Is Royal Enfield working on a 250 cc model? It depends who you ask.
Some Indian mags (over there, motorcycle news actually makes it to the business papers, not just moto-mags) are saying the manufacturer is working on a quarter-litre comeback – they haven’t made 250s since the days when the company was still based in the UK.
Supposedly, this hot tip came from an inside source. But when pressed, the company’s official line was contradictory – they said they have no plans for 250s.
So, are the mags making it up? It’s hard to say – the company is likely feeling pressure from western manufacturers trying to muscle into their market, but would the answer to that problem be Royal Enfield in turn trying to muscle into the territory of marques like Bajaj and Hero? After all, their core market has always been the 350 cc and 500 cc segments.
With 250 cc bikes hot around the world these days, though, maybe this would be a great move for the Indian company. Would it be suitable for the Dawn til Dusk rally? Stay tuned!
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My wife and I spent 3 weeks in Nepal over Christmas. While there was a plethora of Motorcycles I saw only 1 enfield and it was ridden by an obviously affluent guy who bought it for the same reasons a resident of Toronto would buy it. I imagine it would cost Enfield about as much to produce a 250 as it does a 500 so why bother.
Can only agree! As soon as I see a bike that I like the looks of, the company stops selling it: for example Kaw W650 or won’t import it; example Kaw W 800!!! Add to that Suzuki’s VX 800, etc.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” Could it be ever more true than in the Motocycling Realm?
Boy, those Royal Enfields are ugly!!! Better off buying a second-hand Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki or Yamaha.
Doesn’t their 500cc single produce 27 hp, and weigh over 410 lbs? The hp figure is in line with what other lower displacement fuel-injected 250cc bikes are already producing – but these bikes also weigh significantly less than the Royal Enfield Bullet. I’d love to see another 250cc bike hit the market. But it seems like Suzuki already has the retro part of this market covered with their TU250.
I’m wondering if its cost effective ?
Can they build a 250 sufficiently cheaper enough to justify ?
That, of course, is the big question. A sleeved-down 350 would be the easiest answer, but would save no money. But rumour has it they’re working on engines from 250 all the way up to 1250 cc …