Our Western export preferences are a case of the tail trying to wag the dog. Compared to Enfield's HUGE home and growing Southeast Asian markets, where their old Bullet and hugely popular Thunderbird model 350s (their all-time best seller that the Meteor replaces owing to stiffer emissions regs) have long been the popular preference, even over their 500s. Combined North American, European and Australian sales are merely a small droplet in their bucket. A 350 Enfield yonder IS their "Harley", namely an aspirational vehicle--an object of conspicuous consumption with a big dollop of Harleyesque "patriotism", at least in their home market. In stark contrast to the Meteor's role as a possible "first bike" in the West--just something to learn on--yonder it's the end goal.
If Enfield did want to get that export tail wagging a bit harder, they might consider beefing up that Meteor to a 500 or thereabouts, like they eventually did with the Bullet.
What BM says is quite true, and borne out by the published numbers. If you check periodically, you'll see these come out periodically, with a full breakdown, like these numbers from March 2021:
https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php?topic=30730.0A quick glance makes it pretty obvious that the export market is a small fraction of the size of the domestic, and has radically different desires in motorcycles.
I personally don't think that boring the 350 OHC engine out to 500 will have much affect on export sales. This didn't work as RE desired in the UCE, and I see no reason why it would work with the "J" platform. The India market avoided the premium priced 500 UCE and it didn't sell very well in export markets either. Sales of 500s got much worse when the 650s appeared. On the bright side, for those of us who like the big singles, it seems that, at least in my area, most of the ones that were sold, spend the majority of their lives safely parked in the garages of older gentlemen.
I think that the key to good export sales penetration of the Meteor, in this case, would be price. But, we will see what happens as the model matures. The J engined Classic 350 is just months away, if we are to believe the Indian press, and this might be popular with the segment that purchased the biggest selling 500 UCE, the C5. Balancing that, there is also to be a 650 engine Classic, which I see as being in direct competition for the retro market shopper's dollars. My opinion is that the shopper in the export component of the retro market segment is NOT very price sensitive.
I was only recently made aware of the fact that Sportsters might actually be viewed all in all with disdain by riders of other Harley models, with the 883s in particular often being dismissed as "girly bikes". I was astonished by this, but I suppose I couldn't care less what some snooty cosplaying orthodontist from New Jersey in his adorable 'Sons of Anarchy' getup might "think". I'd happily give a serviceable old Sportster a good home if it came my way at a good price, even a "little" 883. In fact, a while back I looked over a prospective Sportster on craigslist, a semi-scruffy 1200 (I believe?) in blue. But the seller just wanted more than I cared to pay.
Some of those Harley riders have unsubstantiated opinions that are the largest single component of their personalities. The "sportster is a girls bike!" and the general disdain for any other make, including other American made machines, are well documented.
The key to getting a good deal on a Harley is to hang out with Harley guys, or even better, their wives, girlfriends and sisters. Being part of the group gives you access to the bikes that are sold without advertisement, and being in touch with the womenfolk gives one access to estate and "spite" sales as well. Guys who operate service shops have access to bikes at super cheap prices. I know of a '71 FLH that sold last year for $2000, including an original white buddy seat that was worth 1/4 of that all by itself, and an '81 XLH that changed hands for $1200.
You want to find the unfortunates who lost their storage space, and either don't have a computer or digital camera, or are too lazy to place an ad. The guys who run the "Old bikes wanted" ads in the free Auto Trader mag, know what I'm talking about.
http://echo-media.com/medias/details/10476