It seems like it’s Royal Enfield’s turn now to introduce price hikes across its portfolio. The last few months have been particularly hard for manufacturers due to extremely low sales. Even though the automotive industry is back on its feet now, the losses incurred in the first couple of months during the lockdown have made a huge dent. Manufacturers are now trying to make up for it by increasing the prices of their products. Taking Royal Enfield into consideration, the bikemaker has increased the prices of the Himalayan and the 650 twins.
Updated pricing
The Himalayan now costs INR 1,836 more across its colour variants. This is the Himalayan’s second price hike since its BS6 launch in January. The first hike in March saw the motorcycle’s price increase by Rs 2,700.
The base variant of the Himalayan which used to cost INR 1,89,565 before, now costs 1,91,401. On the other hand, the Lake Blue variant which serves as the most expensive colour variant of the Himalayan, will now set you back by INR 1,95,990. It used to cost INR 1,94,154 earlier. The 650 twins which include the Interceptor 650 and the Continental GT 650 have received a similar price hike. This is the first time the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 have received a price hike since the launch of the BS6-compliant versions. The Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 are offered in a total of 11 variants and each of them have received a price hike of INR 1,837.
The base variant of the Interceptor 650 which is dubbed as Orange Crush is now priced at INR 2,66,755 as compared to its previous price tag of INR 2,64,919. The Glitter Dust variant now costs INR 2,87,747. The Continental GT 650’s range now starts at INR 2,90,401 and goes up to INR 3,03,544. Apart from the increase in cost, the motorcycles remain the same mechanically as well as cosmetically. Even after the price hike, the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 BS6 is the most affordable 650cc twin-cylinder motorcycle in India.
In other related news, Royal Enfield will launch its new Meteor 350 by the end of this month. This motorcycle will be powered by a new four-stroke, single-cylinder UCE350 motor, with a long-stroke configuration, just like the company’s previous engines. This too shall be able to deliver high torque at low engine speeds. As per reports, the new UCE350 will produce 20.2 bhp of power and 27 Nm of torque, which is a minor upscale of 1.1bhp and a loss of 1 Nm, compared to the BS6 UCE 350. With the arrival of BS6 norms, the Royal Enfield’s signature thump from the exhaust, now feels muted. The new UCE350 comes with a better and revamped construction, which, fingers crossed, should be louder. This new engine is also expected to provide crisp acceleration, improved refinement and also reduce emissions.
Also read: Royal Enfield Twins FT Racer Debuts At The American Flat Track Competition
This new engine shall come mated to a newly-developed gearbox which has fewer components and linkages, which means lesser parts rubbing against each other, which translates to less friction, higher efficiency and smooth operation. In all probability, it could be a 5-speed unit. Stay tuned for more updates regarding the upcoming Royal Enfield motorcycles.