Kawasaki Heavy to sell 150 cc sports bikes in India

TOKYO (Reuters) - Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd said on Friday it would start selling Kawasaki brand sports motor bikes in India through carmaker Bajaj Auto by the summer of 2009 to tap growing demand for luxury bikes there.

Shares in Kawasaki ended up 2.45 percent at 293 yen on Friday after the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun reported the news. The benchmark Nikkei average finished down 0.23 percent.

Kawasaki, a heavy machinery conglomerate producing aircraft, trains, ships and motorcycles, said it planned to license Bajaj with production know-how for its sports bikes with engine capacity of 150 cc or more.

Details on marketing plans have not been decided. Kawasaki said it had no plans to form a joint venture.

Bajaj Auto, Kawasaki's technology licensee since 1986, now sells Kawasaki's smaller bikes under its own brand.

Bajaj this week said it would form a joint venture with France's Renault and Japan's Nissan Motor Co to develop a low-cost car model with a wholesale price range starting from $2,500.