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| A Royal Enfield Classic 500 in service at a rider training program in the Pacific Northwest. |
Up to 50 Royal Enfield motorcycles are in use by seven rider training programs from Delaware to Los Angeles, from Florida to the Pacific Northwest.
Sarah Lahalih is Rider Training manager for Royal Enfield North America.
"As we continue grow brand awareness in North America, this key initiative allows new riders to be exposed to the Royal Enfield brand from the start," she told me, in an email.
"We are committed to rider training and safety and are working closely with accredited programs across the U.S.
"Currently we are adding Royal Enfields into the mix of schools' training fleets. However, in two-three years years we could explore the idea of having Royal Training academies."
Rider training is a brilliant idea, in my opinion. Not content with the number of young people (and has-beens like me) getting into motorcycling, Royal Enfield will raise its own crop of riders.
Obviously there is a big benefit to the brand in doing so.
Royal Enfield needs name recognition in the United States and what better group of people to get astride your products than people who are probably considering buying a motorcycle!
I personally was strongly influenced by the motorcycle I got to ride during my Motorcycle Safety Foundation class, way back in 2001.
It wasn't a Royal Enfield, of course, but I liked it so well I did eventually buy one.
While I was in the dealership a fellow customer, a MSF instructor, learned what I was looking for and reinforced my decision.
"THIS is the motorcycle!" he said, enthusiastically pounding the seat of the motorcycle I had in mind.
Obviously, familiarity had bred respect. Royal Enfield has precisely the stylish yet comfortable and nonthreatening motorcycles new riders are likely to seek.
Sarah said that the new Royal Enfield Himalayan adventure bike will join the Classic 500 in training programs.
"We made a separate lower seat that we will be adding to the training bikes in order to meet national training standards. We also did this for the Classic," she said.
Sarah listed these rider training programs as offering Royal Enfields so far:
Motorcycle Riding'sCool,Chicago
Virginia Motorcycle Safety Program
Delaware Motorcycle Safety Program
Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Safety Program
Ride Smart, Florida
Bay Area Motorcycle Training, California
Westside Motorcycle Academy, Los Angeles, Calif.
This is a very smart way to get people into motorcycling and pick up new customers along the way. For too many years now the motorcycling public has continued to age. The number of old men at motorcycle shows make those shows look like AARP conventions with motorcycles. (maybe they should add a booth that gives away Proscar) Got to get the younger people to put the damn I-phones down and get riding.
ReplyDeleteThey are great training bikes. I have helped a couple of people start motorcycle riding using an RE. The fact that there is so much torque that you can pull away at tickover makes learning to use the clutch incredibly easy. Great idea.
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