Chennai, Nov 13 Talk of an aspirational or iconic motorbike in
India and the 350cc Enfield Bullet (now Royal Enfield Bullet) chugs straight
into our minds.
Today, in the midst of all the midget bikes choking city roads, there is an
increasing population of Bullets majestically making their way to the rhythmic
exhaust sound of thud, thud, thud, thud, much to the appreciative and longing
looks of others.
Perhaps it is the only motorbike that has featured in several Indian movies,
ridden by heroes, villains and others. The bike has also spawned new business
ventures like Helmet Stories, an adventure tourism company in Mumbai.
One interesting factor that emerges while talking with Bullet owners is that
they are very loyal to the brand. And, the brand loyalty transcends generations.
And, Bullets are no more the preserve of men. "Even though people said I
was like an ant on an elephant while riding a Bullet during the initial days, I
loved riding it. While on Bullet my feet will not touch the ground, I only tip
toe. But that is not a problem," one such intrepid rider, Sarah Kashyap,
told IANS in Chennai.
Hailing from Punjab, Kashyap grew up in a state where Bullets are to be found
in many houses. Her enthusiastic participation in races and rallies to Leh and
other places riding the Bullet prompted the manufacturers to employ her!
For the majority of Bullet owners in India, it was a dream machine to be
acquired when possible.
"My first interest was the Jawa bike. Anyone who had a Jawa in those days
would naturally aspire to have a Bullet. My uncle gave me his Bullet. Later I
bought my own 350cc Bullet. And now I have also bought a 500cc Bullet,"
said R. Balaji, a Chennai-based Bullet lover.
"It is sturdy and hardy. It helps to maintain a good right-angled back
while riding. No pressure on the mid-central/lumbar vertebrae or the cervical
region. This is because of the perfect handle-bar position," business
executive Erol Jorge told IANS.
For Engelbert D'Mello, a businessman in Goa, the Bullet was his dream bike and
he always wanted to own one. He realised his dream in 2012. "It is a
legend among bikes. It is one of the easiest bikes to kick-start. Plus the
sound has its own charm. One can just cruise on the bike for ever," he
said.
On the other hand, Vir Nakai, a partner in Helmet Stories adventure tourism
company, has made a good business out of his love for the Bullet by starting
his venture along with his partner Harsh Man Rai.
With a fleet of 12 Bullet bikes, Helmet Stories organises adventure motorcycle
rides to different spots.
"I have ridden the Bullet when everything was on the wrong side -- the
gear shift was on the right side," Nakai said, adding: "For adventure
travel, the Bullet is the best. The bike enables a rider to chug along at a
steady pace -- and take in the surroundings -- and not speed away, which is the
case with high-powered foreign bikes."
"Many of our clients are foreigners who know about bikes. They may
initially hesitate to ride a Bullet, but once they are up on the seat and start
riding, they fall in love with it. Recently, three of our clients bought
Bullets after going back home," Nakai said.
In the words of Soibam Rocky Singh, who works for an English daily in the
national capital and who has twice ridden in the Himalayas: "Royal Enfield
Classic 350 is my first bike. And there are a lot of reasons why I choose it
over, say, KTM's Duke (I really don't care about the others). Besides its retro
look, I love it for the range of things it can accomplish without going out of
its comfort zone.
"My first need, while buying my bike, was a good, stable, commuter bike
for earning my livelihood. Secondly, I always wanted a bike which could also do
a bit of sport adventure, too, like conquering the Himalayas."
Today, Eicher Motors sells around 50,000 units of the various Bullet models per
month, which not long ago was more than the annual production capacity.
The company is also in the process of expanding its production capacity to
900,000 units by 2018 by setting up a new plant.
Those who are tracking the company would certainly term the Royal Enfield story
as a great turnaround story that happened at the right moment after it lost its
way with the advent of fuel-efficient 100cc bikes in the 1980s.
Like the brand, the problems faced by Bullet buyers till two decades back were
legendary -- oil leaks, maintenance costs, et al. However, the company started
to address the quality issues first and began rolling out defect-free bikes by
taking a re-look at its manufacturing process, quality control systems and the
entire production chain, identifying and resolving in the process 122 problems.
As Bullets were not bought for power or fuel efficiency but for their looks,
the focus was on styling and branding. New models like Thunderbird were
launched to attract the youth.
Around this time, the software boom happened and people started to look at
lifestyle bikes away from the fuel-efficient 100cc bikes. And now, the
reverberating thud, thud, thud -- the Bullet's unique exhaust note -- is being
heard in ever-increasing numbers.
