Hero Honda Motors, the country's largest motorcycle maker, on Friday said its sales rose by a modest 4.9 per cent in July 2003 to 143,141 units from 136,360 units in the same month last year.

The cumulative (April-July 2003) sales grew by 7.8 per cent to 601,930 units from 558,041 units a year ago, a company spokesman told PTI in New Delhi.

However, the July sales were lower by 11 per cent as compared to 160,889 motorcycles sold in June this year.

Hero Honda has created a record by selling over 100,000 units of the 100cc entry-level motorcycle CD-Dawn within 100 days of its launch, the spokesman said.

The Munjals-promoted Hero Group and Japan's Honda Motor Co own 26 per cent stake each in Hero Honda. The remaining stake is with financial institutions and the public.

The company also manufactures motorcycles like Splendor, Ambition, Passion, CD100, CD100SS, CBZ and Karizma.