Royal Enfield struck by chip shortage: Meteor, Himalayan lose this key feature

Royal Enfield has trimmed the ‘Tripper Navigation’ feature which was previously offered as standard on the Himalayan ADV and also the Meteor 350. While the feature hasn't been completely deleted, it will now be part of the company's MIY configurator (as an option) which is available for both the bikes.

The removal of the Tripper Navigation as a standard feature is also accompanied by a price cut of ₹5,000 on both models (Meteor and Himalayan). While the Tripper Navigation has been part of the standard kit on Himalayan and Meteor 350, it is offered as an optional accessory on Classic 350 and the newly launched Scram 411. The company has also increased the booking amount for its ‘Made-to-order’ factory fit models. The amount has been hiked from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000. However, for regular models the bookings amount remains the same.

The implementation of the changes mentioned above will be done starting May 1, 2022, throughout the company's lineup that extends from 350 cc models up to 650 cc models.

The company has blamed the global semiconductor shortage for the rejigged feature list on its models. It also adds that the decision to shift the feature as optional is temporary. “The ongoing global semiconductor shortage continues to pose a challenge for the automotive industry at large. As the shortage situation continues to prevail, we have decided to optimize the use of semiconductor chips by making a temporary decision to shift the Tripper Navigation device feature as an additional, plug-and-play option. Consumers will have the choice of opting for their motorcycles with or without the Tripper device," the company shared with HT Auto in a response to the query.

Expect the said feature to be made available as standard as soon as the issue pertaining to chip shortage is stabilised.