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The 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan will feature minor model year updates and new liveries
The post 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan Spied – To Get More Refined Engine appeared first on RushLane by Nithyanandh Karuppaswamy. More
Royal Enfield has plans to launch 4 new motorcycles ever year in India – This includes Interceptor 350 as well as Continental GT 350
The post Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Based Interceptor Styled Motorcycle Spied Testing appeared first on RushLane by Pearl Daniels. More
Royal Enfield 650 Modified – Hummingbird
Royal Enfield plans to launch multiple new motorcycles every year in India
We already know by now that Royal Enfield is developing a full-blown cruiser based on the 650cc platform which underpins Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650. Also referred to as KX650, launch is expected next year.
Images of RE’s cruiser 650 test mule have already been out. However, before Royal Enfield launches their 650cc crusier officially, a custom-made cruiser on the same platform has already been made.
While Interceptor 650 has been a fan favourite ever since its launch in 2018, there are loads of room for improvement in order to classify itself as a tourer. Its uncomfortable seat and stiff suspension setup make for an unforgiving riding experience for long distances.
However, if it were modified into cruiser things might be different. An aftermarket customisation firm called Bulleteer Customs has modified an Interceptor into a proper cruiser and posted its images on its Instagram handle.
Modified Design
It has taken more than a year for Bulleteer Customs to complete this job, from designing to actual execution. The bike adopts a design of an authentic bobber with wide handlebars and a very low stance. Handlebars here use extenders to provide a comfortable riding position. Wheelbase has been increased by providing a slight rake to the front suspension unit thus feeling more planted on straight roads and highways.
Tyres have been upgraded from 100mm to 120mm at front and 130mm to 180mm at rear. This also lends a distinct road presence to the motorcycle. Saddle has been lowered and flattened out with proper cushioning therefore making for a more comfortable ride. The customised bike gets a split seat instead of a single piece as on the stock Interceptor.
Side body panels have been changed as well, which bear the name ‘Highway’. Fuel tank is of a similar tear-drop shape however, like Continental GT, it comes with cuts on either side for a more aerodynamic look. The motorcycle wears a nice contrasting look thanks to a colour scheme of hue green and black with pinstriping used.
Engine and alloy wheels are painted in Black with a white accent matching the aesthetics of the cruiser. A different exhaust system which is more straight than being up-swept has been used.
Powertrain Details
Clearly, time and effort invested in this modification have paid off nicely and the bike looks quite tasteful. Interceptor is powered by a 648cc parallel-twin oil/air-cooled motor which gives out 47 bhp and 52 Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and offered with a slip and assist clutch. As of now there has been no official word from Royal Enfield regarding KX650’s launch but we expect to hear more about it in coming months.
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Royal Enfield 650cc Cruiser Red Colour Render
Ever since the launch of 650 Twins, select customers have been waiting for alloys wheels option
To ensure that customers have access to all options they might wish for, Royal Enfield will soon be launching alloy wheels for its popular 650 twins, Interceptor and Continental GT. The alloy wheels will be offered as an accessory. 650 twins currently utilize spoke wheels, which is one of the key design elements that give the motorcycles their retro flavour.
Testing and validation
In response to an owner of Interceptor 650, Royal Enfield said that they are currently carrying out extensive durability and validation testing for the new cast alloy wheels. Once that is complete and if things progress as per plans, the new alloy wheels could be launched around February 2021.
It is also to be noted here, that the upcoming Royal Enfield 650 Cruiser, which has been spied on test in Chennai, was seen with alloys wheels. Most likely, it is this alloy wheel design, which will also be seen on board the 650 Twins Interceptor and Continental GT. Launch of the Cruiser 650 is scheduled for sometime next year.
Customers wanting the new alloy wheels will be able to select the same via the company’s MiY (Make It Yours) customization platform. It can be done via the company’s website, mobile app or at the dealership. In addition to 650 twins, the personalization platform is also available for Classic 350 and recently launched Meteor 350. Other motorcycles such as Bullet and Himalayan will be included in the online configurator program in the future.
Image for reference. Credit – Royal Spares
Alloy wheels more practical?
When launched, the new alloy wheels will be shod with tubeless tyres. Many users will find this as a more practical choice, as tubeless tyres don’t need to be taken out in case of a puncture. However, true-blue retro enthusiasts are unlikely to ditch the spoke wheels. Apart from being more elegant, spoke wheels also offer other benefits such as better ability to absorb shocks and vibrations. They are also considered more rugged than alloy wheels.
Earlier, Royal Enfield had done something similar with its top selling Classic 350 motorcycle. As customers would often install aftermarket alloys and exhausts on their Classic 350, Royal Enfield launched its own range of official and legal aftermarket accessories. These included multiple options for exhausts and alloy wheels.
Tripper navigation
In the near future, 650 Twins are also expected to get Tripper navigation that is standard equipment on-board Meteor 350. This is a first-in-segment feature and has been appreciated by several users. With the Tripper system, users don’t need to mount their smartphones on their motorcycle. For 650 twins, a larger version is currently under development. Along with the directions, the updated Tripper system will also display notifications. Meteor’s Tripper system is expected to be introduced in other Royal Enfield motorcycles as well.
Launched in 2018, 650 twins share several components including the engine. The 648-cc, parallel twin cylinder unit is capable of generating 47 bhp of max power and 52 Nm of max torque. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and equipped with a slipper clutch.
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Royal Enfield Meteor 350 In Europe
Meteor 350 continues its global expansion – After Thailand, it has now been launched in Europe
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 has now made its way to European markets. It has been unveiled in Italy at a starting price of EUR 4,099, which is approximately Rs 3.65 lakh. UK price is £3,749, which is roughly Rs 3.67 lakhs. In Europe, it gets standard warranty of 3 years unlimited kms as well as 3 years RSA.
In the Indian market, the motorcycle is available at a starting price of Rs 1.75 lakh. Dealerships in Europe will start getting deliveries of Meteor 350 by March 2021. Meteor for Europe, will be exported from India. It will be made in India at the company plant at Chennai, and exported as CBU.
Same as India-spec model
Euro-spec Meteor 350 is the same as the Indian model, and is also A2 compliant. It will have all three variants – Fireball, Stellar and Supernova. Meteor has been designed to be a thoroughbred cruiser that would appeal to a global audience. Some of the key features that give the motorcycle its distinctive identity include round headlamp; tear drop design of fuel tank, turn indicators and rear tail light; chrome accents and broad rear fenders.
Meteor is built for both urban use as well as highway cruising. It has high set handle bars and forward set foot pegs, which ensure a comfortable, upright riding position.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 In Europe
Meteor 350 powertrain
Royal Enfield has installed a new J series 349 cc, air-oil cooled engine on Meteor, which is capable of generating 20.2 hp of max power and 27 Nm of peak torque. Gearbox is a 5-speed unit. The engine has SOHC setup, which has contributed significantly to reducing vibrations. The motorcycle’s new chassis has also helped reduce vibrations.
As may be recalled, the earlier generation of Royal Enfield motorcycles have considerable vibrations. Such issues create fatigue and discomfort, which can be problematic during long distance touring.
A first-in-segment feature on-board Meteor is the ‘Tripper Navigation’, which offers turn-by-turn navigation. There’s a dedicated screen next to the main instrument console, which displays the direction arrows for the destination. Tripper navigation does away with the need to mount smartphones on the motorcycle. Once connected to the user’s smartphone via Bluetooth and after entering the destination details, the Tripper navigation will continue to display the directions.
RE Global Plans
By aggressively targeting global markets, Royal Enfield is working on its long term strategy to reduce its dependence on a single geography. As of now, most of Royal Enfield’s sales are from India. Exports are just a fraction of its overall sales. The company currently dominates the 200cc – 500cc motorcycle segment in India with market share in excess of 75%.
Arun Gopal, Head of Business Markets EMEA, said: “One of Royal Enfield’s core objectives is to introduce as many people as possible into motorcycling,and we see our products as instrumental to that process. The introduction of the Meteor 350 further strengthens our reputation for building bikes that are appealing, accessible and approachable for a broad demographic.”
While being the market leader is laudable, it’s also true that things can change fast in the auto industry. In recent times, competition has increased for Royal Enfield from products such as Jawa, Honda CB350, and Benelli Imperiale 400. By expanding its global footprint, the company will be in a better position to hedge risks in the domestic market. More
Royal Enfield Meteor Electric
Royal Enfield has confirmed plans to launch an all electric motorcycle in the future
While scooters currently dominate the electric segment, we could see launch of several new electric motorcycles in the coming years. This space has only a few products and it holds significant potential for growth. Not everyone fancies riding a scooter, so electric motorcycles will inevitably have to step in to fulfil customer expectations. These products will come from both startup auto firms as well as established two wheeler manufacturers.
Royal Enfield Meteor electric imagined
Royal Enfield is among the leading auto companies that are working on the development of an electric motorcycle. As may be recalled, Royal Enfield currently dominates the 200cc – 500 cc motorcycle segment with more than 75% market share. To maintain its lead position, the switch to electric is necessary for the company.
While details about Royal Enfield’s electric motorcycle have not been revealed, it is planned to be launched by 2023. It is expected to have a retro cruiser look, just like the current breed of Royal Enfield motorcycles. To get an idea about how the motorcycle might look like, here is an interesting rendering of Royal Enfield electric motorcycle.
Royal Enfield Meteor Electric
For this project, Meteor 350 has been used as the base model. Launched in November, Meteor 350 is the first of Royal Enfield’s next-gen products. It has a retro design and comes with new engine and chassis. In this rendering project, Meteor 350 electric gets a new dual tone colour theme of blue and white. This colour option is not available with the petrol powered Meteor 350.
The dual tone colour theme has been subtly used on only a few components such as fuel tank, side panels, and wheels. The fuel tank’s top section has the white shade whereas the bottom part has strips of blue. The blue colour has also been applied to the wheel rims.
Large battery pack
The most prominent change is the huge battery pack that the motorcycle carries in its belly. If the battery pack was to be as heavy as it looks, it could create balancing issues for the motorcycle. Due to their design, electric motorcycles naturally have this problem. In comparison, electric scooters have a more suitable space for storing the battery pack.
Among other changes is the belt drive that has replaced the chain drive. The motorcycle also mentions the term ‘EV’ on the side panel. Components such as the headlight, turn indicators, rear view mirrors, front & rear fenders and tail lamp is the same as current Meteor 350.
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Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Inspired Cruiser – Render
The new render shows what Meteor 350 could like if it was designed as a proper low-slung cruiser motorcycle
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 started generating a lot of buzz way before its actual launch and even after a month of its official launch, it doesn’t seem to die down. There were very high expectations from this modern cruiser which has stepped into the big shoes of its predecessor Thunderbird and Royal Enfield seems to have ticked almost all boxes.
Meteor 350 is Royal Enfield’s first of its next generation single cylinder motorcycles with brand new chassis and powertrain. The bike has caught the eyeballs of biking enthusiasts instantly with its cruiser-like low-slung stance, forward set footpegs and a raised handlebar.
However, it is not one of the traditional cruisers. These have a very low stance with relatively long front forks and a longer wheelbase. Point in case is Bajaj Avenger which sports a traditional cruiser design. Meteor 350 like the discontinued Thunderbird model is a cross between a cruiser and a street bike. Here we have with us a digitally modified Meteor 350 rendered as a traditional cruiser.
Meteor 350 as a traditional cruiser
In a video, created and uploaded by SRK Designs on YouTube we get to see a digitally re-imagined Meteor 350 as a traditional low-slung cruiser and to be honest it does look very good. For starters, the designer has taken the image of a regular Meteor and slants its front forks adding a few degrees to the rake angle thus adding a few inches to the wheelbase as well.
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Next up, the tail section is reshaped a little with the tail light repositioned lower than usual on the rear fender. The rider’s seat is also lower than the stock model and the pillion seat is now narrower than the original model.
Grab handles for pillion too have been moved forward and very low. Next, a taller handlebar is added which are usually found in conventional bobbers. The wheelbase is further lengthened by stretching the rear section of the bike.
In this case, the base Fireball variant of Meteor was chosen which doesn’t offer the windshield and rear backrest as standard and comes with bright colours. The paint scheme is changed as well with gloss black colour replacing the bright red on offer.
To complement the look further, the designer adds yellow pinstripes to the fuel tank, side panel and rear fender which gives a nice contrast to the overall look of the bike.
Royal Enfield’s plan for a cruiser
It is to be noted that Royal Enfield is indeed developing a traditional low-slung cruiser codenamed KX650 which will be powered by the 650cc parallel-twin engine as on the Interceptor and Continental GT. The motorcycle has already been spotted testing on a couple of occasions. More
Image – Bullet Guru
From the spy images of the new-gen Classic 350 seen, Royal Enfiled is not expected to make massive changes to the retro motorcycle’s design
Royal Enfield has big plans for future. The bikemaker had earlier last month revealed its plan to introduce 28 new bikes in the next seven years, i.e., a new bike every quarter of a year. This started with the launch of its new cruiser Meteor 350 a month ago which replaced the outgoing Thunderbird 350 and 350X from the company’s lineup.
Going by Royal Enfield’s plans, it seems the next bike is scheduled to be launched in the next couple of months which means early 2021. If we were to guess, the brand’s next big-ticket launch is expected to be the new generation model of Classic 350.
Undoubtedly, Classic 350 has been the most popular motorcycle from the Chennai-based manufacturer ever since it was launched more than a decade back. It has been known for a while that Royal Enfield has been developing a new generation model of the retro-styled motorcycle. Testing prototypes of the same have also been spotted on a couple of occasions in recent past. Readers have been very inquisitive about this new avatar.
New Underpinnings
Expectedly, this new bike is likely to share much of its elements with RE’s new Meteor 350. For starters, it is going to be based on the same J platform as the cruiser. It will now be underpinned by a double-cradle chassis as opposed to current model’s single downtube frame. Although, Royal Enfield is not expected to divert too much from the current Classic’s design language since it is still very well received by consumers.
New Gen Classic 350 On Test
New Powertrain, Transmission
However, the biggest update will be the new 349cc single-cylinder air-cooler long-stroke engine which produces 1 bhp more and 1 Nm less than the current 346cc UCE unit. This unit produces 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of peak torque.
It will also be paired with a new 5-speed gearbox and clutch with less moving components in order to reduce friction. These mechanical changes will result in reduced vibrations and improved ride quality.
More Features on offer
It is also expected to borrow some of Meteor’s features, the most notable being the Tripper Navigation system which provides turn-by-turn navigation to the rider connected via the Royal Enfield App on a smartphone. Also, a modern part-digital part-analog instrument cluster is also expected to be offered.
If all these components from Meteor 350 are indeed carried over to new-gen Classic 350 it would surely be a much promising option to consider with many new rivals like Honda H’Ness CB350 in the foray. Prices are expected to move slightly northwards considering the updates incorporated. More
