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NORTON, MOTOROYALE WORKING ON SMALL CAPACITY


                                                 MOTORCYCLE











             he upcoming bike
             will likely be pow-
        Tered by a 250-
        500cc engine
        The upcoming bike will
        be a product of a tie-up
        between Motoroyale and
        Norton Motorcycles that
        was signed in 2017.
        Motoroyale plans to
        produce the motor at a
        lower cost than Chinese
        manufacturers while
        keeping the quality in-
        tact.
        The Pune-based compa-      India. It now seems that   “We will make this mo-     Although he delved more
        ny also wants to tap into   the two are working on    torcycle in 1-2 years      on three-wheeler oper-
        electric mobility.
                                   smaller capacity bike to   which will be in the 250-  ations, he did mention
                                   begin with. The reason     500 cc range, but will be   that Kinetic Engineering
        Norton and Motoroyale      for the two not produc-    priced between Rs 2-3      would also be looking at
        are likely to be working   ing the 650 together is    lakh. While Motoroyale     electrification. Given that
        alongside each other to    because Norton sold its    has an entire bouquet of   electric vehicles are the
        produce a small capacity   engine design to Chi-      brands, the first brand    future, the company is
        motorcycle in the 250-     nese company, Zongsh-      that will be preferred     looking to invest in man-
        500cc range for the do-    en, for mass production    for this collaboration is   ufacturing capabilities
        mestic two-wheeler mar-    purposes.                  Norton Motorcycles, be-    to make components
        ket. It will be designed                              cause we have a 51:49      for electric products.
        by the Brits and manu-     In the interview, Firodia   JV which was created      This would help them
        factured at Motoroyale’s   has stated that the new    with a vision like this. We   cater to a wide variety of
        facilities in Maharashtra,   motor will be up to glob-  will develop a new bike   audiences as the elec-
        said Ajinkya Firodia, the   al standards and can      and localise as we go      tric boom has begun in
        Managing Director of       be exported later on.      ahead,” said Firodia in    India.
        Motoroyale and Kinetic     The important takeaway     the interview.
        Engineering, in an inter-  from the interview was
        view with TOI.
                                   that Firodia has claimed
                                   that the company will be
        When the two first struck   able to make the engine
        up a deal for the joint    at a much lower cost
        venture, Norton and        than what it would take
        Motoroyale were looking    to make it in China while
        to make a 650cc paral-     meeting global quality
        lel-twin powered motor-    standards.
        cycle as their first jointly
        produced offering in



 6  JUNE    2019                                                      Motorcycle Reviews             china 2 wheels  7
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