Royal Enfield - An Emerging Indian Motorcycle Manufacturer

It all started way back in 1901 in England when the Enfield Manufacturing ltd. made their first motorcycle it was quite literally a cycle with a motor (engine) attached to it. After the company was dissolved in 1971 in the year 1995 Enfield of India bought the rights to use the brand name "Royal Enfield" and the company transcended from UK to India. Also now the brand "Royal Enfield" became a wholly owned subsidiary of Eicher Motors ltd.

Royal Enfield is now the oldest motorcycle brand in the world and the "Bullet" is now the oldest motorycle still to be in production. The brand has seen a recent upswing in sales since the introduction of their new power plant. They introduced their unit construction engine in the year 2007 and totally shifted to UCE by year 2009.

The company now has sales of over 26,000+ units in a month. It is now doubt that Royal Enfield is on an expansion spree with them opening a ton of new dealerships. The company is also targeting at exports to account for considerable part in its sales. It is quite evident with the company's launch of Continental GT that it was targeted at exports rather than sales in India. Recently the company has hired 'Rod Copes' former sales & service head of Harley Davidson to pilot the expansion of RE in North America. The company also has its presence in UK which is where it all started.

The RE bikes truly hold a ornamental value to them and their owners are certainly a spirited lot. However it is in no doubt that it lacks on the technological field. To address this the company has recently recruited Pierre Terblanche who is an ex-ducati desinger and has contributed to Ducati's launches till 2007.

To add to more specualtion the company has recently announced the development of its third plant in Chennai near the new Orgadam plant which was recently inaugurated. With the advent of the new plant the production is expected to increase further by 70-75%. The monumental Thiruvatriyur plant is destined to become a museum for all the Enfield enthusiasts.

We expect a whole new series of engines and bikes ranging from 350-700cc and the advent of a twin cylinder plant in future RE's. There might be whole new platforms in line.One thing we can be certain is that Royal Enfield is going to be in the forefront of automotive development in India and a brand ambassador for the same to the World!

KTM Track Day Chennai - 30/11/14

Ever since the launch of KTM back in 2012 the company has seen exponential growth and has set benchmarks in performance category of bikes. KTM is also known for aggressive marketing in form of orange days, orange rides and track days. Out of these events the track days are the most sought after.

In India track riding still has a long way to go and many bikers dont get the opportunity to ride on the track. To give this experience KTM has started a track day exclusively for its Duke 390 & RC 390 customers. KTM aims to educate bikers about riding skills and techniques while offering them a fun filled opportunity to ride on the track. The main reason for limiting this opportunity to only 390 customers is because it would be possible to accommodate the 200 customers as well.

The second edition of KTM Track Day, Chennai was recently held on 30th November. Having waited a long time we were looking forward to a fun filled day. The track day was held at Madras Motor Sports Club which is now a "Grade - 2" certified track and one of the oldest racing tracks of India.

The day started with early registrations at 7:00 a.m. where over 100+ riders had registered themselves for the event. They were promptly split into four batches Batch 1&4 were for first timers with Duke 390, Batch 2 was for RC 390 owners and Batch 3 was for Duke 390 owners with experience. There was a steady drizzle and the track was wet not the ideal conditions for new comers to ride on the track.

The team from Apex Racing had come to give us professional crash course on track riding. After the registration we moved on to bike scrutiny area where the rear suspension was made stiffer, rear foot pegs tied, indicators taped and our bike numbers stuck. After a quick dash to the breakfast the session started around 10:30 a.m.

A practice run was allowed for the new comers to get accustomed to the track. Just before the entry onto track the riding gear of each rider were scrutinized. After which a classroom session was hosted to teach the basics of track riding which included smooth throttle operation, using of minimal braking, single gear riding. After which was another track session where the instructors observed the riders. A review was hosted after which the entry and exit into corners was thought. A 3rd session of racing followed where we practiced all the techniques thought. A final review was hosted over snacks and tea before allowing the last track session where we were allowed to use brakes and ride hard. This session resulted in best timings as the track was also drying by this time.

We were called in for a group shot and the vote of thanks ended the day at 5:30 p.m. It was overall a great experience for the riders to experience the track and everyone was a better rider by end of the day. Although there were a few slips and falls there were no serious injuries as there was every safety precaution taken to ensure a safe and enjoyable racing weekend.