It is often said that ride a Royal Enfield not from your head but from your heart. To appease its thumper fans, the Indian vintage cruiser maker Royal Enfield has launched a sports version of their favorite line rechristened as 'Royal Enfield Continental GT'. The bike is stated to be the fastest, lightest and most powerful Royal Enfield currently in production. During the launch late in 2013, Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director and CEO, Eicher Motors Limited (the parent company of Royal Enfield) said, “As the world re-awakens to the sound of modern café racers, Royal Enfield is bringing back an icon that introduces the spirit of one of the most popular motorcycling cultures in history with the Continental GT – the lightest, fastest and most powerful Royal Enfield in production.”
The Royal Enfield Continental GT is powered by 535 cc, Single Cylinder, 4 stroke, Air cooled engine that generates about 29.1 bhp of power with 44 Nm of torque. The engines can be started using a push button start or regular kick start pattern. The powerful engine is mated to a 5 speed constant gear-mesh. To ensure the ride is smooth the bike sports 41mm telescopic forks at the front, whereas the rear is blessed with Paioli twin gas-charged shock absorbers. Clip-On handle bars feature adjustable clips that are intended to allow the rider to position himself across the tank, in a fashion that he becomes a part of the ride.
With more power, controlling the machine becomes very important. The bike is blessed with Brembo 300mm disc for the front, and 240mm disc at the rear. The exhaust has been tweaked for superior performance. The new Nimble, flex-free double cradle frame frame has been designed in consultation with Harris performance, thereby gaining better structure that translates into more stable and lively feel for the rider. The sleek back-lit instrument cluster reads out all the vital information to the rider at any given point in time.
The pricing for the bike is on a higher side at a little over Rs. 2.0 Lakhs, but it is definitely worth a consideration for the amazing performance and reliability that Royal Enfield has always been known for all these years. The bike has been designed for sheer riding pleasure without compromising on biking aesthetics.
