While the market for premium motorcycles grows every year, budget commuter motorcycles remain the primary volume sellers in the country, despite the shrink in number of entry-level models in recent years. Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India (HMSI) is working on a new 100cc motorcycle for India.
According to Autocar India, this new 100cc bike from Honda will sit just above the Shine 100 which was launched in 2023. Currently, Honda has only one 100cc bike in its lineup. The 100cc commuter bike segment has shrunken to a handful of models in the market including Herp Splendor, Bajaj Platina, and Bajaj CT 100.
Honda 100cc bike: What we know
As per the report, Honda has ruled out launching electric motorcycles in the near future. This comes only a week after a patent of an electric motorcycle from Honda went viral on the internet. The patent was touted to be a fully-electric equivalent of Shine due to the uncanny resemblance with the latter. This means, Honda will concentrate on petrol two-wheelers and electric scooters for the next few years.
Hero MotoCorp continues to lead the 100-110cc motorcycle segment, capturing a commanding 78% market share through its popular Splendor lineup. Although the segment is witnessing a gradual decline, it still contributed to over 46% of total motorcycle sales in FY25. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) currently holds a 6% share in this category. While the Shine 100 has marked HMSI’s entry into the segment, the company sees significant growth potential, particularly in rural markets.
The report further mentions that this upcoming 100cc bike will offer better features and a different styling. As a result, it will sit above the Shine 100 in the company’s lineup. With the new model, Honda will target an aspirational set of buyers. More details on this is expected in the coming few months.
Honda new bikes launching tomorrow
Honda is launching not one but two motorcycles tomorrow, which includes one updated model and one brand new model. However, we don’t know any specific details regarding the upcoming launches. Our assumption is that at least one of these models is likely to be a Big Wing motorcycle. The Big Wing range of Honda currently houses 16 models including fully-imported CBUs such as Hornet SP 1000, Gold Wing, XL750 Transalp, and Africa Twin.
