Zipping down roads on a fancy bike would be on the wish list of just about anybody today, irrespective of age and bank account size. And two-wheeler manufacturers are leaving no stone unturned to capture this growing segment of motorcycle lovers.

Globally makers and designers are set to create a future not easily seen offscreen. Suzuki has unveiled its concept bike G-Strider, equipped with a 900cc two-cylinder engine with an electronic transmission while China?s Zongshen Group plans seems fit for a dragon?s carrier. Peugeot?s Quark, a fuel cell prototype with zero-emission, is a two-seater model closer in concept to a quad motorcycle than a car.

The Indian market is far more modest, though John Abraham?s much-publicised affair with his bikes has done a lot to push the profile of high-end bikes. Eicher Motors? Royal Enfield division is leading the segment with its leisure cruisers like Bullet Electra 5S, Machismo 350, Thunderbird and Machismo 500 among others, while Yamaha Motor India (YMI) is driving into the market with its flagship models Super Sports YZF-R1 and Torque Sports MT01.

And domestic two-wheeler majors like Hero Honda Motors India and Bajaj Auto (BAL) are gradually upgrading to high-end bikes to cater to the niche segment. Not just this, players like Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) and the Suzuki Motor India (SMI) are also working on plans to bring their global top-end bikes to India in the near future, thanks to the rising number of high-income individuals in the country.

?The rising number of big-bike enthusiasts coupled with increasing income levels makes India one of the most important markets for Yamaha,? says Tomotaka Ishikawa, CEO & MD, Yamaha Motor India. Adds Satya Sheel, managing director of Suzuki Motors, ?Economic development in the country has led to a shift in bike preference and with large number of people vying for such high-end models, we also plan to come up with higher engine capacity bikes in the near future.?

?At its annual model review to be held in December, Honda will come up with plans to bring its global top-end bikes to India,? says NK Rattan, vice president (sales & marketing), Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India. While SMI plans to import Hayabusa and its GSX range of superbikes, HMSI is looking at importing its cult models, the CBR 1000 and the GLX 1800.

While Dilip Chneoy, director general, Siam sees it as an effort to build a brand, auto analyst Veeresh Malik call it a style statement. ?The premium bike segment is a niche area and more of a brand-building exercise for two-wheeler majors, says Chenoy.

?As there is no culture for superbikes in India, those who possess them are splurging on them only to make a style statement,? adds Malik.

However, the segment is facing hurdles in the form of high import duty, large-scale smuggling from across the border and lack of speed regulations. These are creating a negative image in the minds of a large number of people.

No wonder, the locally-manufactured high-end bikes like the ones rolled out from the Eicher Motors? stable prove to be more cost-effective than Yamaha?s new products that will be sold in India as completely built units (CBUs) or the other models that are lined up and will possibly be wholly imported or assembled here in India and sold as completely knock-down units (CKDs).

Another factor that is limiting the growth in this segment is the extent of pollution levels of these bikes. ?With tough emission norms in the country, most high-end bikes across the globe find it tough to enter the country,? says RL Ravichandran, managing director of Eicher Motors? Royal Enfield division. ?Top-end bike manufacturers are requesting government to ease its emission norms so that they can enter the Indian market without too many hassles,? he adds. Earlier this year, the government allowed the import of motorcycles with engine capacities of over 800cc, if they cleared Bharat Stage-III emission norms as part of a trade deal with the US, paving the way for the entry of the iconic Harley. Imports of fully-built passenger vehicles attract an effective duty of 103%, thus doubling the cost of owning a unit in India.

Even lack of required infrastructure and accessories for these high-end bikes is restricting the growth of this segment. ?Since the market is very fragmented in terms of the supply chain, there are no organised sales channels of these accessories in India,? says Om Prakash, head, corporate planning division, YMI.

In an effort to boost the sales of high-end bikes in India, companies are educating their staff and the people about ways to handle the hot bikes and are providing them the required infrastructure to run them. Yamaha organises ride tech challenge events where knowledge about the bikes and safety features and safety riding are given along with test rides, while TVS Motors has set up its own racing tracks at its plant in Hosur to give bike lovers the fun of driving top-end bikes. Even the MMST super cross race track, recently built by the Madras Motor Sports Club at Irrungattukottai near Sriperumbudur, in addition to the existing MMST Race complex, helps bike lovers zoom ahead.

Inputs by Suman Tarafdar