Royal Enfield is the pioneer in the cruiser bike segment in the domestic market. Now another US brand UM Motors has been planning to make its presence felt in Nepal by appointing a new distributor IME Automotives.

Cruisers are big and macho bikes that come with big handles, lots of chrome, big fuel tanks and a powerful engine that provides high performance. UM has recently launched its new Renegade series of bikes including Commando, Sports and Duty to cater to the rapidly growing cruiser bike market.

Previously shipped from China, the UM bikes will be imported from India where there are production facilities in Uttarakhand and Kashipur.

Meanwhile, Bajaj has rolled out its cruiser bike the Avenger which is equipped with a Bajaj patented DTSi 220 cc engine and is priced at Rs265,900. It also plans to bring out a new model with a 200cc engine with added features.

“More and more people are going for cruiser bikes as these bikes are stylish, simple and perfect for riding around the city and on highways. So we are also focusing on the cruiser segment although UM has a complete range from scoters and commuter bikes to street racing bikes,” said Kapil Siwakoti, chief executive officer of IME Automotives.

With new bikes being rolled out, competition is expected to heat up between UM and Royal Enfield as they offer a wide range of models. “We will try to offer the bikes at a cheaper rate to provide stiff competition to other brands and we will have a network of 76 dealers within a year,” he said.

UM’s flagship model the Renegade Commando 230cc has a price tag of Rs325,000. The company has planned to launch the Dirt and Motard series in 200cc and 300cc next month. Prices of these bikes will start at Rs356,000. “We will also launch 400cc cruisers soon in the domestic market,” said Siwakoti.

Meanwhile, Royal Enfield’s authorised distributor Dugar Brothers is also planning to unveil new models to expand

its range of cruiser bikes. Currently, it has nine models and variants including the Classic Chrome and Classic Desert Storm, Thunderbird, Classic Regular and Classic Battle Green in the 500cc segment, while it has the Thunderbird, Classic and Electra in the 350cc segment.

Electra is the low-end model which costs Rs432,000. The company also offers the Continental GT 500cc cruiser which is priced at Rs711,000. “Since the launch of these bikes in Nepal, they have been doing very well in the market and we are witnessing a growth of 15-20 percent annually,” said Meghraj Poudel, head of operations at Royal Enfield at Dugar Brothers.