India's renowned bike-maker has put end to its beloved Discover 125 ST that had a limited number of takers who loved it for its sporty design and feel. The bike featured 4 value heads with twin spark plugs for its powerful engine. Moreover, the bike was the first in its segment to receive mono suspension. Higher pricing is stated to be a primary reason for the bike reporting poor sales in the country. The bike was priced about Rs. 5,000 – 6,000 extra than other bikes in this segment.
The new discover 125M gets a 124.6 cc twin-spark DTS-i engine that generates a good 11.5 Hp at 8,000 rpm and produces 10.8 Nm of peak torque at 6,000 rpm. The fairly powered engine attains a top speed of about 100 km/hr while delivering an impressive fuel efficiency of 76 kmpl. For complete control the bike gets racing inspired Petal disc brake. Comfort is assured with Nitrox gas charged rear suspension at the rear and telescopic suspension for the front wheel. During launch Prasad Vaze, Business General Manager, Bajaj Auto motorcycle, said, “Many consumers are tired of the 100cc regular commuter bikes which offer only 8 Ps power. They want to upgrade to sportier, attractive bikes with superior technology and features. However, barriers such as price and mileage deter them to move on to the 125cc segment. The new Discover 125 offers equivalent mileage of a 100cc and comes with exciting performance and features at an attractive price."
With the new launch, Bajaj expects about 90-95% of the cumulative Discover sales to originate from 125cc and 100cc Discover bikes. Kevin D’Sa, President of the finance section at Bajaj Auto stated that, company can start production of about 1,20,000 – 1,25,000 Discover units every month by June. This may mark a 50 % hike in sales from the current rate at which the Bajaj Discover is moving, a considerable volume maybe contributed by the October launched Discover 100 M and the new upcoming 125cc bike. The company’s figures have shown a sharp decline - 14% in the year-to-date numbers despite an overall 3.3% development in the industry. Bajaj’s sales fell by 16% between April and December 2013. The positive response that the Discover 100 M has seen in recent time, has prompted Bajaj to expect a recovery in sales numbers by the fourth quarter of 2014.
The newly launched Discover 125 is available in shades of electron blue, silver blue, charcoal magenta, charcoal green, wine red and silver gold. The bike comes with an attractive price tag of Rs. 48,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi) for drum brake variant, whereas the disc brake-equipped version retails at Rs 50,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi).
