Royal Enfield 350cc Bikes Lose A Feature, But Here's Why You Need Not Worry
The brand has said they’ll retrofit the feature free of cost once the supply stabilizes
Quick News Highlights:
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Shortage of rare earth-based components behind the move
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China has announced new restrictions on exporting rare earth metals
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This has affected some of the sensors used in the bike
Royal Enfield has temporarily removed the gear position indicator from its 350cc bikes due to a shortage of rare earth materials used in the sensor components. The company has assured that the issue is temporary and that the feature will be installed later (as the situation improves) at no extra cost once parts are available.
Affected Models
The decision affects all 350cc J-Series models that come equipped with a gear position indicator. This includes the Royal Enfield Classic 350, Meteor, Goan Classic, and Royal Enfield Hunter (mid and top-end variants). Other bikes like the 450cc and 650cc models remain unaffected. Notably, the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 did not have this feature to begin with.
Back To A Neutral Indicator
In the absence of the gear position indicator, the affected Royal Enfield bikes will now be equipped with a simple neutral indicator system. This traditional setup uses a basic switch mechanism to show when the bike is in neutral, rather than displaying the exact gear position.
Why The Shortage Matters
Rare earth elements like Neodymium (a type of strong magnet) are crucial in manufacturing magnetic components and sensors used in many vehicle systems — not just in electric, but also in conventional petrol-powered ones. The global shortage caused by China’s new export restrictions on these materials has disrupted production across several automotive brands.
BikeDekho Says
So instead of holding the deliveries solely because of the lack of one feature, Royal Enfield has played it cleverly by shipping the bikes without it. This way, it will be able to ensure streamlined delivery - particularly at a time where there’s a huge demand due to the festive season, and more importantly, massive GST-related price cuts. Afterall, Royal Enfield’s 350cc range forms the bulk of its sales, contributing over 85% to its total volumes. Also, the temporary lack of a gear position indicator isn’t deal-breaking either as you’ll just have to be more wary of what gear you’re in.
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