Honda RE Rival

Honda to launch a middle-weight Royal Enfield rival; Could carry Ducati Scrambler DNA

The iconic Indian brand, Royal Enfield will soon face new competition in the form of an all-new rival from Honda. This comes as a part of the Japanese brand’s efforts to step up its game in the middle-weight bike category and would be the second model from the company after the 650F.

Moneycontrol cited a source who stated that Honda is working on a platform that can directly take on the niche segment occupied by Royal Enfield. However, the company is still unsure of the product type that could fit the bill.

 

The source told Moneycontrol, “Even globally Honda does not have a direct answer to the product range and category that Royal Enfield has to offer. But we need to find a solution and we are working on that. In the US and Thailand Honda has something like the cruiser but those would not be an ideal fit as a challenge.”

Also Read: Royal Enfield Continental GT Surf Racer Looks Breathtakingly Beautiful

He added that the company could take inspiration from the Ducati Scrambler as it looks to design an all-new platform. “What we are looking for is something on the lines of the Ducati Srambler, something that carries a similar DNA. But again that’s a product kind that we are not familiar with and we are working on it. We should be out with a product of that kind by say 2020.”

The source pointed out that the company has experience of the category in the form of the Rebel range available in the US and it was keenly looking forward to applying it to develop the new bike. The Indian R&D team will be involved in the project.

The middle-weight category is one of the fastest growing categories in the country and Honda is looking to bite into the pie. Indian bike-major Bajaj and Mahindra Two Wheelers also recently launched their models, the Dominar and the Mojo but have received very limited success in the category.

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