NEW DELHI (TIP): Within three months of entering into the fast-expanding 350-cc-plus motorcycle segment with its premium sports bike Dominar, Bajaj Auto has raced ahead of Royal Enfield in the category. Driven by demand for the Dominar that has an engine capacity of 373 cc, Bajaj Auto sold around 3,082 units in the segment in February, compared with 2,628 units sold by Royal Enfield.

According to data available with industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Royal Enfield’s sales in the 350-cc-plus motorcycle segment declined by 35%in the period under review. The company had sold 4,053 units in February 2016.

As per SIAM classification, Royal Enfield, however, continues to command a lion’s share in the 250350 cc midsize motorcycle segment and has registered a growth of 32.6% to sell 544,637 units between April and February in the ongoing financial year. The company’s mainstay products -Classic 350, Bullet 350, Thunderbird 350 – are all powered by 346 cc engines. Royal Enfield motorcycles are priced between ` . 1.22 lakh (for Bullet 350) and . 2.20 lakh (for Con ` tinental GT with a 500 cc engine). Roy al Enfield has a market share of around 97% in all motorcycles with engine capacity up wards of 250 cc sold in the domestic market.

Bajaj’s overall two wheeler sales (100 373 cc) in the domes tic market is more than three times that of Royal Enfield’s and stood at 18.49 lakh units until February this fiscal year. The company’s presence in the segment upwards of 250 cc is, however, limited. With the Dominar, Bajaj Auto has now set out to expand its footprint in the category.

Eric Vas, president (motorcycle business), Bajaj Auto said: “The Dominar is an important product for us. It has emerged as a leader in the 350-cc-plus motorcycle segment within three months of launch, despite being available only in 30-odd towns.“ The company seeks to expand its reach to 200 towns by the end of April and is ramping up production to attain monthly sales of 10,000 units by September.