The new models will have a new design and features but will stay true to their roots.
Royal Enfield is the market leader in the 350-500cc segment and that too by a huge margin. Even though there is no direct competition for the retro looking bikes, the company doesn’t want to detract buyers by keeping the same design going on for too long. Hence, the company will be introducing new generation models which are most likely to start coming in around 2020 when the BS6 emission norms kick in.
The new generation Royal Enfield Classic, Bullet, Thunderbird and Himalayan motorcycles will have a new design but will stay close to the company’s roots of making cruiser motorcycles. The engines too will get a power upgrade as the Indian Government has made it mandatory for bikes above 125cc to have fuel injection. While the company is at it, it might even rework the engine to better the noise, vibrations and harshness parameters. This will set a new bar in terms of NVH levels on Royal Enfield bikes. The engine will, of course, be BS6 emission norms compliant.
A bike with a better engine needs better stopping power. We expect the new generation Royal Enfield Classic, Bullet, Thunderbird and Himalayan motorcycles to get radially mounted brake callipers. The bikes have never known to have good braking and the added weight doesn’t help either. This too might change with the incorporation of aluminium or other lightweight materials. All these bikes will be based on the J platform which has been specifically designed for motorcycles under 500cc.
The new generation Royal Enfield Classic, Bullet and Himalayan motorcycles might even start coming with a projector headlight. The Royal Enfield Thunderbird already gets it but the next generation bike might also get a differently styled handlebar for better cruising ability. Since it will be 2020 and new government regulations are focussing on safety, expect all the bikes from Royal Enfield to get an ABS.
All these enhancements, coupled with the rising input costs mean that the new generation models will be more expensive. But if Royal Enfield nails it, then its market domination will continue and even increase if the standard of the motorcycles increase.
New Generation Royal Enfield Classic
– The bike is under development along with Bullet, Thunderbird and Himalayan
– All the bikes will get a redesign and added features and safety
– Engine output too is most likely to increase
– Expect the bikes to start coming in from 2020
Source – ETAuto.com
