Sports bike demand goes gangbusters in Bangladesh

The local market for sports motorbikes is poised for phenomenal growth over the next decade in line with the mega development spree the country is going through.

With the market size for the exquisite vehicle rolling at around 30 to 35 per cent year-on-year, the bike boom is primarily urban and recreational that has taken a wide range of youth community by surprise.   

The dashing shape and unparalleled speed of the bikes have been irresistible and a dream two-wheeler to pursue by the rising generation.

A youngster Nazmul Saad recently bought his favourite Yamaha R15 V3 (yellow) because of its lucrative design and modifications.

“I prefer sports motorcycle for its power, exquisite features and glossy designs to other bikes,” he explained. 

Like Saad, many bikers argued that these two-wheelers instil into them a sense of excitement and pure joy, besides bearing the traits of a gorgeous personality.

According to one Sumon Ahmed, a sports motorcycle takes him anywhere in a flash.

“Only this bike can give the rider a pure thrill of the ride and is unbeatable,” he said.

The market players explained that the demand for sports bikes is gaining momentum every year, with around 1 lakh units selling annually.

They said that the market remains mostly untapped because of infrastructure deficiencies and speed limit.

Sources said the intermittent lockdown is a bar to supply chain in the local market but still the sports bike industry has shown a great potential despite the roadblock.

TVS Auto Bangladesh Chief Executive Officer Biplob Kumar Roy said: “We don’t have exact official data about the market size but the annual sales growth is around 30 to 35 per cent . The amount of yearly sports bike sale is above 1 lakh units.”

“In Bangladesh, it has a bright prospect as the demand is on the rise. TVS Apache’s all models belong to the sports category. We are getting good responses from our customers.”

Ananta Jannat, sales executive, Crescent Enterprise South at Shonir Akhra in the capital, said nowadays the youth prefer buying sports bikes to ordinary ones. The demand for Yamaha R15 V3 is more than that of its peers.

“We sell 6 to 7 Yamaha R15 V3 a week. Last year we made a weekly sale of 2-3 such bikes,” added the dealer.

“Currently Thailand, India and Indonesia export R15 to our country. Their prices vary depending on the countries of import.”

Mohammad Abdul Baten, assistant manager of Japan Bike City at Ashulia, voiced optimism as the other dealers.

He said: “Our sales have doubled over the past few years. Currently, its demand has increased but the lockdown has greatly hampered our supply chain.”

The showroom has various types of sports bikes. Of them, Suzuki GSX-R150 is the most desirable among bike lovers.

Talking to the bike dealers, it was learnt that the government-fixed cap of 165cc bike prevents them from importing other such vehicles with greater speed.   

Indonesian R15, Lifan KPR 165, Zontes ZT155-U1, Zontes ZT155-G1 and Zontes ZT155 U were spotted in the showroom of Moto Solution at Matikata.

Its Chief Operating Officer Nasif Ahmed Khan said even amid the lockdown, customers used to contact them over phone to get to know about their preferable sports bike.

“And we are making a good sale,” he added.

“Youngsters are our target customers. We sell Taro GP 1 V3 -- an Italian brand and China-assembled sports bike priced at Tk 3,60,000,” said Nadim Anam Utshow, chief operating officer at Taro Bangla at Banani. 

The sector people opined that a smooth road is essential for sports bikes to run, thereby boosting their sales. Besides, perennial gridlock in the city also reins in the speed of the motorists.

Yamaha R15 v3, Honda CBR 150R, Kawasaki Ninja 125, Suzuki GSX R150, Yamaha MT 15, Aprilia RS4 125, KTM RC 125, Yamaha M-Slaz 150, KTM Duke 125, and Suzuki Gixxer SF are dominant sports motorcycles.

Currently, a good quality sports bike sells at over Tk 5 lakh.

The data from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) showed that 32,58,697 motorcycles were registered in Bangladesh from 2010 to  May 2021.

Of them, 3,11,016 were registered in 2020.

The global motorcycle market size was $278.07 billion in 2020. The impact of Covid-19 has been unprecedented and staggering, with motorcycles witnessing a positive demand shock across all regions, according to a recent report published by Fortune Business Insights.

The global market of sports bikes will exhibit a stellar growth of 6.87 per cent or $298.58 billion in 2021 which is projected to grow to $485.67 billion in 2028.

Talking with The Business Post, Md Mustafizur Rahman, additional operative director, Walton said “We have plan to manufacturing sports bike for the local market as its demand is increasing day by day in our country. Currently, we are working over e-bike and in the coming day we will work for the sports bike as well.”