Sales of scooters have been growing at a faster rate in the Nepali market as they are proving to be popular among both male and female riders due to their ease of riding.

In addition, their maximum utility and affordable prices have helped them to command a sizeable market share in Nepal, traders said. Scooters account for over 30 percent of the two-wheeler market in the Kathmandu Valley, they said. 

Their swelling demand has encouraged domestic dealers to launch various models preferred by Nepali customers. Hero, which offers only one model, Pleasure, in the domestic market, plans to add three new models, Dash, Dare and ZIR, this year. 

Mahindra is also working to launch a 125 cc model of the Gusto. UM Motors is also planning to roll out a new scooter soon. Domestic dealers of Yamaha and TVS are all set to launch their new models in the next one month. 

TVS has planned to roll out its new Scooty Zest by September. The company is yet to fix the price. The Zest is powered by a 110 cc single-cylinder 4-stroke CVTi air cooled engine that delivers a maximum power of 5.9 kW at 7,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 8.7 nm at 5,500 rpm. 

The scooter features twilight lamps, back-lit speedometer, leaf-shaped mirrors, LED tail lights, textured floor board, double stitched seats, stainless steel 

muffler guard, painted switch panel and new sharp and bold curves. Other features of the Scooty Zest are 19 litres of underseat storage, 110 mm drum brakes, additional front bag hook, 

glove box, telescopic front suspension and double rated hydraulic monoshock. 

For safety, the Scooty Zest comes with anti-skid tubeless tyres and parking brake. The company claims the Zest provides a mileage of 62 kmpl. Its fuel tank has a capacity of 5 litres. Its dimension are 1170 x 660 x 1139 mm. The company also plans to launch an updated version of the Wego scooter this year. 

Likewise, MAW Enterprises, the authorised distributor of Yamaha in Nepal, plans to launch the Fascino scooter by the end of this month. The scooter will cost around Rs184,000 in the domestic market. “With the Fascino, we want to add our product portfolio in the growing domestic market. As this is a unisex scooter, it will attract both male and female riders. Its classic retro looks also help to attract Nepal’s youth consumers,” said Vishnu Kumar Agrawal, managing director of the company. Currently, the company offers three models: Alpha, Ray and Ray Z. The Fascino is powered by an air-cooled, 4-stroke 113 cc Blue Core engine that churns out a maximum power of 7.1 PS at 7,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 8.1 nm at 5,000 rpm. The company claims the scooter delivers a fuel efficiency of 66 kmpl. 

The Fascino features a 21-litre underseat storage, telescopic front suspension, 3D logo, stylish meter console, 130 mm drum brakes and 5.2 litre fuel tank. The Yamaha Fascino’s dimensions are 1815 x 675 x 1120 mm.