New Delhi : Since the arrival of monsoon, fierce competition has started in the automobile companies that manufacture and sell vehicles in India to attract customers. The main objective behind this competition is to attract customers as well as to establish dominance in the market and increase market share. In order to compete with each other in this market competition, automobile companies are launching new car-bike or another variant adding new features to old models. In this sequence, America’s Harley Davidson and Britain’s Triumph are trying hard to compete with India’s indigenous bike manufacturer Royal Enfield, which gives the pleasure of ‘royal travel’ by motorcycle. For this, Harley Davidson and Triumph have launched their new motorcycles in the Indian market.
Harley-Davidson and Triumph partner with Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto
Harley-Davidson and Triumph are two prestigious motorcycle manufacturing companies of America and Britain, situated on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Both these companies have a tough competition from Royal Enfield in India. Currently, both these companies are facing a tough challenge from Indian motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield, which has dominated the 350-650 cc category motorcycle market in India for more than half a century. Now to compete with this Indian company, American motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson has partnered with Hero MotoCorp and British company Triumph with Bajaj Auto.
Harley-Davidson and Triumph launch two motorcycles
Both Harley-Davidson and Triumph have taken the motorcycle market by surprise this month by launching their cheapest models globally. Harley-Davidson launched the X440 motorcycle at a starting price of Rs 2.29 lakh (ex-showroom), while Triumph introduced its Speed 400 at a starting price of Rs 2.23 lakh (ex-showroom), which has now increased to Rs 2.33 lakh (ex-showroom).
Royal Enfield’s Classic 350 competes with Harley-Davidson’s X440
Harley-Davidson with its X440 tried to enter a segment where there is a growing demand for premium models with high performance without putting much pressure on the pocket. For this, the iconic American motorcycle manufacturer joined hands with Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer and India’s number one two-wheeler brand. Under their partnership, the X440 has been performed, designed, developed and manufactured in India in an attempt to avoid taxes, which would have made it impossible to price the motorcycle so cheap. With this strategy, the X440 has become the cheapest Harley model in its history. The model challenges the likes of Royal Enfield Classic 350, Meteor 350 and Honda H’ness CB350 among others.
Royal Enfield Classic 350 will be launched on 30 August
Bullet maker Indian company Royal Enfield is going to launch a new bullet. Its new bullet will be launched for customers in the Indian market on 30 August 2023 of next month. Motorcycle maker Royal Enfield is all set to launch the new generation of Bullet 350 in the Indian market on 30 August. Several test models of the new generation Bullet have already been spotted on the roads several times. It will be based on the J-platform, which is already being used on the Classic 350, Hunter 350 and Meteor 350. Powering the new Bullet 350 will be the same 349 cc engine, single-cylinder motor, long-stroke engine, which is air-oil cooled. Power and torque output will be around 19.9 bhp and 27 Nm. The on-duty gearbox will be a 5-speed unit.
Royal Enfield is famous for torquey nature
However, the engine will be re-tuned to match the specifications of the Royal Enfield Bullet. The new engine is known for its refinement and torquey nature. Royal Enfield has made huge improvements in the gear change as well. The motorcycle will come with a single-piece seat and spoke rims. Lighting elements will be shared with the Classic 350. The instrument cluster will be quite simple with an analog speedometer and a small digital readout for the fuel gauge.
chassis
The chassis of the Royal Enfield Bullet will be shared with the Classic 350. It will be suspended by telescopic forks at the front and twin gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear. Braking will be done by disc brake at the front and drum brake at the rear. However, Royal Enfield will also sell a rear disc brake variant.
what is the price
Above all, the price tag is what makes the Bullet 350 interesting. Currently, the price of Royal Enfield Hunter 350 starts from Rs.1.50 lakh and goes up to Rs.1.75 lakh. Next in the lineup is the Classic 350, with prices starting from Rs. 1.93 lakh to Rs. 2.25 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom.
USP
Let us tell you that Royal Enfield Bullet is a series of motorcycles manufactured by Royal Enfield. The Bullet is one of the longest running motorcycle models in production. Its first model was introduced in 1932. The Bullet is known for its simple, robust design and its distinctive thump-a-thon exhaust note. There are many different Bullet models available including Bullet 350, Bullet 500 and Bullet Trials. The Bullet 350 is the most popular model, and it is powered by a 346cc single-cylinder engine. The Bullet 500 is powered by a 499cc single-cylinder engine and is more powerful and heavier than the Bullet 350. The Bullet Trials is a more off-road-oriented model and comes equipped with spoke wheels, handlebar and a skid plate.
long distance ride
Bullet is a popular choice for long distance riding. It’s comfortable and relatively fuel-efficient. It gallops in a variety of road conditions. The Bullet is also a relatively affordable motorcycle. If you are looking for a sturdy and affordable motorcycle, which is suitable for long distance riding, then Royal Enfield Bullet is a good option to consider.
Features of Royal Enfield Bullet
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Single-cylinder, 346cc engine
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air-cooled, four-stroke
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5-speed manual transmission
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Disc brake (front) and drum brake (rear)
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Fuel Tank Capacity: 13.5 liters
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Seat Height: 800mm
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Weight: 191 kg
Harley Davidson has launched the X440.
Harley Davidson has recently launched the X440 motorcycle in the Indian market in partnership with Hero MotoCorp. Harley Davidson’s X440 has been launched in the ex-showroom at an initial price of Rs 2.29 lakh and it is getting tough competition from Royal Enfield’s Classic 350 Bullet.
Looks and Design
The engineering, testing and development of the Harley Davidson X440 bike has been done by Hero MotoCorp. Harley Davidson has given the X440 a muscular look and design, which comes with neo-retro elements. Its design is largely inspired by Hero MotoCorp’s bigger model XR1200. The fuel tank and slick side panels are based on the XR1200. The bike gets mid-set footpegs and a flat handlebar. Its look is sporty.
Power and Performance
A single-cylinder engine of 440 cc capacity has been used in this bike, which generates 27hp power and 38Nm torque. It is paired with a 6-speed transmission. It also gets slipper clutch as standard.
Tires & Suspension
The motorcycle rides on 43mm inverted forks and preload-adjustable gas-charged twin suspension. In addition, the X440 gets ByBre discs at both ends, which comes with dual channel Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) as standard. The motorcycle gets new MRF Zapper Hike tyres, which cover the 18-/17-inch alloy wheels.
Features
Harley DNA is found in this bike. It is offered without any forward-set footpegs or swept back handlebar. In this bike, the company has given mid-set footpeg and a flat handlebar. The look of the bike is sporty. The bike gets daytime running (DRL) lights with ‘Harley Davidson’ written on it. In addition, it gets a TFT console, which offers smartphone connectivity as well as a basic readout that facilitates operating turn-by-turn navigation, music controls and call/message alerts.
Price
Harley Davidson X440 has been launched in three variants. Its price starts from Rs. 2.29 lakhs in the ex-showroom. This makes Royal Enfield’s Classic 350 costlier by around Rs.37,000. However, the price of Harley Davidson is much higher than that of Royal Enfield’s Classic 350. Many such advanced features have been given in this bike, but only Royal Enfield is considered royal in terms of ride.
Triumph launched the cheapest bike in India
Britain’s bike manufacturer Triumph has launched its cheapest bike in the market on July 5, the new bike Speed 400 to compete with India’s Royal Enfield. This bike is the company’s cheapest bike in India and has been developed with the help of Bajaj Auto. Triumph Speed 400 has been launched at a price of Rs 2.33 lakh (ex-showroom). However, the company has kept the price at Rs. 2.23 lakh (ex-showroom) for the first 10,000 bikes. At this price, this Royal Enfield bike is only Rs. 2,000 costlier than the top model of the Classic 350. Triumph Speed 400 is a completely made-in-India bike. Due to this, the company has been able to launch it in the domestic market of India at a low price. The direct competition of Triumph Speed 400 will be with Harley-Davidson X440, Royal Enfield Classic 350 and Meteor 350.
Design
The company has given the Triumph Speed 400 an attractive streetfighter design. Although the company has given round headlamps, teardrop fuel tank and retro rear view mirrors to continue the old look with modern. The bike gets upside down telescopic fork suspension at the front and monoshock suspension setup at the rear. The bike is based on a newly designed perimeter frame with exposed parts giving the bike a very muscular look. The alloy wheels and engine of the bike get matte black paint. At the same time, a big Triumph logo has been given on the fuel tank with different colors. For rider information, the company has used an analog instrument cluster with a digital display.
Engine too strong
In Triumph Speed 400, the company has used 398cc single cylinder engine. This engine produces 40 bhp power at 8,000rpm and 37.5 Nm torque at 6,500rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. It also gets a sleeper assist clutch. The company claims that this bike will get a mileage of 28 kmpl.
Security
In terms of safety, standard features on the bike include dual disc brakes, dual channel ABS and engine immobilizer. All the lighting in the bike is given in LED. It sits on 17-inch alloy wheels as standard with dual purpose radial tyres.