As you probably already know, you can buy almost anything on Amazon. If you watch enough motorcycle and/or automotive YouTube, chances are excellent that you already know you can even buy bikes and cars there.
Lots of YouTubers have made videos about their wacky Amazon vehicular purchases, in large part because there's genuine curiosity about what's in the box.
Sure, they might be examples of questionable quality. and come from brands you've never heard of. But as long as you have a thorough understanding of what it is you're buying and you make that choice willingly, it's just another in a seemingly endless sea of things you can choose to spend your money on. Or not, as you choose. These are things we already know.
But what if motorcycle brands big enough to be household names started selling motorcycles and scooters on Amazon?
Hold onto your butts, because that's already happening in India.
In FY 2023, India's top five biggest motorcycle manufacturers by volume were, in order:
- Hero MotoCorp
- Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India
- TVS
- Bajaj Auto
- Suzuki Motorcycle/Royal Enfield (tie)
As deal-hungry Internet shoppers are no doubt well aware, Amazon Prime Day is a pretty big deal. Since Amazon is an international company, though, the exact dates of Prime Day differ between regions. Here in the US, where I live, it took place on July 16 and 17, 2024. But in India, Prime Day 2024 is scheduled to take place on July 20 and 21, 2024.
And this year, for the first time ever, Bajaj Auto is offering a Prime Day Special on several of its most popular models. There's even an exclusive offer on one model for Amazon Prime members, with a Prime Day Launch of the Bajaj Pulsar 125 Neon Disc Bike/Motorcycle (Ebony Black with Blue Decals) for ₹82,944 (approximately US $992). Incidentally, all Bajaj bikes listed for sale at the moment also come with a notation about a "flat INR 3000 Off on all cc cards," which is about US $35 at the time of writing.
Now, to be clear, the bikes listed by Bajaj dealers in India on Amazon aren't available for next-day shipping, or even two-day shipping. Instead, the listings say that purchasers can expect to get their new machines about a month from now, in mid-to-late August.
There's also a handy guide detailing the steps to complete your new bike purchase on Amazon, which involves using the Amazon platform that most people know to complete the purchase, then waiting for confirmation from a dealer who should contact you in 24 to 48 hours to confirm.
Eventually, you can book an appointment directly with the dealer for an in-store pickup of your new bike.
Buyers interested in a range of Bajaj petrol bikes, as well as the all-electric Bajaj Chetak scooter line, can choose to purchase their new machines this way. Potential buyers should be aware that additional charges like insurance, registration, and road tax may also apply beyond what the purchase price is on Amazon, and there's a warning to this effect in the listings.
Speaking of EVs, Amazon India shoppers can also purchase additional EV motorbike options beyond the Bajaj Chetak. India's biggest motorcycle manufacturer by volume, Hero MotoCorp, also has its Vida V1 Pro scooter listed for purchase, as do some of India's up-and-coming electric brands like Ampere, Komaki, and Revolt.
Amazon India is the platform, not the seller
It's worth noting here that if you choose to buy a bike this way at the time of writing, it isn't Amazon India that will be fulfilling your order. Instead, it's merely acting as a platform to facilitate buyers purchasing bikes from their local authorized motorbike brand dealers.
Clearly labeled steps instructing potential buyers on how to modify their transaction limits on their credit cards to make such a large purchase are listed. That's in addition to the instructions mentioned above, directing you to make plans for local pickup at your nearest authorized dealer once you've completed the purchase and a delivery date is set.
Is Amazon facilitating how we want to buy our next bikes?
We live in a time when purchasing an awful lot of our everyday and not-so-everyday purchases is possible online. From groceries to clothes to prescriptions to major household appliances, it's all pretty easy to buy online, as long as you have the funds.
And purchasing vehicles online isn't new, either. Plenty of OEMs have websites set up to collect your details, then connect you to your local authorized brand dealership to complete your purchase of a new motorbike.
It's adding this extra Amazon layer that's a bit different, and that could potentially make some buyers look twice simply because it's built up such a reputation for selling off-brand bikes internationally, not ones made by major manufacturers like those currently listed on Amazon India.
And to be completely fair, India is often the single biggest market for new motorcycle sales in the world. Its only real competition, year on year, is China in terms of the sheer volume of new motorbikes that find their way into rider hands. Other markets simply can't compete, because we don't have anywhere near the same amount of daily riders who are out there on two wheels more often than not.
So, given the vastness of the motorbike market, is India one of the only places where a system like this could potentially work? Are there advantages for buyers to purchase their bikes this way, or will it add an additional level of hassle and potential stress if the transactions don't go completely smoothly?
If you're a rider in India, please let us know what you think. Would you (or do you plan to) purchase a bike using Amazon India, or would you rather just stick to visiting your local dealership in person?
And if you're a rider elsewhere in the world, do you want to see Amazon US/UK/Japan or wherever you're located try something similar? Do you see potential advantages to purchasing bikes this way, or do you think it could hurt your local dealers?
Finally, if you're a local bike dealer, how do you see a system like this with Amazon acting as an intermediary helping or hurting the bike sales process? Feel free to drop us a line in the comments below.
