India’s Enfield overtakes Harley as global bike sales leader
02 Feb 2015
India's old reliable Royal Enfield has overtaken Harley-Davidson, so far he market leader, in global motorcycle sales in 2014.
According to a report in Times of India, the Chennai-based Royal Enfield, with upgraded versions of its trademark Bullet, has sold over 300,000 bikes in 2014, a 70 per cent growth year over year, whereas Harley's number stands at 2.67 lakh units, a 3 per cent growth from the previous year.
There is of course a huge difference in the prices of the Indian company and those of the American giant. The cheapest model of Harley sells in India for around Rs5 lakh, while Enfield's most expensive model costs Rs2 lakh.
Enfield's comeback turns a new leaf in the domestic motorcycle market that is plagued by the competition from foreign players.
Enfield's sales performance partly owes to the success of its contemporary models such as the Classic, Thunderbird and the Continental GT, according to the news report.
The company now plans to build its strong presence in Western Europe and the US, Royal Enfield's managing director and chief executive Siddhartha Lal said
(Also see: Triumph zooms past Harley-Davidson on Indian roads)
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