Royal Enfield recently launched their most affordable bike so far -- the Bullet 350X. This launch reflects the growing urgency of the brand to ramp up its sales and bridge the gap of double digit negative growth. In the bid to do so, the brand has taken yet another step that will benefit all its customers, both future and existing. The brand has announced that the maintenance cost of all its bikes will reduce by 40%.
The high maintenance cost of vehicles has always been a perennial gripe of the customers in the Indian market and they tend to stay away from vehicles that incur significant costs in maintenance. Now the retro bike maker has taken measures to ensure that the burden of cost of ownership of their bikes come down. The brand has announced that the maintenance for their models of the Bullet, Classic and Thunderbird series will come down by the aforementioned margin. However, no such reductions have been announced for their hot-selling twin-cylinder powered motorcycles – Interceptor and the Continental GT 650 -- or even the Himalayan.
Among the measures taken by the brand to reduce the cost of ownership of their bikes will the use of a new mix of semi-synthetic oil for the bikes. This oil lasts for a longer duration and thus its usage will mean that the users will not have to frequent the service centres that frequently. Thereby, the customers end up saving a lot of money. As of now, the Bullet, Classic and Thunderbird range of Royal Enfield need a service every 3 months or 3,000 km. However, with the usage of the new synthetic oil, the service interval for these bikes will come increase to 6 months or 5,000 km. It will help in reducing the ownership cost of current and future customers. According to the brand, the total cost reduction due to this measure will come to be around.
Apart from the service interval, the oil change internal of the brand will also increase. Currently, the bikes from the brand have an oil change interval of 6 months or 5,000 kms, whichever is sooner. However, the usage of the new oil will ensure that the customers of the aforementioned bikes will have to come in for an oil change every 12 months or 10,000 km. This is just double the older oil change interval for the customers. The new strategy will help customers save a lot of money and Royal Enfield has estimated up to 40% savings over a period of 3 years. This new regime is applicable to all the bikes powered by the Unit Construction Engine motorcycles.