Rs 18-lakh BMW bikes in India by Dec

German auto major BMW said on Thursday it would introduce its premium range of motorcycles in the Indian market by December this year, which are likely to be priced from Rs 18 lakh (Rs 1.8 million) onwards.

"BMW Motorrad starts its sales activities in the Indian motorcycle market with two official importers as of December, 2010," the company said.

Globally, the firm's motorcycle venture is known as BMW Motorrad and it will initially sell its products at three outlets in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

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BMW Motorrad's superbikes will be imported into the country by two dealers, Deutsche Motoren and Navnit Motors.

Some of the models that the company is planning to bring into the country include the R 1200 GS, S 1000 RR and bigger K series bikes with 4-cylinder engines. According to a BMW India spokesperson, the motorcycles could be priced at Rs 18 lakh (Rs 1.8 million) upwards.

BMW will produce these bikes at its Berlin facility and they will be imported to India as completely built units.

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Commenting on the development, BMW Motorrad General Director Hendrik von Kuenheim said: "The BMW Group has already established itself very successfully in India with a local BMW automobile production and a sales network for BMW Group automobiles. Now the market for premium motorcycles is beginning to develop too.

"We are confident our motorcycles will swiftly become established in timely preparation for the growing market," he added.

This is the second time after the mid-90s that BMW has firmed up plans to enter the country's motorcycle segment.

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It had earlier planned to enter the Indian two-wheeler market in partnership with Munjals-promoted Hero Motors with the launch of a mid-sized single cylinder motorcycle.

However, despite a positive market study, the project was shelved due to the small size of the Indian market for superbikes at the time.

During recent years, many global manufacturers have come to India with their high-end motorcycles. Ducati, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha have all launched superbikes, the prices of which run into several lakhs of rupees.