Forum

[Alan (Lancashire)]

they may have had a 50% groth in export sales however they sold less than 300 in the UK last year , Norm from australia also notes a lack of sales , "who" is buying this 50% extra production!

[Skip]

A 50% Growth expectation is really just that - an 'expectation' weather they hit it or not rather depends on both RE India and MotoGB.

The other side of the coin is, they may export 50% more machines than last year, but that doesn't mean they are being sold! I can't see RE upping the specs to much on the newer machines, only where required to keep up with the Euro Encap Emissions Regs, and even the Japanese lads are having fun with those, pulling various high selling, profitable models simply because its either to expensive or more likely not cost effective to scrape them through the next round. A significant hike in prices will lead them to be in direct competition with the Japanese and European manufacturers, something they aren't able to do - yet!

I found a wonderful website last night, owned by an Indian artist who remembers her father taking her to school on his Bullet, and highlights the fact that the whole of India moves on the same machine(s). Even with its burgeoning market place and explosion in wealth, I think RE is going to keep building very similar bikes for a very long time just for its home market and is likely to treat the EU & the USA as secondary, esp when there are far less restrictions at home!