PunjabiBoys

Originally Posted by PunjabiBoys

There is bad news for those who want to purchase Royal Enfield is now heading for a disappointment.

The Royal Enfield Company (now owned by the Eicher group) it has stopped the production of all models of Bullet including Standard, Machismo and Electra. The only model that is available in the main dealer is the twin spark Thunderbird which is a new generation bike and is priced at Rs. 1.12 lakh on road.

The legendary motorcycle is India's answer to the classic bikes of the west be it Norton, Triumph or Sunbeam. Bullet in its own way has held the market and in recent times it is the only classic bike that has enthused the classic bike fans. But sadly they are now vanishing from the market and even in the used bike market it has become a dream to own one.

This abrupt cessation of production has sent the bullet market into a tail spin. Those who like the Bullet in its original shape have now turned to the second hand market, which has sent the prices of the old bikes through the roof. A 1954 Bullet (fully done up) now costs nothing less than 80,000 in the second hand market and there are none available in the market.

The market which is still vibrant for the second hand Bullet motorcycles may take the prices of the used bikes further into the sky feels the market functionaries. The sales of spare parts have also skyrocketed which means the old bikes are being rebuilt.

Senior Enfield mechanic and enthusiast said "The beauty and real pride of the Royal Enfield Motorcycles are going for a toss with introduction of the Fuel Injection variants of the new generation of motorcycles as per the recommendations of the Copenhagen World Meet on Environment. These motorcycles are out of reach of the common people as its cost price is exorbitant and the maintenance is frequent." He also says that these motorcycles are no more the same Bullets they were before and the fact that the new generation bullets are not long lasting and are bound to be short lived for only about five to ten years.

"Royal Enfield Bullet is the only bike in India which can take people on long rides, be it the country-side, hilly areas and even highways with minimum vibration and with lot of riding comfort. It is rated as the best touring vehicle of India. Plus it is a load master."