Classic UCE availability

[dagdavid]

Andrew Anantharaj, Senior Manager International Business at Enfield responded to my email about availability.  Andrew says the bike will be available in the US beginning June 2009.  I asked him about price and reserving one and he said to check the enfieldmotorcycles.com in May of '09 for details.

[Bath Bullet]

Seems like you are getting it late, it appeaers from what I saw the other day we get it in January, and its rrp is £4495, thats a WHOPPING £1500 up on the old Classic, and a £1000 on the last AVL!
If I was in the market I would be looking at a new Bonnie................
Makes me love my Iron pot even more!

[cochi]

Scots, very good point.  Also glad to have my old iron classic. I think I'll hang onto it for a while. cochi 

[PhilJ]

Confucius says "If you only buy based  on price you will get what you didn't want."

[Chasfield]

Have a look at Indian pricing for UCE models.

120,000 rupees gets you a sweet looking cycle. There are about 77 rupees in a GB pound. So that bike is going for £1,560 GBP.

No wonder they like to export them to UK buyers.

We are given stupid pills in school to make us into "good" consumers.

[David R]

Thanx for sharing, that's exciting news! Might be good timing for me.

[Jon]

The home market price is bound to be lower.

The home market bike is a 350 not a 500 this doesn't make it cheaper to make
but there has to be a price differential between the two capacities for marketing
purposes if nothing else.

In the past expoert bikes for the European and US markets have alledgedly been
finished to a higher standard, extra cost there perhaps.

They build a lot more 350 models than 500's so there is an economy of scale factor to
consider.

Now add the shipping costs and the US or UK dealers mark up, they are after all
in business to make a profit, plus the cost of any additional dealer fitted parts
mandated for particular markets. Chuck some import duties and tax on top of that
and the price differential is perhaps not as surprising.

[Chasfield]

There again, in the UK you can by all manner of small Chinese motorcycles for around 1000 GBP each.

I still think we are paying too much for the latest Bullets.

[Spitting Bull]

Some of us aren't paying anything for the latest bullets!  We're keeping our beautiful iron-engined 350s and enjoying every moment!

Tom

[Bath Bullet]

There again, in the UK you can by all manner of small Chinese motorcycles for around 1000 GBP each.

Not if you have any sense you wont!
They may be Honda GY6 clones, but they are rubbish, chronic after sale service, have little spares backup, and some even cant be registered for the road because they don't have the paper work.
Most never see the 1st MOT three years from new.
Avoid like the plague!
Its an injustice to put 'Chinese scooter' and Royal Enfield in the same sentence, let alone conpare, there is no comparison.

[Chasfield]

Without question, there are a lot of negatives regarding many of the Chinese motorcycles that have been imported into the UK so far, and it didn't take me long to decide that the Bullet was hugely preferable.

However, one comparison does stand: Royal Enfield takes advantage of low domestic production costs and ships its products all around the globe, just like the Chinese manufacturers, yet the UCE Bullet pricing is looking more like what you would might expect for machines produced in a high-cost economy.

Remember also that one reason we are getting the UCE is product rationalization. The new engine will have less major cast components and fewer finishing operations to be done on them.

It will cost a lot lest to produce, and how nice it would have been for us all if the on the road price  had been a bit closer to the old iron Bullet level.

[Kevin Mahoney]

While you are correct that the price is going up for the UCE, let me put to rest the notion that this engine will cost less to produce. Quite the opposite is true. All castings are High pressure die castings instead of gravity  flow castings, the machining tolerances are tighter, materials are better, The in internal components are much more expensive and the EFI and catalytic converter are hugely expensive. For example, the factory is paying almost $600 just for the silencer with a German 3 way cat.
  The engineering and research that went onto this came from the top engineering firms all over the world. To obtain modern reliability and lack of routine maintenance this is what is required. In a low cost environment you can make money by having cheap labor if it is a labor intensive process and by huge volumes. The Chinese have no R and D, dirt cheap labor and produce units like Minnesota produces mosquito's. and embarrassing politicians. (First Jesse "the body" Ventura, now maybe Al Franken and I am sure that Pee Wee Herman is next.).
  When you have a higher tech product like this engine labor is a factor but not a huge factor (RE is a union environment) and volumes are relatively low.

[Chasfield]

I must accept that you are much better placed to judge these matters than I. However, the demise of the Classic Bullet at the 2500 GBP price point does leave a void in the marketplace that Chinese manufacturers could fill one day - if they got serious about quality, spares support and dealer networks.

[Kevin Mahoney]

You are correct abut the void. I think one problem with the Chinese is that they don't really have an R and D to improve their products. Also no rigorous quality programs. I also find it amusing when government officials like the EPA tell the public that the cost of less Emerson's is very little. It is a lot - however we need to do it, but lets just be straight about it. Now the catalytic converter is by far the most expensive piece on the bike. REM had sourced a cat from China that was reasonable, but the TUV officials in Europe said that no Chinese cats are allowed period end of conversation. Might have something to do with the fact that they have been caught in the U getting bikes with cats approved and then installing cats with no precious metals in them  - hence they don't work they just look like cats.

[stipa]

When you have a higher tech product like this engine labor is a factor but not a huge factor (RE is a union environment) and volumes are relatively low.


The R.E. factory in Chennai is Union?  I find this both surprising and gratifiying.  (Yes, I'm union too)!



From what I've seen and heard on here, (and other forums), and YouTube,  the Bullet and Royal Enfield in general, enjoys a pride of distinction amongst its workers and Indian people overall.  This is cool.
They'll continue to want to do it better.  Design, implementation, assembly/construction, and distribution.  Reward the workers, integrate them into the process, and the system perpetuates itself.
On the flip side, make sure your employees know they are involved in an "interim" situation, the company is looking for a buyer, (even a holding company),  cut wages,
issue onerous memos, and promote from outside the firm, and see what you get.

Fact is, the costs of everything have been going up, over most of the globe.  We all know this.  And most of us know, you get what you pay for. 
I don't know what R.E has into these things (Bullets) when they roll off assembly, but I know the transportation business, and what with freight expeditors, agents, stevedores (on both ends), ocean shipping, fuel surcharges, longshore services, and rail/truck distribution on arrival, it can add up to a lot.  Oh yeah, don't forget Customs, insurance, and the importer/dealer mark-up. 

I'm intending on buying a UCE, later if not sooner.  I want to see if there will be some options on that "exhaust" pipe. 
It'll still be cheaper than a new Sportster, and nobody has tagged the Bullet as a "girls' bike" either.

By the way,  Perpich was a pretty good Guv., don'cha think?

Steve