Royal Enfield to update Thunderbird and Classic in India: Report

Chennai-based motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield is reportedly planning to update its cruiser motorcycle Thunderbird and retro-styled Classic in India with new features before the arrival of the next-generation models of the two-wheelers.

A report of MotorOctane claims the motorcycle-maker is likely to add new features like powerful headlamps to both models, which could be rolled out as new variants. The new variants of the Thunderbird and the Classic are likely to be launched in India by the end of this year. Royal Enfield is also said to be working on the next-generation versions of the same models, which are expected to arrive sometime next year. There is no information on the engines of the models. The other details are also awaited.

Royal Enfield recently updated its existing product line-up in India with new colours. The company introduced nine colours — four new colours for its retro street model Classic, three colours for the Bullet and one colour each for its highway cruiser Thunderbird and the Continental GT cafe racer.

Meanwhile, the company recorded sales of 47,037 units in April 2016, 42 percent more than the 33,118 vehicles sold in the corresponding month last year. Royal Enfield's Classic 350, which made its market debut in 2009, saw sales of 276,853 units in the financial year 2015-16, which is 76 percent more than its sales in the previous fiscal. It alone contributed to 55 percent of the total sales of Royal Enfield, which stood at 508,124 units in FY2016.

[1 lakh = 100,000 | 1 crore = 10 million | 100 crore = 1 billion]