Chennai: The Pune-based two-wheeler manufacturer Kinetic Engineering Ltd, has offered to make Laser - a 170 cc sports bike - for Korea's Hyosung Motors. The Laser, which is the latest offering from Kinetic Engineering, actually belongs to the Hyosung Motors stable.

Kinetic Engineering is already shipping a 125 cc model to Hyosung Motors under a technical and production collaboration agreement signed earlier.

"We expect to manufacture and export between 5000 to 8000 GF 125s to Hyosung Motors. We have also offered to manufacture Laser for the Korean company," says joint managing director, Sulajja Firodia Motwani.

Priced at Rs. 49,661 (ex Chennai) the 170cc, 15 BHP bike has a twin headlamp and is styled to attract the youth between 18-27 years of age. The bike sports an integrated console accommodating the speedometer, tachometer, gear indicator, fuel meter, turn indicator and side stand indicator.

According to Motwani, Laser will be marketed in select cities and hopes to sell around 15,000 bikes per annum. She expects the company's three other models - Boss, Velocity and Laser - to also contribute strong volumes. The company has spent around Rs.3 crore for rolling out Laser.

"Last year we sold 55,000 bikes and we will be closing this year with 85,000 bikes," she adds.
The low- key launch oof its model, King is reaching the dealers and she expects the volumes to go up from the current 800 units.

Queried about the group's tie-up with the Italian company, Italjet, for manufacturing scooters for the domestic and export markets, Motwani said the group will soon start manufacturing the Italjet-designed scooters.

According to her four models will be launched next year of which two will be sold in the domestic market. The exports will be limited to high end 250 cc vehicles.

"For us the cost to manufacture the Italian scooters is almost zero. There is no royalty to be paid for domestic sales," says Motwani.

According to her, the groups two automotive companies - Kinetic Engineering and Kinetic Motor- will continue to face bottomline pressures- for some more time to come.