The price cuts will be applicable from June 17, before the GST implementation on July 1, 2017. Royal Enfield however has refrained from stating exactly how much it'll drop prices by. However, what’s certain is that the price cuts apply to bikes like the Classic 350, Bullet 350 and Bullet ES. The new GST structure states that all two-wheelers with a cubic capacity of under 350cc attract a tax rate of 28 percent, which is currently 30 percent under the existing tax structure.
The new structure also states that two-wheelers with cubic capacities above 350cc face an additional 3 percent cess, taking it to 31 percent - higher engine capacities will see slight price increases. For Royal Enfield, this means that a majority of its models, including the Classic 500, Bullet 500, Continental GT, Thunderbird 500 and the Himalayan, will see a rise in prices.
Speaking about the price drop, Rudratej Singh, president of Royal Enfield, said, "We believe that GST will transform the way business is done in India, thus benefitting the economy and our customers. Royal Enfield is pre-emptively extending the GST benefits to its customers and is ready to implement the on-road price revision on purchases beginning June 17, 2017, on products where applicable.”