruising about.

Since they are classified as motorized vehicles, Hansen says, they do have to meet certain guidelines — even though they are not specifically addressed in the Department of Motor Vehicles handbook.

The mobility scooter falls somewhere between a moped and a Segway. They must yield to pedestrians, not exceed 15 mph on bike lanes or paths, travel in the same direction as traffic and have a front light and rear reflector.

No title, registration or liability insurance is required for this kind of device.

David House, spokesman for DMV, says the only vehicles that require title and registration are those that meet U.S. Department of Transportation standards and have a vehicle identification number.

Bicycles, ATVs, mini bikes, scooters — and mobility scooters — don't fit into that classification.

Liability insurance is mandatory only for titled and registered vehicles, operating on public roadways.

"It would be really hard to do that much damage with something that small that doesn't move that fast," says House.

Nonetheless, Hansen says, anyone driving a mobility scooter while impaired could suffer legal consequences.

"If they are impaired, and they are on a motorized vehicle or even a bicycle, they can be arrested for driving under the influence," said Hansen.

Hansen said police are more concerned about other drivers than about the scooter operators. He urges drivers to be careful and suggests that scooters be equipped with a very visible flag.

Source: www.mailtribune.com

BMW moves into the scooter market

While the European motorcycle industry is in crisis due to dramatically falling sales, BMW is moving in the opposite direction thanks to its loftier perspective of the mobility (as opposed to motorcycle) industry. After years concentrating on larger capacity two wheelers, it is moving into the scooter field. Having already shown an electric version of its ultra-safe C1 scooter, plus several MINI scooter concepts in recent weeks, BMW Motorrad yesterday unveiled a maxi scooter concept. Two premium scooters will be derived from the concept vehicle in the near future and there’s also an electric version being investigated.

For many years, scooter segment riders were looked down upon by regular motorcyclists, and it was only when Suzuki kicked off the maxiscooter craze with a lively 400cc engine just over a decade ago that the scooter form factor got some respect.

Scooters in UK

Scooters - we've all got an opinion on them whether we think they're essential accessories for cool, urban living or just wannabe motorbikes that sound like an annoying wasp.

Here in the UK, scooters conjured up a particular image for many a year - that of a mod heading off for yet another weekend of handbags with the rockers at some faded seaside town.

Nowadays, of course, you can hardly move in the city without seeing some trendy metrosexual dodging the lines of black cabs and, most recently in London, the legions of Boris Bikers on the crowded streets.

So, it's a welcome relief to find that in some parts of the world, there are plenty of people with enough time on their hands to perfect their scooter skills. 

Two Nifty New Scooters–Why Don’t Americans Like These Things?

At the Paris Motor Show this week, both BMW’s Mini subsidiary and Daimler’s Smart subsidiary showed new electric scooters, or e-scooters as some are calling them. Meanwhile, Honda is expected to introduce one in Japan later this year, and Peugeot plans one for 2011. Scooters sound like a more sensible, cheaper way into the new era of electric vehicles than cars. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the lithium ion battery for a scooter costs just $2000, while an electric car battery can run upwards of $16,000.

Judging from the pictures, the new Mini and Smart e-scooters look way cool–a kind of Jetson Vespa. You plug them into any normal AC outlet for four or so hours, which gives you enough juice to go around 60 miles–plenty of range for the kind of city driving these things are made for. No word so far on expected price.

I have never understood why scooters never caught on in major U.S. cities the way they have in Europe. Certainly a big metropolis like New York would seem as ripe for a scooter invasion as the cities of Europe, where a cluster of them precedes cars at every red light. Maybe more so, since the special indignity of the New York subway system constitutes an even more compelling argument in their favor. Maybe it’s just the greater European tolerance for two-wheel vehicles in general. You see lot more people on bicycles here too, including commuters off to work and housewives doing the daily shopping. I use a dinky little 50cc Peugeot scooter as my basic transportation in Paris–you don’t even need a license to own one– and it gets me around town much faster than any other kind of public or private transportation. A trip that takes me half an hour on the Paris metro takes ten minutes by scooter. It’s also more fun than a barrel of monkeys, as the Beach Boys pointed out some time ago in “Little Honda.” Wet Paris winters do present a challenge, however.

Source: forbes.com

Three wheels good. Scooters are taking over London’s pavements

 

WITH hindsight, some strange fads marked the dawning of this millennium. There was the Y2K bug, and, for much of the year 2000, the spectacle of adults teetering about London on aluminium scooters. The craze ended swiftly: it wasn’t really becoming for grown-ups to scoot down pavements, scattering pedestrians. They also looked silly. A decade on, scooters have returned to London, this time powered by children. And some surprising folk, from school heads to local councils, are keen on them.

Many of the scooters in question are light three-wheelers, which even three-year-olds can ride with (alarming) confidence, and which offer a useful alternative to both bicycles (not pavement-friendly), and walking (not always popular among children). These were being imported to Britain in minuscule quantities until Anna Gibson, a former lawyer with three children of her own, spotted one in a park and began selling them from home. She and her friend Philippa Gogarty talked Micro Mobility Systems, the Swiss manufacturer, whose main interest was adult scooters, into granting them sole distribution rights in Britain.

The pair’s first order from a big department store, John Lewis, in 2005, was for 600 units; despite a price tag of up to L90 ($140), their scooters are now John Lewis’s bestselling toy. Last year, they sold 120,000 in Britain. They also hold distribution rights for America.

The devices and their proliferating cheaper imitations have drawbacks. At school-run times, some London pavements resemble racing tracks, as tiny speedsters weave and zoom. Parents subjected to intense nagging may not be altogether grateful to Mrs Gibson and Mrs Gogarty. But the benign impact on traffic and carbon emissions may offset such annoyances.

At Oxford Gardens, a diverse primary school in the inner-London borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the number of scooting pupils has risen from fewer than one in 100 in 2005 to almost one in seven—while the proportion of children arriving by car has fallen from 20% to 16%. Half a dozen schools in the borough report scooter-commuting rates of over 30%. Transport for London (TfL), the capital’s transport overseer, is to begin collecting separate data on scooter use (it was previously bundled together with walking), to check whether scooters are replacing car journeys or other sorts.

The machines may also have a role in chivvying along reluctant pupils. Oxford Gardens won praise from TfL for its “Scooter Scoop” programme, aimed at children with poor attendance records or bad timekeeping. The school loans such pupils scooters, then sends teaching assistants (on adultscooters) to gather them into convoys in the mornings. When the children and the scooters have assembled, they trundle to school.

Source: economist.com

 

Nemo Scooters

Electric scooters and motorcycles

This is still at the pioneering stage, with none of the major players even participating, leaving the field open for a motley collection of strange brands, rebadging, a very wide mix of quality and no clear leader or single growing force.

That's not to say everything looks like it's come out of a garden shed, but equally it's unrealistic to expect the levels of design sophistication or build quality you'd find in a Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki or Yamaha.

Only two electric motorcycles are available and sales of these still register in the dozens so you're as unlikely to see one as hear one.

The rest are scooters, the majority Chinese built (which generally bodes ill for quality) and the handful of different models come with a multitude of brand names that seem to come and go. In other words, while there are some reasonable products out there, beware.

Do I need a special licence to ride one?

The licence requirements for an electric motorcycle depend on the category in which it is classed, in line with conventional two-wheelers. Most electric scooters are counted as mopeds, which means a top speed of no more than 30mph.

These can be ridden on a car licence without L-plates if you passed your test before February 2001, otherwise a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) certificate is required, but still no L-plates. Mopeds are not allowed on motorways.

A 125cc equivalent demands a motorcycle licence, either the full class A or the A1 light motorcycle class, or it can be ridden with L-plates after CBT has been passed (as long as a provisional A or A1 category is on the licence).

Note that passing a test on an electric two-wheeler will restrict you to automatic motorcycles or scooters only.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

MINI and Smart to unveil electric scooter concepts in Paris

Scooters seem to the in thing at Smart and BMW-owned MINI, as they both announced the presentation of electric models in Paris, at the end of the month.

Along with a few sketches of the concept electric model, MINI has revealed plans of showcasing the scooters in three different trims. One will even feature a design similar to the MINI E project, their plug-in electric Cooper.

No other details about the scooter have been released, but speculation has pointed to the use of lithium ion batteries in MINI’s bikes.

Similarly, apart from a few sketches of their scooter concept, Smart has revealed very little of its electric concept. 

Red Arrows marathon charity scooter ride

A Lincolnshire Red Arrows pilot who was seriously injured in a mid-air collision earlier this year is planning a marathon charity scooter ride.

Flight Lieutenant Mike Ling will swop his Hawk jet for a Vespa scooter for the 1,000 mile journey from Lands End to John O' Groats later this month.

He'll be joined by 13 other pilots and crew from the Red Arrows and the BBMF to raise money for charities including Help for Heroes and Whizz-kidz.

Flight Lieutenant Ling had to eject from his aircraft after it collided with another Red Arrows jet during a training exercise in Crete in March.

He said: "The forces charities are close to all our hearts, but I am especially keen to help organisations like Whizz-kidz and Fly2help - especially as I've spent time in a wheelchair myself and appreciate the great work these charities do to help people get around and fulfil their ambitions."

As well as raising money, the ride will promote Get on, a campaign offering free taster sessions to encourage more people to ride scooters and mopeds.

The team will set off from Lands End on the 30 September and aim to cover the distance in four days, a journey which would take about an hour in a Hawk jet.

Source: www.news.bbc.co.uk

Scooters still create parking headache: Students want more spaces

Scooters may seem small, but when it comes to parking on campus, they may not be small enough.

The scooter parking lots, or “corrals,” that dot the University campus have proven insufficient for several student scooter drivers.

Students must park their scooter or moped — which must be under 50 cubic centimeters to be considered a scooter — on the brick pad of a corral and not on the sidewalk or grass if they do not want to be issued a ticket.

Scooter or motorcycle drivers pay $10 each month for a parking permit, according to the Parking Services website.

This allows drivers of these vehicles to park in any corral designated specifically for scooters and mopeds.

One student scooter driver said there simply is not enough parking space for the number of scooters on campus.

“They have cut back on scooter parking dramatically,” said Ricky Lowe, a junior biology major. “If you look at any of these parking places, everyone is really clamoring for a spot.”

Another student, Alex Vagasi, a freshman from Lilburn, said many of the most populated parts of campus are devoid of scooter parking.

“A lot of places that students go to — like the dining halls and the science buildings — don’t have scooter parking,” she said. “And where they do have parking, it’s too small and it’s always overflowing.”

The problem of overcrowded lots for scooters has been on the minds of parking services for some time now.

Earlier this year, The Red & Black reported on a proposal which would eliminate small and crowded scooter parking corrals located in the central areas of campus and move them to larger lots found on the outer edges of the University.

The proposal was laid out by Parking Services and a scooter task force — a committee made up of Parking Services, University Police, scooter riders, motorcyclists and University faculty.

The group worked to help eliminate the safety issues and parking issues caused by scooters and mopeds and enforce existing rules about these vehicles.

University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said he receives frequent reports about moped misconduct.

“I get complaints daily about scooters and scooter riders,” he said.

For instance, scooter drivers may use the sidewalk to access some of the scooter corrals on campus.

This puts the pedestrians using those thoroughfares in danger.

However, the scooter parking proposal, which was created to help put these issues to rest, has yet to take effect.

“Nothing has changed — it’s exactly the same,” said Don Walter, parking services manager.

For student scooter drivers, this means the crowded parking corrals will remain the status quo.

Even if the proposal became policy, the change would be unwelcome.

“I got a moped to go from class to class, and if they passed this proposal it would defeat the purpose of having a moped,” Vagasi said.

Of the 13 scooter and moped parking corrals located across campus, only a few of them — such as the Fine Arts building and the south side of Myers dormitory — might be considered centrally located.

And for Lowe, this isn’t good enough.

“There’s 50 people trying to clamor for those few places that are worth parking at,” he said. “Its unfair that they sell way too many parking permits than they can handle.”

With the increasing number of scooters piling up at each corral, the potential for scooters being knocked over or students’ legs being burned by hot exhaust pipes is much higher, Lowe said.

Though the scooter parking proposal has yet to take effect, the call for more scooter and moped parking on campus is still on the minds of employees at Parking Services.

“More scooter parking is being discussed,” Walter said.

Source: www.redandblack.com

Scooter India Attracts Tata And Piaggio

First, it was Mahindra and Atul Auto, which were known to have had interest in Scooters India stake. Now, its Tata and Piaggio, who are likely to join the stake buying race.

According to top officials of the Heavy Industries Ministry, Piaggio and Tata Motors feel like purchasing the 74 percent of stake in the Lucknow-based three wheeler company Scooters India, which once produced the Lamby scooters in India. The officials further say that the four companies, Mahindra, Atul Auto, Tata and Piaggio, have already given indication that the formal Expression of Interest (EoI) can only be made after the Cabinet approval. Many companies see huge potential in SIL because they expect a strong growth from the north Indian and Uttar Pradesh markets.

The company which will buy the majority stakes of Scooters India, will be allowed to use the 150 acre land and equipment. The turnaround plan for the PSU has also made clear that the old debts of the sick company, amounting to about Rs 100 crore, while any fresh investment will have to be made by the new private partner.

The ministry officials, have stated that nearly 800 out of the 1200 strong work force will retire in the next two years, which will be a welcome change for Scooter India's sales. In 1996, the union tried to sell the stakes, but then, labor was a big issue for the private players. 

The Ministry hopes that the cabinet approval and the sales process will surely take place by the end of this month.

Source: living.oneindia.in

Beauty and the bike

A girl meandering her way through the traffic on a bright-coloured scooter not only makes for a pretty picture, but exudes a lot of confident too. While the small town-girls in India, somehow, have been a trend setter in this, their more stylish counterparts in the metros are fast picking up the trend.

Reasons to ride
“It was impossible for me travel on a public bus at office time,” says Asha Bhowmick, an insurance consultant, who rides a TVS Rdeo. “And I can’t afford an auto every time I step out. So, a scooter was perfect for me,” adds the Vasant Vihar resident.

Affordability is not the only issue here. While the comfort of a car can’t be replaced, when it comes to staying hassle free, nothing can beat a two-wheeler. “I had to walk nearly a kilometre from the parking space to my office, so I got a scooter, which I can park at office as it takes less space,” says media professional Richa Sharma.

Femme power
“We wanted a scooter only for girls, and not one of those unisex models,” says Anil Dua, senior VP, marketing and sales for Hero Honda. “After all, why should boys have all the fun.”

The otherwise slackening scooter market got a shot in the arm — the growth has been about 48 per cent from the last year — due to these cuties on road. And makers are in no mood to slow down. “It’s actually very exciting to be selling two-wheelers for girls in the present scenario,” says Devendra Shinde, senior VP, Mahindra Two-wheelers.

And for this, the auto giants, that have been taking care of robust motorbikes and vromming torques all these while, have no qualms in thinking about lipsticks now. “Scooters for girls are designed to carry everything that a girl may need,” says Dua.

On asking whether riding a two wheeler is a safe option in the metros, the reply seems readymade. “Point me one place that’s secured in in this city,” says Tshering Gyaltsen, a DU student. “Atleast on my scooty, I’m in control.”

• Two wheelers for girls are usually light in weight
• Colours plays an important role with Pink, Red and Black being hot favourites
• Auto-start and front fuelling are the latest features to make riding easy for girls
• Gearless and electric scooters are in demand too
• Companies even have special classes for beginners

Source: hindustantimes.com

Bikers Welcome: Monday Is Ride To Work Day

If you haven’t already, you should take time this weekend to top off your motorcycle’s gas tank, check the tires and battery, and hope it doesn’t rain on Monday. June 21 is the 19th annual Ride To Work Day, and organizers say they expect a large turnout — perhaps the biggest ever.

Ride To Work, a group that coordinates the event, says an increasing number of people are using motorcycles and scooters as economical, fuel efficient transportation for commuting, errands and other trips. They can also add an element of fun to an otherwise boring journey. More than 80 million passenger cars and light trucks are used for daily commuting in the U.S., the group says. There are about 200,000 people commuting on motorcycles and scooters, and that number typically swells on Ride To Work Day.

While motorcycle commuters expose themselves to greater risk than  most drivers, they also enjoy advantages in parking and maneuverability in traffic. Studies also have shown that commuting motorcyclists make better time than those in cars over similar distances. Motorcycles and scooters also use less fuel per mile and take up less space on the road.