Royal Enfield's India dealers shine

Few motorcycle dealerships in the world can compare to a typical Harley-Davidson dealership in the United States. Some of these are nicer than art galleries, and the two-wheeled works of art on display may be more expensive than the art on a gallery's walls.

But a Royal Enfield motorcycle dealership in India so impressed American Shana Weinberg that she took a series of pictures of it. Americans familiar with Royal Enfield dealers know that most also carry other brands and there usually aren't many Royal Enfields on the floor. Obviously, that is not the case in India. Shana writes:

"Here are some photos from the Royal Enfield dealership in Lucknow (the capital city of Uttar Pradesh one of the most rural and populous states in India. It's located in the north/northeast of India). I'm far from an expert on the topic, but I think the whole place is dedicated to Royal Enfields—there was a great time line, which I tried to take some photos of. Also, please note the shop's location below the test tube baby center. Ha!"

The dealership Shana saw is probably the Royal Enfield showroom on Faizbad Road. It opened in 2006 and was the first company showroom in Utta Pradesh. The timeline she photographed was mentioned at the time in a story on India Standard. This showroom was part of an expansion of company owned showrooms from four to 16 in India.

Royal Enfield is riding a wave. Jorge Pullin notes in his blog My Royal Enfields that profits at the parent company, Eicher motors, are up 600 per cent! Eicher acquired Enfield India in 1994.

What brought Weinberg to India? She explains:

"I'm volunteering at this non-governmental organization in Lucknow that works on gender equity and human rights. I helped them to write a grant and find potential funders for their project, which focuses on maternal rights for marginalized women who are often denied services at government hospitals. The organization helps coordinate a network of rural women, teaching them about their government promised right to health services and helps them to monitor local systems."