The newly made partnership company UML having equal stake holding by American Motorcycle manufacturing company UM Motorcycles and Lohia Auto Industry of India has announced their plan to launch made in India bikes from Cruiser and Roadster segment next year.Contradicting their earlier announcement of launching 200-230cc bikes the UML management have shared that now they will launch their bikes in 300cc to 500cc category instead. The UML motorcycles will be manufactured in the local manufacturing unit of Lohia Auto situated at Uttarakhand. UML has plans to roll out initially 1'00000 units every year.
UM Motorcyles are known for their small displacement single cylinder cruiser bikes, which looks inspired by Harley Davidson motorcycles in style. This originally American company is limited to its 223cc air cooled/oil cooled engines, that is the reason why at the initial stage of their partnership with Lohia Auto they had declared that they would come up with same 223cc engines. But it seems that to grab the potential quarter liter to half liter motorcycle market they have decided to jump into Indian market with 300-500cc bikes.
UM Motorcycles had showcased their product line up at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo mainly to get the reaction of the masses and based on the response they got, they have signed up a partnership deal with Lohia Auto Industries. This partnership will inhibit to produce low cost motorcycles and now bikes with 300- 500cc engines with cruiser styling will be acting as icing on the cake. The UML Renegade series cruiser bikes would pose some serious competition to Royal Enfield if priced little lower than RE.
By: Farhan Kashif