Kawasaki India considering local assembly of engines

India Kawasaki Motors (IKM) is considering the localisation of its 300cc and 650cc engines soon.

This move is expected to boost the motorcycle’s sales by bringing down the final price. Kawasaki might begin localisation by incorporating smaller components into the 300cc and 650cc twin cylinder engines which will lead to more parts in the future. The parallel twin, liquid-cooled, four-stroke engines power about 5 out of the 15 models that IKM sells in India. While the Ninja 300 is powered by the 300cc engine, the Kawasaki Ninja 650, Versys 650, and the Z650 run on the 650cc mill. Kawasaki’s ER-6n, now discontinued, also shared the same platform. All these models are locally assembled and are imported into India as completely knocked down (CKD) units and they together account for a majority of the sales for the company.

The Kawasaki Z250 has the maximum local content among all other models in IKM offers with a localisation rate of up to 40 percent. The Ninja 300, Ninja 650, ER-6n Versys 650, and the Z650 have a localisation rate of 25-30 percent. 

Since OEMs like Yamaha, Honda, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, and DSK Motowheels have taken the localisation route, IKM’s localization plans for its 300cc and 650cc engines would directly impact the demand for its rivals.