I'm with Axman88 here - I believe they have a shot. Time will tell, eh? - ACR -
I'm actually with Richard230 on this one, I don't see much demand for a 20hp cruiser. I'm surprised, and just a bit skeptical, of this announcement that they are bringing it to the US.
Once they repackage the J engine into a retro CAFE racer, or retro BOBBER, then it might grow some legs, or if they sell it for India equivalent pricing or at least less than 3K. We are up to our eyeballs in low mileage, 2nd hand, 80s styled cruisers already. On any weekend, I can leave the house with $5k and come home with 4 or 5 Intruders, Magnas, Shadows and Viragos.
I think that Keef is right, the Meteor is designed to retain the market carved out by the Bullet, and encroached on by the Benelli 350, the Honda 350, and the Indian Jawa. The last on this list, the JAWA, I could see selling in some numbers in the US, because it out-retro's even the RE Classic, and can thus draw sales away from the hipsters and the nostalgia markets. Too bad that it seems Mahindra's licensing arrangement only allows sales in India.
But I disagree on the reason Keef stated for the 350's dominance.
The 350 capacity is very popular in the Indian market for tax reasons - where 500cc models are heavily penalised. Hence the Bullet/Classic 500 range being dropped due to falling sales.
I've read that the tax burden for < 350cc is 28% vs. 31% for > 350cc. 3% doesn't seem like a heavy penalty. Far more impactful was the fact that RE priced the EFI 500 at around 2 lahk, while the BS4 and earlier, carbureted UCE 350s started at less than 1.3 lahk. Not many Indian riders chose to pay the additional 50% to get the larger machine.
RE claimed that they were dropping the UCE 500s because they couldn't easily be brought into BS6 compliance, but I think you are correct in thinking their real reason was poor sales. But, now I think that they were already planning the graceful transition from the pushrod engine to this new OHC "J" engine, and think it's not unlikely that the 500 will be reborn as part of the "J" line. I think that we can assume that the "J" machines are being built on modern automated equipment, and have lower labor content than the older design machines. I'd say that they can build them for less, build them faster, and sell them for more. Also a 500cc version, if it's only the substitution of a barrel and piston, should cost RE essentially the same as the 350cc, with any addition on the price being almost purely profit.
What I find most amazing, is how close, at least from what I've seen so far, this Meteor 350 engine is to the new Honda H'ness CB350 engine.
RE Meteor J 350 Honda H'ness CB350
349 cc, single-cylinder 348.36 cc, single-cylinder,
20.2 PS 21.0 PS
72 mm x 85.8 70.3 x 90
air / oil cooled air cooled
counterbalance shaft counterbalance shaft
5 speed trans 5 speed trans
It seems almost like Honda got wind of what they were planning, then developed their own version, and beat RE to the market with it by 5 weeks. That is a competitor to respect!
I look forward to the new models that RE will develop, based on the "J" engine, and other projects already in the works. RE has promised one new model each quarter, for the next 7 years. I think the time will pass quickly. Have you guys seen the RE electric motorcycle prototype?