Boom sales of the new Royal Enfield 650cc twins are morphing the traditional Indian motorcycle manufacturer from a small-capacity bike company into a mid-capacity manufacturer.
After years of record growth, the company has now reported several months of declining sales.
However, the decrease is only in the 350cc models which had previously made up more than 90% of their global sales, mostly within India.
RE sales last month dropped 17% with the 350s down 21%, their 500s up 21% and the 650s increasing by 140%.
With the introduction last year of the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, the make-up of the company is certainly changing.
Aussie boom
Australian importer Urban Moto Imports reports a similar boom trend here since the new twins arrived early this year.
Marketing Manager Mal Jarrett says the twins are “setting sales records and gaining awards around the globe faster than any other model in the history of the marque”.
“Surprisingly, the demand for the Classic 500 hasn’t really changed, in fact if anything it has increased, but the Classic 350 sales have dropped slightly, which was to be expected,” he says.
“Supply (of the twins) is now levelling out depending on the colour combination required. Most back orders have now been filled.
“The uptake of the model has exceeded all expectations.
“We were quietly confident that the new 650 Twins were going to eclipse anything that we have seen with sales in the past, but even the most optimistic amongst us couldn’t have predicted just how successful the models’ introduction would be.”
Twins ride-away pricing
Interceptor 650
- $9790 (solid colours — orange, black and silver);
- $9990 two-tone (orange, white and gold pinstripe; red, black and white pinstripe);
- $10,290 chrome tank.
Continental GT
- $9990 (pale blue, black with gold GT stripes);
- $10,190 (two-tone black/silver with yellow pinstripe, white with silver and blue stripe);
- $10,490 (chrome).
Source: MotorbikeWriter.com