Just Got a Call from my Dealer about Price.

[Deezil]

I just Got a Call back from My Dealer here in MO

I called him about availability of the new bikes last week and he stated that He was trying to get a hold of his RE Dist about availability and Price on the bikes already.  I guess they got back to him early yesterday.

According to the Dist........The bikes are on their way to the states and the Price is Going to be about $6800, He noted the significant price increase.

 I asked him to call me if he get's anymore info.

So I guess that's what about a $1500 jump to the new model from last years model?
Is this much of a price jump Upsetting to anyone?  It is definitely less than what my Bonnie was new but not much.  I Was hoping it was going to be around $6k.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

Is that $6800 msrp? if so, add shipping and setup and you are well into the 7's.

[REpozer]

It seems a little high to me, but as someone already stated, the Indian labor market is lower than UK, so that being the case it is good business sense to price your bike a little on the high side and what the market does.If you are having a difficult time moving product they( RE) will be able to lower the price ( factory incentives) probably allot easier then Triumph or BMW, however it seems the Japanese are always ready for a game of hard ball, never know what they may come up with.

[Chasfield]

I've posted a few moans and groans already about fancy UCE bike pricing. With Japanese 250s coming in at well under 4000 dollars I think that a level of 6800 for the UCE will leave them sitting high and dry.

RE will, I am sure, get real on pricing pretty quickly, particularly now that the recession is biting.

[ace.cafe]

I sort of expected that price range.
I voted $6500-$7000 on the poll a few weeks ago.

However, the UCE does have some things to commend it, which separates it from the other "competition".
It cannot be compared to a Japco 250 really, because the 250s  don't have much torque to speak of, and therefore don't have the wide powerband that the 500 single will have. The 500 will be eminently more "rideable", just like our present Bullets are much more "rideable" than the crop of 250s. And often 250s are considered "kid's bikes", and the 500 won't have to suffer that stigma. So that helps.
Also, the styling is very retro, and really has no competition at all in that area. Even the other "retro bikes" don't go as "retro" as the new UCE does. The UCE stands alone in that department, and we'll have to see how much consumer attraction that style has. It is very quaint and  almost "formal" looking as a motorcycle, and has an upright riding position. And it should get very good fuel mileage, which would set it apart from the other bigger displacement bikes, and the fuel prices WILL go back up again at some point.

Interestingly, the very thing that RE has strived to accomplish, which is "push the button and ride anywhere" type of reliability, is likely to be a non-factor in the initial purchasing decision. The typical consumer just expects that to be "standard equipment" in ANY motorcycle they buy today. So, it will just be assumed to be reliable like every other bike out there is, and won't play much of a role in today's consumer choices of bikes. But it may very well make them a repeat customer down the road, or recommend it to friends, if they are not disappointed in the reliability. So that should pay dividends for the marque as we go forward, IF it really is as reliable as we're told it will be.

What will sell this bike is the appearance. Purchasing a bike is a very emotional decision.People will "envision themselves" riding a bike like this, and will buy it on that criteria primarily. That's what they did with the older Bullets too. However, the idea with the new UCE is to not drive the customers away from the bike and the marque with unreliable results when they didn't pay any attention to the instructions. They just want to hop on and ride, and look like what they "envision" themselves to look like, and not have any problems.

So, for a person like that, who likes the looks, and can "see himself owning and riding one", and doesn't get disappointed with bad reliability, the bike can be a success.
Certainly is it still low enough in price to be considered "affordable" in the current motorcycle market price ranges. If a person fancies owning one, it is likely to be within reach of most people who could buy any new motorcycle.
They will buy it, because they like it, and aren't interested in the Harley "look" or the Triumph "look" or the Yamaha "look".
And they very well may think, "Wow! I got this beautiful Royal Enfield for less than that Harley or Triumph that I didn't like as well as this RE anyway. I got a bargain!"
And don't be surprised if that's  exactly what you'll hear from the new owners as they join our forum here with their new UCE bikes. Not everybody thinks that a Harley or a Triumph is worth the extra money to buy, when they like the Royal Enfield better.

These people who will be new UCE owners are going to be our "comrades on bikes" and will be the ones to carry the RE marque forward, if it is to be continued.  And when we see them out there, and hear about how much people like them, we may very well eventually become UCE owners in the future.

If it only had that kick-starter on it!

[REpozer]

These people who will be new UCE owners are going to be our "comrades on bikes" and will be the ones to carry the RE marque forward, if it is to be continued.  And when we see them out there, and hear about how much people like them, we may very well eventually become UCE owners in the future.

The rest of use RE owners will be considered  Super Cool Old School riders.

[Eamon]

I've posted a few moans and groans already about fancy UCE bike pricing. With Japanese 250s coming in at well under 4000 dollars I think that a level of 6800 for the UCE will leave them sitting high and dry.

RE will, I am sure, get real on pricing pretty quickly, particularly now that the recession is biting.

Well, by that way of thinking, why would any of us have ever bought our current Bullets?  You could have gotten a Japanese 250 for much less than these as well.  When I bought my Bullet, the only other bike that interested me was a Bonneville - something that also looks more or less like a "real" motorcycle to me.  I rejected it because it was too oversized and heavy for what I wanted.  I considered the Bullet to be dirt cheap by comparison, and it still did everything I wanted.  Had this new Bullet been available I would have chosen it in a second as well.  I think Ace laid out a pretty good set of reasons why.

How do you know Enfield isn't real on the pricing?  I'm sure the bike costs them a fair amount to make.

Eamon

[bobg]

"These people who will be new UCE owners are going to be our "comrades on bikes" and will be the ones to carry the RE marque forward, if it is to be continued.  And when we see them out there, and hear about how much people like them, we may very well eventually become UCE owners in the future." ace.cafe

Ace...you are The Great Orator!

[prof_stack]

If the $6800 is msrp, then BUMMER.    

But Kevin hasn't confirmed (or denied) it yet, so I'll just hope that it isn't that high.

But if that IS the price then let's hope its reliability makes the price worth it.  I still want to see the stock USA version.

[Kevin Mahoney]

I don't know how this stuff starts. I can tell you that I was on the phone with the factory this very morning about production of these bikes. I can tell you for an absolute fact that not one bike has been made for the US market, much less "on the way to us".
  I can also tell you that pricing for the US is not set. I know this because I am the one that sets price - period. You can draw no assumptions from European pricing, it is an apples and oranges deal. What I can say is that the UCE bikes will be more expensive than the current bikes. It looks like we will be selling three lines of bikes this year. We will have 2009 Lean-Burn bikes just as we do now. They will be the most modestly priced bike. Those prices are now on our web-site. We will have bikes with the UCE engine that resemble the current bikes except with different sidecovers a new frame and a front disk brake. This bike will be more expensive. None of these have yet been made for us. Europe has priority because they cannot sell Lean-Burns. Later in the season we will have the new Classic or C-5 which was introduced in Cologne. This bike will be more expensive yet. Worst case they all will be less expensive than the Bonneville. When prices are solidified you will know. Those of you who follow this forum frequently know things before anyone else. Stay tuned.

Lastly no UCE bikes will be sold to anyone until dealers have been trained. That will not occur until the first couple of weeks of Feb. So don't look for anything with the UCE engine to be available in the near future.

[Deezil]

Sorry.

Im Sticking with what My Dealer tells me. 
Whoever he is is talking to is telling him the bike will be here the first of the year. 

Regaurdless....

$6800 Sounds a little High to me, so if You are the man who Names the prices I think that price needs to come down a few notches.

Hell not even $1500 more and you can a get a Bonnie or a Sportster...

[ace.cafe]

Sorry.

Im Sticking with what My Dealer tells me. 
Whoever he is is talking to is telling him the bike will be here the first of the year. 

Regaurdless....

$6800 Sounds a little High to me, so if You are the man who Names the prices I think that price needs to come down a few notches.

Hell not even $1500 more and you can a get a Bonnie or a Sportster...

Well, if you want to go out and spend another extra $1500 more for something else, then I don't see anybody stopping you.

However, Kevin did clearly state that the price is not yet set.
And the US importer(Kevin) and the letter from the RE Factory in India, both say June 2009 for release in the US.
Although I'm sure everyone would be pleased to see it earlier.
Where is your dealer getting his info? And why would his info supercede the Factory and the US Importer info?

[Deezil]

Whats the Deal here? 

Im Just Telling you this is what my Dealer told me?
I Dont know where he gets his info from?  Im not a Dealer.
Someone must Know a price point or they wouldn't be telling him the price.


He's a extended Line dealer so he must know someone..

[daves02ES]

Whats the Deal here?

I think the deal is that Keven is the sole US distributor and would know better that anyone else when the new UCE bikes are coming in and what the price will be. Are you sure your dealer is talking about the new UCE bike or the 2009 AVL Lean-Burn.

[Eamon]

Hell not even $1500 more and you can a get a Bonnie or a Sportster...

Even if this were to turn out to be true, how would spending anything more than what the Bullet will cost for a Bonnie or Sportster be objectively better?  The new Bullet will be capable of cruising at all legal road speeds, will likely be more user serviceable than the Bonnie or Sportster, possibly 100 pounds or more lighter than either (better handling?), and will likely get considerably better gas mileage.  Add to that the more subjective aspect of looks - neither the Bonnie or the Sportster come close to trumping the new Bullet (or current Bullets) in the looks department, at least to my eye.

Eamon