April 16, 2013: The Chennai-based Royal Enfield has launched the Bullet 500, a new variant to its Bullet TwinSpark motorcycles which are known for their signature styling of black-and-gold livery.
The Bullet 500 brings to the table a combination of the timeless, hand-painted tank and new silver decals along with the power delivery from the tried-and-tested single-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke, 499cc Unit Construction Engine with twin-spark ignition. The engine develops maximum power of 26.1bhp at 5100rpm and is capable of producing peak torque of 4.17kgm at 3800rpm.
The 193kg-heavy (kerb weight with 90 percent fuel, fuel tank capacity: 13.5 litres) Bullet 500 will also come with a new forest green colour option alongside the signature black colour models.
Shaji Koshy, senior vice-president, sales & marketing, Royal Enfield, said at the launch: “The Royal Enfield Bullet is the oldest motorcycle in continuous production with a fiercely loyal customer base across the world. The Bullet 500 is a much-awaited model and while designing the bike for the Indian market, we worked with the preferences of our special Bullet-loving audience here. Hence, the Bullet 500 comes with a 500cc carbureted UCE, powerful torque that offers better and very accessible power, along with several other enhancements such as front disc brakes, electric start and gas-filled shock absorbers. In addition, for the first time ever, along with the signature black colour, the new Bullet 500 will also be available in Forest Green.”
The Bullet 500 bears a sticker price of Rs 153,855 (on-road, Delhi). The company plans to launch the model in a phased manner across the country starting with Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi-NCR and Kerala which are lucrative markets for the Bullet motorcycles.
Royal Enfield has been, for some time now, witnessing massive demand for its range of motorcycles and faces a demand-supply constraint. Its new 50-acre plant at Oragadam near Chennai, is slated for completion by the first quarter of 2013. On completion, it will increase Royal Enfield’s current capacity of 70,000 units per annum to 150,000 units per annum. The company sold a total of 120,694 units in 2012-13.
AMIT PANDAY