India’s oldest motorcycle manufacturing company, Royal Enfield, is exploring newer segments, with the idea of bigger engines and diesel variants.
With petrol prices sky rocketing the company has started planning diesel engines for its range of bikes. The Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Royal Enfield classic 500 are the two bikes which will be available in the diesel variants. These two bikes have a high demand not only in India, but across the globe, thus ensuring a rise in sales after the diesel variants are out.
Royal Enfield is looking to upgrade to the segment of 750cc engines and above in the coming years – “It makes sense for us to move into that (750cc, twin cylinder bikes) category. So many bike companies have been entering India and competition has just begun. However, things are at a very early stage, as neither the volumes from that segment or the commercials seem encouraging”, Mr. Venkatesh Padmanabhan, chief executive, said.
Royal Enfield was the first two-wheeler manufacturer to introduce diesel powered bikes in the late 1990s. Now the firm intends to bring these diesel burning machines back on duty on the Indian roads. Along with this, the firm has also planned to develop street versions of the Café Racer concept which would be introduced in the coming 12-18 months. The Café Racer concept was displayed by the firm at the 2010 Auto Expo in Delhi.
It has also been reported that Hero Moto Corp too is under the process of developing a diesel powered bike which is currently under ARAI certification testing.
Also see – Royal Enfield plans 750cc and 1000cc bikes in India
