From left to right: Wee Hong – president of Malaysian Motorcycle and Scooter Distribution Association, Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah, Amirudin Abd Kadir – chief executive officer, Modenas.
When Malaysian motorcycle manufacturer Modenas came on the scene just over 20 years ago, aspirations were riding high that it would emulate the success of the national car industry then. Catering to the lower range of the motorcycling public, notably with low-cost, value-for-money scooters and kapchais, Modenas did, at one point, corner some 40% of the local bike market.
During the launch of the 2017 Modenas Kriss MR2 – the third Modenas model to be launched since the Modenas Karisma 125 and Elegan 250 last year – Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah, chief operating officer of DRB-Hicom’s automotive engineering and manufacturing and distribution divisions, said the company is intent on regaining lost market share, slowly but surely. Plans for this include offering the customer something different and better, as well as collaborating with a strategic partner to defray development costs for new products.
“First of all, in this lower-end of the motorcycle market, what are we (Modenas) doing that is different? We have to offer the customer something more, that sets us apart from the others,” he said. “We are also looking at a strategic partner going forward,” he added.
And who might this strategic partner be? From China, there is a plethora of manufacturers that could fit the bill, as evidenced by the use of Zong Shen’s ZS110 for the Kriss MR2. However, a little bird whispered in our ear that Modenas’ partner will likely be Bajaj Auto of India, the world’s sixth-largest manufacturer of motorcycles and the second-largest in India, with a market capitalisation of USD 9.5 billion.
Tying up with a development partner is not a new thing for local industry, of course, as has been shown by Proton and its ring–around–the–roses with various strategic partners and foreign buy-ins. In the case of Modenas, while re-branding and re-badging might be a quick way back into the market, a proper locally developed engine and chassis is perhaps the best way to raise local standards.
a bike has less than 100 major parts. it is very difficult to understand why cant modenas make its own bike, design and engineered in house. why need partner? i think even Racing Boy and Faito is capable of doing so. start with simple bikes la Modenas. like Kriss 100 (air cooled), then the 110 and 125 model.. then upgrade to 150cc.
Will Modenas sell tuk tuk later on?
Suddenly tuk tuk flooding the market.
And will transform Malaysia into Bangladesh
Hahaha
Tuk tuks r not in Bangladesh
20 years have past and still rebadging bikes? Too bad. Perhaps that is the limit of drbees ability. Same goes to protong now. Back to square one.
i would suggest they create a model Baja Hitam.surely sell like hot cake.
Krissatria Bajaj Hitam.
Actually the best way is to kau tim the backward/retarded Govt and bring in and enter the electric bike market.
Gov din stop them from bringing in E bike, so why need to kautim Gov in the 1st place?
Your even backward
What a niche market gonna do to already fast moving motorcycles market?
Even electric car hasn’t an official launching or approval from gomen
This is the same nice way like proton, saying they are about to bankrupt.
Difference is proton had own research and development etc
This company however even worse
Everything is rebadged, not even 1 engine alone are r n d here
I’m so proud of Proton
Are you sure the MR2 is based on the Zongshen ZS110-53 ah??
BTW Bajaj auto? it would be quite a reshuffle as the part owner of KTM already has connections with different parties in malaysia, with an assembly plant in also in Kedah.
Bajaj worked together with Kawasaki for 33 years. The Baja Pulsar was (is?) sold by Kawasaki in the Philippines as “Kawasaki Pulsar”.
BTW: Isn’t Kawasaki a shareholder of Modenas too?
The pulsar was sold by kawasaki as a replacement of the kawasaki kips 150 2-stroke, before their management decided to create their own 150cc 4 stroke machine based on the klx150, that later became the ninja 150 rr mono. Yes kawasaki is a minority shareholder in modenas, and modenas factory even has a specific kawasaki code for it in the VIN number (they previously assembled kawasaki bikes in gurun too).
Modenas dah pilih partner. Proton bila lagi?
Actually, the Bajaj Pulsar RS200 looks nice:
http://www.bajajauto.com/pulsarrs200/
And they even offer a Dominar 400 too:
http://www.bajajauto.com/BajajDominar/Dominar400/index.html
Any manufacturer wanting to survive in this cut throats industry needs to innovate and streamline its production to cut cost and increase profits. Why Bajaj? What value added offer can they bring to the table to make Modenas better? Meaning, it’s not just money but are there any other skills they can offer to raise the manufacturing/design abilities of Modenas? A bit like Geely, they have nothing much to offer Volvo but markets and cash. Geely do not have the design neither the manufacturing skills and possibly management skills to tell Volvo, so they leave that to Volvo. But Modenas has nothing, but are short of markets, design skills, manufacturing skills, the lot. So what can Baja bring to the negotiating table?
Have Googled Bajaj ? Do that before you spout out wrong information. Bajaj designs manufactures its own bike and exports them to over 25 countries. They own 47% stake in KTM when Bajaj threw the lifeline for KTM to stay a float.
Everything from their Engine down to the vehicle design belongs to Bajaj.
Partner with china, partner with India…..Suma kasi jual…..
Hahahaha dumb company
Kapcai rebadged Kawasaki
Scooter rebadged sym
Big bike rebadged bajaj?
Close shop please, disgraceful piece of company
In india alone have 4 SELF DEVELOPING motorcycle company and they COMPETE along with the japs and conti
Here modenas? Goyang kaki selling same old thing for decades no innovation and creativity
India has 1.2 billion people while Malysia has 29.72 million…
In Japanese JDM bike we trust owait got Yamahal Y15ZR ka in Japan
Baja capabilities r immensely diverse as per experience n maturity if u c in indian context, de r even exporting in more than 25 countries gud product. Modena team might researched with enough time to develop for gud thing by partnering wid Bajaj or other….
Modenas should have ruled Malaysian motorbike market a long long time ago but we are they now? Still at pedagogy level and has not evolved much as we have anticipated it should be…