Royal Enfield launches gear store and limited edition 500 Classics
Royal Enfield launches its flagship gear and accessories store at Khan Market, New Delhi. Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO, Eicher Motors Ltd, unveiled the new Despatch Riders collection and launched the limited edition of Despatch motorcycles.
By Arup Das
Royal Enfield launches its flagship gear and accessories store at Khan Market, New Delhi. Siddhartha Lal, MD & CEO, Eicher Motors Ltd, unveiled the new Despatch Riders collection and launched the limited edition of Despatch motorcycles.
This is Royal Enfield's sixth gear store and has riding gear like helmets, leather jackets with reinforced elbow guards, textile jackets with with armoured pockets, shoes with ankle guards and even toe-shifters. Apart from this, there are also t-shirts, shirts, sweatshirts, denim trousers with knee patches, water resistant canvas bags and accessories like belts and wallets.
Speaking about the collection, Rudratej Singh, President, Royal Enfield, said, "The gear collection will also be available at Royal Enfield dealerships and this will enhance the brand. It also allows us to better our retail footprint with stores in more cosmopolitan and "non-auto" retail spaces."
The limited motorcycle range, based on Classic 500 model, is available in two colours in India -- Desert Storm and Squadron Blue, but for international market, there is an additional Battle Green option as well. The company plans to roll out only 200 units of each colour.These motorcycles come with a signature camouflage pattern and an embossed hallmark detailing the particulars of its manufacture. Each Royal Enfield Despatch is also fitted with Italian leather seats accessorised with a leather buckle strap to hold the air filter box. The bike also gets a matte black paint on the engine, exhaust and silencer.
Speaking on the limited edition range, Lal, said, “Each Royal Enfield Despatch motorcycle has been handcrafted using a film transfer technique that uses a delicate and precise hands-on process to transfer the camouflage pattern on the motorcycle’s skin. Each body panel of each motorcycle requires specialised and dedicated personnel skills. When these panels are assembled on a single motorcycle, the result is a signature camouflage pattern for each individual machine. Hence, no two motorcycles have the exact same design making your motorcycle the only one of its kind to ever roll out of the factory.”
Lal, further said, "These bikes can be booked online from our gear stores and deliveries would begin by July 15." He added, "Only 600 units of the range would be rolled out and would be available for sale."
Throwing some light on the company's network expansion plans, Lal said, "We currently have around 400 outlets across the country. We sell gear and accessories from 250 of these outlets. By the end of the year we plan to have around 500 total outlets and we aim to sell gear from around 400 outlets."
Lal also said that Royal Enfield is focused on emerging markets like Latin America and South East Asia. "In these markets, there is huge gap for middle weight bikes as either you have entry level commuter bikes or large bikes from international brands. It is this mid-segment where we want to get in," Lal said.
