A ‘Royal’ Ride for Men

There are bikes, there are super bikes and then there are heavy bikes. The craze for heavy bikes, also called muscle bikes, is increasing in the Indian market and the dealers are putting in more effort to meet the demands.

There is something about bikes that defies logic. When you are riding a bike on a long drive, the wind on your face and the ruffling of your hair makes you feel one with nature.

Brands like Harley-Davidson, Royal Enfield and Rajdoot are leaving no stones unturned to woo youngsters to tame the mean machine. However, Chennai-based Royal Enfield is giving a tough competition to the US-based Harley Davidson.

In a recent report, Enfield has overtaken Harley in global sales in 2014. Royal Enfield reported 42% jump in domestic sales at 28,157 units in January this year, compared to 19,808 units in December last year. The company’s total sales stood at 28,927 units in December, up 43% from 20,232 units in January 2014. Exports stood at 770 units, up from 424 units in the year ago period.

The Chennai-based Royal Enfield (RE) has sold over three lakh bikes in 2014, a 70% growth year-over-year, whereas Harley’s number stood at 2.67 lakh units, a 3% growth from the previous year.

The main reason behind the raising figures lies in the prices among the models of the Indian company and those of the American giant. Harley’s most affordable model in India costs around Rs 5 lakh while RE’s most expensive model comes for Rs 2 lakh. 

In November last year, the American-cult bike maker expanded its portfolio in the country by launching three new bikes, but could not woo the Indian youth.

With the launch of the three new models – Breakout (Rs 16.28 lakh), Street Glide Special (Rs 29.70 lakh) and the hand-crafted CVO Limited (Rs 49.23 lakh), Harley-Davidson India now has a product line-up of 13 models in the domestic market.

In January, HD Street 750 donned the Gujarat road during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. The bikes were used for escorting and piloting of VIP convoys.

The Street 750 accounts to almost 85% of the monthly business of Harley-Davidson in the metros like Delhi and Ahmedabad. But high price has let to decrease in sales of the mean machine. The bike comes with a price tag of Rs 4.1 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

However, Enfield’s sales performance partly owes to the success of its contemporary models such as the Classic, Thunderbird and the Continental GT.

Owned by the Rs 1,758 crore worth Eicher Motors, and run by MD & CEO Siddhartha Lal, Enfield now wants to build a strong presence in Western Europe and the US while the domestic demand for its bikes remains strong.

In 1955, the Indian government wanted a motorcycle for the police and the army, and due to heavy and rough usage, Royal Enfield was chosen as the most suitable bike for the job. Till now, the Enfield bikes are made in India and also exported to America, Australia and South Africa.

Enfield was considered the only true touring motorcycle that was manufactured in India. In the past few years, the company had majorly focused on two basic things that the brand depends upon – riding and going miles.

Initially, Enfield was just a fringe player in the domestic motorcycle market but its newer and more reliable models compared to its Japanese rivals swamped the biking sector. With time, Enfield has swiftly transformed into a lifestyle company with smart brand promotion and churning out some really competitive products. 

(With inputs from agencies)