Royal Enfield launches in Bangladesh tomorrow

Petrolheads’ wait for the 350cc Royal Enfield has come to an end as the bikes will be available for purchase in Dhaka from tomorrow.
Royal Enfield’s Bullet, Meteor, Hunter, and Classic in 12 different colours will be available following an unveiling event at the company’s flagship store at the capital’s Tejgaon.
One or two models will initially be available in three to five colours, according to sources.
Royal Enfield distributor Ifad Group has a production unit in Cumilla’s Chauddagram where it assembles the motorcycles.
The company remains tight-lipped, but insiders say the prices will be between Tk 4 lakh and Tk 5 lakh.
Sources say the average mileage of the motorcycles will be 36-38 km/l.
Motorcycles with engines over 165cc used to be restricted in Bangladesh until September last year when the government raised the bar to 375cc.
According to the company website, the first prototype Royal Enfield motor-bicycle was developed all the way back in 1901 by Frenchman Jules Gobiet, working together with Royal Enfield’s co-founder and chief designer, Bob Walker Smith.
In 1949, KR Sundaram Iyer launched Madras Motors to import British motorcycles within India’s territory. In 1952, Madras Motors received an order from the Indian Army for 800 units of 350cc Bullets and in 1955, the Redditch company became a partner of Madras Motors, and they founded ‘Enfield India.
In 1994, the Eicher Group acquired Enfield India Limited and was renamed Royal Enfield Motors Limited.