Either Motors is the brand behind the popular Royal Enfield motorcycles. In India, Royal Enfield is known for its classic retro-looking 350cc-650cc motorcycles. The company now aims to create a new perception among the customers, with the goal to launch more market-leading motorcycles. The company has also developed a new BS6 compliant engine and a new platform, which can be seen powering the brand’s recent product launch- Meteor 350.
Royal Enfield has revealed its plans to launch at least 28 new models in the next seven years, with at least one new bike to be introduced every quarter in both, domestic and international markets. The company is also planning to set up an assembly unit in Thailand in the next year, followed by another manufacturing assembly in Brazil, to cater to the international markets.
“We have now got a product plan for the next five to seven years. We are looking at launching a new model almost every quarter and I am not even talking variants and color options kind of stuff…28 models at least (in the next seven years) that”s the bare minimum,” Royal Enfield CEO Vinod K Dasari told PTI. He further said, “All these (new models) will play in the mid-segment — 250cc to 750cc. That”s our focus area…and we will continue to strengthen it by bringing in evocative, accessible, and truly a global line of products.” “We have adequate production capacity for the next 2 to 3 years, and therefore, a significant chunk of our investments will be directed towards the development of new products, technology, and capability enhancement, and global expansion,” he said.
Royal Enfield has recently launched the Meteor 350, which is the successor to the Thunderbird. The Meteor 350 is powered by a 349cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes 20.2bhp of maximum power and 27Nm of peak torque. The bike comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox. This engine and platform will also be used for future RE motorcycles. The special thing about the engine is the balancer shaft, which reduces vibrations significantly.
At the same time, the bike also retains a noticeable RE signature exhaust note. Royal Enfield Meteor 350 comes with a host of features like- a Digi-analogue instrument cluster with 8 tell-tale lights and an analog speedometer. The digital screen shows a host of important information like a service reminder, fuel-level bar, a clock, a gear indicator, and an eco indicator. There is also a color TFT screen, called as Tripper Navigation Display Unit. This can be paired with the rider’s smartphone via Bluetooth, and it will display turn-by-turn navigation in both day and night modes.