Enfield motorcycle company
was formed, making it India’s
oldest motorcycle brand.
And things have continued
rolling at a respectable pace
for Royal Enfield ever since,
leading to bikes like the 2009
Bullet and more recently the
Continental GT, a café racer designed in concert with Harris
Performance in England that looks as if it rolled right out of 1965.
Today there are more than a million Royal Enfield motorcycles on
the road in more than 40 countries including the U.S.
Indeed, the 2009 Bullet helped pave the way for today’s bur-
geoning retro-style motorcycle market, bikes boasting classic
lines mixed with the modern technology that people expect in
their new cars and motorcycles. The blend of Royal Enfield’s
classic styling and cutting-edge technology offers another
value that many of the more mechanically complex motor-
cycles today cannot give their owners, and that’s the option to
perform routine maintenance on their bikes. Even though
Royal Enfield boasts a strong North America dealer and
parts network for servicing and maintaining owners’
bikes, the Bullet/Continental GT platform also allows
for easy DIY routine maintenance, something that
many retro-style bike owners prefer to do.
Accessing the single-cylinder engine is easy
for changing oil, air filter and spark plug, or for
performing slightly more complex tasks such as
adjusting the cylinder head
valves. Drive-chain adjusters
and tire valve stems are with-
in easy reach of a wrench and air pressure gauge, too. Simplicity
and nostalgia are even found in the bike’s starting system; a
gentle push on the handlebar button prompts the electric starter
motor to spin the engine, even though the rider retains the
option of using the time-honored kickstart lever that’s located on
the bike’s right side to get going.
And once that engine fires to life and you hear the “beat,”
simply click the 5-speed transmission into gear, gently feed the
electronic fuel injection some throttle, and confidently motor
away. The ride down any road or country lane transports you to
another time, when life in America was perhaps a little simpler
and the pace more sedate than today. The ride truly becomes the
destination, and the view enjoyed from the saddle of any Royal
Enfield is sure to put a smile on your face in no time flat.
But make no mistake, retro-style motorcycles such as the Bullet
or Continental GT — and the soon-to-be available Himalayan, an
all-new 410cc single for the adventure touring crowd — aren’t
necessarily intended to win races. Instead, their mission is to win
your heart. And they do that quite readily, thanks to the “beat.” It’s
all part of Royal Enfield’s retro-based package. MCADVERTISEMENT
The retro-themed Classic
500 (main image) and
Continental GT (left) are
both powered by long-
stroke, single-cylinder
engines that produce the
iconic beat that Royal
Enfield has produced for
100 years, and counting.