Sao Paulo, Oct 8 (EFE).– Domestically manufactured electric motorcycles and the arrival in Brazil of U.S. brand Indian highlighted the opening day of the Two Wheels Trade Show in Sao Paulo, South America’s biggest motor-bike event.

The first day of the biennial fair was highlighted by new scooter designs and features, iconic American motorcycle brand Indian’s entry into the Brazilian market and a new line of electric motor bikes manufactured by Sao Paulo-based start-up Bull.

Looking to challenge the traditional brands that dominate Brazil’s market, Bull unveiled a line of 100 percent electric vehicles targeted at a “new audience.”

“Motorcycles today are no longer a product for ‘motoboys’ (motorcycle couriers) or for executives looking to take to the roads on weekends. Motor bikes are sold today for all different social classes and uses,” Bull executive Rubens Paulo Guimaraes told EFE.

“Electric motorcycles have been well received by a segment of the market that wants to use the vehicle for short distances and have a reduced environmental impact,” he added.

Unlike electric cars, Bull’s motorbikes are cost-competitive because their main batteries are priced less than those of gasoline-fueled engines.

Another Brazilian brand, Dafra, is trying to win over consumers with its single-cylinder Fiddle III scooter, which it jointly manufactures with Taiwan’s SYM and preserves the classic style associated with these types of motor bikes.

Japanese giant Honda, for its part, unveiled its True Adventure alternative dirt-bike model, while classic American brand Harley Davidson was one of the most-visited stands on the first day of the trade show.

Economist Ricardo Godin, owner of a BMW motorcycle, told EFE that Harley Davidsons offer a superior ride on the highway but that the German brand would better meet the expectations of a person trying to navigate the streets of a traffic-congested city like Sao Paulo.

The Two Wheels Trade Show, which will run until Monday at the Anhembi exhibition center, was chosen by Indian – the first maker of a V-Twin (two-cylinder internal combustion) engine – for the unveiling of its classic Scout model. EFE