Royal Enfield

Royal Enfield service on wheels

The door-step service relies on specially equipped Royal Enfield motorcycles which will be available at every dealership soon
In June 2020, Royal Enfield introduced service on wheels. The eponymous service operates through a fleet of service-ready bikes. Somewhat of a necessity in current times where movement is restricted, and folks are skeptical about being in public places. The process is a simple one, and supports current operational requirements.
Royal Enfield Service on Wheels, a boon during lockdown

Royal Enfield Service on Wheels depends on purpose-built bikes. The units are essential in carrying tools, equipment and spare parts, and are now fitted with necessary panniers to store all necessary tools and bits and bobs required. The service platform is designed to perform 90 percent of all typical service and repair requirements at the convenience of a customer. This is essentially a doorstep service. Service on Wheels’ bikes double up as RoadSide Assistance vehicles.

Royal Enfield service on wheels
With service appointments at dealerships restricted owing to physical distancing requirements, such appointments need to be pre-booked so they can be rescheduled. This is a dependable system that safeguards the health of service personnel, and visiting customers. With overcrowding not an option, and service personnel needing to maintain physical distancing when at work, the number of bikes accepted for service is now regulated as per slot availability.
How does RE Service on Wheels work?
So as to not delay regular service appointments owing to space limitation at dealerships now, ‘Service on Wheels’ works as an effective stand-in. These specially fitted Royal Enfield Bullet Trials are available at all RE service centres starting from July 2020. The convenience played out from the Aravinduja Motors team that carried out a first 500 kms service requirement for a fleet of Bullet 350 bikes that were recently delivered to Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue service.

Royal Enfield service on wheels
The new mode of ops meant the bikes didn’t need to be individually taken to the service centre, in essence saving essential time. The special consignment bikes are outfitted with a megaphone, and special red lights, along with a strong carrier setup. The front visor is special fitment and has ‘Fire’ slapped across it.

With bikes requiring rather little place when stationary, the service vehicle will be easy to park at a range of places effectively turning the area into a short-term repair centre. This particular service vehicle is a BSIV Royal Enfield Bullet Trials Works Replica 350 registered to the dealership, and outfitted to function as self contained mobile service unit. Authorized Royal Enfield technicians tend to service tickets while adhering to current safety related guidelines. Customers can choose E-payment options for a contactless service experience. More

BS4 Royal Enfield models are eligible for an extended warranty of up to 4 years or 50,000km if they are less than 22 months old
Chennai-based motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield has introduced extended warranty programmes for both its BS6 and phased-out BS4 models. Dubbed ‘Royal Enfield Secure’, the scheme is even available for ‘UCE 500’ models (discontinued in BS4 format) as well. The programme was launched rather silently since the company has not shared any details regarding it on the official Royal Enfield website.

With this move, the usual worries associated with ageing Royal Enfield products could take a rest to a good extent. However, BS4 models coming under the Royal Enfield Secure should be less than 22 months old. Interested customers can extend the standard pack of 2 years or 30,000km up to 4 years or 50,000km, within 60 days of the former’s end date.
It is mandatory that customers tick Royal Enfield’s preventive maintenance schedules or services in order to be eligible for the extended warranty schemes. The condition is applicable to both BS6 and BS4 products. Below is a brief summary of Royal Enfield’s new ‘Secure’ extended warranty programme:

Royal Enfield extended warranty for BS4 motorcycles
Starting with BS4 ‘UCE 350’ models, customers can extend their existing warranty benefits in one of three stages: up to 2 months, 3-12 months and 13-22 months. Rates stand at Rs 2,150, Rs 2,299 and Rs 2,549, respectively. Meanwhile, rates for BS4 ‘UCE 500’ models (in the same stages) are set at Rs 2,650, Rs 2,799 and Rs 3,149, respectively.
Royal Enfield Secure schemes stay common for both BS6 ‘UCE 350’ models and Himalayan BS6. Within six months of sale, prices start from Rs 1,599 as against Rs 1,899 after six months. Only customers who avail the extended four-year warranty are eligible for a five-year package. There is also an ‘EW + RSA’ (Extended Warranty + Roadside Assistance) option starting at Rs 3,799, for a five-year term. The highest rate is marked at Rs 4,599.

Royal Enfield extended warranty for BS6 motorcycles

Coming to Royal Enfield’s premium ‘650 Twins’ (Interceptor and Continental GT), the extended warranty programme starts at Rs 2,299 from a period within six months from date of purchase and goes up to Rs 6,999 for EW + RSA (up to five years) if opted after six months from buying. Despite being the highest rates under Royal Enfield Secure, the options are quite reasonable for a parallel-twin middleweight motorcycle.
Royal Enfield is almost ready with the next-gen ‘UCE 350’ lineup that starts with the Meteor 350. It will be followed by another model dubbed Hunter. Either model is supposedly based on the same J1D platform. More

Royal Enfield had made its entry into Cambodia – with an aim to strengthen their position in the APAC region
TF Motors is the official distributor in the country. The first flagship store finds an address in Russian Federation Boulevard, Phnom Penh. This is the most populated city in the country, and also the capital of Cambodia.

Vimal Sumbly, Royal Enfield’s Head of Business – APAC markets said, “Royal Enfield has become a very important player in the global mid-size motorcycle market by re-inventing this space with motorcycles that are evocative, engaging and great fun to ride. We are delighted to be formally entering Cambodia, which happens to be one of the key motorcycling destinations for avid motorcyclists around the world. Together with TF Motors , we are going to build a bigger, more exciting motorcycle community in Cambodia.”
Operations in Cambodia begin with a lineup of 5 bikes with mix of single-cylinder or twin-cylinder engines. The 2020 product portfolio pricing for Cambodia is as follows – Bullet 500 for $5,099 (Rs 3.83 lakh), Classic 500 range for $5,314 (Rs 4 lakh) to $5,529 (Rs 4.15 lakh), Himalayan (411cc) for $4,883 (Rs 3.67 lakh), Interceptor 650 in the range of $6,000 (Rs 4.51 lakh) to $6,215 (Rs 4.67 lakh), and Continental GT 650 Cafe racer in the range of $6,215 (Rs 4.67 lakh) to $6,431 (Rs 4.83 lakh).

Royal Enfield Cambodia
Royal Enfield is clear about its mid-size bike focus in the 250cc to 750cc range. The manufacturer is also maximising value proposition of the Himalayan, and 650cc twins, and is keen on exports. This is also a business opportunity that only Royal Enfield can benefit from at present owing to its 650cc twins, which makes the manufacturer the only Indian company that’s exporting 500cc+ segment bikes.
Royal Enfield has in recent months seen market share in segments decline, largely due to the pandemic. The company is focused on future plans and has been working on new motorcycles. Transition from BSIV to BSVI put viability of some bike lines in production in question. While the Classic, Bullet and Thunderbird 500cc motorcycles are no longer in sale in India since the start of the FY, exports continue.
RE 500cc segment sales volume doesn’t match its 350cc segment dominance in domestic market. All along the company has focused on improving its bike exports, and that has been reflected in sales with the 650cc bikes faring well. The auto manufacturer also operates a Thailand assembly plant.

For now, competition in the mid-segment is lower owing to the limited number of bikes in the segment. Market dynamics sees Royal Enfield’s USP standing in good stead, with the 650 twins are poised as a feasible export pick, as well as a choice of upgrade for those looking for a bigger bike in the domestic market. Geared to launch Royal Enfield Meteor 350 in India soon, which will take the reins from the Thunderbird. More

UK-spec Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
Royal Enfield sold 196 Interceptor 650 units in the UK last month and became second only to Honda’s PCX 125 scooter

Chennai-based motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield launched the 650 Twins, Interceptor and Continental GT back in 2018 at a compelling price point. Either classic middleweight motorcycle was updated to BS6 emission norms earlier this year, with ex-showroom prices standing at Rs 2.65 lakh and 2.80 lakh, respectively.
With the 650 Twins, Royal Enfield has made a strong statement in new markets across the world. Besides regular buyers, Royal Enfield’s parallel-twin range is also considered as an efficient yet accessible platform for customisation. We have shared multiple custom examples of the 650 Twins (especially the Interceptor 650) that strike an optimal balance between form and function. Certain builds that are not the most practical (such as the Royal Enfield Kamala) have set a high benchmark for attention to detail.
One of the main selling points of Royal Enfield’s twin-cylinder portfolio is the extreme value for money offered in comparison to a popular European or Japanese alternative coming in the middleweight category. If we take the UK market, Royal Enfield (originally a British brand) has received good response for the Interceptor right from the start.

Indian-spec BS6 variant gets minor cosmetic tweaks
In fact, the modern classic has become the top-selling motorcycle in the United Kingdom as of June 2020. Last year, the title went to BMW Motorrad’s R 1250 GS litre-class adventure motorcycle which hit 188 units. This also gives an insight into how European two-wheeler markets are different from ours — which is dominated by mass-volume products.
At a sales figure of 196 units (a fraction of its Indian sales), the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 also became the second-bestselling two-wheeler in the UK, losing the first position to Honda’s popular scooter offering, PCX 125 (445 units sold in May 2020). Meanwhile, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) had showcased its all-electric variant earlier this year.

Both the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 are powered by a 648cc SOHC air/oil-cooled twin-cylinder engine good for 47bhp @ 7,100rpm and 52Nm @ 5,200rpm. This is mated to a 6-speed transmission via a slipper clutch. They have no direct rivals on the Indian market thanks to such brilliant pricing. However, HMSI is planning to launch the Honda CMX500 Rebel twin-cylinder cruiser in the near future.
Royal Enfield is actively working on the next-gen ‘UCE 350’ single-cylinder range that starts with the Meteor 350 (replacement to the Thunderbird and ThunderbirdX), followed by the Hunter. Both models occasionally reach the internet in test mule formats via random spy shots. The company discontinued its ‘UCE 500’ line ahead of BS6 emission norms. More