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Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Automotive |
Predecessor | Royal Enfield (1901-1971) |
Founded | 1955 1901 (as The Enfield Cycle Company Limited) | (as Enfield Motors)
Headquarters | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India [1] |
Areas served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
Products | Motorcycles |
Production output | 846,000 units (2018) [2] |
Revenue | ₹8,965.00 crore (US$1.1 billion) (2018) [2] |
₹2,808.00 crore (US$350 million) (2018) [2] | |
₹1,960 crore (US$250 million) (2018) [2] | |
Parent | Eicher Motors |
Subsidiaries |
|
Website | www |
Royal Enfield is an Indian multinational motorcycle manufacturing company, headquartered in Chennai. The Royal Enfield brand, including its original English heritage, is the oldest global motorcycle brand in continuous production. [3] The company operates manufacturing plants in Chennai in India.
The first Royal Enfield motorcycle was built in 1901 by The Enfield Cycle Company of Redditch, Worcestershire, England, which was responsible for the design and original production of the Royal Enfield Bullet, the longest-lived motorcycle design in history. [4] Licensed from the original English Royal Enfield by the indigenous Indian Madras Motors, the company is now a subsidiary of Eicher Motors, an Indian automaker. [5] The company makes classic-looking motorcycles including the Royal Enfield Bullet, Classic 350, Royal Enfield Thunderbird, Meteor 350, Classic 500, Interceptor 650, Continental and many more. Royal Enfield also makes adventurous and offroading motorcycles like the Royal Enfield Himalayan. Their motorcycles are equipped with single-cylinder and twin-cylinder engines. [6]
After the Indian Independence Act 1947 the new government looked for a suitable motorcycle for its army to patrol the country's border. In 1952 the Royal Enfield Bullet was chosen as the most suitable bike for the job. In 1954, the government ordered 800 in units of the 350 cc model. In 1955, the Redditch company partnered with Madras Motors in India to form 'Enfield India' to assemble, under licence, the 350 cc Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle in Madras (now called Chennai). The tooling was sold to Enfield India so that they could manufacture components. [7] By 1962, all the components were made in India. The Indian Enfield uses the 1960 engine (with metric bearing sizes), Royal Enfield still makes an essentially similar bike in the 350 cc and 500 cc models, along with several different models for different market segments. [8]
In the year 1990, Royal Enfield collaborated with the Eicher Group, an automotive company in India, and merged with it in 1994. [9] Apart from bikes, Eicher Group is involved in the production and sales of commercial vehicles and automotive gears. Although Royal Enfield experienced difficulties in the 1990s, and ceased motorcycle production at their Jaipur factory in 2002, [10] by 2013 the company opened a new primary factory in the Chennai suburb of Oragadam on the strength of increased demand for its motorcycles. This was followed in 2017 by the inauguration of another new factory of a similar size to the facility at Oragadam (capacity 600,000 vehicles per year) at Vallam Vadagal. The original factory at Tiruvottiyur became secondary, and continues to produce some limited-run motorcycle models. [11] [12] [13] [14]
Flooding, produced by the heaviest rainfall in Chennai in over a century, caused Royal Enfield to cut production by 4,000 motorcycles in November 2015, followed by a shutdown of the plants in Thiruvottiyur and Oragadam on 1 December, as well as the company offices in Chennai. [15] Production resumed at 50% capacity on 7 December and operations at both plants were back to normal on 14 December. [16]
Royal Enfield announced its first takeover of another company in May, 2015 with the purchase of a UK motorcycle design and manufacturing firm, Harris Performance Products, [17] [18] that had previously developed the chassis of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cafe Racer. [19] Harris work with the UK-based part of Royal Enfield's development team, who are based at the UK Technology Centre at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire. The team was established in January 2015, and moved into their new, purpose-built facility in May 2017. By the end of 2019, the team numbered 155 and carries out the full spectrum of design and development activities, from concept generation and clay design to engineering design, prototyping and validation.
Royal Enfield currently sells motorcycles in more than 50 countries. Royal Enfield surpassed Harley-Davidson in global sales in 2015. [20] [21]
In August 2015, Royal Enfield Motors announced it is establishing its North American headquarters and a dealership in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with the intention to offer three bikes, the Bullet 500, Classic 500 and Continental GT 535 Cafe Racer as they feel this engine size represents an under-served market. The dealership will be Royal Enfield's first company-owned store in the U.S., according to Rod Copes, president of Royal Enfield North America. [22] [23] The company wants to establish about 100 dealerships in American cities starting with Milwaukee.
Later in August 2015, parent-business Eicher announced its entry in Indonesia as a part of its global strategy in the mid-sized (250–750 cc) motorcycle segment, initially starting retail operations from a dealership in Jakarta. [24] [25] From April to September, 2015, Royal Enfield's domestic sales were 50% higher than the previous year, despite a declining motorcycle market in India. [26]
The Royal Enfield Bullet has the longest and unchanged production run of any motorcycle having remained continuously in production since 1948. [27] [28] The Bullet marque is even older and has passed 75 years of continuous production. The Royal Enfield and Bullet names were derived from the British company which had been a subcontractor to the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, London. [28]
It has been long associated with the Police and Armed forces in India and owning one is considered a privilege by most Indians and continues to remain ever popular in India. Although the Bullet 500 was discontinued due to poor sales, The Next Generation Bullet 350 was launched on September 1st, 2023. It has a retro style and is priced at ₹1.74 lakh (US$2,090) in India. In January 2024 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 was launched in two new colors- Military Silver Black and Military Silver Red. [29]
Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Classic 500 are models of Royal Enfield motorcycles which have been in production since 2009. The Classic series of Royal Enfield motorcycles are inspired by the Royal Enfield G2 350cc Bullet motorcycle, first produced in 1948. [30] .It has also been confused often with the Bullet for their similar look in design as the Classic is a modernised version of the original Royal Enfield Bullet.
The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 [31] [32] [33] is a roadster motorcycle launched by Royal Enfield in August 2022 [34] [35] in India. It is powered by 349cc BS6 engine that produces 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of torque. The Hunter 350 [36] is the most affordable motorcycle under the new J-platform, and the second least expensive bike after Royal Enfield Bullet 350. The motorcycle features a retro-style single-piece seat, a classic round headlamp, a flat handlebar and a sculpted fuel tank. Within a month of launch Hunter 350 becomes the second highest selling Royal Enfield motorcycle. [37]
Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 is a 648cc factory-custom bobber based on the same platform as the new Super Meteor 650. A limited edition Shotgun was launched at the Motoverse 2023. [38] Later on the production version was revealed. [39]
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is an adventure touring motorcycle manufactured by Royal Enfield. It was revealed in February 2015 and launched in early 2016. Pierre Terblanche led the design team during Himalayan's development. [40] A variant of it The SCRAM 411 is also in production .It is specially designed for use on Adventure trails.
Royal Enfield unveiled a 650 cc twin-cylinder engine at their Technology Centre, Harris Performance Products, in Leicestershire, England, in November 2017 to power a new generation of Royal Enfield motorcycles. It was showcased at the Milan Motorcycle Show on 7 November 2017 in Italy, [41] where two motorcycles based on the engine, the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 were revealed. [42] Both models were introduced to the US market in November 2018 to positive reviews. [43] [44] The Interceptor is marketed as the INT650 in the United States where Honda has a trademark on the Interceptor name. [45] During the years 2020–2021, the 650cc twins were the best-selling motorcycles in Great Britain. [46]
The Royal Enfield Continental GT is a Neo-retro Café Racer .The first model to use the name, the Continental GT 250, was produced by the original Royal Enfield in the 1960s UK. The name was revived by the Indian manufacturer in the 2010s with the Continental GT 535 (now discontinued) and Continental GT 650.
Royal Enfield launched a new lineup of cruiser motorcycles on 6 November 2020 named Meteor. It replaced the Thunderbird 350 and 350X series which were discontinued earlier that year. It uses a 349 cc single cylinder engine featuring a single overhead camshaft system (SOHC), and a completely new engine with fewer moving parts than the 346 cc of the Classic 350. [47] It is the first Royal Enfield to offer the Tripper navigation system. [48]
Zündapp was a major German motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1917 in Nuremberg by Fritz Neumeyer, together with the Friedrich Krupp AG and the machine tool manufacturer Thiel under the name "Zünder- und Apparatebau G.m.b.H." as a producer of detonators. In 1919, as the demand for weapons parts declined after World War I, Neumeyer became the sole proprietor of the company, and two years later he diversified into the construction of motorcycles.
Royal Enfield was a brand name under which The Enfield Cycle Company Limited of Redditch, Worcestershire, England, sold motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers and stationary engines which it manufactured. Enfield Cycle Company also used the brand name "Enfield" without the "Royal".
Eicher Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive company that manufactures motorcycles and commercial vehicles, headquartered in New Delhi. Eicher is the parent company of Royal Enfield, a manufacturer of middleweight motorcycles.
JAWA is a motorcycle and moped manufacturer founded in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1929 by František Janeček, who bought the motorcycle division of Wanderer. The name JAWA was established by concatenating the first letters of Janeček and Wanderer. In the past, especially in the 1950s, JAWA was one of the top motorcycle manufacturers and exported its 350 model to over 120 countries. The best known model was the 350 Pérák, and in the 1970s the 350 Californian. It appeared in typical black and red coloring from the US to New Zealand. After 1990 a significant loss of production occurred. A successor company was formed in 1997 in Týnec nad Sázavou, continuing the name as JAWA Moto.
A diesel motorcycle is a motorcycle with a diesel engine.
The automotive industry in India is the fourth-largest by production in the world as per 2022 statistics. As of 2023, India is the 3rd largest automobile market in the world in terms of sales. In 2022, India became the fourth largest country in the world by the valuation of its automotive industry.
Chennai is nicknamed the "Detroit of Asia" due to the presence of major automobile manufacturing units and allied industries around the city.
Harris Performance Products are a British-based motorcycle racing and parts manufacturer. The business started in Roydon, Essex, England making replacement chassis for road racing, housing Yamaha TZ250/TZ350 engines using a monoshock rear suspension layout. It was absorbed in 2015 by a conglomerate specialising in vehicle production, based in India.
The Royal Enfield Bullet was initially an overhead valve, single-cylinder, four-stroke motorcycle made by Royal Enfield in Redditch, Worcestershire, now produced by Royal Enfield (India) at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. A company originally founded by Madras Motors to build Royal Enfield motorcycles under the licence of India. The Royal Enfield Bullet has the longest and unchanged production run of any motorcycle having remained continuously in production since 1948. The Bullet marque is even older and has passed 75 years of continuous production. The Royal Enfield and Bullet names were derived from the British company which had been a subcontractor to the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, London.
The Super Meteor was a British motorcycle made by Royal Enfield for export to the US between 1952 and 1962, when the Super Meteor was replaced by the 736 cc Royal Enfield Interceptor.
The Interceptor is a British motorcycle made by Royal Enfield between 1960 and 1970. The 700 Interceptor introduced in 1960 was a modified version of the company's 692 cc (42.2 cu in) Constellation model. In 1962, the company introduced the 750 Interceptor which evolved constantly until the end of production in 1970. In 2018, the Interceptor model was reintroduced as a 648 cc (39.5 cu in) parallel twin.
The Royal Enfield Thunderbird is a cruiser style motorcycle produced by Royal Enfield Motors in India. The Royal Enfield Thunderbird is known as Royal Enfield Rumbler in export markets.
Siddhartha Vikram Lal is an Indian businessman. He is the son of Vikram Lal, and a former chief executive officer (CEO) and the current managing director (MD) of Eicher Motors, a director of Eicher Goodearth Limited and chairman and MD of VE Commercial Vehicles. Lal is credited with the turnaround and revival of Royal Enfield.
The Royal Enfield Himalayan is an adventure touring motorcycle manufactured by Royal Enfield. It was revealed in February 2015 and launched in early 2016. Pierre Terblanche led the design team during Himalayan's development.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Classic 500 are models of Royal Enfield motorcycles which have been in production since 2009. The Classic series of Royal Enfield motorcycles are inspired by the Royal Enfield G2 350cc Bullet motorcycle, first produced in 1948.
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 is a parallel twin retro-styled motorcycle introduced by Royal Enfield in 2018. It is the first modern twin cylinder motorcycle developed by the company.
The Royal EnfieldMeteor is an Indian cruiser-style motorcycle manufactured by Royal Enfield in India. The model was developed by engineers based at Royal Enfield’s two state-of-the-art technical centres, in Chennai. The Meteor is a direct replacement to Thunderbird 350.
The Royal Enfield Continental GT is a Neo-retro Café Racer motorcycle produced by Royal Enfield (India). The first model to use the name, the Continental GT 250, was produced by the original Royal Enfield in the 1960s UK. The name was revived by the Indian manufacturer in the 2010s with the Continental GT 535 and Continental GT 650.
Slater Brothers was a British, and later American, motorcycle dealer and importer. They are best known as the UK importers of Laverda motorcycles, and for developing high-performance versions of Laverda models, especially the Jota.
The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is a roadster motorcycle launched by Royal Enfield (India) in August 2022 in India. It is powered by 349cc BS6 engine that produces 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of torque. The Hunter 350 is the most affordable motorcycle under the new J-platform, and the second least expensive bike after Royal Enfield Bullet 350. The motorcycle features a retro-style single-piece seat, a classic round headlamp, a flat handlebar and a sculpted fuel tank. Within a month of launch Hunter 350 becomes the second highest selling Royal Enfield motorcycle.
A version of this article appears in print on 4 January 2014, on page B1 of the New York edition with the headline: A Cult Motorcycle From India Takes on the World.
Manufacturing at the Jaipur plant, which has a capacity to produce 13,000 mobikes, is under suspension and according to the plan it is expected to resume operations as soon as the Chennai plant achieves full capacity utilisation.
...Royal Enfield will acquire all assets, employees, trade names, technical know-how and intellectual property of Harris Performance Products Ltd, the company said in a statement without disclosing the deal value.
Although HD motorcycles sell at a huge premium over their RE kin (HD's most affordable model in India sells for around Rs 5 lakh while RE's most expensive model comes for Rs 2 lakh), what's remarkable is the stunning turnaround by one of the world's oldest motorcycle brands.
Copes has previously worked with Harley-Davidson for nearly 20 years, most recently as Head of Global Sales and Customer Service.
The company's performance is in sharp contrast to the overall segment, which has been reeling under a slowdown with rural sales affected by below normal monsoon in several parts of the country.