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Jun 12

Regional Twins Launch – Denver

By General Posts

On Saturday, June 15th, 2019 from 10 AM – 5 PM MDT, we’re bringing the Twins to the land of the Rockies. With mountain views and motorcycles at the META Magazine headquarters, what more could you ask for? We’re thrilled to be pairing up with one of our all-time favorite motorcycle publications for our fifth stop on the eight-city tour. Join us for Demo rides, DJ’s, food trucks and so much more. Scroll down to RSVP to the event, and sign up for newsletter updates on additions to this upcoming celebration. Click here to check out more on the Twins themselves.

These Events are Free, But There’s Only Room for So Many!

Click to RSVP to the official Facebook event. If you don’t have a Facebook, don’t worry – you can scroll down and sign up for email updates. We’ll make sure you’re on the list!

May 21

Flash Electronics files suit in U.S against Royal Enfield for patent infringement

By General Posts

As per the suit filed, Royal Enfield has infringed Flash electronics’ patent on “Regulator Rectifier Device and Method for Regulating an Output Voltage of the Same” duly issued by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) to Flash Electronics on February 20, 2018 after Flash’s R&D department made a breakthrough invention of the component in 2014.

Home-grown electronic and electric auto components player Flash Electronics India Ltd against Royal Enfield challenging patent infringement in the US regarding the production of an important component for motorcycles, the company said in a press release.

As per the suit filed, Royal Enfield has infringed Flash electronics’ patent on “Regulator Rectifier Device and Method for Regulating an Output Voltage of the Same” duly issued by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) to Flash Electronics on February 20, 2018 after Flash’s R&D department made a breakthrough invention of the component in 2014.

Since then Flash Electronics has been the key manufacturer and supplier of this component to many leading two-wheeler manufacturers in India and overseas.

The regulator-rectifier is a vital component that smoothly and efficiently converts the AC (Alternating Current) voltage produced in motorcycle engines into DC (Direct Current) voltage to charge the batteries, power the headlights, light up the instrument panel hence drives the motorcycle’s electrical systems.

Besides USA, Flash has been granted patent in various other countries including many European countries including Germany, France, Italy, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Austria, Switzerland as well as Turkey and the company would be filing similar suits in the respective jurisdictions soon.

Commenting on the incident, Sanjeev Vasdev, Founder and MD, Flash Electronics India Pvt Ltd said “We have been trusted suppliers to leading auto manufacturers across India and overseas and it’s unfortunate to have to deal with such an unexpected and unprecedented act on the part of Royal Enfield, one of the most prestigious names in the automotive sector.”

He added,” This incident is highly objectionable and has dented the credibility of the brand, at least with us as a partner”.

Further, Vasdev mentioned that the company was approached by 3 senior officials of Royal Enfield on 12th October 2018 in New Delhi to settle the issue amicably and requested Flash not to file any suit on the matter. Flash waited for the outcome of this meeting but Royal Enfield did not address the issue.

Vasdev further commented that Flash will take all necessary action required across the world to ensure that Royal Enfield stops infringing the patent and pays compensation for the violation which would run into millions of dollars. He also urged other component manufacturers to be vigilant , on this kind of predatory behaviour.

Speaking on the lawsuit filed, Royal Enfield said, “We would like to clarify that the said component is supplied to us by an external, proprietary supplier, which independently develops and owns the IP rights in the said component. The supplier denies plaintiff’s claims vehemently.”

The company is evaluating the issue internally and seeking legal advice from our US counsels.

Apr 20

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).

Apr 07

Siddhartha Lal exits Royal Enfield as Eicher seeks to shed ‘family-run’ tag

By General Posts

  • Siddhartha Lal has appointed Vinod Dasari as Royal Enfield CEO and will support him only on product and brand-related areas
  • The move has striking similarities to his father Vikram Lal’s decision to step away from Eicher Motors more than two decades ago

Mumbai: Twenty-two years after Eicher Motors Ltd founder and former chief executive officer (CEO) Vikram Lal gave up his executive powers to let professionals run the company, his son Siddhartha Lal has initiated a similar transition. Lal junior has appointed Ashok Leyland Ltd’s Vinod Dasari as the CEO of the company’s motorcycle brand Royal Enfield.

Lal is also giving up his executive responsibilities at Royal Enfield to ensure that Dasari gets a free hand in running the company. The move has striking similarities with the decision made by his father.

In 1997, Vikram Lal had stepped down as chairman of Eicher Motors and had elevated Subodh Bhargava as the group’s CEO and chairman. Subsequently, Vikram Lal had joined a newly formed supervisory board to monitor the operations of the group.

However, within a few years, Siddharth Lal had taken over the reins at Royal Enfield, which was then on the verge of closure, and revived it. In doing so, Lal also established his grip on the remaining group businesses and consolidated them under two verticals: motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Lal will continue to be the managing director of the parent company for now.

“To achieve our audacious goal of 2030, to catalyse and reshape the world of motorcycling towards middle-weights, thereby growing at twice the pace of the industry, I believe that we now need to run the company differently. While I have thoroughly enjoyed being at the helm of Royal Enfield for a large part of the 20 years that I have spent here, I believe I can serve Royal Enfield better by playing a role that is different from the CEO,” Lal told his employees in a letter on Monday.

Lal said that his job as the managing director of Eicher Motors will be to sign off on the business plan each year and to review it on a quarterly basis. He will also be involved with communication decisions and brand and product reviews.

“Any decision in the future should be in the normal course, by the relevant manager, head, CXO and the new CEO,” he said.

The move comes just three months after Lal reshuffled the management. According to an 8 January internal document reviewed by Mint, Lal had informed employees that Eicher chief financial officer Lalit Malik will take over the additional responsibility of chief commercial officer in the interim, after Royal Enfield’s president Rudratej Singh offered to quit after a four-year stint.

Shaji Koshy (head of business markets, India), Rod Copes (head of business markets, North America), Arun Gopal (head of business markets, Europe and LATAM), Vimal Sumbly (head of business markets APAC), Rich Rawlins (head of genuine motorcycle accessories), Puneet Sood (head of apparel business) and Pankaj Sharma (head of customer experience) were all asked to report to Malik.

Now, besides Lalit Malik, chief operating officer B. Govindarajan, chief human resource officer Rajeev Sharma and chief information officer Sudhakar Bhagavatula will report to Dasari, who will be based in Chennai.

Shubhranshu Singh (head of global brands) and Mark Wells (head of product strategy and industrial design) will now report to Malik. Wells and Singh were earlier reporting directly to Lal.

Lal, in his letter, has attributed these changes to Royal Enfield’s 2030 goal and its RE 2.0 plan, which he said will be an important part of aligning the company with the industry’s mega trends, such as digitization, electrification, connectivity and shared mobility.

 

Mar 29

Enfield Twins North America Launch

By General Posts

The highly anticipated Royal Enfield Twins — INT 650 and Continental GT 650 — are coming to North America!

This spring, you’ll have a chance to ride the Twins during an eight-city launch tour throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. We are excited to announce four stops and dates on the launch tour. Stay tuned for more details on what to expect, how to participate and additional locations:

• Miami, FL – May 10 – 12
• Milwaukee, WI – June 1 – 2
• Toronto, ON – June 6 – 8
• Denver, CO – June 14 – 15

2019 Himalayan model
Royal Enfield has debuted the 2019 Himalayan — now standard with ABS and a new, limited-edition color option, Sleet. The favorite adventure-touring model was introduced in North America last March and has taken the riding community by storm. With an MSRP of $4,749 in the U.S. and $5,925 in Canada, the new models will be available in dealer showrooms in the U.S. and Canada this April.

Grand Opening
Be sure to swing by and check out Royal Enfield at Spirit Motorcycles on April 13. Those in the Bay Area can come out, take a spin on a Royal Enfield and enjoy BBQ, music, giveaways and more. For more information, please visit www.SpiritMotorcycles.com.

One Ride Event
Spring is right around the corner, and so is One Ride. The annual global event brings Royal Enfield riders together to return to the joy of pure motorcycling on Sunday, April 28.

Last Call $500 Retail Promotion
It’s your last chance to take advantage of Royal Enfield North America’s spring offer. Extended until April 30, riders who purchase a new Classic 500 model will receive $500 worth of gear, including a branded motorcycle cover, jacket and a pair of saddlebags. The Royal Enfield Classic 500 has been a best-seller across the globe for more than a decade. The Classic 500 offers timeless styling and modern technology and now comes with a passenger seat, ABS and rear disc brakes as standard equipment.

Mar 05

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.

Nov 08

Launch of Parallel Twin Engine of Enfield motorcycle

By General Posts

Royal Enfield has revealed the all-new Interceptor 650 and Continental 650 at the EICMA 2017 motorcycle show in Milan, Italy.Watch the recording of the Live Webtelecast from Milan, Italy.

These two new Enfield bikes are made to the highest specifications applicable in USA, Europe and Asia Pacific. They meet all the safety and quality standards matching the best anywhere on Earth. They meet the strictest emission rules. And the twin engine is ready to rock the highways and give you classic stride on your daily commute in the city.

Royal Enfield Interceptor is a 650cc parallel twin engine redesigned from the original 1960s Interceptor brand of Enfield. It is THE California Cool of motorcycles. Bright colours add to the summer of 69 memories of freedom, pleasure, beauty and rebellion.

The Cafe Racer culture was revived by Enfield with the Continental GT and now with the 650cc dual tone Continental GT you have a cafe racer to tour all the cafes in your state and across borders.

Really remarkable bikes and a huge step or rather a gigantic leap forward by Enfield Motorcycles. A Company making motorcycles since before Indian Motorcycles or Harley-Davidson motorcycles ever hit the road.

The chassis and engine are the same for Interceptor 650 and Continental 650. They weigh within 200 KGs. Lot of accessories tested and available. These bikes will launch first in Europe and then rollout globally. Expected date to hit the market is April 2018. The engine is oil and air cooled. Real fun bikes for everyday folks for everyday riding. Not huge bulky hogs and not speed demons. Just a motorcycle for the gentleman who takes pride in class and comfort.

May 23

Motorcycles on Three Wheels

By General Posts

Motorcycles on Three Wheels
The sidecar riding experience and how to do it
by Ujjwal Dey

Motorcycles are fun. And so is travelling long distances or touring on motorcycles. Many touring options are available for big bikes with big budgets. But suppose you are young and wild and free but on a limited budget, what do you do? Ask your friends and they will say a car trip ain’t as much fun as being one with the road on a motorcycle. The environment, the atmosphere, the surroundings, it all hugs you, body and soul, when you tour on a motorcycle. So, here is an option hippies globally celebrate–Sidecars. A third wheel for your motorcycle. No more slippery roads for your two-wheeler. More luggage space. Bring more friends to the road trip party. Bring your dog too.

We recently covered the Ural Motorcycles phenomenon on www.BikernetTrikes.com and if that has inspired you but you are not sure about buying a whole Ural, well just buy a sidecar then. There are many companies including Ural itself, which sells Sidecars as an accessory for your existing motorcycle. So no, you don’t have to switch loyalty or buy a new bike. Just buy the goodies to attach a sidecar to your Harley-Davidson or Triumph or Indian.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FEATURE ARTICLE

Let us know your experience and adventures at wayfarer@bikernet.com