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Mar 27
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Upcoming Royal Enfield Motorcycles in 2023?

By General Posts

Upcoming Royal Enfield Bikes in India 2023? Maybe

Spied testing on streets of UK and India. You got to watch — finally Classic 350 refined engine to replace the Std Bullet 350 UCE engine.

Plus two new Bobber models. And Classic and Bullet models which terminated their respective 500cc models may get 650cc engines !!!
  • Shotgun 650,
  • Himalayan 450,
  • Classic Bobber 350,
  • Bullet 350
  • Scrambler 650
  • RE Classic 650 and Bullet 650 ???

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May 19
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Royal Enfield recalls 236,966 motorcycles on ignition coil defect

By General Posts

from https://www.financialexpress.com

Royal Enfield recalls Meteor 350, Classic & Bullet bikes sold.

The company states that the defect was discovered during routine internal testing and the issue has been clearly identified and isolated to specific batches of material.

Royal Enfield has announced a recall of three models in seven countries over a defect discovered in one of the parts. The defect is in the ignition coil that can cause misfiring, reduced vehicle performance, or rarely an electric short circuit. The three motorcycle models include the Meteor 350, Classic and Bullet. While the company is recalling Meteor 350 units built between December 2020 and April 2021, the Classic and Bullet units produced between January and April 2021 have been recalled.

In a press statement, Royal Enfield states that the defect was discovered during routine internal testing and the issue has been clearly identified and isolated to specific batches of material sourced from an external supplier.

The recall has been initiated as a precautionary measure, the statement continues adding that the issue is rare and does not impact all motorcycles manufactured during the mentioned period.

Is your motorcycle affected?
Close to 2,36,966 motorcycles of the Classic, Bullet and Meteor models will be recalled. As mentioned above, only those manufactured and sold between December 2020 and April 2021 for the Meteor, and between January and April 2021 for the Classic and Bullet.

The recall will be applicable to Meteor, Classic and Bullet motorcycles sold in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.

What to do?
The company states that only an estimated 10 percent of motorcycles will require replacement of the part. All recalled units will undergo inspection and if required, the defective part will be replaced.

Royal Enfield service teams, and/or local dealerships will reach out to consumers whose motorcycle Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) number falls within the manufacturing period mentioned. Consumers can also proactively reach out to their local Royal Enfield Workshops or call Royal Enfield to verify.

May 06
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Royal Enfield Taurus lives again! India’s only Diesel bike restored

By General Posts

by Abhilasha Singh from https://www.financialexpress.com/

How many of us remember Royal Enfield Taurus? Popular in the 1980s and 90s, the Taurus or Royal Enfield Bullet Diesel is the only Diesel-powered motorcycle that has ever been mass-produced in India.

The lockdown inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic seems to have changed our job descriptions – instead of heading out, riding and telling you about new motorcycles, we’re forced to stay home and research from our laptops to bring you good reads. And hopefully, this blast from the past will be too. How many of us remember Royal Enfield Taurus? Popular in the 1980s and 90s, the Taurus was the only Diesel-powered motorcycle that has ever been mass-produced in India. A Surat-based custom shop has restored one to its original state and that gives us a chance to talk about the Taurus and why it was put to sleep.

So, apparently retro-fitting a diesel engine to Royal Enfield Bullets was quite the trend back in the day. This was an epiphany for RE which decided to launch a Bullet with a factory-fitted 325cc diesel engine. This was also the smallest engine that the manufacturer has ever used on one of its motorcycles.

Lovingly called simply the Bullet Diesel for obvious reasons, the Taurus looked identical to its petrol-powered counterpart except for a whole different view when you’d look down at the engine. ParPin Garage’s restoration job is commendable as it delivers a neat-looking ode to India’s only diesel motorcycle.

But are we saddened by the Taurus’ demise? Not really, no. The only aspect of the bike which is unbeatable is the fuel efficiency – it returned about 80-90 km to a litre. Numbers like that can get today’s commuter motorcycles to stop grinning. However, since it was a 6.5 hp diesel engine, the ride was so marred by vibrations, it could unsettle your shoulder bones and spine, and the speedo never climbed above 65 km/h. The fuel efficiency was the only reason the Taurus was very popular.

Even so, the Taurus’ USP of being a thrifty diesel-powered bike would also be the last nail to its coffin. As is the case with crude diesel engines, the Taurus left behind clouds of black smoke from wherever it passed. This was never going to clear the emissions norms which had by then started getting more serious, eventually leading to its discontinuation.

The Royal Enfield Taurus, however, will remain one of those special rare sightings that you yearn to see. It delivered to the demand in its time, it looked exactly like the motorcycles that army men rode, and it was and will remain India’s only diesel-powered motorcycle.

Jan 14
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Royal Enfield Bullet 500, Thunderbird 500 discontinued in India

By General Posts

by Pradeep Shah from https://www.financialexpress.com/
by Benjamin Gracias from https://www.zigwheels.com/
by Sabrina Giacomini from https://www.rideapart.com

Majority of the sales for Royal Enfield comes from the 350 range of motorcycles and the 500cc bikes have been consistently seeing low sales figures. Even the 650 twins have been doing a decent job for the brand right since their launch in November 2018.

Royal Enfield has discontinued the Bullet 500 and Thunderbird 500 models from the Indian market. The Chennai-based manufacturer has removed the Bullet 500, Thunderbird 500 and the Thunderbird 500X from the booking section of its official website for India, hinting towards the demise of these bikes. However, in case you have been planning to buy the aforementioned motorcycles, worry not as you can still do that. How? Well, selected dealers still have the stocks left and the couple of dealers we spoke to in Delhi-NCR say they have the stocks of the said models for another few weeks. Now, coming to the reason as to why Royal Enfield has discontinued these motorcycles from India!

Well, the majority of the sales for the company come from the 350 range of motorcycles and the 500cc bikes have been consistently seeing low sales figures. Even the 650 twins have been doing a decent job for the brand right since their launch in November 2018. That said, continuing with the 500cc models would be a tough task for the company. Also, keeping in mind the upcoming BS6 transition and the investment it would require, retiring the said bikes must have been the right step by Royal Enfield.

In other news, Royal Enfield has recently launched the new BS6 Classic 350 in India at a price of Rs 1.65 lakh (ex-showroom). The new model gets significant visual updates along with an updated BS6 compliant engine. Bookings for the bike have already begun at the company’s dealerships across India. Royal Enfield is now prepping up for the launch of the new BS6 Himalayan in the country. The company has already teased the motorcycle through a video a few days back.

  • Most Royal Enfield dealers across India have stopped accepting bookings for the Bullet 500 and Thunderbird 500.
  • Royal Enfield hasn’t updated its 500cc models to comply with BS6 norms yet.
  • The 500cc RE motorcycles could be discontinued to focus on the 350cc and 650cc range.

It appears that Royal Enfield is looking to pull the plug on its 500cc range. The first casualties of this decision could be the Classic 500, Thunderbird 500 and Bullet 500. Royal Enfield dealerships across India have stopped accepting bookings for these motorcycles. They have no information on when the BS6 iterations of the Classic 500, Thunderbird 500 and Bullet 500 might be launched. This leads us to believe that the two motorcycles could be discontinued before the BS6 emission norms take effect in April.

Royal Enfield has updated its Classic 350 to meet the new norms and the BS6 Himalayan will be launched soon. In addition, the company is working on an all-new Classic which could have a larger engine, possibly a 400cc unit. It is expected to be more powerful than the current 350cc motorcycle and is likely to match up to the performance of the 500cc motor that makes 27.5PS and 41.3Nm.

There is reason to believe that Royal Enfield is also working on a more affordable 650cc motorcycle called the Meteor, making it difficult for the company to justify the positioning of its 500cc models. On top of this, sales of these motorcycles have been pretty low for a while. Even more so after the launch of the Interceptor 650 whose pricing is just Rs 49,000 more than that of the Thunderbird 500.

When you factor in all of this, we believe that instead of spending time and money to update its 500cc motor to comply with BS6 norms, it would make more sense for Royal Enfield to simply phase out its 500cc motorcycles. Do you think Royal Enfield will discontinue the 500cc range? Let us know in the comments section below.

Royal Enfield Officially Discontinues Bullet And Thunderbird 500

In November 2019, a rumor that Royal Enfield would discontinue its 500 models surfaced. If you’re a fan of the Bullet or the Classic 500, you might want to stock up sooner rather than later. We now learn that the rumor was true and several Indian sources confirm that the 500s are being pulled for 2020.

According to the local media, without any bells and whistles, Royal Enfield removed the Bullet, Thunderbird, and Thunderbird X 500 from its Indian online listings with the Classic 500 expected to follow. The 500 segment was apparently a slow one for Royal Enfield, stuck between its two, more popular siblings. In fact, the 350s have been driving the brand’s local sales while the Continental GT and Interceptor 650 have been leading sales abroad since their introduction in 2018.

The problem with the 500 models is that they had the same look as the 350s—minus the reduced price and taxes of the smaller displacement—and they didn’t quite stack up to the 650 Twins quality-wise. Besides, the 350s are getting thoroughly updated for 2020 with more features and “more refined performance”, making the aging 500s obsolete. Talk about a winning formula.

According to DriveSpark, the company felt that, at this point, it wasn’t worth updating the middleweight engine to make it compliant with the new Indian emission standards. The manufacturer will focus on the 350 and the 650 Twins moving forward.

A dealer commented that the discontinued models will remain available until March 31 or until all the units are sold—whichever term comes first. As for the popular Himalayan with its 400 engine, it was updated for 2020 which means it is likely safe from elimination, at least for now.

The dramatic measures are expected to impact the markets worldwide, which means that Royal Enfield’s U.S. lineup could be narrowed down to only three models.

Aug 09
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Royal Enfield launches six variants of Bullet 350

By General Posts

The new Royal Enfield Bullet 350 variants come priced at Rs 1.12 lakh, bookings begin today across India.

New Delhi: Royal Enfield has launched six new variants of the Bullet 350 and Bullet 350 ES, priced at Rs 1.12 lakh (ex-showroom). Bookings for these new variants have started today, informed the motorcycle manufacturer in a release.

The new Bullet variants come with new colours and livery along with contemporary blacked-out design themes providing a wide range of options to the buyers. The Bullet 350, in addition to its existing black colour, will now be available in three new colours – Bullet Silver, Sapphire Blue and the Onyx Black.

On the other hand, Bullet 350 ES comes in Jet Black, Regal Red, Royal Blue colour options in addition to the current Maroon and Silver variants.

Also, the motorcycle manufacturer has increased its retail touchpoints. As the company claims in a release, it has launched 250 retail studio stores today and plans to launch another 250 over the next quarter in an attempt to expand its footprint in the market.

The company has close to 930 existing dealer touchpoints, over 8,800 service bays and more than 900 authorised service workshops. The company is now aiming to expand its business across the tire II and III cities and towns in the country.

Speaking about the launch of the new Studio Stores and the new Bullet variants, Vinod K Dasari, CEO, Royal Enfield, said, “It has been our constant endeavour to build greater accessibility for discerning customers and widen our footprint in India. We have witnessed significant demand across smaller towns and cities which are showing tremendous potential for growth and are soon becoming a huge market for a middle-weight motorcycle segment.”

He also said, “Motorcycling aspirants in these towns are quickly catching on the trend of leisure motorcycling. With an intent to significantly expand our reach and build a robust network into these towns and cities, we are happy to announce the launch of 250 new Royal Enfield Studio Stores. We have definite plans to increase this further by the end of this fiscal.”

Besides launching the new variants and expanding the retail touchpoints, RE has also announced that it will start using a new set of processes and technology, coupled with a new mix of semi-synthetic oil, for servicing.

Apr 20
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Royal Enfield enters South Korea

By General Posts

The iconic British motorcycle manufacturer arrives in Korea with its first flagship store, commencing its full operation, including after sales, spares and service.

Cult motorcycle maker, Royal Enfield on Friday has announced its entry into South Korea, with Vintage Motors (Kiheung International) as its official distributor-partner in the country.

The iconic British motorcycle manufacturer arrives in Korea with its first flagship store, commencing its full operation, including after sales, spares and service, the company said in a statement.

Vimal Sumbly, APAC Business Head, said, “Our focus is to sustain and expand our reach in International markets especially in Asia pacific region. Royal Enfield has seen consistent growth in the APAC region with a 20% year-on-year growth. Korea is an important chapter in the growth story and we are thrilled to commence business here. We fully committed to focus all our energies on becoming part of the fabric of this country’s rich motorcycling culture.”

This strategic announcement is in line with Royal Enfield’s focused international thrust of leading and expanding the global mid-sized motorcycle segment (250-750cc).

Pablo Lee Jr, CEO, Kiheung Motors said, “Royal Enfield motorcycles will offer Korean two wheeler riders an opportunity to upgrade to a robust long-distance, leisure riding culture with its modern-classics machines, that are brilliant for long rides on the highway at the same time perfect to commute in heavy traffic in the city”.

Royal Enfield enters South Korea, with line-up of three of its widely popular models featuring single-cylinder engines currently up to 500 cc: Bullet (500cc), Classic (500c), and Himalayan (410cc).

Mar 05
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No silver bullet in sight for Enfield hit by sliding volume

By General Posts

The Eicher Motors stock fell 30 per cent in the past year.

The Bullet, it appears, is just not firing on all cylinders at the moment.

Royal Enfield (RE) sales are rather soft, and state-wise volume statistics furnished by industry body SIAM show that the bike that defines panache for motorcycle enthusiasts in India is riding through a rather rough patch. Eight states that make up three of every five RE bikes sold locally have reported deceleration.

Maharashtra and Karnataka together account for 13 per cent of RE volumes, and these two states have seen a drop in 6-7 quarters of the past nine.

Kerala, the largest market of RE, has witnessed volume drops of 13 per cent and 23 per cent in the September and December quarters, respectively. The September decline is attributed to floods. But declines in the December quarter have put the lens on underlying demand.

Industry volume growth of twowheelers in south India was 9.5 per cent in the first nine months, up from 5.6 per cent in the previous year. However, RE’s sales volume growth in the Southern states has been underwhelming.

The RE management has given production guidance of 8.7-8.8 lakh units for the current fiscal year. However, it is unlikely to be met. Average monthly run-rate of RE in the first 11months of FY19 stood at 69,569 units. To achieve the stated guidance, the company needs to produce 1.04 lakh vehicles in March. This appears to be quite a daunting task given the weak demand cycle.

The Street is factoring in volume growth of 10 per cent for FY20, which could be trimmed due to about 3 per cent growth in FY19. The Eicher Motors stock fell 30 per cent in the past year following constant negative surprises on the volume front. The stock is trading at 21 times FY20 earnings, compared with the long-term average of 30 times.