After struggling for years to get a pie in the highly competitive commuter segment of two wheeler market, the Mahindra seems to be planning to ditch it and take on Royal Enfield instead. Not a bad idea considering that the Royal Enfield has almost no competition and is enjoying a field day for last few years. But can Mahindra pull it off? Bullets sell not because they are good motorcycles but they have this iconic brand image and kind of cult following that the other Indian companies can only dream of.
To do this, Mahindra need two things: an iconic brand name and a great motorcycle to bear that name. To take care of the first thing, Mahindra has just bought license to make and sell motorcycles under Jawa brand name. People from the 80s and even early 90s need no introduction to Jawa. Bullets, in those days, were slow and heavy piece of metal, just like they are today. The Jawas were faster and comfortable alternatives to the Bullets. But Jawa is almost dead now. If Mahindra succeeds even a little bit in positioning it as an alternative to the Enfiled, it can create wonders.
Secondly Mahindra also needs a good motorcycle. Well, it already has one, Mojo. Mojo is a great motorcycle. Especially coming from a company like Mahindra which has very little experience in making motorcycles. Many consider it as a perfect alternative to the Royal Enfield motorcycles. It has a butter smooth engine, it is very comfortable, but it looks weird and has a funny name. A completely redesigned Mojo with iconic Jawa badge will definitely sell in good numbers. Mahindra also need to improve their reach by creating a good service network.
While Mahindra is allegedly doing this, there are some strong indications that the Bajaj is also seriously considering to take on Royal Enfield with their upcoming 400cc motorcycle. Bajaj has postponed the launch of their much awaited Pulsar CS400(or is it Kratos or Dominor?). The rumor mill has that Bajaj is considering to pitch the new motorcycle against Royal Enfield and it will not bear the Pulsar moniker. If it’s true, then it will become an interesting three-way battle between three desi companies.