Royal Enfield has announced its first wholly-owned subsidiary outside India, in North America. This announcement is in line with Royal Enfield’s focused international thrust of leading and expanding the global mid-sized motorcycle segment (250-750cc), with North America representing a priority market for the company.
Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, with roots dating back to 1901 in Redditch, England. Its current product line-up in North America includes the Bullet 500cc, Classic 500cc and the Continental GT 535cc cafe racer ranging from $4,995 to $5,995. Royal Enfield has been exporting motorcycles to North America for 15 years through an independent distributor.
“Royal Enfield has been growing at over 50 percent year-on-year for the last five years. The combination of an efficient and scalable business model and brand strength has given us our success in India. We have also grown the mid-size segment in India. We see a clear opportunity to be able to do this in the U.S. as well as globally. North America is a key international market for Royal Enfield, with a rich history of riding enthusiasts. Given the lack of attractive options in the mid-size segment, we are well poised to fill the gap and serve potential customers at a close, intimate level by localizing our operations in North America,” said Rudratej Singh, President, Royal Enfield.
Siddhartha Lal, CEO, Royal Enfield said, “Our motorcycles are inspired by the classic bikes throughout motorcycling history, in form and in simplicity; and they capture the feeling of freedom, fun and responsiveness that riders were trying to achieve then, and brings it into the modern context. Royal Enfields are possibly the most engaging mid-size motorcycles out there. We use traditional craftsmanship and modern technology as a means to achieve the perfect balance between the rider, the machine and the terrain.”
The company’s regional office will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the leadership team will be led by Rod Copes, President, Royal Enfield North America, responsible for managing its operation in the market including marketing, communications, sales, warranty, service, dealership development and finance. All manufacturing will continue to remain in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India where Royal Enfield has been manufacturing since 1955. Global headquarters will continue to reside in Gurgaon, Haryana, India.
“In a post performance era where American riders are looking for machines that are easy to own and maintain, Royal Enfield offers evocative and unintimidating modern classic motorcycles, with timeless appeal. Royal Enfield’s first fully branded retail store in the United States will soon be launched in Milwaukee that will retail its entire product line-up of motorcycles and gear. Over the next 18 months, we plan to launch several such stores in key metropolitan areas across the U.S. We are also focusing on building a strong independent dealer network that will maximize our brand awareness and sales,” said Copes.
“While Royal Enfield continues to strengthen its presence in the U.S. and Canada, our current distributors, Classic Motor Works, located in Fairbault, Minnesota, will be transitioning out of distributing Royal Enfield motorcycles by the end of 2015,” added Copes.
In 2014, Royal Enfield sold more than 300,000 motorcycles globally. Parent company, Eicher Motors Limited, recorded its highest ever total revenue of $1.4 billion, with large contributions from the Royal Enfield business unit. In 2015, the company aims to produce 450,000 motorcycles to support its growth strategy globally.