FIRST RIDE
P60
ROYAL ENFIELD CONTINENTAL GT
250,000 motorcycles in 2014.
"We're already the leader of
the 250-750cc midsize motorcycle market in India, where there's
a seven-month waiting list for our
models," says Lal. "Despite experiencing a difficult period 15 years
ago, we stuck to our guns, and
whatever it takes to be a global
leader in this midsize sector, we'll
do it. The Continental GT is the
first fruit of the major $22 million investment in our new plant
that's resulting in a better than 50
percent growth in deliveries yearon-year, and is allowing us to put
a dent in that waiting list in our
home market, as well as to substantially increase export sales."
Royal Enfields are currently
exported to 54 countries around
the globe, with the U.S. presently the largest customer for these
evocative examples of history on
wheels, with 3500 bikes sold
there in 2012.
So the debut of the Continental GT marks a key step in the
evolution of what has for many
years been the prestige brand in
the world's second largest motorcycle market, via the range of
350/500cc OHV pushrod singles in the Bullet family. But Eicher is now set on growing Royal
Enfield into a true world brand
and the Continental GT represents a considerable step up
from anything RE has previously
offered in terms of quality, engineering, styling, and finish – the
latter facilitated by the brand-new
The Royal Enfield is made in India
in the new Eicher Motors factory
near Chennai.
machinery at Oragadam (including robot welders and an automated paint shop) that the bikes
are now built with.
As such, it also kickstarts a
campaign to position Royal Enfield ownership as a lifestyle
choice, just like Harley-Davidson
or Triumph, but via a single-cylinder motorcycle as a platform,
rather than a twin. Hence the
array of Rocker gear and '60s
apparel in the accessories catalog that Royal Enfield has also
launched
(http://royalenfield.
com/pdfs/accessories/ACCESSORIES-CATALOGUE.pdf).
