Bajaj to launch two bikes in 2009

Country's second largest two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto on Tuesday said it would launch two new motorcycles -- one next month and the other by December -- and hoped to sell up to 2.5 lakh units in a month riding on the planned models.

"We are looking at increasing our domestic motorcycle sales to 1.75 lakh to 2 lakh by the second half of this fiscal by virtue of couple of launches over the next few months," Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj told reporters here, adding that another 60,000 units will be exported.

It would launch a new motorcycle with the DTS-Si engine on July 18 from its Chakan plant near Pune, Bajaj said, adding, "One more model is coming up by the end of this year."

"All launches this year stem from where we went wrong and where we stand... We have changed our product plan accordingly after 2008," he said, adding the current fiscal would be the best in BAL's history in terms of sales and profitability.

Bajaj said the company did not perform well in 2008. Expectations were also high after sales increased in the previous year, he added.

The company also unveiled an 'affordable´ version of its existing 220cc motorcycle Pulsar without fuel injection technology, priced at ₹70,000 (ex-showroom). Pulsar with 220cc DTS-Fi engine comes for over ₹80,000.

The company sells about 2-2.25 lakh bikes in both domestic and overseas markets a month.