Royal Enfield clears BS-IV stock even as other two-wheeler makers have unsold inventory

Mumbai: The maker of Bullet and Classic motorcycles Royal Enfield on Friday became one of the first automakers to sell out all inventory compliant with the outgoing BS-IV emission norms.

BS-IV norms compliant vehicles cannot be registered in India beyond 31 March as the new BS-VI emission norms will become applicable from 1 April.

“Starting March 21, 2020, all Royal Enfield stores across India will retail only BS VI motorcycles,” the company said in a statement.


The coincidence of the changeover date of the emission norms and the Covid-19 pandemic have gotten many automakers worried. The country’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp approached the Supreme Court seeking a 3-month extension to the deadline saying that it still has two weeks’ worth of unsold inventory in its channels.

Earlier, a lobby of automotive dealers had also moved the apex court seeking a similar relaxation of deadline citing sales grinding to a halt due to the coronavirus scare.

Two-wheeler dealers were especially impacted given that they have the most unsold BS-IV inventory. Discounts between 11-15% were being extended by two-wheeler retailers across the country, ET reported on Friday.

Royal Enfield had initiated the transition to BS-VI norms in January, the company said. “Various teams have worked closely with the backend and frontend channel partners to ensure a smooth and hassle-free transition,” its statement read.