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Royal Enfield sued for patent infringement by Flash Electronics

Written by Nizam Shaikh

Royal Enfield is in the crosshairs as electric auto components manufacturer Flash Electronics India Ltd. has filed a lawsuit against the brand claiming a patent violation in the US regarding the production of an important component which is used in their motorcycles.

The part in question is the ‘Regulator Rectifier’ also known as a R.R unit and the technique used for regulating the output voltage. Flash Electronics had received the patent on 20 February 2018 and it was for the Regulator Rectifier and the method for regulating an output voltage, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) after Flash Electronics’ R&D department made a breakthrough of the technology in 2014. Flash electronics has been a major supplier and manufacturer to many leading motorcycle manufacturers.

The Regulator Rectifier is an important component in the vehicle (here motorbike) and it converts the AC (alternating current) power generated from the motorcycle engine into DC (direct current) voltage which is used to power all the electrical systems on the motorcycle such as the headlights, taillights, instrumentation console, and most importantly it also charges the batteries.

Flash Electronics is a key supplier of electric components and the group supplies parts to India Yamaha Motor, Bajaj Auto Ltd., Jawa Motorcycles, Maruti Suzuki and other brands in the Indian market. Flash Electronics also supplies components to Porsche, Audi, BMW, KTM, Kawasaki, Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Triumph and BRP-Rotax among global brands.

Currently, Royal Enfield is riding high on the success of their much awaited 650 twins here in India and the motorcycles have gained popularity amongst the modern classic fanboys. The current Royal Enfield Interceptor is powered by a 648cc, oil-cooled, 4-valve per cylinder, parallel-twin, SOHC engine that produces 47 BHP of power @ 7250 RPM and 52 Nm of torque @ 5250 RPM paired to a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper assist clutch and twin throttle bodies with Bosch fuel-injection and engine management system.