Key highlights
- Royal Enfield 350cc bikes lose the gearshift indicator
- Feature removed on all J-series bikes
- Rare earth mineral crisis is the reason
In an interesting move to counter the rare earth mineral supply crisis, Royal Enfield has removed the gear indicator from its 350cc bikes to avoid sales flow disruption. Check all the details below.
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Royal Enfield 350cc bikes to come without gear position indicator
As per the latest circular released by the company, all dealerships across India have been notified that the gear position indicator has been removed temporarily from the J-series 350cc bikes.
The circular also states that this is a temporary sales strategy, and all the bikes sold without the gear position indicator will be equipped with one when it is back in stock.
So, why this move? Basically, rare earth minerals have been a critical issue for all automotive manufacturers. Supplied from China, the latest sanctions have led to a ban on the export of these minerals worldwide, leading to a huge disruption for the auto industry.
Moreover, these minerals are used for various sensors, including the gear position indicator. Thus, the company has decided to remove this feature to maintain the sales flow without disruption.
While the circular states that the gearshift indicator will be back soon, its exact timeline has not been determined. However, customers buying the 350cc models will have to ride without this feature for the time being.
