ROYAL ENFIELD MOTORCYCLES

ART OF MOTORCYCLING

On the weekend of March 13th/14th, W+K Exp will host a two-day exhibition that celebrates The Art of Motorcycling. Motorcycle exhibits will range from the brand new Classic 500 to an exotic variety of customized Enfields from all over India...

ROYAL ENFIELD TOUR OF TIBET KICKED OFF

The 1st edition of the Royal Enfield Tour of Tibet shall be flagged off from Lucknow on the 12th of October 2013. There are numerous thoughts that come into one's mind when one thinks of Tibet, "The Roof of the World", "Where Eagles Dare" and many others. This September the first Royal Enfield ride to this mystical land will have 25 riders from across India will set off on this epic journey to Lhasa and back.

Royal Enfield Classic Desert Storm 500

The Classic Desert Storm comes to you with a “sand” paint scheme reminiscent of the war era, a time when Royal Enfield motorcycles proved their capabilities and battle worthiness by impeccable service to soldiers in harsh conditions of the desert

ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET CLASSIC REVIEW

It is a blend of post world war II motorcycle and gen next bike. Several things remained the same as a vintage motorcycle such as 'Roar of engine', deep and wide design of front and rear fender, covered headlamp, seating, fuel tank, silencer, spoke wheels, tail lamp and air filer box. , ...

Royal Enfield Classic Chrome 500 launched

The Royal Enfield Classic Chrome is based on the Classic 500 with a rather generous dose of chrome on it. Like the Classic 500, the new Classic Chrome retains the quintessential classic British styling of the 1950s: simple, harmonious, well proportioned."

Bullet C5 Military

The iconic Bullet has seen extended duty on several fronts and is now a prize for military enthusiasts and collectors the world over.

Royal Enfield Rider Mania 2010

The biggest biker bash in the country is courtesy Royal Enfield, and hundreds of zany Enfielders. Here's what the 2010 edition of the Royal Enfield Rider Mania was all about....

ROYAL ENFIELD LAUNCHES 'CONTINENTAL GT

'Handcrafted in Chennai'

Royal Enfield announces the release of a new ad film created and produced by Wieden+Kennedy, Delhi...

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

The all new Royal Enfield Thunderbird now with a powerful 500 cc engine, a 20 litre tank, digital meter console, LED tail lamps and in three striking shades of black gives a new definition to Highway cruising. ...

EnfieldMotorcycles.in is the blog for all Royal Enfield enthusiast where we live, breathe, and eat Royal Enfield Bullet . We not only keep you informed of the news about Royal Enfield originals, but also give custom bikes and historical bikes a lot of attention. You can also find with us the best Enfield related movies and crazy stunts etc. We are testing and reviewing new models of which a complete relief will be shown on our site. Finally, we have technical tips, for example, how to properly get engine through the winter.

Showing posts with label Royal Enfield. Show all posts

Royal Enfield launches 'Continental GT' at Rs 2.05 lakh

Royal Enfield has finally launched the highly anticipated Continental GT in India with an on-road price of Rs 2.05 lakh on-road Delhi and Rs 2.14 lakh on-road Mumbai. The Continental GT is the same bike that Royal Enfield had displayed at the Auto Expo 2012 by the name of Café Racer. Now, café racing, as a culture, evolved during the 1960s in the UK and involved motorcycle enthusiasts (the Rockers—a biker subculture) using stripped down, customised motorcycles to race between transport cafés. These sporty, souped-up motorcycles gave birth to the café racer genre. Low-set handlebars and rear-set footpegs—lending to a crouched down riding posture—were the hallmarks of these café racers. They were also very simple machines that could be customised easily to make them more responsive and quicker.

Café racers of the 1960s and Royal Enfield’s own 1965 Continental GT—the first mass produced café racer of its time—have been the main design inspiration for the current Continental GT. This bike has a stretched out low-profile fuel tank with knee recesses for the authentic period café racer look. Then, it has a flat sculpted racing seat with contrast stitching and bump stop along with rear-set foldable footrests. There are trimmed front and rear mudguards that add to the clean lines of the Continental GT. It also has an upswept exhaust that allows more ground clearance, especially required when you are cornering at speed. Royal Enfield has worked closely with Xenophya Design of the UK in order to ensure that the Continental GT doesn’t miss out on design details.

The new RE flagship will be sold in two colours, red and yellow only. Powering the Continental GT will be a single cylinder air cooled 535cc engine delivering 29PS of power and 44Nm of peak torque and will come mated to a five-speed gearbox. RE has developed the chassis in collaboration with UK based Harris performance. The front suspension has 41mm telescopic forks while the rear has Paioli twin gas-charged shock absorbers. The bike is shod with Pirelli Sport Demon tyres and brembo brakes.

The Continental GT is manufactured at the company’s plant in Oragadam near Chennai. The company is expanding its manufacturing capacity to 2.5 lakh units by 2014.

Technical Specifications:

Type	Single Cylinder, 4 Stroke, Air Cooled
Displacement	535 Cc
Bore X Stroke	87mm X 90mm
Compression Ratio	8.5:1
Maximum Power	29.1 Bhp (21.4 KW) @ 5100 Rpm
Maximum Torque	44 Nm @ 4000 Rpm
Ignition System	Digital Electronic Ignition
Clutch	Wet, Multi-Plate
Gearbox	5 Speed Constant Mesh
Lubrication	Wet Sump
Engine Oil	15 W 50 API, SL Grade JASO MA
Fuel Supply	Keihin Electronic Fuel Injection
Air Cleaner	Paper Element
Engine Start	Electric & Kick
Frame Type	Twin Downtube Cradle Frame
Front Suspension	Telescopic, 41mm Forks, 110mm Travel
Rear Suspension	Paioli,Twin Gas Charged Shock Absorbers With Adjustable Preload, 80mm Travel
Wheelbase	1360 Mm
Ground Clearance	140 Mm
Length	2060 Mm
Width	760mm ( Without Mirrors)
Height	1070mm ( Without Mirrors)
Seat Height	800 Mm
Kerb Weight	-(90% Fuel+Oil)184 Kgs
Fuel Tank Capacity	13.5 Ltrs
Front Tyre	100/90-18, 56 H Pirelli Sport Demon
Rear Tyre	130/70-18, 63 H Pirelli Sport Demon
Front Brake	Brembo 300mm Floating Disc, 2-Piston Floating Caliper
Rear Brake	240mm Disc, Single Piston Floating Caliper
Electrical System	12 Volt – DC
Battery	12 Volt, 14 Ah
Head Lamp	12V H4 60 / 55 W
Tail Lamp	12V 21W/5W
Turn Signal Lamp	12V 10 W (4 Nos.)

What you guys think about this, please let us know by commenting below. Keep thumping.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

If there’s one thing very significant about the popularizing of custom motorcycles apart from the build, is the outstanding photography that’s being shot and shared. And if you are the one, who says bike builders don’t know where the shutter and focus belong, the best practice is to work with a professional photographer together. See Rajputana Customs, from the very beginning with the maximum attention and appreciations,they shows us the perfect combination of building a bike and shooting them.

The all new Soorma, was completed in mid october , 2012. A 350cc classic Royal Enfield has turned into this outstanding green bobber, Soorma – A combination of beauty and telent. And yes if you see closely, you’ll love the frame work, completely changed to eliminate the traditional rare shoks.

Soorma AKA ‘Champion’ has been built for Mr. Manish Suri in Jammu. Vijay told us “Soorma AKA ‘Champion’ has been built for Mr. Manish Suri in Jammu. He wanted a full scale project…”. The hard tail frame was completely rebuilt for the bike. As you see the frame and forks were shaped out of . The shorten bikes exhaust comes with a great look and we can imagine how melodious she would sound.

We are thankful to Vijay, for sharing the details of the custom built. “The Pint job detailing Nandu-ji and the koftgari & brass work have been done by our other karigars in Jaipur & Udaipur.” Apart from the engine we don’t find much similarity with the donor bike. They have completely changed almost everything and as a result you see another beautiful bobber by Rajputana.

The vintage front springers, amazing brass work, impressive leather grips, the use of Avon tyres with all black wheels are just some add-ons to make you feel more jealous and he head light and tail light, the mirror, the seat comes next. Pretty obvious to be jealous hah! Well wait folks, here’s a good news for you. If you are looking something like this Vijay is open for you. You can drop him a mail for any kind of inquiries. Note down the address where to hit, is rajputanacustoms@gmail.com.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Royal Enfield today kicked off a new motorcycle ride – The Tour of Tibet. This will be the third-ever international ride conducted by Royal Enfield.

The participants en-route to Tibet will constantly ride at an average altitude of 4500 mts above sea level for most of the duration reaching the Everest Base Camp (5200 mts above sea level) making this one of the most challenging Royal Enfield rides. The first edition of the Royal Enfield Tour of Tibet was flagged off from Lucknow from the Royal Enfield Brand Store at Badshah Nagar by Chief Guest Mrs Anita Singh, Assistant Regional Transport Officer for Mahanagar, Lucknow region. In this first edition of the Tour of Tibet 17 riders from India and abroad will be journeying through the scenic landscapes of India, Nepal and Bhutan for 15 days covering 2380 kms (approx).

Shaji Koshy, Senior Vice-President Sales & Marketing Royal Enfield said, “The Tour of Tibet is a brand new ride that Royal Enfield has introduced this year. We are offering our customers a new motorcycling frontier – Lucknow to Lhasa with the Tour of Tibet. This tour offers newer motorcycling destinations and a variety of riding terrains to the participants that will make the Tour of Tibet an experience of a lifetime. Such motorcycling adventures further strengthen the Royal Enfield philosophy and promise of providing pure motorcycling experience to our customers”

In its very first edition itself the Royal Enfield Tour of Tibet garnered some international interest. This year along with participants from India, the Tour of Tibet has 2 participants from Uruguay and one participant from Singapore.

The cavalcade of Royal Enfield riders will be en-route to Kathmandu for the first two days passing through plains. Once the riders cross Bhairava, they will enter the foothills till they reach Kathmandu on October 13. From Kathmandu onwards the riders will be on their way into the Lhasa, Tibet passing through the ‘lesser Himalayas’ where the riders will come across several sharp turns which are shaped like hairpins. This will be an unforgettable stretch for the riders as they will pass through 4 mountain passes which are all above 5000 mts. The riders are scheduled to reach Lhasa on October 20 where they shall rest for a day and get acclimatised and then will begin their ascent from Lhasa towards the Everest Base Camp (5200 mts above sea level) on October 22. The participants are scheduled to reach the Everest Base Camp via Shegar on October 24. On October 25, the riders would begin their descent and will continue from the base camp till Tingri. The entire stretch of Shegar-Everest Base Camp-Tingri will be an off-roading experience for all participants. The first Royal Enfield Tour of Tibet will culminate on October 26 once the riders reach Kathmandu.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

The 535cc Royal Enfield Continental GT Cafe Racer will debut in the UK this month, and in India soon after. Siddhartha Lal, CEO of Eicher Motors Limited is passionate about the way in which he has turned Royal Enfield around. Speaking on the subject with fervor and enthusiasm on India Business Report on BBC World, Lal goes back to 1901 when Royal Enfield was the most favored brand.

The much awaited Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 aka Cafe Racer is looking ready to become the fastest-ever mass produced bike from Royal Enfield ever. The bike has also become the lightest production RE of recent times.

The GT 535 will be built around a lightweight, double cradle frame that will help in keeping the weight under a check. The upcoming bike is expected to be as much as 15kgs lighter than the Thunderbird 500 TBTS.

The Continental GT 535 will be powered by a single cylinder 535cc UCE engine that will boast of a bigger throttle body and a larger piston (than the 500cc UCE motors). The new 535cc mill will also have a remapped ECU and a lighter flywheel. All this would bestow the bike with enough juice to have a 150kmph-plus top whack and decent in-gear acceleration. The bike will be shod with Pirelli tyres and will sport a pair of Paioli gas-charged shock absorbers at the rear.

As can be seen in the pics, the bike will have disc brakes on both the wheels. The upcoming 2014 Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 Cafe Racer, in all possibility, would be priced a little above INR 2 lakhs in Indian bike market. Stay tuned for more info on 2014 Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 Cafe Racer India launch.

Rumor has it that the bike will reach Europe and the US with a price tag under $8,000 (€6,070) and in case October proves this right, we might be looking at really nice sales figures before the end of the year.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

This is the news piece every Royal Enfield enthusiast has been longing to hear! The company today rolled out the first motorcycle from its new plant at Oragadam in the outskirts of Chennai. This is RE’s second production facility and has been constructed at an investment of Rs 150 crore for the first phase of the facility. The new plant was completed in just 11 months and is spread across 50 acre -- five times the size of the older plant at Thiruvottiyur near Chennai! With the new facility operational, waiting periods on some of the models are expected to go down from the present eight months to six months -- something that should come as a relief to to prospective RE bike buyers.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddhartha Lal, Eicher Motors Managing Director and CEO, said, “At Royal Enfield we have recorded a major milestone today with this plant at Oragadam becoming operational. Royal Enfield has witnessed a huge surge in demand in the recent past, recording a growth of over 50 per cent for each of the last two years. However, even as we start commercial production today, we have already begun working on the second phase of expansion at Oragadam, which will further increase the production capacity to 250,000 motorcycles in 2014."

Apart from hiking production capacity, the new facility optimises production costs by merges relevant automation with human craftsmanship. A new CED (Cathodic Electrocoat Deposition) paint shop with a capacity of 600 motorcycles per day has been set up. Further, a robotic painting system and powder coating system have also been employed to reduce wastage.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Royal Enfield, has launched its popular motorcycle Bullet with a new 500cc engine, in a new shade, called Forest Green along with some updates.

In terms of design, the Bullet 500 retains all the basic design elements of a true-blue Bullet but gets additions like new pillion grab-rail with a cushion end, all new pilot lamps which Royal Enfield calls “Tiger Lamps” and old-school-inspired classic tail lamps. The new bike also gets the Royal Enfield Winged badge which has been finished in a gold and silver livery to complete the vintage look of the bike. For better stability and a meaty stance, the bikes gets 19-inch rims up front which are shod with 280mm disc brakes.

Powering the beast is the same 499cc mill as found on the Classic 500 though Royal Enfield has dropped fuel-injection from it (as rumoured earlier). The four-stroke, twinspark, air-cooled engine pumps out 26.4PS @ 5,100rpm and torque of 40.9Nm @ 3,800rpm. Power is transmitted via a five-speed gearbox and the bike gets electric starter as standard. Royal Enfield has dropped the fuel-injection because a lot of traditional Bullet followers felt it was comparatively unreliable and also the engine didn’t feel the same in contrast to the carburetted version. Royal Enfield haven’t revealed prices yet but it is speculated to be priced lesser than the fuel-injected 500.

The latest offering from Royal Enfield came as a surprise for many Bullet lovers as they were expecting company's much-anticipated Cafe Racer. However the new bike too does not disappoint its loyal customers.

Royal Enfield, a name which is celebrated for its Bullets, will offer the brand new bike in a new green colour and is expected to roll out the Bullet in coming months. There is no information available regarding the pricing of the new Bullet.

Initially, the new model Bullet will be available only in the major markets of Royal Enfield like Punjab and Kerala.

The much-awaited bike Cafe Racer, which is powered by a 535cc engine, is reportedly gearing for launch by the end of this year. It is expected to generate more power and torque than the company's Thunderbird and Classic. The company is yet to reveal the pricing of this model for India. As per earlier rumours, the model is likely to fall in the bracket of ₹2 lakhs.

Monday, April 15, 2013

If you could recollect, we had posted spy shots of a group of Royal Enfield motorcycles on their ARAI test run through the streets of Pune. With visually no difference whatsoever in the existing lineup of the Classic range and the test mules, we were wondering as to what was cooking at the Royal Enfield headquarters. The best we could assume was that Royal Enfield might be testing a carbureted and cheaper variant of the Classic 500.

Royal Enfield has released a teaser banner of the new and upcoming Bullet 500 on its website. The teaser shows a simple and classic Bullet design, with a new Forest Green body colour, which is placed between the Sea Green offered with the Classic 500 in India and the Battle Green that is on offer in international markets. Royal Enfield is reintroducing the Bullet 500 name after a decade, when the 24 PS AVL-engined Machismo 500 replaced the earlier model. Since then we have been offered the Classic 500 powered by a 27.5 PS engine. The exact launch date for the new Bullet 500 has not been confirmed. Royal Enfield followers who wished for a Bullet in typical vintage green shade would be the most happiest as Royal Enfield plans to introduce the motorcycle in forest green colour.

It is expected that the Bullet 500 will cost around Rs. 1.4 lakh which is Rs. 20,000/- less than the Classic 500.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Rumors on the interwebs saw Royal Enfield planning to enter once more in the quarter-liter class with a new motorcycle which was to compete with the similar machines Honda or Bajaj are already selling in India and adjacent markets quite successfully. Learning about this, Royal Enfield themselves squashed the rumor in a very firm manner.

While 250cc bikes wearing the Royal Enfield have been in production since 1911 through 1967, the company is now focused in bigger displacement bikes, with the smallest being a 350cc model.

Even more, Royal Enfield is trying to project a different image, and building up a reputation of solid, very reliable bikes suitable for daily riding, and thus tap into the mainstream sales.

Royal Enfield adds that the announced Cafe Racer 535 is the only bike which is scheduled to be launched any time soon, and this is an altogether different story.

The Cafe Racer 535 will be more powerful than existing half-liter bikes such as the Classic or Thunderbird, will sport new chassis and suspensions and will also have updated exhausts cam shafts and all.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Royal Enfield has a new distributor in the United Kingdom. MotoGB takes over from RE's former UK distributor Watsonian Squire with immediate effect. MotoGB also handle other motorcycle brands in UK like Benelli, MV Agusta, Daelim, Keeway and SYM.

Commenting on the partnership with MotoGB, Shaji Koshy, senior vice president- sales & arketing, Royal Enfield said, In the recent past Royal Enfield has witnessed a huge surge in demand for its motorcycles world over. The company has recorded a growth of over 50% year on year for the last couple of years. United Kingdom is a key market for Royal Enfield apart from being the place of its origin. We are pleased to partner with MotoGB group for such a strategic market. We are confident that with their proven success in the region, our partnership with MotoGB will provide a strong fillip to Royal Enfield's growth curve.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Recently the RE Classic 500 was caught on camera going through the ARAI Test at Pune. Although by looking at the pictures there does not seem any visible design or styling changes but instead could be some internal changes. There were speculations about a carb version of the Classic 500, but not sure if this is it. Also there are a lot minor issues like oil leaks, heavy vibrations at high speeds, problems in starting in cold weather conditions, poor weld quality and some electrical problems that the owners face.

Although it’s the love of the RE Classic 500 for which the owners still love their bike and accept it even if there are some flaws in it, well there flaws in everyone, but you don’t stop loving them. RE might have fixed all such small problems in its newer version of the Classic 500. So far all we can do is wait for some more news, but these images do mean that RE is concerned about its owners an want to live up to their expectations otherwise why test bike that are already in the market.

One thing that we couldn't help but notice, none of the test riders is wearing a helmet, now that`s just not expected from such an esteemed organization like ARAI. Especially when the bikes are tagged, “On Test by ARAI”.

Lastly, these are just a limited set of speculations we can make at the moment. But we’d like to ask our readers their assumptions about these C500s on the ARAI test. Is there anything apart from the guesses made above that you could think of? Do let us know.

Image courtesy : Motoroids

Friday, March 8, 2013

Now that you know how to take care of the matte finish of your Royal Enfield Desert storm, you should also be aware of few matte finish myths that have been circulating for quite some time. Here we go:

MYTH #1: You can’t protect a matte paint finish

Busted. While this may have been the case when matte paint first emerged into the automotive marketplace, it certainly is not the case today. At the same time, this myth does make sense if and only if the protection product uses fillers, silicones, or any type of wax. So what’s that mean? It means the only (effective) way to protect matte paint is with a liquid matte paint sealant specifically formulated not to increase the surface’s gloss rating.

MYTH #2: It’s hard to take care of a matte painted motorcycle

The problem here is in the wording. If you consider taking care of a “regular” (non-matte) motorcycle hard, then sure, maintaining a matte motorcycle might be tough for you. Chances are if you’re on this blog you care about your motorcycle and how it looks, and with that said, chances are you understand where I’m coming from here. Taking care of a matte painted motorcycle is no more work that properly caring for a glossy motorcycle By the way, the mere fact that you’ll never be polishing your matte motorcycle makes it that much easier to care for. Matte finishes are way less susceptible to clear coat scratches and swirl marks simply because the matte finish is non-reflective. If you know about the science of scratches, you also know that when there’s no light to reflect off a scratch the human eye has a hard time really seeing it. Myth tackled.

MYTH #3: Matte paint is just regular paint without a clear coat

Absolutely not. In rare cases, maybe your aftermarket matte paint job has no clear coat, but if you get it from the factory it definitely will. In fact, it’s actually the clear coat that makes factory matte paint look flat with its microscopic imperfections and “dimples”. If you got your car or motorcycle painted matte in a booth by a third-party, I recommend making sure they put on a matte clear coat over the pigment layer of paint. Without a clear coat your messing with fire.

MYTH #4: Dish soap is safe to use on matte paint

Dish soap is formulated to do one thing (unless you use that brand that moisturizes your hands), and that thing is to strip grease and grime off of hard surfaces (ie. plates, glass, etc.). As you now know, you can most certainly protect matte paint – using dish soap to clean the motorcycle will weaken the bond of any sealant or substance on the painted surface of your motorcycle. So in a sense it may not do damage to the paint, but it’s certainly doing more than just cleaning it. Do yourself (and your matte finish) a favor and get a no-shine matte motorcycle wash soap that uses no fillers, no silicone, and won’t strip your matte paint of its layer of protection.

MYTH #5: Matte paint is super fragile and not at all durable

Ehhh, not quite. Not sure where this one started from, but I guess everybody speculates on exotic items and that they aren't built to last. Matte paint, if it’s from the manufacturer, is absolutely designed to last the entire life of the motorcycle. Going back to Myth #3, that’s why we put clear coat on our motorcycles– long term protection for the pigment layer of paint. Because most matte paint does in fact use a clear coat layer, the only thing you have to worry about is protecting that clear coat layer with a matte paint sealant.

MYTH #6: The dealership will know what to do

If only I had a dime for every instance I've heard this one. Trust me, dealerships are good for just about one thing: selling you a motorcycle and most of them are terrible at doing that. They did not manufacture your motorcycle they are not related to the development company who created the paint, and they definitely don’t read the entire manual before telling you how many miles your motorcycle should go without an oil change. Leave the paint care to professionals who understand the science behind matte paint and not those who only get paid if and when you purchase the motorcycle from them. Face it, most dealerships are trained rigorously to learn how to say say, “yes” no matter the customer’s question. Think about it… does this model have Disc brake? “Yes, for an extra Rs 3,200.” You get my point.

The bottom line is matte paint needs specific attention. There are things you should know and things you should avoid which will keep your motorcycle retain the factory matte finish.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Studio Shot [Click to Zoom]

As we all know that Royal Enfield is planning to launch Cafe Racer in India in early 2013 and we’ve just managed to lay our hands on the first ever studio shot of the 2013 Royal Enfield Cafe Racer 535 motorcycle. The motorcycle will come with a massive 535cc UCE engine and will come equipped with fuel injection technology (EFI). We are still waiting for the power and torque figures to be released. However we feel that the engine will churn out peak power of about 30 Bhp and peak torque to be rated at about 42 Nm.

These figures will make the Cafe Racer 535 the most powerful production motorcycle in the Royal Enfield line up. Thanks to Royal Enfield engineers who chucked out unnecessary things, reducing kerb weight of the motorcycle. This combined with the higher power and torque figures, will make the Cafe Racer the fastest production Royal Enfield. The Cafe Racer 535 will be built at Royal Enfield’s new plant at Oragadam, off Chennai.

As seen in various motor shows, Cafe Racer 535 comes with a single seat and a rear cowl to give the motorcycle a racy look. However the Indian-bound model is expected to get a slightly longer flat seat that will allow two adults to squeeze atop the motorcycle.

The 2013 Royal Enfield Cafe Racer 535 gets disc brakes for both wheels, fatter front forks from the new Thunderbird 350/500, the new instrumentation console and lock system borrowed from the Thunderbird twins, a brand new fuel tank and brand new gas charged Paioli rear suspension.

Another important new item is the double cradle frame that holds the engine unlike the the single donwtube item that the current crop of Royal Enfield motorcycles come with. The motorcycle will sport the new swing arm (from the Thunderbird twins is a new design) which will help in attaining high speed stability.

Watch out this space for details !!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

The Bullet has inspired generations of Indians and expats to attempt customisation. The brand's macho, rugged image and its association with the armed forces are legendary. Many owners including yours truly have had a history of enduring an exasperating wait for an army matte green paint job for their RE bikes.

It is an impressive effort by the designers at the Royal Enfield factory in Tiruvottiyur, near Chennai to have thought of a model inspired by war – a theme with a lot of relevance for this bike. The matte-finish sand color paint job, the conventional stickers and rubber pads on the tank and the spring saddle seats identical to the older Classics provides the epic touch to the new model. However it is equally challenging to maintain the matte finish which is why you are here !!

As matte finish color is new to many of us, we'll start with some general knowledge about matte finish color (since many of us wonder what matte finish is all about).

Matte Paint is a unique automotive paint finish isn't unique to motorcycles. In fact, matte paint has been used in other industrial environments for years. Truth is, matte paint has been around quite some time before luxury brands caught whiff of the revolutionary craze that would change the auto industry forever. So why does matte paint look so flat?

The trickery that matte paint plays on our eyes isn't one of scientific wonder. In fact, it’s quite simple. Your typical glossy looking motorcycle is basically made up of a base layer (primer), a pigment layer, and a reflective clear coat. Matte motorcycles are basically that same motorcycle with a very finely dinged up clear coat. What clear coat does is add depth and “significance” to your motorcycle's ain't, but when it comes to matte, it dulls it down. What you see on matte paint that you don’t on a “normal” motorcycle is the dimples and divots in the clear coat that eliminate light’s ability to reflect directly off the motorcycle and therefore the surface appears flat with a sheen rather than a shine. Because there is no crisp, consistent clear coat layer on matte motorcycles, you don’t see your reflections when you glance over the motorcycle.

And yet the million dollar question remains the same –how to maintain the matte color finish as factory new (applicable to all matte finish motorcycles and cars)?? Here they are tips you should keep in mind :

1) Do not polish or wax the vehicle

2) Do not use mechanical means of cleaning the surface

3) Remove insect remains, tar and other residues immediately

4) Always keep your paint protected

Matte Rule #1: Do not wax or polish

Do not use polish or wax on your matte paint. Polishing, an abrasive process, is meant to smooth out the surface and level off imperfections. Problem is, matte paint appears flat because of imperfections in the clear coat layer as discussed above. When you polish, you’re effectively diminishing your matte motorcycle's ability to retain light. Similarly, waxing your motorcycle' with any sort of paste or carnauba will fill those same imperfections, leveling the surface once more. Think about waxing over a tiny scratch on a “regular” motorcycle... when you wax over it, it will become less visible because light reflects more easily off of the less-imperfect surface. There you have it.

Matte Rule #2: No mechanical means of cleaning
Never use any mechanical or automated means of cleaning your matte paint. Basically it boils down to NEVER buffing your matte paint, and NEVER taking it to an automatic motorcycle wash. Any sort of high-speed (buffer) or repetitive motion (twirling brushes, dragging noodles, etc.) will cause harm to the matte finish. Always wash by hand with a pH balanced matte specific car wash soap.

Matte Rule #3: Clean stuff off your paint immediately
Always remove insect remains, tar, sap, oil, overspray, bird poop, etc., etc., etc. from your paint immediately. This one’s super simple, but given their next claim, you’d think it’d be tough to do, but you’ll soon see it’s not as hard as it looks.

Matte Rule #4: Always keep your paint protected

This last point is important, you should preferably use warm water, sealants and a micro fiber to clean. Well let’s start with microfibers. Microfiber towels are the absolutely safest towel to use on the market due to their absorbant, plush, and lint free characteristics (read more on microfiber). They don’t drag contaminants across the surface like a chamois or cotton towel, they don’t leave streaks, and their water retention is nothing short of admirable. That said, they can be damaging if there is an exposed seam coming in contact with the paint, or in the event that the towel is soiled – yes – any towel will do damage. Next, applying any type of wax or sealant does pose the risk of damaging paint. Applying just about anything with a terry or microfiber applicator to a dry surface will microscopically harm your paint and cause minor surface scratches.

Matte Rule #4 is arguably the single most important rule for matte motorcycle owners. I cannot stress enough the importance of protecting your paint, as that is the only way to preserve it’s factory no-shine look. Truth is, everything covered in Rule #3 becomes a whole lot easier when you protect your paint. Protect your matte paint regularly with a no-shine, no wax, non-filling matte paint sealant specifically designed for the uniqueness of your paint.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

North East Riders Meet- 2012 (NERM) motorcycle expedition flagged off from Arunachal Pradesh capital Arunachal Pradesh Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Pasang Dorjee Sona.

The biking expedition is conducted by Arunachal Bullet Club (ABC). It's an annual event, where Royal Enfield riders from the north east region and invitees from other states get together with their Bullets, and meet and get to know each other.

The first meet was held on August 22, 2009 at Kaziranga in Assam and the man behind this is Sunil Karnany from Assam Rhinos who took the initiative in 2009 of calling all the clubs riding Royal Enfields in the North East. Since the 1st NERM in 2009, which 20 riders attended, NERM has grown from strength to strength and this 4th NERM in Nagaland will see other clubs from the northeast region participating.

In this first ever meeting of the NERM, it was decided that in order to have a closer relationship among riders of the region, this event should be held once a year with the motto “When we meet, we grow”- coined by Mark Vincent Shullai from Shillong.

It is worthwhile to mention that the ABC, with support from Sona, hosted the 2nd NERM in 2010 with the ‘Ride In Paradise’ to Menchuka, where 185 riders from all parts of the country participated. It was in this NERM that a new committee for the North East was formed with RERAM president PS Warjiri as the chairman, Nabam Jose, then president of ABC as the vice chairman and Mark Vincent Shullai as the general secretary and all clubs as members.

The ABC, having done numerous awareness rides on a variety of issues concerning the state, has grown in stature incredibly since it was set up 7 years back with veteran riders like Kipa Babu, Pige Ligu, Vijay Sonam and others. “We need to support the riders who are promoting a new way of safe and responsible riding,” said newly elected club Chief Dingwang Wangham. “Our riders are going as ambassadors of the people of Arunachal and will carry the goodwill of the State and a code of solidarity with the rest of the North East,” he added.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The annual three day congregation of Royal Enfield enthusiasts from all over the world, Rider Mania 2012, concluded recently at Vagator, Goa. A total of 1600 fans, 1000 of them being riders made this the biggest ever Rider Mania in the history of the company.

The highlights of the first day was the slow race that involved a lap around the race track in the slowest possible time and the Figure of 8 team race, where teams set their fastest lap times on figure 8 shaped track.

On the second day it was time for the Assembly Wars and Dirt Track races in both 350 and 500cc categories. A four-member event, the Assembly Wars requires participants to remove and then reassemble parts of their motorcycles. The Dirt Track requires riders to slug it out on a purpose-built track.

The last day had the Cleanest Bike, Lemon and Spoon race, Popular Custom Bike awards and the Celebration Ride. Javeen from Kerala won the Popular Custom Bike award with the maximum number of votes for his ‘Egg bike’.

Dr Venki Padmanabhan, CEO, Royal Enfield, said, “All great journeys deserve great destinations. Royal Enfield has pioneered great journeys for decades on Indian roads. And for a decade now we conduct an annual festival called Rider Mania to create a compelling reason for riders across India to collect their friends and go for a long ride. For the past four years that destination has been on Vagator Beach in Goa. Over these 10 years mostly through word of mouth the attendance at this festival has grown to almost 1500 participants this year from across India, spending three days of music, mirth and odd riding skills!”

The Rider Mania 2012's musical entertainment featured the Raghu Dixit Project, Mumbai band Zedde, and electronic duo Shaa’ir and Func who did their bit to keep the bikers’ spirits rocking.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Royal Enfield said the waiting period for delivery of its bikes will come down after the commissioning of the Rs 150-crore plant coming up next year at Chennai.

“There is a waiting period of 6-8 months on most of our models in states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Kolkata...with the new plant coming up in next year, the waiting period on our bikes will come down,” Royal Enfield (unit of Eicher Motors) Senior Vice-President (Sales & Marketing) Shaji Koshy told reporters here.

In 2011, the company's sales in the state grew by almost 80 per cent over 2010, Koshy said.

"This year we have already registered a growth of 70 per cent over the average monthly sales volume of 2011. To keep up with the growing demand we have expanded our footprints aggressively and we have 16 dealersacross Karnataka," he added.

"So far we have sold 75,000 bikes and this fiscal we hope to cross one lakh sales figures," Padmanabhan said.

Padmanabhan also announced the company's entry into the biking accessories market with a slew of apparel and biking gadgets, including leather and nylon jackets, helmets and gloves.

Friday, November 16, 2012

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