SANJEEV GIRI
KATHMANDU, AUG 21 -
The two-wheeler market in Nepal has gone through a massive upsurge in recent times—from below 100 to above 1,000 cc displacement bikes. With the younger generation yearning for more than just mileage and economy in bikes, distributors of high-end two-wheelers in the country have been making good, if not extraordinary, sales.
Ganesh Enterprises, the authorised dealer of Suzuki motorcycles for Nepal, has launched around half a dozen high-end bikes in the Nepali market. Among other models, the Hayabusa, B-King and GSR-600 are more popular among customers. According to the company, four Hayabusa, three B-King and 35GSR models have been sold in a year. While the Hayabusa and B-King come packed with 1300 cc engines, the GSR is a lower displacement variant with a 600 cc engine. All the models have been priced between Rs. 1.5-2.35 million.
According to Raju K.C., sales executive at the Suzuki showroom in Kamal Pokhari, Kathmandu and Pokhara are the major markets for high-end bikes. “Booking has to be made 25 days prior to the procurement date,” he said, adding that while most spare parts are available at Suzuki showrooms, major components like engines, however, have to be imported from Japan in case of their replacement. The company offers a discount of Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000 on the purchase of any model, and it only accepts cash payments.
Syakar Company, the authorised dealer of Honda motorcycles in Nepal, also has two high-end bikes from Honda—the Honda CBR and Honda Hornet—in the market with 600 cc displacements. According to the company, two Honda CBRs and Honda Hornets are booked every month. According to Rajan Puri, manager of imports and sales administration at Syakar, only mechanics who have received training in Japan attend to the two models 
in case of servicing or repairing. Puri said that while regular spare parts are available with the company, it takes a maximum of 90 days to import major parts from Japan.
in case of servicing or repairing. Puri said that while regular spare parts are available with the company, it takes a maximum of 90 days to import major parts from Japan.“Our major markets are Kathmandu and Pokhara, but we are also receiving enquiries from Butwal and Dharan. We plan to extend service backup for these high-end bikes at major cities through our existing network of dealers,” he said, adding that they also plan to open a showroom for high-end Honda bikes at Teku.
Morang Auto Works (MAW) also has the high-end Yamaha R1 in the market with a displacement of 1,000 cc. According to the company, it has sold five units of the R1 so far and claims it to be different than all other high-end bikes in the market. According to Suraj Manandhar, deputy general manager of MAW, Kathmandu and Pokhara are the major markets. “There are many who adore the R1, but the price factor has made it quite exclusive,” he said. As for spare parts, Manandhar said that while most are available with the company itself, it takes 15-20 days to import major components from abroad. The price of the R1 fluctuates with the exchange rate of the dollar. It currently comes for Rs. 2.2 million.
Ashish Sharma, showroom manager of HH Bajaj at Teku, the authorized dealer of Bajaj and Kawasaki bikes for Nepal, claimed that the recently launched Kawasaki Ninja with a 250 cc displacement was the highest selling bike in the segment in the world. He said that while 12 units have already been sold, six more were booked within two months of the launch of the bike. “Some have even bought it by taking a loan,” Sharma said. “We will soon sell it from our showrooms at Biratnagar and Pokhara. It has the best seating position, and we offer a two-year warranty on it.” Priced at Rs. 7,50,000, the Ninja is manufactured in Thailand and is imported from India into Nepal.”
