The demand for commuter motorcycle has been rising in Nepal, as offerings in the segment continue to appeal to the masses.

According to TVS, motorcycles with less than 150cc are categorised as a ‘commuter’, while anything above that belongs to the premium segment. A commuter motorcycle is highly preferred in the Nepal two-wheeler market, making the bulk of sales. 

Krishna Parsad, General Secretary of Nepal Automobiles Dealers’ Association (NADA) said, “The commuter segment is the fastest growing segment in the otherwise sluggish motorcycle market, which saw almost double the sales compared to previous years. Overall, the sale of motorcycles rose by nearly 20 percent in Nepal.” He added that Bajaj was the leader in the two-wheeler market.

At Bajaj, the Pulsar 160 NS is the best selling motorcycle, forming 60 percent of sales. Plan Activation Officer of HH Bajaj, Rishav Regmi said, “As the dominant market leader in both 125cc and 160cc segment with a price range of Rs165,900 to Rs259,000, we are seeing growth in the commuter segment.”

Ramesh Tandukar, a showroom manager at Syakar Trading Company, authorised dealer of Honda, echoed the growing theme that commuter motorcycles were becoming more ubiquitous in Nepal. “For ease of comfort and affordable riding, most of our customers prefer motorcycles in the commuter segment”, he said.

Tandukar revealed that most customers chose to purchase the Honda CBF Stunner, a 125cc motorcycle from Honda’s stable of bikes due to its affordable price. “The price of a CBF Stunner costs Rs195,900 and makes up the majority of our sales, at 60 percent,” he said, “We saw 20 percent growth in this segment.”

According to Suhan Bahadur Shrestha, a sales manager at Honda, the biggest market for commuter motorcycles are Kathmandu and Pokhara. 

Sales Manager Umanga Dahal at MAW Enterprises, the authorised dealer of Yamaha, said that sale of commuter motorcycles has grown by 25 percent this year. He said that there are multiple affordable options for consumers to choose from, the Saluto, FZS and FZ-FI and SZRR at their showroom. “The FZS and FZ-FI, with prices ranging from Rs255,400 to Rs269,400, make up nearly 70 percent of our total sales”, said Dahal. At TVS, motorcycle sales have jumped 50 percent, a figure given by Uddhab Mainali, a sales manager at the TVS showroom in Naxal. TVS offers a variety of motorcycles, from 100 cc to 200cc, with prices ranging from Rs150,000 to Rs289,000. He claimed that their latest product, the Apache RTR 200 4V, launched in August 2016 has been their most preferred motorcycles in their stable. The motorcycle is priced at Rs289,000.