Forum

[MadMike]

Rowena Hoseason, Joint editorial person of Real Classic, has just posted on the Real Classic Facebook page taht Enfield are actively trying to set up a new importer/distributor deal. She also says that an announcement should be made sooner rather than later. HTH.

[Snowgoose]

I am currently in the process of buying a new Classic. I'm told by the dealer that all of Watsonians remaining Enfield stock has been moved to a warehouse in Birmingham. The dealer was told that India themselves are dealing with this and spoke to their UK representative, an Indian guy. This gentleman said that they hope to appoint a new UK importer next week and that the talks are on going. The dealer was able to reserve one of the stored bikes for me but an importer has to be appointed before it can be delivered as India cannot raise the necessary UK invoices.

During all this I was told, by a dealer, that India a currently working on a twin cylinder 700cc model that should be ready for launch in 2014, if this proves to be true then I want one!

[Alan R]

------------over to you, NORM !!---What's the state of your $ against the Rupee right now ??

[Norm]

Hi Alan, this is where things stand at the moment $1 AU to 56.0594 Rupee $1 AU to 6.84086 GBP just looking around a C5 UCE costs us around $9000/$9500 AU a B5 costs a bit less at around the $8000 AU mark We know we are being ripped but there is nothing we can do about it

[MadMike]

Norm have you been having trouble with your decimal placetonight? If A$1 = £6.84 then a A$9000 bike would cost £61,560. Wow that would be expensive.

[Norm]

OOPS, you got me Mike but how does 6150 GBP sound for an Enfield over there?

[MadMike]

Norm slightly expensive. Indeed one of the problems that I perceive for Enfield in the UK when they get a nre distribution set up is price. I think a mid range RE cost about £5500, and Hinckley Bonneville is only about £6400. Each to his own BUT the Bonneville is much more modern, reliable and has an efficient electric leg. many people I feel prefer the Hinckley as it is very retro looking but has all the characterisitcs of a "modern" bike. That's why I have one. I fear that unless RE move very swiftly the buyers of new retro's may have moved to the Hinckley models. Much as I love my Bonneville Thruxton we do need variety in the market place and so i hope my fears are unfounded.

[Riggers]

Mike, I think you have hit the nail on the head regarding the price issue. I posted a while back that I thought for the money Enfield had a serious quality control problem. When I bought my 500 Classic back in 2000 I paid £2,800 for it brand new which I thought was a fair price for a fairly basic low quality bike. Inflation hasn't been much in the last few years, but to find the price up around £5,500 for a 'modern' Bullet I think is just too much (vs a Bonneville at a few hundred quid more). In my book the right price for the current offering should be around £3,500 to £4,000 depending on the model. There WOULD be a small market for a high quality, high performance 500 a la Gold Star or Thruxton if it handled well and could top say 110mph, and for that I would expect to pay around £5,500 to £6,000. Triumph know exactly how to price their bikes - Enfield must do the same.

[grunda 12]

on the point of quality ,the only thing that has dropped off my indian market bullet was the horn !!honkhonk,although theres not much of it as it left the factory but get this if your engine blows up fit a £300 chinese cement mixer engine dead reliable with good mpg figures!!parts are also cheap head gasket £1,bigend shells £15 ,piston rings £14 for set of three ,if your tight like me ,it all makes good sense,anyway back to the thread,who ever takes the job on good look to them my dealings with the new efi,s is very possitive although as mike says you can by a trumpet for a little more although some people prefer to have their trumpet blown instead of blowing it !

[STU]

Hang on guys!
Mike - no currently listed RE is listed at as much as £5500 - the MOST EXPENSIVE Indian export model (discounting the limited edition UK market 'Lewis Leathers' model) is £5295.

Current UK OTR prices are as follows;

Bullet 500 £3995

Electra EFI £4495

Electra DL EFI £4895

Bullet Classic EFI £5195

Bullet Classic Chrome £5295

Note that all these bikes have the same technical and equipment spec, there is no 'basic' model.

Triumph list their Bonneville range as 'from £6399' UK OTR.

So the Enfield is between £1104 and £2404 less. So you can hardly get a Bonnie for 'a few hundred' quid more!!!

Riggers, you paid £2800 13 years ago for a 50 year old design bike.
13 years later £1195 extra buys you a completely updated unit construction engine, EFI, disc brake, 25% more power and torque, 5 speed gearbox, roller crank, hydraulic valve lifters, 'proper' oil pumps, electric start, improved frame and swing arm, much higher cruising speed totally suitable for motorway use, much higher output alternator, significantly updated other electrics and significantly improved build quality etc, etc, etc.

Funnily enough the two bikes look very similar but these features alone are worth the £1195 before 13 years of inflation. As for inflation 'hasn't been much in the last few years' - what was price of a gallon, or a loaf, or a pinta or house in 2000? Or indeed any other motorbike? You have got to be joking mate...

So, if you were looking for the right price current offering at £3500-£4000, you can have a BULLET 500 EFI at £3995!

And the new Cafe Racer Continental GT535 will be the modern Goldie - coming soon. If they are £6500 I'll have one over a new basic Bonnieville at £6395 any day. Let me make it clear that I love Triumphs and Bonnies but 6 years ago I chose a limited edition top-of-range Enfield over one and am going to do the same again when the Cafe Racer (or 700 twin) come out.

Make no mistake, Enfield India are very amnbitious and have the resources of massive Eicher behind them. They will continue to grow on the international market.