The sales of Royal Enfield Classic 500 and other 500cc models have fallen down terribly. Their near pricing to the 650 Twins might have affected the sales.
For the month of January 2019, Royal Enfield Classic 500 recorded sales of 859 units. Also, Bullet 500 and Thunderbird 500 reported sales of 127 units and 146 units respectively.
On the other hand, the newly launched 650 Twins reported 1069 units for the same month. Even for December 2018, they stayed much ahead of the 500cc RE motorcycles.
We suspect the near pricing range of all these models has declined the sales of the 500cc motorcycles. Himalayan, an ADV has managed to sell more units than the more popular Classic 500.
Also Read: Royal Enfield Scrambler 500 spied; might launch by early 2019
Royal Enfield Classic 500 is priced from Rs 2.01 Lakhs to Rs 2.11 Lakhs. Bullet 500 goes for Rs 1.88 Lakhs and Thunderbird 500 ranges from Rs 2.06 Lakhs to Rs 2.14 Lakhs (prices ex-showroom).
On the other hand, the Interceptor 650 is priced from Rs 2.5 Lakhs to Rs 2.7 Lakhs. Continental GT 650 is the most high priced, from Rs 2.65 Lakhs to Rs 2.85 Lakhs (ex-showroom).
For a price difference of Rs 40,000 between the Interceptor and 500cc models, many buyers have been opting for the former one. Our dealership sources have confirmed that Interceptor is the better selling of the Twins.
Also Read: Royal Enfield 650 Twins waiting period to reduce; production to be doubled
The power figures between Royal Enfield Classic 500 and Interceptor 650 has a huge difference. The Classic uses a 499cc air-cooled Twin-spark Fuel-injected engine. The motor is tuned to deliver 27 BHP and 41 Nm of peak torque.
On the other hand, the 650 Twins use a 648cc air-cooled parallel-twin cylinder engine, that is capable of delivering 47 BHP and 52 Nm of peak torque. There is a difference of 20 BHP and nearly 11 Nm of torque.
For a premium of Rs 40,000, a buyer is getting a bigger engine, more power and most importantly, a comparatively newer motorcycle.
Also Read: Royal Enfield Himalayan Road Test Review – The Yeti in the Pink City
While the Interceptor is a Classic Roadster, the GT 650 is an old-school Cafe racer. Classic and Bullet series are type of Retro bikes.
