Harley-Davidson launches Fat Bob

Harley-Davidson India today launched the Fat Bob motorcycle at Rs 12.80 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The motorcycle, which will be assembled in Bawal in Haryana, has a 1,585 cc engine with a six-speed cruise drive transmission, and a fuel tank capacity of 18.8 litres.

"The launch of the Fat Bob as CKD (completely knocked down unit; the bike is imported in parts and the final assembly is done in India) will allow more customers to experience our Dyna range at an attractive price point," Anoop Prakash, managing director, Harley-Davidson India, told media persons.

He added that the company has taken a conscious decision to spread presence in the tier-II towns as there is a latent demand for Harley Davidson bikes. "We are getting a good pull in smaller towns. There are a lot of people who have the same key attributes as we have, in wanting personal freedom. The kind of enthusiasm we had received in a place like Kochi was the same as in any metro," Mr Prakash said.

Harley-Davidson, which announced its plans to enter India in 2009 and started selling bikes a year later, expects to sell close to 2,000 units this year, double the number it sold in 2011.

When asked if the company will assemble more models in India to bring down the price, Mr Prakash said: "Although there is no immediate plan for adding to our CKD line up, we will keep the option open for future in order to make our products affordable to customers."

The company offers 13 models across nine dealerships in the country. India and Brazil are the only two countries, apart from the US, where the company has an assembly facility.