Plenty has already been said about how the new GST structure for bikes above 350cc is a roadblock for Indian manufacturers’ aspirations on a global scale. Regulation that taxes bikes over that engine size at 40 percent (vs 18 percent for sub-350cc) means Indian manufacturers will be re-evaluating their premium bike strategies. However, having just got back from EICMA 2025, I can’t help wondering if tax isn’t the only thing they have to worry about.
What I’m talking about is the wave of Chinese manufacturers and/or Chinese-made motorcycles that were spread across the show. There were literally dozens of brands, some of them already well known/established and others that I’d never seen before. Mind you, these were not the sort of cheap and not-so-cheerful products one normally assumes (there were plenty of those too), but large and premium-looking motorcycles. It was difficult to keep track of the sheer number of multi-cylinder cruisers, roadsters and ADVs on display.
It’s also not like there were just a bunch of me-to motorcycles, because there was a lot of interesting stuff on display as well. This included a hybrid 250cc boxer engine from Benda and a wild 1,000cc V4 superbike from CFMoto. In many cases, the specs are impressive, too, and manufacturers like Kove already offer seriously off-road-capable ADV bikes that weigh less than either the Europeans or Japanese can manage.
The sheer scale of the Chinese presence at EICMA this year isn’t just something to concern our manufacturers; it should also serve as a wake-up call for the entire industry. This holds true especially for the Japanese who had very little in terms of innovation and excitement on display, with the exception of Honda’s fascinating V3 concept motorcycle.
Having had a chance to sample CFMoto’s three-cylinder 675cc sportbikes at the Portimao racetrack earlier this year, I can confirm that these bikes are genuinely impressive, regardless of the price. Crucially, the CFMotos, in particular, have been earning a reputation of reliability over the past few years as well. But beyond all else, they are amazingly affordable. Just a couple of examples are how you can currently buy a stylish, feature-packed, 675cc, 95hp, 3-cyl sport-naked from CFMoto for just Rs 30,000 more than the cost of a new KTM 390 Adventure R or about the same price as the RE Himalayan 450 in the UK.
When it comes to domestic sales, our manufacturers either have to adapt their products to meet the new GST regulations (as Bajaj is doing with the Triumph and KTM brands) within the country, or they have to absorb some of the hit – as RE says it will. For overseas business, these manufacturers also face rapidly increasing competitive pressures from Chinese products – and these pressures will only get more intense as customer acceptance of Chinese bikes (at least the well-made ones) inevitably grows worldwide.
Of course, there are plenty of exciting things coming out of India as well, including the new BMW 450 and Norton motorcycles from TVS, the 750s from RE, and whatever Bajaj has brewing under its freshly acquired KTM umbrella. But there’s no doubt that the heat is on, and the positive side to this is that competition usually results in better things for the end consumer.
Also See: Opinion: KTM will change after the Bajaj takeover
