Come 2014, Honda could enter the 100cc space with the Honda(minus the Hero) CD100!

Honda CB Twister used as an illustration

Hero MotoCorp, formerly Hero Honda has been painting the town red with its brand new identity, through which India’s biggest motorcycle maker is all set to go it alone, after more than 25 years of fruitful partnership with Japanese motorcycle major, Honda. However, licensing rights for the major money spinning engine that Hero MotoCorp’s breand and butter CD range of motorcycles feature, namely the horizontally inclined 97.2cc four stroke, two valve, SOHC, single cylinder, will be valid only up to 2014.

After that though, Honda, which owns the global rights for the legendary 100cc engine could get back into the 100cc motorcycle space with an all new redesigned CD range of 100cc engines. Currently, the only offering from Honda in the entry level commuter motorcycle segment has been the 110cc Honda CB Twister, whose sales although good are nowhere near the likes of the Hero MotoCorp Splendor and the Passion range of motorcycles.

Honda CD series 100cc horizontally inclined four stroke engine

Given Honda’s lofty ambitions of becoming the biggest motorcycle maker in India, the commuter 100cc segment is one area that the Japanese motorcycle major needs to gain a firm foothold in as that is where the big growth comes from. In line with this, Honda is said to be developing a brand new 100cc engine to power the CD range of 100cc motorcycles come 2014. Through this motorcycle range, Honda will aggressively expand into India’s hinterland to tap the huge growth that is expected from this region.

It would be very interesting to see what Hero MotoCorp does to protect its market share from Honda’s ambitions. While it is a win-win situation from Honda both ways, as Hero MotoCorp would anyway have to pay royalty if it wants to use the range of engines in the entry level economuter motorcycles, doing so would mean that Honda will have to be content playing second fiddle to Hero MotoCorp in the Indian motorcycle market. Will Honda hold back or will Honda go for market supremacy is something that we’l have to wait and watch.

Via TheEconomicTimes

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