Bajaj launches all-new 100cc Discover at Rs 46,000

New Delhi: Bajaj Auto, the country's second-largest motorcycle manufacturer, has launched its new 100 cc bike, the Discover 100M, in order to bolster its position in the country's mileage bike market.The Discover 100M motorcycle in drum and disc brake options costs Rs 45,996 and Rs 49,000 respectively (ex-New Delhi showrooms). Based on a completely new platform, the new Discover 100 M will competes against the likes of Hero MotoCorp's Passion and the Splendor segment and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India's Dream Yuga and Neo.The Discover 100M is positioned between Bajaj's existing Discover 100 4G (Rs45,000) and Discover 100T (Rs52,000) in the 100cc category.The 100 M is a four-stroke, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that gives a displacement of 102 cc and comes equipped with 4-valve head featuring corrugated fins for good cooling.The new model delivers a power of 9.3 bhp at 8000 rpm while generating a peak torque of 9.02 Nm at 6000 rpm, the Discover 100 M can reach a top speed of 95 kmph. The Bajaj Discover 100 M features an ARAI certified mileage of 84 kmpl. Unlike the 100T, which has a 5-speed box, the 100M gets a 4-speed gearbox.On the outside, there is little or no change. The bike carries on the Discover design language which means a sleek looking body design, black alloy wheels and blacked out engine. The 100M is held together by a robust, single downtube, semi-dual cradle steel frame, with telescopic fork suspension in front, and dual, gas-charged (Nitrox) shock absorbers bolted onto a rectangular section swingarm at rear. The 100M comes with a 1255mm wheelbase, which is significantly shorter than the 100T.The latest Discover will be sold in red or blue, as well as black with red decals, black with yellow decals, and black with blue decals colour schemes.“With two new Discover bikes lined up in the next six to eight months, we are targeting to bridge the gap with Splendor that sells about 1.4-1.5 lakh units a month. At the moment the Discover range sells 1 lakh units a month,” K Srinivas, president (motorcycle business) at Bajaj Auto, said. Currently, he says, Bajaj has 18 per cent market share in the mileage segment and the company is looking to increase it further with the launch of this new bike.Presently, Hero MotoCorp rules the 100 cc motorcycle space, in which its Splendor motorcycle sells about 1.4 lakh units a month and has a market share of over 50 per cent. On the other hand, Bajaj Auto has a market share of 18-20 per cent with sales of close to 75,000 units a month.Given the tough competition in the domestic market, Bajaj Auto's sales in the first 6 months of FY-14 declined sharply by over 11 per cent to 1.07 million units and the company's market share came down to 15.36 per cent.The entire Discover range now has six different variants including the 100, 100M, 100T, 125, 125ST and 125T.