End of the Road for BULLET ??????

ac 427 · 12th July 2006, 12:23

Yesterdays front page article in HT had an article about the great legendary bullet might be phased out.

Poor sales and lack of internal funding have lead to the same. Only 25000 bullets were sold laste year compared to 1,88,000 units of Bajaj.

Eicher the company is pulling out of Bullet.

Sad thing very sad. Considering the 350 was the longest single production model introducted in 1949.

Technocrat · 12th July 2006, 13:07

I dont think they are closing RE they are just disinveting in that i.e. they are looking for another partner as they do not want it to be a wholy owned subsidiary of Eicher group.

I believe RE bikes are really doing well since the past 2-3 years.

ranjan united · 12th July 2006, 14:03

Lets face it. RE is like TVR... no matter how many problems and disinvestments it faces, someones always gonna bail it out; i.e. if it ever gets in trouble.

jkdas · 12th July 2006, 15:03

Comeon, it cant be. RE cant never do sales like a Bajaj due to many reasons.
Bullet will be there for anotehr couple of years.

babe_on_wheels · 12th July 2006, 15:39

hey guys...talking abt bullet ..i just heard frm a friend of mine that bullet people also have sum 3 mths or sumthin like that duration of courses on bikes and all..anyone has any ideas where it takes place and the other details like the qualifications and the fees?

jkdas · 12th July 2006, 15:45

babe; check out their site. If there's anything like that it should be in it.

sandeepmdas · 12th July 2006, 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by ac 427

Only 25000 bullets were sold last year...

Sad thing very sad. Considering the 350 was the longest single production model introducted in 1949.

Is 25,000 p.a. such a small number? Considering they have got everything under one roof to make it since 1949....

But then, Dinos were magnificent reptiles till that goddamn meteor homed in..

Just my 2 cents.

Red Bull · 12th July 2006, 16:41

I missed it in the Paper,,
And Indeed this is a Sad thing :-( ,, Maybe Re will do better as an Independent company than as a Part of Eicher,

Joz · 12th July 2006, 17:11

[quote=ac 427]

Poor sales and lack of internal funding have lead to the same. Only 25000 bullets were sold laste year compared to 1,88,000 units of Bajaj.

quote]

Bajaj sold 17.5 lakh units in the domestic market last year. And I don't think RE would close down that soon... atleast not for the next 10 years i guess/hope. Ownership might change but they would continue to exist, albeit with low volumes.

w 12 · 12th July 2006, 18:50

Bullet will be around..

numbers tell half the story...

Companies like Bajaj need huge volumes as comparatively their margins are less.. The Bullets sell for 70,000 to a lakh compared to 35-40000 for bajaj..and are made in a old factory which is fully depreciated..

25,000 is not a bad number for them...

islero · 12th July 2006, 20:40

Completley agree W12. For a niche company like RE, 25000 is a very good volume. I am sure that they only meant looking for a new partner rather than shutting down.

devarshi84 · 12th July 2006, 20:45

Enfields will be around.

What happened to plans of the new bikes they were going to launch.

bhogalrajnish · 13th July 2006, 05:24

only one good thin about Enfield being fazed out will be that the urge of owning a new one will but still il own one some day ...

hkanitkar · 13th July 2006, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkdas

Comeon, it cant be. RE cant never do sales like a Bajaj due to many reasons.
Bullet will be there for anotehr couple of years.

Decades, I may say.
Bullets have a totally different class here. Eicher group is just looking for some partners.

devarshi84 · 13th July 2006, 21:25

Enfields cater to a niche market.

It wont die as long as the management is efficient enough.

I suppose a new Streetbike brand (A la Buell to Harley davidson) can save Royal Enfield.

12th July 2006, 12:23	#1
ac 427 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,393 Thanked: 244 Times View My Garage	End of the Road for BULLET ?????? Yesterdays front page article in HT had an article about the great legendary bullet might be phased out. Poor sales and lack of internal funding have lead to the same. Only 25000 bullets were sold laste year compared to 1,88,000 units of Bajaj. Eicher the company is pulling out of Bullet. Sad thing very sad. Considering the 350 was the longest single production model introducted in 1949.
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 13:07	#2
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,813 Thanked: 2,700 Times	I dont think they are closing RE they are just disinveting in that i.e. they are looking for another partner as they do not want it to be a wholy owned subsidiary of Eicher group. I believe RE bikes are really doing well since the past 2-3 years.
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 14:03	#3
ranjan united BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Windsor, Canada... But still a Bombay-Boy at heart !!! Posts: 409 Thanked: 3 Times	Lets face it. RE is like TVR... no matter how many problems and disinvestments it faces, someones always gonna bail it out; i.e. if it ever gets in trouble.
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 15:03	#4
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,687 Thanked: 1,492 Times View My Garage	Comeon, it cant be. RE cant never do sales like a Bajaj due to many reasons. Bullet will be there for anotehr couple of years.
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 15:39	#5
babe_on_wheels BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Thane Posts: 127 Thanked: Once	hey guys...talking abt bullet ..i just heard frm a friend of mine that bullet people also have sum 3 mths or sumthin like that duration of courses on bikes and all..anyone has any ideas where it takes place and the other details like the qualifications and the fees?
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 15:45	#6
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,687 Thanked: 1,492 Times View My Garage	babe; check out their site. If there's anything like that it should be in it.
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 16:41	#8
Red Bull Newbie Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 15 Thanked: 0 Times	Can someone pls post the link fro the story I missed it in the Paper,, And Indeed this is a Sad thing :-( ,, Maybe Re will do better as an Independent company than as a Part of Eicher,
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 17:11	#9
Joz BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dubai Posts: 247 Thanked: 2 Times	[quote=ac 427] Poor sales and lack of internal funding have lead to the same. Only 25000 bullets were sold laste year compared to 1,88,000 units of Bajaj. quote] Bajaj sold 17.5 lakh units in the domestic market last year. And I don't think RE would close down that soon... atleast not for the next 10 years i guess/hope. Ownership might change but they would continue to exist, albeit with low volumes.
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 18:50	#10
w 12 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 402 Thanked: 26 Times	Bullet will be around.. numbers tell half the story... Companies like Bajaj need huge volumes as comparatively their margins are less.. The Bullets sell for 70,000 to a lakh compared to 35-40000 for bajaj..and are made in a old factory which is fully depreciated.. 25,000 is not a bad number for them...
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 20:40	#11
islero Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,574 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	Completley agree W12. For a niche company like RE, 25000 is a very good volume. I am sure that they only meant looking for a new partner rather than shutting down.
	() Thanks

12th July 2006, 20:45	#12
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	Enfields will be around. What happened to plans of the new bikes they were going to launch.
	() Thanks

13th July 2006, 05:24	#13
bhogalrajnish BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 215 Thanked: 67 Times	only one good thin about Enfield being fazed out will be that the urge of owning a new one will but still il own one some day ...
	() Thanks

13th July 2006, 21:25	#15
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	Enfields cater to a niche market. It wont die as long as the management is efficient enough. I suppose a new Streetbike brand (A la Buell to Harley davidson) can save Royal Enfield.
	() Thanks