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Want to upgrade Royal Enfield community with new 650 cc twins: Eicher CEO

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By Anand Singh
Panaji, Dec 4 (IANS) Royal Enfield, known for its iconic 350 cc Bullet, is now all set to upgrade to the next level of performance bikes — Interceptor and Continental GT — both powered by 650 cc twin engines. And the company wants country’s market for high-power motor cycles to grow.

In a candid interview with IANS here, Siddhartha Lal, the CEO and Managing Director of Eicher Motors, the mother company of Royal Enfield, said the two new motorcycles will “upgrade” the Royal Enfield community with performance-oriented features.

“Our team here… most of them are riders and we try to talk to our customers, dealers most of the time, and what we understood was that a lot of our customers were delighted with what they currently have and it’s absolutely perfect for them,” Lal said.

“But certainly there is a set of customers who now have been riding bikes for five-ten years and are now looking at the next level of performance… they like Royal Enfield, they like what we stand for, they like our style, but they want a bit more performance,” he said.

The Interceptor and Continental GT 650 cc twins were unveiled in Goa last month during the Royal Enfield’s ninth annual Ridermania.

Both motorcycles are powered by the all-new 650 cc, air-cooled parallel twin engines with oil cooler for enhanced performance. The fuel injected motor claims to deliver 47 PS of power at 7,100 rpm and a peak torque of 52 Nm at 4,000 rpm.

“It is really to start up with a motorcycle that, we believe, our community is interested in. We have 2.5 million customers since we started this new generation of motorcycles in 2009-2010,” he said.

He pointed out that “there is a good number here (in India), who are interested in getting to the next level of performance and that is what it is about”.

Elaborating on the need to bring 650 cc motorcycles, Lal said: “That’s obvious… company has to progress and for us the decision was (if you are making a new motorcycle) to go down or go up. Currently we have our products between 350 cc and 500 cc. We could have gone down to 250 cc or gone up above 500 cc. Or we could have gone parallel in the way we went with Himalayan (with 411 cc).”

“But we decided that we don’t want to go down where there are a lot of other players,” he said, adding: “We want to grow the market in the same way we grew the market of 350 cc, which didn’t exist before Royal Enfield.”

Lal, optimistic of growing the market for 650 cc motorcycles in India, said that in the old days it was a very small market and in the last one decade “we have grown the market”.

“We grew the market with 350 cc and 500 cc; we will do the same with the 650 cc. It doesn’t exist in India; the 650 cc market is very tiny in India, as very few motorcycles sell here and we think with the 650 cc we can grow that market,” he said.

Commenting on the export plans of the new offerings, Lal said: “Very importantly we think that this motor cycle will be absolutely spot on for markets outside of India, because the average speed, highway speed and riding speeds in markets outside of India are normally higher.”

“So we are looking for slightly higher level of performance than today. And these motorcycles will certainly help us get into the mainstream in the export market,” he said.

“In the international market we have an open field; we have people coming down from other emerging markets like Latin America and Southeast Asia,” he said.

Both new motorcycles have been engineered and fine-tuned for enhanced agility that can handle different terrain and speeds with ease while retaining the classic style. They are equipped with front and rear disc brakes with ABS, 18-inch front and rear Pirelli tyres and twin shock absorbers.

The gearbox is augmented by its “slip/assist” clutch that facilitates easy riding in traffic with a light feel and prevents wheel-hop when downshifting gears — also a first for Royal Enfield.

The chassis has been developed from the ground up by the team at Royal Enfield’s UK Technology Centre and Harris Performance.

(Anand Singh was in Panaji at the invitation of Royal Enfield. He can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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