Royal Enfield’s new Twins have settled into the Aussie lifestyle …
Being completely honest I must say I have paid little attention to Royal Enfield over the last 40 years. I learned the basics of riding a motorcycle on a 1954 350 Bulle in a North Queensland paddock in the ’70s and that’s it. My head was thereafter filled with big Jap bikes and later, Harley-Davidson.
In 2018 I began to hear that Royal Enfield was on the move. Not building old 350/500 singles but a fresh modern twin, the first in six decades, with an advanced motor and chassis. Then an invitation to attend the Australian launch at Sydney’s Bondi Beach arrived and I headed north to collect an Interceptor and ride it back to Melbourne over two days via Woollongong, Cooma, Thredbo and the Murray Valley Highway to Mansfield and Melbourne, a distance of around 1200kms – which would show straight away if it was a serious motorcycle or not.
Royal Enfield, for those who don’t know, are one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. In 2018 they built 890,000 bikes.
Yes, 890,000. All built in India, most at their vast Chennai factory but they have an R&D facility in the UK as well. Over half those bikes were sold in India itself but now RE are looking to spread throughout the world. And the new 650 Twin is their spearhead.
There are two models, the Interceptor and Continental GT. Both are LAMS approved and while they are the same bike underneath the GT has clip-on bars, rearset footpegs and a slightly smaller fuel tank. The Interceptor has higher touring bars, footpegs placed 25mm forward, a larger classic tank and a centrestand. The manufacturing standard of both models is very good, much better than I had expected.
この記事は HEAVY DUTY Magazine の March/April 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は HEAVY DUTY Magazine の March/April 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Polishing The Facets
Finessing the sharp edges and making that 124 sing and dance
The Fabulous Flexi Flyer
A genuine time capsule with history oozing from every single unique pore.
Road Raves Living The Life With Doc Robinson
WORDS OF WISDOM “When I was old enough to ride a motorcycle and got my license, I bought a ’69 Sportster.” – Chuck Zito
The End Of The Line
Writing a road test about a bike that is due to disappear from dealers’ floors any minute is a bit weird. Should this be more of a eulogy?
Now It's Time To Head Down Track
What happens when I’m ready to race at an IHRA-sanctioned dragstrip?
RAUCOUS ROCKY
With our own area called the Motorcycle Precinct, bikers were well catered for at this year’s RockyNats
S&S SUPERSTREET
With a Softail Deluxe already dripping in chrome, of course Paul was easily swayed by the offer of a shiny, new S&S SuperStreet two-into-one.
SPORTS STILL ROARING
Blues skies greeted the National Roaring Sporties racers for Round Two at the challenging Morgan Park Raceway near Warwick, Qld.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Even some of the locals are over the yodelling and pedal steel guitars. HOG member and history nerd, Roderick Eime explores another side of Tamworth and the surrounding region.
HAPPY HOGGIES
The drought was well and truly broken with HOG members from all over Australia making it to Rockhampton.