Royal Enfield unveils limited edition range of bikes

New Delhi: Royal Enfield, the two-wheeler division of Eicher Motors, today unveiled a range of limited edition bikes, inspired by the 'despatch riders' of the World  Wars, which will be sold online only. The Chennai-based firm, which sells various models including Bullet, Classic and Thunderbird, plans to introduce   the limited edition motorcycles and new collection of gears   and accessories in domestic and international markets.  

"These bikes can be booked online from our gear stores and deliveries would begin by July 15," Royal Enfield CEO Siddhartha Lal. Commenting on the limited edition range, which is based on Classic 500 model, he said that only 600 units of the range   would be rolled out and would be available for sale. The bikes, which are based on riders who relayed vital   information between headquarters and ground forces through the World Wars, would be available in three colours with the company planning to roll out 200 units of each colour.  

Besides the bike, the World War-inspired range includes gears and accessories such as leather jackets and shoes with ankle guards. These would also be available at around 50 international markets where the company is present currently, he added. Elaborating on the company's network expansion plans, Lal   said: "We currently have around 400 outlets across the country. We sell gear and accessories from 250 of these outlets. By the end of the year we plan to have around 500   total outlets and we aim to sell gear from around 400outlets."  

When asked about the company's strategy regarding the   international markets, he said it was focusing on emerging markets like Latin America and South East Asia. "In these markets there is huge gap for middle weight bikes as either you have entry level commuter bikes or large bikes from international brands. It is this mid-segment where we want to get in," Lal said.