After producing variations on what is essentially the same iconic “Bullet” model for more than 75 years, the 500cc Classic, is made to look older than any of them.
The target year for the styling of the new retro-look, single-cylinder bike was 1951, but “we wanted it to be timeless”, said Siddartha Lal, chief executive of Eicher Motors, which took over Royal Enfield in 1994.
Speaking at the press conference held in Delhi, Lal said that Royal Enfield has an extremely rich heritage of practical leisure motorcycling for over a hundred years and that the core of it has always has been “a harmonious integration of design and technology towards delivering excellent ride ability at all speeds and riding conditions.”
“With the Classic 350, we have taken this ideology and refined it further to deliver a sublime and timeless retro-chic look with a highly responsive engine and chassis,” Lal said adding the rider experiences an exhilarating ride, regardless of whether s/he is going to office in the morning or for an adventure to the Himalayas or even around the world.
Lal admits that the company’s niche market has always been dominated by 50-year-old “been there, done that” bikers, but hopes the new model will bring in younger buyers. “It’s unique, so we’re not in competition with other bike brands. Our competition is for disposable income, so what we’re really up against is a holiday or a flat-screen television.”
While the bike retains the “thumper” sound of the traditional single-cylinder, the previously separated engine and transmission have been combined in a single unit, with an electronic fuel-injection system and electric starting.
Eicher hopes the changes will widen the Enfield’s appeal beyond its niche market of passionate bikers who were willing to put up with oil leaks, faulty clutch cables and dodgy brakes for a chance to own a piece of design history.
The Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500 EFI is the first fuel injected motorcycle by Royal Enfield, and thus the most technologically advanced Bullet to roll out of the Royal Enfield factory at Chennai. At 499cc, single cylinder UCE (Unitary Construction Engine) four stroke engine, the Bullet Classic 500 also happens to be the most powerful Bullet in production, producing 27.2bhp at 5250 rpm and a whopping 41.3Nm of torque at 4000 rpm.
The new engine is eco-friendly Euro III compliant, something which Royal Enfield needed to do in order to continue selling motorcycles in the European market. While the styling of the Bullet Classic has received subtle touches, it still retains the quintessential classic British style that is inextricably linked to the Royal Enfield name.
The Royal Enfield Classic 500EFI also marks a shift away from the 19” wheels, which are common to all other Royal Enfields and sheds them in favor of the more generic 18” wheels, with the rear tyre now coming in a 110/90×18 size while the front one is shod with 90/90×18”.
The original British manufacturer unveiled the first “Bullet” in 1932 and Enfield India was formed in 1955 to make civilian and military models under license. Bullet production in England ended in 1962, but Enfield India kept rolling them out and began exporting to Europe in the 1980s.
The new Classic model was launched in Europe in late 2008 and in the US market a few months later, to generally very favourable reviews in the trade press. Some 2,000 units have so far been sold overseas, but the company’s main market has always been India, which accounts for more than 90 percent of total sales. Nepal alone sells a shy of 200 bikes a year.
Dugar Bros and Sons in Kathmandu informed Republica that the bikes will hit the Kathmandu streets by the end of this month. “We have plans to bring the fresh lot of new releases by the end of November,” Pujan Nakarmi of Dugar group told Republica over the phone.
In India the 500cc Classic will retail for around 125,000 rupees (2,650 dollars), with a 350cc version selling for 98,000 rupees (2,100 dollars). Not yet priced for Nepali market, the sole distributor for Royal Enfield brand of bikes will bring in all three colours: turquoise-green, dark black and maroon-red. Currently, Dugar sells Thunderbird (350cc), Electra (350cc) and Machismo (350cc and 500cc) from their showroom in Balaju. According to officials, the company saw a massive upsurge in the sale of Bullet bikes in Kathmandu.
According to Nakarmi, the sale increased by 65 per cent to more than 150 in last fiscal year.
Relatively much expensive than other bikes on the street, the increase for the love of such classic can be attributed to Himalayan Enfielders, a loose-group of Bullet owners and adventure enthusiasts who co-op a hangout-cum-workshop service center, first-of-its-kind, where they meet and fraternize. They also organize charity events, occasional road trips to different destinations throughout the country and do adventure sports, like the bungee-jump etc.
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