The chromed-plastic indicators and tail-light are a little cheap looking. You can feel the Quality difference between those and the 650 twins. The new Unit Construction Engine (UCE) is much more advanced than the older cast iron AVL engines and they do not break down as much. Royal Enfield may take a lot of time to come up with all-new engines, products and updates but the brand keeps on launching an updated product every now and then. But times change and globalization led a growing list of manufacturers, such as KTM, Honda, Yamaha, and BMW, to seek cheaper labor and begin manufacturing in India. Royal Enfield photo. And to that problem Copes and his team feel like they have a solution with a growing lineup of affordable and approachable machines. Redeem To address this, Royal Enfield is changing the utilization of its district managers. But is it reliable? Cartoq is India’s largest auto content company with more than 20 million users accessing the latest automobile news, new launches, reviews & other trending stories every month… See More, © 2020 CarToq – India’s #1 auto content site, All rights reserved | Copyright Policy | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy, 10 SOLID reasons why Royal Enfield motorcycles are selling so well, Hindustan Ambassador, modified! “We have been working hard to change our relationship with our dealers and the way they view working with us,” Loffredo explained. Dear Royal Enfield, please include a clock in the instrument cluster in the next iteration of this bike and let it be an independent, separate one that we don't have to toggle different parameters to get to. Customisation is also one of the main reasons of Royal Enfield’s popularity in India. Bennetts is a trading name of Bennetts Motorcycling Services Limited, registered in England and Wales (company number 11453343) with its registered office at Worldwide House, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, PE3 6SB. A vehicle tracking system with subscription. This gives the youngsters and bikers a chance to be highlighted from the rest in the traffic. For information including how to stop them, click Privacy & Cookie Policy. It bears mention that Royal Enfield North America is only about three years old. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 I rode for a week in Los Angeles is not the smoothest, the fastest, or the most efficient of the motorcycles I’ve ridden recently. Royal Enfield photo. There’s no useful storage under the seat but removing the tool kit (which comes in a neat roll bag) gives you just enough room for a disk lock. You can delete or block all cookies but some parts of the website will not work. Bennetts Motorcycling Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the, Important. your ZillaCash Rewards on a future order with us! It's kinda cool.”. The Royal Enfield motorcycles are quite expensive. It’s got a centre stand, as well as a handle to help pick it up. “He's been thinking about this for 20 years. Earn Important. Gift with Confidence! Suffering from years of neglect in the American market, the Royal Enfield name has become tarnished by questionable reliability, build quality, and a lack of dealer support. Because so many people (including myself) are skeptical of the quality and reliability of Royal Enfield motorcycles, I took those questions directly to the leadership of Royal Enfield North America: President Rod Copes, Senior Marketing Manager Bree Poland and Vice President of Service Anthony Loffredo. The modern-day Royal Enfield motorcycles have become much more reliable than what they used to be in the past. Royal Enfield photo. Before Royal Enfield North America implemented this PDI center in 2016, motorcycles were shipped directly from the port to individual dealerships. Now, these products may not be radically different from the current line-up but they keep the brand in news. Production of earlier versions of the Himalayan model was interrupted in April of 2017 to address a myriad of issues. It was an attractive product. Royal Enfield photo. However, by 1970, the plant in England ceased operations and Royal Enfield motorcycles were produced exclusively in India, mainly for the domestic market. It is this version that we are now seeing in the United States. This also attracts a lot of buyers who stayed away from the brand. Originally established in England in 1901, by 1955 a second manufacturing plant was opened in India to supply the large demand of the Indian population. customer service page for more details. The company is acknowledging its shortcomings and striving to find solutions that will help solidify Royal Enfield as more than a bit player in the American motorcycle market. It's gonna take five, 10, 20 years. Now it’s ‘Hey, we have a warranty issue.’ and our response is ‘Yeah, no problem, man. A shot from inside the PDI center in Texas where the new Royal Enfield Himalayans are beginning to arrive. Royal Enfield motorcycle is one of the most popular brands in the Indian market. Which is why Anthony was the first person I hired.”. It was during these years that the brand's notable Interceptor and the Continental GT were introduced. Their skepticism isn’t misplaced. Royal Enfield photo. Cookies improve the functionality of our website and offer you the best experience. See our “For us to be a global company, we wanted to make sure that the manufacturing responsibilities and capabilities were up to par with every other motorcycle brand out there,” Poland explained. Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 (2019 onward) | Long-term reliability review The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 carries the first parallel twin motor with the iconic badge in more than 50 years, and starting at just £5,699, it promises to be one of the best value bikes on the market. Now, these products may not be radically different from the current line-up but they keep the brand in news. Royal Enfield photo. The focus is on working with the 80 dealerships currently located in North America to provide them with whatever tools they need to improve the customer’s relationship with the brand. For information including how to stop them, click, Third Party Fire and Theft Motorcycle Insurance, https://rewards.bennetts.co.uk/rewards/tell-us-about-your-royal-enfield-interceptor. Copes spoke candidly about the perception of Royal Enfield in America. Get a quote for this motorbike with Bennetts bike insurance. See what our customers are saying about us: Earn $10 for every qualified $100 you spend. The modern features like an electric starter, disc brakes have made it much easier to ride than the previous generation Royal Enfield bikes. From development, to manufacturing, to delivery, to customer support, Royal Enfield is making the effort to right the ship. The fact that Royal Enfield North America was the first subsidiary of the parent company outside of India (Brazil recently became the second) should serve as an indication to the importance of the U.S. market for the brand. We have updated our Privacy Policy. So, if you run a bike over in India, and it takes roughly two to three months for that vehicle to reach us, there's a good chance for varnish from the gasoline to build up on the filter or the fuel injector, not to mention loose bolts or other parts.