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      Royal Enfield Classic 350 New Colours – Orange Ember, Metallo Silver Launched

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      Royal Enfield Classic 350 New Colours
      Royal Enfield motorcycles and the ease and convenience of custom-made two-wheelers

      Royal Enfield motorcycles have an unprecedented fan following that hasn’t ebbed over time. If anything, curiosity around new motorcycles and old are a tell tale sign of the level of interest Royal Enfield generates time and again. In fact, Royal Enfield is already busy trying to make the ensuing decade a strong one.
      One of its core strategies will be a number of new launches for its domestic market where sales is strongest, and launches for international markets as the manufacturer is keen on gaining market share as a global mid segment bike manufacturer. The mid segment ranges from 250cc to 750 cc, and Royal Enfield already has a strong presence here. In recent times, the segment is getting a slight push from 350cc cruisers, which is turn will help build the segment, a space where Royal Enfield continues to dominate, and has for the longest time been a lone wolf in the market.
      Royal Enfield Make It Yours platform
      The current quarter saw Royal Enfield Meteor being launched in the 350cc segment, again a strong suit for the manufacturer. In increasing its overall appeal, Royal Enfield has never shied away from the availability of colours and accessories. The approach works well as buyers are keen to customise bikes as per personal choice.
      This is further helped by Royal Enfield Make It Yours platform. The initiative lets one personalise the bike right from the word go. Such flexibility and wide range availability means takin the bike home from the dealership is a one time job rather than incorporate a personal touch as and when something becomes available.

      MiY helps build custom-made motorcycles as per consumer specs in 24 to 48 hours at the Chennai plant. Royal Enfield will ensure MiY is available for all its bikes at all dealerships over time. For new motorcycles, the option will be available from the beginning itself.
      Royal Enfield Classic 350 MiY
      When introduced in October 2020, the app-based, 3D Configurator was introduced to combine colours, trims, graphics, and accessories at the time of booking. At the time, the config choice was limited to its 650 Twin Motorcycles – the Interceptor 650, and Continental GT 650. Accessory warranty stands for two-years.
      Now, Royal Enfield Classic 350 can be gotten in a new Orange Ember shade, as also a Metallo Silver colour option. Bookings for the same open this week.
      Available at a price of Rs. 1,83,164 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the new offerings are part of Royal Enfield Make It Yours – MiY – initiative. As announced earlier, it’ll only be a matter of time until the initiative is available for the entire RE lineup right at the time of booking. More

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      Royal Enfield Meteor 350 First Service Cost vs Honda CB350

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      Image – Techno Rahil
      First service details of Royal Enfield Meteor 350 are out and it is one more thing for RE fanboys to cheer about

      Royal Enfield recently launched ints Meteor 350 and the cruiser seems to have lived up to everybody’s expectation. Such has been its craze as per our last update within the first ten days, the Chennai-based bikemaker has received over 8000 bookings for the new generation cruiser.
      Since its launch, there have been lots of content available online which have been dissecting Meteor 350’s every attribute against Honda H’Ness CB350 which is also relatively new in the market. Another major aspect of both the bikes which needs to be scrutinised are the service costs of the two retro bikes.
      We have already discussed H’Ness CB350’s first service cost details in our previous report. Now, we have details of the first service of Royal Enfield Meteor 350 which might give us an insight which motorcycle is easier and less expensive to maintain and repair. In a video uploaded by Abhinav Bhatt on YouTube, he discusses each and every little detail of all the procedures and costs incurred at Meteor’s first servicing.
      Meteor 350 Service Schedules
      Royal Enfield had earlier claimed that Meteor 350 will be much easier and cheaper to maintain as compared to the older generation bikes. The service schedule of Meteor is similar to that of Interceptor 650. The first service is scheduled at 500 km or 6 months whoever comes earlier. The second and third services are scheduled at 5000 km or 6 months and at 10000 km or next 6 months respectively whichever comes earlier.
      [embedded content]
      Procedures Involved
      In its first service, Royal Enfield replaces the engine oil. The company also recommends the owner to get his/her tappings adjusted. However, due to shortage of time, the vlogger in this video chooses to skip it.
      The second service is just a normal check-up where the engine-oil is refilled in case it has been burnt up. The third one is a full service where the air filter and engine oil are replaced. Hence the engine oil and air filter are replaced every one year which helps in bringing down the cost.
      One thing to point out is that Royal Enfield only dry washes the motorcycles in Delhi whereas Honda’s Big Wing’s service station does a wet wash. Interestingly, RE did not monitor the tyre pressure in the first service whereas Honda did in the case of CB350. The engine oil used by Royal Enfield is a semi-synthetic one from Liquid Gun made by Total for RE and its grade is 10W50 whereas Honda uses a semi-synthetic engine oil.
      Cost of Services
      Coming to service costs, since this was a free service there was no labour charge involved, however, it does cost you for the change in engine oil, air filter and other replacements. RE offers four such free services for Meteor 350 whereas Honda is offering only three for CB350. The cost of labour in Royal Enfield is Rs 850 while for Honda it is Rs 700.
      The cost of Royal Enfield’s semi-synthetic engine oil for 1.7-litre capacity is Rs 576. The air filter and oil filter cost Rs 150 and Rs 95 respectively. Finally, there is the cost of the lube/cleaning kit which is Rs. 232. The service team also cleans the air filter, spark plug chain and lube the chain also.
      Thus total service cost for Meteor 350 turns out to be Rs 904 excluding the labour charge. This is substantially less than CB350’s first service cost of Rs 1,469 excluding labour. On comparison of the service costs for the first two years, CB350 is much more expensive at Rs 6,607 than Meteor’s Rs 2,424 thanks to an extra free service. Therefore, we can see for ourselves that Meteor 350 is a much cheaper bike to maintain. More

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      Copying Royal Enfield Will Not Work For Rivals – RE Is 10 Steps Ahead Of Market

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      Siddhartha Lal with RE Meteor 350
      Royal Enfield continues to enjoy a monopoly in the 200cc to 700cc motorcycle segment in India

      Rivalry in the mid-segment retro classic motorcycles has heated up quite a few notches higher in recent years. The segment which only had Royal Enfield motorcycles on offer a few years ago, now has players like Bajaj, Jawa, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, etc. In spite of this, Royal Enfield has a market share of over 81% in the 200cc-700cc segment motorcycles in India.
      In recent years we have seen more and more new motorcycles getting launched, with the aim of eating into the market share of Royal Enfield. Apart from launching motorcycles in a similar price and engine size segment as Royal Enfield, some rivals are even launching motorcycles which look similar to Royal Enfield.
      Benelli launched Imperiale 400. Mahindra formed Classic Legends to revive Jawa brand. And one of the biggest blow / surprise came from Honda Motorcycle India; when they launched the H’Ness CB350 a month and a half back. Amidst this growing competition Eicher Motors MD, Siddhartha Lal has made a frontal attack.
      In an interaction with Times of India, Siddhartha has stated that “imitation and trying to copy doesn’t work”, thus taking a shot at his company’s rivals. He further added that his firm is “ten steps ahead of the market”. Royal Enfield currently retails 350cc bikes such as Bullet, Classic and Meteor, 410cc Himalayan and 650cc twins Interceptor and Continental GT.
      Foreign Brands setting up JVs in India
      Rivalry is set to intensify in coming years with the joint venture between American bikemaker Harley Davidson and Indian manufacturer Hero MotoCorp. The latter will develop, manufacture and sell motorcycles under the former’s brand name in India which will specifically target the mid-segment displacement bikes.
      Although, this is not the only joint venture that will come in future. It is already known that Bajaj had partnered with Triumph to develop bikes under the latter’s name in the country which will be more India-specific. Both locally produced Harley and Triumph motorcycles could generate great interest in the premium bike segment.
      Royal Enfield’s strong points
      However, Siddhartha added that every time some other two-wheeler brand comes up with a new product in the mid-displacement segment, it has turned a habit for everyone to sound a death knell for Royal Enfield. Although he claims that the brand has the experience and expertise in sales, dealership walk-ins, after-sales and marketing which have kept the brand going strong.
      In the last few years, Royal Enfield has shown a tremendous resurgence after many years of dull performance in the market which has seen a huge surge in sales thanks to its solid products on offer. The company is looking to further solidify its position in the automotive sector by launching as many as 28 new bikes in the next seven years.
      It is definitely hard for any other manufacturer to displace Royal Enfield from its position in the premium motorcycle segment and the Chennai-based bikemaker in all likelihood will continue to dominate this segment. However, with strong products from rival brands at competitive prices would mean that RE will no more enjoy a clear monopoly.
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      Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Launched In Thailand – Few Days After India

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      Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Launched in Thailand. Image – Vimal Sumbly
      After its debut in the domestic market earlier this month, Royal Enfield Meteor 350 has been launched in Thailand

      Just like India, customers in Thailand will have access to all three variants – Fireball, Stellar and Supernova. Prices are in the range of 150,000 – 159,500 Thai Baht, which is approximately 3.67 lakh to 3.90 lakh in Indian Rupee. In comparison, Meteor prices in India are Rs 1.75 lakh for Fireball, Rs 1.81 lakh for Stellar and Rs 1.90 lakh for top-spec Supernova variant.
      Same as India-spec Meteor 350
      Meteor 350 launched in Thailand is the same as India-spec Meteor. There are no major changes or updates. Some of the key features include round headlamp, chrome accents, broad rear fenders and tear drop shaped fuel tank, turn indicators and rear tail light. The motorcycle has a comfortable riding stance and comes with high set handle bars, forward set foot pegs and low seat height.
      Royal Enfield has equipped Meteor with some unique features, one of which is Tripper Navigation. It comprises a dedicated display unit that offers turn-by-turn navigation when connected to the rider’s mobile phone. The motorcycle also comes equipped with USB charging port.
      Meteor 350 gets its power from a new J series 349 cc, air-oil cooled, SOHC engine that is capable of producing max power of 20.2 hp and peak torque of 27 Nm. The transmission is a 5-speed unit.
      Unlike India, where the launch of Meteor 350 was online, in Thailand launch event was on ground.
      Royal Enfield exports outlook
      It is to note that Thailand is an important South East Asian market for Royal Enfield. This is why the company has planned a dedicated assembly plant in the country, which will soon get operational.
      Most of their products such as Classic 350, Bullet 350, Himalayan, Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 are also available in Thailand. Apart from South East Asia, Royal Enfield is also focusing on expanding its presence in Latin American markets. Just a few weeks back, RE announced their first assembly plant outside India, in Argentina.
      As things stand now, exports by Royal Enfield are just a fraction of the company’s domestic sales. This presents both an opportunity as well as a challenge to expand presence in global markets. In October 2020, Royal Enfield exported a total of 4,033 units. Most in demand products included 650 Twins, Classic 350, Himalayan and Classic 500. In comparison, domestic sales were 62,858 units with bestsellers being Classic 350, Bullet 350 and Electra 350.
      In comparison to Royal Enfield, other domestic two-wheeler manufacturers in India have much higher export numbers. If we compare in terms of quantity, companies like Bajaj, TVS, Yamaha, and Honda have higher export figures.
      Royal Enfield is aware of the possibilities that exist in international markets and is actively working to increase share of exports in its overall revenue pie. In the initial phase, the company has planned to achieve 20% of total revenue from exports. More

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      Royal Enfield Sales, Exports Oct 2020 – Classic, Bullet, Himalayan, 650 Twins

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      Royal Enfield Classic 350
      Royal Enfield sold a total of 62,858 motorcycles in domestic markets in October 2020, witnessing a decline of 6.93 percent

      Royal Enfield, with its motorcycle range that includes the likes of the Bullet 350, Classic 350, Himalayan, Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650, noted dip both in domestic sales and exports in October 2020.
      When taking into account total sales (domestic + exports), the company sold 66,891 units in the past month, down 7 percent as against 71,964 units sold in the same month of the previous year.
      Domestic sales dipped 6.93 percent to 62,858 units, down from 67,538 units sold in Oct 19 while exports dipped to 4,033 units, down 8.88 percent as against 4,426 units sold in the same month of the previous year. The company’s market share in the two wheeler segment in India stood at under 4 percent during the past month.
      Classic 350 Best Selling RE
      In terms of domestic sales, it was seen that the Classic 350 commanded a major chunk of total sales along with the Bullet 350 and Electra 350. Classic 350 sales increased 7.75 percent to 41,953 units in the past month, commanding a 66.74 percent share while Bullet 350 sales dipped 27.51 percent with share of 17.82 percent.
      Royal Enfield Oct 2020 Domestic Sales
      Electra sales also noted a significant increase of 14.11 percent to 6,405 units in Oct 20, up from 5,613 unit sold in Oct 19. The Himalayan and 650 Twins – Interceptor and Continental GT also contributed 1,791 units and 1,506 units to domestic sales.
      The TB 350, Bullet 500, Classic 500 and TB500 which were on sale in the past year. But have not been on sale since BS6 was implemented in India since April 2020. However, the Classic 500 continues to be exported to global markets.
      Royal Enfield Oct 2020 Exports
      Where exports were concerned, it was the RE 650 Twins that noted the maximum sales despite de-growth. 1,571 units of these two bikes were exported, down 44.78 percent as against 2,845 units exported in Oct 19. There was a surge in demand for the Classic 350 with exports increasing to 906 units, up 642.62 percent over 122 units exported in the same month of the previous year. The Classic 500 noted a 67.14 percent increase in exports to 712 units, up from 426 units exported in Oct 19.
      No
      RE Domestic
      Oct-20
      Oct-19
      1
      Classic 350
      41,953
      38,936
      2
      Bullet 350
      11,203
      15,454
      3
      Electra 350
      6,405
      5,613
      4
      Himalayan
      1,791
      1,172
      5
      650 Twins
      1,506
      1,724
      6
      TB 350
      0
      4,108
      7
      Bullet 500
      0
      49
      8
      Classic 500
      0
      391
      9
      TB 500
      0
      91
      –
      Total
      62,858
      67,538
      RE Meteor 350 a recent addition
      Earlier this month Royal Enfield launched the new Meteor 350 in India. It is priced from Rs.1.76 lakhs and presented in three variants of Fireball, Stellar and Supernova. The Meteor 350 is positioned on a new J platform and takes the place of the new defunct Thunderbird X. It sports some similarities in its design but gets a new engine. The 350cc air cooled, single cylinder engine makes 20.2 hp power and 27 Nm torque mated to a 6 speed gearbox. More

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      Honda CB350 vs Royal Enfield Classic 350 vs Meteor – Vibration Test

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      Vibration Test By Nitin Autoroids
      Which is the motorcycle that offers the lowest vibrations?

      Vibrations from a motorcycle may not matter much for short, occasional rides, but it can have a dramatic impact during long distance touring. It can give you that shaky feeling and make you fatigued as well. If we consider a span of several years, motorcycle vibrations may also result in lower back pain issues. These risk factors make it imperative that we choose a ride that has the least vibration.
      Vibration test – Honda H’Ness CB350 Vs. Meteor 350 Vs. Classic 350
      The most popular cruiser motorcycle in the country is Royal Enfield Classic 350, which is known for its rugged quality and reliable performance. As may be recalled, Royal Enfield motorcycles are also used by the Indian Army in some of the most challenging terrains in the world. Royal Enfield motorcycles are no doubt good, but one common complaint is the significant amount of vibration they generate.
      The company seems to have acknowledged these issues and is in the process of making improvements in its next-gen products. The first of these is Meteor 350 that has significantly less vibration, as compared to Classic 350. We have already seen this in an earlier video.
      But how does Meteor 350 fare against its primary rival, Honda H’Ness CB350? Answer to that question has now been revealed in this new video by Nitin Autoroids, that compares vibration of Honda CB350 vs. Meteor 350 vs. Classic 350.
      [embedded content]
      In this test too, a glass of water (plastic glass) has been used to test vibration. On Honda CB350, the water filled glass remains still on the fuel tank as well as on the rear seat. Results are the same at higher rpm.
      On Meteor 350, the glass remains still when the engine is idling. However, when the rpm is increased, the glass of water starts to move. On Classic 350, the glass experiences significant vibrations. It moves and falls off the rear seat at high rpm. As compared to Classic 350, Honda CB350 and Meteor were able to sustain the glass for much longer duration.
      Vibration test conclusion
      According to the YouTuber, Honda CB350 has the least vibration among the three bikes. At number two is Meteor 350, which had increased vibrations at higher rev speeds. Classic 350 is obviously the last in this test result.
      Disclaimer – It is important to note that although this test methodology seems reliable, it is not a replacement for measuring vibration using specialized tools. The results may vary if proper vibration measurement tools are used. That way, it will also tell us exactly how much vibration is coming from each of these motorcycles. More

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      Royal Enfield Order Backlog Breaches 125k – Meteor 350 Bookings Cross 8k

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      Image – The Bikers Diary
      Supply chain issues on the vendors’ side have led to rise in number of bookings pending at Royal Enfield

      Royal Enfield has set the ball rolling for introduction of its next-gen models with the launch of Meteor 350 earlier this month. Despite several challenges faced in the form of other OEMs venturing into mid-segment motorcycles, Royal Enfield’s ship has remained steady as the brand holds a commanding position in this space in India.
      However, it is the challenges from within rather than outside which has forced the Chennai-based bikemaker to stay on its toes. During its course of development, the latest offering from Royal Enfield, the Meteor 350, faced several delays primarily due to supply chain issues.
      Current Status of pending bookings
      As of last Thursday, the company’s backlog rose to 1.25 lakhs, over three times in comparison to 40,000 bookings on hold in August 2020. This comes at a time when the manufacturer has seen a recovery in demand. It is evident that the company has been facing supply chain constraints for the past few months which has led to delays in the launch timeline of its several upcoming bikes.
      This backlog has also resulted in an extensive waiting period which is not good news for consumers as well as the company. In an interaction with a website, Royal Enfield CEO, Vinod Dasari claimed that it is not a generic supply chain problem.
      He added that the firm has been facing certain supply issues at its vendors’ end for specific models, without going into details. Dasari further adds that the company has removed some bottlenecks with minor capital expenditure here and there, and is now looking to increase the capacity by about 5 percent this year.
      Possible Way Forward For RE
      According to Siddhartha Lal, MD at Eicher Motors, the parent company of Royal Enfield, the manufacturer has a higher capacity addition target but faces other bottlenecks. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the bikemaker sold 60,000 motorcycles in a month on an average. This number rose to 70,000 bookings in October. Lal admits that the company could achieve 100,000 bookings a month in a few years without huge capital and a new plant.
      Eicher Motors’ net profit declined by 40.13 percent YoY to Rs 343 crore for the quarter ended in September while its total revenue stood at Rs 2,134 crore, a 3 percent total degrowth. In the last few years, demand for Royal Enfield bikes has come from Tier 2 as well as Tier 3 and now it wants to emerge victorious in metros as they resume businesses in full flow from the nationwide lockdown. MoM sales volume rose to 11% to 66,891 units in October.
      Royal Enfield has already received over 8,000 bookings for its latest Meteor 350. This bike directly locks horns with Honda’s latest inclusion, H’Ness CB350. The company also recently claimed that it is planning to launch 28 new bikes in the next seven years, i.e., one new bike every quarter. New Meteor 350 is offered in three variants- Fireball, Stellar and SuperNova at a starting price of Rs 1.75 lakh (ex-showroom).
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      Royal Enfield Meteor 350 vs Honda CB350 – Speed Comparison Test

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      Image – Abhinav Bhatt
      Is the Royal Enfield Meteor 350 faster than the Honda CB350?

      In the 350 cc segment, there are several options to choose from. Apart from the obvious Classic 350, there’s Honda H’Ness CB350 and recently launched Meteor 350. The latter two is where things may get a bit difficult to decide, since both motorcycles offer superior performance and come with a long list of features.
      To help users make informed choices, YouTuber Abhinav Bhatt has uploaded a new video that details the real world performance difference between Royal Enfield Meteor 350 and Honda CB350.
      Meteor 350 vs. Honda CB350 acceleration, speed test
      For this comparative analysis, Abhinav chose to ride the Meteor 350 and asked his colleague to ride the CB350. The primary idea was to test the performance of these motorcycles in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th gear. The test was conducted on an open highway with limited traffic.
      In second gear, both bikers started accelerating from a speed of 20 kmph. It took Honda CB350 just a few seconds to race ahead of Meteor. The latter hit the speed limiter at 70-75 kmph, whereas CB350 achieved 80 kmph in second gear.
      [embedded content]
      In the next round, both motorcycles started at 30 kmph in third gear. For some distance, both bikes were neck and neck at a speed of around 80 kmph. CB350 eventually raced ahead of Meteor that maxed out at around 100 kmph in third gear. CB350 did 110 kmph in third gear.
      In fourth gear, both motorcycles started at 40 kmph. Now was the turn for Meteor to show its strength, as it raced ahead of CB350 almost effortlessly. However, the lead lasted for only a short distance, as CB350 eventually overtook Meteor. Apparently, CB350 has a higher top speed in 4th gear, which allowed it to overtake Meteor.
      In fifth gear, Meteor 350 emerged as a clear winner. Not only did it accelerate faster than CB350, it was also able to maintain a significant lead. After driving for quite a long distance, it was felt that CB350 couldn’t possibly catch up with Meteor in 5th gear.
      Ride experience summary
      According to Abhinav, he liked Meteor’s performance, especially in 4th and 5th gear. The level of acceleration and top speed would be very useful during long distance journeys. Honda CB350 trailed behind Meteor in 5th gear, which is probably due to its tall gear setup.
      As is evident from this video, specs may only be able to provide a basic idea about a motorcycle’s capabilities. Numbers do not necessarily determine how well a motorcycle will perform in the real world. This is especially true when we are comparing two products. When unsure, the best way to find out the better one that suits your needs is to take them out for a test ride. More