Honda To Challenge Royal Enfield In India — Here’s How

But,the new cruiser motorcycle from Honda will not be introduced anytime soon. The company will launch the Royal Enfield-challenger in India by 2020. The company is also studying what customers expect in the cruiser segment to price the motorcycle aggressively.

Kato said that Honda is looking to enter the cruiser segment in India. Globally, Honda retails cruiser motorcycle in the 400cc, 500cc and 600cc segment. Kato also said that the pricing would be the biggest challenge in India.

Recommended Video

2018 Harley-Davidson Softail Range Launched In India - DriveSpark

In the entry-level cruiser segment, Honda retails the Rebel 300 in many foreign markets. The Rebel 300 is based on the CBR 300R and uses the same engine and components but with a cruiser design.

Previously Honda had manufactured the CBR 250R in India, so producing the 300cc engine should not be a problem for the company. Most of the cycle parts of the Rebel 300 is identical to the CBR 300R which will help Honda to keep the costs low.

The global-spec Honda Rebel 300 draws power from a 286cc liquid-cooled, single cylinder engine producing 27bhp and 26.9Nm of torque. The 2017 iteration of the motorcycle is based on the tubular steel frame and features a bobber-style design.

DriveSpark Thinks!

Royal Enfield is a dominant player in the cruiser segment in the country. Now, Honda wants to enter the segment by 2020. The Rebel 300 will be an ideal product for the Indian market if Honda gets the pricing right. Honda is also considering the CBR 300R for India which is expected to be introduced in 2018.