Royal Enfield

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

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

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).
SOURCE More

Royal Enfield is looking to strengthen its position by expanding its portfolio both in domestic as well as overseas markets
The post Royal Enfield To Launch 4 New Motorcycles Per Year – Classic Electric In 2023 appeared first on RushLane by Arun Prakash. More

Image – Abhinav Bhatt
Creator of some of the most viewed videos on Honda CB350, has shared his first impressions about the Meteor 350

After posting a series of videos on Honda H’ness CB350, YouTuber Abhinav Bhatt has now got his hands on a brand new Royal Enfield Meteor 350. He will be reviewing the motorcycle in the coming days and compare it with CB350. The idea is to share key insights that will be helpful to users.
Patiala to Delhi on Meteor 350
The Meteor 350 used in this review is the top-spec Supernova variant in Blue colour. It belongs to one of Abhinav’s friend, who owns multiple Royal Enfield dealerships in Patiala, Punjab. The motorcycle has been given to Abhinav for around a week’s time, so that he can test it extensively just like he did with Honda CB350.
Before starting the journey, the YouTuber provides his first impressions about the motorcycle. Meteor 350 has a low seat height, which would be useful in both city traffic as well as long distance touring. The motorcycle comes with barrel style grips and angled levers, both of which are quite comfortable. The overall comfort level is also enhanced with the sweptback handle bars.
The instrument pod looks clutter free and information displayed is clearly visible. It displays a range of information such as odometer / tripmeter, low fuel indicator, low battery, gear indicator, ABS, and left & right turn indictors. However, it does not show fuel economy and available range, which can be accessed on Honda CB350.
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How to use Meteor 350’s ‘tripper’ navigation system is also shown in this review. One just needs to download the Royal Enfield App and follow on-screen instructions to connect their mobile phone with the tripper screen display unit. Once connected, users need to enter the details of their journey. The on-board navigation display comes handy when a user does not have a mobile holder.
The motorcycle has been equipped with some accessories such as exhaust add-on and crash guard. There are several other official accessories offered with Meteor 350. This makes it easier to customize the ride, as per your specific tastes and preferences.
Meteor 350 first ride
According to Abhinav, Meteor 350 is almost completely devoid of vibrations. This is quite similar to that of Honda CB350. The seat has an ergonomic bucket design and the cushioning is also quite comfortable. The suspension is softer than CB350, something that is helpful when negotiating bumps on the road. The throttle response is pretty good and the engine delivers tractable power with good torque spread. Abhinav also seems impressed with the throaty exhaust note of Meteor 350.
Abhinav will be posting more videos on Meteor 350 in the coming days. The info can be useful to folks who may be planning to buy a 350 cc cruiser motorcycle. More

Credit – Nitin Autoroids
Classic 350 is the most preferred cruiser motorcycle in the country and the primary volumes and revenue generator for Royal Enfield

However, just like everything else, it is not completely perfect. One issue that has often been pointed out is the significant vibration that the motorcycle generates. This issue has acquired even more prominence in recent times, as rivals like Jawa and recently launched Honda CB350 seem to be doing relatively better in terms of vibration.
Is Meteor 350 vibration free?
To take on rivals and meet evolving customer expectations, Royal Enfield recently launched its Meteor 350 motorcycle. This is the first of the several next-gen products that the company will introduce in the coming years.
While Meteor 350 comes with a long list of features, the basic thing that many people want to know is whether the vibration issue has been fixed. The answer to that is quite clear in this video uploaded on YouTube.
While a vibration meter would have provided scientifically verifiable evidence, this test utilizes a more basic tool – a glass of water. However, this test methodology seems quite effective in comparing vibrations coming from two motorcycles. A plastic glass has been used in this test, which is more sensitive to vibrations as compared to other materials such as metal or glass.
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When kept on Meteor 350 rear seat (with the engine on), the glass of water creates just a few ripples on the surface. There is no movement of the glass or water drops bouncing off the surface. When the engine is revved up, the vibrations seem to be even lower. The test is then carried out on the front seat with similar results.
Things change dramatically on Classic 350, as the glass of water kept on the rear seat starts to move as soon as the engine is started. When revved up, the glass takes just a few seconds to move and fall from the motorcycle. This clearly shows that Meteor 350 has significantly less vibration, as compared to Classic 350.
Reasons for low vibrations on Meteor 350
There are several factors that have helped reduce vibrations on Meteor 350. The motorcycle utilizes an entirely new J series platform and completely new engine with SOHC setup that generates smooth tractable power. The engine is also equipped with a counter balancer that minimizes vibrations.
Another factor is the enhanced chassis setup, which is stiffer, more durable and stronger. High specification suspension and improved seat cushioning could also contribute to low vibration on Meteor 350.
With close to zero vibrations, Meteor 350 will be a lot more enjoyable on long journeys. Royal Enfield will also update its other products including Classic and Bullet with the new engine and chassis. Features like integrated Bluetooth powered navigation system are also expected to be offered as standard with several next-gen Royal Enfield motorcycles. More