NEW DELHI: Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj is looking to repeat his 100 cc/four-stroke

strategy in the performance segment. The company's long-term strategy, he said, is to

get out of the 150 cc segment which has been ruled by the Pulsar model, and move up
the value chain towards higher displacement performance bikes. 

As for the entry level segment, Bajaj Auto's new platform will debut "later this year in our
attempt to move more and more people out of the 100 cc/four stroke market," Mr Bajaj
said. Speaking at the launch of the Pulsar 200, the 200 cc addition to the Pulsar family,
Mr Bajaj explained: "Our strategy is not to do the 150 cc and we want to get out of the
150 cc in the performance segment just like we want to get out of the 100cc/four-stroke
in the entry level segment." 

To that end, the company is rolling out a series of bigger bikes which will be retailed
through its Probiking showrooms. Already the first batch of the Pulsar twin, the 220 cc
DTSFi (fuel injection engine) model, have been released and commercial production
should start by May. Also on the anvil: a 200 cc, oil cooled version of the Avenger due
for debut by June. 

"The 150cc market is getting very crowded," Mr Bajaj said. "BAL sells 8000-10,000 units
of the Pulsar 180 every month and we thought we could upgrade some of those
numbers." The target, he said, is to hit 5000 units with the Pulsar 200 and 220 twins.
The Pulsar 200 is priced at Rs 65,000 ex-showroom Delhi, around Rs 6000 more than
the Pulsar 180. 

The higher displacement bikes will make the 180 cc Pulsar, currently sold through the
Probiking showrooms, more widely available. Bajaj Auto is also expanding capacity to
accomodate the new Pulsar variants. "We sold 43,000 Pulsars in January and we are
ramping up capacity to hit 60,000 units by June. We hope to sell at least 50,000 Pulsars
by then," Mr Bajaj said. 

Bajaj is also following a dealership network strategy to reflect its product portfolio.
Currently it has different channels to sell its various products. The 52 Probiking
showrooms are at the top of the food chain and sell high-end bikes. They are followed
by 50-60 dealerships in major towns which also sell niche products like scooters. Then
comes the company's 500 dealerships which sell the volume range. Bajaj Auto is also
building a rural dealership network (it already has 20 dealers on this roster) and a
separate commercial vehicles network for three and four-wheelers. 

Company officials also said Bajaj Auto is working on a common three and four wheeler
platform which will be cranked out of a greenfield site with half a million units capacity.
"Our products will be positioned between two wheelers and more traditional cars and
trucks and we will start with a goods carrier but the first product is at least two years
away," Mr Bajaj said.