Royal Enfield Electra Twinspark 350cc Bike Launched in India

Royal Enfield has introduced the Royal Enfield Electra Twinspark 350cc bike in India.

Royal Enfield Electra Twinspark 350cc sports a single cylinder 4-stroke, air cooled engine which produces peak power of 19.8bhp@5250rpm. New Bike is mated for a 5-speed transmission and can deliver a top speed of 120 kmph which is very good for highways.

Royal Enfield Electra Twinspark 350cc bike is available with both kick start and electric start with colour like silver, red and black. Royal Enfield Electra Twinspark 350cc is priced at Rs 89,846 (kickstart) and Rs 93,846 (electric start) (ex-showroom Chennai).

Royal Enfield Motorcycles Chief Executive Officer R. L. Ravichandran said in a statement. "It has been our aim to encourage riding as a lifestyle. The Electra Twinspark 350, with its performance and comfort coupled with the characteristic Royal Enfield styling, is guaranteed to kindle wanderlust in our customers,"

Royal Enfield Electra Twinspark can now benefit from the superb performance, reliability and fuel-efficiency of the unit construction engine while retaining the unmistakable character of a Royal Enfield, he added.

Royal Enfield: Tour of the Rann of Kutch

Here's the problem you see... I love telling tales, not tall ones but definitely long ones, and a couple of pages are hardly enough to narrate the entire mind blowing experience that was Royal Enfield's Tour of Rann of Kutch. Even narrowing down to a few memorable experiences is going to be a tough act, but here goes anyway.

Now the last time I 'got my motor running and headed out on the highway' on a Royal Enfield motorcycle was when I rode to Leh last June as part of the company's annual pilgrimage to the mountains known as the Himalayan Odyssey. Being the life changing experience that was, naturally some parallels to that ride will be drawn. But it was clear right off the bat that this wasn't going to be your standard Royal Enfield ride, if their rides can ever be called 'standard' in any way. The first clue was the size of the group, which was tiny by Himalayan Odyssey standards - less than one-fourth of Odyssey group. The second was when the planning of the route seemed to happen immediately after the briefing, the very night before the ride was to start. So there it was - fifteen riders on a variety of Royal Enfield motorcycles ranging from the age-old Bullet 350 to the very latest Classic 500 EFI heading into the Rann of Kutch, a place which was under the sea a couple of thousand years back, not knowing what kind of adventure waited for them hardly half a day's ride from their starting point in Ahmedabad.

Of starry nights and Wild Asses

Before you start jumping to conclusions, let me just explain that a Wild Ass is a donkey-like animal indigenous to the Rann and locally known as a Khur. Now since that's out of the way, our first destination was the Little Rann of Kutch - a large dry lake bed spanning about 100km across riddled with swamp marshes all over. Now there are many roads around the Little Rann, but KD, our fearless leader from Royal Enfield had some other plans for us. As soon as we were done with the lunch stop at Dasada, we left the comfort of paved tarmac behind and headed straight for the Rann, crossing whatever obstacles came our way - from sandy paths, to farms, embankments, marshes and even a couple of water crossings, one of which yours truly ended up inspecting up close... face first! But after the initial fear of riding over unpredictable surfaces was overcome, there was a strange satisfaction in simply picking a direction rather than a route and heading off into the unknown. And it was doubly rewarding when we finally entered the Little Rann past sunset and spent hours riding behind the support jeep in order to get to a temple in the middle of the vastness (our halt for the night) with only the stars for guidance. While most of the riders huddled in the temple for a good night's sleep, a few of us more adventurous types decided to camp out a couple of kilometers away from the temple, literally in the middle of nowhere, armed only with our bikes, our sleeping bags and millions and millions of stars for company.

It was only the following morning, when the inky black of the night was replaced by bright sunlight, did we realize just how vast the Rann the really was. The surface of the dried lake extended as far as the eye could see, broken only by a few truck tracks here and there, meeting with the sky in the flattest horizon I had ever seen in my life. Over a dozen Royal Enfields spread out wide abreast, thundering over the flat terrain... it was really a sight to behold. And against all odds, we encountered a pack of Wild Asses and a high speed (with speeds touching almost 70km/h) chase ensued with the bikes close at their heels, a sight which looked like it came straight out of some show on National Geographic.

Ancient civilizations on the great white

After spending the entire morning riding on the dirt (and occasionally clay) of the Little Rann, most of the riders had found their off-road legs. But we had crossed the width of the Rann by afternoon and had to sadly we had to leave all that playing in the dirt behind and get back to the sanity of smooth tarmac. Our destination; Dholavira, an excavation site of a town dating back to the Harappan Civilization era. The paved road did provide a few (pleasant) surprises like steep dips coming out of which the bikes would wheelie at speeds over 100km/h and tight twists and turns where the footpegs would scrape. En route was the first time we actually caught a glimpse of the Greater Rann of Kutch - an unending expanse of salt as we crossed through a small section of it over a land bridge. We reached Dholavira about an hour before sundown, quickly got rid of most of our heavy gear and luggage and rushed off to the dig site. Almost like another scene from Discovery Channel itself, ruins of a citadel, houses, streets, and an advanced water conservation system of channels and reservoirs from the ancient city of Dholavira lay before us - all of which was constructed about five thousand years ago - thousands of years before the events described in epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata took place! A little ridge on the side of the excavation provided a brilliant view of the Greater Rann once again, this time with the backdrop of a beautiful sunset.

A sea of salt

The next day, on the way back from Dholavira, KD took the first opportunity to lead the riders into the Greater Rann - a place unlike anything we had seen before in our lives - a thick layer of moist salt extending till the horizon, flatter than a pancake, and riddled with pockets of watery marsh and sticky clay. After venturing a couple of kilometers in though, we decided to call it quits as the bikes started to bog down and going any further would risk the bikes sinking in and getting stuck. Further down the road, we found another entry into the Greater Rann, but this time the surface was far more precarious with infinite number of ruts in the salt caused by villagers crossing the Rann at early hours. Then, it was off to Bhuj to get permits to ride further into Kutch where we made it in the nick of time before the DSP office closed. Bikes serviced at a local Royal Enfield dealer and a late night ride to our next halt at Nakhatrana ensued.

The taste of Kutch

A lazy morning start, a fun ride on some back roads and then an arrow straight highway surrounded by the desert got us to Kala Dungar (Black Hill), a rocky outcrop which offers a breathtaking view of the expanse of the Rann of Kutch and from which, on a good day, one can even catch a glimpse of the Indo-Pak border, barely over thirty kilometers away. Back down the hill, the riders went up to India Bridge on the road going towards the border, but couldn't go further as the area is under strict BSF control. A lunch stop at a charming little Kutchi village to sample the local cuisine, and it was straight to Mandvi where a ride on the beach sand amongst gigantic windmills brought a pleasing end to the day. The next day, the route back brought with it the longest distance we had covered on the entire ride - some 300km back to Adesar, the same town we had stopped when we first crossed through Little Rann. A major breakdown just as we left Mandvi meant that we would be crossing the Little Rann in darkness again and this time, we would have to get all the way across to reach our destination for the night. Confidence and spirits were high as, by now riding off-road had become second nature for most. Still, the Rann isn't a forgiving place and lured a few riders into the sticky clay patches in which the bikes promptly got stuck. But our adventurers, lending a helping hand to each other, got the bikes out and had a fun time at it as well. So it was almost a couple of hours past midnight when we finally made it to our last overnight halt at Dasada on the other side. The route back to Ahmedabad was short and a post lunch start took us to Nalsarovar - a huge marshy lake inhabited by thousands of migratory birds. A relaxing boat ride watching the sunset and the birds and an easy ride back to the hotel in Ahmedabad provided a perfect anticlimax for a grand adventure that was the Royal Enfield's Tour of Rann of Kutch.

There are many places one can go in India to have a memorable motorcycle ride, but the Rann of Kutch provided something more. Sure, a ride to the Himalayas is a more moving, spiritual experience. But the bottom line is hundreds, if not thousands, of motorcyclists do it every year. Riding in the Rann of Kutch, all alone, venturing into the unknown, not a soul around for kilometers and kilometers, over terrain that would make even a veteran rider think twice - it was a real adventure. And one that will stay with us for years to come.

Roadtest: Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500

54 years to the day the original Bullet rolled out from Redditch, Royal Enfield now has an all-new single cylinder motorcycle. Adil Jal Darukhanawala needed to not just have his eyes checked but also got a reality dose after an extensive test aboard this latest big bore machine.

Now let’s get one thing straight at the very beginning, I reason I liked Royal Enfields too much, not to really ride them long, was that they were of the vintage kind, were soft oldies who spewed oil, vibrated a lot, had iffy suspension and so-so brakes. Of course they rode daintily as long as one didn’t give them much stick, coming close to doing the ton meant a serious chore of tightening all nuts and bolts after one came back home and yes, also cleaning out the sump for the de rigueur oil leak. The one thing which many people did say about the bike was its beat, just like Harley’s phased out exhaust notes, the Bullet thump is one of the most pleasurable exhaust audios one can never tire of hearing but hey I also want a bike which makes me feel good. I am nostalgic all right but I needed something more than just what the old Bullet was capable of delivering.

Someone somewhere within Royal Enfield must have got into my subconscious and heard the anguish (or maybe the sarcasm) for when I happened to get aboard one of the new Classics early this year  - in Germany of all places! And was astounded. In fact many, if not all, of my gripes about Royal Enfields and Bullets were dispatched but as the Bullet with the all new fuel injected engine was yet operating in an European state of tune, I didn’t want to raise expectations and nor did I want to go overboard in my desire till I experienced firing this Bullet on our roads.

Now I am not a violent person, believing more in the non-violent form of sustained reasoning to put my point of view across. Using this approach, I blagged myself a quickie ride aboard one of the new Classic 500s on the short track at the Royal Enfield works in Chennai. It was immediately like I had known this bike all my life and very similar to the one I rode in Germany barring for Indian rubber on it. Getting it to Pune was therefore imperative and lo behold, we had one bike all to ourselves for the winter in the super new classic green shade.

Now there are diehard Bulleteers in our midst but more often than not they have given up and converted to the mainstream. When the new Bullet Classic did come up though it seemed a role reversal of sorts was just unfolding. Riders who thought a two-wheeled green meanie had to be a Kawasaki were pleasantly astonished to hear the loud muffled boom of a single cylinder machine in an even more likeable shade of green. Man this bike seemed familiar yet it somehow was also different and let us use this as the start of a journey capable of unraveling an eye, mind and heart opener! Yes folks, this is a high caliber Bullet which you and me can buy, own and enjoy firing! - down most stretches of roads, for sure.

Configuration & Make-up: Traditional art form

No doubt the style genes are all mid-1950s brought upto date with modern must-have bits adorned in an unobtrusive manner. Now there is nothing to describe the styling of a Royal Enfield Bullet as long as you don’t take in the cruisers which to me remain something totally against the character of this brand. The new Bullet Classic 500 plus its 350cc version do continue the same theme with rounded tank and massively plush saddle. However you do have to look at and identify new details which make the new package so very different. The chassis is identical to the one honed over the last half century but the swing arm and suspension components are different. The style shrouds for these might yet hark back to the mid-1950s but their innards have modern pistons, valves and springs to offer new age damping characteristics while yet giving a good decent ride. Overall the metallurgy has improved immensely and with the firm now having put in modern production engineering methods, the consistency of chassis alignment is pretty much up to speed with equivalent Japanese tackle. Never thought I would be saying this but you have to hand it to R L Ravichandran, the affable CEO of Royal Enfield and Siddharth Lal, the young scion who heads Eicher. The duo is the perfect foil as they did just about everything to change the bike while retaining its traditional character and appeal.

The new Classic 500 carries the traditional Bullet headlamp nacelle with its pilot lamps and large speedo integrated in one unit. The handlebar is not a sporty one nor does it intend to be, endowing the rider with an upright comfortable perch while not taking anything away from ease of steering. The seating position on the Bullet is so old school and so very welcome now given the bike is reliable, refined, powerful, responsive and pleasing to ride! The new engine, which we will get to in a jiffy, is key to this but on the ergonomics front, the single saddle seat for the rider and the squarish squab for the pillion give this bike bucket loads of character and charm. I think if I were to buy and own such a bike, I would junk the pillion squab for good and replace the present single saddle for a more Harley-esque version, better endowed but beautifully sculpted and I think this would suit not just the Classic to a T but also make this bike the best long distance mile-muncher which surely is its true calling in life.

The large tail lamp with brake light cluster is also period retro as is the large mudguard. The Classic 500 is one rare machine in India which has its chassis frame also painted in the same shade as the tank, side panels and mudguards. Overall the aesthetics are brilliantly conceived and turned out, as if a spanking new machine had just rolled out from 1960s Redditch in the UK but much much better than the Brits ever made them then!

FIREPOWER: All new modern thumper with muscle to move mountains

Providing much needed ammo, not to blast others away but to stay relevant for the emissions-mandated times, has meant an all-new fuel injected single cylinder unit construction engine (can’t call it a lump now!). This unit was in the works for a very long time but the challenge Royal Enfield had was to give it the platform to conform to Euro IV emissions and higher plus while they were at it, to also work out a unit that was reliable, refined and slick in its delivery. Absolute power wasn’t even considered as high enough on the list of things to do though one clear objective was of course that its torque should talk loud.

Enfields over the years had that anachronistic method of engine construction where the engine cases and the gearbox were separate and bolted to each other. Further, the neutral finder mechanism in the gearbox was also a throwback to prehistoric times. While Siddharth Lal, a long-standing Bullet buff was enamored of this idiosyncratic detail, he knew that modern day gearbox technology, especially in the manufacturing of the components meant such a detail was not needed. In the interests of packaging as well as reliability, a complete unit construction unit was long needed and finally, almost 54 years since the first 350cc Bullet single, the world now has an all new unit construction single from the marque!

Salient features of this new age mill include an all alloy cylinder block with iron cylinder liner and pressure die cast engine cases for a more robust structure with better sealing. The engine has very pleasing architectural aesthetics to curry favour from established aficionados and to entice new BABs (born again bikers) to this machine. The bike uses a small-bore (84mm) - long-stroke (90mm) cylinder dimensions to make for a 499cc swept volume. Displacement is one thing but getting the top end to do all the business in a four-stroke is another and here there is yet another important change. The pushrod operated overhead valves now have been beefed up and the pushrods have hydraulic lifters so as to make not just regular valve adjustments a thing of the past but to also give the valve-train much needed consistency of operation.

Enfield toyed with an overhead cam, coming deliciously close but in the interim they have stayed faithful to the push rod single. However this two valve head now features the latest in combustion chamber design with a heavily pronounced squish band which seems a logical follow-up from the previous non-unit lump which did however feature “lean burn” tech devised by Royal Enfield in conjunction with Austrian engineering firm AVL. The icing on the cake though is the adoption of an electronic fuel injection system (sourced from Honda-owned Keihin) but to term it as icing wouldn’t be right. That’s because this techno-detail has permeated right through to the overall delivery process of the engine: from low revs to mid range and top end in such a clean, crisp and torquey manner that I have to say this seems the best manifestation of an EFI engine from an Indian manufacturer that is spot on from the word go!

 

HANDLING THE ORDNANCE: Pleasingly explosive without hurting anyone

You have the firepower, a willing urge to pull the trigger and also the leeway to do just that without breaking the law so why wait? The first thing which strikes you when you swing a leg over the saddle and go about placing yourself on the bike is the way the Bullet’s low slung build helps you stay comfortably upright with both feet firmly on terra firma. For a bike with a near 190kg kerb weight this is a key detail for peace of mind but then the other strength of the machine is there for converts (like yours truly) and BABs to delight in – moving the bike on and off the main stand is a simple chore and very easy to perform and here as well as on the move you have to credit the suspension geometry and the overall weight distribution which helps you inadvertently. The huge mass just melts away in those few seconds and now you begin to understand why this most (supposedly) macho of Indian motorcycles is actually a pussy cat!

The riding position though is brilliant for the long ambling kind of ride, on secondary state roads or on highways. In fact the one thing which really appealed to me was the strength of the bike to go around corners in a sure-planted manner with just the torque lugging it silkily through twisties. In fact this bike isn’t to be used to corner carve in a Rossi-Stoner kind of all legs-and-elbows riding style but one which is more akin to a Mike Hailwood – Giacomo Agostini classy clean unruffled style. Yes simplicity works best even to this day, especially when the tackle thumping away underneath has a tall long-stroke motor which is lusty to the core.

 PULLING THE TRIGGER: Hits more bulls-eyes consistently than any other

At 27.2bhp (made at 5250rpm) and 41.3Nm (at an easy 4000rpm), power and torque developed might not be earth shaking but they endow this finely geared gentle giant to deliver big smiles to its pilot whatever be the intensity with which he twists the throttle. Gone is the massive vibe-force so much a character trait of previous Enfields but this Bullet is a different animal altogether. Of course there are vibes but they make their presence felt alarmingly when the bike is really punching away at its top end. At any other time in the rev range the tiny slivers which tingle your hands are nothing to complain about. The clutch action is not just precise but very well weighted and the throttle response is crisp whatever cog you are in. The five-speed ’box is a delight with its positive shifts and even when hurried through I didn’t encounter any false neutrals. The change from separate gearbox to unitary construction has also brought about this new shift actuation of a welcome high order.

I never wanted to ride the Bullet Classic 500 as I do my other screaming Indo-Japs but was I in for a surprise! The long stroke punch that the new engine throws on every fourth stroke along with the clean crisp delivery every time the throttle is cracked open makes it lunge ahead just so as to clear its lungs like a long distance runner. I mentioned at the start of this feature that on this bike the torque talks loud and you have to really understand this trait because while its performance is right up there, it is its ability to work hours on end which keeps the pleasure flowing on and on….

With our intrepid Varad More aboard for the performance and fuel efficiency tests, the Bullet Classic mesmerized us with its figures lone after it had got us salivating just with the hands-on ride experience. Go with the flow is a much abused term but it sits beautifully well on this machine. I don’t think this machine will be bought as a firebreather to rival Pulsars and Ninjas but hey this slow revving neo-retro is no slouch. Zero to 60km/h in 3.98 seconds compares well to the 3.8 seconds of the Pulsar 220 DTSi and thanks to the strong fourth cog and of course its displacement, it beats the fastest Indian in the zero to 100km/h sprint – 10.97 seconds to the Pulsar’s 11.3 seconds. In fact only the Kawasaki Ninja beats the big Bullet here with an 8.1 second time for the 0-100km/h dash.

The Bullet 500 from about 115km/h on though starts rocking out with vibes which to begin with one can tolerate but going past 120km/h these get to be irritable. Top speed recorded was 124.64km/h but this is academic because you should never buy this bike for speed but for the pleasure of quick fast motorcycling from a different era lost to us. The place where this bike can and does astound is in its roll-on acceleration. In the 30-70km/h band she motored in pretty quick times but we also did a 40 to 100km/h roll-on in the top two cogs and the true flexibility of the motor and its lugging ability were astounding – 9.82 seconds in fourth and 13.64 seconds in fifth!

ALL TANKED UP: And everywhere to go!

Waves of torque lash you as you twist the throttle open when motoring from 60km/h on and this bike gets to the ton pretty quickly making you marvel at the bulk she is lugging. And it is this very torque which had us goggle-eyed. I was zapped when we did the fuel efficiency – a 38.88kmpl mark for the in-town runs and a 46.48kmpl score on the highways. A 40.78kmpl overall mark is terrific by any stretch of the imagination but this is the real world we are talking of and it equates to a 550km range using the bike’s 13.5-litre petrol tank. To see things in the right perspective, let me use this opportunity to underline a misconception which many Indians wrongly equate across the automotive spectrum: sheer displacement or the lack of it doesn’t mean more or less in performance, or the quality of its delivery or a trade-off in consumption. Modern tech with precise electronic control has seen all these packaged together as a huge reward to the user. Of course you need to have the basics right – engine breathing, combustion, proper scavenging, low friction innards and the right gearing but the rewards are also there in ample measure. The Bullet Classic 500 is the near perfect example to underline this fact.

GRIPES: Of course there are a few!

The most serious stuff here is weight and I think that the Royal Enfield boffins are aware of this, especially as CO2 legislation will force them to address this in the coming years. I still think that while the MRFs are good and help with the handling and road holding, I would like to see some softer compounds being employed to get the front end to bite and hold. Many a time the front end skates when the anchors are dropped from the 280mm dia front disc and this is scary. A combination of tyre compound, construction and tread pattern plus the front end geometry need to be tweaked for this to be willed away. And yes, at certain steps in the rev band, the round-style period rear view mirrors do tend to blur out the vision making them ineffective. The Bullet Classic 500 comes with a kick starter and this seems superfluous especially since the electric starter is what I used always. Maybe it will save a kilo and every single gram should help the bike’s cause. And yes, the bike did leak a bit of oil, the drain bolt being smeared in the stuff at the end of about 1600km of sustained use.

GAME, SET & MATCH: Finally the real deal after 54 years!

This isn’t an attempt at snide humour but telling it as it is. The Classic 500 is the best single-cylinder bike Royal Enfield has ever made and so what if it took 54 years to set right this score. I also say that this bike is for the evolved biker and also for the one seeking something less frenetic from the buzzy revvy type of machines which swamp our roads today. This bike has the spunk accompanied with a melodious exhaust note which helps you motor away in pleasure without realizing you are cracking 100km/h and your teeth fillings haven’t yet been dislodged. Just for this the asking price of Rs 1.50 lakh or thereabouts in Pune is worth the while.

Speaking of which, I must narrate an incident which happened among our staffers after all had been fighting to ride the Bullet Classic everyday. Three of our guys want to buy the Kawasaki Ninja 250 but the asking price has only got one of them to splurge out. Now four more have jumped into the fray but they are swapping Kawasaki green for a subtler soother shade of classic Bullet green. Need any more reasons to underline all what I have said above? Fire away folks, the new Bullet Classic is surely of a different caliber.

New Royal Enfield Classic 500: Desert Storm and Chrome Editions

New Royal Enfield Classic 500: Desert Storm and Chrome Editions

The two avatars of the Royal Enfield Bullet Classic, namely the Desert Storm and Chrome. Inspired by the sun and sand, these bikes are a step towards the world of leisure biking and also mark the way forward for the Royal Enfield company

Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 2.0 : First Ride

Royal Enfield is whipping a storm in khaki and chrome, with two new variants based on the hard-hitting Classic 500. Ever since its roll-out in November 2009, the Bullet Classic has quite clearly made an impact on motorcyclists' psyche, and the two new models promise to take the same effect forward. It's not just a paint and lipstick job though. We welcome the Desert Storm and the Classic 500 Chrome into the thumping Royal Enfield family!

Embellishment, thy name is what sells Auto Americana by the millions, be it on two, four or 16 wheels! Custom craftsmanship, swathed in chrome and adorned with slick paintwork to make newer versions of regular production models has long been the magic mantra to spice things up and shift countless Fords, Chevys, Cadillacs, Harley-Davidsons, Caterpillars, Macks, etc out of showrooms and this practice continues unabated to this day. Of course when it is wheeled tradition which is being peddled, this line of customization at the factory level holds some esteem and residual values to the product.


So if you are thinking this is pretty much the line of thought being borrowed and adopted for India by Royal Enfield you would be both wrong and right – to varying degrees! Fact one is that Royal Enfield never believed in what it could do and spent much time fretting over who their customer was – the Machismo type, the dudhwala, the lone ranger type of long distance rider, the evolved rider, the born again biker or maybe even the young dude who wants to typify cool on the move. The key to their muddled thought process was just going with gut feel as a biker and the rest would pan out. Hesitatingly the firm worked on tweaking its staple product since inception (in India of course), the Bullet but then it had to for the simple reason  that emission standards evolved and the need to stack up on technology to meet legislation saw the old push-rod lump get a sizeable makeover. The separate gearbox was junked and the unit construction engine incorporated a new 5-speed constant mesh cluster within the crankcase. From this substantially revised bottom end, the scene shifted to a twin spark plug top end job along with electronic fuel injection and the resultant 500cc motor that emerged set the new standard for what many wanted from a Bullet.

Do understand that to date the Bullet has never changed in form but only in makeup and till now Royal Enfield has been spinning variants from the same armoury, never making an all-new model (but that should change in a year or so). Nothing wrong in that for when you see the bent twin iron from Harley-Davidson which goes right back to before World War II, the Bullet has just climbed the upgrade wagon, so to speak! What I am driving home is the point that Royal Enfield should not have worried for their Classic job was exactly what the market needed – a refreshing modern throwback to an era of motorcycling which can cut the mustard even today. From its roll-out just prior to Auto Expo 2010 to right now, the Classic has stumped the Royal Enfield management by accounting for over 40% of total sales for the marque and it shows no sign of petering out


Ever since its roll-out in November 2009, the Bullet Classic has quite clearly made an impact on motorcyclists’ psyche and from that point on the firm put into place a whole new programme on two fronts: get the production process upgraded from a technology and efficiency angle while planning even more upgrades to the basic product. Mind you when I tested the Classic almost two years ago, I marveled at the bike as the single biggest techno-leap Royal Enfield had ever accorded the Bullet in its long history and it showed in the way it brought forth the smiles on many faces. Heck, I wasn’t even a Bullet traditionalist, more often than not joking about them just so that I didn’t get to ride these Royal Oilfields but the Classic made me a convert – I can’t believe I am saying this! From there on I have been badgering the folks at Thiruvottiyur to further make the few decisive improvements on the bike which had not got the ‘Classic’ treatment. The rate of development pace may not have been up to Ninja or Fireblade speed, but given the wafting pleasure of a Bullet in its element, the new Classic introduced this week packs in a small raft of improvements in hardware and software which have yet again honed the calibre of this long standing gun on two-wheels for the better.

First a mention about the new variants, or to be precise the new models which will now constitute the 500cc Classic range. To be turned out in two distinctly different liveries, the first one is the Classic Chrome version which is resplendent in the traditional Brit bike turnout of yore with a painted and chromed tank, the same theme being carried over lengthwise on the two mudguards. Again in this variant there is a choice of maroon or black to go with the chrome and the Classic in this traditional stance does look dishy. The second variant is one which harks towards the Bullet being the defender emeritus via its links to the armed forces and it’s decked out in a khaki matt finish throughout. This unusual is also brilliantly turned out with tiny rubber knee guards on both sides of the petrol tank  to give the machine a period aura which only goes on to emphasise the overall charm of the package no end. The badging on both variants is the traditional Royal Enfield script and the medley of retro style overtones with modern tech essentially massaging ‘old’ muscle makes for a heady concoction.

One doesn’t buy a Classic or for that matter a Bullet to trip the light fantastic or out drag Hayabusas and its ilk but to deliver a most pleasurable ride where the exhaust beats can be heard at the convenient rate of one every other telegraph pole! No wonder it is the epitome of relaxed adventurers but with newer converts to the Bullet’s wholly non-violent cause, Royal Enfield knew that if there were some nut cases out to extract and use every iota of the 27.2bhp the long stroke 499cc single produces, they needed to give better control and stability to the package.

Royal Enfield unveils the Classic Chrome and Desert Storm

On the face of it, the Royal Enfield Classic Chrome and Desert Storm are just cosmetic variants based on the Classic 500, a motorcycle that in 350cc and 500cc guise, is currently sold out. But outside of the Machismo-esque chrome on the Classic Chrome and the lovely, off-road plus sand plus military colour of the Desert Storm, there are a few changes under the skin. On the engine side there are a few tweaks to the fuel injection system though the power and torque figures remain the same at 27.1PS and 41.3Nm.
 
But for the first time, Royal Enfield has made changes to the chassis, taking off the fork offset and mounting the front forks directly to the front axle. These changes effectively reduce the rake and trail of the motorcycle which should make the steering feel sharper and quicker in response. At the back, the swing arm is a bit longer which is usually said to improve traction and feel for the rider.
 
While it is easy to dismiss these as minor changes, this is a big deal for Royal Enfield, a company that has shown immense reluctance to making changes to the chassis for the longest time. In fact, the move to the 18-inch wheel and the round profile rear tyre for the Classic in itself was considered a major change of stance. These changes do reflect a change of heart at Royal Enfield. We met up with Siddarth Lal whose personal interest in the brand is well known, new CEO, Dr Venki Padmanabhan and Shaji Koshy, the marketing head at the media ride preview for the motorcycles in Jaisalmer. And the upbeat mood was immediately obvious.
 
There are a number of factors to this. The Eicher group is on a roll, with both the CV and the motorcycle business doing well. On the motorcycle front, the bikes are sold out, waiting periods are 10-12 months and the factory is running at full steam. To the point where the second plant is coming up in Chennai.  It is left unsaid but understood that a new factory means new machinery, new staff and the consequent opportunity to boost production volumes as well as values. But accompanying this is a clear understanding that Royal Enfield can no longer afford to churn out the same bikes in different guises. The company is working on new, different products and likes to say that the forthcoming products reflect what Royal Enfield (UK) would have been up to in today's market if the company hadn't gone under in the 70s. This is a dramatic shift from the time, when RE engineers would refuse to change the smallest parts of the motorcycle because they believed that each little nut and bolt was part of the heritage and had to be preserved at all cost.
 
We understand the company is now working on new platforms and product lines as well working hard to sort out the niggling quality and finish issues that have been part and parcel of the Enfield experience.
 
All these changes at the company philosophy level, as well as at the product level, can only be beneficial in the long run given RE's unrivalled ability to rally enthusiasts around its brand. It is today India's most prolific company when it comes to interaction with its customers in the form of long, organized rides and the one big annual bash, Ridermania.
 
The short ride at Jaisalmer on unknown, varying surface roads didn't allow us to really experience the difference that the new chassis has made and our initial impression is that the Classic Chrome and the Desert Storm feel more or less like the Classic 500 to ride. Finish levels are slightly better but only a longer ride will confirm what the differences really are. That said, we instantly gravitated towards the Desert Storm, clearly the more attractive of the two motorcycles in our eyes.
 
Royal Enfield has priced the Desert Storm at Rs 1.58 lakh (on-road Mumbai) which is Rs 3,000 more than the Classic 500. The Classic Chrome is Rs 10,000 more than the Classic 500 with a price tag of Rs 1.68 lakh (on-road, Mumbai). The motorcycles are being launched in major cities today with other regions of the country to soon follow. The company is also looking at improving its dealership to provide easy access to its customers.

\

Auto Expo 2012 - Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Royal Enfield India unveiled the Thunderbird 500 at the Auto Expo 2012. Not only has the Thunderbird got an engine upgrade but it also gets a host of new features which is sure to attract more customers. 
The Thunderbird was first introduced as a brand in 2000 with a 5-speed gearbox and a 350cc AVL engine. In 2009, the Thunderbird was given a 350cc unit construction engine (UCE) with twin spark plugs. And after that it is now in 2012 that the Thunderbird gets another engine upgrade - a fuel injected 500cc UCE with 27.2PS of power at 5250rpm and 41.3NM of torque at 4000rpm. Apart from the bigger engine, the Thunderbird now sports Bybre 280mm front and 240mm rear disc brakes.
Ergonomically, the foot pegs have been re-positioned which RE claim results in a better riding position. The pillion seat, which is separately mounted, can be removed to make way for additional luggage. Not something that your partner would be too excited to hear about. RE have also provided the Thunderbird 500 with bungee hooks to tie down the luggage and make those long distance trips more secure.
The Thunderbird now has an LED tail lamp whereas the headlight gets a 55w projector lamp for the low and 55w halogen for the high beams respectively. A separate switch for the hazard lamp, a first for a locally manufactured bike, has also been provided. The fuel tank is now 20 litres, enabling riders to ride to their destination without frequent stops for refueling. The Thunderbird 500 also has twin digital trip meters. The mirrors and turn indicators are also a new unit.  The bike now features 41mm forks in front and an oval section swingarm at the rear to enhance its handling.
RE aims to project the Thunderbird 500 as an affordable alternative to the Harley-Davidsons and the newly launched Triumph range of bikes. To be sold only in shades of black - midnight black, matte metallic black and arctic winter black, the Thunderbird 500 will be launched by June-July 2012. The pricing details haven’t been divulged yet but the recently launched Desert Storm costs Rs 1.32 lakh ex-showroom Delhi and taking into consideration the features that the Thunderbird 500 comes with, we expect it to be priced around Rs 1.5 lakh. The 500cc Thunderbird will not replace its 350cc sibling but will be sold along with it and RE have informed that based on the feedback from customers, they will apply the changes to the 350cc too.
Along with the Thunderbird, Royal Enfield also displayed its Cafe Racer 500cc concept which will most likely make it to production by 2013. This striking bike has garnered a lot of attention with its styling. The clip-on handlebars which sit low, very unlike any other Royal Enfield bike, the twin pod console, the rear view mirrors mounted on the handle bars, the long fuel tank and the short seat all make for a very attractive package. Displayed in sporty red at the Auto Expo it was quite the head turner. Now the wait for the pricing details to emerge.

Royal Enfield’s Tour of Bhutan flagged off today

Royal Enfield's Tour of Bhutan was flagged off from Siliguri early on May 5. Over 30 riders on their Royal Enfield motorcycles were flagged off amidst much fanfare as they rode out into the eastern Himalayas. The Darjeeling Enfielders, a local Royal Enfield enthusiasts club turned up in strength to show their solidarity towards fellow Royal Enfield riders. The riders shall be riding out from Siliguri to Mirik, and further into Darjeeling and shall be crossing over into Sikkim tomorrow with their first halt at Pelling.
The Tour is led by experienced riders from Royal Enfield who will guide the other riders about tricks of riding across such challenging terrain over the 10 days of journey. This is the first time that Royal Enfield has gone to Bhutan and the second time that they have gone international, with the first international ride being to Nepal last year.