ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani startup founded by an engineer who helped develop a record-breaking superbike in Britain is seeking to make premium motorcycles more affordable by assembling them locally, betting that lower prices and better access to spare parts will attract riders who have long relied on expensive imports.
Founded in 2021, Sothassi assembles a 400cc motorcycle using Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits, allowing it to avoid the high import duties levied on fully built motorcycles. Founder Shamoon Qurashi said the approach enables the company to sell its motorcycle for around 60 percent of the cost of imported equivalents. The company plans to expand its lineup with motorcycles of up to 1,200cc in the future.
Pakistan is one of the world’s largest motorcycle markets, with more than 1.5 million motorcycles and three-wheelers sold in the last fiscal year. But the vast majority are small-displacement commuter bikes, while premium motorcycles remain a niche market because of high import costs and limited after-sales support.
“The bigger the bike, the bigger the advantage that we get in CKD assembly here in Pakistan,” Qurashi told Arab News.
“So I think you’d probably be looking at 60 percent of the price of what it would be if it was a CBU [Completely Built Unit] for the bigger bikes at the moment.”
The company’s name dates back to a childhood trip to the northern district of Chitral, where a 12-year-old Qurashi encountered a fast-moving spider-like creature. A friend told him it was locally known as “Sothassi,” a name he decided he would one day use for a motorcycle brand.
That ambition took shape years later after Qurashi graduated from Imperial College London and combined his engineering career with a passion for long-distance motorcycle travel.
After completing his education in mechanical engineering, he rode a Yamaha XT600 from London to Cape Town, traveling through 33 countries across Europe and Africa.
He later worked in Britain on the CR700W, a rotary-powered superbike developed with renowned engineer Brian Crighton. The motorcycle went on to set the world speed record for a rotary-powered bike, with racer Guy Martin riding the first prototype developed by the engineering team.
While working in Britain, Qurashi began studying Pakistan’s motorcycle industry.
“And I realized that Pakistan is one of the largest markets in the world for motorcycles,” he said.
“And we had nothing else other than the 125 [cc bike] at the time, nothing bigger. So that’s where the decision was made.”
LOWER PRICES, LOCAL SUPPORT
Local assembly is central to Sothassi’s business model.
“So, people are wondering how our 400cc is for Rs845,000 [$3,040],” Qurashi said.
“It is because it’s locally assembled.”
Beyond lower prices, Qurashi said local production would also improve the availability of spare parts and servicing, long-standing challenges for owners of imported premium motorcycles in Pakistan.
The company’s longer-term ambition is to move beyond assembly and eventually design and manufacture motorcycles in Pakistan for export.
Those lower prices persuaded motorcycle enthusiast Shahzeb Javed to consider buying one.
“For me, the point of attraction was that this is under Rs1 million [$3,600],” Javed told Arab News.
“Secondly, I think the point of success for this company is the availability of parts.”
He said owners of imported motorcycles often struggled to obtain spare parts or find dealerships capable of servicing larger bikes, resulting in lengthy delays and high maintenance costs.
Sothassi launched its first 400cc motorcycle this month.
Qurashi said demand had exceeded expectations, with around 900 people registering for test rides in July alone.
“We have about 900 people booked for test rides this month,” he said.
The company expects its first production batch to sell out within weeks, with customers likely to wait for later batches as production increases.
