Royal Enfield has dropped its plans of developing a 250cc motorcycle, and will instead focus on new 350cc and 650cc models
According to the latest reports, Royal Enfield is no longer working on a new 250cc entry-level motorcycle for the Indian market. Dubbed the ‘project V’, the new motorcycle was planned as an affordable alternative to the 350cc models in RE’s range. With competition in the 200cc to 500cc segment increasing, this would’ve been a great addition to the manufacturer’s range.
Sadly, Royal Enfield is currently facing supply chain issues. The company is trying to increase its manufacturing capacity, but is failing to meet the expected production figures. This has not only also resulted in lower dispatch/sales figures, but delays in the introduction of newer models as well.
The RE Thunderbird was discontinued at the beginning of this year, and was scheduled to be replaced by the new Meteor. Sadly, the motorcycle suffered numerous delays, and is currently scheduled to launch after Diwali. As for the Classic 350, the current-gen model continues on sale with minor updates, and the next-generation version is now expected to launch after April 2021.
Royal Enfield has plans to introduce a few new 650cc models as well. A few months earlier, the test mule of an upcoming 650cc low-slung cruiser motorcycle was spied in India. The company will also be introducing the 650cc versions of the Bullet and Classic, as replacements for the now-discontinued 500cc range.
With so many new products already in the pipeline, the decision to axe the new project seems understandable. That said, the brand will have to rethink its strategy thoroughly, as the competition is quite tough now. The Honda H’ness CB350 was recently introduced in India, and Classic Legends already had the Jawa motorcycles in the market.
Once the Meteor 350 launches, we might get to see a glimpse of how Royal Enfield plans to stay ahead of its competition post lockdown. However, it is the new Classic that is expected to be the biggest seller for the brand, after its launch next year. Any further delays these next-gen 350 models could be potentially disastrous, making it hard for the brand to recover.