250cc engine platform codenamed V.
13 Jul 2024 | 5732 Views | By Ketan Thakkar and Dinshaw Magol
With the launch of the Hunter 350, Royal Enfield broadened its appeal and made its brand more accessible than ever before, both in terms of price and physical size. Now it seems the company wants to double down on that approach and we have uncovered information about the company working ...
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With the launch of the Hunter 350, Royal Enfield broadened its appeal and made its brand more accessible than ever before, both in terms of price and physical size. Now it seems the company wants to double down on that approach and we have uncovered information about the company working on a brand-new 250cc engine platform for its future models.
From what we have discovered, the new 250cc platform has been under consideration for several years at Royal Enfield but has only just been greenlit. Internally codenamed the V platform, this 250cc motor will likely have simple, straightforward architecture to keep costs in check. As such we can make a safe bet and say that it will be technologically more in line with the 350cc air-cooled motors rather than the new liquid-cooled Sherpa 450.
This new model line has been greenlit to make the Royal Enfield brand more accessible, especially since prices have risen across the board since the BS6 norms cam into effect. Effectively, this 250cc platform will spawn bikes that will appeal to a younger audience that wants to get into the Royal Enfield brand at a lower entry point.
We have also learned that Royal Enfield is exploring a hybrid option with this new 250cc engine. Although, at the minute this is strictly an engineering exercise more than broaching anything for a production model. The only other mainstream manufacturer that has a hybrid motorcycle on sale is Kawasaki, with its Ninja 7 Hybrid.
Historically, there is a precedent for a 250cc Royal Enfield with bikes like the Clipper (made during '5-s - '60s) and the original ‘65 Continental GT 250 being prime examples. The first 250cc V-platform bike will emerge somewhere around 2026-27, from what we understand and it will form the entry point into Royal Enfield ownership.