Royal Enfield has confirmed the permanent
discontinuation of its 500 cc bikes. The company has announced a Classic 500
Tribute Black limited edition model to formally bid adieu to its 500 cc engine.
Royal Enfield will stop selling the 500 cc variants of the Classic, Bullet and
Thunderbird by 31 March 2020. The company will not revise its 500 cc engine to
meet the upcoming BS-VI emission norms.
Each of the Royal Enfield Classic 500
Tribute Black will carry a hallmark commemorative ‘End of Build’ serial
numbered plaque making it unique to its owner. The UCE (Unit Construction
Engine) 500 powerplant was first introduced in the Royal Enfield Bullet 500 way
back in 2008. The Royal Enfield Classic 500 Tribute Black will be sold online
on 10 February 2020 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
This is not the first time that Royal
Enfield is selling limited-edition motorcycles online and if the track record
is taken into account, the new commemorative edition is expected to be sold out
in a matter of minutes if not seconds. The Royal Enfield Classic 500 Tribute
Black Limited Edition motorcycles will bear the iconic pin-strip seen in the
original Classic 500 launched in 2009. For the first time, the company will
have a dual-tone scheme on the fuel tank with fenders carrying glossy black and
matt black.
Powering the Royal Enfield Classic 500
Tribute Black Limited Edition is the same 499 cc single-cylinder, air-cooled,
twin-spark, fuel-injected engine. Coupled to a 5-speed gearbox, the engine
produces 27.58 PS of power and 41.3 Nm of torque. The motorcycle weighs 196 kg
(wet) and has a 135 mm ground clearance. Royal Enfield will continue to sell
the 500 cc variants of its motorcycles in the international markets even after
31 March 2020. It has also confirmed that existing customers of 500 cc Royal
Enfield motorcycles will be able to get service and spares at all touchpoints
of the company across India.
