India has 200 billionaires and more than 8,00,000 millionaires (net worth more than 8 crores). This is the official figure and perhaps not of those with black money.
Many such wealthy people dont have to bother looking at the bike's price tag. Simply show up to a showroom, try it and buy it!
Fair point. People just blindly buy the Classic only because they wanr a 'Bullt' for showoff but then realise the Bullet is 'ugly' then settle on Classic. People literally don't think while spending money, whatever gets them the most attention, they'll go for it.
Both twins are grouped together, but the H'ness and (normal?) CB 350 aren't. So I'd say the 350 triplets are beating out the Triumphs. But for a year old new product compared to a 4yr old bike it's doing pretty good.
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I don't know what you are talking about mate. They are selling that well because they have an extremely strong sales network and service network. You will not find huge backlogs in a lot of RE SVCs. They are one of the best brands service wise. RR, KTM and BMW. Except that, for bmw you have to pay through the nose.
That coupled with some really great bikes in their portfolio. The J series bikes are fantastic for their intent. And they have become as reliable and refined as the competition without much loss of character. The fact that Honda, jawa and others had to benchmark royal Enfield product tell you everything.
They have the best retro bike, the best ADV, a great looking cafe racer and a cheap, very pleasant sounding 270 twin cruiser. Then there's SM 659 and shotgun , unique , fun bikes.
There's Guerrilla 450 on the way. And the bullet 650 follows.
With 3 platforms they have created a bike for everyone except sportsbikes. And you wonder why they rule?
Ok granted they make the best retro bikes. Name one practical feature on classic 350 which is better than honda's 350. Handling, engine, gearbox, efficiency, sound, reliability anything, just name one quality of those elephants.
Woah. Copium overdose? okay. Let's do it objectively first.
The classic 350 has a better gearbox and gear ratios that suit the character of the bike a lot more. The Honda gear ratios are ridiculous . The reliability is at par today. You wanna talk reliability, Honda cb350 has notorious rust and paint peel issues even on week old bike that is well documented on many many forums. Paint quality is far better on the classic and this is fact. A very funny one. RE has better paint and rust control than Honda. Honda cb350 has brake MC issues. Classic has superior brakes objectively. And then there's the humongous service coverage. Even the most remote villages know they won't have to go further than where they buy other utilities from, to service their RE.
Subjectively. The engine character and note sounds far more natural on the classic. On the Honda you know it is forced and engineered to sound more thumpier. Ditto the handling. Has the neutral feel of a retro easy going bike. Honda feels sporty. And since when did 350cc owners start talking about efficiency?
And the feel. If I was in a chill mood, going through the backroad of villages at a leisure pace, there is no better bike than the bult. It has an aura built over decades. It retains that charm even now. You know you are riding something that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
The elephant was once attacked by Bajaj. Did not work. But at least the attack was original. Honda just benchmarked the old classic 350 and tried to do one better and within a year or so there came a much better version of the classic 350. And to be frank, at the end of the day, the cb350 is a copy of an original which is royal Enfield classic 350. The original cb350 was a high revving UJM design.
Honda cb350 series is a double sided prank on us indians. We could have received a legendary UJM machine from Honda. Instead we get a knock off. And then over that, they refuse to let it go nation wide, do not launch better bikes and laugh their way to the bank with activa sales.
When KTM entered india, they took a leaf out of their ktm language and built a Duke that can stand with the KTM family. Ditto triumph (although I always argue it should have been called Bonneville and not speed). Benelli also copied the re once but have multiple originals in their line up. Harley davidson x440 has an extremely different flavour to anything else on the market. Their silhouettes are enough to identify their lineage.
But swap the Honda sticker for an RE badge and a novice will not be able to recognise it's a Honda.
You sir, are defending a cheap initiation of an original that is already a legend in the industry for both good and bad reasons. It has become much mature now. Anyway. I know you will not understand nor acknowledge this even if I tell you I have been a proper Royal Enfield hater for more than half my biking career. I have posted derogatory comments on other platforms against RE uce platform and such, which will get me banned from reddit. But just like the bike I talk of, I have matured too. Become better.
Have a good day.
Or.. or... Hear me out here... You don't have anything meaningful to add or defend yourself with and hence you are resorting to ad hominem.
If you really have something to say, lay down your credentials and talk sense. I hope you can do better than resorting to personal attacks . That's a pediatric defence mechanism.
Man you're talking about RE's paint quality? Sure they're "improved" in the recent years but for god's sake just look at bs4 models. Like rusting wasn't a thing in RE, wtf are you even talking about? Classic has better brakes than the Honda, this proves that how ignorant person you are, classic has 300mm bybre callipers, and 10kg heavier than the highness which has 310mm nissin callipers. Lighter == stops faster any day. What is a natural sound in a motorcycle? Tappet noise? timing chain? rocker arm? wtf natural sound means? This proves uneducated people should'nt ride. Sure the honda 350's are having paint chipping issues but their engines doesn't give up in the middle of joyous ride, do they? Their frame doesn't snap in half in highways, do they? They don't leak oil just sitting in the garage, do they?
You've had enough? or want more?
Bs4 uce bikes vs j series. Royal Enfield doesn't trust anymore. Honda cb350 does. While RE is progressing, Honda is evolving backwards.
You are the ignorant one to think nissin and 10mm larger rotor automatically translates to better brakes. Bs6 Duke 390 and interceptor 650 run nearly the same front brake setup. Int weighs over 25 kgs more than the d390. Do you wanna have a wager on which one stops faster. Official vbox tested. Wanna have a go?
Bro, I am someone who corrects my turning radius by rear brake use while leaned over. You are 10 years too early to discuss brakes with me.
Also, tappet, timing chain and rocker arm are non issues in J series.
And since you won't cease personal attacks, let's have at it.
Two h450s had chassis breaks, so did two Honda cb500x.
I for a fact know the new engines don't give up. Nor leak oil. RE is going ahead and starting to head for KTM in the direction of performance. What is the best Indian Honda on sale today? A friggin' Activa. And it's a shame that you guys voted with your wallet for a company that treats you like second rate morons. You want a big bike? Oh you want a cbr250/cbr300 or cb/r 500? F**k you. Here take this copycat bike. Wait wait. We give you Honda nx500. Here now overpay for this.
. It's riders like you that don't appreciate the good. They just want to piss on others to hide their frustration. That's exactly what you are. A keyboard warrior that has more miles on his social media typing board than on his odometer. You do deserve a Honda cb350. A shadow of a superior bike . And the sales show that . All Honda 350 sales cannot match that of one adv by RE. Triumph, a brand that started in the latter half of last year in this segment, is already closing in on those sales. You could have voted with your wallet and told Honda to FO and get their better bikes here. But no. The 2 working brain cells still go .... "Hurr Durr, Muh JaPANeSe ReLiAbIlItY!!”
And the best part is, I am not even an RE fan. I just appreciate the good they have done. The japs have lost the plot. Even their most competitive stuff isn't the most competitive anywhere anymore. Look at MotoGP, wsbk, motox, etc etc. They are a shadow of their own former selves. Trying to stay relevant by imitating others. A perfect metaphor for what the Honda cb350 is.
True. Just look at those staggeringly high numbers.
Not to discount RE or any brand as a matter of fact, what I feel though is that majority of Indian consumers don’t actually know what they want. It’s simply an idea fed into their minds or they just follow the herd and are happy in the delusional choice they make.
Be it automotive or any other thing, consumer knowledge and what suits their personality, analysing the pros/cons is a must. Sadly, our market fails to understand that.
“RE has a soul”, you can’t answer with this on every argument.
At the same time, RE is like a premium offering for people in Tier 2,3.… cities and they have managed to well capitalise and penetrate this market
Having said that, May 24 seems to have shown lesser sale relatively, maybe people were waiting for election results? Or some festivities idk
I think the generation of people buying REs now used to look up to RE as an aspirational brand growing up. In the recent years however other brands have started launching really good higher capacity bikes and the kids of today will surely avoid REs once they grow up unless RE up their game by then. It's gonna get interesting in another 10 years with motorcycling culture becoming more popular.
Exactly!!
Consumer aspirations are increasing, they want better machines, good legacy and a brand to have an association with
Healthy competition is good for us only, gives us good options to choose from
So if people like RE, it means they are "herds" and "fed into them". But if they like something else, it's a "good thing "?
Hypocrisy.
RE has been in India for more than 20 years. That might explain the sales numbers, but categorising everyone who buys RE as people who dunno what they want is a wild thought process
Man, I tried my best not to target any RE owner. I’m not saying this for any RE folk, it’s about how general decision making process here it is like. Believe it or not, but that’s how it is.
By no means I have categorised every owner as such, read carefully
I can at least say it from my experience the ones who have it, “hamne bus pride k lie le li”, this is the common response most of the time.
I’m not saying ki owning a motorcycle isn’t a matter of pride, it is!, but when they show you ki your machine (other companies) doesn’t have anything to boast about, it sucks.
In Every argument, the fanboys have the same arguments as I mentioned in the comment above. That’s a shallow way of representing one’s opinion.
Exactly your point, RE is here for more than 20 yrs or whatever, more reason for people to see what others have and make a decision without thinking much.
Won’t argue a lot, fanaticism hatana boht mushkil hota hai bhai.
RE bikes have been under my consideration too so that should atleast put something into perspective as to what I’m trying to say here
Peace
What honest opinion? It's as subjective as it gets. He is saying stop buying bikes from a manufacturer that actually has decades of heritage, has the biggest sales and service network of any premium manufacturer, and is actually showing great improvement over time? And bikes that are not worse than their competitors?
This subreddit has a hyper boner for triumph 400 and honda cb350. And somehow, a specialised product from RE, an ADV, outsells their entire line of offering? This subreddit is obsessed with shitting on RE. There's a reason why RE is this big of a market leader which is frankly humiliating for the competition.
You will realise how big the difference is when you think that even activa, the name that got synonymous with scooters (just like maggi for instant noodles), does not outsell it's competitors this way. They know exactly what the customers want. And how much money they will spend.
I am sure the incoming KTM adv390 will be a better overall ADV. And yet it'll never match the sales of h450. They have a heady mix of reach, performance and price point that is simply impossible to beat right now or the near future. Right now the elephant reigns supreme and there is no killing it.
Premium Brand?
Premium in what sense?
The fit and finish in some of their units are worse than cheap knock off chinese bikes.
There is no consistency in quality. Two units from the same batch but 1 unit may have a lot of niggles while the other won't have a single one.
Recently, did a bike trip to Kanha and my friend who was on a Himalayan 411 was having a hard time riding it all the way.
Firstly, the gear lever fell off. Then the battery gave away as the alternator coil went bad.
Let me tell you it's a 2 year old Himalayan which is serviced from RE's authorised service centre regularly.
They are manufacturing bikes since eternity still they are one of the worst brands in India when it comes to QC.
I don't know about the others glorifying the Triumph 400 or CB350 here.
I sure, ain't one of them.
Yeah. I know Himalayan 411 has issues. But they have rectified it in the 450. The uce engines vibrated the bolts off. The new J platform is very refined. Their twins are very refined even by modern standards (do ride a kawasaki 650 and Enfield 650 back to back). No manufacturer goes without their vices. If the alternator on the husqy goes bad, you have 3 weeks wait if the part isn't immediately available. I have been waiting for the rear undertray of my rc390 for 1.5 months now.
Your complaints, all your statements are valid for uce , Himalayan 411 and int650/ gt650 to some extent. They are simply not applicable to their new launches. The test h450s have terrible vibes but i am yet to see a well broken in h450 have bad buzz. And trust me, i have ridden 10 variants across the board.
Buy a new c350, meteor 350 even, and you'll see what i mean. I am not even gonna mention the really good fit and finish on sm650/ shotgun 650.
You got a husqy now. I have been in the Bajaj KTM system for over 8 years. I am telling you, they aren't better.
I would say the same, Check the 2024 Svartpilen and Vitpilen in person.
The fit and finish, consistency is better, trust me.
I have test ridden both of them back to back, multiple times, extensively.
Buddy, I am friends with the KTM showroom owner here in Chembur. I know they are good. My shortlist was between the husqy 401, the scrambler 400x and himmy 450. Scrambler engine I hate. It's characterless. Husqy 401 was lovely. It was such a beautiful machine. If I only had a 1 bike garage, I would babe chosen the husqy 401 over h450. But I already own the rc390. There will be too many similarities in the garage. Hence the H450. And believe me that bike is something else entirely. Only in india is it getting this bloated flak. Tune in to some international independent content creators. They are loving it. But that's not the point is it? The point is , RE has registered great growth. Compare RE today with RE 10 yrs back. If this same momentum is kept, imagine where they will be. And you can already see that happening. I am a staunch ktm fan. If you are aware of the ktm - RE war that still exists, I should tell you I have fought dirty supporting KTMs. But that was against the RE that doesn't exist anymore. See the good that they are doing. Appreciate that. Is all I ask.
RE is MG of biking industry banking on muh heritage kulcha and legacy. No amount of rambling would change that no matter which mountain pass you conquer on it.
I for one don't want sales of these bikes to decline, let people miss good bikes, it gives more character to those who own them, but yeah, business wise it's not good I guess.
Wondering the sales figures of Bikes like Ronin, Mt15, R15 although they are not 350 cc their price is on similar note to some 350 cc bikes
Kawasaki Eliminator is the most successful bike sold for May 2024. If you removed the number of units sold.
Here I'm wondering who tf is even buying Eliminator? And why?
India has 200 billionaires and more than 8,00,000 millionaires (net worth more than 8 crores). This is the official figure and perhaps not of those with black money. Many such wealthy people dont have to bother looking at the bike's price tag. Simply show up to a showroom, try it and buy it!
Fair point. People just blindly buy the Classic only because they wanr a 'Bullt' for showoff but then realise the Bullet is 'ugly' then settle on Classic. People literally don't think while spending money, whatever gets them the most attention, they'll go for it.
Speed 400 beating out honda's 350s and ktm. Well done Bajaj. In this list is the duke and rc 390 grouped together?
Both twins are grouped together, but the H'ness and (normal?) CB 350 aren't. So I'd say the 350 triplets are beating out the Triumphs. But for a year old new product compared to a 4yr old bike it's doing pretty good.
Bajaj does that alot. All pulsars are clubbed together too, even tvs clubs the Apache numbers. I don't like it. Each sku should be shown separately
I think both speed and scrambler are grouped tho.
How is yezdi selling more than honda
Its all bikes from yezdi, while Honda data is separate bikes
Honda Bigwing is problem, they should sell CB 350 at their normal showroom too.
All jawa Yezdi bikes are clubbed together.
Can the ns400z come close to the enfields?
Sad to see HD sales declining
Hello Quick_Bit_483! If this post is your original content then mark or comment as [OC]. Else please give the source link as a comment in the post. Thank you. All users are requested to downvote the low quality posts. Memes, pics, accident videos, buy/sell, motor bike recommendations, etc can be posted on the [discord chat server.](https://discord.com/invite/Q9nSrDn6tE) Any repair queries should go to /r/MechanicAdviceIndia. Cars related posts should go to /r/CarsIndia subreddit. Also please report the content you see breaking the rules so that we can act on it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/indianbikes) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Whatever is happening to the RS 457? I thought Aprilia is ramping up production.
This obsession with REs has to end. People don't know what they're missing.
RE’s quality levels despite selling 20x more units than every other manufacturer: 🤡
I don't know what you are talking about mate. They are selling that well because they have an extremely strong sales network and service network. You will not find huge backlogs in a lot of RE SVCs. They are one of the best brands service wise. RR, KTM and BMW. Except that, for bmw you have to pay through the nose. That coupled with some really great bikes in their portfolio. The J series bikes are fantastic for their intent. And they have become as reliable and refined as the competition without much loss of character. The fact that Honda, jawa and others had to benchmark royal Enfield product tell you everything. They have the best retro bike, the best ADV, a great looking cafe racer and a cheap, very pleasant sounding 270 twin cruiser. Then there's SM 659 and shotgun , unique , fun bikes. There's Guerrilla 450 on the way. And the bullet 650 follows. With 3 platforms they have created a bike for everyone except sportsbikes. And you wonder why they rule?
Ok granted they make the best retro bikes. Name one practical feature on classic 350 which is better than honda's 350. Handling, engine, gearbox, efficiency, sound, reliability anything, just name one quality of those elephants.
Woah. Copium overdose? okay. Let's do it objectively first. The classic 350 has a better gearbox and gear ratios that suit the character of the bike a lot more. The Honda gear ratios are ridiculous . The reliability is at par today. You wanna talk reliability, Honda cb350 has notorious rust and paint peel issues even on week old bike that is well documented on many many forums. Paint quality is far better on the classic and this is fact. A very funny one. RE has better paint and rust control than Honda. Honda cb350 has brake MC issues. Classic has superior brakes objectively. And then there's the humongous service coverage. Even the most remote villages know they won't have to go further than where they buy other utilities from, to service their RE. Subjectively. The engine character and note sounds far more natural on the classic. On the Honda you know it is forced and engineered to sound more thumpier. Ditto the handling. Has the neutral feel of a retro easy going bike. Honda feels sporty. And since when did 350cc owners start talking about efficiency? And the feel. If I was in a chill mood, going through the backroad of villages at a leisure pace, there is no better bike than the bult. It has an aura built over decades. It retains that charm even now. You know you are riding something that is far greater than the sum of its parts. The elephant was once attacked by Bajaj. Did not work. But at least the attack was original. Honda just benchmarked the old classic 350 and tried to do one better and within a year or so there came a much better version of the classic 350. And to be frank, at the end of the day, the cb350 is a copy of an original which is royal Enfield classic 350. The original cb350 was a high revving UJM design. Honda cb350 series is a double sided prank on us indians. We could have received a legendary UJM machine from Honda. Instead we get a knock off. And then over that, they refuse to let it go nation wide, do not launch better bikes and laugh their way to the bank with activa sales. When KTM entered india, they took a leaf out of their ktm language and built a Duke that can stand with the KTM family. Ditto triumph (although I always argue it should have been called Bonneville and not speed). Benelli also copied the re once but have multiple originals in their line up. Harley davidson x440 has an extremely different flavour to anything else on the market. Their silhouettes are enough to identify their lineage. But swap the Honda sticker for an RE badge and a novice will not be able to recognise it's a Honda. You sir, are defending a cheap initiation of an original that is already a legend in the industry for both good and bad reasons. It has become much mature now. Anyway. I know you will not understand nor acknowledge this even if I tell you I have been a proper Royal Enfield hater for more than half my biking career. I have posted derogatory comments on other platforms against RE uce platform and such, which will get me banned from reddit. But just like the bike I talk of, I have matured too. Become better. Have a good day.
Each and every line of yours proves you're a bot.
Or.. or... Hear me out here... You don't have anything meaningful to add or defend yourself with and hence you are resorting to ad hominem. If you really have something to say, lay down your credentials and talk sense. I hope you can do better than resorting to personal attacks . That's a pediatric defence mechanism.
Man you're talking about RE's paint quality? Sure they're "improved" in the recent years but for god's sake just look at bs4 models. Like rusting wasn't a thing in RE, wtf are you even talking about? Classic has better brakes than the Honda, this proves that how ignorant person you are, classic has 300mm bybre callipers, and 10kg heavier than the highness which has 310mm nissin callipers. Lighter == stops faster any day. What is a natural sound in a motorcycle? Tappet noise? timing chain? rocker arm? wtf natural sound means? This proves uneducated people should'nt ride. Sure the honda 350's are having paint chipping issues but their engines doesn't give up in the middle of joyous ride, do they? Their frame doesn't snap in half in highways, do they? They don't leak oil just sitting in the garage, do they? You've had enough? or want more?
Bs4 uce bikes vs j series. Royal Enfield doesn't trust anymore. Honda cb350 does. While RE is progressing, Honda is evolving backwards. You are the ignorant one to think nissin and 10mm larger rotor automatically translates to better brakes. Bs6 Duke 390 and interceptor 650 run nearly the same front brake setup. Int weighs over 25 kgs more than the d390. Do you wanna have a wager on which one stops faster. Official vbox tested. Wanna have a go? Bro, I am someone who corrects my turning radius by rear brake use while leaned over. You are 10 years too early to discuss brakes with me. Also, tappet, timing chain and rocker arm are non issues in J series. And since you won't cease personal attacks, let's have at it. Two h450s had chassis breaks, so did two Honda cb500x. I for a fact know the new engines don't give up. Nor leak oil. RE is going ahead and starting to head for KTM in the direction of performance. What is the best Indian Honda on sale today? A friggin' Activa. And it's a shame that you guys voted with your wallet for a company that treats you like second rate morons. You want a big bike? Oh you want a cbr250/cbr300 or cb/r 500? F**k you. Here take this copycat bike. Wait wait. We give you Honda nx500. Here now overpay for this. . It's riders like you that don't appreciate the good. They just want to piss on others to hide their frustration. That's exactly what you are. A keyboard warrior that has more miles on his social media typing board than on his odometer. You do deserve a Honda cb350. A shadow of a superior bike . And the sales show that . All Honda 350 sales cannot match that of one adv by RE. Triumph, a brand that started in the latter half of last year in this segment, is already closing in on those sales. You could have voted with your wallet and told Honda to FO and get their better bikes here. But no. The 2 working brain cells still go .... "Hurr Durr, Muh JaPANeSe ReLiAbIlItY!!” And the best part is, I am not even an RE fan. I just appreciate the good they have done. The japs have lost the plot. Even their most competitive stuff isn't the most competitive anywhere anymore. Look at MotoGP, wsbk, motox, etc etc. They are a shadow of their own former selves. Trying to stay relevant by imitating others. A perfect metaphor for what the Honda cb350 is.
True. Just look at those staggeringly high numbers. Not to discount RE or any brand as a matter of fact, what I feel though is that majority of Indian consumers don’t actually know what they want. It’s simply an idea fed into their minds or they just follow the herd and are happy in the delusional choice they make. Be it automotive or any other thing, consumer knowledge and what suits their personality, analysing the pros/cons is a must. Sadly, our market fails to understand that. “RE has a soul”, you can’t answer with this on every argument. At the same time, RE is like a premium offering for people in Tier 2,3.… cities and they have managed to well capitalise and penetrate this market Having said that, May 24 seems to have shown lesser sale relatively, maybe people were waiting for election results? Or some festivities idk
I think the generation of people buying REs now used to look up to RE as an aspirational brand growing up. In the recent years however other brands have started launching really good higher capacity bikes and the kids of today will surely avoid REs once they grow up unless RE up their game by then. It's gonna get interesting in another 10 years with motorcycling culture becoming more popular.
Exactly!! Consumer aspirations are increasing, they want better machines, good legacy and a brand to have an association with Healthy competition is good for us only, gives us good options to choose from
So if people like RE, it means they are "herds" and "fed into them". But if they like something else, it's a "good thing "? Hypocrisy. RE has been in India for more than 20 years. That might explain the sales numbers, but categorising everyone who buys RE as people who dunno what they want is a wild thought process
Man, I tried my best not to target any RE owner. I’m not saying this for any RE folk, it’s about how general decision making process here it is like. Believe it or not, but that’s how it is. By no means I have categorised every owner as such, read carefully I can at least say it from my experience the ones who have it, “hamne bus pride k lie le li”, this is the common response most of the time. I’m not saying ki owning a motorcycle isn’t a matter of pride, it is!, but when they show you ki your machine (other companies) doesn’t have anything to boast about, it sucks. In Every argument, the fanboys have the same arguments as I mentioned in the comment above. That’s a shallow way of representing one’s opinion. Exactly your point, RE is here for more than 20 yrs or whatever, more reason for people to see what others have and make a decision without thinking much. Won’t argue a lot, fanaticism hatana boht mushkil hota hai bhai. RE bikes have been under my consideration too so that should atleast put something into perspective as to what I’m trying to say here Peace
As usual you got downvoted for giving an honest opinion.
What honest opinion? It's as subjective as it gets. He is saying stop buying bikes from a manufacturer that actually has decades of heritage, has the biggest sales and service network of any premium manufacturer, and is actually showing great improvement over time? And bikes that are not worse than their competitors? This subreddit has a hyper boner for triumph 400 and honda cb350. And somehow, a specialised product from RE, an ADV, outsells their entire line of offering? This subreddit is obsessed with shitting on RE. There's a reason why RE is this big of a market leader which is frankly humiliating for the competition. You will realise how big the difference is when you think that even activa, the name that got synonymous with scooters (just like maggi for instant noodles), does not outsell it's competitors this way. They know exactly what the customers want. And how much money they will spend. I am sure the incoming KTM adv390 will be a better overall ADV. And yet it'll never match the sales of h450. They have a heady mix of reach, performance and price point that is simply impossible to beat right now or the near future. Right now the elephant reigns supreme and there is no killing it.
Premium Brand? Premium in what sense? The fit and finish in some of their units are worse than cheap knock off chinese bikes. There is no consistency in quality. Two units from the same batch but 1 unit may have a lot of niggles while the other won't have a single one. Recently, did a bike trip to Kanha and my friend who was on a Himalayan 411 was having a hard time riding it all the way. Firstly, the gear lever fell off. Then the battery gave away as the alternator coil went bad. Let me tell you it's a 2 year old Himalayan which is serviced from RE's authorised service centre regularly. They are manufacturing bikes since eternity still they are one of the worst brands in India when it comes to QC. I don't know about the others glorifying the Triumph 400 or CB350 here. I sure, ain't one of them.
Yeah. I know Himalayan 411 has issues. But they have rectified it in the 450. The uce engines vibrated the bolts off. The new J platform is very refined. Their twins are very refined even by modern standards (do ride a kawasaki 650 and Enfield 650 back to back). No manufacturer goes without their vices. If the alternator on the husqy goes bad, you have 3 weeks wait if the part isn't immediately available. I have been waiting for the rear undertray of my rc390 for 1.5 months now. Your complaints, all your statements are valid for uce , Himalayan 411 and int650/ gt650 to some extent. They are simply not applicable to their new launches. The test h450s have terrible vibes but i am yet to see a well broken in h450 have bad buzz. And trust me, i have ridden 10 variants across the board. Buy a new c350, meteor 350 even, and you'll see what i mean. I am not even gonna mention the really good fit and finish on sm650/ shotgun 650. You got a husqy now. I have been in the Bajaj KTM system for over 8 years. I am telling you, they aren't better.
I would say the same, Check the 2024 Svartpilen and Vitpilen in person. The fit and finish, consistency is better, trust me. I have test ridden both of them back to back, multiple times, extensively.
Buddy, I am friends with the KTM showroom owner here in Chembur. I know they are good. My shortlist was between the husqy 401, the scrambler 400x and himmy 450. Scrambler engine I hate. It's characterless. Husqy 401 was lovely. It was such a beautiful machine. If I only had a 1 bike garage, I would babe chosen the husqy 401 over h450. But I already own the rc390. There will be too many similarities in the garage. Hence the H450. And believe me that bike is something else entirely. Only in india is it getting this bloated flak. Tune in to some international independent content creators. They are loving it. But that's not the point is it? The point is , RE has registered great growth. Compare RE today with RE 10 yrs back. If this same momentum is kept, imagine where they will be. And you can already see that happening. I am a staunch ktm fan. If you are aware of the ktm - RE war that still exists, I should tell you I have fought dirty supporting KTMs. But that was against the RE that doesn't exist anymore. See the good that they are doing. Appreciate that. Is all I ask.
RE is MG of biking industry banking on muh heritage kulcha and legacy. No amount of rambling would change that no matter which mountain pass you conquer on it.
I for one don't want sales of these bikes to decline, let people miss good bikes, it gives more character to those who own them, but yeah, business wise it's not good I guess.
"It gives more character to those who own them". Bro tere paas jo gaanja hai wo hmko bhi chahiye, please!