Strike At Bajaj's Chakan Plant Delays KTM Duke 390

Published: Friday, June 28, 2013, 16:40 [IST]

Demand for the newly released KTM Duke 390 was recognized well before the bike launched. Thousands are expected to ditch their existing rides, including Duke 200 owners. Bookings for the 390 began the day after the launch, but a few dealers had in fact started accepting bookings much before. While you can go ahead and pay a down payment of Rs 30,000 to book one for yourself, the current waiting period being reported is three months.

The shortage seems to be so severe that the 70 odd dealerships in India which are selling the Duke 390, do not even have test drive units. While waiting periods are not uncommon for products with high demand, in this case it could turn out to be a crisis due to an ongoing workers' strike at Bajaj's Chakan plant.

This is the facility where Bajaj assembles its sports bikes, namely the Pulsars, the Duke models and the Kawasaki Ninja. While the existing stock of Pulsars in various dealerships and the plant will satisfy demand for a few weeks, the same cannot be said about the Dukes - 125, 200 and 390. What makes the situation critical is that the Chakan plant caters to global market as well.

With only a fraction of the 1500 strong workforce reporting to work, Bajaj has been forced to put them to work on the Duke lineup. If the standoff between the management and the workers' union is not taken care of soon Bajaj could be in a real pickle.

Article Published On: Friday, June 28, 2013, 16:40 [IST]

Read more on: #bajaj auto #ktm #duke #two wheeler #auto news

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