Suzuki Motorcycle reports 10% decline in October sales amid supply chain woes

Suzuki Motorcycle India on Monday reported a 10 per cent dip in total sales in the month of October at 69,186 units as compared to a total of 76,865 units in the same month last year. The two-wheeler company attributed the dip in sales to challenges such as rise in input costs and supply chain woes.

The company's domestic sales stood at 56,785 units in October this year as compared to 67,225 units sold in the same month last year. The company grew on the exports front by selling 12,401 units in October as against 9,640 units in the year-ago month. However, Suzuki Motorcycle says that the demand is back thanks to the ongoing festive period. “As we enter the festive season in India, the good news is that the demand is back in the market," said the company's Vice President, Devashish Handa.

He also highlighted the set of challenges in the way of the two-wheeler industry before the company can cater to this increase in demand. “These challenges include longer than expected supply chain disruption and consistent rise in input cost," said Handa. He added that the company is hopeful that the situation will get better and will fully be able to cater to the market demand.

In July, Suzuki Motorcycle announced a hike in the price of its Intruder cruiser motorcycle which has now become costlier by ₹2,100. Following the price hike, the bike now retails at a price tag of ₹126,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The motorcycle sources power from a 154.9 cc, all aluminium 4-stroke, single-cylinder engine that has been rated to develop close to 13 bhp of maximum power at 8,000 rpm and a peak torque of 13.8 Nm at 6,000 rpm. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox and gets Suzuki Eco Performance (SEP) technology that is claimed to improve the overall fuel efficiency of the system.