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The Slow Crawl to Normality

The country is limping back to normal life ― or, at least, a semblance thereof ― after being shut down for nearly two-and-a-half months. However, even now there are a lot of restrictions on how many people there can be in an office, shop or dealership at a given time. Decent sales numbers still seem a distant prospect.

The prevailing social distancing norms should promote the sale of two-wheelers, for people would prefer to travel in or on their personal mode of transport rather than be packed like sardines with total strangers on a local train or a municipal transport bus. Nevertheless, the manufacturers will still have to struggle to sell their two-wheelers because the government is not being helpful in any way, be it reduction in the GST or a tax break in personal income-tax for the salaried middle class. To make matters worse, they have increased the price of petrol, diesel, and LPG (cooking gas) when the global crude prices had hit rock bottom. Fuel prices are critical not only in the matter of daily commuting but also in the transport of all the essential commodities and this hits the ordinary citizen. Another worrisome deterrent is that people are no longer sure about their jobs. While some have taken a pay cut, others have already lost their jobs. The sentiment is far from sanguine throughout the country. The only good news is the withdrawal of the five-year mandatory insurance for new two-wheelers, which should bring down their on-road prices.

During the COVID-19 lockdown one debate has been settled: that about the print versus digital format. Most of our readers have written in, asking us when we will be printing the magazine in the usual hard copy format as they are fed up with reading e-magazines on their iPad or Kindle. Many of them said that they only got as far as the introduction before moving on to the next story. It has now become clear that it is by no means the end of the road for the print media. They are here to stay. Take care and stay safe.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Normality Still Elusive

Not much has happened in the two-wheeler world on account of the nationwide lockdown in the wake of the pandemic outbreak. Some of the manufacturers have started limping back to production activity after being allowed 30 per cent of their workforce. Allowing the manufacturers to start activity is like allowing a part of the chain to function. The rest is still under lockdown and it does not make sense if they cannot get the components to complete the bikes. Even if they do manufacture bikes, they cannot sell them because the dealerships are still under lockdown.

Admittedly, we are not experts on economy or health, but what is happening during this lockdown is that it looks as if nobody knows the direction in which we are headed with the number of COVID-19 cases on the rise by the day. It appears that we are going to be under a permanent lockdown if this number keeps rising. As of now, no one knows when the government is likely to lift the lockdown.

The economy was already heading south before the virus hit us and now we are headed towards a recession. Rajeev Bajaj is the only industrialist who has the courage to call a spade a spade on the national television. I wish we had more industry leaders like him.

By the time the government decides to lift the lockdown, most small businesses will have to shut shop and the relief package has nothing for the auto industry or to promote sales by reducing the GST. What sense does it make to classify two-wheelers as luxury goods and slap 28 per cent GST on them?

During the fourth lockdown we were supposed to see a certain easing of the restrictions, but no such luck so far. In fact, Pune is still under a full lockdown. Even after eight weeks there is still no relief for the migrant workers. It breaks my heart to see all the poor people ― men, women, and children ― walking hundreds of kilometres towards their native villages in this scorching summer heat.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Coping with Difficult Times

Although we have been under a countrywide lockdown for the past
month and a half, we have made an attempt to keep you abreast of whatever little is going around the world. There has been bad news in the last month, starting with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The world of motorcycle racing lost Tony Rutter, a seven-time Isle of Man TT winner and four-time world TT-F2 champion.

The pandemic has thrown the whole world out of gear with most countries going into total or partial lockdown. That means no production and no prospect of sales. The manufacturers will be able to survive this lockdown but the vendors and dealers will find it difficult to sail through on account of the financial crisis. After all, they have to pay their employees’ salaries and rent for their premises, etc. In the absence of production and sales, things are going to be extremely difficult.

There may be a silver lining to the dark cloud once the lockdown is lifted. The way we live will change with social distancing becoming a way of life. People will have to stop using public transport where, for the most part, they are packed like sardines and start relying more on personal transport. This will boost two-wheeler sales.

The government needs to support the manufacturers by allowing a reduction in the GST as well as by allowing them to sell all the BS4 stock. If this is not done, there might be a lot of repercussions. The industry was already in the throes of a slowdown even before the virus struck.

This month we will not be printing the magazine; it will come to you only in the digital format. Even if we were to print the magazine, it would not be possible to circulate the copies in the present situation. As of now, please stay at home and stay safe.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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Worldwide Repercussions

THE INDIAN ECONOMY IS IN A SLOW-DOWN AND, TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, NOW the world is facing the threat of the coronavirus. It is taking a further toll on the Indian two-wheeler industry. In the days gone by, a virus in China would not have affected the Indian two-wheeler manufacturers because all the components were sourced locally. Today, in this age of globalization, manufacturers are sourcing cheap components from across the world and especially from China. There is a problem with the supply of components from China and this has had an adverse effect on the production of two-wheelers. The switch to Bharat Stage VI is also going to be a problem since most fuel-injection components are sourced from China.

The EV manufacturers across the world are going to face difficulties due to the virus because more or less all the battery and 90 per cent of the components are sourced from China.

The Husqvarna brand was launched at the India Bike Week in December 2019 and now they have entered the market with two models, the Svartpilen and Vitpilen, both 250-cc. The Huskies are using the KTM engine and frame with different body work. We will bring you first ride reports of both the bikes in the next month’s issue.

This is a good time to travel on your bike as you don’t know who is going to sit next to you on a bus, train or aircraft. The MotoGP season has taken a big hit with the Qatar round only running the Moto2 and Moto3 classes following a ban on Italians from entering the country. Moto2 and Moto3 went ahead as they were already in the country for testing. At the time of going to press, the Thailand, Argentina, and US rounds have been postponed to a later date.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor

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It’s Value for Money That Counts

WE WITNESSED THE AUTO EXPO LAST MONTH AND, SO FAR AS THE TWO-WHEELER industry is concerned, it was quite a let-down. Only two mainstream manufacturers, Piaggio and Suzuki, took part in the show. However, quite a few electric two-wheeler manufacturers were present with a number of e-bikes on display. It seems that motor shows are losing their sheen and more and more people are moving away from them.

The organizers did a good job by making sure that it was only journalists and photographers, so that it was easy to do one’s work, though the usual problem still persists: you only get to see the backsides of Delhi photographers! Talking of EVs, we did a first ride on the new Bajaj Chetak and its build quality, ride, handling, and performance give the impression that it is a proper scooter and not an electric toy.

The annual Bike India Awards were also presented at a ceremony held last month. As a dedicated bike magazine, it is our duty to appreciate the work done by the manufacturers in the previous year, especially in such difficult times. There were quite a few contenders for the Bike of the Year Award, starting with the Bajaj Pulsar 125 and going all the way up to the BMW R 1250 GS. It is not necessarily the best bike that wins the award, because value for money is very important. If one builds a fantastic motorcycle and prices it exorbitantly, then it does not make sense because it goes against the principle of value for money. This time the Bike of the Year Award went to the Hero XPulse for its unique approach, versatile performance and good bang for the buck.

Aspi Bhathena
Editor