We reported earlier that RE will launch the new Royal Enfield Classic 350 and the Meteor 350 in the Indian market this year. The RE Meteor 350 will come as a replacement for the Thunderbird 350. The new motorcycle was originally planned to be launched in early 2020; however, the launch has been pushed to festive season, Diwali. In fact, new reports claim that the launch could further delay to early 2021.
Similarly, the new-gen Royal Enfield Classic 350 launch has also been delayed. The new motorcycle is reportedly to go on sale in the second quarter of 2021, post April. The company was aiming to introduce a new product every quarter this financial year; that didn’t happen. In order to maintain sales, RE introduced the BS6 versions of its entire line-up.
With no new product this festive season, Royal Enfield will have a huge task to maintain the sales number. Honda’s new CB350 is also gaining good response and could impact the sales of the Royal Enfield. The report further claims that the entry-level 250cc Royal Enfield bike, internally called Project V, has been shelved. The company is aiming to prioritize profit market over outright sales numbers. RE aims to achieve 25% EBIDTA margin for 50,000 units a month, and this will be achieved by improving the cost structure.
The next-generation Royal Enfield Classic 350 will be designed and developed on the new modular J platform, which will be used to develop new breed of RE 350cc motorcycles. The motorcycle has been spotted several times on the Indian roads. It is expected to retain the old-school classic profile with more modern design elements. The motorcycle is likely to receive LED headlamps, digital instrument console, new colour options and others.
The new RE Classic 350 will be powered by a new 350cc single-cylinder, fuel-injected engine that will debut in the new Meteor. This engine is capable of producing 20.2bhp of power and 27Nm of torque. Power will be transmitted to the rear wheel via a 5-speed gearbox. The motorcycle will have disc brakes, and dual-channel ABS system. Suspension mechanism will include telescopic forks at the front and twin shock absorbers at the back.
Source – ET Auto
