#RoyalEnfield

The rendering above comes courtesy of www.IndianCarsBikes.in which illustrates its ideas for what the upcoming Royal Enfield Himalayan might look like. We think it probably overestimates the amount of suspension travel and windscreen height. The exhaust design also seems unlikely, with low routing that would be damaged in off-road riding and a muffler that is way too small to adequately quiet a biggish Single.

A quick glance at the MO front page will reveal an overload of sportbike-related material this week. From Chief Editor Duke’s third installment of racetracks he’s ridden, to my very own review of the game-changing 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 and R1M, I realize MO seems a little sportbike heavy. In response, let’s change gears and focus our attention at this, the Royal Enfield Bullet Sixty-5. Where the aforementioned Yamaha is entirely tech-focused, the Sixty-5 is firmly planted in the 1950s. One cylinder, two valves, pushrods and carburettors… tech that wasn’t particularly impressive even 60 years ago. However, these things run like tanks, and if you go to Royal Enfield’s Indian home you’ll likely see plenty of these running around. 

Beginner bikes. Save for the obscure cruiser-ish thing you rode during your MSF courses, the two we hear more often than not for learning the moto-trade, especially if sporty-type riding is your thing, are the Kawasaki Ninja 300 (and formerly 250) and Honda CBR250R, now to include the CBR300R. However, we’re here to remind you there are other, potentially better, options.

In a world of increasing electronic complexity, Royal Enfield’s Continental GT is a bastion of motorcycling simplicity. And that’s just how Enfield’s CEO, Siddhartha Lal, likes it. Over lunch on our Continental GT media ride, he relates how the more simple a motorcycle is, the more reliable the bike and the easier it is to fix if there is a problem. No argument there, but what’s his underlying point?

India-based motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield has a plan, a plan that it thinks is paying off in the US. When viewing the current state of motorcycle sales, it sees a chink in the armor of the American bigger-is-always-better mindset. A growing set of young, urban riders appear to be interested in simple, retro-styled motorcycles that they can use for recreation and transportation. These riders are looking for more than technology and performance numbers; they desire an authentic riding experience – one that Royal Enfield feels it can provide.