Why are Royal Enfield motorcycles up to 3 times more expensive overseas than they are in India?
So let's go into this Royal Enfield store showroom behind me and I'm gonna ask them exactly that question.
Chris: I'm good (x2). How are you? Karl: You're good? Good to meet you buddy. Chris: Yeah good to see you again.
Chris: Welcome to the store. Karl: Thanks. Chris: Welcome back.
Karl: Check out the store guys.
Looks just like India. It's beautiful and it just feels like Royal Enfield keeps these stores... it has the same feel across the world, I think.
Chris: Yeah. Like this is the world store concept.
So they're trying to have a uniform sort of look everywhere they go.
Karl: Wow. I feel like I'm in Delhi when I walk into the store.
I think Royal Enfield should be really proud about what they've accomplished outside of India
because they're bringing a bit of India into New Zealand and to every corner of the world
Karl: So there is a big price difference between the Royal Enfield, the Indian models of the bike
and these models we have here which I'm assuming are the same. Where do these extra costs come from?
Chris: Yeah. So I get a lot of people mentioning that when they come in and they're quite surprised that these ones are about 3x the amount.
Karl: Yeah, roughly.
Chris: There are quite a few things different with these bikes.
One being the materials that they've used. There's obviously different grades.
Um, they have to use one of the highest that they have when exporting to New Zealand and Australia.
So we're gonna look at the swingarm. See this tubular frame here? Karl: Yeah.
Chris: That is basically what every bike used to have, especially in India. Karl: Yeah.
Chris: Even the first few ones in New Zealand but now they've upgraded to... I don't know if you'll be able to fit in here.
If you can look at that side, you see a box style swingarm. Karl: Ahhh.
Chris: You'll see this difference here. This is a much more contemporary swingarm. Karl: Yeah.
Chris: Improves the handling... little bit lighter... so that's another one.
And then you see, obviously foot pegs are different. They've got new fuel caps.. just the little tiny things that they've improved.
So in New Zealand, a lot of these were coming loose and they'd go this way
And then they'd make that sound as you rode.
It was a bit of a buzzing sound. Karl: Yeah.
So now they've got a flat screw top. Just looks a lot better and avoids that problem.
Chris: The other big thing is really fuel emissions. Karl: Really?
Chris: So in New Zealand, we run by Euro 4. It's a pretty strict fuel emission standard.
In India, they don't.
So you'll notice in these exhausts here, they're big and they're fat. Karl: Yep.
Chris: Because they've got big catalytic converters on them.. Karl: yep.
Chris: which actually muffles the sound quite a bit as well. Karl: Yep.
Chris: So you''ll find people who buy these bikes in this country.. they actually take the cat converter off.
First thing they do.
Karl: Yaah. Chris: Because they want that sound.. that distinguished beats that they hear from the Indian domestic models.
Karl: Yeah. Chris: And you don't get it as much with the catalytic converter.
Karl: Let's see how different they sound.
Karl: The thump is just a little less.
Chris: Just a little.. just a little. Karl: Yeah, you might not even notice it.
I think.. if you weren't listening for it.
Chris: Yeah.. well it'll be interesting because half of my customers from India, it's the first thing they'll say.
Karl: Really? Chris: They'll say 'oh, its quieter'.
Chris: Yeah, the other half wanting to mention it. So.. yeah.
Karl: I wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't told me.
Chris: You should see the difference when they put on the aftermarket pipes.
All they have to do is to put on a pipe that's basically hollow. Karl: Yeah.
Chris: And the sound is just three times louder.
Karl: I hear these bikes have a side stand sensor.
Chris: Yes. They do. Karl: They haven't got that in India.
Chris: No, that's New Zealand regulations again. They don't want you riding off with the side stand down basically.
Karl: there's quite a few differences there then.
And I also read that the paint job is different. It's just a higher quality finish with multiple layers of paint.
Could we also get exclusive colors overseas as well?
Chris: It seems like we've got all the colors that the domestic market has. Karl: Yeah.
Chris: I don't think we got any that they don't, except for the army colors.
Karl: Can we get the army colors here in New Zealand? Chris: We sell the army colors, yeah.
Chris: And that's one of our best sellers. Karl: You don't have to work for the army to get it? Chris: No.
A lot of people who come in from India.. Karl: Yeah. Chris: when they see the Desert Storm with the battle green, they flip out.
Karl: They want that. Chris: Oh yeah.
Karl: So the warranty on these, I understand, has gone up to two years from one year as well.
Not a lot of motorcycles have a two year warranty, right? Chris: No, the big ones do. Karl: The big ones do.
Chris: DW, Triumph, all the tried and true kind of brands.
Karl: Okay so Royal Enfield's up there within them, in terms of warranty.
Chris: Royal Enfield wants to be part of the top record of motorcycle brands. Karl: Cool. Good on them.
So Royal Enfield's sold outside of India.
They're not just domestic kits that are shipped over.
They have a lot of modifications made to them to become road legal here in countries like New Zealand.
And there's also shipping, there's taxes and all these modifications
So all this adds up to a more expensive and better quality bike that you're getting here.
One more bit of trivia is that Sikhs in New Zealand can ride without a helmet.
They're the only people in New Zealand who have an exemption because they need to wear their turban.
But they can only ride upto 50 kms an hour. So they can just ride around town.
And people actually call the police on them because they're not wearing helmets. It's so funny.