Bajaj plans to buy Ducati or Triumph?

[Bob]

This has gone from a piece about how Bajaj are looking to develop by buying into outside sources... to a discussion about how developed (or not) Indian infrastructure (which was interesting)... which just shows how a subject can grow.

But now has moved into a one-to-one slanging match - still fairly polite at present. And I don't want it developing into anything more.

So can we get back on subject please? Or at least A subject, rather than this keep reappearing at the top of the page (thus detracting from new news) as the next instalment of pointing sticks at each other appears!

[2_SL0]

What is nub??

[Bob]

What is nub??

'Nub' was a really odd noise someone I used to work with made, as he had problems with his nasal passages...

Now can we get back to the news please? After all, this IS the news section!



Chee! I dunno, post a nice news item about an Indian company trying to better itself and all anyone worries about is the spelling of a noise made when you have nasal issues... mutter moan etc...

[tri boy]

So since India has just signed an agreement with the USA over nuclear discussions, could Bajaj be planning on making the first nuclear powered sickle?
And would you prefer the Italians or Poms involved?

[Cr1MiNaL]

So since India has just signed an agreement with the USA over nuclear discussions, could Bajaj be planning on making the first nuclear powered sickle?
And would you prefer the Italians or Poms involved?

The USA wants India to go nuclear free, so they can hav the only nuclear weapons in the world.... soon.... like thats ever going to happen. We need them for our lovely neighbors.

Oh and news in India is that they are a step ahead on the merger too ! id like to c what that brings

Don't worry BOB few people here just can't appreciate anything thats bigger than their already enormous egos'. *sigh* I was warned abt them.

[Bob]

Given the idea of CNG powered bikes coming from Pakistan:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=54408

Anything is possible!

I still think the sound way forward would be the tie-up with Yamaha. As I said way back, this is a tried and tested route, where Yamaha come in with technical skills on bigger bikes, but Bajaj could provide huge manufacturing capacity on smaller bikes or possibly some other ranges.

[Cr1MiNaL]

Given the idea of CNG powered bikes coming from Pakistan:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=54408

Anything is possible!

I still think the sound way forward would be the tie-up with Yamaha. As I said way back, this is a tried and tested route, where Yamaha come in with technical skills on bigger bikes, but Bajaj could provide huge manufacturing capacity on smaller bikes or possibly some other ranges.

Tie ups and that are good, but Id b a little skeptical about Yamaha wanting to manufacture their higher performance bikes for Indian roads. Given the population, politics and other related factors. However, its not impossible Ive seen quite a few number of R1's and Ducatis' on the streets in recent years.... The CBR 600RR seems to b the bike of choice for most for some strange reason though. (Did u know that they actually de-tune bikes for Indian roads)... eg. the Hyosung Comet 250 actually has 7-10 bhp less than standard for Indian roads.... damn bureaucracy. If the merger does take place though I can foresee a very very strong company arise from the ashes... one in which I would most certainly like to invest in !

[tri boy]

Given the idea of CNG powered bikes coming from Pakistan:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=54408

Anything is possible!

I still think the sound way forward would be the tie-up with Yamaha. As I said way back, this is a tried and tested route, where Yamaha come in with technical skills on bigger bikes, but Bajaj could provide huge manufacturing capacity on smaller bikes or possibly some other ranges.

The parallels with Triumphs tie ups with Kawasaki re Hinkley tooling etc are very similar to those of Bajaj seeking assistance.
Is Kawasaki still involved with Bloor? I'm sure they are with Bajaj.

[Cr1MiNaL]

Bajaj has bein known to make some great commuter bikes though, and they last forever and hardly need servicing... just the odd oil and filter change u can do at home. This was my first bike..... bloody legend of a commuter... gave me 50 kms to the liter goin to college and back for 3 legendary years. Never broke down once.

[tri boy]

How much did you pay for it in NZ terms Raj?

[Cr1MiNaL]

How much did you pay for it in NZ terms Raj?

with todays exchange rates, NZ$ 1650 brand new.

[Sanx]

with todays exchange rates, NZ$ 1650 brand new.

Can't argue with the price or the reliability, but damn is it ugly...

One of the major stumbling blocks for companies from 'developing' countries (Raj - don't argue - India classes itself as developing) getting into western or more developed markets is the marketing of products. Have a look at the Bajaj Autos website for the Bajaj Avenger, if you want an example. The slogan: "Feel like God". Well, ignoring the laughable proposition that anyone can feel like God riding around on a pig ugly 180cc wannabe cruiser, this one slogan won't go down well in a number of markets. The middle east, America, and South America for a start, mainly as the slogan would be deemed blasphemous.

Chinese companies often have the same problem; companies naming otherwise perfectly respectable products the "Shinwei Golden Hapy (sic) car", for instance.

Lenovo, who bought IBM's personal computer decision (an extremely wise decision by IBM to sell - Lenovo don't get IBM's brand name or logo, and inherited the only loss-making section of the IBM empire), are one company who didn't make the same mistake. Why? Easy - they do all the marketing out of the States. Namely, the get westerners to sell the stuff.

[Bob]

One of the major stumbling blocks for companies from 'developing' countries (Raj - don't argue - India classes itself as developing) getting into western or more developed markets is the marketing of products. Have a look at the Bajaj Autos website for the Bajaj Avenger, if you want an example. The slogan: "Feel like God". Well, ignoring the laughable proposition that anyone can feel like God riding around on a pig ugly 180cc wannabe cruiser, this one slogan won't go down well in a number of markets. The middle east, America, and South America for a start, mainly as the slogan would be deemed blasphemous.

Chinese companies often have the same problem; companies naming otherwise perfectly respectable products the "Shinwei Golden Hapy (sic) car", for instance.

Lenovo, who bought IBM's personal computer decision (an extremely wise decision by IBM to sell - Lenovo don't get IBM's brand name or logo, and inherited the only loss-making section of the IBM empire), are one company who didn't make the same mistake. Why? Easy - they do all the marketing out of the States. Namely, the get westerners to sell the stuff.

Everyone makes marketing mistakes though. The Toyota MR2 - sold almost none in France, despite selling well everywhere else. Why? No-one thought about how those letters and number are pronounced in french. Emm-Air-Dur. Merde. French word for shit.

Who wants to drive a Toyota Shit then?

Or the Ford Pinto - spectacular flop in Brasil. Why? Because no-one did their homework. If they had done, they would have known that "pinto" is Brasilian portuguese slang for a man with a small penis.

Ford Dwarfcock anybody? Thought not.

As you mentioned the Chinese... Coca-Cola spectacularly boo-booed. Their otherwise successful slogan "Coke adds life" was literally translated... and turned into something like "Coke brings your dead ancestors to life".

The key is learning from your mistakes - and I get the feeling that the Indians are much better than the Chinese at that.

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Back to the Bajaj Avenger - to me, it looks like a CB125 with cruiser bars and a couple of stying changes. Hmm, take a bike and shove cruiser bars on it to ruin a perfectly good bike. Wasn't that what the Japanese did when they tried to break into the US market back in the 1980s? Change the bars, call it an "LTD" and pretend it is a cruiser.

The Japs learned... eventually. Though I liked it more when they made their own attempts at a cruiser than aping H-D. Though in many ways they are going their own way again, but with the lessons of the past learned.