Royal Enfield pulls the plug on fresh bookings till 2010 end

Royal Enfield Classic 500UCE

Royal Enfield is one company that is selling motorcycles faster than it can make and this usually is a position that most motorcycle companies secretly dream of being in. Waiting periods for the Royal Enfield Classic 350 UCE run for 6 whole months and worse still, the wait for the Royal Enfield Classic 500 UCE runs for an inordinate 8 months. No, this isn’t license raj, this is Royal Enfield in 2010.

This long waiting period is a prime reason as to why plenty of prospective buyers are simply dropping plans to buy the Royal Enfield Classic 350/500, a shame really, for the Classic twins are a couple of the best motorcycles that Royal Enfield has ever built in it’s long, eventful history. These motorcycles are also selling extremely well in the American and the English markets, thereby spiking up demand to unforeseen levels. Seeing red finally, Royal Enfield has pulled the plug on fresh bookings till the end of 2010.

During this period, Royal Enfield will first process the existing orders and will also expand production to 100,000 motorcycles by 2012, a two thirds jump from the existing capacity of 60,000. What remains to be seen is whether Royal Enfield enthusiasts, many of whom swear buy the cult brand, will be patient enough and stick to the brand till Royal Enfield manages to install more capacity at it’s sole plant in Tiruvottiyur off Chennai. This in my opinion will remain an extremely critical issue that Royal Enfield better tackle and tackle well in the coming days as it, being the cult brand it is, simply cannot afford to rub it’s enthusiasts the wrong way.

Source: Livemint

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