KTM to bring new platform bikes with Bajaj

The success of the mini-street bike manufactured in Pune and later sold in Europe has encouraged the Europe's bike manufacturing giant, KTM Power Sports AG, to create a series of new products in collaboration with its Indian partners, Bajaj Auto. The Austrian bike manufacturing veterans are planning to create a high capacity bike along with some more platforms for fresh models that may be created in the future with their partners Bajaj Auto, who also happen to be India's second largest two-wheeler manufacturer.

Currently, the two companies are working together at the Bajaj's research and development centre at Akurdi, Pune to pull off their 375 cc bikes which would be one of the biggest capacity bike to be fully manufactured in the country after Royal Enfield. The company so far has had a pretty successful partnership with the KTM Duke 125 being an instant success in the European Market. The sales also made sure that the total sales and revenue of the company was higher this year than the previous one. The Indian company Bajaj, currently has a bit more than 47% stake in the company.

Apart from their current plans, the two are also working on creating platforms for the future, which started three years ago. Although there is no official word on the fact that what kind of models would be created based on these platforms but it took the companies more than a year to create the platform on which the 125 Duke is based on. Bajaj, simply replaced the 125 cc engine with 200 cc and and placed it in the market at a price of Rs. 1.17 lakh. For now, KTM is targeting 20000 units to be sold in India. KTM and Bajaj are working on the twin cylinder bike which if pulled off would be India's first.