Hit by a Meteor
As UK Meteor sales continue to soar, Royal Enfield’s European chief explains how they did it…
Royal Enfield’s Meteor is a sales phenomenon – at the end of last year in the UK it was selling more than Kawasaki’s entire range and if it had been launched a few months earlier it could have toppled BMW’S R1250GS at the top of the sales charts. So how did an Indian-made 350cc single become such a market disrupter? Enfield’s European boss Arun Gopal explains…
» How did you come up with the idea for the Meteor?
The midsized segment is grossly underserved and there is a huge opportunity for us to create motorcycles that are easy and fun to ride, evocative to look at – a bit of a blast from the past – and excellently priced. The Meteor is part of that plan [along with the Himalayan, which singlehandedly doubled Enfield’s sales in Europe in 2019, and the 650 twins, which doubled sales again]. I have to admit the numbers of buyers in the UK surprised me. It’s proof that if you put a good product into the midsized market, people will buy it.
» Did you know who the customers would be?
Not exactly, but in the past we’ve seen customers come from two categories: 1) The 125cc upgraders looking for something bigger, but restricted by price and wanting something that isn’t too intimidating to ride. 2) Big bike riders – people who have motorcycling in their DNA. The problem for these people is that their bikes are too big and powerful for a lot of roads they ride a lot. They want something easier [for everyday journeys], which is where the Meteor comes in. Women buyers are important too. Before the Meteor about five percent of our buyers were women riders, now that has doubled. We’ve also seen the number of buyers under 20 double thanks to the Meteor.
» Are sales as good elsewhere?
One of the markets where the Meteor has gone through the roof is Italy – it’s one of the largest mid-sized markets in Europe, and it’s our top-selling country in Europe.
» What about in India?