Royal Enfield showcased two limited edition variants of the Classic 500 in India earlier this month, priced at Rs 2.05 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). The unique thing about these Despatch edition motorcycles, apart from their special paint scheme and a couple of other tweaks, was that the motorcycles were to be sold exclusively through the company’s website - store.royalenfield.com. Now, reports have been coming in saying that the Chennai-based manufacturer managed to exhaust 100 units of each of the Despatch edition models in just 26 minutes after the bikes went on sale yesterday, at 10 am.
Inspired by the British manufacturer’s classic wartime motorcycles of 1940s, these limited edition motorcycles are available in two unique paint schemes - desert storm despatch and squadron blue despatch. Each Royal Enfield Despatch motorcycle has been hand painted by using a unique film transfer technique, which involves transferring the camouflage pattern individually onto the motorcycle’s individual body panels. The Despatch range also comes with genuine Italian leather seats and a classic leather buckle strap for the air filter box, which enhance the bike’s classic appeal.
Despite being offered through a completely new and unconventional platform and costing almost Rs 40,000 more than the regular Classic 500, the Despatch edition bikes were sold out in a very short period of time. This huge demand for the Despatch range is an indicator of the immense potential of such limited edition motorcycles in India and we can expect Royal Enfield to cash in on this frenzy with other limited edition bikes in the near future.
