Two-wheeler manufacturer India Yamaha Motor Ltd (IYM) today said the company will launch a new bike on July 6, along with introducing Racing Kits for the R15 and FZ16 bikes and plans to increase its dealership base to more than 500 by December this year.

''We will launch a new Bike on July 6,'' company Division Head-Product Planning and Brand Management Sanjay Tripathi told UNI in an exclusive interview.

However, he did not disclose any further details regarding the segment or the price point at which the company plans to bring out its new machine in the market.

Speaking about the dealership plans, he said the bike manufacturer hopes to add another 150 to its already existing 400 outlets in the country, adding that the company may also remove 40-50 dealers who do not meet the 'Yamaha Standards'.

''We will add another 150 to the existing 400 taking the total to about 550 by the end of this year...but the company may remove 40-50 dealers who do not meet the standards,'' he said.

The company has four exclusive stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata. Yamaha, the wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Company Ltd has also developed Race Kits for its popular R15 and FZ16 bikes, which it will launch in Chennai on June 26.

''We have developed racing kits for the R15 and FZ16 bikes which we will launch in Chennai,'' Mr Tripathi said, adding that these kits have been developed by one of the suppliers of the parent company.

However, he did not give any pricing details, but said these kits will be imported from Japan and can be fitted on the bikes.

''Bike enthusiasts can avail themselves of these kits at Yamaha dealership stores, '' he said.

Yamaha, which enjoys a market share of 3.7 per cent in the Indian Bike market, hopes to make further inroads into the segment riding on its improvement in sales and services and introducing new products.

Forty per cent of the company's total sale comes from southern India followed by Western, Northern and Eastern parts.

But the company has no immediate plans to bring in its world famous scooters into the Indian Market.

''We have completed the study, however there are no plans this year to bring out scooters for the domestic customers...but may be next year...in fact it would be too early for me to say anything,'' he said.

The company is also looking at major export markets, especially in Mexico, Columbia and Africa to further increase its share.

Asked if Yamaha in particular is eyeing US market to sell made in India products, he replied if the requirement arise, the company may have a look at it.

Denying any reports of the company's growth being hit by the slowdown in the auto sector, Mr Tripathi said the company has been quite successful in the 150 cc segment with its bikes, adding that he hopes the entire auto sector to hit a positive trajectory by the end of the current year.

Yamaha, which had registered an overall growth of about 46 per cent last year, maintained that the company will continue to focus on all segments, as 60 per cent of the bike market is dominated by 100-110 cc vehicles. IYM which has two manufacturing facilities at Faridabad in Haryana and Surajpur in Uttar Pradesh with a combined capacity of 6 lakh units and workforce of around 4,000 said it is not looking to increase its headcount at present.