Kawasaki to locally assemble 300 cc and 650 cc engines in India

Kawasaki India's 300 cc and 650 cc motorcycles may soon get cheaper as the two-wheeler manufacturer will start locally assembling the 300 and 650 cc engines in the country. At present, Kawasaki sells the Ninja 300, Ninja 650, Versys 650 that are powered by the 300 cc and 650 cc engines. These motorcycles are being sold as CKD units (Completely Knocked Down) that makes them price higher as compared to their rivals.

It is safe to assume that the localisation of the 300 and 600 cc engines will bring down the manufacturing cost of the bikes they power, significantly.

The newly launched Kawasaki Z250 has most localised parts the in the company's model line-up, while the other models have a localisation of around 40 percent. The 300cc and 650 cc motorcycles, on the other hand, have a localisation of just 25 to 30 percent.

We also expect that Kawasaki will reduce the prices of its other models in the near future due to localisation and will make its models priced more competitively. Other two-wheeler manufacturers like Yamaha, Honda, Harley-Davidson, Triumph and DSK Motowheels have already started localisation.

After Kawasaki ended its tie-up with Bajaj Auto, Kawasaki is getting serious about its position in the country. India Kawasaki Motors Pvt Ltd (a 100% subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Japan) has opened its new dealership in Mumbai and will launch more outlets that will consist of sales, services and parts.