[aravind.anand]

I guess Royal Enfield would probably not react or rather retaliate to this ad from Bajaj. However, I have a gut feeling that their upcoming products (with new platforms) would answer this taunting from Bajaj.

And, I really think the Classic 350/500 is not the direct competition for Dominar anyway. They should be targeting Mojo and the like actually. If somebody can really take on Royal Enfield, it would be Mahindra - with Norton and Jawa brands under the kitty, they can take on RE, if they manage to design and develop retro-looking motorcycles that can also claim to have heritage and lineage.

[naveenroy]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

I guess Royal Enfield would probably not react or rather retaliate to this ad from Bajaj. However, I have a gut feeling that their upcoming products (with new platforms) would answer this taunting from Bajaj.

That is what I hoped for a long time until I realised that RE doesn't care about quality at all - their money registers are ringing at the moment and they have no need to bother about the small stuff.

[deep_bang]

A reply from a few RE fans.

https://youtu.be/SfyF1pr_N0c

[satanic_dude]

On a related note, Royal Enfield did not-so-subtly mock Bajaj Caliber 'Hoodibaba' a few years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBdhNuoZdVk

Peace!

Regards,
Abhishek

[Sheel]

Maybe they [bajaj] didn't have any better things to do then make fun of RE.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Maybe they [bajaj] didn't have any better things to do then make fun of RE.

They have the right partnerships. So they have not much to worry about. Why cant RE poach some engineers from nearby TVS and give us a reliable thumping machine. Money registers might be ringing. But personally I know lot of people who want to get a RE but are afraid to own one.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by atnyia

They better come up with advertising which highlights Dominar's own USPs, rather than belittling Bullets.

If someone puts zero effort and still earns more than me who works 12hrs a day, I would be jealous too! no offence to either company, they are here to sell products and make shareholders happy, both of them seem to be doing fine at that.

[The Great]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

If someone puts zero effort and still earns more than me who works 12hrs a day, I would be jealous too!

Well, RE's and Sid Lal's success is no zero effort IMO. Yes they have quality issues and other issues still to be sorted out, but they have surely come a long way from being a market dud to be a great seller. If zero effort was the case then even the sales of the 1990's should have been block buster shouldn't it as the Bullet was present for almost 4 decades before this recent sales sucess.

Same way even Rajiv Bajaj is also a visionary too, his focus is clear and his youtube videos are worth watching. Even Bajaj has a strategy in place and they seem to be moving to their goals step by step. Their tie-ups with KTM, Kawasaki and talks with Triumph shows they are not focusing on scooters and only on performance biking.

no offence to either company, they are here to sell products and make shareholders happy, both of them seem to be doing fine at that.

I don't think this kind of success can ever be achieved by Zero Efforts. Surely they must have done something to reach to this level.

[rideon74]

Originally Posted by srishiva

They have the right partnerships. So they have not much to worry about. Why cant RE poach some engineers from nearby TVS and give us a reliable thumping machine. Money registers might be ringing. But personally I know lot of people who want to get a RE but are afraid to own one.

Rightly said. I feel that while quite many of the bikers would love to own an RE, most shy away because of the unpredictable quality and performance issues that still plague their products.

It's 2017 for heaven's sake and if you're going ride out with a worry that something unexpected might happen (mechanical or electrical) with your motorcycle, then where's the logic in it? And it's a shame that the company still shows no commendable interest in addressing the simplest requirements of 'dependability' from their machines.

Take an example of a brilliant idea like the Himalayan: they got it right with the segment, the design and the marketing. But what exactly were they thinking? How many other established motorcycle manufacturers would risk their reputation like RE did and sell a product that would eventually lead to such negative feedback all over the media? They'll get away with it too - because well, we're talking about Royal Enfield here.

But what does this do for customer confidence? It puts potential buyers into a dilemma: the heart tugs and says RE, but the intellect pleads against taking a chance.

Fortunately or unfortunately, motorcycles are wedded to our hearts more than our rationale.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by The Great

I don't think this kind of success can ever be achieved by Zero Efforts. Surely they must have done something to reach to this level.

I could have used better words, but it was just a silly response to make people understand what is happening between the two,elephant reference was made to show how under-developed their bikes are(from Bajaj's POV not mine!). I know that just running a small shop takes phenomenal effort, running a company is no joke even for an expert, but then again my context was totally different.

[Ironhide]

Motoroids' two cents on the issue - in the form of a youtube video.
Quoting from the article on Motoroids https://www.motoroids.com/features/v...0-for-1300-km/

Long distance riding, especially in India is often associated with a very specific variety of motorcycles. The riders of this genre in many cases choose a Royal Enfield over other option without applying much thought. Is this just a perception, or does their choice really hold sound merit?

To find out, we brought together four expert Royal Enfield riders and took them on a grueling 1300 km ride from Mumbai to Goa and back through a long and very different route. Along the way, the riders would keep swapping their favorite tourer with the newest long distance machine on the block – the Bajaj Dominar 400.

The four riders who undertook the ride had their own unique personalities and their own unique reasons to choose a Royal Enfield. These bikers would ride to Goa through the Bangalore highway, and take the scenic coastal Konkan route back via Vengurla, Malvan, Devgarh and Ratnagiri. Will they appreciate the virtues of a modern machine over their traditional choice? Let’s find out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxXcnmezSbg

Cheers !

(Video Courtesy - Motoroids/ Youtube)

[pdma]

Originally Posted by Ironhide

Motoroids' two cents on the issue - in the form of a Youtube video.
Quoting from the article on Motoroids https://www.motoroids.com/features/v...0-for-1300-km/

Am I the only one who thinks this surely seems made up to highlight a specific bike. The introduction sequence of these riders is specially loud in my opinion.

Cheers,
Pradeep.

[Vikram8891]

Originally Posted by pdma

Am I the only one who thinks this surely seems made up to highlight a specific bike. The introduction sequence of these riders is specially loud in my opinion.

Cheers,
Pradeep.

I agree with you. I saw this video sometime back and it seemed like the characters were asked to say what they said. It did seem scripted.

[roy_libran]

I bumped into this thread very late, but here is my perspective.

I own a RE TB 2003 model and it's in pretty good nick even now, but has undergone it's fair share of overhauls.

Having said that, when I watched Bajaj's Ad for the first time, I actually DID feel as if I was on that Elephant myself, while the world was passing me by! I was reminded of the umpteen times I had been stranded on the road side, sometimes conveniently and sometimes not, due to one failure or another. I was reminded of the 6 chain-sprocket sets that I have run through. I was reminded of the crappy suspension, control and braking, that I have put up with, all these years.

This Ad, served as an eye opener for me, that I need to evolve to more modern, more reliable and more fun bikes, before I get too old to do shit, and the first thing to do is to get rid of that 14 year old junk!

[green_ninja]

If I may, my two paise on why a RE is more practical in the long run compared to the modern "reliable" bikes.
From what I understand from most of the reviews of the modern motorcycles available for sale in India they are not really niggle free and hence not much better than a RE in that regard. You might get stranded on a RE in the middle of nowhere but a village mechanic might be able to jugaad a fix, enough to get you back home. Try that with one of those bikes loaded to the gills with e-stuff.

As someone who has owned old and new sportbikes I believe that upkeep is a pain in the behind. I owned a 1997 ZX6R from 2004-06 and 2006 ZX636 till 2013 while in the US and every time I took these bikes out for a ride all I could think of was not crashing. The reason being non-availability of original plastics and aftermarket parts available were not necessarily cheap. These bikes are updated once every 3-4 years and suddenly parts support for the older models becomes non-existent. At the volumes these sell aftermarket parts are not that easy to find either. I don't expect Big 4 Japanese manufacturers to change this strategy in India for any reason. People are posting about their 14 year old junk RE.

Think for a second, no modern plastic clad Indian/Japanese bike unless maintained by someone with OCD will last that long. In the end, the REs will be slow, somewhat unreliable but it is the only bike available in the market now that will probably last a lifetime for someone who doesn't care about changing his ride every 3 years. On the plus side, since it is turning into a mass market vehicle finding spares will be fairly easy for many decades to come.

Last but not least, if you are from a Tier II or III town in India where most women still travel sitting one sided on a bike the RE has the most comfortable pillion. The only bikes with that seating position today are the 100cc workhorses like Splendor and CD100 class. Even the other commuter class bikes have a not so comfortable seating position for the pillion rider. ABS and other safety features are not the be all and end all of things. Even 1000cc superbikes did not have ABS as standard until a few years ago. At the end of the day, ride what you like. Understand the limits of your own skill and the capabilities of your bike. Ride your own ride. Cheers!!!