Classic Legends eyes festive boost on GST cut, Roadster launch

Classic Legends, the maker of Jawa and BSA motorcycles, is banking on a recent GST cut and a new model launch to drive sales this festive season.

The government’s move to reduce GST on motorcycles from 28% to 18% has lowered the price of Classic Legends’ Roadster, launched in August, from ₹2.1 lakh to ₹1.9 lakh.

Co-founder Anupam Thareja said the timing of the policy shift could help the company capture demand during Diwali. “Thirty years ago, a policy phased out two-strokes. Today, it’s giving us a boost we couldn’t have planned better for,” he told ET.

The Roadster has seen stronger showroom traction than previous launches, with Thareja claiming footfall has tripled. Classic Legends is targeting sales of over 10,000 units in September and 15,000 in October, compared to its typical monthly volumes of 1,600–2,800 units.

Thareja said Classic Legends’ product positioning could provide an advantage this year. Its 300–350cc models are priced below competitors’ 400–450cc offerings, widening the affordability gap after the GST cut, he pointed out. “We have finally managed to align product, price, and timing. It’s not perfect, but it’s the closest we’ve come to capturing the market opportunity,” he said.

For now it’s a marginal player in India’s motorcycle market with it accounting for less than 1% of the two-wheeler segment, far behind Royal Enfield, which dominates the mid-size category. Analysts say scaling up to five-digit monthly volumes will test the company’s production and delivery capabilities, which have posed hurdles in the past.

The upcoming festive season will be a critical test for Classic Legends. Success could help the company consolidate after years of uneven growth, while failure to deliver on volumes may reinforce concerns about its ability to scale beyond niche status.