A New 250cc Royal Enfield Is In The Works, Says The Rumor Mill

Not long ago, we told you about Royal Enfield’s exceptional sales record. Much of the credit for that goes to its entry-level machines, much of which comprises a handful of 350cc bikes. Now, it appears Royal Enfield wants to shake things up a bit in an attempt to increase its market share. By doing what, you ask? Well, by whipping up an even smaller entry-level machine.

Royal Enfield Is Working On A New 250cc Platform

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According to reliable Indian sources, Royal Enfield is working on a quarter-liter (250cc) lineup to sit below its existing 350cc motorcycles like the Classic 350. It’s called in the ‘V’ platform internally and will aim to target the super budget-oriented customer in the Eastern hemisphere. The European and Britain markets could also benefit from this, considering the stringent license norms there. So will RE whip up a new single-cylinder engine for its 250cc lineup? That’s where things get really interesting.

Rumors suggest that Royal Enfield is on course to enter a technical alliance with none other than Chinese giant CFMoto. Under the alliance, the Chinese company will produce a 250cc hybrid engine for RE to use in its upcoming range. Production will be done entirely in-house, though, and so will the research. So this won’t be a “Chinese” product. Co-branded products or joint ventures aren’t on the table either. As you’d expect, we can’t give you any ballpark performance numbers, but expect them to be lower than the 350cc engine.

Royal Enfield J-Series 350cc Engine Specs

The New Royal Enfield 250cc Bike Could Cost As Low As $2,000

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Since the new range will sit below the 350s, it will boast an uber-aggressive price tag upon arrival. Sources suggest a price tag in the ballpark of $2,000 for the Indian market, which could equate to about $3,000 (accounting for supply chain/export costs). That’s almost $1,000 less than what the Hunter 350 sells for in the US. More importantly, it would be cheaper than all Honda minimoto bikes.

Take all this with a pinch of salt, though, as RE’s plans are yet to be officially confirmed. It’s not like Royal Enfield sitting idle, either. We know it already has an extensive lineup of 750cc motorcycles in the pipeline, along with a couple of EVs for mass production scheduled for the end of 2025.