models

Firing all barrels with Royal Enfield Shotgun 650

Even with production at the company’s Oragadam factory outside Chennai running flat out for six days a week, there are waiting lists everywhere for the 650cc models such as Super Meteor, Continental GT and Interceptor —  as production struggles to keep up with demand. Yet Royal Enfield’s parent company Eicher Motors (albeit RE accounts for 92% of its overall turnover) just reported a huge 54.70% increase in net profit last November for the second quarter of its business year, with turnover up 17% on the back of a 13% increase in Royal Enfield sales. The 650cc models have catapulted the Indian manufacturer into a leading role in the global middleweight motorcycle market. This desirable problem of meeting motorcycle sales demand is expected to worsen with launch of 2024 Shotgun 650. In U.K., base model Sheetmetal Grey color will cost £6,699 including 20% tax, while the Plasma Blue and Green Drill variants are priced at £100 more, the Premium model in Stencil White costs £6,899. In comparison, 2024 units of the Super Meteor 650 start at £6,799, and in America, it starts at US$6,999. If Royal Enfield keeps such narrow margins with U.S. pricing, you can expect something just above $7k. At fairly low 9.5:1 compression ratio it denotes a low state of tune, most likely to ensure it runs well even on poor-quality fuel in delivering a claimed 51.6 mpg. Rigorous testing regime conducted simultaneously in India, Europe, the USA and the UK are unique to Royal Enfield. You will have a motorcycle that has been there and done that in the real world and not just under “test conditions” Media test riders have praised the tremendous improvement in handling and performance over Super Meteor 650. Shotgun is a incredibly good motorcycle, providing an unexpectedly high level of performance along

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Hero MotoCorp announces streetfighter juxtaposed to Harley-Davidson X440

Hero ‘Maverick’ is the upcoming streetfighter, positioned against Harley-Davidson X440. It will also go up against the popular Yamaha MT lineup. Hero and Harley-Davidson are working together but who will win in their respective sales volumes? Hero MotoCorp is the exclusive distributor and service provider for Harley-Davidson in India. Together they built and launched the X440 last year to good pre-booking numbers. The forthcoming Hero Mavrick will share identical foundational elements, such as the trellis frame and the 440 cc oil-cooled, single-cylinder engine. However, it will undergo several modifications to distinguish itself more distinctly from its American counterpart. While Harley-Davidson X440 is categorized as a roadster, the forthcoming Mavrick will be positioned as a streetfighter. It all starts with a cool name. That’s how marketing and branding works. I bet Hero MotoCorp will sell a lot more of these Maverick bikes than H-D’s X440 bikes—- no doubt inspired from a ‘Top Tom’ movie of the same name. If Hero MotoCorp don’t show an advertisement featuring airplane pilots, aspiring owners will probably be disappointed. These will also compete well against existing Yamaha lineup including Yamaha MT-15. Bajaj Pulsar is still a well-known common model and Hero now has its Karizma ZMR as well as Maverick to rival Bajaj. * * * * Subscribe to be in the loop of all things on two-wheels, click to roll. Free weekly newsletter. Once a week, no spam, nothing but motorcycle related content.

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Aprilia to compete with Enfields?

There might be an Aprilia model to compete with Royal Enfield Classic 350 which is a top-selling model in its class since launch. A new test mule has been spotted in Europe and it has a similar engine casing as the RS 457. It also features old-school styling and body parts that indicates that the world is finally noticing the timeless appeal (and profits) of Enfield models which have built a nice empire in mid-capacity motorcycles for over a decade now. A new retro-styled test bike is getting testes around Europe which on close scrutiny of spied photos suggests it is an Aprilia. Multiple aspects convince eager enthusiasts to claim it is an upcoming Aprilia motorcycle. Engine casing visible on the right hand side is similar to the RS 457’s unit. This test model’s motor appears to be larger in the images. It has a larger exhaust also. But there are many features giving it an appearance of RS 457. However, the design is not very impressive so this would have to be a very early prototype. The aesthetics of its headlight, tank shrouds, and the tail section, seem as if they were all assembled by a local garage shop. A retrofitted model is not exactly a test mule so the mystery is intriguing indeed. RS 457 uses a 457cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with 47.6bhp and 43.5Nm linked to a six-speed gearbox. It has a slipper clutch. Aprilia may carry these forward with different tuning. A slim USD front forks, dual rear shocks, and single disc at both ends are possible indications as well. Its alloy wheels and TVS tyres seem to be borrowed from the RS. It could take any amount of time before Aprilia debuts this retro-styled motorcycle in production form. The current iteration of RS 457 has

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Shotgun 650 announced with details

Royal Enfield officially revealed the production Shotgun 650 to the world on 12-December-2023. After the limited edition Motoverse bike, the details of the model to be launched worldwide in 2024 has been revealed. It has the same 650cc engine as seen on the Super Meteor however it has a much higher ground clearance and a very dramatic design that would appeal to factory custom and modern-retro-bike enthusiasts alike. Check out the launch video and artwork below as well as a comparison with its pre-established sibling: FEATURES Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 Wheelbase 1,465mm (about 57.6 inches) 1,500mm (about 59 inches) Ground clearance 140mm (about 5.5 inches) 135mm (about 5.3 inches) Length 2,220mm (about 87.4 inches) 2,260mm (about 88.98 inches) Width 820mm (about 32.2 inches) 890mm (about 35 inches) Height 1,105mm (about 43.5 inches) 1,155mm (about 45.5 inches) Seat height 795mm (about 31.2 inches) 740mm (about 29.1 inches) Rake and trail 25.3 degrees and 101.4mm (about 4.09 inches) 27.6 degrees and 119.38mm (about 4.7 inches) Fuel capacity 13.8 liters (about 3.6 gallons) 15.7 liters (about 4.15 gallons) Curb weight 240 kilograms (about 529 pounds) 241 kilograms (about 531.3 pounds)   LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON RECENT MODELS BY ROYAL ENFIELD IN COMMENTS BELOW

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