KARACHI: Imports of heavy bikes by the local assemblers have surged owing to strong demand from the governments of Sindh and Punjab.

The provincial governments are procuring these bikes for their law enforcement agencies to improve security situation.

Bike imports in July-January 2017-18 went up by 150 per cent to $3.86 million from $1.5m in same period of last fiscal year.

Similarly, the total cost was $2.99m in 2016-17, $2.94m in 2015-16 and $1.74m in 2014-15, figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) stated.

Atlas Honda Limited off­e­rs three imported bikes of 150-500cc at prices ranging from Rs640,000 to Rs1.25m while Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited offers 250-600cc of various heavy bikes at prices hovering between Rs599,000 and Rs1.95m.

Sources in the bike industry said heavy bikes (250-600cc) are being used by law enforcement forces, motorway and traffic police, highway authorities etc.

The majority of these new heavy bike sales of 250-650cc has been restricted to government’s security institutions while commercial sales have been nominal because of the high prices.

Market sources said some Chinese heavy bikes have also been imported in hea­lth­y numbers. Association of Pakistan Motorcycle Assem­blers Chairman Mohammad Sabir Shaikh said some importers are bringing in 250-500cc replica bikes from China which are almost the same as branded Japanese bikes, since bike lovers are gradually switching over to heavy bikes.

He said 250-700cc used bikes are also being imported whose main buyers are young rich customers. Besides importing bikes in CBUs, some Chinese bike-makers are also importing completely knocked down (CKD) kits for assembly of 150-250cc bikes in Pakistan, he said.

Sales of locally produced bikes have already been thri­ving as evident from the rising import bill of semi and completely knocked down kits which rose to $60.5m in July-January 2017-2018 from $48.7m in same period of FY17. In 2016-2017, parts im­­ports of bikes stood at $92m.

Atlas Honda sold over a record 100,000 bikes in January 2018 alone while its July-January 2017-18 sales swelled to 645,029 units from 544,769 units in same period last fiscal year. Pak Suzuki sold 11,952 bikes in July-January 2017-18 as compared to 10,344 units in the corresponding period of FY17. Yamaha sales also climbed to 11,763 from 6,848 units.

Sale of United Auto Motor­cycle, country’s second largest bike assembler, rose to 235,890 units in the seven months of FY18 as against 189,988 units in same period last fiscal year.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2018