Photo: Royal Enfield
We have good news for both the fans of Royal Enfield and the workers in the British motorcycle industry. Royal Enfield announced massive investments in two new technology centers, of which one will be located in Leicestershire.
Far more than having several offices where designers and engineers would try to find new solutions for the upcoming generations of Royal Enfield, the Leicestershire RE base will also include a manufacturing facility.
Yes, Royal Enfield motorcycles will once more be built in the UK, for the first time since 1970, and this might help the Indian brand benefit from a boost in both craftsmanship quality and customer confidence.
The other Royal Enfield technology center will be built in Chennai, southern India, and for both, the manufacturer is expected to spend around £50 mil ($71 mil or €63.3 mil). If you want even more good news, we'll also let you know that the new UK facility is said to open this summer.
It's hard to believe that Royal Enfield will start manufacturing bikes in the UK right away, but at least, things are on the move. The Indian manufacturer has not specified which models will be built in Leicestershire, but we can expect that the British plant will deliver new bikes.
We know that Royal Enfield has big plans to become a much stronger player in the middleweight segment worldwide, and the recent move with the UK plant might be a part of the long-term strategy. Also, Royal Enfield has enlisted the services of spectacular motorcycle designer Pierre Terblanche, who also tied his name with Ducati, MV Agusta, and Confederate, to name only a few.
If Royal Enfield wants a larger piece of cake in the western market, they must come up with something truly new and technologically modern, with specs comparable to what machines from other manufacturers offer. It's no problem if RE stays on the retro side of things, as long as their motorcycles are no longer the ones created back in 1956. Yamaha proved that there is a strong market for neo-retro bikes, and BMW is following their steps as well, so there's clearly a way to do things if there is a will.
Yes, Royal Enfield motorcycles will once more be built in the UK, for the first time since 1970, and this might help the Indian brand benefit from a boost in both craftsmanship quality and customer confidence.
The other Royal Enfield technology center will be built in Chennai, southern India, and for both, the manufacturer is expected to spend around £50 mil ($71 mil or €63.3 mil). If you want even more good news, we'll also let you know that the new UK facility is said to open this summer.
It's hard to believe that Royal Enfield will start manufacturing bikes in the UK right away, but at least, things are on the move. The Indian manufacturer has not specified which models will be built in Leicestershire, but we can expect that the British plant will deliver new bikes.
We know that Royal Enfield has big plans to become a much stronger player in the middleweight segment worldwide, and the recent move with the UK plant might be a part of the long-term strategy. Also, Royal Enfield has enlisted the services of spectacular motorcycle designer Pierre Terblanche, who also tied his name with Ducati, MV Agusta, and Confederate, to name only a few.
If Royal Enfield wants a larger piece of cake in the western market, they must come up with something truly new and technologically modern, with specs comparable to what machines from other manufacturers offer. It's no problem if RE stays on the retro side of things, as long as their motorcycles are no longer the ones created back in 1956. Yamaha proved that there is a strong market for neo-retro bikes, and BMW is following their steps as well, so there's clearly a way to do things if there is a will.
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