Photo: Royal Enfield
Iconic Indian bike manufacturer Royal Enfield is said to be working hard on a massive upgrade for their current 346cc engines. It’s the air-cooled single-cylinder engine which now powers their Classic 350 and Bullet 350 bikes, two models which post very strong sales each year.
Still, Royal Enfield is planning to go global and we already reported on their plans for expansion. This, in turn means that the bikes which are heading for foreign markets get a complete revamping and must be brought closer to what the European and North American customers are looking for. Unlike the Indian and other Asian markets where Royal Enfield is faring better and better, customers in these two are also in for more powerful bikes, suitable for long highway hauls and road touring.
The new engine is said to have a displacement just under the 400cc mark. The 346cc version delivers around 20 horsepower at best, and in its current version, it’s hard to believe it will bring too many customers. However, Royal Enfield plans to give it a complete overhaul, with new connecting rods, crankshaft and multiple major updates, to increase power and torque and enhance mileage and reliability.
Still, it will be interesting to see how brawny will the new mill be, considering that Royal Enfield’s top engine, the one powering the Continental GT Café Racer is a 535cc unit and its peak power is around the 29 hp mark. We can safely presume the under-400cc will be good for anything between 22 and 25 hp, and it might just be enough for retro enthusiasts in Europe or the US.
Between April 2013 and January 2014, Royal Enfield has sold 159,740 bikes, a whopping 63% increase over the last financial year. Of all these bikes, 443 Continental GT Café Racer were sold in the domestic market, whereas almost twice more (737) have been sold abroad. So now you understand why Royal Enfield is increasing the displacement…
Via autocarindia
The new engine is said to have a displacement just under the 400cc mark. The 346cc version delivers around 20 horsepower at best, and in its current version, it’s hard to believe it will bring too many customers. However, Royal Enfield plans to give it a complete overhaul, with new connecting rods, crankshaft and multiple major updates, to increase power and torque and enhance mileage and reliability.
Still, it will be interesting to see how brawny will the new mill be, considering that Royal Enfield’s top engine, the one powering the Continental GT Café Racer is a 535cc unit and its peak power is around the 29 hp mark. We can safely presume the under-400cc will be good for anything between 22 and 25 hp, and it might just be enough for retro enthusiasts in Europe or the US.
Between April 2013 and January 2014, Royal Enfield has sold 159,740 bikes, a whopping 63% increase over the last financial year. Of all these bikes, 443 Continental GT Café Racer were sold in the domestic market, whereas almost twice more (737) have been sold abroad. So now you understand why Royal Enfield is increasing the displacement…
Via autocarindia
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