Royal Enfield Motorcycles Are Rolling
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Classic Motorcycles article by Jeff Buchanan 07/16/2010 www.ultimatemotorcycling.com
There are few motorcycle manufacturers that maintain a presence by faithfully preserving their marquee's past. Other manufacturers have slates of retro motorbikes, but Royal Enfield remains a player by continuing to build the same classic motorcycles they've always built.
It's a matter of de facto chic; times have come around to make their unchanged bikes very hip. This is exactly why the 500cc single-cylinder Royal Enfield is so charming. Instead of chasing up groundbreaking technological advancements the company relies on its tried and true range of long-stroked motorcycles.
In India, ownership of a Royal Enfield is a sign of prestige. Despite the relatively low MSRP the machines represent a sizable investment. Evidently there's an entire sub-culture emerging in India of successful young people who use the motorbike as a badge of honor.
Stateside the motorbikes are a kind of trophy to sentimentality and the good ole days, the increased reliability of the new metals engine translating into a more sensible mode of recreation and transportation.
And the popularity is increasingly more respectable for the India-based company, with production having reached 52,000 motorcycles in 2009. The company is targeting the magical 100,000-unit number as early as 2012.
Royal Enfield decided to graduate from the lean-burn engine by infusing their motorcycles with fuel injection and a new air-cooled Unit Construction Engine (UCE). I met the head designer last week at the vintage rally in Venice Beach, CA and he told me about some exciting new models that are in the works.
Primarily, he mentioned a new retro café racer. He was sparse with the details but his grin spoke volumes. He did say there was going to be a fairing. Clues may or may not be found in the currently available Café Racer Kit.
Having reviewed the standard C5 and G5 Bullet in the past I can attest, first person, about the thrill and absolute joy of throttling one of these street bikes down a country lane.
There's something wholesomely invigorating about the 27.5 hp experience, tapping into the same kind of euphoria that accompanied our first experiences on a motorcycle.
With the straight pull clutch and long throw of the 5-speed transmission, it takes us back to a forgotten time of concentrating on the motorcycling basics: clutch-shift-throttle-spongy-brakes.
In a time of technological overload, of high-horsepower and electronically imbued race engines and aluminum chassis, it's refreshing to take a step back to a simpler time. Only now we can do it with something "old that is manufactured new" that claims an incredibly green 85-mpg.
Update February 2014 www.motorcycle-usa.com Byron Wilson
Royal Enfield, India’s venerable motorcycle manufacturer with a history more than 100 years old, is taking an ambitious approach to 2014 by cutting prices and increasing production. Thanks to the recent construction of a 50-acre facility in Oragadam, Tamil Nadu, India, Royal Enfield expects to exceed 250,000 units in 2014. The expansion has allowed the marque to lower prices for the coming model year and now each of the six motorcycles available in the US ring in under six-grand.
Kevin Mahoney, CEO of Classic Motorworks, the exclusive importer of Royal Enfield to the US, explains: “We have always been a unique high value brand. Our high volumes (over 250,000 units will be sold globally in 2014) and increased efficiency allow us to make this aggressive move. We have lowered the MSRP on some of our products by almost $1400. The suggested retail price range of the product line now starts at $4999 and tops out at $5999 for the new 535cc Continental GT. This effort in repositioning Royal Enfield as a brand will not only put more bikes on the road, but simultaneously retain more of the market share here in the U.S.”
Here’s a brief look at the six Royal Enfields coming to the States this year.
Continental GT Racer
The Continental GT Racer (MSRP $5999) is a café-inspired, 535cc air-cooled Single first introduced at the India Auto Expo in 2012 that arrived in the US in 2013. The new 535cc engine is estimated to produce 29.1 horsepower at 5100 rpm and about 32 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm and features a wet, multiplate clutch. The Continental GT comes with digital electric ignition and Pirelli Sport Demon tires. Brembo 300mm floating discs are pinched by a two-piston floating caliper out front and a 240mm disc is gripped by a single piston floating caliper out back. Wet weight is estimated at 412 pounds and its dimensions measure 81 inches long, 30 inches wide and 31 inches high with a wheelbase of 54 inches and ground clearance of 5.5 inches. The company touts its new café racer as the “lightest, fastest, most powerful Royal Enfield in production.”
Bullet 500 B5
The Bullet 500 B5 (MSRP $4999) features styling sourced from Royal Enfield’s long-standing Bullet 350. It’s powered by a 499cc air-cooled Single that puts out an estimated 27.5 horsepower at 4000 rpm. The Bullet 500 B5 has electronic fuel injection and electronic start, a five-speed gearbox and gas-filled shock absorbers. A 280mm disc brake out front and 152mm drum brake out back will provide stopping power. The 2014 Bullet 500 B5 has a wheelbase of 54 inches and 5.5 inches of ground clearance. The motorcycle’s wet weight is a claimed 412 pounds.
Bullet G5 Deluxe
The Bullet G5 Deluxe (MSRP $5399) has the same specs as the Bullet 500 B5 but features styling touches such as rubber knee pads and a styling combination of chrome and paint.
Bullet Classic C5 Classic, Bullet C5 Military, Bullet C5 Chrome
The Bullet C5 Classic, C5 Military (MSRP $5499) C5 Chrome (MSRP $5600) are mechanically akin to the 500 B5, each featuring the 499cc air-cooled Single, EFI, five-speed gearbox and braking system. The Classic C5 comes with vintage livery based on post-war models while the C5 Military is available in the olive drab scheme prevalent on WWII machines. The C5 Chrome has some enhanced styling touches such as chrome fenders and tank with hand-painted pinstripes. The C5 Military and Chrome also come with a two-year unlimited factory warranty. 
