[Randhawa]

I think I should start hoarding parts now instead of ever going to Bajaj service centre Seriously at present the Triumph service is just about average. Don't even want to imagine the scenario with Bajaj, who will have no knowledge(technical knowledge and experience) about the present Triumph range and the issues.

[mac187]

Kudos to Bajaj for making the right moves and staying ahead in the game. If the speculations are true, then RE will have its work cut out. This segment really needed some serious competition from a vintage brand, Triumph, is an ace.

I wonder what the guys in Hero motors are upto! If they still aren't looking forward for growth, they should think about selling stake now and making some money while the brand is still worth something.

[abhishek46]

The only attractive void in the market today is in the Rs 1-2 Lakh range.
This segment is expanding and has both volumes and fat margins.

But, it is completely ruled by the RE today, in spite of it's products lagging behind in reliability & refinement.

I am getting a feeling that both Triumph & Bajaj want to target this segment. A sub-500cc Triumph branded lazy cruiser? May be. And to keep the price competitive, they will rope in Bajaj for Manufacturing.

[safari_lover]

This is such a pleasant news to read. Rajeev Bajaj had been talking about the Bullet segment for a while. And he has equipped himself with just the right ammunition for the invasion now.

I would love to own a Bonneville that comes with half the current engine capacity for half the current price.

[schitre05]

Just check out Mr. Vimal Sumbly's CV, the current MD of Triumph Motorcycles India and one can then easily join the dots.
Mr. Sumbly has been with Bajaj since 2006 till 2013, which is when he joined Triumph India.
On a personal note I am very much delighted at this reunion.
Now expecting a quick dish out of a 500cc twin easy rider with all the latest tech and safety bells and whistles
cheers!

[Pratzgh1]

If this leads to an affordable bobber - Take my money

[iamahunter]

Wow..!! That came out of no where.

Few questions arise..

1. Can Triumphs be serviced at a Bajaj service centers? (With a service adviser trained on Triumphs of course!)

2. Triumphs will be sold via the Bajaj dealerships? (like KTM and Kawasaki earlier)

3. Will the Triumphs be available at a cheaper cost? (like the KTMs cost comparatively less in India than in Europe)

Or will we soon see a 3 cylinder Pulsar, called Tominor may be..

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

A very good article from Shumi of Overdrive regarding the announcement - Helps answer some questions, and raises some questions as well.

http://overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/f...ion-agreement/

[ranjitnair77]

Here is a detailed overview of why the two companies have entered into a strategic partnership from Rajiv Bajaj.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XowBxDCOn1A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBq8KMOKXok

What is most impressive is the clarity of thought that Rajiv has. Especially the part where he says that the Bajaj brand is not as aspirational as Triumph but his ego did not get in the way of admitting this fact and forging an alliance.

Given how the sales of high capacity motorcycles are not going in the right direction (a very interesting thread on this here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...50-decade.html) I believe this is makes a lot of sense for Triumph's long term future.

This is very exciting indeed for everyone. Let's hope to see some fantastic bikes coming out of this alliance.

[ishankpatel]

This is great news!

RE with their overpriced and sub-standard quality motorcycles has had a monopoly in the middle weight cruiser segment for far too long!

Hopefully this partnership will get some competition in the segment and force RE to up their game, atleast as far as quality is concerned.

[Amey Kulkarni]

Triumph product, built by Bajaj. INTERESTING!!!



Cheers,
Amey

[Vikram8891]

As of now there is a lot of speculation as to what this partnership really means. We can be sure though that it doesnt mean that the Triumph Models which are currently sold above the reach of many will suddenly become cheaper. There will be some amount of localization but Triumph would never dilute its brand image.

What can happen though are a new product line from Bajaj which uses some tech know how from Triumph and maybe a cheaper parallel twin in the range above the Dominar and below the 800 cc Triumphs. Perhaps the 2 companies will go halfsies in sharing the profits (again total speculation).

It does show that when companies like Hero are relatively dormant and happy with their commuter segment sales, Rajiv Bajaj is not taking it easy. Triumph is perhaps the only other International Cruiser brand which is giving a tough time to Harley. Also one must consider that RE is planning to come out with a parallel twin 500 cc cruiser spy pics of which reveal that one iteration will be a cafe racer style and the other perhaps a Bonnieville lookalike.

In midst of all this this merger would be like attempting to kill 2 Goliaths with one stone. This should also help Bajaj in being seen in a new light. I think the failure of the Dominar may be more because people are not willing to buy a Bajaj for nearly 2 lakhs. I am an owner and I have seen and ridden far worse bikes which cost a lot more but belonging to premium brands, they sell more.

Hope this is not just an exercise to market and network Triumph bikes more though. Lets wait and watch.

[theroadrunner]

What a pleasant surprise! Rajiv Bajaj has delivered a master stroke. I am very happy for Bajaj Auto, as I have quite literally grown in a Bajaj World. In the 90s till early 2000s, my mom used to work for South India's largest Bajaj Dealer and I have seen the bikes and scooters from the delivery containers to the shop floors. So, you can guess, I do have a soft corner towards Bajaj. Having said that, the company has gone from strength to strength.

First the tie up with Kawasaki, then its own engine development plant, KTM, Husky and now Triumph. This is a very nice growth chart to have!

The premium bike labels have always had this conundrum of pricing their bikes right, floating among one of the highest rates of taxes and import duties. A make in India campaign needs capital and like a lot of have mentioned, partnering a local powerhouse means quicker Time to Market.

The KTM case would have confirmed Triumph that Bajaj is capable of delivering its promise in a partnership. I hope that the jugaad mentality of Bajaj is shelved and there is a right amount of focus on Quality in the end product.

It is indeed exciting times ahead for the motor cycle segment and coming at the right time when a lot of pull is present for a VFM higher capacity motor cycles.

Speaking for myself at least, in early 30s and looking to restart biking, this bit of news is a great thing!

Hamara Bajaj, hamesha!

[srishiva]

So this means that Bajaj thinks it cannot on its own do something in some of the higher niche segments. They need to partner and build with a established name. They offer their country specific or low cost design/supply chain/manufacturing services. It differs from TVS which markets the bikes with BMW in their own brand name.

[LordSharan]

Originally Posted by Vikram8891

I think the failure of the Dominar may be more because people are not willing to buy a Bajaj for nearly 2 lakhs. I am an owner and I have seen and ridden far worse bikes which cost a lot more but belonging to premium brands, they sell more..

Do you own a dominar? why do you think this is a failure?

My brother owns one, and I agree it has its flaws, but it serves its purpose. Has been reliable till date (Touchwood), has excellent highway manners, beautiful & functional headlight and the list goes on. Why would people prefer RE over Dominar when it comes to cruisers? I'd say they are just fan boys and nothing wrong in that. For someone who wants a relatively modern cruiser, the Dominar serves its purpose beautifully.

Coming back to topic- I never saw this partnership coming, and given the speculation of acquisition of Ducati by Bajaj, this comes as a surprise. A pleasant one though.

If this partnership turns out to be as productive as Bajaj-KTM, we have a winner on our hands. As Bajaj has no shareholding in Triumph, it might not be the case. Fingers crossed though, and let's see what happens next.

These things though reaffirm my faith in Bajaj. They are unlike Hero and Honda, willing to give what public wants and at an affordable cost. Which is extremely awesome, when you realize that Bajaj is an Indian brand
- like Hero, which will probably throw away its legacy by being lethargic and focused on commuters
- unlike Honda, which will never bring the x-factor in its bikes despite the tremendous technology and experience it has.

The only other brand that rivals Bajaj in this space is Yamaha, but their strategy is a hit (with R15, FZ) and a miss (with the horrendous FZ25 coming up). Additionally, they are let down by the premium (completely justified but can not be ignored when making a purchase decision) they charge.