Royal Enfield Posts 23 Per Cent Growth In May 2018

Retaining its double-digit growth in overall volumes, Royal Enfield sold a total of 74,697 units in May 2018, growing by 23 per cent over 60,696 motorcycles sold during the same period last year. The Chennai-based bike maker's domestic sales stood at 72,510 units last month, which grew by 24 per cent, as opposed to 58,647 bikes sold during May 2017. While April 2017 saw a marginal drop in exports for the manufacturer, Royal Enfield's export volumes recovered once again in May with 2187 units shipped as against 2049 units exported in May 2017, a growth of 7 per cent.

Royal Enfield's top sellers include its products in the 350 cc range. The Classic 350 is the company's bestselling offering, followed by the Electra and the Thunderbird 350 motorcycles. The 350-500 cc segment has four offerings from the company including the Bullet, Himalayan, Thunderbird and Classic. The bigger motorcycles bring over 20 per cent of the sales for the brand.

However, with a host of limited and special edition motorcycles joining the line-up, Royal Enfield has diversified into the lifestyle space as well, with an extended line of merchandise. More recently, the bike maker introduced the Classic 500 Pegasus Edition priced at Rs. 2.40 lakh (on-road, Delhi). The limited-edition motorcycle is restricted to just 1000 units worldwide with only 250 units allocated for in India. The Pegasus Edition takes inspiration from Royal Enfield's Flying Flea lightweight motorcycles that served the British army during World War II. The bikes can be booked on a first-come-first-serve basis via the company's website.

In addition, Royal Enfield also launched the Thunderbird 350X and 500X motorcycles last month, infusing a fresh and vibrant take on the ageing cruisers. The Thunderbird X bikes with all the cosmetic changes are expected attract a younger customer base to the brand. The manufacturer has also introduced a line of accessories for the Thunderbird X motorcycles.

With respect to new launches, Royal Enfield has the much-awaited Interceptor and Continental GT 650 lined up for launch. The bikes, we've been told are in the final stages of production and will hit the markets later this year. The Royal Enfield twins will be the most affordable twin-cylinder bikes when they go on sale with prices to be around Rs. 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom).